1996 Laser 159785
I have arrived in Surf City NJ on Long Beach Island for the Orange Coffee Pot Regatta and Laser District 10 Regatta. I got here late in the afternoon and joined a few other sailors for about an hour of practice. The wind was in the middle to upper teens which is what we are going to see a lot more of this weekend.
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.
Results | Pictures: here here here here here here here
Top photo licensed from Cate Brown photo.
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.
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!
Couldn’t have ask for much better weather for yesterday’s Spring Laser Regatta at Corsica River Yacht Club. The storms stayed away and we had a puffy 8-12 with temperatures in the 70’s and partly sunny skies. We sailed just off Ship Point a short sail from the club.
In the first race I had a great start at the boat and from there I just picked a couple shifts and was leading at the first windward mark by a few lengths. I extended just a bit around the next lap and a half and got the win.
In the second race I was lining up for the start and with 10 seconds left I pulled the tiller toward me to put the bow down and go for the start and my tiller/extension universal joint snapped. For years I’ve sailed with a Forespar extension for the very reason that it uses a screw-in speed lock universal joint that can be replaced very easily. I keep a spare and a pair of pliers in my life-jacket, so 90 second repair later I was off and sailing. I was able to catch up to the middle of the fleet and finished 7th.
In the 3rd race I had a good start, but caught a bad shift on the first beat and was 4th or 5th at the first mark. Carten Faubel and Nicholas Place just got out ahead of everyone and stayed there for the race. I slowly pass a couple boats and got up to 3rd.
For the 4th race I had another great start and just worked the shifts rounding the mark in first. I held off Carsten on the first downwind and subsequent upwind, but he had been so fast all day and he got just ahead of me on the 2nd downwind. On the last tack of final short beat the finish we dragged race and he got me by about 2 feet.
We started a 5th race in 6-8 knots as the wind began easing off, but a storm passed a little too close for comfort and the race committee abandoned it on the 3rd leg and sent us in.
With 1-7-3-2 I ended up 2nd behind Carsten and just ahead of Nicholas Place. CRYC did another great job and it’s always a fun place to sail. Thanks for putting on the regatta and having the Lasers!
Couldn’t have asked for a nicer day of sailing. The day started with 15-18 and we took out 3 J/70’s for practice. We spent about 2 hours doing starts and laps around a short course. This time I was trimming the jib and spinnaker.
Then in the afternoon I spent 3 hours on the Laser just sailing 1mi-1.5mi upwind and downwind legs. One of the club’s junior sailors – Nina was also out there (pictured).
Went out this morning for an early-morning practice on the Laser. The air temperature was 44 when I launched at 7am with 48 degree water temperature and 14-16 knots out of the North.
Later in the morning I sailed on Double Eagle and along with 5 other boats, we took out the crew trainees for an on-the-water training sessions.
After lunch we took Double Eagle back out to have a couple of new sails fitted.
This morning I got out on the Laser for some practice in a sunny 5-8 knot breeze out of the North in Fishing Bay.
In the afternoon I went out for a sail on the J70 Nostalgia for its Chesapeake Bay debut with Lud, Miles, Den and Durwood.
I got to get out on the Laser for the first time in 5 months spending 2 hours doing windward-leeward laps around an imaginary course. It was good opportunity to remember how everything went together and to get comfortable in the boat in the ~10kt breeze under overcast skies.
I finished my sailing season off on Sunday with the FBYC Laser Frostbite Regatta. We had 9 boats out in some light North and Westerly winds for 5 races. It was fun close racing on a short course. I won the last 3 races to win the day by just 2 points.
That makes for 55 days of sailing this year, one more than last year. I’m looking forward to some time off and I’ll be planning next year soon!