Tag: Deltaville

Deltavile Virginia

FBYC concluded the offshore spring series with gorgeous sailing conditions.  Sailing on J/70 No Quarter were Ray, Ron and John.  We had a good first race – picking the shifts well and going fast on the course set just east of Stove Point.  The wind started around 10-12 and died out to about 5 by the end of the race.  We finished 1st in the 5-boat J/70 fleet and even picked off some of the PHRF-A boats who started 5 minutes ahead of us.

By the time the second race rolled around the wind had piped up to 12-15.  We had a good start and worked on going fast and getting out ahead of the fleet.  At the top mark we were leading the fleet and we made the turn to go downwind.  When the crew exclaimed ‘mark!’ I though we had bumped it and started contemplating how to do a quick turn before we put the chute up.  When they said ‘MARK!’ again – I realized it must have still be close and sure enough it was hung on the keel and coming right along with us.

We stopped the boat and walked it around the bow as our competition took wide swings around us, likely thankful we just made the lay line a lot more reachable for them.  On my way back to the helm from the bow I missed my step around the companionway and fell all the way to the bottom of the cabin, hitting my right shin on the companionway edge as I fell.  No blood, but it was a pretty good hole and I could see to the bone.

Our day was over so we radioed in and quickly got back and put the boat up so that I could head back to Richmond to spend 2 hours in an ER getting xrays and 6 stitches.  Coincidentally, I sprained my ankle pretty badly this weekend last year.  I’m probably going to have to stay home next year.

5/24 ER visit

It had been a great day up until that point and we were learning a lot about making the boat go in the better breeze.  Thanks Ray for coming down for the day and showing us some of the tricks.

Results | Series Results

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2015 No Quarter Open House

After last year’s successful regatta FBYC held their 2nd Open House Regatta and No Quarter J/70 was among the 30 boats sailing the 8.5nm course in the Piankatank River.  In the spirit of being a fun casual race – I invited a couple co-workers with me who hadn’t sailed much.

Open House No Quarter Crew

We were treated to a gorgeous day with 8-12 knot breezes and mostly sunny skies.  As a pursuit race we started near the end and picked off of a few boats on the upwind.  Being a novice crew we forwent the spinnaker and lost a few spots and finished mid pack.  It was great sailing with Kelley, Dillon & Stephen.   Results

Following the race we took No Quarter to the dock and rode out to the raft up in progress with 29 boats forming a circle.  It was quite a sight and a lot of fun hopping between boats and catching up with folks.  Ned Rennolds had his drone up and caught a few pictures:

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Name put on the boat.

This was the 3rd day of racing for No Quarter in FBYC’s Spring Series. There was a little wind – and a LOT of fog.

Ron & Katie

In the first race we had a good start – in fact it was too good and we were over early and had to dip and restart.  Inevitable was punched out and never looked back.  We closely trailed E.L.E. all the way around and settled for 3rd of the five J/70s.  This was Ron and Katie’s first time on a J/70 and they settled in pretty well learning the location of everything and the coordination.

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E.L.E. going downwind with the other fleets ahead.

Unlike the first race where the fog lifted enough to see most of the course – the fog came in and got pretty dense just as we were starting the 2nd race.  Upwind we had a feel for where the mark would be and just stayed in the center of the course – keeping an eye on the bigger boats that had electronics and watching them ghost in and out of the fog bank.

Ghosting in an out of the fog

We were lucky to find the top mark pretty easily.  We weren’t so lucky in finding the leeward mark.  We ended up missing it by 3/4 mile to the east and ended up sailing almost a mile past it before the RC finally radioed a location for us to beat back to.  By the time we found the leeward mark – the J/70 that had stayed on the course was just about finishing and were racing one other boat right next to us.  The other two retired.  We persevered thanks to having chart plotting software on my iPhone.  Even with the fog it was still pretty good sailing conditions and definitely made it more fun by adding a navigational element to a 1.25nm buoy race.

RESULTS

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J70s sailing in the J70 Spring Regatta

On Sunday No Quarter was among the 5 other J/70s sailing at FBYC in the Spring regatta.  We started out with pretty nice wind – not quite hiking, but solid without any big holes.  With John, Holly and Mark aboard we had good starts and sailed consistently finishing 2nd in almost every race.  In the last race we got a little behind and ended up 3rd – and loosing the tiebreaker for 2nd to finish 3rd overall.

RESULTS

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Saturday was the maiden voyage for J/70 No Quarter #781 at Fishing Bay Yacht Club for the Opening Day Regatta.  After being launched and splashed with Coors Light the boat was rigged, sails raised and we headed out to join the 4 other J/70s and 26 total boats taking part in the Opening Day middle distance race finishing 4th among the J/70s.

