SANTA CRUZ CALIFORNIA: CATALINA TUESDAY AUGUST 20 2013

AUGUST 20, 2013

It was a cold damp evening in the Santa Cruz harbor, with a huge cloud bank hanging just off shore. The wind was blowing out of the northwest at around 10 knots. In our sailing around before the start, the wind seemed to pretty similar between inside and outside with possibly a very slight bit more wind inside.

We decided on a shorter course (course 4): start to wharf (SB) GOV (SB) finish at start mark taking it to port. Once again, it is amazing to see all of the boats starting at the same time. On Pair A DIce, we started on starboard tack and were right behind DIver Down and Pacific Spirit, with Emeritus sailing to windward of us. We were stuck in a bad situation with bad air all around, so at the first opportunity, we tacked over and cleared Emeritus's stern. Iris was trucking along nicely on their port toward the pier. As Iris tacked outside, we had to duck their stern. Homer had tacked over earlier and had gone further outside. On Pair a dice, we felt we were getting the best of it, taking advantage of the greater wind that seemed to be right at the edge of the cloud bank. We kept getting blanketed by different boats and had to keep tacking to get clear air. Diver Down seemed to sail further outside than the other boats. With all of the different tactics employed by everyone, Homer rounded Wharf ahead of Iris. We had to pinch heavily to make wharf, but had inside overlap over DIver Down and Emeritus. Somehow, despite bad wind and pinching, Fred was able to coast Pair A Dice around the mark, and it was Emeritus, Diver Down and Pair A DIce headed toward GOv. DIver DOwn was able to open the gap between all of us and we slowly rolled Iris, trying our whisker pole first on starboard, then port. Pacific SPirit was in the thick of the battle also, ducking quickly to windward of Emeritus and rolling them. We all watched as Homer rounded GOv way ahead of everyone, with Diver Down rounding right after them Pair A dice was the third to round with Iris right bihind. We all headed toward start mark. At one point, it looked like Iris was going to roll us until we made a few minor adjustments in our sail trim. Homer was the first to finish, with Diver Down being the first Catalina around the mark. We came in third after Homer and Diver DOwn.

It was a very tight race all around the course. Great starts by all boats, tight roundings at WHarf and Gov and all boats finishing within 5 minutes of each other. ANother great night of sailing and racing Catalinas on Monterey Bay in Santa Cruz.

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KICKING IT UP A NOTCH:

We all enjoy our Tuesday nights racing against similar boats in our relatively unstructured environment. The fact that our starts are so close in itself shows everyone knows how to start correctly. We all have the opportunity to carry our racing abilities to the next level. This Sunday the 25th is the first day of racing in the fall Score races. All you need to enter these races is a Monterey Bay PHRF certificate, which is pretty easy to get. After your certificate, you can register online. All information is on line at SCYC.org under racing.

It would also be good to get a large turnout of Jammers (Jib and Main) boats in the Big Brothers BIg Sisters regatta on September 1. This is really a fun event and a good cause to boot. It is a reverse PHRF race, so the slower boats start first. This is a fun time for everyone.

I am looking forward to seeing you next Tuesday night.

 

 

 

 

 

AUGUST 13 CATALINA SAILBOATS SAILNG TUESDAY NIGHTS ON MONTEREY BAY

August 13, 2013

Another awesome night for sailing the Monterey Bay out of Santa Cruz. This night the wind was particularly steady coming from the East. We decided to sail Course 8 which is: Start, Blacks, Mile, Gov and end at the start mark. We decided on a 6:10 start, but extended to 6:15 when it was apparent Pacific Spirit was coming out of the harbor and would be late for the start. On Pair A Dice, we decided on a Starboard tack start, right at the pin and timed it perfectly, with DIver Down in hot pursuit. Iris had a great start and did an excellent job of keeping ahead of us all with the 2 minute head start given the 27's. Iris was first to round Blacks and start toward Mile, with PAD second and Diver Down following. WIth the strong easterly blowing (18 to 20 knots) there was definitely a weird chop in the water which was really slowing the smaller boats down, but Diver Down just seemed to glide right through the waves. About 2/3 of the way to Mile, DIver Down rolled us to leeward and just kept on going. Miraculously, Iris was maintaining their lead over both PAD and Diver Down. Diver Down rolled by Iris on the way to GOV and rounded GOV before both Iris and PAD.

