AUGUST 16, 2016: INSIDE, OUTSIDE

AUGUST 16, 2016

INSIDE, OUTSIDE

There was plenty of wind on the water and the flags on the crow’s nest confirmed.  Looking closely at the water, there were few white caps so I guessed the wind to be just about 15 knots from the northwest.  We chose course W2: start, wharf, mile, gov, finish and gave a 5 minute horn at 5:55.

On Pair A Dice we thought there was much more wind outside so we set up for a starboard tack at the start buoy. We were not alone in this assessment, with Pacific Spirit and Sagittarius starting out on the same tack. Sagittarius was one of the first to peel off toward inside on port tack, Pair A Dice sailed a little further out before following and Pacific Spirit went even further out before tacking over.  We noticed when Pacific Spirit was on Port tack they were sailing much lower and faster than we were.  We were amazed to see Sagittarius tack over toward Wharf way ahead of us.  It seems that all of the boats that started off on port tack and sailed inside were ahead of us by quite a bit.  Sagittarius was the first around Wharf followed by Aeolian, Pacific Spirit and Pair A Dice.  Despite or best efforts and sail trim, we were not able to close the gap between us as we sailed toward Mile,

The procession continued around Gov and finished at start/finish with Sagittarius in the lead followed by Aeolian, Pacific Spirit, Pair A Dice, Kicks, Odonata and Sea Quake. Congratulations to the crew of Sagittarius, Aeolian and Pacific Spirit for a great race.

SHOW UP AND PAY ATTENTION!

This was the admonishment that one of the great Santa Cruz sailors always gave.  This means looking at the sailing instructions, getting out on the course early enough to gauge the conditions.  What are the flags doing? (crows nest flag, flags on the wharf), are they all flying the same direction?  What are the anchored boats doing, are they all faced the same way or are there subtle differences?  How are the floating birds sitting? Birds characteristically float in the water facing the wind. Is the kelp all streaming in the same direction indicating a current?  As you are sailing, are there headers and lifts to take advantage of or is the wind consistent in direction?

As you are sailing pay close attention to other boats and what they are doing.  This is for the crew to do for the skipper, since the skipper is focusing on steering the boat.  The crew can call out: “X boat at our 9 oclock is 300 yards away and sailing lower and faster than we are”.  The crew can also apprise how boats are doing on different tacks, trying to apprise whether you are sailing at right angles to each other and if this is consistent.  These angles may change as either boat gets headed or lifted.

As is usually the case in Santa Cruz, sailing inside on port tack is a preferred strategy.  This works because of the lift you get sailing inside of the point to make it around wharf.  Not following this strategy has its perils and there should be a compelling reason for not going inside. 

On this particular evening, there may have been a good westerly current inside, the water was probably a little flatter and wind was adequate to help getting ahead.  I wish I had paid more attention to the inside boats as we were sailing out.  I have a feeling they were also getting lifted toward the wharf mark as they were sailing toward the pier.

I am looking forward to next Tuesday.

See you then.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

AUGUST 9, 2016: LIGHT WIND FROM THE SOUTH

AUGUST 9, 2016

LIGHT WIND FROM THE SOUTH

It looked like a light breeze. Was it from the northwest or from the South?  It was not until we left the harbor that it became apparent that the wind was almost directly from the South.  It was time to look at the “south wind” part of the course chart.  We called for course M1: start, Mile finish at Gov.  We gave a 5 minute horn and everyone started jockeying for position.

On Pair A Dice, we wanted to start at the buoy on starboard tack.  We were way too early and went through several stalling maneuvers and finally ended up at the mark on pretty good time.  Steve Niemann on perfect 36 was too soon over the line.  Kudos to him and his crew for doing the right thing by rounding the buoy to start again.  Mistress Quickly (SC27 Evan Diola and crew) did a great job leading the way.  Pacific Spirit was also in good position.  We had our 155 jib on and it was working very well, helping us in leading the pack.  Once we rounded Mile it was a long slog to Gov for the finish.  As the wind lightened inside many boats seemed to compress on us.  Pacific Spirit was breathing down our neck, but we ultimately inched over the line ahead of Pacific spirit but sufficiently behind Mistress Quickly.  It seems like lighter boats move faster in light wind.  The excitement was not over. After we crossed and Pacific Spirit crossed, Sea Quake and Perfect 36 were in a dead heat for the finish.  From our perspective on the line, it looked like Sea Quake inched over just ahead of Perfect 36. We had Nidaros II (Santana 30) out for the first time who came in next then Aeolian and Kicks.

PHRF and other races:

We just had the Big Brothers Big sisters regatta this past Sunday.  This is a reverse PHRF pursuit race where slower boats start first.  In these situations if all boats were sailed perfectly, all boats would finish at exactly the same time. Pair A Dice was doing pretty well and was the third boat around the second mark (SC3) after 4 miles of sailing. Then we had the first misshap of the race. As we rounded the mark and tried to harden up on the wind, the lazy jib sheet snagged on the port side bow cleat.  For an excruciating 30 seconds we were not able to achieve a proper course.  Pacific Spirit rounded perfectly and climbed ahead of us.  Of the Catalina’s Pacific Spirit was one of the first over the line.  Compliments to Pacific Spirit and crew for an excellent race.  Not bad for the first time they have been in this regatta.

Using kelp to your advantage:

I have talked before about using kelp to see which way the current is flowing.  On this night we used kelp to our advantage in another way.  You can actually use a heavy bed of kelp to scrub the bottom of your boat.  Mind you, this will do nothing for heavy growth.  I had my bottom scrubbed for the BBBS regatta and knew that I had very light, one week old growth.  This is the kind of growth that even the light brush of kelp against the hull will clean away.  If you try this maneuver, be sure to back down to clear the Keel and rudder of any strands of kelp before racing.

See you next Tuesday,

Barry Keeler

Sailling Pair A Dice

AUGUST 2, 2016: ON SECOND THOUGHT

AUGUST 2, 2016

ON SECOND THOUGHT

The prediction was for light wind, so I was surprised to see my crew changing to the 135 jib when I arrived.  One look at the flag on the Crows nest removed all doubt, the wind was definitely blowing.  I pitched in to help with the sail change.  As we left the harbor, we realized there were no white caps.  The wind was dying and was down to 9-13 knots.  We quickly executed a sail change back to the 155.  We called for Whiskey 3 course and gave a 5 minute horn right at 6pm for a 6:05 start.  On Pair A Dice we thought it would be best to start further down the line on starboard tack and stay to windward of the crowd.

Our timing was pretty good but we ended up starting closer to the mark than originally planned.  We had Pacific Spirit slightly to leeward and ahead of us and Kicks to windward and slightly behind or even with us.  We were enjoying pretty clean air as we all sailed out on starboard tack .  Pacific Spirit ultimately tacked over and ducked our stern as we sailed all the way out pretty close to the layline for wharf.  Kicks tacked over just before we did. It is not normally prudent to sail to the corner, but we felt like we were getting more wind outside. It sure looked to me like we were way ahead of Pacific Spirit which sailed way inside.  As we converged on Wharf and Pacific Spirit tacked out, I was surprised to see that they were actually going to pass in front of us!  Pacific Spirit was the first to round wharf just 40 seconds or so in front of us and Perfect 36 rounding right on our heels for the long downwind run.

We set our pole and sailed wing on wing straight toward Blacks, the next mark.  On the way to Blacks the 155 was proving its worth as we inched a little closer to Pacific Spirit and opened a small lead on Perfect 36.  Pacific Spirit was the first across the line with Pair A Dice finishing about 40 seconds behind.  Perfect 36 lead Kicks an Aeolian.

RACING VERSUS PLEASURE SAILING

While racing it is not uncommon to encounter other sailboats on the water.  Just because you are racing does not exclude you from the rules of the road.  Nothing can be more frustrating than having a starboard tack non racing boat bearing down on you while you are on port.  You know the right thing to do is to tack or duck.  On Pair A Dice, we have been known to politely ask or hail the other boat “We are racing, do you mind?”.  We have seldom had the pleasure sailing boat deny our request.  There is a clear distinction between demanding right of way and asking politely if we can sail through.

Big Brothers Big Sisters:

SCYC’s one benefit regatta for the year is coming up this Sunday August 7.  This is a very fun sail to participate in and is a great benefit for the organization.  It is a reverse PHRF start and all sailboats are welcome.  Even if you have not registered, you can register in the lot below SCYC the morning of the event.  Even though it is very fun on the water, it is even more fun once you get back to the club.  There is always live music, food and comradery waiting.  It is one of my favorite events for the year.  I hope to see you there.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A DIce

Julye 26, 2016: RETURN OF THE FOG MONSTER

JULY 26, 2016

RETURN OF THE FOG MONSTER

After spending four days in Vegas and 113 degree temperatures, it was a welcome sight to see the fog when I returned home Monday evening.  Sure enough it remained for our Tuesday night races.  It always adds an element of mystery when you can’t see further than a quarter mile and you cannot see what competitors are doing.  Even though the fog seemed to dampen enthusiasm with only 5 boats out, we still had good wind to hold a race.  We called for course M2: Start, Mile, start-finish and gave a 5 minute horn.

With the wind almost from due South, Pair A Dice set up for a port-tack start while Kicks and Pacific Spirit came in on starboard.  After clearing the two starboard tackers we marched on toward Mile. Pacific Spirit was closing the gap on us from behind, while we kept a close eye on them.  Finally they tacked over to starboard which did not surprise me since it looked like there was more wind on the left of the course by the appearance of the water.  Ultimately, staying on port tack to the lay line paid off because there was even more wind on the right side of the course.

On a night like this we were depending on our GPS to determine laylines.  This is much different than judging laylines by sight.  Since we had our 155 jib working, we opened a small lead on Kicks who was right on our heels. At Mile, Pair a Dice rounded first with Kicks second, Pacific Spirit third and Hamachi and Tara (both Santana 22’s) following.

On the run to finish mark we were not able to extend our lead on Kicks but still limped over the line just ahead of them.  Kicks was followed by Pacific Spirit then Hamachi and Tara.

We had a great time at the barbecue at the club discussing tactics while letting the heat from the barbecue keep us warm despite the fog.

Rules:

Last week I admonished participants to follow rules, start appropriately and round marks.  I was not at Gov last week when all boats seemed to converge on the mark at the same time, so I do not know the specifics.  I do feel it is appropriate to discuss mark roundings and the rules pertaining to oundings. The rule that governs these situations is rule 18 of section C.  Specifically 18.2, 18.3 and 18.4.  Since mark roundings are often an intimate affair it is a good idea to know the rules, your rights and your obligations. Simply put the rule starts the moment a boat reaches the 3 boat zone.  This 3 boat zone is determined by the first boat that enters the zone.  The zone would be completely different if a 22 foot boat entered the zone first over a 30 or 36 foot boat.  It is a great idea to mark off in a parking lot exactly what 3 of YOUR boat lengths look like. Keep in mind when judging this distance, the helmsman is closer to 4 boat lengths from the mark!

It is always a good tactic to PLAN and set up so you are the inside boat upon entering the zone.  You have entered the zone when any part of your HULL is entering the zone.  Your rights and obligations are determined by overlap.  Overlapping another boat is when any part of your boat (ie spinnaker in normal position) is inside the plane established by the transom of either boat.  You are overlapped if neither boat is CLEAR AHEAD or CLEAR ASTERN.  Frequently you will see the tactitian standing at the transom declaring whether or not there is an overlap. In a dispute, the burden of proof falls on the boat claiming to have achieved overlap.  Neighboring witness boats are a help in the protest room in these situations.

In a situation where there are multiple boats entering the zone at the same time, an overlap established with your closest boat will give you rights to mark room with all boats that are overlapped with this boat.

Frequently when rounding a mark, sailors like to swing wide so they can pass the mark on their new course.  If you are enjoying rights to mark room and are the inside boat, you must not swing wide and must make a “seamanlike turn” around the mark. If you are the outside boat you must allow room for the inside boat to make their turn without hitting you (Rule 14).

It is a very good idea to review and know these rules if you plan on entering sanctioned races because these situations can get very exciting and can land you in the protest room if not conducted appropriately. There are many books and magazine articles that explain the finer nuances.

Looking forward to next Tuesday!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

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JULY 19, 2016 WHICH WAY TO GO?

JULY 12, 2016: STRATEGY VERSUS TACTICS

JULY 12, 2016

STRATEGY VERSUS TACTICS

The prediction was for light wind so I was not surprised to see an easterly wind blowing when I got to the harbor.  We switched out to the 155.  You must have the right equipment for the conditions!  With the hellacious traffic on the way to the harbor, we were late and did not start until after 6.  We gave the usual 5 minute blast on the horn.  Our course was start, Blacks, Gov,finish, keeping us inside for the light easterly that was blowing.

It has turned into quite a game for our starts.  It seems someone will always try to barge and someone will always push them above the mark.  We have all been on the giving and the receiving end of this arbitrage.  Peter on Sea Quake loves this game and is quite adept at calling people on their barging attempts.  We were lucky enough to catch him at his own game and pinch him off at the mark.  Turnabout is fair play.  All part of the fun of sailing!

On Pair A Dice, we thought we saw more wind outside of Blacks and my first thought was to “go with the wind” and sail high of the mark.  This was a strategic move, going where the wind is.  Someone pointed out that going high like this would give Makani an inside overlap at Blacks.  Time to use “tactics”, so we fell off to go down to cover Makani.  It was not long before we had gassed him and slowed him down.

On the way to Gov, we tried various whisker pole configurations even putting the pole between the shrouds at one point. The wind seemed to be dying as we ghosted along at less than 1 knot of speed. We slowly inched our way to the mark and finally jibed around it. Indeed, the wind on the way to Gov was so light, many of the boats were retiring.  Food and drink at Crow’s nest is more appealing than sailing at less than 1 knot!

On the way back to finish, the wind filled in nicely and I studied my prostart to track our bearing and the direction of the wind.  Finally we got headed to the point I felt it was time to tack.  Taking this tack on a header gave us a lift that almost took us to the mark.  Pair A Dice was lucky enough to round first and Makani seems to have inched out a very slight win over Perfect 36.

Strategy vs Tactics:

Any race requires the use of both Strategy and Tactics.  Using strategy is sailing the course as if there were no other boats out sailing the course the fastest way possible using various wind pockets and direction. Tactics are how to deal with other boats, either impeding them with bad air or using rules to your advantage.  You should always use both in any race, but knowing which one to emphasize is a trick that is hard to master.

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

July 5, 2016:STUFF HAPPENS

Tuesday July 5, 2016

STUFF HAPPENS

There was obviously a lot of wind and we changed out to the 135 for the conditions. As we left the harbor there were 4-5 boats already out and another 4-5following us out.  We chose our longest course: Start, Wharf, Mile Blacks and finish.  We gave a 5 minute horn at 6:00 for a 6:05 start.  Looking around, about half of the boats had a reef in.  The wind was just under 20 knots so we did not reef on Pair a Dice.

We timed the line pretty well and had a pretty good start on the line.  The only problem was the boats in front of us giving us bad air. When we finally had a chance to tack over we had to duck a starboard tack boat putting us further back in the pack.  We sailed in until we saw a bed of kelp and took a hitch out to clear the kelp. With the wind dying inside we took a gamble and tacked back toward the wharf mark.  The question we each had was “will we make it around the mark?”  We all knew it was going to be close.

Makani had a better layline and was charging toward the mark while we were pinching.  We at least had inside overlap for clearance at the mark.  We tried to “shoot the mark” heading directly into the wind but watched in horror as we brushed the mark and watched it spin.  We immediately sailed to a clear area and did our turn, watching many boats pass us in the process.

We slogged on toward mile buoy with Kicks passing us to windward along the way.  It seems like all boats were ahead of us at this point.  We deployed our whisker pole and it was enough to extend a lead over Kicks on the way to Black buoy.  After rounding black we tacked out toward start a little early and had to “shoot the mark” at start to get within the 10 boat lengths from the mark.  At the finish it was Sagitarius in first again followed by Pacific Spirit, Mistress Quickley (SC27), Makani, Perfect 36, Pair A dice, Kicks and Toad.

Shooting the mark:

This is a new technique to me and I am still trying to grasp the concept.  You are close to making it around a mark.  It could be you misjudged the layline or got headed and you use the “shoot the mark” technique to clear the mark.  You pinch as much as you can and see you will not clear the mark.  The helmsperson falls off for speed about 2 boatlengths from the mark then uses the energy to head directly into the wind trying to clear the mark. Sail trim is everything in this maneuver.  Jib trimmer must not let the jib backwind at all.  As the mark approaches abeam, the main should be released relieving any pressure that might push the boat toward the mark. Just as the mark is abeam the jib can be sheeted in again to help the boat clear the mark.  Obviously, by our demonstration tonight it does not always work.

Taking a Turn:

While racing, things do not always happen as planned. Hitting a mark requires a one turn penalty.  While the rule books call for two turns in failure to yield right of way, most sailing instructions call for only one turn in all situations.  On Catalina Tuesdays we will observe one turn penalties for all infractions.   When taking a turn, the rules call for doing it as soon as you can get clear from other boats.  This does not mean to sail the rest of the course doing the turn whenever you want.  You must get clear and do your turn. On this night we did a jibe first to clear ourself out of the way of competitors. 

We had a great discussion at the Crow’s nest over dinner and beers.

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice