JUNE 23, 2020: LIGHT WIND TUESDAY

JUNE 23, 2020

LIGHT WIND TUESDAY

After the heavy wind last Tuesday necessitating boat repairs, it was nice to see lighter wind tonight. A perfect example of the yin and yang of sailing on the Monterey Bay. With the lighter wind coming from the normal 240 to 250 degrees, we called for course Whiskey 5: Start to Wharf (Schuyler) and back to finish.  We blew the five minute horn for the start.

In our sailing before the start, we noticed that there was much more wind inside  and wanted to start at the inside end of the line.  As it turns out, there were many boats crowding that end of the line so we sailed for the clearer wind out by the start mark.  Guenther on his Finn was the only boat that risked a port tack start.  As usual, the strategic question was whether to sail outside or inside.  The custom in Santa Cruz is to sail inside to take advantage of the lift created by the point.  Since we had noticed a lot more wind inside before the race, we wanted to sail inside and tacked as soon as we saw a clear path through the maze of boats coming out.  Looking at the Race QS track, there was obviously more wind outside since the boats that went outside slowly increased their leads on the inside boats.  At Schuyler, the first boat around was Avatar followed by Patricia J, Nidaros II, Auquavit and Pair a Dice.

In the  run back to finish, it was as if the wind gods were inhaling and exhaling as the wind would increase slightly and back off multiple times.  At the finish line, it was Avatar 45:14, Patricia J 50:59, Nidaros II 51:34, Auquavie 51:47, Pair A Dice 53:04, Tusitala 59:45, Higher Power 1:03:48.  All times are elapsed and distance of the course was 2.68NM.

Race QS:

Tonight we had about 12 boats out for the fun but only 7 ran the Race QS app.  The only way to be counted in these races is to run this app.  You will be surprised how much you learn about your boat handling by studying your tracks on Race QS.  You can watch the tracks for this night by clicking on this web site: https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=65007&updatedAt=2020-06-24T02:26:08Z&dt=2020-06-23T17:45:00-07:00..2020-06-23T19:25:58-07:00&boat=Pairadice&time=1592964503566&focus=Pairadice&rival=Avatar&tab=match&view=follow&lat=36.954355&lon=-121.996811&tilt=43&range=870&heading=357

JIBING IN HEAVY WIND:

I talked to several people about heavy wind jibing as we all experienced last Tuesday.  I learned a few things and want to pass it on.  Two things that can be very damaging and punishing to the boat are a tight main sheet and a tight boom vang.  I also learned that it is better to jibe the jib first, then jibe the main.  As the boat is passing it’s stern through the eye of the wind, the main should be centered  and then released as the new point of sail is achieved.

TO REACH OR TO RUN:

There has been discussion about the best approach to going down wind: to reach down at an angle or run directly downwind.  I think it boils down to what type of boat you are sailing.  Indeed many top sailors on lighter sailboats will reach off sailing faster, but sailing further. Many of the boats on Tuesday night sailing are heavier cruising boats and more often than not will sail at or close to DDW  straight for the mark.  I do not have the answer to this question.  Is it possible that different strategies work for different boats?  We saw both strategies in play on this night and I believe Avatar, finished 5 minutes ahead of the closest boat and it looks like he sailed directly to the finish mark.  This could have been a factor.

DRONE VIDEO:  

BEFORE START

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1GCjZib6LvHl1hbRPGFsOY40b-xkAXx97/view?usp=sharing

THE START

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VSSrodhznHZ6SzZQqkPiQDs4dV_gHk-h/view?usp=sharing

AFTER THE START

Todd Johnson, who normally sails on Kicks was flying a drone tonight and got some great shots of our sailing. ENJOY!  If unable to view video by clicking on video, click on site below image.

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

JUNE 16, 2020: WINDY TUESDAY

WINDY TUESDAY

JUNE 16, 2020

From my house in Aptos, I could see white caps to the horizon.  I knew it was going to be a windy night.  I got to the harbor and it was downright weird, the wind was blowing from the north in the harbor.  As we left the harbor around 5:20, there was a strong northwesterly just off the beach and a strong northerly meeting it.  The start buoy was caught in the transition zone.  We waited until 5:45 before setting the buoy in the northerly breeze in effect at the start buoy.  We called course G2: Start, Gov, Blacks, finish and gave a five minute horn.

Pair A Dice wanted to start on starboard tack at the end of the line toward the beach.  As it turned out we were early and kept stalling and cleared the start mark end of the line just in time.  The wind was very strong, from the North clear to Gov with many headers and lifts along the way.  As it turns out Pair A Dice rounded Gov first with Tusitala right behind us.

On the reach back to Blacks, we stayed closer to shore to take advantage of the stronger north wind.  The further out you sailed, the closer you were to the transition zone and lighter wind.  As we approached Blacks, we had to run DDW wing on wing to round the mark to port.  This also allowed us to keep clear of Tusitala that was rounding the mark ahead of us.

At the finish, it was  Tusitala 32:17   , followed by Pair a Dice 32:23, Avatar 32:57, Sweet Pea (Dusk till Dawn) 41:24, and Sophia 43:53.  All times are elapsed and the distance of the course was 2.45NM.

STRATEGY AND BOAT HANDLING:

This night was similar to a drag race. How fast can you get your boat to go.  As always, a clean bottom helps but strategy and boat handling help also. For strategy, Pair A Dice stayed closer to shore to stay in the stronger north breeze.  Staying closer to shore required pointing higher without losing speed. This was difficult with all of the headers we were going through.  One little trick to point higher is to trim the sails so the rudder is 3 to 5 degrees off center so the trailing edge of the rudder is slightly toward the leeward side of the boat. This creates lift off of the rudder and allows higher pointing.

Another critical party of boat handling is performing an efficient tack.  This requires coordination between skipper and crew, and when done well, can increase your lead.  Race QS is a perfect tool to gauge how efficient your tacks are.  On this night Tusitala was executing tack after tack with zero time loss!  You can see this by looking at the Race QS track, choosing to compare two boats including Tusitala. When a tack is performed a white dot appears with a T in it. Clicking on this dot opens a box with 8 parameters judging how efficient your tack was.

The track for this night can be seen at:  https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011635&divisionId=64847&updatedAt=2020-06-17T02:22:52Z&dt=2020-06-16T17:08:16-07:00..2020-06-16T19:22:41-07:00&boat=Dice&model=J24&time=1592352573786&focus=Dice&rival=Tusitala&tab=fleet&view=follow&lat=36.959245&lon=-122.007605&tilt=70&range=5603&heading=326

THINGS THAT GO KLUNK ON THE BOAT:

Windy nights like this can put any boat through its paces.  On Pair A Dice, right after we entered the stronger wind, we heard a klunk somewhere around the boom.  It happened a few more times emphasizing the need for further inspection at the dock.  When we proceeded to unfurl our headsail, it would only deploy halfway.  We checked everything and finally got it to deploy on the opposite tack.  After the race, we were unable to furl the jib which created a problem for us to retrieve the start line buoy.  Tusitala volunteered to retrieve the buoy (thank you Tusitala), while we dropped our jib and tied it to the deck.

We were not the only boat experiencing problems.  Pacific Spirit had to retire with a broken boom.  Jibes in strong winds are very tricky.  The forces at play are HUGE and if not finessed perfectly can lead to damage. I was not on Pacific Spirit, so I don’t know what happened, but in stronger wind it is critical to have something (mainsheet or traveler) not cleated to bleed off the energy of the jibe.  The energy should be bled off by hand.

I am looking forward to next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

JUNE 9, 2020

POST COVID WITH MIXED WIND

When I showed up to the harbor, I went through my normal procedure: check the flags for wind.  There was virtually no wind on any of the flags.  I was in the process of swapping from the 135 to the 155 jib when crew started showing up with reports of white caps clear to the beach.  We kept the 135 on which turned out to be a wise decision with the 19-20 knot winds. It was a northwest breeze.

We set the start line mark and notified the choice of course: Whiskey 1.  We were ready to blow the 5 minute horn at 5:55, but a few boats were still in the harbor so blew the horn at 6:00 for a 6:05 start.  We had about 15 boats out participating.  Pair A Dice set up for starboard tack start and  timed the line for a clean start right at the start buoy.

The wind was such that there was a lot more wind outside but more waves.  The water was smoother inside, but the wind decreased the further you went in.  This created a situation where all boat were tacking multiple times trying to thread the line up the middle.  This was exciting because it created as lot of crossing situations.  At wharf (Schuyler) mark, Tusitala was first around with  Patricia J, Avatar and Pair A Dice following.  

The downwind leg to Mile was uneventful but after rounding Mile, most of the boats sailed straight to Blacks, while Jason on Patricia J tried to capitalize on more wind outside.  The wind was still a strong northwest, but as we all approached Blacks, conditions got confused to say the least as we all entered the Blacks Point “parking lot”.  We thought we saw an Easterly start to build toward the beach, and Jason who was 60 yards ahead of us started showing that he was sailing on a faint Easterly.  Shortly we were all in a good Easterly and rounded Blacks, It was great to be sailing again but we weren’t there yet.  Right after rounding Blacks, we entered the same “parking lot” we had just been through which was a lot more challenging with waves on our bow.  I believe the race QS track shows us all moving backwards in the water!  It was an excruciating ten minutes of lack of control resulting in PAD conducting a rotating 360 degree turn.

When my worst fears of having to abandon the race were setting in, suddenly we were hit with an 11-15 knot NORTH wind which carried us all through the finish mark.  At the finish, it was Avatar 1:09.20, Patricia J 1:09.23, Pair A Dice 1:11.00, Sweet Pea 1:11.57, Pacific Spirit 1:12.08, Tusitala 1:12.14.  All times are elapsed and the course length was 4.04 Nautical miles.  Perfect 36 sailes also and finished just ahead of Pair A Dice but had no Race QS track uploaded.

RACE QS:

I encourage everyone to use the free Race QS app.  It is a free app that you download on your phone and it provides a wealth of information about your boat handling so you can improve.  It is also the only way to be included with your time in the blog and be recognized for you effort.

OBSERVATION:

This evening was a classic case of using observation to your advantage. At Blacks we observed that Jason sailing 60 yards ahead of us was sailing in a very faint Easterly and set our sails up for that point of sail.  Other observations that can be used are texture of wind on the water, flags and even birds sitting in the water (they usually float with their beaks toward the wind!). 

CROSSING SITUATIONS:

There were many crossing situations on this night.  I am out of practice on this point.  My crew knows that they can always point out boats close to us, but the responsibility falls on the skipper’s shoulders to be aware and yield when you should yield.  Before the 5 minute horn, we were sailing on port tack with all of the other boats and had about 3 boats visible off the port bow.  Suddenly we were hailed as a boat (unknown to us) was approaching on starboard but concealed by our jib.   This is embarrassing to me, but I point it out to emphasize the importance of keeping an eye out.  Usually, when sailing in crowded conditions before starts I will take quick little alters in course  that let me keep an eye out for all boats.  This tactic, while it lets you see the whole horizon, can be confusing to other boats.  If in tight quarters, it is best to steer a straight line so other boats can anticipate where you are going.

Kudos to Doug on Avatar.  He tacked onto port in front of us close to wharf (Schuyler).  I hailed starboard, but his boat accelerated and he cleared us easily.  Talk about knowing your boat!

THE POST RACE DANCE:

After we finish the race, Pair A Dice cannot “head for the barn” until we retrieve our start buoy.  This can be a challenge if other boats are sailing close to the area.  I appreciate comradery, but retrieving the buoy is more important to me than congeniality at this point.  Please give room for PAD to retrieve the buoy.  Thank you!

See you next week.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

APRIL 15 WEBINAR WITH MORGAN LARSON

                                                                    APRIL 13, 2020
               
                                                MORGAN LARSON WEDNESDAY NIGHT
                                                                 APRIL 15   WEBINAR

Our commodore Jason Lauer requested that I post this notice on the blog.  Morgan Larson is probably
the most famous sailor from our yacht club. This should be a very interesting presentation.  Hopefully it will satisfy some of our craving for sailing.  If you do not have the go to meeting software on your computer, load it ahead of time so you don't miss out.

Stay well!

Barry Keeler
Sailing Pair A Dice

Virtual Wednesday Night Information Seminar

This week I am very excited to have Morgan Larson as our speaker this week, joining us from his boat in the Bahamas. His topic is "10 years racing on TP52s at a professional level. How to be effective doing tactics and helming in today competitive environment." Morgan will also talk about cruising tips if time permits.

The virtual bar opens at 6:45 and the presentation starts at 7:00.

Morgan Larson, a Santa Cruz Yacht Club member, attended the College of Charleston where he was the Collegiate National Champion and three-time All-American sailor.  He has sailed in the 2000 Louis Vuitton Cup with America One, the 2003 Louis Vuitton Cup with One World Challenge and the 2007 Louis Vuitton Cup with Victory Challenge. He sailed in the 2010 Louis Vuitton Trophy with Mascalzone Latino.

He has also participated in the Extreme Sailing Series as Tactician/Helm on Team Alinghi.

For those of you who want to learn more about Morgan Larson, here is a great article

Latitude 38 Feb 2018:

https://issuu.com/latitude38/docs/l38201802/74

Meeting Details

Please join our meeting from your computer, tablet or smartphone.

https://www.gotomeet.me/SantaCruzYachtClub

You can also dial in using your phone.

(For supported devices, tap a one-touch number below to join instantly.)

United States (Toll Free): 1 877 309 2073

- One-touch: tel:+18773092073,,876182517#

United States: +1 (571) 317-3129

- One-touch: tel:+15713173129,,876182517#

Access Code: 876-182-517

New to GoToMeeting? Get the app now and be ready when your first meeting starts: https://global.gotomeeting.com/install/876182517

--

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Jason Lauer
408-802-3661

MARCH 30, 2020: SAFETY AT SEA: MOB *CONTINUED*

MARCH 30, 2020
SAFETY AT SEA: MOB CONTINUED

Jason Lauer, our commodore has contributed the following in a continuation of the topic of MOB
situations. Unfortunately the photos did not transfer but Jason has a well organized pouch of
MOB equipment tucked in his stern lazaret and he practices MOB retrieval every year with an actual
person in the water. I encourage everyone to click on the link below for a complete discussion about
MOB situations.

In 2005 I sailed from Cabo to Newport on the Alaska Eagle which was a class offered by Orange County
Community College. When the discussion of MOB was discussed, the instructor mad the point that
there is a lot of information in many books about retrieving MOB. He emphasized the most important
point was being ignored: 'DO NOT GO OVERBOARD'. In 2010 I sailed my boat to San Diego and back
and while under way our rule was strictly enforced: "if not below in the cabin, we all tethered ourselves to
the boat".


Thanks for discussing this important and often overlooked topic. My thoughts are that when I have a man overboard situation, I need to solve 3 different problems. 1. Finding the MOB 2. Getting the MOB to the side of the boat 3. Getting the MOB on board. For each problem that is being solved there are different safety gear to use and crew processes to follow. I am not going to review crew processes, like someone's only job is to point to the MOB etc. There is a really good article for that here: https://www.ussailing.org/news/man-overboard-recovery- procedure/?gclid=CjwKCAjw3-bzBRBhEiwAgnnLCkfHqHftoUVS9AXvMCNNdAsZ- rgSZqEIF109CfZiJ4Zde6cIUyIl2hoC0lAQAvD_BwE Finding the MOB: The key safety gear to deploy is a Man overboard marker like the old style fiberglass poles with a horseshoe ring. I personally have a SOS Dan Buoy that you throw in the water and will inflate after hitting the water with a flashing strobe. Getting the MOB to the side of the boat. The Life Sling or a throw rope is right safety gear for this. With the life sling, as you know, you can throw the life sling out, circle the MOB and then pull them to the side of the boat. Just like getting a tow rope to a water skier. Getting the MOB on board: This is the hardest part, in my opinion, of Man over board. I use a 3 to 1 block and tackle system that I attach to a halyard raised 8 feet above the deck. Then I run the other end to a winch to hoist up the MOB. This is way easier than using a winch on a halyard. Here are a few picture of My MOB locker and my 3 to 1 block and tackle system. MOB Locker – Located in the aft of the boat by the tiller post. Figure 1 - My MOB Locker In my MOB locker, I have a float knife for emergency cutting of halyards, a normal flashlight, a floating HH VHF radio always charged, A Pelican high power spot light, a throw rope, my SOS Dan Buoy and in the very bottom of the picture is my 3 to 1 block and tackle for getting the MOB on board. Figure 2- My 3 to 1 Block and Tackle to get MOB back on board Here is my 3 to 1 block and tackle. It has clips to attach to the life lines so while deploying it, there is no chance of it falling overboard. There are 3 blocks, on goes to the Halyard, one to the MOB and one to the toe rail. I have laminated instructions so anyone can figure out how to deploy. The “To Halyard” block goes to the halyard and is then hoisted about 8 feet above the deck so there is
plenty of clearance above the life lines etc. When we do our MOB, we always hoist the person on board
with the life sling which is very comfy and iseasy to attach the “To MOB” block to. The “To Toe Rail” block is needed to get a better angle to the winch so you can focus on hoisting and not worry about overrides.
In short, most people think a successful MOB drill is throwing a float overboard and sailing to it and picking it up with a boat hook. Which is strange because in that drill you don’t use any safety equipment at all! Every year, on Patricia J, we do a real MOB drill where someone jumps in the water while under sail and we use our safety gear to get them. I find that being the person who jumps in really helps because it give me a sense confidence as a skipper.
Thanks,
Jason                   
Thank you Jason for this valuable piece.

We are  still on lock down, so it looks like we won't be sailing until the end of April.

Stay well, stay safe!

Barry Keeler
Sailing Pair A Dice                                                                          

MARCH 21, 2020: SAFETY AT SEA: MOB

MARCH 21, 2020

SAFETY AT SEA: MOB

We may not be able to sail because of the virus threat, but we can still learn!  In the last blog, I mentioned how Peter on Sea Quake was very close to falling overboard.  As with any miss-hap, I like to analyze and learn.  By considering situations like this, you can have a plan rather than improvising on the spot.

As you will remember, all predictions for the evening were for very light winds.  Indeed, when we left the harbor, there was no wind at all and a little “texture” on the water out by the point.  Suddenly we had 15 to 18 knot winds.  It has been awhile since we had sailed in this much wind.  When predictions are for light winds, we all will frequently throw caution to the wind, why not just sail with 2 people on the boat?

As it occurred, Sea Quake was one of the last boats to leave the harbor with 2 people on board.  Peter gave up the helm so he could do the heavy lifting.  As they entered the greater wind, he was forward adjusting the jib fairlead as the boat was heeling to starboard.  His foot slipped and did not catch on the raised gunwale rail as he found himself halfway in the water, he was able to grab something and pull himself back on board thanks to his rigorous exercise routine and his strength.  As he fell overboard, he actually broke his lower lifeline.  His VHF radio was below in the cabin.

What can we learn from this situation?  What would have been the best strategy if he had gone overboard with one other person left on board?  First of all, I am a firm believer in having all lines lead to the cockpit.  Not having to leave the cockpit to raise the main or reef is a huge step towards safety.  I believe it is best to have a VHF radio in the cockpit on Tuesday nights for communication.  If Peter had gone overboard, a call out on 69 would have had many boats ready to assist.  Having a harness attached to someone going forward would have been a nice touch, but who harnesses up when the prediction is for 8 knot winds? Another concept people use for safety is to always have one hand on the boat for stability. Peter said he was using both hands to adjust the car.  When I go forward and the boat is heeling, I always place my feet behind something on the rail (stanchion, block or other fixture).

The big question is: what can you do if there are only 2 people on board and one person is MOB.  Having a radio to hail for help would be good for a Tuesday night, but lets take it a step further.  You are on your way to Monterey and one person goes overboard, what then?

In Chris Hofmann’s presentation on boating safety, he presented the dynamics of  MOB situations.  Different boats, wind conditions, waves and currents create an incredible number of variables and challenges to deal with.  Chris also presented the concept of 1:10:1. One minute of shock, 10 minutes of lucid MOB activity and 1 hour to death.  It would be much easier to rescue a lucid MOB than one suffering from hypothermia so time is of the essence!

Being short crew is one more variable to consider. If you are short crew and there are no other boats around, the first action would be to immediately pull the boat head to wind .  This would flatten the boat possibly making it easier to get the MOB back on board.  If the person actually separates from the boat, hit the MOB button on your GPS and note the time.  Having the boat head to wind will also stop the boat so you are not increasing the distance between the boat and the MOB.  In my opinion it would not be prudent to do the figure 8 move sailing away from the MOB (you do not have crew to maneuver the boat and nobody to assign as the MOB spotter).  In my opinion it would be better to stop the boat quickly and throw a line to the MOB to retrieve him.  If you have increased the distance too much to toss a line or life ring, I would think the next step would be to sail directly up wind of the MOB and heave to so the boat will drift back down to the MOB to retrieve them.  One advantage to this tactic would be that once the boat is heaved to and does not need any attention for maneuvering, you would be able to give your undivided attention to getting the MOB back on board. If these quick solutions do not work, at some point you should send out a MAYDAY on channel 16 posting the coordinates of the MOB from your GPS.  If heaving to does not work, I would drop and furl sails and start the motor and sit on the leeward rail as approaching the MOB, this way you can see the MOB and slowly pull the boat close enough to retrieve them.

Getting a MOB back on board when acting alone is another problem that needs to be considered. It is generally considered better to pick up the MOB on the leeward side of the boat, but how to accomplish this alone? My thought is, if you can get a loop around the upper body under the arms you could lead the line over a rail of the stern pulpit to the winch on the same side of the boat.  You can winch the MOB out of the water, reach down and pull one leg onto the boat then the other leg.  The line going from the stern pulpit to the winch offers the MOB something to grab onto to help pull himself aboard.

I crewed once on a Hobie 16 on a sail to Moss Landing.  Halfway across the bay, the wind piped up enough to trap out so I trapped out and immediately found myself in the water as the hiking tackle on the boat failed.  The helmsman immediately turned the boat into the wind and said “I’ll came back for you”.  I said “stay right there” as I swam to the boat which was probably 100 feet away.  Fortunately I was an avid surfer at the time and it was a short swim for me.  I did have one memory that gave me extra energy.  In about the same area of the bay on the previous year, we had a pod of killer whales swim right under us.

I want to emphasize that all of these ideas are just my ruminations on the subject and are not to be considered gospel.  I encourage feedback with ideas other sailors might have about short handed MOB situations.

Stay healthy and safe and hopefully we will be sailing again soon.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

Fred Molnar has commented on this subject and his point is excellent and appreciated.

A man overboard in these waters is a MAYDAY event, especially if there were only two people aboard.  If I was in that situation I would give a MAYDAY call on my DSC radio as soon as I got the boat under control.  Everyone should have a DSC radio, and have it programmed and know how to use it.  See:  https://www.boatus.org/dsc/

MARCH 10, 2020: AWESOME FIRST SAIL

MARCH 10, 2020

AWESOME FIRST SAIL!

The predictions for the evening were diverse, but the consensus was that the wind was going to be light.  Through the day there were widespread sprinkles of rain in the area.  I was not surprised when I got to the harbor and saw no wind at all showing on the Crow’s Nest flag.  Oh well, got to get out there to see what we have.  As we left the harbor at 5:35 conditions were perfectly glassy with no wind except a small texture appearing on the water out toward the point at Steamer Lane.  Since GOV is one of the few marks available for us to use at this time of year and the wind was appearing in that area, I guided everyone over to GOV for the start.   It was amazing as we set the mark for the start line, the wind seemed to go from 0 to 15 in less than 5 minutes.

 

We set the line and called for the course: Start line at GOV, Schuyler/Wharf, Mile and finish at the start finish line (at Gov).  With the limited light, I wanted to start at 5:45 and we had 8 boats out ready to go.  We gave a 5 minute horn at 5:45 for a 5:50 start.  Everyone got off on a good start, except PAD as we pasted the buoy we had set for the start line and had to do a 360 to exonerate. 

After a long winter of light breeze, we all seemed to acclimate to the incredible wind as we all made our way to Schuyler/Wharf.  We get spoiled with the big yellow marks that SCYC puts out which are very visible in nearly all conditions.  Currently the mark at Schuyer/Wharf is a small red buoy that seems to be barely above water.  Though we all had the mark on our GPS, it was still a struggle actually locating it.  There is something about the waves and the unusual lighting that made it nearly impossible to find. We finally saw it as we rounded it to go to Mile Buoy with Pacific Spirit leading the way, followed by Patricia J (sailed SOLO by our fearless commodore Jason Lauer) and Pair a Dice.

As we sailed to the finish line the wind seemed to be getting weaker. At the finish, Pacific Spirit was first (31:57), Patricia J (32:37), Pair a Dice (34:02), Avatar (34:48), Kicks (39:32), Dusk to Dawn (41:02),Nidaros (41:23) all times are elapsed and the distance of the course was 2.61 miles,  Sea Quake was out but did not run a Race QS track.

The Race QS track can be seen at:

https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011635&divisionId=64054&updatedAt=2020-03-11T02:01:00Z&dt=2020-03-10T17:18:28-07:00..2020-03-10T18:54:25-07:00&boat=Dice&model=J24&time=1583885908000&focus=Dice&rival=Pacific%20Spirit&tab=fleet&view=auto

NEW FORMAT STATUS:

I attended the regatta committee and I have good news.  The regatta committee gave an enthusiastic thumbs up for our event.  They agreed it was not necessary to use regatta network to register for this event.  The consensus of the committee was that a reasonable fee for participants would be for SYCY members to pay $35 for the year to register their boat. For non-members of SCYC, their registration will be $50 for the season for their boat.  Even as a non-member, this works out to less than $1 per race.  If someone, (like a visitor to the area) wants to register for a single race, the fee would be $1.  Please print and sign the registration form at the end of this blog and give it to me with your check (made out to SYCY) or cash for registration whenever we see each other.  New course cards with SI’s will be coming soon. 

STAY TUNED ON VHS 69:

We should all turn our radios on and monitor channel 69 when we get to our boats and as we set up our boats.  This way we can communicate an early start if we can.  We could also communicate with each other if crew is needed.

A FAST 360:

Fred taught us tonight the fastest way to conduct a 360.  I was amazed how well it worked.  With 15 knots of wind we started the tack and did not release the jib sheet.  The jib was violently back-winded forcing the bow of the boat around. As we finished the 360, the jib sheet was already tight and we were still in the race.

STAYING FIT!

There was talk of conducting a MOB drill tonight, but as the race finished the wind died and we did not  do our exercise on PAD.  When I got to the dock, Peter on Sea Quake was wet all the way to his knees.  As they got into the greater wind at the start of our race, they had only 2 people on board.  The boat lurched, Peter slipped and actually dipped into the water nearly to his waist.  Peter is no slouch and is proud of the exercises he does on a regular basis, one of which is doing 9 (NINE) pull-ups!  He said if he was not doing these pullups, he would not have had the strength to pull himself back aboard.  Congratulations on keeping up with your exercises Peter.

2020 Tuesday Night Developmental Race Series

Each Tuesday Night of 2020 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. Full text of this and other changes to the racing rules will appear in the SI’s.

Eligibility and Entry:

The regatta is open to boats berthed in, and visiting, Santa Cruz Harbor.

Eligible boats may enter by completing the attached entry form and returning it with the entry fee to SCYC before participating in the race series. The yearly fee is $35 for SCYC members, $50 for nonmembers and $1 for a single race.

Schedule:

Each Tuesday Night of 2020 during Daylight Savings Time Racing will be held

1755 hrs First warning signal Race 1

Following the racing on the last Tuesday of each month a post race debriefing and potluck barbecue will be held at the SCYC Clubhouse

Scoring: The racing will be boat-for-boat.   Boats may be scored via uploading of their recorded .gpx tracks to RaceQs ( https://raceqs.com/ ).  However, being a developmental regatta, the races may also not be scored. 

2020 Series Entry and Waiver Form

Each Tuesday Night during Daylight Savings Time

Santa Cruz Yacht Club, Santa Cruz, CA

Entry Form

Name: _____________________________ Sail Number: _______________

Address: ___________________________ Boat Name: ________________

City/St/Zip: _________________________ ________________

E-mail: ______________________      Cell Number:_____________________

(E-mail and Cell number will be available to other participants)

Waiver and Release of Liability

In consideration of my entry in the Regatta on behalf of myself, my heirs, successors and

assigns, I hereby waive any and all claims, actions, suits and demands against Santa Cruz

Yacht Club, the respective officers, directors, employees, and agents (all the forgoing

hereby referred to as “the Hosts”) for any personal injury (including death) or property

damage resulting from the negligence or other acts of omission by the Hosts or any of

them as a result of my participation in the Event and do hereby release and discharge the

Hosts there from. I acknowledge that participation in the sport of sailboat racing involves

substantial risk of personal injury or even death and I hereby assume the risk of any such

injury that may occur while participating in the Event.

I agree to be bound by The Racing Rules of Sailing and any other rules that govern this

event.

Owner/Skipper __________________________ Date ________________

Entry Fee - $35 for SCYC members and $50 for non-members for the series and $1 for a single race.

Payment options:

Cash

Charge to SCYC account (Member # ___________)

Check (Check Number ____________) payable: Santa Cruz Yacht Club

Payment received by _______________ Date ________________