DECEMBER 26, 2023 THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

 

 

DECEMBER 26, 2023

 THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

Christmas is a big holiday, so I knew it was sketchy to offer a race on the day after.  Missing the sail last week due to rain, my crew was eager to get back out on the water.  I had crew so I put the offer out for a race.  Several factors had to be dealt with: there was a potential swell building through the afternoon and with the swell there was excessive current at play in the harbor.

As we left the harbor at about 1:30, even though the weather was fine, there was only one  other sailboat out on the bay in the, once again, very light wind.  We saw tempting wind lines out on the horizon as we bobbed along in the less the 3-knot wind. Suddenly, at about 2:30 the bay was filled with an 8-10 knot breeze, and we were sailing!   On the whole bay there was no more than 5  boats including the fishing boats!  With such little traffic and all of the racing marks removed, the crew was taking turns at the helm learning how to use the tell-tales.  When I am not on the helm, I normally scan for obstacles  to avoid but with no traffic I was lulled into complacency.  As the crew shared turns on the helm, a new person took the helm and immediately noticed that we were aiming straight for SC3 little more than a  boat length away, the ONLY obstacle in the bay.  Lesson learned: always watch for obstacles even with no traffic.

At about 2:30, one other boat came out for the fun: Kicks.  With only two boats, we just enjoyed the sail with no race.  There were still lessons to be learned and conditions to deal with.  The swell was building and the tide was dropping delivering more energy to the harbor entrance.  This made the approach to the harbor and motoring in the harbor trickier. 

Both Kicks and PAD approached the entrance close to each other.  With the swell and the power increasing, I turned out to avoid entering right on the stern of Kicks.  In breaking surf at the harbor entrance, you do not want to be right on the stern of another boat.  A breaking wave could drive you into the stern of the boat ahead.  On both leaving and entering the harbor, it is good to have a surfer on board.  Surfers are accustomed to scanning the horizon for a lump of water (a big set) on the horizon to ride.  Surfers can use this talent to scan the horizon for lumps on the horizon to AVOID.  In any case, whether you can avoid the set waves or not, it is critical to take the wave with the boat absolutely perpendicular to the face of the wave, doing this with a clear path into the harbor.   If you are not absolutely perpendicular to the face of the wave, your boat will roll violently to the side, possibly dumping crew in the water.

As you are motoring through the harbor dealing with the surge created by the surf, there is no problem when you are in the main channel since water is surging up and down the harbor.  Problems can occur when you enter the fairway approaching your slip.  The old adage about docking: “SLOW IS PRO” does not apply in these conditions.  The most dangerous position to be in with strong winds or heavy surge is to be motionless in the water.  You must have speed to have control of your boat.  Speed, but not enough speed that you cannot stop the boat in the slip with the engine in reverse.

I know all of these points are well known by seasoned  sailors in Santa Cruz, but thought it would be good to review them again for the new to Santa Cruz sailors  that are sailing with us.

As usual, it is the skippers responsibility to ascertain the conditions and to decide whether the skipper and crew can deal appropriately with what is happening.  The swell predictions are for big swells to continue through next Tuesday.  If we cancel next Tuesday’s sail, I will post an email on  Tuesday morning.

Have a great New Year!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

 

 

DECEMBER 12, 2023 GUENTER'S RACE

 

DECEMBER 12, 2023

GUENTER’S RACE

With predictions for 7 knot winds, I was encouraged with the prospects for this afternoon’s sail. Unfortunately, as we left the harbor, the ocean looked more like a lake than an ocean.  Such is winter sailing in Santa Cruz!  We motored over to the Gov area and sat motionless in the water, though we did feel a very faint southerly breeze.  When I say faint, I am talking about 1-2 knots of “breeze”.  With 10 boats out, we set a line and placed a “breeze-ward” mark some 150 yards out and blew a 5-minute horn at 2:55 for a single fleet 3pm start.

It was frustrating with boats milling aimlessly around the start line, but some boats had reasonable starts. In such light wind, clear air is more essential than ever, especially if you are not sailing a light boat.  This was apparent as the heavier boats needed to beam reach up and down the start line while the lighter boats made their way to the temporary mark. The first boat around the mark was Guenter’s Wind II followed by Rosie, Interlude, Yellow Belly and Avatar.  Several boats got close to the mark, but were not able to round.

The first boat to cross the finish line was Wind II 34:48 followed by Rosie 38:55, Yellow Belly 43:43 and Avatar 46:53.  All times are elapsed and the course distance was 0.34 NM. While it was a frustrating afternoon on the water, the lighter boats were the only ones to finish with Guenter leading the group on Wind II.

Race QS:

The track for this evening can be viewed at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=96164&updatedAt=2023-12-13T00:45:46Z&dt=2023-12-12T14:45:01-08:00..2023-12-12T16:41:47-08:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1702421936578&focus=Yellowbelly&rival=ROSIE&tab=match&view=follow&lat=36.957286&lon=-122.010070&tilt=11&range=974&heading=164

 

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE   BOAT                                     PHRF                     CORRECTED TIME

1             WIND II                                 213                        33:35

2             ROSIE                                    162                        37:59

3             YELLOW BELLY                    141                        42:55

4             AVATAR                                132                        46:08

TIDAL CURRENTS AND LIGHT WINDS:

This evening was interesting with the interplay of the light wind and the currents that were in effect. On Pair A Dice, we had some close crossings with other boats as we s-l-o-w-l-y drifted by each other. There seemed to be a current that made the crossings even more interesting.  We even had a close encounter with GOV with just enough wind to fight the current and clear the ball within inches.  I usually watch the kelp that is attached to the bottom to see which way the current is flowing, but there was no attached kelp in the area.  You can also determine currents by observing kelp attached to a mark.

Lets hope for a “Christmas wind” next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

DECEMBER 5, 2023 LIGHT WIND SAILING

 

DECEMBER 5, 2023

LIGHT WIND SAILING

While I am vacationing in Hawaii, Stefan and the crew of Perfect 36 organized the race for this evening.  As reported to me, the wind was light and coming from 230 with 20-degree shifts.   A start line was set square to 230 degrees, and there were ten boats out for the fun.  Being another light wind evening, a short course was called: start to round a sailboat over by Cowells and finish with Gov to port with finish line being an extension of the line from wharf end through Gov.  A single horn was blown at 2:55 for a single fleet start at 3:00.  Ultimately, the wind came up a little and the course was lengthened to twice around.

The first boat around the windward “mark” was Watts Moore followed by Interlude, Rosie, Perigon, Yellow Belly, Nidaros, Perfect 36 and Pacific Spirit.  After the second rounding Watts Moore was first to finish 29:37 then Interlude 35:29, Wind II 39:58, Rosie 41:35, Yellow Belly41:36, Perfect 36 52:14, Nidaros 52:35 and Pacific Spirit (New Perspective) 53:14. All times are elapsed, and the course length was 1.29NM.

While the wind appeared to be very light, which is normal for this time of year, Stefan and crew called a perfect course for light wind sailing.  A hearty thanks to Stefan, Steve Niemann and the Perfect 36 crew for setting the course.

 

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS

PLACE   BOAT                                     PHRF                     PHRF CORRECTED TIME

1             WATTS MOORE                 150                        26:23

2             INTERLUDE                         141                        32:27

3             WIND II                                213                        35:23

4             ROSIE                                    160                        38:06

5             YELLOW BELLY                    141                        38:34

6             PERFECT 36                        144                        49:08

7             PACIFIC SPIRIT                   147                        50:04

8             NIDAROS                             108                        50:15

THE ICONIC HONOLUA BAY ON MAUI WITH SIZE ON 12/5/ 23

RACE QS:

The track for this evening can be viewed at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1017739&divisionId=96060&updatedAt=2023-12-06T00:21:35Z&dt=2023-12-05T14:47:50-08:00..2023-12-05T16:21:35-08:00&boat=Perf36&time=1701816526404&focus=Perf36&rival=Nidaros%20II&tab=match&view=match

TUESDAY AFTERNOON/EVENING SAILING:

There is one big difference between our races and the normal racing environment:  We have no committee boat to set and retrieve the start line mark.  This duty is conducted by one of the competitors, usually Sailing Pair A Dice. This means that this competitor must retrieve the mark after the race.  In normal racing the start line is frequently the same as the finish line.  For our series the finish line is almost always a line, or an extension of a line designated by stationary permanent marks: lighthouse, wharf end, or Gov.  This allows the boat that set the start line mark to retrieve the mark before all boats have finished.

I will see you next Tuesday.  Let’s all hope for wind!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

NOVEMBER 28, 2023 PERSEVERANCE WITH AN AWESOME SUNSET

 

NOVEMBER 28, 2023

PERSEVERANCE WITH AN AWESOME SUNSET

After 3 weeks with no wind for a race, I was looking forward to the end of No-Winder (November).  As we left the harbor at about 2:20, we were encouraged to see some indication of a Northwesterly breeze over by Gov.  As we approached Gov we determined the wind was coming from 230 and  set a rather long line square to this. We considered the wind strength and called for a course: start to Schuyler and finish with Gov to port.  We blew one five minute horn at 5 minutes till three for a single fleet start.

All boats charged across the line on time and made their way toward Schuyler and about halfway out, the wind absolutely died with all boat bobbing motionless, all eyes on the beautiful wind line outside.  If only we were there rather than HERE!  The faster boats were the closest to the wind line and broadened their lead as they entered the wind.  The further back you were, the further you were left behind.

At Schuyler, the first around was Interlude followed by Rosie, Avatar, Big Mac, Pacific Spirit, Kicks AND Pair A Dice. After rounding Schuyler all boats sailed downwind to the finish line.  Interlude was the first to cross the line 1:02:45 followed by Avatar 1:09:22, Wind II 1:10:52, Rosie 1:11:39, Simpatico 1:15:10, Big Mac 1:18:41, Pacific Spirit (New Perspective) 1:27:30, Kicks 1:36:50  and Pair A Dice DNF as the wind died.  All times are elapsed and the course distance was 1.46 nautical miles.

It was amazing to see 10 boats out bobbing for over 45 minutes and only 1 boat retired in addition to Pair A Dice not finishing.  While it was not comfortable sitting motionless in the water while racing, I can think of worse places to be.  In a normal world, boats would retire and head to the bar.  It was an incredible display of perseverance capped with an awesome sunset. 

  

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS (SINGLE FLEET RACE):

PLACE   BOAT                     PHRF     ADJUSTED TIME

1             INTERLUDE         141                        59:19

2             WIND II                213                        1:05:41

3             AVATAR                132                        1:06:09

4             ROSIE                    162                        1:07:42

5             SIMPATICO         165                        1:11:09

6             BIG MAC              222                        1:13:16

7             NEW PERSPECITVE  147                 1:23:55

8             KICKS                    180                        1:32:27

Race QS:

The track for this evening can be seen at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=95965&updatedAt=2023-11-29T01:16:01Z&dt=2023-11-28T14:45:37-08:00..2023-11-28T17:14:33-08:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1701212496803&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Kicks&tab=fleet&view=follow&lat=36.954441&lon=-121.999653&tilt=5&range=2980&heading=225

Lets pray for better wind next Tuesday!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A  Dice

 

NOVEMBER 21, 2023 NO RACE, BUT A BLISSFUL SAIL

 

November 21, 2023                                                                

NO RACE, BUT A BLISSFUL SAIL

PredictWind was calling for light and variable wind, but Predict wind is almost always wrong!?  For this evening, it seems that PredictWind was spot on. As we motored out of the harbor several people on the dock asked if we were actually going out when there was no wind?  As we left the harbor, we scanned the bay for patches of wind and it looked like a country pond at sunrise with no hint of wind.   

We motored over to GOV to see if anything would develop and as we sat motionless we counted nine boats coming out of the harbor.  From 2pm until 3pm, the boats patiently bobbed optimistically watching for a breeze to develop.  Enough is enough and I finally cancelled the race at 3pm.  Even with the lack of wind, it was a very pleasant afternoon on the water. The last several weeks, we have had a raucous sea state with large waves and a short period.  This can create very uncomfortable sailing and boating in general.  On this “Blissful” evening, the wave action was nonexistent with very calm water.  It was such a beautiful time on the water that many boats just stayed out even after the race was cancelled. 

We motored out to the point to confirm something out there and mysteriously we had 6-7 knots of wind. We had quite a pleasant sail as the very light breeze filled the bay.  We noticed many of the other boats that had stayed out were sailing also.  The Pacific Spirit crew even sailed all the way to Natural Bridges.

With the wind not appearing until after 3:30, we had no race but with very light whispering wind and the flat seas it was a blissful evening sail.

As a bonus, we witnessed porpoises swimming as we approached the harbor.  We also sailed by an otter that had her baby otter nestled on her chest.  I don’t know if it was the famous (841) female otter that had been aggressive with surfers and recently had a baby otter, but it was certainly a treat to see them right next to the boat.

Lets pray for wind for next Tuesday for a 3pm start.

NEXT TUESDAY IS THE LAST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH AND IS BARBECUE NIGHT AT THE CLUB AFTER THE RACE.  BRING YOUR BEST  BARBECUE FOOD.

Happy holiday wishes to all of you.  Enjoy your Thanksgiving and time with family.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

 

NOVEMBER 14, 2023 SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NO-WINDER

 

NOVEMBER 14,2023

SEPTEMBER, OCTOBER, NO-WINDER

It was a beautiful day at the harbor.   Warm and sunny with the light wind constantly changing direction.

As we left the harbor and entered the bay, we scanned the water for patches of wind as we motored toward Gov.  We had about eight boats out searching for the wind.  The wind direction seemed to be constantly changing, making it impossible to set a start line.  Ultimately, we had to cancel the race and settle for a motor-race to the harbor.

This is par for the course when you consider that, for Santa Cruz, the fall months are September,  October and No-Winder.

This is not much of a blog post, but just a way to let everyone know we at least tried.

I hope to see you out next Tuesday for a 3pm start.  Pray for wind!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

NOVEMBER 7, 2023 WATCH OUT FOR HITCH-HIKERS

 

NOVEMBER 7, 2023

WATCH OUT FOR HITCH-HIKERS

It was an interesting day on the bay.  Rumors were that there were whitecaps on the bay in the morning, but when I got to the harbor around 1 o’clock there was an Easterly trying to build.  I watched as the wind kept changing direction but Predict Wind was calling for 18 knot winds in the afternoon.  When we left the harbor around 2:15, the wind was still very light from the North.   Since the SCYC marks have been removed for the winter, we needed to start from GOV and set a line square to the North wind and set the penant mark toward the beach as the weather mark.  As boats left the harbor to race, we announced the course: Start, temporary mark to port, Mile to port and finish with Gov to port.  Finish line was the extension of the line from wharf end through Gov.

We blew the “10 minute horn” at 2:50 for a 2:55 start for A fleet and  a 3pm start for B  Fleet.  As if on cue, the wind started blowing stronger at about 2:45.  What I thought was going to be an ambitious course in light breeze turned into  a short course for the 15-18 knot breeze that occurred.  We had 9 boats out for the fun with 2 boats in A Fleet and 6 boats in B Fleet.

As B Fleet charged off the line, the question was  “where is the windward mark?”  I know that this mark can be hard to see sometimes, but it certainly had disappeared.  We all sailed in to where we thought the mark was and then made our way out to Mile.  It was an interesting evening with the wind starting from the North toward the beach and changing to a northwesterly breeze out by Mile.  But at least we had wind!

At Mile, the first A Fleet boat to round was Aboriginal followed closely by Aquavit.  B Fleet was led by Interlude around Mile followed by Perfect 36, Pair a Dice, Big Mac, Simpatico and Pacific Spirit.  The first A fleet boat to  finish was Aboriginal 26:25 then Aquavit 28:21.  B fleet finished with Perfect 36 first 31:00(?) Interlude second 32:04 followed by Pair A Dice 32:13, Big Mac 33:31, Simpatico 34:03, and Pacific Spirit  36:25.  All times are elapsed and the course distance was 2.51 NM.

It was a great afternoon for a sail, but we could not figure out where the windward mark went.  We sailed closer to the beach to look for the mark but it was not there.  Since Aboriginal was the last boat to see and round the mark, we talked to Bret and he said he did not snag it.

So what happened to the mark? We use a second temporary mark less than 10% of the time and I had not used this pennant buoy for over 6 months.  I moved it to the boat just in case we needed it, but the rode was tangled.  When it was apparent we were going to use it there was a frantic effort to untangle the rode. Once it was untangled, we deployed the mark.  I did not consider the lightness of the line used for the rode and the length of the rode.  We had over 50 feet of rode and the water was less than 20 feet deep. Normally a mark will float down wind and use the deployed rode. We had wind blowing from the north (offshore) and a swell pushing the mark toward the beach.  The effect of the wind and waves balanced and the excess rode floated in the water around the mark, like a hitch-hiker trying to snag a ride.

It was a mystery until the next morning when I got a texted photo of the mark  from Paul Tara.  The rode and mark were laid out on a dock and the text read “look familiar”?  He noticed the mark floating in the middle of the channel retrieved the mark and rode.  From the bottom paint on the rode, the mark was trailing 13 feet behind the front of the keel thus not visible to the crew.  The one pound fishing weights were trailing forty feet below as they finished the race.  Bret said he felt the boat was slower but thought it was due to kelp.  It is a mystery to me how he was able to make the hard turn around Mile without snagging the buoy chain.  Maybe the close proximity of Aquavit at that rounding helped get the rode clear around the chain.

You always have to watch out for hitch-hikers, even on the water!

HITCH-HIKERS COME IN ALL FORMS!

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                     PHRF                     ADJUSTED TIME

FLEET A:

1             ABORIGINAL                      33                           25:02

2             AQUAVIT                             72                           25:20

FLEET B:

1             BIG MAC                              222                        24:13

2             PAIR A DICE                         180                        24:41

3             PERFECT 36 (?)                  144                        24:58

4             INTERLUDE                         141                        26:10

5             SIMPATICO                         162                        27:08

6             PACIFIC SPIRIT                   162                        29:30

RACE QS:

Race QS worked for most boats and the track can be viewed at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=95614&updatedAt=2023-11-08T00:07:58Z&dt=2023-11-07T14:45:15-08:00..2023-11-07T16:07:37-08:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1699401048586&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Pacific%20Spirit&tab=fleet&view=manual&lat=36.960347&lon=-122.010890&tilt=6&range=1250&heading=352

For this evening, there was no track for Perfect 36, so his time is estimated from the fact that they finished well before Pair A Dice.  With a proper race QS track, they could well  have corrected out ahead of us.

So what happens that causes race QS to not work?  It is recommended that the phone be mounted face up with the top of the phone toward the bow.  I also like to plug my phone in to be sure it is powered.   One week that my track would not upload, I had left the phone on top of the chart table and  with the movement of the boat and things being tossed around, maybe a button got pushed that cancelled the track.   I do not know what happens if you get a call or text to your phone when a track is being recorded. It is not recommended to keep the phone in your pocket while recording a track.

MIDWINTER SERIES:

The Midwinter series is coming up and there is a Jib and Main division that will be perfect for our group.  Be sure to sign up and participate.  The races are on the third Saturday of each month through the winter.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

OCTOBER 31, 2023 SEASON FINALE

 

OCTOBER 31, 2023

SEASON FINALE

I kept an eye on the flags through the afternoon and was not encouraged.  The flags were mostly limp and Predict Wind was calling for decreasing wind after 5pm.  We were surprised when we left the harbor just after four o’clock to see a healthy 8-9 knot northwesterly blowing across the bay. It was a warm afternoon on the bay with healthy thermals displaying all the way around the bay from Aptos clear down to Monterey.  Thermals make it look like a high rise building has been built on the seafront.

It was barbecue night at the club and, despite the earlier start, we called for a shorter course to allow all boats to finish. We set a line square to the wind and called for a course rounding Mile to port and finish at the S/F ball to port.  This being Halloween night, we suspected that not many boats would be racing. We were surprised to see close to twenty boats out, though some were not registered and did not run Race QS tracks. We blew the ten minute horn at 4:51, one minute late.

Fleet A rounded Mile with Aboriginal in the lead followed by Sweetheart, Yellow Belly, Aquavit, Double Espresso, Watts Moore and Rosie.  Avatar led B Fleet followed by Perfect 36, Pair A Dice, Kicks, TOAD, and the Pacific Spirit crew sailing on New Perspective.

At the finish, Aboriginal led A fleet 23:32 followed by Sweetheart 25:51, Double Espresso 28:20, Yellow Belly 28:21, Aquavit 28:33, Watts Moore 29:18 and Rosie 31:34.  Avatar led B Fleet 28:47 followed by Perfect 36 29:39, Pair A Dice 31:44, Kicks 35:34, TOAD 35:36 and Pacific Spirit (New Perspective) 37:54. All times elapsed and the course distance was 2.10 NM.

It was a beautiful afternoon on the by with a spectacular sunset. Though the holiday had a minimal effect on our participation, it was an awesome sail for our season finale.  This was the last evening sail for the season but we will continue to sail on Tuesday afternoons through the winter.

PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS:

PLACE                   BOAT                     PHRF         ADJUSTED TIME

FLEET A:

1             ABORIGINAL                      33                   22:22

2             YELLOW BELLY                141                  23:24

3             WATTS MOORE                  150                  24:03

4             DOUBLE ESPRESSO          99                    24:04

5             ROSIE                                   162                  25:53

6             AQUAVIT                             72                     26:01

7             SWEETHEART                     -6                    26:03

8            WIND II                                  213                  30:23                                                   

FLEET B:

1             AVATAR                                 132                 24:09

2             PERFECT 36                         144                 24:36

3             PAIR A DICE                         180                26:51

4             KICKS                                    180                29:16

5             TOAD                                     150               30:21

6            PACIFIC SPIRIT                    165                32:07  

 

Race QS:

The track for this evening can be viewed at:

 https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1070848&updatedAt=2023-11-01T00:59:13Z&dt=2023-10-31T16:52:10-07:00..2023-10-31T17:40:29-07:00&boat=Double%20espresso&time=1698799134359&focus=Sailing%20Pair%20A%20Dice&rival=Perf36&tab=match&view=manual&lat=36.950408&lon=-121.994043&tilt=7&range=233&heading=48

TUESDAY AFTERNOON SAILING:

Daylight Saving time changes on November 6, so we are shifting to Tuesday afternoon sailing next Tuesday. The process is the same, just starting at 3 PM rather than  5pm.  The “10 minute horn” will be blown at 2:50 with the normal two-fleet start.

Keep in mind that winter sailing is not as consistent as summer sailing.  We have shoaling, storms and rain that may cause cancellation.  I will send an email  by noon  on Tuesdays if the race will be cancelled.  I have a separate e-mail list for Tuesday afternoon sailing.  If you do not receive an e-mail notification about a new blog posting by Friday next week, you are not on  the Tuesday afternoon list.  If you want to be included in Tuesday Afternoon emails, let me know.

WINTER SAILING:

A common misconception is that winter sailing in Santa Cruz is cold.  Summer sailing is frequently foggy and overcast.  Winter sailing is often sunny and warm with lighter winds frequently in the 10-15 knot range.  If you can make it for the afternoon sails, awesome!

  Another option is the mid-winter series of races put on by the yacht club. These are on the 3 Saturday of each month and there is a Jib and Main division which is perfect for our group.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

OCTOBER 24, 2023 THE VAGARIES OF SAILING IN FOG

 

OCTOBER 24, 2023

THE VAGARIES OF SAILING IN FOG

 Conditions always seem to be changing for our Tuesday sails.  The wind was light in the harbor as the afternoon progressed.  As we left the harbor just after 4, it was encouraging to see a good Easterly developing.  As we observed the fog in Aptos (usually a precursor for a good Easterly) we got a little ambitious in selecting a course. To  complicate things there was also a fog bank directly South of us.  We decided on an impromptu course of Start>Blacks>Gov and finish with S/F to port.  I figured if the wind started to diminish, we could shorten course to finish at Gov.  I hate to see boats in a bob-fest with boats retiring.

We blew the “10 minute horn” a minute late at 4:51 and observed as Fleet A got off to a clean start as Fleet B did 5 minutes later. As we all rounded Blacks and headed toward Gov, almost all boats took the inside course closer to the beach following the traditional thought that Easterly breezes develop first closer to shore.  We noticed the southerly fog bank was approaching and sailed out for the “fog line wind”.  As we were all inching very slowly toward GOV, it seemed prudent to shorten course, so I called to shorten the race to finish at Gov.

Just as we approached GOV, the wind increased and almost all boats sailed back to finish the original longer course.  This beat back to S/F was the best sailing of the evening. This building fog line wind created an unusual two races in one with a finish at GOV and another finish at S/F.  Such are the vagaries of sailing in waves of fog. 

THE GOV FINISH: COURSE DISTANCE 1.5NM

FLEET A

PLACE   BOAT                                     PHRF                     ELAPSED TIME      CORRECTED TIME

1             WIND II                                213                        35:49                                    30:29

2             GOOD TIMIN’                     141                        37:24                                    33:52

3             JERSEY GIRL                      141                        38:25                                    34:53

4             INTERLUDE                        141                        38:26                                    34:54

5             ROSIE                                   162                        39:01                                    34:58

6             TUSITALA                            90                           37:25                                    35:10

7             PERIGON                              81                           38:41                                    36:39

8             SWEETHEART                     -6                            36:55                                    37:04

FLEET B

1             AVATAR                                132                        32:04                                    28:46

2             ZOOP                                    144                        32:36                                    29:00

3             BIG MAC                              222                        35:29                                    29:56

4             PAIR A DICE                        180                        34:53                                    30:23

5             PERFECT 36                        144                        35:18                                    31:42

6             GOLD RUSH                       126                        35:52                                    32:43

7             SIMPATICO                         165                        37:12                                    33:04

8             NIDAROS                            108                        36:04                                    33:22

9             KICKS                                  180                        38:44                                    34:14

10           TOAD                                   150                        38:51                                    35:06

11           MAKANI                              147                        38:58                                    35:17

12           WIND GODDESS                168                        40:50                                    36:38

 

FOR THOSE THAT WENT THE EXTRA MILE (FINISHED AT S/F): COURSE DISTANCE 2.46NM

FLEET A:

PLACE   BOAT                                     PHRF                     ELAPSED TIME     CORRECTED TIME

1             GOOD TIMIN’                    141                        48:59                                    43:12

2             INTERLUDE                       141                        49:10                                    43:23

3             JERSEY GIRL                     141                        49:44                                    44:10 (TIE)

3             ROSIE                                  162                        50:49                                    44:10 (TIE)

5             PERIGON                             81                           50:21                                    47:01

6             SWEETHEART                    -6                            47:43                                    47:57

FLEET B:

1             AVATAR                                132                        43:21                                    38:16

2             BIG MAC                              222                        48:20                                    39:13

3             PAIR A DICE                        180                        46:41                                    39:18

4             PERFECT 36                        144                        45:55                                    40:00

5             GOLD RUSH                       126                        46:33                                    41:23

6             SIMPATICO                         165                        49:41                                    42:55

7             NIDAROS                            108                        47:44                                    43:18

8             (and) KICKS                        180                        51:00                                    43:37

9             MAKANI                             147                        49:08                                    43:46

10           TOAD                                   150                        52:24                                    45:15

11           WIND GODDESS                168                        53:41                                    46:47

 

RACE QS:

Race QS seems to be working for most boats.  The track for this evening can be found at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=95343&updatedAt=2023-10-25T01:15:21Z&dt=2023-10-24T16:45:34-07:00..2023-10-24T18:08:48-07:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1698195145311&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Perf36&tab=setup&view=manual&lat=36.954369&lon=-121.998716&tilt=1&range=2102&heading=322

 

THE SEASON FINALE:

Next Tuesday will be our last “Tuesday Night sail” of the season starting at 5pm.  It will be Halloween night and, since it is the last Tuesday of the month it will be barbecue night at the club  after  the race.   These barbecues are always fun events and the last Tuesday night sail celebration is also very special.  BE SURE TO BRING YOUR BEST GRILLING FOOD FOR THE BARBECUE.

THE FUN CONTINUES:

After next Tuesday’s sail, we will start Tuesday afternoon sailing through the winter.  Winter sailing will start at 3 in the afternoon (10 minute horn at 2:50).  Winter sailing is different from summer sailing with rain, harbor shoaling and storms preventing sailing on certain days.  If sailing is cancelled for any reason, expect an e-mail notice by noon of the day of cancellation.

Another very fun series is the Midwinters series of races offered by the yacht club.  We have all improved our sailing by participating in our Tuesday sails.   Why not apply what you have learned by entering and sailing in these races. There is a jib and main division!  The Midwinter series are held on the third Saturday of each month from November through March.

I hope to see you next Tuesday for the season finale!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice