I spent most of today at Fishing Bay Yacht Club putting the new boat together. After 4 hours and 3 trips to West Marine and I had it all tricked out like I wanted and ready to sail.
What really surprised me when I was sailing was how much stiffer the mast seemed. I haven’t sailed many boats and am pretty used to the feel of the old boat. I’m guessing after 17 years the old mast has been flexed so many times it’s lost a bit of stiffness. Couple the stiffer mast with control lines that are just a little thinner than I’m used to and I really felt like a wimp trying to crank everything in. I’m sure it’ll loosen up a bit as I get used to it. The other difference was the all Holt-Allen fittings which were just a little different than the Harken ones I’m used to. I’m not sure yet which I prefer, but I’m sure I’ll be able to tell in time.
I was supposed to be on my way to Cape May New Jersey today for the District 10 Championship Regatta at Wildwood Yacht Club and Corinthian Yacht Club of Cape May. I was looking forward to visiting with NJ sailors and visiting a new club. I was also looking to avenge a demon of the last time I was in Cape May and had a run-in with yacht in the harbor.
That wasn’t going to be. Last night when I was loading the Laser I slipped with it and it fell off the car with the bow hitting with a thud. It got a small crack in the gunwale and there were several inches of the hull/deck joint that separated where the boat flexed so it was clearly out of commission. It’s fixable, but it will be a while. Me, the car and the ground made out with out any scratches.
159785 was one of the boats at the Atlanta Olympics in 1996, has a great logo on the side of it and was a very well made boat. I was fortunate that the boat was a spare for that regatta and didn’t get as beat up as the other boats. We picked it up at the beginning of 1997 and it served me well for the 17 years since. But with any boat sailed that hard for that long – it was beginning to show its age and have little things go wrong with it from time to time. Almost exactly a year ago I was in NJ and the traveler fairlead pulled out. I had planned on getting a new boat in the next year anyway so might as well move that up and pick up a new boat to use while the old one is getting fixed. Eventually, I’ll keep the old boat at the club for local sailing and keep the new boat in Richmond ready for travel events.
The name for this boat will be No Quarter. That’s the beloved battle cry of my ECU Pirates and loosely means show no mercy, take no prisoners and accept only unconditional surrender.
I ultimately decided I had enough things go wrong for one weekend and didn’t want to temp fate any further by trying to race on a brand new boat… so I thought it best to sit this D10 Championship out and get the boat put together and take it easy this weekend. I’ll have the boat out for it’s maiden voyage tomorrow.
This afternoon I arrived in Wickford, Rhode Island for the Wickford Regatta that’s also going to be the Laser District 7 Championship. I found the club and the beach across town where we are sailing out of and unloaded the boat and got to go for a practice sail in a dying breeze. In the evening I hung out at the club meeting some of the other members, sailors and volunteers and met the couple that is hosting me. This is my first time sailing anywhere on Narragansett Bay let alone anywhere in Rhode Island and I’m looking forward to a great Laser fleet and good racing conditions tomorrow!
Saturday
The forecast for Sunday called for wind to come up and build in the mid-teens shortly after mid-day. We got exactly that and then some with gusts in the upper teens by the 3rd race. With the failure of the outhaul/cunningham base block screw yesterday I rigged the cunningham normally and rigged the outhaul the old way on the boom. Not as adjustable, but it’d get me through the day.
We were the first start of the day and I didn’t do so hot on the first one. I was coming to the first mark mid-fleet and the race committee abandoned us before the first boat go to the windward mark because a large fishing trawler was very close to the mark and on the rhumb line to our reach mark moving slowly.
We restarted and this time I had a good start and did well to hold my lane. I had reasonable upwind speed, but still not quite as much as those who could hold the boat down better. I rounded in 10-12, caught one on the reach, caught another on the run, and then picked up 2-4 more spots on the 2nd upwind where I picked the shifts well and held onto that for 8th.
In the 2nd race of the day I had another good start and held my lane well up the beat. By now the wind had increase a few more knots and I just wasn’t moving the boat upwind as well as others who sailed more in heavy wind. (It was probably some time last summer since I spent more than an hour racing in 15+). I finished around 12-13, but a few folks were OCS pulling me up to 9.
The wind built more for the 3rd race and by new we were getting some 2’+ waves rolling through. At that point I was just hanging on and just trying to keep the boat moving as fast as I could while trying to minimize tacking and slowing down. I played the downwind pretty conservatively to keep the boat upright and finished 10th.
By 2pm the RC planned one more race and I could see we were going to be getting rained on within the hour. I didn’t think another race was going to change my score much and I had accomplished what I came for which was competitive racing in wind and I decided I better get on the road so I don’t get back too late.
Traffic back was miserable in Connecticut. What should have been the first 2 1/2 hours took over 4. South of NYC everything cleared out and I got home at 1:30am. Overall it was a good trip. I got to sail a new venue, meet some new sailors and get some more competitive racing in before the D10 championship and ACC coming up in a few weekends. Thanks again to everyone at Wickford Yacht Club for putting on a great regatta and to the Northrups for the great place to stay.
We had great wind and racing for the first day of the Wickford Regatta & Laser District 7 Championship. We had 24 boats and sailed 3 races in 10-15 out of the south and overcast skies with temperatures in the mid 60’s.
I got out to a bit of a slow start and continued to feel better in the boat each race and put up better results each race. In the first race I was a little slow at the start and got bounced around a bit on the first beat. I was fast on the reach and held on downwind to end up 14th.
In the second race I had a better start, but still had a tough time on the first beat and rounded the first mark deep. I had a great second beat and picked off some boats and ended up 11th.
After finishing the 2nd race I realized that one of the heads of the screws holding the outhaul/cunningham block at the base of the mast sheared off and was only being held down by one screw. I re-rigged the outhaul so it was fixed and not deck-led to relieve some pressure to get me through the rest of the races.
As a result of fixing the outhaul and setting up for the start a little late, I didn’t have a good lane at the start and wound up tacking out early and ducking a lot of boats. That worked out pretty well when the wind started going right and I was able to pick the shifts to round top-5. Downwind I rounded 3rd and luckily went to the right gate (looking upwind) and went right upwind where we got a 30-degree righty, so I immediately found myself on the layline. I got out-ground in the higher winds, to round in 5th and then lost 2 more on the downwind to finish 7th.
The RC tried to start another race, first under P and then under I, but we general recalled both times and they sent us in as it was already after 4pm.
All in all it was a good day on the water and other than not being able to adjust the outhaul, I felt like I was getting into a groove and making the boat go well. Hopefully we’ll have another couple of races tomorrow.
Arrived at the Columbia Sailing Club this evening and ready to sail the District 12 Championship tomorrow!
Saturday
We had a great first day of the District 12 Championship at Columbia Sailing Club in Columbia South Carolina. We sailed 5 races that at some point in each of the races we had 4 knots and 10 knots. In the lighter winds I did well on the first upwind leg most races and worked hard to hold onto my spot on the downwinds. I put up a 3-2-8-1-2 and am currently 2 points out of first behind John Potter from Beaufort SC. Tomorrow will be another light air day and hopefully I can keep up the top 3 finishes to have a shot at the title.
Provisional Results (the winner in race 3 will be RET and everyone moves up one)
Sunday
The forecast for the last day of the Laser District 12 Championship was for light air and as we were sailing out to the race course we had great wind – 10-12 knots. By our 10am start it had dropped at bit and it continued to go down from there. Today was a basically a two-boat race. Unless I put up two DFLs it would have been hard not to get 2nd place. Once a drop would be factored in, I was effectively 1 point behind John Potter, so it would come down to today’s races as to who won the regatta.
In our first race today I had a crummy start – I just about won the boat, but had no boat speed at the start. John was to leeward of me and was a boat length and a half ahead when I crossed the line. I took a big duck and headed out right while he sailed to the left. Wanting to consolidate I came back to the middle having made up some ground, but John tacked on me and forced me back to the right. On the middle right of the course I had better pressure and got in front of John, but the boats who went left did much better than us putting me around 6th and John several boats behind me by the time we rounded.
Downwind John caught up a few boats and on the 2nd upwind I stuck to the middle of the course while John went to the left. When we got to the top 3rd of the course a 50-degree righty came in and I laid the mark while John out to the left still had to tack to fetch it. At the mark there was one boat between us and downwind I worked to pass one boat on the way to the finish. With two boats between us that put me 1 point ahead of John.
After the race we sat on the course for half an hour with no prospect of wind and the race committee abandoned racing for the rest of the day and I won the District 12 Championship Regatta. Not only was John great competition this weekend, but so were sailors such as Rob Bowden who would have beat both John and I had he not been OCS twice. All in all it was a fun regatta and I got to visit a an awesome club who put on a great and I got meet a lot of new District 12 sailors.
We had an absolutely beautiful day in Annapolis for the first day of the Laser District 11 Championship with 33 boats. We did 4 races in 15-18 knots with each race taking about 45 minutes. We sailed in their area C which was just north of Tolly Point with the wind at 200-180. I did a reasonable job keeping up with the lead pack in winds that were right at the very top if not slightly above my competitive range. Having finished 5-7-7-10 I’m in 7th and looking forward to the slightly lighter winds predicted for tomorrow. Results.
Sunday
We sailed another 3 races on Sunday to complete the District 11 Championship. The wind started out around 14-15 out of the north, north west and died off to about 8 by the end of the 3rd race. It was very shifty and challenging. I put up a 9-4-9 today to finish in 6th. Best part of the day was on the first beat in the 2nd race when I pulled off a perfect pick move when the Schooner Woodwind crossed behind me and blanketed the entire rest of the fleet (seen above).
Day 1 at the Virginia Governor’s Cup Regatta at Ware River Yacht Club. We had 10 boats out and started the day in 6-8. In the first two races I had good starts, picked the shifts right and led both races. In the final leg of the 2nd race the sea breeze came in at 13-15 knots and we did two more races in that wind. As I was out there hiking my butt off I realized I hadn’t sailed a single event this year in wind. I just didn’t have the muscles for it and my results showed. This was the wind for Henry Amthor and he put up two bullets in the final two races to take the overall lead today. I made a bad decision to put in an extra tack in the final leg of the 3rd race and dropped to 3rd. I managed a 2nd in the final race. With 1-1-3-2 I’m just one point behind Henry in 2nd place and we’ll be sailing day two tomorrow.
Sunday
On Sunday at the Ware River Yacht Club Virginia Governor’s Cup Regatta we had a nice breeze and 3 more races. The way the wind funneled into the club from this particular direction you would have thought there was far more wind than there was. At least one fleet scratched out for the day and a few sailors in the other fleets sat it out as well.
Out on the water it was a perfect 12-16 knots all day out of the WSW with a light chop. Our first two races went pretty well and I put up a 3-2. Going into the final race the top 3 boats were all separated by just 3 points meaning whoever won the race won the regatta. Henry and I were both over early and had to go back. After restarting I worked my way out to the right while Henry went to the left with the other boat who had won the first two races today. I made the right work and had a pretty comfortable lead at the first mark. From there I extended on the long close reaches to the wing mark and back and on the final upwind I covered and stayed in front to win the race and the regatta.
Ware River Yacht Club always puts on a good event and it was nice seeing them bring the junior Lasers over to our course. It was fun starting in 10 boats and we had some pretty close competition. All in all a good regatta and a good tune up for FBYC’s Annual One Design Regatta next weekend.
I arrived in Muskegon Michigan and got some practice in ahead of the Laser District 19 Championship this weekend. Dick Tillman was conducting a clinic with some of the sailors and I jumped in and did their practice races with them.
Saturday
Today we raced with 16 Standard rigs and 9 radials at Muskegon Yacht Club which is a lake-like bay connected to Lake Michigan. The wind started out around 6-8 and we did some short windward-lewards with a mid-course line. In the lighter winds in the first 3 races it was all about winning the starting and getting the shifts right. Everyone was getting to the windward mark at the same time which made for some interesting mark roundings. Later as the wind increased to 10ish the fleet spread out a little more on the first beat.
I finished 6-11-3-5-8 and am tied with 2 other sailors for 4th. More racing tomorrow!
After racing we went down to the beach at Muskegon State Park and got this photo of the sun setting behind the light-house:
Sunday
On Sunday a small weather system came through the area in the morning and pretty much sucked out all the wind. The RC initially postponed us. We had a whiff of air and they tried to send us out, but that went away before even all of the boats had launched and they abandoned it all and called it a regatta.
I got on the road shortly after 1 and arrived back in Richmond just before 2am. Easiest 800 mile drive I had ever done with almost no traffic and almost no construction.
I’ve arrived in Toronto ready to sail the Laser Canadian Nationals tomorrow. Here’s a shot of the car/boat in front of the CN Tower downtown as I arrived at Etobicoke Yacht Club.
Friday
It was a light air day in Toronto for the first day at the Laser Canadian Championship. We sailed 4 races with the last one finishing just as the wind died. There’s a lot of good sailors here so the racing is very close and nobody will give an inch all the way around the course. I had some ups and downs and am sitting some where in the middle of the fleet.
Saturday
Being late paid off a little bit this morning, I was going to be one of the last to launch when we saw that the RC was sending boats back in due to no wind, so I left the boat parked and hung around for the 40 minute postponement on shore. When the wind filled we had a nice 8-10 knots out of the south. On the way to the course my watch died, which would make starts today interesting. Needless to say it didn’t help. In the end it was another nice day on the water.
Sunday
The prospect for wind today wasn’t very great. The RC initially postponed us for about an hour and a half before bringing AP down with the intent on towing everyone out in hopes of getting in a race or two before some showers moved in. Some of the locals weren’t too optimistic about it and with a 13-hour drive ahead of me I decided to get on the road. I packed and left just after 11am and found out later that racing was abandoned without actually sailing a race.
So I spent the day driving to Lake Carlyle in Illinois where I will be crewing on Len Guenther’s Flying Scot Wind Dancer (5055) in the Flying Scot North American Championship this week.
After driving all afternoon and sitting in evening NYC traffic I arrived at Sayville Yacht Club on Long Island for the 2012 District 8 Championship. They hosted this same regatta last year which I attended and finished 3rd. Sayville’s got a great club with a nice beach by the water and a great sailing area and they do a great job with their regattas.
After I got to the club this evening, Ted Cremer and I went out on the water to snap a few photos of the sunset and then we hung around a fire on the beach. Racing starts tomorrow with 20 boats expected and 5-10 knots of breeze out of the west with a slight chance of rain.
Saturday
Day 1 of the District 8 Championship at Sayville Yacht Club and we had 13 Standard Rig Lasers for 5 races in 5-8 and sometimes fluky conditions. I went 3-2-3-4-7 and am currently in 2nd overall.
In the first race I had the best start of the bunch at the favored boat end. I rounded the top mark in 2nd and lost a boat on the downwind which turned to a reach as the wind shifted around. Held on to finish 3rd.
In the second race I tried again for a boat end favored start, but I was 5 seconds early and got pushed over so I had to go back behind everyone else and restart. As the fleet went out to the left I banged the right corner and rounded the top mark in 2nd and hung onto that for the finish.
In the 3rd race we had a port end favored line. Ryan Schmitz wanted to port tack the fleet, but I won the pin on starboard and made him duck me and get tangled up with a bunch of boats further up the line. Once again we traded tacks upwind and I rounded the top mark in 2nd. Both Brian Raney and Ted Cremer had great downwind legs and passed me as the wind began to die. I kept close to Ted at the mark rounding and managed to get more left of him on the upwind so when the wind went left I was able to get in ahead of him and behind Brian.
The 4th race started in good wind and was only 1/2 the distance as the previous 3 races. With the shorter upwind 1st leg I wasn’t able to use my speed to get ahead of the pack and rounded in 3rd with a lot of boats right behind me. I went right downwind while the boats that went left made out and I was 6 or 7th at the bottom mark. Heading up to the finish I closed it up and made a couple nice tacks right at the end to beat out 2 boats by mere feet to take 4th.
The 5th race started in some wind, but a few minutes later the wind had died. I had a terrible start, went to the wrong side of the course and spent a lot of time trying to make up ground – which was hard to do in ~3 knots of breeze. The RC shortened course at the bottom mark and i settled for a 7th
Day 1 results are here. I’m 14 points behind Ryan Schmitz who has put up straight bullets. I’m 3 points ahead of Brian Raney in 3rd and 9 points ahead of Matt Doherty in 4th. All in all it was a fun day and I’m looking forward to racing tomorrow.
Sunday
We started with a 1 hour postponement on shore before the wind finally filled in for us to sail. From there we sailed 3 more races in 7-11 knots in very choppy conditions. I had some crummy starts and great speed upwind, but wasn’t always picking the shifts right. In all 3 races I was back in the lead pack usually with a few boats ahead of me. The racing was close and so were the points. There were about 5 of us going at it with any of us having a shot at 2nd place. In the end I lost the tiebreaker on the last race to Lindsay Hewett who sailed some great races today.
I had hoped for a little more boring of a ride home, but unfortunately just ahead of me on the Goethals bridge a car caught fire. I was trapped in traffic on the bridge for an hour and thus hit even more night construction on the ride back.
All in all it was another fun trip to Sayville. I enjoyed the racing and want to thank Ted Cremer and everyone else at Sayville Yacht Club for putting on a great regatta.
This afternoon I made the trip to Surf City New Jersey to sail the 41st Orange Coffee Pot Regatta. This is the oldest Laser regatta and has been on my list to do for some time. This year the event is also the US Sailing Singlehanded Championship Area C Elimination. Looks like we’ve got a great forecast for wind tomorrow and up to 7 races planned. The competition ranges from reigning North American Champion to first-time Laser regatta with a ~35 boat fleet expected. Should be fun racing tomorrow and thanks to Newt Wattis and his wife for putting me up for the night.
Saturday
Surf City Yacht Club’s 41st Orange Coffee Pot Regatta turned out to be a great day of sailing. We had wind that built from about 10 to the mid- to high teens by the last race. We had a very competitive fleet of 31 boats ranging from pretty elite sailors to those sailing their first Laser regatta. And we got off 7 races. Clay Johnson ultimately won the event taking bullets in all but one race. Granted, he didn’t exactly run away with it, Kyle Rogachenko and Peter Shope definitely gave him a run for it.
My own racing was a little ho-hum and I found myself getting bad starts and on the wrong side of the course more times than I care to remember. I had the speed to stay with the lead pack and in one race I had a stellar start and sailed my way to an 8th. All in all it was fun to make the trip and to sail in the oldest Laser regatta. Thanks to Newt Wattis and Surf City Yacht Club for hosting the event and everything they did to put it together.