On the way back to the start mark, we all seemed to use different tactics. Iris and Diver Down sailed further toward shore before tacking back out. PAD, after rounding GOV immediately tacked back outside. Ultimately, DIver Down tacked back out and stayed on port tack clear to the layline to start mark. Iris tacked over early and PAD tacked just before the layline to the finish mark, hoping for a lift that would carry us around the mark. Though we did get lifted some, we still had to tack to clear the mark. Diver Down won this one hands down, with PAD second and several boats crossing in quick succession after us. Aeolian, Pacific Spirit and Iris.

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RULES, TACTICS AND TUESDAY NIGHTS:

We are getting quite a turnout for our Tuesday nights. It is really great to see everyone bring their game up and getting more competitive. Since there are many of us that enjoy both Tuesday and Wednesday night sailing, it is important to differentiate the difference between the two nights. Wednesday night is party night and is definitely a HOOT. All the boats are out in their splendor, and alcohol is everywhere. Though rules are generally followed such as starboard vs port crossing rights of way, there is little reason or care to observe all of the rules. On Wednesday nights, if you round a buoy the wrong way or can't quite make it, just sail on: nobody is keeping score. You cannot get a less challenging start than a rabbit start like on Wednesday nights. Generally, there are some boats that take the race seriously, but most boats are there for the event rather than a race.

Tuesday nights, though very fun, are meant to be more educational. What better way to learn how you are doing than to sail against similar boats, complete with a start line and everyone observing the rules. Like Wednesday nights, there is no committee boat and protest panel. We are all on the "honor system". You know when you are "Over Early" or if you didn't round a mark appropriately. If a mark is touched, we do our turns even if there is no protest panel. It does no good to cross the finish line earlier than everyone else if you did not follow the rules. Despite best intentions, some of us infringe on the rules and "in the heat of the battle" neglect to take our turns. I am guilty on this count resulting in disqualifying my boat for the race (see Mea Culpa on this blog a few weeks ago).

I know this area of rules and lack of knowledge about them keeps many boats from participating actively, even on Tuesday nights. I am seeing multiple Catalinas that are out on Tuesday nights, nowhere near the start line and not even following the course. These may be the boats that lack knowledge on the rules and "don't want to get in the way of those that know the rules".

There are many books and articles in sailing magazines about the finer nuances of the rules. But to get started there are just a few you really need to know and observe. The primary rules, used in almost all racing are in section A of the rule book- Right of Way when two boats meet. Rule 10 says a boat on Starboard tack has right of way over a Port tack boat. THis means the port tack boat must YIELD to the Starboard tack boat. Rule 11 Two boats on the same tack overlapped: the windward boat shall yield to the leeward boat. Rule 12: same tack NOT overlapped: the boat clear astern must yield to the boat clear ahead. This means if you are overtaking a boat, you must keep clear of the boat ahead. Rule 13 says that any boat that is in the process of tacking must keep clear of other boats until it is hard on the wind. Above all of the rules is the primary rule: avoid contact at all times. Whenever boats collide, there is someone breaking a rule. This gets interesting on Tuesday nights because there are no protest panels. As stated earlier, we are on the honor system, just out for some fun sailing and to LEARN. If any right of way rule is broken, the proper thing to do is to take a two turn penalty (two 360 degree turns) as soon as is possible when clear of other competitors.

We will see you next Tuesday.

Barry L Keeler

　

CATALINA SAILBOATS SAILING MONTEREY BAY TUESDAY NIGHTS AUGUST 6, 2013

Tuesday August 6, 2013

Another awesome day for a sail, with steady 20 knot winds from the northwest. With this much wind and no sign of it backing off, we decided on course 1 again. On Pair A DIce, we decided to do a port tack start right at the pin and ended up following Pacific Spirit right on the line. Iris and Tessa (Hugh Rideouts boat) started two minutes before us. Aeolian started on starboard and went a short distance, then tacked over on a track further outside than us, but slightly behind us. There was enough wind that the bad wind from Pacific SPirit did not seem to slow us down much. We headed lower trying to roll Pacific Spirit to leeward. By the time we got to Wharf mark, Aeolian rounded first with Pacific Spirit right behind. Pair A Dice was a distant third followed by Iris and Diver Down.

By the time we rounded Mile, Pacific Spirit and Aeolian still had their lead on us, but seemed to take different paths to Blacks. Aeolian apparently thought the finish mark was Blacks and rounded the wrong mark. Pacific Spirit took a wide turn around Blacks, and we took a closer turn but Pacific SPirit still rounded in front of us (again). As it ended up Pacific Spirit crossed the line comfortably ahead of us, with Pair A DIce coming in second. Aeolian eventually discovered their error and came back to round BLacks with DIver Down and Iris. From our perspective, it looked like DIver Down was third and Iris was fourth.

Tactically, Aeolian did great starting on starboard and going outside to get clear air. Until their error thinking start was Blacks, they sailed a perfect race. Our thought was that with the wind being only slightly more outside, we could take advantage of flatter water inside, but this gambit did not work for us.

We met at the Crows nest afterwards for dinner. Normally, Mark and the crew from Aeolian are the first ones there, but this night they were not. It was not until Vance showed up and asked if Paul was ok that we found out what happened. As it turns out, in the rounding of Blacks, as Aeolian jibed around the mark, Paul caught the boom square on his forehead. Mark had to rush in and take Paul to the Emergency room. After x-rays and tests, it turns out Paul is ok other than being a little shaken and a few stitches.

SAFETY AT SEA:

Whenever a misshap happens at sea, I believe most sailors have a knee-jerk reaction and think "these guys are rookies, and this could never happen to me because I'm smarter...". This goes for all misshaps, from the tragic loss of "Low Speed Chase" on the Farallons to a simple scraped knee. Suffice it to say, if an accident can happen on Aeolian, it can happen to any of us.

To some of us, safety is automatic and others of us give little thought to it. I try to be the former but frequently find myself in the latter camp. An example is when we went to San Diego in 2010. We left the harbor on a Friday night in a heavy fog. The ocean was very calm like a lake and we motored out of the harbor. As we exited the harbor, Mark set the rules for the trip: everybody not in the cabin, must have a lifejacket on and tethered in at all times. At the time, I respected this edict, and felt remiss in the fact that it wasn't me that had made it. Time and again, Mark has advised me about things that are not safe, always thinking about safety.

I always make certain during a race, that everyone wears life jackets, but what good does a life jacket do if it has a pull cord and you are not conscious? How often do auto inflate life jackets inflate accidentally rendering you immoveable and useless? After this incident with Paul, I think I will take my chances with a non inflate life jacket. Better to be a little uncomfortable and know your life jacket will work if needed.

In racing, we often get caught up in the action and we do things we would never think of doing in a normal situation. Someone once told me that after years of racing, he was finally ahead of all the boats that normally beat him. Suddenly, a wave swept the deck and a spinnaker was swept overboard. He confessed that for about 10 seconds he was thinking "its just a spinnaker, forget about it" before reality set in and he went back and got it. Would "Low Speed Chase" have sailed inside of a surf line if there wasn't a race on? My point is that we should all strive for safety, even more in racing situations.

Stefan is a crew member of mine that is our mainsheet trimmer. When we jibe, he always announces to the crew in a very loud voice, so everyone can hear, "heads down! JIBING". There is no question what is happening. Stefan constantly has his eye on the masthead fly and will aprise all of us whenever we are "SAILING BY THE LEE", letting us know to keep an eye out for an accidental jibe.

Sail safe and we will see you next Tuesday.

CATALINA SAILBOATS SAILING SANTA CRUZ CALIFORNIA 7/30/2013

JULY 30, 2013
Another night with great wind, and this time from the South-west, between 10-15 knots.  After missing out on last weeks sail and barbecue, I was really looking forward to this night!
We decided on course 2, with a start at 6:15.  On Pair-A-Dice we decided on a port tack start at the pin end, while Diver Down and Pacific Spirit started on Starboard and headed outside.  Homer, on his C&C 25, stayed on port and nearly sailed to the layline before tacking over on starboard to head toward Wharf mark.  On Pair a dice, we were trying to play the middle of the course, tacking whenever we detected a header.  Iris had sailed, like Homer, staying on port tack until the layline out to wharf mark.  As we aproached the layline to Wharf, Iris was already charging toward the mark on starboard tack, leaving us no option but to lee-bow her.  It was quite a surprise to see Diver Down rounding Wharf with Homer following shortly after. Aeolian also had a comfortable lead on us at wharf.   We were approaching Wharf pinching to make it, when Pacific Spirit came in on port just before the mark.  Rather than duck our stern, they opted to tack over early, but couldn't quite clear the mark and had to turn around at the mark in order to round it correctly. 
It was quite a progression toward Mile, with Diver Down and Homer way out in front, followed by Aeolian, Pair A Dice and Iris, then Pacific Spirit.  For some reason, we were able to slowly close the gap between Aeolian and as we rounded Mile, Aeolian was just ahead of us with Iris right behind us.  As we all marched toward GOV, we were able to roll Aeolian to windward.  There was something happening that couldn't be explained by superior (?) sail and boat handling.  We rounded Gov well behind Diver Down and Homer and comfortably ahead of Aeolian.  Iris was sailing nicely and was keeping right up with us.
As the race ended, Diver Down was way out in front of most of us  with Homer close behind.  Pairadice was third with Iris right behind.
As we congregated at the yacht club for the barbecue, we were all talking story.  It was only then that we found out why we were able to pass Aeolian so easily.  They had been attacked by a kelp monster. Mark said it was more like an island he was dragging behind him!  We on Pair A Dice could sympathize with their predicament, having experienced this same phonomenon a month or so ago.  It was great to see some of the crew from Pacific Spirit at the barbecue.
Tactical lessons:
It was really interesting on this night that the two leading boats took completely different courses.  Diver down going outside and Homer going completely inside, so the middle of the course didn't work out for Pair A Dice on this particular night. 
Another lesson that all of us are learning is the importance of avoiding the heavy kelp strands we have in Monterey bay.  It is incumbent on the foredeck crew to aprise the skipper of kelp in the water.  When telling the skipper about kelp, don't just say "kelp ahead".  Say something like: "we have kelp ahead, come up 5 degrees" or whatever course to steer through the kelp.  The foredeck has a much better perspective and should be the "eyes" for the skipper who can't see as well from his perspective.  Be particularly on the lookout for kelp when there has been a big swell running, which tends to tear kelp from it's anchor and send it floating.
If you do get ensnared in kelp, Fred Molnar swears that spinning a quick 360 will clear the kelp.  This may be a quicker maneuver on a Santana 22 (Freds boat) than on a heavier keel boat, but should be considered as an option to clear kelp.  Frequently we will use a boat hook to snag kelp caught by the rudder.  Obviously, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure!
I am looking forward to next Tuesday.  See you out there!

CATALINA SAILBOATS SAILING SANTA CRUZ ON TUESDAY NIGHTS: jULY 16, 2013

TUESDAY JULY 16, 2013

Another night with great wind and it was out of the northwest, with not a hint of an Easterly wind forming. What is amazing to me is that we are getting a consistent number of boats out, but different boats show up every week. This night Emeritus and Wind Goddess joined in and Homer brought his C&C 25 (?) out for the fun. It was also great to have Jack Mcdermott down from the city sailing on Wind Goddess. The decision was unanimous: Course #1 (Wharf, Mile, BLacks, Start, all to port).

On Pair a Dice, we knew that a port tack start was preferred, but felt it was safer to start on Starboard to prevent any surprises on the line. We were right on time at the pin and forced Wind Goddess (coming in on port) to duck us. We went out a short bit and Aeolian went inside on port tack. After our short run out on Starboard, we tacked over and all indications were that there was even more wind than the 21 knots apparent that we were experiencing, so we put in a reef. Trying not to sail to the corners, we tacked outside in front of Aeolian, as they had tacked over to get outside for the better wind. When we saw we could clear them with a tack, we tacked back over on port again. Aeolian just kept on sailing further out, following the adage: sail to the wind! As we sailed further inside, the wind was getting lighter AND we were consistently getting headed. We kept going, thinking we were nearly on the layline to clear wharf. This was our big mistake. Aeolian was romping in much more wind and when we rounded wharf it was Aeolian first, Homers boat was second with us right on top of Homer's stern. Homer attempted to point higher to prevent us from rolling him to windward, but we finally succeeded and rounded Mile comfortably ahead of Homer, but still behind Aeolian, which had extended there lead over us. Getting tangled with other boats does takes it's toll on your position.

Aeolian finished comfortably ahead of us, then we crossed with Homers boat finishing after us. Another night with Aeolian showing us all how to do it!

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THOSE !@#$%^& MECHANICAL MALFUNTIONS:

Racing sailboats in high winds really puts our boats (and US!) through the paces. There was talk of one of the boats thinking they were going to lose their mast because of a bad shroud. There may have been other mechanical problems other boats were dealing with. One of my friends lost his forestay on the way back from Monterey this last weekend, but was able to save his mast by quickly turning down wind until he could support the mast with a halyard. On Pair A Dice, we have had our share of winch troubles. So how can you prevent these catastrophies and how do you deal with them when they occur?

Preventive maintenance is key. I recently cleaned all of my winches and relubricated them. I was quite surprised how bad they really were. Inspecting the boat frequently will find little things like an important shackle, nearly undone. When was the last time you, or someone else, climbed your mast to check out the fittings at the top using a magnifying glass? Hairline cracks and signs of wear are precursers to impending problems. Lubricating all of your shivs and blocks, keeps them smooth. Keeping your rigg properly tuned is crucial since a loose mast slopping around increases forces exponentially. It is also good to tune your crew in to the little things that lead to breakage. Jerking on a line to open a jaw on a whisker pole can unwind even the strongest circlip, while a gentle pull will accomplish the task without the damage.

When a malfunction does occur, obviously reduce the load on whatever is broken. Having adequate tools on board and being mechanically inclined helps a lot. Every sailor should know how to tie a rolling hitch to help unwind an over-wrap on a winch.

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This coming Tuesday, we will be able to barbecue at the yacht club. Once again the club will not be open, so we must bring everything (food, beer, wine). The crew of Sailing Pair A Dice did it last month and it was really fun, but needed more participants.

I will be out of town, but my crew will be there. Have Fun!

CATALINA SAILBOATS SAILING SANTA CRUZ: TUESDAY JULY 9

TUESDAY

JULY 9, 2013

It seems like our Catalina Tuesdays is finally getting some recognition and more boats seem to be participating. As all of our proficiencies improve, our starts seem to be getting more intense with the line getting very crowded. Additionally we are attracting new to Catalina Tuesdays, very competitive sailors which increases pressure on all of us to improve our game. This improvement in all of our abilities has been a goal of mine for a long time and I thank each boat and crew for their participation.

On this night, we had an excellent Easterly breeze blowing and decided on the Start, Blacks, SC3, start course. We had problems with our GPS and finally decided to use a horn signal at 5 minutes, 1 minute and at the start, which seemed to work well. On Pair A Dice, we did not geta a good start and ended up in the foul wind of Diver Down and Pacific Spirits on the way to Blacks. We tried to fall off to increase our speed and clear our air. This tactic normally works if used against boats of equal speed, but did not seem to work well in this case because the other boats were moving so well. We rounded Blacks behind most of the other boats and watched as they started their march to SC3, increasing their lead on us. We were really studying the conditions: "what could we do to improve our position?" We studied the wind on the water versus the other boats and noticed that all of the boats ahead of us were standing straight up, they had all sailed into a hole and there was more wind inside, so we tacked back in to the kelp line again. In order to round the mark, we had to return to the transition zone that was forming around it. As we were approaching the mark, the Jib didn't seem to be doing much good, flopping back and forth, so we furled it for a few minutes to let the wind sort itself out and we ghosted around the buoy.

The next dilemna was inside or outside? Would the Easterly fill in stronger than the northwesterly? We decided to go to the kelp line hoping for the Easterly, as the other boats were rounding the mark, the westerly seemed stronger outside and they all stayed in the westerly. We thought we had made the wrong choice, until we saw a boat inside further towards the finish mark heeled way over. In these conditions, the race is never over until you cross the line ahead of your competitors. On this night our "inside gamble" worked out well. Pacific Spirit came in second and Diver Down got third. In my opinion, this kind of night is when lighter boats often do better than longer waterline boats, since it takes more wind to move the larger mass.

I am looking forward to see you all out there next Tuesday.

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Our next night that we can use the yacht club for an after race barbecue is July 23.

Catalina Tuesdays: Sailing Santa Cruz July 2, 2013 MEA CULPA

Tuesday July 2, 2013

MEA CULPA

Finally, we had a night with wind and no fog. Those Laser sailors really missed the best of Santa Cruz conditions by only one week. There was not even a hint of an Easterly beginning and therefore, there were no transition zones to deal with. We decided to use course #1 with a start time of 6:10 with Iris starting 2 minutes earlier. On Sailing Pair A DIce, we decided a port tack start would be best and further from the start mark being better than right at the start mark. Watching Iris take the same approach confirmed our thoughts that this would be the best approach.

We were early to the line and had to stall and run the line and harden up for the start, with Diver Down on our starboard quarter. Pacific Spirit started right at the mark, so they were about 4 boatlengths to windward and behind us, but slowly closing the gap. My goal on this run was to pinch up, without loosing speed to steal their wind. I kept the Jib inside telltale almost flying straight up without loosing much speed. With the help of the flat seas, I was able to accomplish my goal and Pacific Spirit had to roll us to leeward. As we tacked for Wharf mark, Pacific Spirit was ahead of us,but lower. Iris had sailed further inside and may have fallen into a hole (of less wind). On the way to Wharf, Pacific Spirit was able to roll us to windward just as we approached the mark and Diver Down was breathing down both of our necks. We rounded Wharf just behind Pacific Spirits and followed by DIver Down. On the way to Mile, DIver Down passed us, as I cheered them on: "go gettem Vance", hoping she could do something to slow Pacific Spirit down. We all rounded Mile with Pacific Spirit, DIver Down and Pair a Dice in quick succession. Pacific Spirit and Diver Down left a little inside room at Mile and we were able to slip inside, between the mark the their boats. In the progression to Blacks, all three boats were in a dead heat, with PAD somehow sandwiched between Pacific SPirit to windward and DIver Down to leeward. PAD finally made a move and quickly got to windward of Pacific Spirit, which stole their wind and they immediately fell behind. Then it was PAD and Diver Down neck in neck and in very close quarters. Our boom over the SB side and their whisker pole over their port side were like dueling swords, though never quite touching. I was steering from the rail, like I am prone to do and sensed that we were getting very close so attempted to compensate, but "compensated" in the wrong direction! With my back toward Diver Down, I was clueless until I heard Vance scream "heh, heh, HEH!". They immediately compensated for my dumb error, which really caused them to fall behind.

Let it be known, Sailing Pair A DIce is not perfect, we pay attention to details and we do well, but we do make our share of mistakes. The sound of two boats colliding is abhorrant to me, thank God, Vance was able to clear us without a collision. One big lesson for me from this incident: WHEN IN CLOSE QUARTERS, STEER FROM BEHIND THE WHEEL. This prevents the confusion of turning the wheel up or down and also gives better vision of your proximity to the other boat. Mea Culpa.

This also showed me, that you can have better tactics (setting up for an inside overlap at the mark and passing boats to windward) and mess up and lose a race. The proper thing for me to do would have been a 2 turn penalty after not yielding proper right of way. A two turn penalty was not even in my thought process at the time, I was so embarassed with my stupidity. In our discussions at Johnnies after the race, it became apparent to me that this would have been the proper thing to do. This race was definitely won by DIver Down with Pacific Spirit second. Way to go guys and gals!

We will see you all next Tuesday!,