2024 NEW SEASON DOCUMENTS: EXPLANATION OF CHANGES, NOR, SIs AND COURSE CARD

 

NEW SEASON COMING SOON

Daylight savings occurs on March 10 so we will change our start time to 6pm on March 12.  This is a new season with new course cards, sailing instructions and registration.  The registration fees for this year remain the same as last year: $40 for members and $55 for nonmembers for the whole year.

As  the races have become more popular we have seen some issues that need to be addressed.  The goal that I strive for is for everyone to have fun and develop their sailing skill.  Everyone that races should be recognized for their efforts if they want recognition.  Race QS is an awesome app that has been a huge asset to Tuesday sailing.  As good as Race QS is, it is not always dependable.  Sometimes it goes down completely and other times tracks just cannot be uploaded.  It is a bummer to do well in a race and not get recognition because your track did not upload.  It’s not the America’s Cup, but if you do well, you should be recognized.  We have a way to resolve this issue.

We have a very simple and inexpensive race organization, resulting in our very low entry fee.  We set the start line buoy and temporary buoy if necessary.  We need to retrieve these buoys before we return to the harbor.  Since we use semi permanent marks such as S/F or Gov, we need to use extensions of lines for the finish.  It is normal in racing to have the finish line perpendicular to the wind direction.  On Tuesdays we have always used  “rounding of a mark”  to finish.  This can be confusing to the many proficient racers who are accustomed to finishing  on the same line they started on. This can result in boats not crossing our finish line and, once again, boats not being recognized for their efforts.

To resolve these issues, we have initiated a new procedure for finishing a race.  Every course on the  new course card is  finished using an extension of a mark and a designated point on land. We have used points on land before: JLH= Jetty lighthouse and Wharf end=end of municipal pier.  To these points on land, we are adding several more to accommodate finishing on a line nearly square to the wind direction as is normal in racing.  Wharf end is now designated as  WE and we are adding SL=East side of San Lorenzo river and BP=Blacks point. Blacks point is the rocky point at the end of Twin Lakes beach.  You can also use a bearing of 15 M degrees from S/F for Blacks point.  All of  these points and abbreviations are listed at the top of the course card.

An additional advantage with using extensions for finish lines allows someone on the boat to record the finish time as a backup in case Race QS does not function for your boat.  Each boat should run Race QS, but as a backup, each boat should designate a person to record the moment the boat passes the finish line extension and relationship to other boats that are finishing.  One critical exercise when using extensions to finish: ALWAYS pass the finish mark on the side (pt or stb) designated on the course card. 

One other problem we have had to deal with is the pile-up of boats at Blacks on an Easterly wind night.  Using an offset mark has helped with this issue, but a longer distance from start to Blacks is needed.  To resolve this issue, there are times that it would be better to start from Gov rather than S/F.  During the summer we have traditionally started every race from S/F.  With this option to start at Gov, it is necessary to communicate the alternate start area.  We will obviously communicate on VHS channel 69, but when exiting the  harbor, if Sailing Pair A Dice or other committee boat is flying an American flag from the stern, the start area will be at Gov.

I am looking forward to another awesome year of Tuesday Night Sailing!

Barry Keeler

Sailing PAIR A Dice

Following are the 2024 race documents: NOR, Sailing Instructions and a crude  copy of the course card. When you register a laminated course card will be left on your boat.

2024 Tuesday Night Developmental Race Series

Each Tuesday Night of 2024 during Daylight Savings Time

Santa Cruz Yacht Club, Santa Cruz, CA

 

Notice of Race

 

Invitation: The Santa Cruz Yacht Club invites interested boats and their crews to participate in

a developmental racing skills series.

Rules

The Regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing.

The Sailing Instructions will change RRS 40 so that flotation devices are worn regardless

of the display of Flag Y.

Eligibility and Entry: 

Racing is open to all registered boats. Boats may self-select to a designated fleet each Tuesday evening. “A fleet” is designated for more experienced crews and higher performance boats. “B Fleet” is designated to accommodate new racers and lower performance boats. Eligibility is established by completing the on-line registration for your boat at  SCYC.org/regattas.  Scroll down to “Tuesday night race” and click  on “register” to complete the process. Entry fee is $40 for members and $55 for nonmembers for the whole year.  Registration fee can be charged to your account for members and charged to  your credit card for nonmembers

Schedule: 

Each Tuesday Night of 2024 during Daylight Savings Time, first signal will be sounded with a 1750 horn. First signal change may be announced on VHF channel 69.  Following the racing on the last Tuesday of each month a post-race debriefing may be held, and potluck barbecue will be held at the SCYC Clubhouse.

Racing may continue during the winter starting in the afternoon. Monitor e-mail and channel 69 for updates.

Scoring:

The racing will be scored applying handicaps to finish times from their recorded .gpx tracks on RaceQs https://raceqs.com/ ). Race QS is a free app used on your phone.  This app MUST BE USED to be counted in this series. If Race QS  does  not function, finish  times may be submitted  to the site noted in the SIs. However, being a developmental regatta, the races may also not be scored.  

 

 

 

 

Each Tuesday Night during Daylight Savings Time 2024

Santa Cruz Yacht Club

Sailing Instructions

 

Rules:   The Regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of

Sailing unless otherwise indicated in these sailing instructions.  The first sentence of RRS 40                                          

is changed to: Competitors shall wear personal floatation devices, except briefly while changing or     adjusting clothing or personal equipment                                                              

Notices to Competitors: Notice to competitors may be announced by e-mail sent by noon on each Tuesday if that day’s race is postponed or canceled. Cancelation may also be announced on VHF channel 69.

Schedule: 

Racing is scheduled for each Tuesday Night of 2024 during Daylight Savings Time.

Post-race social activities, dinner, racing debriefs, and rules discussions are planned at SCYC clubhouse after racing each Tuesday.

Racing Area: The racing area will be within 3 miles of Walton Lighthouse.

Communications:  Boats should Monitor VHF channel 69 before start time for course location, start time, and designated course. 

Marks: Marks are described in the attached Tuesday Night Course Card.

The Start: The start line shall be a line containing S/F BUOY, MILE or GOV. A red ball will establish the other end of the line unless starting at MILE.  An American flag flown from committee boat stern shall indicate a start from Gov. This flag will be stowed at start time.  Boats should monitor Channel 69 for course announcements.

RRS 26, and 27 shall be replaced with the following simplified starting procedure. Scheduled start times are 1755 (Fleet A) and 1800 (Fleet B).  A single signal horn shall be sounded at 1750 which is a 5 minute horn for fleet A and a 10 minute horn for fleet B. Monitor VHF 69 for changes in this schedule. Fleets may be combined to a single start.

Recalls: RRS 29 will be changed to the following:  A designated boat may sight the line to identify On Course Side (OCS) boats.  OCS Boats may be announced on VHF Channel 69. Not having a designated boat that hails OCS boats via VHF 69 does not absolve a boat of its obligation to start correctly.

Courses:  Attached Tuesday Night Course Card indicates courses to be used. Courses will be communicated from the organizing race boat to the racing fleet over VHF channel 69 prior to the 1750 signal.  This changes Rule 27.1

The Finish:The finish line will be listed on course card and will be an extension of a line, so pass the finish mark as indicated (pt/stb).  Finish mark should be passed within 200 feet. Each boat shall record their own finish time and relationship to boats around them. Finish times may be emailed to:  SCYC.race.results@gmail.com if Race QS malfunctions.

PENALTY SYSTEM:

RRS 44.1 is changed so that the Two-Turns Penalty is replaced by the One-Turn Penalty.

 

PROTESTS AND TIME LIMITS:

Protests in this series are for educational purposes and may be shared among all participants.   Protests may be filed within 24 hours following the race by sending an email to:

SCYC.race.results@gmail.com  Protest forms may be obtained at: https://www.ussailing.org/resource-library/us-sailing-hearing-request-form/

Protest  decisions will be documented on the race blog.

 

 

FEBRUARY 13, 2024 REACH UNTIL YOU FINISH

 

FEBRUARY 13, 2024

REACH UNTIL YOU FINISH

We have been very fortunate this winter being able to sail on most Tuesdays despite dodging storm fronts, storm surf and shoaled harbor entrance.  For this pre-valentine day sail, all systems came together for a perfect sail.  Rain was due for Wednesday, but clear for Tuesday and a nice  16 knot breeze was predicted.  As we left the harbor, it was apparent that the Predict Wind forecast was spot on!  The only problem was the presence of only one mark to use: MILE.   From Gov to Mile, with a 235 degree wind is a reach both ways.  That’s ok, there is nothing wrong with drag racing!  We set the start line not square to the wind so that there was not a predominant favored end of the line.  We called for a course: Start>Mile>Gov>Mile>finish at Gov. We had ten boats out for the fun and blew a 5 minute at 3:55 for a single fleet start.

All boats got off for a clean start as the drag race to Mile began. The only tactic to employ was trying to get clear unobstructed wind as all boats sailed straight for Mile.  The first boat to round Mile was Flexi Flyer followed closely by Perfect 36, Watts Moore, Avatar, Pair A Dice, Simpatico and Nidaros. As boats rounded Mile they all reached (once again) back toward Gov then reached back to Mile and yet another reach back to finish at Gov.

The first across the finish line was Flexi Flyer 39:37 then Perfect 36 39:42,  Watts Moore 40:54, Avatar 41:22, Simpatico 42:10, Pair A Dice 43:22 and  Nidaros 44:28.  All times are elapsed and the course distance was 4.52NM.

It was awesome getting back out on the water with such great wind  and sailing conditions.  With all legs of the course being reaching legs, all you needed to do was reach until you finished.

PHRF CORRECTED RESULTS:

PLACE   BOAT                                     PHRF                     CORRECTED TIME

1             PERFECT 36                        144                        28:51

2             WATTS MOORE                  150                        29:36

3             SIMPATICO                          165                        29:44

4             SAILING PAIR A DICE       180                        29:48

5             AVATAR                                132                        31:26

6             FLEXY FLYER                      96                         32:23

7             NIDAROS                             108                        36:20

 

 RACE QS:

We had several boats that did not upload tracks.  If you want to be certain that you have a track shown on Race QS, it may be good to have two phones record the track, so if one fails the other can be used. The track for this evening can be found at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=96923&updatedAt=2024-02-14T01:16:48Z&dt=2024-02-13T15:50:11-08:00..2024-02-13T17:04:13-08:00&boat=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&time=1707871468334&focus=SAILING%20PAIR%20A%20DICE&rival=Perf36&tab=match&view=follow&lat=36.958293&lon=-122.012386&tilt=8&range=239&heading=232

COMMENTS ON REACH SAILING:

It seems like there is nothing to learn when there are no tactics involved with all legs of a 4.5 mile race being a reaching point of sail.  Waterline becomes a distinct advantage, but there are other things to consider.  While racing normally is windward- leeward (upwind-downwind), reaching all the way has a few different considerations.    Clear air is one consideration, but studying the Race QS tracks reveals another important consideration. Click the arrow on the left of the screen and select “compare two boats”. Select two boats to consider and after boats have finished the race in Race QS, check the results. One of the factors to consider is average angle of heel for the whole race.  Angle of heel is always an important consideration, but when no tactics are involved, it becomes critical.  The angle of heel between all boats sailing this afternoon ranged from 1 degree to 14 degrees.  The boats that did best on this evening had low heeling angles.  Getting weight up on the rail is one consideration, but twisting the top of the sail  (travel  up,  sheet out) can help to decrease the angle of heel.

These are my observations. We have many excellent sailors in our group. I would be interested in other sailors’ perspective on this subject.

It looks like rain is forecast for next Tuesday.  We will see what develops.  I will email a cancellation by noon on Tuesday if the race will be cancelled.

******************************

This excellent perspective was presented by John Robison who was  sailing on Perfect 36. 

RE: your blog comments I can add a few thoughts (some discussed on P36 during the race)

I think in general reaching has slightly fewer tactics (no tack/jibe considerations), but everything else still holds, keeping things just as interesting from my perspective...

• Lots of tactics on mark rounding (as always), and clean tack/jibe even more important since it happens infrequently.
• Waterline is a part of the equation, but if you look at finishing order, its not everything, even when reaching...
• You noted clean air - which is always a consideration, but even more so on a long reach without any chance to "tack away" for clearer air.
• Heel (or maybe more generally, proper heel as a result of proper sail trim) is ALWAYS important, regardless of wind angle. ;)
• More generally on sail trim - trimming to "maximize gusts" was really important for us in this race, anticipating the wind and constantly adjusting sails to match, as opposed to close-hauled where we typically adjust the boat angle more than the sail angle. Reaching is a good workout/training for the trimmers!

In addition to clean air, we were so close to FF in this race, we also tried to ride their stern wave. Though the swells were pretty small, being inside the (water) wake, but high enough to avoid bad air, kept us very close despite FF having a much better PHRF rating. 

Thank you John!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

JANUARY 30, 2024 YOU CAN'T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

 

JANUARY 30, 2024

YOU CAN’T ALWAYS GET WHAT YOU WANT

Once again, the predictions were for light and variable winds, but as we prepped the boat we were encouraged by the fluttering of the flags indicating at least some wind.  Even as we left the harbor at 3pm, we saw a light breeze across the water, so we set a mark about a quarter of a mile toward the point and set a start line.  We were getting excited, the harbor was clear, the waves were present but not too large and  we had nine other boats out for the fun!   As the boats milled around, mostly powered by their iron gennies, a large, dark cloud filled the whole area above us.  While this cloud cover stifled any wind we were experiencing, it also was not moving at all.  I was studying the windex  on several boats and saw that  they were all spinning slowly indicating a directionless 1-2 knot wind.  With the clouds not moving, there was no hope of clear sky to entice wind so at 4:10 I cancelled the race.

As the “Stones” song  said: “You can't always get what you want, but if you try sometime you’ll find, you get what you need”.   Though I desperately WANTED to sail this evening, I got what I NEEDED:  The socialism and the barbecue at the club!  Once again, thanks to  Mike Gross who came through with some excellent barbecue food to add to the potluck.

Let's all hope for better conditions next  Tuesday with a 4PM start.  

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice