SEPTEMBER 2, 2025 JUST ANOTHER DRIFTER

 

SEPTEMBER 2, 2025

JUST ANOTHER DRIFTER

I was encouraged to see the flags showing a mild breeze.  Though it was not a strong breeze, it seemed to be consistent with no signs of dissipating.  As we left the harbor around 5pm, the same consistent wind seemed to fill the bay.  We determined the wind direction was from 220 degrees and set a start line square to this.  With the wind coming from a southerly direction, we chose an ambitious course S4.  Though everyone seems to be using Regatta Hero, we are maintaining our redundancy of blowing our “10 minute horn” and announcing the course on VHF 69.

Both fleets tacked their way to Mile in a steady 8-9 knot breeze.  As we were rounding Mile for the long downwind run to Blacks, it was apparent that we had been too ambitious in our course.  Noting that Aboriginal had not rounded Blacks yet, we shortened course to finish at Blacks.  As usual, the dead downwind course in light breeze felt like the wind had died completely as we sailed excruciatingly slowly to finish at Blacks.  Even though the apparent wind kicked in once we rounded Blacks, it was the correct move to shorten course since it had turned into just another drifter.

The track for A Fleet can be reviewed at:

https://www.regattahero.com/mapviewer/?organisation=scyc&passcode=233793&regatta=Tues%20Fleet%20A&race=2.9.2025%2017:55:00&language=en

The track for B Fleet can be seen at:

https://www.regattahero.com/mapviewer/?organisation=scyc&passcode=233793&regatta=Tues%20Fleet%20B&race=2.9.2025%2018:00:00&language=en

                                        

                                            Photo by Jennifer Kinsman

 PHRF ADJUSTED RESULTS

PLACE                 BOAT                                   PHRF                   ET              CORRECTED

FLEET A:   COURSE S4 SHORTENED DIST=2.34NM

1             PACIFIC HIGH                                96                          43:43                  39:57

2             DUET                                               141                        45:57                  40:25

3             TRUE LOVE                                    72                          43:38                  40:48

4             GOOD TIMIN’                                 141                       48:00                  42:28

5             ABORIGINAL                                  33                         45:59                  44:41

6             WIND  II                                           213                        56:04                  47:43

7             AQUAVIT                                         72                          52:50                  50:00

FLEET B:  COURSE S4 SHORTENED DIST=2.34NM

1             GOLD RUSH                                   126                       50:58                  46:02

2             AVATAR                                            132                       54:27                  49:17

3             ZOOP                                                 144                       55:54                  50:15

4             SAILING PAIR A DICE                   180                       58:20                  51:17

5             NIDAROS                                         144                       57:40                  52:01

6             BIG MAC                                           222                       1:00:46              52:04

7             HAMACHI                                        243                       1:01:43              52:14

8             TARA                                                 243                       1:01:58              52:27

9             PERFECT 36                                     144                       1:02:01              56:22

10          PATRIOT                                            144                       1:05:08              59:29

11          TOAD                                                  150                       1:08:53              1:03:00

12          WIND GODDESS                               165                       1:11:00              1:04:32

13          PACIFIC SPIRIT                                 165                       1:12:03              1:05:35

 

JACK AND JILL REGATTA:

Remember the Jack and Jill regatta will be on September 27.  Time to get crew lined up!

THE ZOOP  SCOOP  BY PAUL TARA

A HORSE OF ANOTHER COLOR

First, I encourage everyone to take note of Gold Rush’s performance in the B fleet.  Newer is not necessarily better.  She sailed a nearly perfect race, nailing the start at the port end, and basically sailing away from the fleet. Not bad for a C&C 35 Mk I built in the 1960’s (making her, by far, the oldest boat sailing on Tuesdays). She was one of the very first boats in the Harbor and I’m sure her previous skipper, the late Allen Morton, is smiling. I bet you can guess what her hull color is.



Now, take a look at these tracks from this past Tuesday. (Regatta Hero did not display individual ‘routes’ in tabular form, so you’re just going to have to face grim reality graphically.)

 

A Fleet (above) B Fleet (below).

 

 

The course was Mile Buoy, Blacks. The compass course to Blacks is the thin black line. Every foot deviated from it is extra distance.  On the eve of the Battle of Trafalgar, Horatio Nelson told his officers, “No captain can do very wrong who places his ship alongside that of the enemy.”  If he’d been around on Tuesday, he might have said, “No skipper can be very wrong who points his bow straight at the next mark.”  

 

Psychology plays an important role in yacht racing, especially when it involves rivalry between similar boats. Plus, nothing feels slower than going dead downwind in light to moderate air.  But, before haring off into the wild blue yonder in search of more apparent wind, try to keep in mind these are corrected time fleet races. There is always a price for straying from the shortest course.  The old adage “up in the lulls, down in the puffs” still applies off the wind, but don’t get carried away. The laws of physics are non-negotiable. What feels better in the moment may not pay off later. And, on Tuesdays, later is often sooner than you think. 

 

Our races are short.  If there’s breeze, most don’t last much longer than the time it takes to rig the boat, making recovery from a poor decision very difficult.  There just isn’t enough racetrack. Generally, when sailing low performance boats, the bet to trade distance for speed is not a good one, because the speed increase is minimal.

It’s the long game that counts, even if it only lasts 30 minutes.

Thanks Paul.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice