SEPTEMBER 22, 2020: THE BREATH OF THE WIND

 

SEPTEMBEER 22, 2020

THE BREATH OF THE WIND

The prediction from Predict Wind was very light wind for the evening, but what do they know?  I showed up to the harbor around 3 and the flags confirmed Predict Wind’s forecast.  As we left the harbor right after 5, we had a little wind coming from the southeast. This is characteristic for the development of an easterly wind.  We set the mark for a true east wind and sure enough, the Easterly did develop.  We were set for a 5:45 start and we had about 18 boats out for the fun.  With the wind we had, I chose to ignore Predict Winds forecast and called for a rather ambitious course B4.  We blew the 5 minute horn at 5:40 for a 5:45 start.

As usual, the start line was crowded but everyone was well behaved as we all charged for Blacks.  Most of us had to throw a tack in to get around Blacks, but Aquavit made it without a tack.  At Blacks, Auquavit was first around, followed by Perfect 36, New Wave, Pair a Dice, Avatar, Mercury 565, Nidaros, Pacific Spirit, Sweet Pea and Toad. Off for the long downwind slog to Gov.

As usual the inside versus outside track was considered.  Many of the boats with whisker poles sailed down the middle, while others without poles sailed hotter angles of sail.  They were sailing faster and more distance but were just staying in the pack. I was lulled into complacency, the wind always feels light when you sail downwind. Rounding the leeward mark and beating back into the wind usually feels  stronger.  In reality, the wind was dying and was very light once we rounded Gov. Darned Predict Wind was right!  Most of the boats made it around GOV with Patricia J first followed by Auquavit (36:22), Mercury (39:55), Avatar (43:29), New Wave (43:47),  Perfect 36 (44:47), Pair a Dice (44:55),  Nidaros (46:18), and Sweet Pea (57:34).  The distance of the course to this point was 1.84 NM.

Once we all rounded Gov, the wind was fading.  The question was: which would expire first, the wind or the light as the sun was disappearing behind lighthouse point.  One by one boats were giving up and heading for the harbor.  Kudos to the boats that actually finished: Patricia J (no time track faded), Auquavit 1:12:35, Nidaros 1:26:19, Avatar 1:28:18, and Guenter’s Finn 1:32.  All times are elapsed and the length of the course was 2.8NM.  Pair A Dice got stuck a literal stone’s throw from the finish line with currents fighting us and not a breath of wind, we abandoned the effort.

RACE QS:

Most boats are using this app now which is fantastic.  Some of the boat tracks seem to fade in and out.  I do not know if this is batteries going dead (I plug my phone in to prevent this).  The track for tonight

can be seen at:  https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011635&divisionId=67645&updatedAt=2020-09-23T02:45:15Z&dt=2020-09-22T16:57:17-07:00..2020-09-22T19:44:59-07:00&boat=Dice&model=J24&time=1600827720944&focus=Dice&tab=fleet&view=manual&lat=36.952824&lon=-121.993856&tilt=4&range=958&heading=322

HELP!?

As the days get shorter, we should all be aware that some of our boats are without motors.  It is not fun  being stuck on a boat with no motor, no wind and in the dark.  This admonishment goes to both sides of this predicament.  If you need a tow, let us know!  You can hail on channel 69 or let the closest boat  know (best to have a radio!).  If you are under power in light wind, and see any boats that may need a tow, check in with them.  I would hate to see powerless boats abandon the race because they are afraid of not making the harbor before dark.

NEXT TUESDAY IS BARBECUE NIGHT:

Once again, we will have a barbecue that is covid safe.  Masks will be worn, and social distancing will be enforced. The club bar will be open so it is not BYOB. Mike Gross will be cooking and providing all food. If you want to bring a salad or something to share feel free to do so.  Due to generous donations from previous barbecues, this night will be free. If you have not attended a BBQ this year and plan to come, please text me at 234-0322 with the number of people that will attend.  ONCE AGAIN WE WILL START THE RACE EARLY. WE WILL HAVE A 5:45 START WITH THE 5 MINUTE HORN BLOWN AT 5:40.

 

Barry L. Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020: SMOKY EVENING SAIL / USING RACE QS

 

 

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

SMOKY EVENING SAIL

It is crazy how conditions can change in such a short time.  I got to my boat around 3 o’clock and  there was very little wind.  All you can do is get the boat ready and pray for wind!  By the time we left the harbor just after 5, there was an Easterly wind just beginning. We set the line and waited a little before calling the course.  As the wind was very light, I was considering a short course around Blacks, but as 6 pm approached, the wind (and texture on the water to the East) indicated enough wind for our Easterly course B4.  We blew the 5 minute horn and set up for our start.

On PAD we wanted to start on starboard tack to get inside for the building Easterly which normally fills first near shore.  It seems this is no longer a secret because nearly all boats headed the same way. At Blacks Avatar was first around followed by Sagittarius, New Wave, Cannonball, Geronimo,  Aquavie, Nidaros, Mercury 565, Perfect 36, Toad, Pair A Dice, Pacific Spirit and Sweet Pea.

On the way to Gov, we sailed toward the beach.  We thought we saw more wind inside and we had also noted that there was a current inside to use to our advantage.  As usual the group split between inside and outside, with most boats taking the inside route.  We set our pole and as we made our way to Gov, I was trying to aim toward patches of texture (wind?) I saw on the water in front of us.  At Gov, It was Avatar, followed by Sagittarius. Then New Wave, Mercury 565, Nidaros all rounded at the same time. Then Aquavit, Geronimo, Pair A Dice, Pacific Spirit, Perfect 36, Toad and Sweet Pea.  It is amazing how sailing downwind makes the wind seem very light then heading back up wind the apparent wind doubles and you actually realize you have wind!

On the way back toward the start mark, we watched intently as boats got headed and lifted as they sailed through the nuances of the wind.  At the finish it was Avatar 47:21, Sagittarius 47:39, Cannonball 50:43, New Wave 50:45, Geronimo 50:52, Aquavit 51:16, Mercury565- 52:48, Guenter’s Finn 52:57, Nidaros 53:44, Pairadice 54:07, Perfect 36 54:26, Pacific Spirt 55:32, Sweet Pea 58:34 and Toad 59:08. All times are elapsed and the course length was 2.8 NM.

It was a great smoky evening  sail!

 

 

EARLY START!?

The evenings are getting shorter yielding two options: Start racing earlier or call for shorter courses.  Next Tuesday we will attempt to start earlier at 5:45 with a five minute horn blown at 5:40.  I realize that we are not all retired. Keep me apprised on channel 69 if you are running a little late and we can postpone a few minutes.

 Race QS:

Almost everyone is  on board with this app.  The track for tonight can be found at: https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=67439&updatedAt=2020-09-16T02:20:31Z&dt=2020-09-15T17:45:02-07:00..2020-09-15T19:18:28-07:00&boat=Pairadice&time=1600222279085&focus=Pairadice&rival=Pacific%20Spirit&tab=match&view=follow&lat=36.966703&lon=-122.002160&tilt=16&range=2907&heading=35

 

USING RACE QS TO IMPROVE:

Race QS is an amazing tool, that if used appropriately, reveals a lot about your boat handling.  When you open Race QS on your computer, there is an arrow on the left margin.  Click on this arrow to open the menu. Click on the boat VS boat icon on the bottom of the page, select your boat and your closest competitor.

Scroll to the bottom of the page and there are 7 icons for you to either select or leave dormant.

The first icon on the left is the GPS track: clicking on this activates this function and color codes your track showing when you are sailing a straight line and “in the groove”.

Choosing the next icon to the right shows the distance between your boat and the boat you chose in the boat VS boat icon.

The 3^rd icon to the right, when highlighted shows the true wind direction (calculated from the way boats are sailing).

 Highlighting the 4^th Icon shows your track vs a straight line indicating how straight you are steering.

 The fifth icon to the right is a T in a small circle. Activating this function places a T in a small circle on your track when you tack. While watching your track, click on these T circles.  This opens a window showing 8 parameters about your tack.  I like to check out the amount of oversteering and the time lost. Most of the winning boats consistently have 0 for each of these two parameters.

 The 6^th icon to the right looks like a speedometer.  When this is activated, it puts an arc in front of your boat and the boat you picked to compare. The app places a dot every second showing where your boat is heading, these dots fade after 20 seconds so there are always a cluster of dots in front of your boat.  Most of the winning boats show a very tight cluster of dots indicating a straighter course steered.  When setting up this function, clicking on the speedometer icon opens a window that allows you to select 4 different functions: SOG, VMG, HEEL and DRIFT.

 The last icon to the right when highlighted shows boat wind shadows and lee-bow effect.

Obviously when starting out, if you select every function, it can get a little confusing.  The amount of information available for you to learn about your sailing is phenomenal.

See you next Tuesday for a 5:45 start, if possible.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020 : SMOG IN SANTA CRUZ

 

SEPTEMBER 8, 2020

SMOG IN SANTA CRUZ!

Wow, what a change in conditions we experienced during this evening!  I got to the harbor at about 3pm and there was no wind at all.  Checking the ocean conditions showed some texture on the water.  As we left the harbor at about 5:20 the flags were showing a light Easterly breeze.  I commented on the fact that I was feeling good wind on my face, but the water was completely glassy.  The wind was not contacting the water.  It could be an interesting evening.

As we approached the start area, we had very limited visibility with heavy fog making it difficult to find the start mark.  Isn’t this why they invented the GPS? While the fog was damp and chilly, the color of the sun indicated we were still dealing with a lot of smoke from the fires. The wind direction was from 50 degrees and we set the mark for the start line.  We called for course B4 and blew the 5 minute horn. Miraculously the fog lifted right at the start of the race, giving clear visibility over the whole course.

We had about 18 boats out for the fun and the boats in front at the start line had to run the line to not be OCS.  We all made our way to Blacks. The first around Blacks was Patricia J, then Jersey Girl, Perfect 36, Nidaros with Pair a Dice, Pacific Spirit, Avatar and Toad.

After rounding Blacks, the whole game got very interesting with the usual “inside or outside” decision to be made.  On Pair A Dice, we sailed toward the beach for a while knowing that developing Easterly winds build more at the beach. We noted how the wind was getting lighter and shortened the course to finish at GOV (taking GOV to SB).  The finish line was between the end of the wharf and GOV.   In these light wind conditions, as I noticed at the harbor entrance, the wind does not always contact the water.  In order to gauge where the best wind was, we studied which boats were going faster or slower than us.  Ultimately, we sailed the middle of the course straight to Gov.  We noted that the kelp did not indicate much current to take advantage of.

At the finish Mercury 565 was first 44:31, Patricia J 44:34, Pair A Dice 45:08, Perfect 36 46:22, Avatar 46:31, Jersey Girl 47:09, Nidaros 48:43, Pacific Spirit 49:07,  Auquavit 51:12 and Toad 52:15.  All times are elapsed and the course length was 1.61NM. There were other boats finishing in the lead, but did not use Race QS.

Right after the finish, someone turned the fog switch on again and we had to sail back in the fog.  Unbelievable! Smog in Santa Cruz.

RACE QS:

On this night we had 18 boats sailing and only 10 uploaded tracks on Race QS.  It is discouraging to have such fantastic boats and sailors and not recognizing their abilities.  Race QS is necessary for us to get your finish time.  Without your finish time, it is impossible to determine how well boats are performing against each other.  With the diverse collection of boats we have we need your Race QS track to see how we are doing.  The track for tonight can be found at: 

 https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=67203&updatedAt=2020-09-09T02:39:03Z&dt=2020-09-08T17:45:08-07:00..2020-09-08T19:38:52-07:00&boat=Pairadice&time=1599617491699&focus=Pairadice&rival=TOAD&tab=setup&view=follow&lat=36.950435&lon=-121.994813&tilt=1&range=1561&heading=75

PROTEST!?

I am an easy-going guy and I abhor protesting.  My personal rule has always been NOT to protest if the fouling boat is not in my division. I love learning about all aspects of sailing and tell people “I would rather lose a race and learn something rather than win all the time and not learn”.  I am proud to sail with the group on Tuesday Nights where everyone is following the rules.  Taking part in the BBBS regatta I learned a lot about protesting and want to share this with the group.

We had a starboard-port crossing situation right at the finish line and I did not protest thinking they were in a different division. First lesson learned: Keep a list of all boats in your division.  As always, the boat will remain anonymous, this is a learning experience and I do not want to denigrate anyone. I have learned the following points through my analysis:

1)    1) If any boat commits a foul, immediately shout PROTEST and wave your red flag.  If you are wrong, you can sort it out in the protest room, but you cannot go back in time to announce protest!

2)    2) A hail of “STARBOARD!” is good but NOT necessary to file a protest.  We should all follow the rules but hailing at least announces your intentions and certifies that they are aware of your presence. Usually you see crossing situations as boats approach from a distance.  We tacked very close (100 yards or so) to the committee boat and did not have much time to sort things out.

3)    3) Considering this situation at the finish line, if I had protested, the port tack boat could have exonerated by doing a turn and coming back and finishing again. This would have drastically affected their standings.  Imagine putting your crew through a long, intense race and having to exonerate and finish again.

4)   4)  I admit that in this situation, we were distracted having a malfunction during our last tack for our approach to the finish line.  I was concentrating on getting the boat back up to speed (which could be confusing to the port tack boat) and did not notice the port tack boat until it was off my port bow.

5)    5) Situational awareness!  Always be aware of other boats and what they are doing. Our malfunction on the tack slowed us down and altered our position with other boats.

6)    6)  Given the situation of being on Port, experienced sailors know that if done properly ducking a boat does not lose a lot.  You fall off, gaining speed and get a lift as you pass the stern of the other boat.  The sails MUST be handled appropriately in order to do it efficiently and properly, the mainsail MUST be travelled down so the boat does not round up.  Getting this maneuver  right requires practice and you don’t learn this by racing 3 or 4 times a year.  This is the value of our Tuesday night racing: practicing these maneuvers improves your abilities.

7)     7)Nobody likes to protest!  But not protesting does no good for us or our sport.

In the end, one sailing judge has a saying that applies in these situations:  “FILE OR SMILE”.  If you do not protest and “FILE”, you must walk away and “SMILE”. I am smiling.

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

 

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020: LIGHT WIND SAILING

 

SEPTEMBER 1, 2020

LIGHT WIND SAILING

I took my dog for a walk at the harbor about noon and the wind was nearly nonexistent.  When I got to the boat about 4pm it looked a little more encouraging with a light wind in the harbor.  As we left the harbor, the ocean was very glassy.  It seemed more wind was in the harbor than on the ocean.  There was a cloud line just outside of the start mark that seemed to be creating a little wind.  At about 5:45 the wind seemed to be building a little filling in from outside near the cloud line.  With such fickle wind, we called for  course Whiskey 4 with the option of shortening course if the wind lightened any more.  We blew the 5 minute horn.

On Pair A Dice, we had detected more wind outside and decided to start closer to the start mark to get outside as quickly as possible.  Most of the boats started closer to the beach end of the line and tacked over early for the tried and true inside track.  Connonball and Pacific Spirit started right at the start mark on port tack and only had to dodge a few boats since most had tacked early heading for the inside.

At Schuyler the first boat around was New Wave followed by Cannonball, Sagittarius, Nidaros, Avatar, Perfect 36, Pair a Dice, Pacific Spirit.   With the wind not filling in completely, I shortened the course to finish at the line between Gov and the end of the wharf.

At the finish, New Wave was first 38:39, Sagittarius 41:54, Cannonball 43:33, Avatar 43:29, Nidaros 43:42, Perfect 36 43:44,  Guenter on his Finn 43:55,
Pair A Dice 51:29, Pacific Spirit57:20.  All times are elapsed and the course length is 2.06 NM.

                                                        GLORIOUS LIGHT WIND SAILING

RACE QS:

One by one, we are getting all of the boats to use this app.  Using Race QS is the only way we can get your finish time.  The track for this night can be found at:  https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&updatedAt=2020-09-02T02:18:53Z&dt=2020-09-01T17:45:23-07:00..2020-09-01T19:18:51-07:00&boat=Pairadice&time=1599012218561&focus=Pairadice&rival=The%20Perfect%20Thirty-six&tab=setup&view=manual&lat=36.957224&lon=-122.013241&tilt=49&range=225&heading=5

STRATEGY LESSON:

An axiom followed by top sailors is to “Always sail the longest tack first”.  Is this why boats taking the inside track do better than sailing outside first?   I believe there is another factor in play in Santa Cruz.  On this night, on Pair A Dice, we thought we saw more wind outside so sailed toward this stronger wind. Actually the wind had filled in evenly over the course, so our strategy did not work out as planned.  Taking this tack first had us beating into the waves which slowed us down.  But more importantly, it put us into a stronger adverse current coming down the coast.  How can you determine this? Look at the race QS track!

In this race, I compared our track against Perfect 36 which finished more than 8 minutes in front of us. I employed the function on Race QS that shows the following specifics: VMG, SOG, Drift and the distance between the 2 boats. Right off the line, PAD was slightly ahead of Perfect 36 (P-36) but this lead quickly evaporated as their VMG and SOG was significantly better than PAD.  Of note also was the “Drift Indicator” that showed PAD was being significantly set by an adverse current.  Also by going further out, we exposed ourselves to the stronger current we had to fight once we tacked over toward Schuyler.  Lesson learned: Sailing inside decreases the waves taken on the bow and decreased exposure to the current coming down the coast. Also, once inside the protection of the point, there is less wave action to beat through to get to Schuyler mark. Congratulations to Perfect 36 for a great job showing the way!

Studying this track also drove home another point.  Another axiom used is “don’t sail to the corners” meaning “do not sail on one tack all the way to the layline for the mark” (unless there is a big difference in conditions on different tacks).  Watching the VMG function on Race Qs demonstrates why this is so important. VMG (Velocity Made Good) measures your progress toward the mark.  The VMG decreases more and more as you approach the layline.  If you sailed further than the layline, you could experience negative VMG as you are sailing away from the mark!  Watching the decrease in VMG could help determine the optimal time to tack?  It seems to me that once VMG is less than half of your SOG, it would be best to tack.

BIG BROTHERS BIG SISTERS:

The BBBS regatta is occurring this Sunday (9/6).  This is always a fun event and not to be missed!  You can register online at SCYC.org under regattas. Be sure to follow the links to register both through Regatta Network and also with the BBBS website.

See you next Tuesday.

 

Barry L. Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

AUGUST 25, 2020: SMOKIN WIND

AUGUST 25, 2020

SMOKIN WIND!

With Predict Wind forecasting light and variable winds for the evening, I was surprised to see the Crow’s Nest flag showing a fairly stiff breeze when I arrived at the harbor. It did not look like it was going to die so we swapped out to the 135 jib.  Leaving the harbor, the conditions were staying the same.  At the start mark, we determined the wind was coming from about 230 at about 16 knots.  There were about 19 boats out for the fun.  Since we were having a barbecue this night, we called a shorter course than normal: W3.  We blew the five minute horn and set up for our start.

In our sailing around before the start, we determined that the wind was about the same on both ends of the line and there did not seem to be much difference further out.  We decided to do a starboard tack starting as close to the beach end of the line as possible.  Wow, what a cluster of boats on the line.  It is great seeing everyone follow rules and get off with a clean start!

We tacked over toward the inside as soon as we could.  Our thought was smoother water inside would be better.  Pacific Spirit, tacked to windward of us to cover (a great tack-tical move!;).  All boats were tacking and crossing each other on their way to Schuyler mark.  At Schuyler, first around was Sagittarius, followed by Jersey Girl, Perfect 36, Pacific Spirit, Avatar, Pair a Dice, Toad, Nidaros and Sophia.

On the long run back to Blacks, some boats sailed the rhumb line to the mark, others went inside.  On Pair A Dice, we sailed outside thinking the wind was a little better and a little hotter point of sail. It seems like the boats sailing straight to the mark did a little better.   The first around Blacks was Jersey Girl, Sagittarius, Avatar, Perfect 36, Pacific Spirit, Pair a Dice, Nidaros and Toad.

At the finish, it was Sagitarrius 46:43, Jersey Girl (took start mark to port), Perfect 36 48:35, Avatar 49:05, Pacific Spirit 50:45, Pair A Dice 52:34, Guenther and his Finn,  Nidaros 55:24 and Toad 55:40.  The course length was 3.55NM.

The wind held for the evening and it was an awesome sail, even though we were in “smokin winds”.

Thanks to Mike Gross for cooking for our end of month Barbecue!

Race QS:

More boats are using this app which is great.  We are stuck at about 50% of the boats using and uploading their tracks.  We are using Race QS as a race committee.  If you do not use this app and upload your track, you are invisible to the race committee!  The app is free and yields a lot of information about your sailing and boat handling.  The track for tonight can be found at: https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011635&updatedAt=2020-08-26T02:20:43Z&dt=2020-08-25T17:10:02-07:00..2020-08-25T19:20:28-07:00&boat=Dice&model=J24&time=1598404565349&focus=Dice&rival=Pacific%20Spirit&tab=match&view=manual&lat=36.952571&lon=-122.013965&tilt=12&range=3027&heading=240

HAVE YOU REGISTERED YOUR BOAT?

We are trying to get all of our Tuesday night boats to register for the series.  The fee for this shortened season is $20 for SCYC members and $35 for nonmembers.  The forms can be found on the March 3 blog posting. It is great to have information about all of the boats.  Please fill out the form and leave it with Greg at the clubhouse.  Mark the outside of the envelope ATTN BARRY.

CURRENT EVENTS:

The wild fires are running rampant, not this current event!   I’m talking about currents in the ocean and how to use them to your advantage. San Francisco sailors cannot race without current considerations! We have used the Easterly current that runs along the beach close to shore before, but that is not the only current we deal with.  Further out, just inside of Mile Buoy there is a current that flows from the West back toward Pleasure point.  My suspicion is that this current is a combination of the effects of the wind direction and force outside, with possibly some effect from tidal variations.

Who among us has never had trouble rounding Schuyler with the currents swirling around it.  This may explain some of that difficulty.

BBBS

Sunday September 6 is our annual Big Brothers Big Sisters day on the bay regatta.  This is always a fun event.  A short race followed with a big party and food.  It will be restrained somewhat this year because of Covid, but we all know the real fun is out on the water anyway!  This is a reverse PHRF, pursuit race.  The slow boats take off first and the faster boats get to chase us down.  So sign up and do your part to help the kids with this fundraiser. 

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

08/18/2020: RED SKY AT NIGHT, YEAH YEAH

AUGUST 18, 2020 

          

RED SKY AT NIGHT: YEAH YEAH

It was looking pretty dismal on my arrival at the harbor.  Heavy smoke clouds choked the sky and seemed to be inhibiting the wind also.  We got the boat set up and set off once crew arrived.  As we exited the harbor, it did not look much better.  We detected a light wind from 100 degrees and set a mark for the line.  I hesitated to call a course since the wind was so light, but as 6pm approached, we could see an Easterly breeze filling in.  We called course B5 and blew a 5 minute horn for the start.

On Pair A Dice, we considered a port tack start at the beach end of the line, but with 20 boats out thought this would be risky.  We decided to start at the start mark end of the line and join the pile up of the other starboard tacking boats.  After the start, it seems boats were all over the place.  Some went inside for the building Easterly, others went outside thinking there would be more wind.  At Blacks, the first around was Jersey Girl, Aquavie, Patricia J, Nidaros, Pacific Spirit, Odonata, Pair a Dice, Toad and Sweet Pea.  Before all boats had rounded Blacks, it looked like the wind was getting lighter so I shortened the course to finish at the start mark.

On the run back to Start/finish, we considered setting a whisker pole.  We opted not to since the wind was oscillating to a beam reach point of sail. At the finish, it was Aquavie 28:55, Finn (Guenther Vrolop),  Patricia J 29:14, Pacific Spirit 32:02, Nidaros 32:30, Pair A Dice 33:01, Odonata 34:00, Toad 38:37, Sweet Pea 39:16.  All times are elapsed and the course length was 0.9NM.

It was a surreal evening with the light wind, and smoke hanging heavily in the air.  It was a red sky at night, sailors delight but I don’t think this is the red sky this sailor’s rhyme refers to.

RACE QS:

With 20 boats out for the fun, we only had 8 boats running race qs tracks tonight. You can preset the start for 5:45 so you don’t forget. You must run Race QS to be counted!  The track from tonight can be found at:  https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011017&divisionId=66442&updatedAt=2020-08-19T02:14:31Z&dt=2020-08-18T17:45:02-07:00..2020-08-18T19:14:17-07:00&boat=Pairadice&time=1597801356280&focus=Pairadice&rival=Jersey%20Girl&tab=match&view=follow&lat=36.953784&lon=-121.992616&tilt=25&range=1082&heading=219

If you are having problems acquiring the app or setting it up, drop me an email at sailingpairadice@gmail.com with your questions.

VAGARIES OF THE WIND:

We all know that light wind sailing is the most difficult.  Difficulties arise in interpretation of normal signs of wind.  We all know to look at the water for texture indicating wind on the water.  In light wind, not all wind contacts the water as demonstrated by feeling wind on your face and the boat sailing along in totally glassy water.  The opposite can also happen, great texture on the water, but no wind to fill the sails.  The “joys” of sailing in light wind!  In these conditions, I find it most helpful to observe what other boats are experiencing.  As we sailed out to try to clear Blacks, the texture on the water indicated great wind outside with a boat right in the middle of the textured water not moving at all.  I instructed my crew to watch the wind indicator so the moment the wind decreased, we would tack back inside.

Another phenomenon that we are experiencing this summer in light wind is varying direction of wind at different heights.  I have seen 20-30 degree differences between the mast head and what we are seeing on deck.  In this situation, I steer by the jib tell-tales not the windex at the mast head.  Most of the sail area is below, so this is the area you want to keep working.

   

KICKING ASH!

With all of the fires in the area, there is a steady stream of falling ash.  I do not know the effect of ash on fiberglass, but it is probably better to spray it off now than to scrub it off later.  Time to “Kick Ash” off the boat!

BARBECUE:

We had a barbecue after the race at the club.  About 20 people showed up.  Thanks to Mike Gross for doing all of the cooking and running a tight ship.  Everyone was socially distanced wearing masks when not eating or drinking. Each person was instructed to use hand sanitizer on approaching the serving station.  Only one person (Mike) touched the serving utensils.  We were all outside which greatly decreases the chance of infection.  We had a bucket for people to leave donations to cover the cost of the food. Though it was not the last Tuesday of the month, this “test barbecue” went off flawlessly and I felt very safe.  It was awesome getting to visit with other yacht club members again.

Next Tuesday is the last Tuesday of the month and we WILL have another barbecue  (8/25). With one or two persons providing the food, it helps to know how many people are planning on attending. Please respond to SAILINGPAIRADICE@GMAIL.COM by Monday evening if you are going to come so we can prepare. If you want to bring a salad or other side dish that can be dished out, this helps also. There is NO PRESSURE to attend.  Only come if you feel safe and have no pre-existing conditions.

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

AUGUST 11, 2020: AWESOME NIGHT FOR A SAIL

AUGUST 11, 2020

AWESOME NIGHT FOR A SAIL

Arriving at the harbor at around 4 o’clock, there seemed to be a lot of wind clear into the harbor.  The flag on the Crow’s Nest was also showing a lot.  I took a stroll down to the beach to see what the conditions were.  Predictions were for 15 knots and decreasing through the evening.  The ocean had a steady breeze that looked like no more than 15 knots (very few whitecaps and flat water). It was a night for the 155 jib.

As we left the harbor, it looked like nothing had changed. At the start buoy we determined the wind angle was 230 degrees and set the red ball for the line square to this wind. By 5:50 we had about 15 boats out for the fun.  We called for course Whiskey 1 and blew a 5 minute horn.

On Pair A Dice, we detected no favored end of the line, but wanted to start toward the shore end of the line to allow us to tack early toward the inside.  There was no advantage to going further out since the wind was consistent and going inside early would give us smoother water to sail on.  We had quite a pile up at the line with boats being called out for barging.   After the mayhem of the start, it was smooth sailing as we all made our way to the first mark: Schuyler.  At Schuyler, race QS had the order of rounding as Pair A Dice, Geronimo, Pacific Spirit, Perfect 36, Odonata, Sophia, Nidaros, Toad and Caseio.

On the way to Mile, Pair A Dice got waterlined as several of the larger boats passed us.  At Mile buoy it was Geronimo, Perfect 36, Pair a Dice and Pacific Spirit.

After an uneventful rounding of Blacks, the finishing order was Pacific  Spirit 52:46, Pair A Dice 53:14, Geronimo 54:22, Perfect 36 55:05, Odonata 58:57, Nidaros 59:43, Sophia 1:00:30 and Toad 1:04:41.  All times are elapsed and the course length was 3.95 NM.

RACE QS!!!!

There were many faster boats leading the pack tonight that did not run the race QS track.  It is necessary to run this app to be counted: no track=no time to record. I would like to give some tips on how to use Race QS. 

It is best to preset the start of your track.  If everyone starts their track at 5:45, we will get a track of what boats are doing for the start.  If you preset the start for a later time, like 6pm, your boat will be still and not move until that time. It is best to mount your phone close to centerline in your boat face up with top of phone facing the bow.  I mount mine in a cradle in my chart table.

   I do not know what a phone call will do to your track. I avoid answering any calls while running my track.  I like to plug my phone in to power so it stays charged the whole time.  It does not hurt to have two phones running the same track.  Running the app on two phones costs nothing, the app is free.   Once you start using this app to analyze your sailing, you will be amazed at what you will learn.

The track for tonight can be found at:   https://raceqs.com/tv-beta/tv.htm#userId=1011635&divisionId=66196&updatedAt=2020-08-12T02:16:22Z&dt=2020-08-11T17:13:00-07:00..2020-08-11T19:16:06-07:00&boat=Dice&model=J24&time=1597194262923&focus=Dice&rival=Odonata&tab=match&view=match

APPLYING THE RULES:

The start tonight was rather interesting as starts can be.  To me the start is the most exciting time of the race: all boats in close quarters using rules to tactically achieve an advantage.  I have sailed several times in the Santana 22 team racing events and it has been a huge revelation to me about application of rules.  People often call “barging” at the start.  Though this term is correct, there is no “barging rule” in the RRS. There IS windward leeward rights.  The leeward boat can luff an overlapped windward boat up over the line.  This is not being rude, this is part of sailing.  In the Santana races, boats will go out of their way to prevent being caught as the windward boat because they know the consequence of such action.  After the races, conversations are jovial and comments like “you really got me on that start!” are reiterated. I have respect for sailors that use the rules to their advantage.  Rules are rules, and it is best to not get caught in awkward situations. The best way to avoid being caught in a barging situation: slow down (“blow the main”) and take a second row position.  It is better to start behind another boat than have to miss the line and necessitate circling around to properly start.

THE WONDERFUL WHISKER POLE:

              Years ago when I first acquired my boat I had a whisker pole that was not retractable.  It was about 13 feet long and seemed to be very heavy.  I got a Forespar retractable whisker pole that collapses to about 9 feet that can be extended to about 14 feet.  The retractable pole seems lighter and is easier to handle. Once installed and positioned correctly,  we position the pole in line with the boom and keep it as close to horizontal as possible. Both the boom and whisker pole are at 90 degrees to the wind.   The lazy sheet is cleated off to keep the pole from bouncing up and down.

I know the tactic used by many of the race boats is to reach off for a hotter angle of sail.  By going faster, they can make up the extra distance sailed.  On most of our cruising boats, you may go a little faster reaching off but probably not fast enough to make up for the extra distance sailed.  This is why the whisker pole works so well for our cruising boats.  We try not to sail dead down wind, it is better to sail “in the box” with the windex pointing to one of the arms.  This is a little hotter angle of sail and gives a little more speed.

TUESDAY NIGHT BARBECUE:

I know it is not the last Tuesday of the month, but next Tuesday (8/18) we will have a barbecue at the club after our race with some important Covid changes.  In the past, we have all brought our own food to cook on the barbecue.  With Covid and to prevent crowding, we will have only one or two cooks at the grill.  If you want to bring something to cook, leave it with the cook at the grill and once cooked you will be called to pick it up.  Our cook (Mike Gross) will provide some items for those without food and there will be a jar for you to deposit whatever money you feel is fair to cover the costs. The cook(s) will not touch the food, it will be handled by spatulas and tongs.  The bar will be open from the door upstairs, but the club will be closed (dress warmly).  Support the club by getting your drinks from the bar (no cash, they accept credit cards). Hand sanitizer will be readily available (please use frequently). We will spread out on the upper and lower decks and maintain social distancing.  Masks will be mandatory (if not actively eating or drinking).  There is no pressure, only come if you feel safe.  Do not come if you are experiencing symptoms.  It will be an opportunity for people to meet, mingle and be safe.

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice