OCTOBER 25, 2016: SO-SO SAIL, GREAT BARBECUE

OCTOBER 25, 2016

SO-SO SAIL, GREAT BARBECUE

As we left the harbor, I knew we were in trouble.  Big waves from the south were nearly breaking across the harbor entrance and the wind was barely existent.  It is a bad combination, very little light, big waves creating choppy conditions and no wind.  It was amazing that there were nearly 15 boats out for this mayhem.  What a group of fantastic people we have on Catalina Tuesday, ready to give it a go in such lousy conditions!  I was really stymied on what course to call as the wind switched from northwest to north, realizing that any course into the waves would be dead with such light wind.  The crowd insisted on a race, so “race” we did.  We gave a 5 minute horn to race to Gov, then to the barbecue.

About 45 minutes into it, I realized we would not finish the race AND have a barbecue so decided that at least Pair A Dice would abandon the race.  For the last barbecue of the season, I really wanted to have a big discussion like we have had for every “last barbecue” for the last several years. I was not disappointed!  The crowd was large and volunteered many comments for a lively discussion.

The consensus is that most boats do not want to take part in the running of the race.  We will once again this year come up with new course cards for next year.  This is your opportunity to convey any courses you would like to see on next year’s course card.   I do not want to call courses like a dictator.  What right do I have to do that?  There are many course options, lets get them on the course cards for next year.  I will make even more course cards next year so everyone should have one.  We will call out a course number and people should have the course.

With my many discussions around the room, one thing that has been missing is a start   line that is close to square to the wind.  One option is to drop a mark for the other end of the line which would be close to square to the wind.   I thought of another option to square up the line.  What if each course card had an image of the “skyline of the land”?  Each major landmark would be labeled A,B,C etc.  Landmarks would be things like Wharf end, Casino flag, lighthouse on Jetty , Flag on crows nest, Blacks point, radio towers etc.  With an outline of the land skyline on the course card, there should be no confusion which landmark to use.  The new protocol would be to call the course with the other end of the line designated.  “ whiskey 1 with Alpha line” should be simple enough.Please comment and weigh in with your ideas on this.

With a square line, the temptation to be OCS should be minimized.  We will monitor OCS situations next year.  I sincerely do not want our Catalina Tuesdays to turn into the mayhem of Wednesdays.  The only way to learn is to start properly.  The motto on Tuesday nights should be: start right, sail right, win right!  There will be times next year where I will run the line from outside the start mark and call boats that are OCS.  If boats are OCS, they will have the choice of restarting or be DSQ’d.  If DSQ’d and are not racing, please respect the boats that are still racing.

I want to thank all participants this year.  This has been an awesome year.  I think everyone is learning a lot and it is time to parlay your knowledge to the next level.  It looks like many of us will participate in the midwinter regatta this year.  There are some great sailors in our group and it will not be easy to win, but I guarantee you will have fun and you will learn.  The races are on the third Saturday of every month, up to 3 races a day.  First day of racing will be November 19.  We will see you out there!

If the group feels it would be beneficial to have a rundown of how the flags and horns work in a real race, let me know and I could lay it all out in next weeks blog.

We will try for one last race next Tuesday.  I am looking forward to a short race to end this phenomenal season we have had.  Thanks to all of you for your participation and patience.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

OCTOBER 18, 2016: FOOD FOR THOUGHT

                                                          OCTOBER 18, 2016
                                                    THOUGHT FOR DISCUSSION


I was away on vacation this last week so do not have any comments on the action last week. I did get a response from one of our sailors on my previous blog which I would like to share with all of the Catalina crew.  If possible, I would like to use this response as a springboard for discussion after our barbecue on Tuesday night.

Hi Barry,

Read your blog for this week and wanted to share a few thoughts.

http://sailingpairadice.blogspot.com/2016/10/october-11-2016-short-colorful-sail.html

It has been interesting to see the evolution of the fleet in the short
time I've participated.  It does seem like skills and racing knowledge
have increased quite a bit and I think you should be proud of the work
you have done to increase participation and create a "wonderful vibe" on
Tuesday nights.  I've really enjoyed participating.

Skills and rules knowledge have improved in the time I've watched and
the starts have become much more aggressive on occasion.

As I've mentioned in previous mail, I do think setting a fair line would
improve starting skills and result in better starting line behavior.
Most starting line problems get created when the boats haven't really
worked on time and distance to the line or pin ends and unfamiliarity
with barging and luffing and responding rules and then get into improper
situations.

When placed in these kind of improper situations I think the first the
casual response is that since its an informal race lets just keep going.

The next evolution is to keep going but then to decide to retire later
in the race as we saw Pacific Spirit do a few weeks ago.

After that an evolution might be to actually return to the line and
clear it after they've made a mistake in time/distance judgement.

But it make take quite a while for this to work though the entire fleet.
  Your blog is a great way to learn about how and why things can go
wrong and how to correct, so it might not take as long as I'm
suggesting.  But that would mean that Sailing Pair-A-Dice would have to
be over early some race and talk about returning, but then winning the
race and writing a blog about it. ;-)  I think I've seen this already
happen with your continued mention about port tack ducking is really ok
and doesn't cost you that much if done effectively and as a planned
maneuver.  The behavior on Tuesday night is so much different  than Wed
nights and I think its in large part to your coaching the fleet via your
blog.

I agree that a rabbit start is a poor way to actually building starting
and racing skills.  The problem becomes one of asking questions about
how to directly take on some skill building around starting racing.

So we need to build some confidence that returning to start is ok no
matter how costly it might be.

One more suggestion is to also have a gun/horn at the start as well as
doing it at the 5 minute warning.  This would help all boats to
uniformly start to head up from reach to pointing angles off the line.
In the heat of battle its easy for boats to jump the gun and start
harding up.  This happens in any fleet racing with RC or not.  A horn
would help give that audible signal that would hold boats back from
jumping the gun instead of seeing a few boats take off and then join the
party.  All this is happening when crews are watching other boats,
getting ready to trim in and control their own boat, and also trying to
watch the clock.  On Tuesday nights when sailing short handed I've
found myself seeing other boats take off and saying "I guess the start
happened, so lets go...."  There is a lot of sensory overload with many
things going on and that audible horn would help synchronize actions on
all boats.

Next thing would be to work on would be to get more races that have fair
(square to wind/first mark) and shorter start lines that allow all the
boats to get good position on the line and a chance to accelerate off
the line uniformly  at the gun.  I definitely agree with the idea that
shorting the line with a temp buoy or anchored start boat would also
help in skippers and crews being able to judge the line and time and
distance to the line.

Longer lines make it harder to determine over early unless you are at
one end or the other of the fleet, and shorter the line the more obvious
this becomes to all boats in the fleet until you get down to a line when
all boats can just barely fit into the line and all the boats need to be
right next to each other for a fair start.

dumping a fender/small inflatable bouy/crab pot marker in the water in
the kelp bed near the start mark and leaving there for the season might
not comply with regulations but wouldn't create a hazard to navigation
and would give us an easier line to judge thats a few hundred feet long
instead of a 1/2 mile.

Now that 8-10  or more boats sail each week seems reasonable to rotate
responsibility for setting a line, calling the course and starting the
race.  That would also be a good experience for the start boat and crew
to learn a few basic RC duties.  I've learned just as much about racing
and starts from observing as a RC member as being on the race course.  I
would volunteer as a boat to get this started, and to coach others that
might be interested in occasionally taking on the responsibility in a
regular rotation.  It could also just be an option for some races and
the fleet could revert back to current starting setup/rules if there was
not a starting boat for any one evening.

One more thought on improving start skills would be to have "start
clinic Tuesday nights" in these last weeks before DST ends, and in the
spring just after DST starts up.  Since we have limited light in Oct and
March we could run these start clinics to get off maybe 5 or 6 starts,
race for a few hundred yards, then return for another round.  This
should help people get better judgement on time and distance to the
line, understand maneuvering to good spots on the line and other start
skills to keep them out of getting into trouble, but then figuring out
how to recover and do the right thing if they do get into trouble.  The
key in these nights would be to build some confidence in skills and make
these night fun, emphasizing the idea that the start is one of the most
fun, and challenging, and complicated part of racing.

I'd also volunteer to serve as the start boat for these "start clinic
nights."

A chalk talk at the club about different starting strategies and how to
get the best idea about time and distance to the line for different
conditions, situations, and fleet size.  These
talks/discussions/debriefs could also be added before or after the
"start clinic nights."

Thanks again for all the great work you have done to make Tuesday nights
a fun and enjoyable time on the water.  I've really enjoyed those nights
that I've been able to get out there the last few years.

-Chris

It is coming up on the close of the season, so do whatever you can to make it this Tuesday.

BARBECUE AT THE CLUB AFTER THIS TUESDAY NIGHT RACE.  BRING YOUR BEST GRILLING FOOD, THE BAR WILL BE OPEN.

Thank you to everyone for participating in our Catalina Tuesdays.

Barry L.Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

OCTOBER 11, 2016: SHORT COLORFUL SAIL

OCTOBER 11, 2016

SHORT COLORFUL SAIL

When I approached the harbor, there was apparently enough wind to have a race.  The wind was from the normal direction, about 240 from the northwest.   I love a lot of wind when daylight is limited so this was going to be a great night for a sail. We had plenty of boats out for the fun and we called the course: Start, Wharf, Blacks, Start with a 6:00 start time and gave a 5 minute horn at 5:55.

With the orientation of the wind, there was only one way to start: Starboard tack and all  boats started this way all, spread down the line.  Once we all started and went a ways out, one by one we all tacked over for the inside run.  By the time we got to the layline, Sagitarius had quite a lead on everyone followed by equinamity,  Pacific Spirit and Makani.  Pair A Dice rounded just ahead of Perfect 36, but just behind Vern and Judy on Seabird. On the long run to Blacks we set the pole but could not pass Seabird until we jibed away from them.  Even with our most fervent prayers we could not close the gap on Makani.  At the finish it was Sagittarius, Equinamity, Pacific Spirit, Makani, Pair A Dice, Perfect 36 Seabird and Kicks.

On the way to the harbor, it was a gorgeous red sunset setting the stage for a short colorful sail.

Integrity:

A great racing sailor once said something to the effect of: “If you win the race but do not win the respect of your competitors, you have not won”.  I had the pleasure of helping out with the local “505” regatta this past weekend.  Talk about a bunch of competitive sailors!  Despite being competitive, they were all friendly and were having a great time sailing against each other.  Total respect was displayed by all competitors on the water and on land and they had a blast, even though races were cut short due to fog. There was not a protest filed during the whole regatta. Witnessing the starts was awesome.     

Everyone knew the rules and there was not a whole lot of shouting. A few guys were OCS, but when called back they came back and dipped the line to exonerate themselves. I have witnessed the same respect and comradery in the Santana fleet, everyone respecting rules demonstrating complete respect for each other.  Truly a thing of beauty.  Is it the fact that someone is sighting the line that keeps everyone “honest”?

Catalina Tuesdays is a very unique situation.  I believe we all are having a great time competing and learning together.  We do not have anyone sighting the line, so it is all an honor system.  It is very difficult to determine if another boat is “OCS” (On Course Side) at the start when we all are charging the line side by side.  People will often call other boats over early, but how can you tell without someone sighting the line?  On this particular night Pair A Dice was closer to the start mark than many of the boats that were spread down the line.  We were right on the mark, at the start time I sighted back toward the lighthouse on the jetty and almost all boats were way over the start line at the start. 

Being OCS is a huge, unfair advantage in racing.  You may think, we were only 30 feet over the line, but everyone behind you is getting bad air, so this 30 foot lead grows over the course to a huge advantage.

I have done everything I can to make Catalina Tuesdays a fun, learning experience.  I desperately do not want Catalina Tuesdays to turn into the mayhem of Wednesday nights where everyone is out for show, not rounding marks or observing rules.  I feel that without observing rules, you will never be an effective racer.  Indeed, the closer you follow the rules, the more you will learn and ultimately win more races and win  honestly!

Some people have suggested a rabbit start, others have recommended a shorter start line.  I personally do not feel anything is to be learned by rabbit starts.  I would like input from as many participants as possible.  How do we observe rules without having an umpire or line sighter?  Am I wrong in wanting this? Should we just have a rally where we are all out for a sail without racing?  Our final barbecue is coming up.  I would like a group discussion at this barbecue for input from everyone on these issues and what direction we should take next year.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

OCTOBER 4, 2016: BLESSED NORTH WIND

OCTOBER 4, 2016

BLESSED NORTH WIND

               Talk about fluky conditions!  When I showed up to the harbor the wind seemed to be blowing out of the north, but the flag at the Nest showed a northwest wind blowing.  The strength of the wind was the other question.  Could we use the 155 or was the 135 the call for this night?  We decided to stick with the 155.  As we left the harbor, there were many boats out for the night, and the North had seemed to over- rule the Northwest breeze.  We proposed the north wind course from start to GOV and back, but others thought an impromptu course of start, Gov, Mile Finish would be better.  I was apprehensive the wind would die but went along with the longer course. 

The start was very hectic, as it frequently is at the end of the season.  Everyone seems to get there game on and are on the line at the same time.   It did not help that the line from start to blacks nearly paralleled the direction of the wind.  Twelve boats simultaneously running the line waiting to harden up to start the race. It was very crowded and Pair A Dice did not get a good start, coming off the line getting bad air from the boats that had better starts.  Our tactic was to try to sail straight to Gov  without tacking while several boats went outside.  As it ended up we all seemed to converge on Gov at the same time.  It did not help matters that there was a coast guard cutter moored to Gov getting in our way as if to emphasize the point: this is GOV buoy and we can only borrow its use for our races!  There were a few starboard versus port tack incidents that occurred at Gov which only increased the excitement.  What can be better than beer can racing in fluky 20 knot breezes in close quarters arguing right of way  with a coast guard cutter to oversee your actions?  We finally rounded Gov and headed toward Mile then headed toward Start.  By this time we were well back in the fleet, so I am not certain about the finish sequence, but I believe it  was Equinamity, Perfect 36, Pacific Spirit, Makani.  Pair a dice finished just ahead of Kicks after a long drag race from Mile to the finish mark.

Darn right of way!

Tuesday nights are the perfect time to learn about the rules and how to exonerate yourself if a rule is broken.  We all know starboard tack boat has right of way over port tack boat.  It is so easy and convenient to try to ignore these darn right of way rules  on a beer can race.  I confess, in the past I have not taken turns when I should have in the excitement of racing.   It could probably be said, we have all been guilty in the heat of the race.  Much more important than your standing in a particular race is the avoidance of the sound and ex$pen$e of crunching fiberglass. 

If you are a port boat that needs to duck a starboard tack boat, if done correctly, there is very little distance lost.  You can cut very close to the stern of the SB tack boat and get a lift as you do it.  It is important to keep sails trimmed appropriately for all points of sail, as you fall off to dip, loosen the sails and you gain even more speed. 

If you are the give way boat and don’t do so, a penalty turn should be taken.  Once again, I have been guilty of waiting for an opportune time to take a turn.  The rules indicate however, that the turn should be taken as soon as possible after sailing to an area where you will be out of the way of other boats. The rule book also says that failure to yield right of way requires a two turn penalty, but a lot of SI’s require only 1 turn.  We will observe a one turn penalty on our Tuesday nights.

Whenever a coast guard cutter is moored to Gov and we need to round the mark, please have your radio set to channel 16 to monitor how “nervous” they may be getting.  We are supposed to give them a respectable clearance.

Course Changes:

I know we often have differing opinions about a chosen course for the night.  I am certainly not a dictator that insists on calling the course every night.  I have developed the course card and made sure all boats have them for a reason:  when people ask what the course is, it is easier to give a course number rather than laying the whole course out over the radio. We have come a long distance from the time it was only 3 boats out on Catalina Tuesday.  When there are 12 boats out and the course needs to be enumerated separately for all 12 boats, it can get cumbersome especially when trying to sail a boat in 20 knot plus winds.  Another problem is when more than one person is talking on the radio at the same time.  Please use proper VHF protocol and indicate “over” when finished talking.

 It has been suggested that I should call the course between 15 minutes till the start.  If anyone has suggestions, the comments should be heard between 15 and 10 minutes before the start.  When agreement is achieved we will give the 5 minute horn.  Please, do not engage in course suggestions after the 5 minute horn. 

It was a great night for a race.  As Homer commented, “we finally had some great wind!”.

See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

September 20, 2016: PERSEVERANCE EVEN IN THE DARK

SEPTEMBER 20, 2016

PERSEVERANCE EVEN IN THE DARK

The first glimpse as I approached the harbor showed that an Easterly was blowing.  After getting skunked with not enough wind last week, I really did not want it to happen again.  As we left the harbor, the Northwester breeze was still blowing and even extended clear  in to the start buoy.  We decided on Whiskey 3: start, Wharf, Blacks and finish.  There were twelve boats out for the fun.  We gave a 5 minute horn and set up for the race.  As is customary for the end of the season, more boats were on the line in close proximity for the start.  It was very interesting trying to start with a dying breeze and being blanketed  by what seemed to be all twelve boats.

We sailed until we could duck and clear the boat to windward of us.  We finally tacked for clear air.  Many of the boats made it outside to where there seemed to be more wind.   With a clean path to outside we tacked back over to get outside to more wind. Once we made it to the Wharf Mark layline, we tacked over for the mark.  We had started the race near the back of the pack and as we sailed toward Wharf mark, we noticed most of the pack parked in the transition zone.  We stayed outside in the westerly breeze and then ducked in through the transition zone to round wharf.  Once we rounded wharf, claiming inside rights over Kicks we sailed toward Blacks as the sun was setting.  The wind was blowing pretty well from the east, but it was getting darker.  Word has it that Odonata finished just ahead of Equanimity, then  Pair A Dice followed quite a bit later then Makani and Kicks crossed the line in the dark.  All other boats headed for the harbor as the sun set.  Kudos to the boats that had the  perseverance to finish in the dark.

Tactics:

Always try to sail where the wind is.  We stayed outside for a long time because that was where the wind was.  

When there are divergent winds blowing as with the northwest wind outside and Easterly wind inside there is always a dead (transition zone) between them.  Getting through these transition zones is very tricky.  If possible, look for an area where the transition zone is narrow (looking at the wind on the water). When entering the transition zone, try to have as much speed as possible to coast to the new wind. Use whatever means possible to propel the boat (waves!!!).  Do not sheet the jib I tight, the last thing you need is a backwinded jib!

PLEASE NOTE, NEXT WEEK IS BARBECUE NIGHT AT THE CLUB. PLEASE BRING YOUR BEST BARBECUE ITEMS FOR THE FUN AND COMRADARIE!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair a Dice

SEPTEMBER13, 2016: CONFUSED SEAS, WIND AND COURSE

SEPTEMBER 13, 2016

CONFUSED SEAS, WINDS AND COURSE

The wind in the bay for the week had been very robust to say the least.  Checking Sailflow in the morning, it looked like the prediction was possibly for more of the same.  When I got to the harbor after 5pm, it looked like the wind was starting to die.  As we left the harbor, it looked like there was enough wind for a race, but it was coming from a very South direction.  This normally would call for a course to Mile and back, but with the dying breeze and confused seas bashing through the waves did not seem appealing.  We finally decided on course Whiskey 5: Start, Wharf Finish.  We gave a 5 minute horn and in the 5 minutes to start the wind seemed to die even more. 

The start was excruciatingly slow.  Many of the boats headed outside on Starboard tack. Was there more wind outside?   On Pair a Dice we rode the waves inside just outside the kelp. All kelp was indicating a current headed toward shore probably from the south wind influence on the water.

It seemed like the excruciating start was only a precursor for what was in store for the rest of the evening.  The confused seas with waves coming from 3 different directions was further compounded by a very light (6 knot) breeze that seemed to shift 30 degrees every two minutes.  Driving in these conditions was interesting as the crew was offering advice like a chorus: “YOU’RE PINCHING, YOU’RE LUFFING, YOU’RE PINCHING…..”  To add to the misery it seemed like we were sailing along in a transition zone that was stalking us like a predator which we could not outrun.  We finally shortened the course as the sun was setting. The finished was accomplished by rounding Wharf mark. There were only 3 boats that ultimately finished: Wildflower, Pacific Spirit and Equinamity.  I never thought I would enjoy the sound of diesel as much as I did that night motoring back to the harbor!

Dealing with Frustrating conditions:

As with any sailing, it is all about paying close attention to conditions and your boat.  Where is the wind? Can you get to it?  Better yet, where will the wind build?  For a while, we felt we were doing well on the wind coming off the beach, but ultimately fell into the quagmire of the inescapable transition zone. In very light wind and waves, you do not want waves directly on your bow.  Pay attention to sail trim and boat heel.  Obviously Pair  A Dice did not get it right this evening since we did not even finish. It was interesting at the Crows Nest  commiserating  with the other sailors over the very strange conditions we experienced.

Other regattas:

Do not forget the mid winters starting the third Saturday of November.  If you can, it would be interesting to sail down to Monterey to observe and cheer for the Santa Cruz competitor for the Veeder cup on the weekend of September 24 and 25.

See you next Tuesday,

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016: CURRENT EVENTS

SEPTEMBER 6, 2016

CURRENT EVENTS

There were small craft advisory warnings for further out in the bay, but predictions for an Easterly close to the harbor.  The Easterly was definitely blowing when I got to the harbor.  We sorted out crew issues.  Last week I had 8 people on board, this night I had 3 crewmembers.  We decided on course B4 again and gave the 5 minute horn at 6pm for a 6:05 start.

In the 5 minute countdown, the wind seemed to be waning just a bit.  Pair A Dice was way too soon at the line and we slowed the boat down to let Pacific Spirit start ahead of us.  Since we were closer to the buoy, if we had kept our speed up, Pacific Spirit would have caught us barging.  Homer on Equinamity also got an excellent start.  Once we got over the line, rather than sail in bad air we tacked over since there was no way to fetch the mark on one tack.  Homer and Pacific Spirit rounded Blacks just ahead of us and Makani was right on our stern as we rounded.  This was going to be a good race!

As we approached the kelp line, it was apparent that there was a strong current flowing west.  With this information we decided to sail closer to the beach to take as much advantage of the current as possible.  The current also helped stream the kelp so it was easy to not pick up any hitch-hiking strands of kelp.  We seemed to gain on the boats that were sailing further outside.  At Gov Equinamity was first to round followed by  Pacific Spirit, Makani  and Pair A Dice.  The three leaders headed outside and Pair A Dice tacked over back inside for cleaner air.  We sailed to the kelp line and tacked over toward the finish mark.  At the finish, it was Equinamity, Pacific Spirit, Makani, Pair A Dice, Kicks, Nadaris II, Sea Quake, Aeolian and Odonata.   All boats seemed to finish within 5 minutes of each other making for a great race.

Reading Currents:

We did well on Pair A Dice until we sailed inside. I thought we were far enough out to avoid the westerly current, but it was strong enough to set us back.  Indications that the current was still in effect where we were was that the kelp was still streaming to the west.  Also, the kelp on the start buoy was indicating a westerly even as far out as the buoy when we were starting.  Lesson: Don’t sail up stream!

Tacking properly:

We were having problems on Pair A Dice with proper tacking.  I was frustrated as I was trying to get the jib in because it was hung up on ‘something’.  The ‘something’ that was keeping it from flowing through properly was the fact that I was standing on the sheets!  While racing, I will pile the sheets up on the bench to prevent this in the future (you’d think I would know by now!)

Watching other boats tacking indicated that several are having problems with this aspect also.  This is a critical time to pay attention and do things right.  After passing through the eye of the wind, the boat has slowed dramatically and you need power (wind in the sails) to get the boat moving again.  While racing it is critical for the crew to get the jib in as quickly as possible.  Note: you do not want to get the jib all the way in until the boat has come back up to speed again on the new tack.

Other Regattas:

Everyone is bringing their game up nicely.  Now is the time to set up for an official race.  The yacht club is putting on the midwinter series.  The first day of racing will be the third Saturday of November.  You will need a PHRF certificate to compete.  Many of us are going to be sailing in this regatta.  Come and join the fun.  The information is available on the website:  SCYC.org.

On September 24 and 25, the Veeder cup competition will be down in Monterey. In the past, it was two Santana 22’s that competed.  This year it will be two Santa Cruz 52’s that will compete, Elixir from Santa Cruz and one from Monterey Yacht club. If you have never sailed to Monterey, this would be a great time to go.  We should have a group of boats go down to cheer our boat on in this race.  It will be a fun event.

I will see you next Tuesday!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A DIce

AUGUST 30, 2016: HEAVY LOAD, LIGHT WIND

August 30, 2016

HEAVY LOAD, LIGHT WIND

As I approached the harbor, it was very apparent the Santa Cruz Eddy was in full force and the Easterly was filling in.  My normal crew had the boat all ready to go and we had more than enough crew with a few visitors topping us out at 8 people on the boat.  As we left the harbor it looked like the Easterly was trying to fade just a bit.  We called for a conservative course of B4, staying inside for the Easterly.  We called for a 6pm start and the 5 minute horn was blown at 5:55.  As we were sailing around before the start, it looked like there may be more wind a little ways off shore.

The buoy end of the line was definitely favored and as the wind seemed to be dying during the 5 minute count down, it took a lot of concentration (and luck) to get a proper start.  Pair a Dice was lucky enough to be one of the first over the line along with Homer on Equinamity (Hunter 34).  As we all sailed to the first mark, it appeared that Homer fell off more toward the beach.  Was he looking for more wind inside?  As we rounded Blacks, it looked like his judgment was correct because he was just ahead of us for the rounding.  After rounding  Blacks, Homer seemed to head more toward the beach again but then turned for the outside.  Was there more wind outside?  We watched closely but thought it was not worth going outside and decided to basically rhum line it to Gov, aside from dodging kelp patches.  The kelp was showing a westerly current was in effect, which made it easy to sail west and we managed to not pick up any hitch-hikers along the way. 

At Gov we squeaked around the mark just ahead of Homer.  Trying to avoid the inside (westerly) current, we sailed outside.  Homer sailed inside for cleaner air, while we sailed further outside.  We were definitely splitting tacks with him.  The game for all of us was to not sail into a light wind area.  When we finally converged again, it was going to be a very close race.  Pair a Dice had to throw one more tack in to clear the mark and, in the lightening breeze could not get our speed up enough.  Homer squeaked ahead of us for the finish.  What a great race!

At the finish it was Equinamity, Pair A Dice, Andiamo, Kicks, Perfect 36, Nadaris II, Aeolian, a Catalina 27 and Odonata(Santana 22).  We had a great barbecue at the club.

Racing Mode:

Recently I competed in the Big Brothers Big Sisters regatta.  When I got home that night, Lisa asked me who I sailed with that day.  When I told her, she pried me with questions: ‘How is so and so? Where are they going for vacation? What about so and so?’  I sheepishly told her I did not know.  She said “How can you spend a whole day with your friends and not find out what they are doing?”  I answered “when we are racing, we are RACING!  Every bit of conversation pertains to tactics, boat speed and how to increase it!” 

It is interesting seeing different attitudes as different personalities come aboard a boat.  Some people get right into “race mode” and do everything possible to improve the boat’s place in the race.  Other people are more fascinated with otters, seals, sunsets, conversation and basically anything but racing.  Obviously there is a happy medium.  We all enjoy the ocean and sailing, but are you and your boat in “race mode” or “casual sailing mode?”  The difference may have a reflection on your standings.

I am Looking forward to next Tuesday.

Barry L.Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

AUGUST 23, 2016:PLENTY OF WIND, PLENTY OF BOATS

AUGUST 23, 2016

PLENTY OF WIND, PLENTY OF BOATS

The flag on the Crow’s nest was indicating a lot of wind, but once again there were few white caps indicating wind less than 20 knots so we kept the 155 jib.  As we left the harbor, there were many boats out with even more coming out of the harbor.  With about 18 knots of wind and close to 15 boats on the line, conditions for the start got a little more exciting than normal.  We called for course whiskey 3: Start, Wharf Mark, Blacks, Finish. We gave the horn at 6:00 for a 6:05 start.

On Pair A Dice we wanted to start on Starboard tack down the line from the buoy.  Being down the line would allow us to tack over to inside whenever we wanted to, since we would not be trapped by other boats. As it turned out we were a little early and had to stall .  At the start we had several boats to our starboard in close proximity.  It took us awhile, but we were finally able to pull ahead and were able to tack over toward the inside.   We stayed on this tack until we thought we were on the layline for Wharf mark. Once we tacked, it looked like we may have been a little optimistic in our judgement.  We would need a lift in order to clear the mark.  Suddenly there was another concern.  Perfect 36 was crossing us on Port tack.  From my perspective, it was one of the closest crossings I have seen in a long time, but they cleared us without us having to duck.  Congratulations to Steve and the crew on Perfect 36 for precise judgement.

As we got lifted on our approach to wharf Pair A Dice was first to round wharf, followed quickly by Perfect 36 and Homer’s Equinamity (Hunter 34) and the rest of the fleet.  On the long run back to Blacks, we set our pole and started gauging our comparative speed. I have a laser device that indicates the distance to objects.  At first when our crew was hanging out in the cockpit of my boat, Equinamity was slowly gaining on us.  We moved everyone out of the cockpit and got them on the foredeck.  With this ‘minor adjustment’ we started keeping the distance between us the same or even gaining.

We rounded Blacks and pulled up tight for the march back to start mark.  We finally tacked over toward the start mark with Homer breathing down our necks.  At the finish it was Pair A Dice, Equinamity, Perfect 36, Makani, Kicks, Pacific Spirit, Sea Quake, Aeolian, Southern Cross (Tartan 34?), and NadarusII (Santana 30).

What wins races?

The story goes that there was a discussion between parts of the body as to which organ was most critical. The brain claimed superiority since it controlled everything.  The heart because it provided blood throughout the body.  When the anus claimed superiority, the other organs laughed.  The anus quit doing his job and soon all systems came to a grinding halt.  This may be a crude story but the same goes for sailing.  It definitely takes a “TEAM” to win races.  You can drive better than anyone else, but if your crew cannot handle the boat appropriately, it does not win.  It is critical for the skipper to place crew where they are most efficient.  If a crew member cannot grind in a jib sheet quickly and efficiently during a tack, it hurts overall performance. So when your boat wins, it is the team working together.

NEXT WEEK (AUGUST 30) IS BARBECUE NIGHT AT SCYC.  THE CLUB AND BAR WILL BE OPEN.  BRING YOUR BEST BARBECUE FOOD!!

CORRECTION IN LAST WEEKS BLOG:

In last week’s blog I committed a serious error. I forgot to include Perfect 36 in the recap.  Perfect 36 was second only to Sagittarius last week.  My sincere apologies to Perfect 36 and crew.  Great job Perfect 36!

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

JUNE 28, 2016: STRONG EASTERLY

June 28, 2016

STRONG EASTERLY

I checked the wind predictions in the morning and the call was for light wind into the afternoon.  By the time I got to the harbor, the Easterly was filling in nicely.  A perfect evening for a sail, capped off with a whale slapping his tail on the water multiple times very close to the start mark.  We decided on F2: Start, SC3, Blacks Finish and gave a 5 minute horn at 6PM for a 6:05 start.

We had about 10 boats seriously contending for the start and several more coming in on the fringes for the fun.  On Pair A Dice, we were lucky enough to beat the other boats to the line and were clear ahead with clean wind.  As we hardened up into the wonderful 13 knot winds, there was apparent mayhem occurring at the start line as ten boats converged at once.  A lot of screaming was going on.  We sailed on until we were approaching the kelp line around Pleasure point and tacked over in time to clear Sagittarius.  Once we tacked back over on Starboard again, we even cleared Pacific Spirit on the first pass.  Pacific Spirit sailed further out as we held a line just below the lay line to SC3.  Sagittarius was on our same line just ahead of us.  We were both struggling with two obstacles: the excessive chop that builds in that part of the bay with strong easterly winds and the apparent strong current sweeping against us.  When we crossed Pacific Spirit just before rounding SC3, it was apparent they had chosen the right path (with less current) because they were well ahead of us. At SC3 it was Sagittarius followed by Pacific Spirit and Pair A Dice right on their heels.

On the way to Black buoy, we set the pole and tried different combinations.  At times it looked like we were passing Pacific Spirit but at the mark they had inside overlap and rounded just ahead of us again. At the finish it was Sagitarius, Pacific Spirit, Pair A Dice, Equinimity (Hunter 34), Perfect 36, Kicks, Toad, Aeolian and Sea Quake.

We had a great Barbecue at the club and I have to say, the word is out.  I don’t think I have ever seen so many people at the Catalina Barbecue.  What an awesome time, meeting and greeting with all the people we have been sailing with.

Starting rules and Barging:

All the rules of sailing are in place at and before the start, but keep in mind that rule 18 is involved with rounding marks not starting.  There is no 3 boat length zone when starting!   Normal sailing rules apply, Starboard has ROW (right of way) over port tack, Leeward has ROW over windward (when overlapped) and overtaken boat has ROW over overtaking boat (when no overlap).

As in most racing, boats get in very close quarters while starting, so knowing how the rules play out is critical.  Always remember Rule 14 “Avoid contact!!!”.  When you are setting up for a perfect start and a boat attempts to barge, be certain to warn the barger AHEAD of time. Don’t wait for them to get their bow between you and the mark.  Hails like “Don’t even think about it!” and “NO ROOM, Barging!” are commonly used BEFORE the barging actually occurs.

If you are the leeward boat (with overlap), you may luff the windward boat up until you are head to wind to force them over the line, but you must give the windward boat reasonable time to react and turn up (remember rule 14).

The finer nuances of the windward/leeward dynamic is determined by HOW THE OVERLAP WAS OBTAINED.  If the leeward boat achieves overlap from clear astern, she may luff the windward boat up UNTIL the start signal.  After the start signal, proper course MUST be assumed no more luffing up once the start TIME has passed, regardless of where you are in relation to the start line.  If the leeward overlap is achieved by the windward boat sailing inside, the luffing up by the leeward boat can continue even after the start signal.  All of these situations are covered by section A and B of the rules.

If anyone wants to clarify any of these starting rules, please feel free to leave a comment.

Other Regattas:

Lets have a PARTY in Monterey.  The Monterey and Back regatta will be on July 16 and 17.  I know of at least two Catalinas that will be in this regatta.  The more the merrier!  You will need a PHRF certificate if you don’t have one already, so get your boat ready and let’s have some fun!  You can register on the SCYC web site:  SCYC.org.

Looking forward to next Tuesday!

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

JUNE 21, 2016: B4 YOUR SOLSTICE SAIL

June 21, 2016

B4 YOUR SOLSTICE SAIL

After the raucous sail last week, and the predictions for light wind for this night, I knew we needed to change to the 155 for tonight.  By the time I got to the boat, my crew had already swapped to the 155.  As we left the harbor, there was a delightful Easterly blowing. Not knowing if the wind would sustain, we called for a shorter course that kept us inside. Bravo 4 (B4): start blacks, Gov and finish.

We set up for the start and we had it timed perfectly.  Our problem was that Pacific Spirit was leeward of us on the line and would certainly luff us up and pinch us off at the mark.  We took their stern, which slowed us down and put us behind a wall of sails in front of us for the start.  In this “dance of the start” I got my toes stamped on badly.  As soon as we could we tacked over for clean air.  At Black buoy, Odonata rounded first followed quickly by Pacific Spirit and Homers’s Hunter 43 and Kicks then Pair A dice.

After rounding Black everyone seemed to have different tactics.  Odonata went way in to the beach, many boats went outside where it looked like there was more breeze.  Pair a Dice split the difference and sailed a line just above the lay line to Gov. Soon we were all sailing along in very light breeze, barely ghosting along.  Just as I was thinking we were going to get skunked with no wind, the wind started building again from the East.  All of the boats catching this breeze started closing the gap with the Hunter 34 and Pacific spirit. At Gov it was Odonata, Pacific Spirit the Hunter 34 (Homer) and Pair A Dice. 

The wind back to the finish mark was much more brisk, but very shifty.  There was no way to accurately predict tacking angles.  As soon as boats would tack, they would get headed.  Even the winning boats needed to tack multiple times to get around the finish mark.  At the finish it was Odonata, Pacific Spirit, Hunter 34, Pair A dice, Toad, Perfect (new engine!) 36, Aila (Beneteau 36), SeaQuake, Aeolian and Kicks.

Way to go Odonata!

Tactics:

The start is very important but not everything.  Rather than ducking and sailing to the lee of Pacific Spirit, I could have slowed down and followed them over the line.  By doing this I could have avoided the dreaded wall of sails in front of me and tacked over sooner for clear air.

Outside or inside?  On this night Odonata played the inside track perfectly.  As the wind died for most of us outside, the inside current was working for Odonata.  Additionally he seemed to be getting better wind inside as his spinnaker was flying nicely!  It was a crap shoot, because the wind could have filled in outside, but Chris played it perfectly and ‘made his point’ rounding Gov in front of all the other boats.

Other Regattas:

Put it on your calendar: July 16&17 is the Monterey and Back regatta.  I have done this jaunt before and it is a very fun event.  Hanging out at the Monterey Bay Yacht club is very fun.  There is not a lot of tactics, usually staying on one tack all the way down and back.

NEXT TUESDAY (JUNE 28) IS BARBECUE NIGHT AT THE SANTA CRUZ YACHT CLUB.  THE BAR WILL BE OPEN, BUT BRING YOUR FAVORITE GRILLING FOOD!

I am looking forward to next Tuesday and seeing everyone at the barbecue.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair a Dice.

June 14, 2016: PLENTY OF WIND I HEAR

JUNE 14, 2016: PLENTY OF WIND I HEAR

The traffic was insane on the way to the harbor and the wind was strong to say the least.  Leading up to this evenings sail many of my crew were occupied with other duties.  Vacations, regatta committees and just not able to make it.  I was wondering how I was going to sail in so much wind with minimal crew.  I had a very experienced sailor joining me for the first time and the always trusty Stefan was also at the boat.  The prospects of three of us holding the boat down in all of this wind seemed dubious.

I hear it was a wonderful sail with a lot of wind.  As it turned out, while everyone was out sailing and having fun, I was reacquainting myself with the employees at the emergency room after an accident while leaving the slip.  Every accident seems incredibly stupid looking back on it.  Just like analyzing your tactics in a race, reviewing events leading to an accident can improve your odds of preventing repeat errors.

Every sailor has their routine in doing things.  There is no right way or wrong way as long as it works. For me, when I leave a slip I like to give a lot of throttle.  This helps deploy my folding prop and gets the boat moving in very little time.  Once the boat is moving, I find I can idle the engine and put it in neutral.  This minimizes the effect of prop walk and a moving boat is always easier to control especially in heavy winds like we had this night.  These finer nuances of how I operate my boat could be a surprise to someone who has never sailed with me.  What with being late because of traffic, I did not apprise my crew of my procedures. Long story made short, I ended up in a position where the dock line hooked onto the stern cleat with my finger trapped.  I could not figure why it was hurting so much and finally decreased throttle and put the engine in neutral.  What concerned me was that the finger caught was my ring finger.  Though the gash was deep there was no swelling. My wedding band could become a tourniquet if swelling started.  My main goal was to get the ring cut off.  Not exactly the time to be considering a night sailing. I am the only one to blame and I am very lucky that my stupidity caused my injury and that no one else was hurt. Ring cut off and 4 stitches was the penalty I paid.

The lesson I learned was to always inform your crew how you do things on your boat.  The way I operate my boat could be characterized as erratic to the uninitiated, but it works for me.  Plan and discuss everything beforehand just like you would do for a mark rounding on the course.  It is no time for surprises especially if short on crew.

Other things I have learned over the years.  When I first got my boat someone placed an old cooler which we used as a step to get on the boat.  It worked for a while until a crew member disappeared into the water as the cooler collapsed as I was leaving the slip. Lesson learned: Use items for their intended purpose.

We always try to center my martec prop.  It is critical to put the transmission in gear to stop the shaft from freewheeling, otherwise fingers can get mangled.

On Pair A Dice, the mainsheet trimmer always announces “SAILING BY THE LEE” since accidental jibes are possible.  This lets everyone know  to keep their head down.  Also mainsheet trimmer announces when gybing “JIBING! HEADS DOWN!”.  All crew should be aware of the point of sail when returning to the cockpit from the foredeck.   If the boat is in the middle of a tack or jibe  and you are behind the mast on the windward side of the boat, you are in a dangerous position. It is very easy in the excitement of racing to forget the most basic safety rules.

Boating can be very fun, but it is not without it’s danger.  I would like to open this for a group discussion.  Please comment with things you have learned about safety.

 

Phil Worthen Memorial Event:

Sailing Pair A Dice made it out for the Phil Worthen memorial on June 12.  It was incredible to see about 30 boats out and another 30 surfers paddle out for this event.  Phil certainly affected a lot of people and will be missed.

Monterey and Back regatta:

We are one month away from one of my favorite regattas.  July 16 and 17 is when the Monterey and Back regatta is being held this year.  Talking to the regatta organizers, they would like to see the Catalina group represented in this regatta.  With enough boats, we could have our own class established for this race.  I did this race last year and will attest that it is very fun.  The Monterey Yacht club hosts us and Monterey is a beautiful venue to sail to and back.  Lets talk this up with other Catalina owners that you know.

 See you next Tuesday.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice

June 7, 2016: PARKING LOT IN THE END ZONE

June 7, 2016: PARKING LOT IN THE END ZONE

As I got to the harbor it looked like the wind was slowly dying as the flags drooped more and more. We even started the process of changing to a 155 jib, but a crew member walked to the beach and came back saying it was a bad idea.  Sure enough as we approached the start area the wind was in excess of 20 knots.  Not knowing if the wind would hold, we called for a short course Whiskey 3: Start, Wharf, Blacks finish.  We gave the 5 minute warning horn and noticed the wind at the start mark was still over 20 knots and quickly put a reef in the main.

At the start we were on the line further down the line from most of the pack which left us free to tack as soon as we wanted to.  With the wind building as we went out we decided to tack back inside for flatter seas and less wind.  We tacked back and forth between more wind outside and too little wind inside. Pacific Spirit and Sagitarius rounded wharf at essentially the same time followed by Pair A Dice and Makani.

On Pair A Dice we decided to rhumb line it directly to the Blacks sailing wing on wing with our pole out to windward.  We started off with a pretty good lead over Kicks and Makani, but as we jibed sails, we did not notice the lead they were building on us by going outside (going where the wind is!).  As we all closed on Blacks, Pacific Spirit rounded first followed by Sagitarius and Kicks and Makani had quite a lead on us. We came around Blacks and saw everyone packed together as the wind died at the finish mark.  The waves on everyone’s bow did not help and as we approached the boats inching along it looked like a parking lot in the end zone.  At the finish Sagitarius lead Pacific Spirit, Kicks, Pair A Dice, Makani and Aeolian, the Beneteau 36, Sea Quake and Thalasia.  It was a great turnout and just as everyone finally inched over the finish line, the wind came up out of the East and we sailed easily back to the harbor.

In Memory of Phil Worthen:

We lost one of the icons of sailing in Santa Cruz this last Sunday June 5.  Phil Worthen died of a heart attack after sailing his boat (a Melges 14) back to the ramp. 

I got to know Phil through association with Jack Mcdermott and “Adventure” in various national regattas.  We were proud to have him as crew on Pair a Dice many times in many races.  He gained notoriety in sailing when he taught sailing for Oneill through the 80’ and 90’s.  He also sailed extensively with Ernie Rideout and most recently ran the boat yard for the harbor.  He seemed to know everyone in the sailing world.  He was also a surfer who surfed Hawaii extensively in the 70s and personally knew the famous South African surfer Shawn Thompson.

Phil was one of the most positive and high energy personalities I have ever known.  He was always smiling and happy.  Every time you saw him, you left the event with better energy.  I will always remember the sail we had on my boat just after the harbor opened in March this year.  It was a beautiful Sunday with 20 knot winds.  We worked our way clear up to Natural Bridges, then sailed wing on wing all the way to Pleasure point.

I happened to be going to my boat on Saturday the fourth and as usual, stopped by to say hi to Phil. As usual the visit lasted over an hour.  Remembering I had work to complete on my boat I shook his hand and said goodbye. Little did I know, it would be my last contact with him.  Fair winds Phil.  You will be missed!

We will see you on the water next week.

Barry Keeler

Sailing Pair A Dice