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The boat worked great – the crew performed admirably – one thing was clear – this skipper needs more time at the helm.  I’m looking forward to many more J/70 races!

PICTURES | RESULTS

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Andrea Winner Photos

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It was great to be back in a Laser today for what will likely be my last day of Laser racing at Fishing Bay Yacht Club‘s Laser Frostbite regatta.  The winds were light, but that didn’t stop us from getting 7 races in while the wind steadily shifted from West to North and then a little east as the day went on.

With 9 boats on very short lines I focused on just sailing well and not getting myself into a hole – wind-wise or situationally. We had great group of sailors out and everyone had a good game and so anyone had a chance to win races. After a few races Stephen Sparkman and myself started to make it a two boat race.  In the end he had the better day and got me by a point.  Clark Dennison, back in the Laser for the first time in a couple years finished up 3rd.

All in all it was a fun day sailing with Len, Keith, Brad, Luke, Mike W, Mike T, Stephen & Clark and was a perfect way to end the season – racing, drinking beer and sailing with my Laser buddies.

RESULTS | PICTURES

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Fishing Bay Yacht Club‘s closing weekend started with a staggered start distance race for the offshore boats.  I sailed on Wavelength for what might be our last race as the boat is now up for sale.  The course took us up into Fishing Bay and then back out by the entrance to the Rappahannock River and then back to Stove Point near Jackson Creek.  It was mostly a reaching race and some boats were really able to get away from us and put some distance between us and them.  We finished mid-pack, had fun and made it a great way to end the season.

Racing was followed by a big oyster roast and pot luck and season awards.

RESULTS | PICTURES

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Fishing Bay Yacht Club held their inaugural J/70 Chesapeake Championship Regatta and I was sailing on Steve Q’s Hotty Toddy among the 18 boat fleet. The weather forecast for Saturday morning called for some pretty epic winds to move in and little did we know we’d all have some pretty epic sailing before the day was done.

Racing was moved into Fishing Bay and even before we got there, boats were already broaching on there way there. After 1 general recall the first race was started.  The wind in the bay was blowing 25+ from the NNW so our course took us from Godfrey Bay, across the Piankatank River and around the windward mark on the western end of Fishing Bay.

Sailing upwind in that kind of wind was a real slog.  While we had heard from plenty of others how to sail in those conditions, actually doing it was another story and it definitely took us some time to get into a groove with it.  The teams that had clearly done it before easily pulled ahead in what was less about who was fast and more about who was upright especially when it came to the downwind.

Being new to this boat in this kind of wind, we took a conservative approach downwind and after watching plenty of boats wipe out, we only put the chute up when we felt the wind was going to hold and not be so gusty.  That didn’t last and a few minutes after putting it up we were on our side.  In the process of recovering it, one of the panels split and we quickly took it down and hauled it in, not to be used again.  [Watch this whole sequence on the video below.]

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After two races in those conditions the race committee abandoned further racing for the day, and ultimately for the weekend.  The slog home around Stove Point grueling with 5-6 foot waves and 40 knot gusts.  We sailed under main alone with waves sometimes crashing over the boat.

While we weren’t competitive in those conditions, we were happy to have had fun this weekend and learned a lot in the process.  We’ll definitely be able to be a lot more competitive and comfortable with the conditions when they are up like that in the future.  Thanks Steve Q for having me aboard and I enjoyed sailing with Jerry L and Tom F.

PICTURES | RESULTS | VIDEO

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What wind we didn’t have yesterday we made up for today at the Fishing Bay Yacht Club One Design Closing Day Regatta.  6 boats ventured out into winds in the upper teens with puffs into the 20’s.  While those aren’t horrendous conditions and in the right boat, that just when it becomes fun.  But for anyone who’s tried to sail a Front Runner in wind – you know the boat becomes a lot to handle in those conditions and quickly becomes anything but fun.

10/26 One Design Closing Day

Crewing today was Steve Q after I sailed on his J/70 in racing yesterday.  To deal with the higher winds we left the jib partially rolled to make it a little more manageable.  We started the race with the fleet and about halfway up the beat one of the Front Runners broke their tiller, rounded up and capsized.  We retired for the day while the other Front Runner completed the course with 2 of the 3 Flying Scots.  All of the boats were back on shore after that one race and eating a fantastic chili cooked by the Almany’s an hour later.

10/26 One Design Closing Day

RESULTS | PICTURES (starting here)

With the short day, Carol, Eric, Matt and I jumped on a cruising boat and went for an afternoon sail in the bay.

10/26 One Design Closing Day

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