Fleet Captains Message
Mid winters 2013
Guys,
It happened again. For the second year in a row we had our very own race committee putting on a regatta just for us. We are blessed. For some unfathomable reason every fleet (except one) and boat classification assigned to race under the LBYC burgee elected to pull a no show. The lone exception was good old Fleet V. You gotta love the folks at Long Beach Yacht Club for choosing not to transfer us to another yacht club. Although we had to race outside the breakwater the ability to race free of encumbrances was well worth it.
This year we had five boats competing. One Time, Esprit, Tiburon, Nemesis and Iguana all came to "scratch." We were only missing Santa Maria (previous commitment) and Rhyme N Reason (sick as a dog). Saturday morning started off with a skipper's meeting wherein an amendment to the race course was distributed so as to accommodate the Cal 25s. Remember this because it comes back later. Our PRO was old pro Jerry Leth and his committee consisted of mostly veterans who have consistently been out there to help the 25s. Such people as Betsy Leth, Kelly Johnson, Mary Beth Ives, Bob Curly and Rick Roberts along with a few new ones whom I don't know.
The weather forecast called for light, inconsistent winds for the entire weekend. They got it half right. Saturday's racing was held in consistent breezes of eight knots or so coming from a direction of approximately 200 degrees. Normal. Sunday's breeze was measured at 12 knots with periodic gusts to 15 and from a direction of 110 degrees. Not normal.
Saturday:
Saturday's first race saw the committee set a short line, therefore it was only fitting that all the competitors scrunched together near the committee boat. Just after the start One Time tacked to get clear air and Tiburon tacked to cover them. Problem was that Tiburon forgot that Nemesis was already occupying the space they were tacking into and lo and behold we almost had a near collision on the weekend's first race. Thankfully, after a brief yelling session both skippers did the right thing and avoided contact. This avoidance allowed One Time to get out in front and stay there for the victory.
The second race of the day was even more eventful. The PRO put up a sign calling for Race 4. Race 4 on the original Sailing Instructions was a one lap race. However, on the amended instructions, which were handed out at the skipper's meeting, it was changed to a four lap race. One Time didn't bother reading the amended sheet choosing instead to go by the original. Not too smart. One Time got their best start of the weekend and moved to the front. They rounded the weather mark first and headed for home. They crossed the finish line all happy and content with their second bullet of the day. However, they were wondering why the race committee didn't give them a horn. Iguana followed them closely happy to take second. Everyone else, however headed back up the course. After realizing the error both boats hoisted their sails again and got back in the race, somewhat red faced and embarrassed. By this time Tiburon was way out there and coasted home easily with their first bullet of the regatta.
Saturday's third race had one of those starts which provide great entertainment for the race committee. All the boats were going for the same spot on the line and for the life of me I have no idea how we all avoided contact. All the yelling, movement, dodging, near misses--it was great. Fleet V at its best. When the smoke cleared Nemesis was called for OCS and had to go back and do it all over. The rest of us took off. One Time worked the left, Esprit the middle, Tiburon and Iguana worked the right. The pressure was on the left and it allowed One Time to reach the weather mark with a slight lead. They held the lead throughout and ended up finishing slightly ahead of their competitors.
At the end of the day Tiburon held a one point lead over One Time. Followed by Nemesis, Iguana and Esprit.
Sunday:
Sunday morning saw much more pressure than the previous day only this time it was coming out of the South. We were now down to four boats as Iguana couldn't make it due to a crew injury. When I left the dock they were all drinking beer so I guess they've learned to not let adversity get them down.
The start for the first race pretty much resembled the start of Saturday's last race. Tiburon needed a good start but didn't get it. They got sandwiched between boats and ended up last off the line. By the time they got clear air One Time had a healthy lead which they didn't give up. The Tiburon boys made a great comeback to grab second place but all their speed wasn't enough to overtake the leader.
So here we were. After four races in two days the two top competitors (Tiburon and One Time) found themselves dead even on the scoreboard. The final race of the regatta was going to determine the winner. The race committee shortened the course and added some laps. Four of them. This race was going to be won on crew work and driving skills. One Time got too cute at the start and tried to hook Tiburon during the pre-start maneuvering. Tiburon didn't fall for it and headed to the line with speed and clear air. A good omen for them and a disastrous one for One Time. Thank goodness for four laps. Right after the start One Time found themselves in last place. They tacked to clear their air however Nemesis went with them. Not good. They tacked again and thankfully Nemesis decided to leave them be. One Time found good pressure up the left side and was able to close the gap between them and the leaders. At the weather mark it was Tiburon, One Time, Nemesis and Esprit. Tiburon may have had the lead but it was still anyone's race. Tiburon got to the leeward mark first however One Time was right there with them. Going to weather One Time got them in a tacking duel and was able to get ahead for the lead at the second windward mark. The lead didn't last however as Tiburon sailed fast downwind and obtained an inside overlap while approaching the leeward mark. It was shaping up to be one of the best races ever. Half a dozen lead changes and the race wasn't even half over yet. Exciting stuff.
Both boats were sailing very close to "on the lee" and this is always a touchy situation. Just shy of the mark there was a quick wind shift which served to break the overlap but in doing so caused an unplanned gybe on One Time wherein the boom clunked Scott right on the side of his head. Glad it didn't hit him in a vital spot. Now you know why One Time's boom has the words "Hard Hat Area" emblazoned on its side. The wind shift caused Tiburon to lose its overlap. Here's where Tiburon had a bit of bad luck, actually it was a huge dose of bad luck. The wind shift and quick mark rounding caught them a bit off balance and as a result Marion, the foredeck lady, lost her balance and fell. Dave (crew) went to help her but he also fell. Unfortunately his fall was broken by the tiller. His fall also broke the tiller-right at the post. You have to feel for Tiburon. They were right in the hunt, sailing flawlessly, in one of the most exciting races ever and then they find themselves out of it because of broken equipment. To their credit they duct taped everything back together and finished the race, however, a victory was not to be. One Time sailed off without incident and ultimately won the race and the regatta.
Tiburon finished a close second, Nemesis took third, Esprit took the fourth spot and Iguana, who couldn't compete on Sunday, took the final position. The race committee gave us a real workout. They did a great job of keeping the course square. They responded to our request for multi-leg races by throwing a couple of four lappers at us. At day's end we were all beat but it was fun. I'm sorry we complicated their lives somewhat but our goof up served as a learning experience for them as well.
Tiburon showed speed that we hadn't seen in a few months. They checked their rig tension and made some adjustments. Nemesis came out of nowhere on Sunday's final race to make things interesting. Esprit sailed their best regatta that we've seen to date. Iguana was doing well until the injury did them in. One Time sailed steady all weekend. In the end "steady' was good enough.
All in all it was a great regatta. Great weather, unencumbered courses, professional race committee and tough competition. Hard to beat.
There's a lot of boats bigger, sexier and faster than our Cal 25s. However, I seriously doubt if they enjoy themselves more than us. They certainly didn't on Saturday or Sunday.
We have no more races until Wet Wednesdays commence in May. Get your boats ready to go because come May we get to do it all over again.
Fleet Championship Nov 2012
Our annual Fleet Championship Regatta was held on Nov 11th and here it is Nov 27th and I'm just now getting around to writing about it. I'm not going to apologize because there's a very good reason why this report is so tardy. My creative juices do not flow when I am depressed and two straight losses, on successive Saturdays, to UCLA and Notre Dame (both the hated ones) are more than sufficient to depress even Pollyanna let alone moi. However, life goes on (assisted by an abundance of Scotch) and thus I find myself at this computer attempting to recreate something that happened over two weeks ago. I'll do my best but please cut me a little slack if there's an error (or two) along the way. You can always see for yourself by going to www.kattack.com, click on "browse all races" and then click on Long Beach Yacht club. Our races will come up and you can either cheer or cry, whichever suits you.
The week started with some rain and bad weather however all of the forecasts called for perfect conditions on race day. They were right on the mark. The sun was shining, the skies were blue and the wind was consistent from the start. The day started with seven knots of breeze and built to a very manageable twelve knots for the final race. Our PRO, Don Warner set a long starting line which alleviated any mischief that perhaps entered some competitors' minds. We had six boats making it to the starting line: Tiburon, Iguana, Nemesis, Rhyme N Reason, Santa Maria and One Time. In other words we had just about the entire fleet with the sole exception of Zacapa. Unfortunately, none of our neighbors from the North and South elected to join the fun. Perhaps next time.
FIRST RACE:
The first race was a nice three lapper with legs a bit over a half mile in length. Prior to the start One Time was being dogged by Rhyme N Reason and both boats ended up starting at the pin end. The rest of the fleet was spread evenly along the line. One Time worked the left side out of necessity but didn't much like their position. They wanted to go up the middle. They were able to outleg RNR and thus tacked over at the first opportunity. RNR stayed on the left while everyone else was going a bit to the right. One Time stayed in the middle. The middle paid off as One Time got to the weather mark first, executed a nice hoist and was off and running. Rhyme N Reason was second, followed by Iguana, Nemesis, Tiburon and Santa Maria. One Time did a lot of gybing to get to the leeward mark but most of it was intended to keep the inside track and to cover their competitors from the front. Nemesis and Iguana were mixing it up pretty good. Fact is, they mixed it up pretty good all day long. RNR maintained firm control over second place while Tiburon and Santa Maria were behind but still competitive.
Not much happened the rest of the way insofar as lead changes were concerned. One Time finished first, RNR took second, Nemesis finished in fourth place, followed by Tiburon and Santa Maria.
SECOND RACE:
The second race was a bit more chaotic at the start. The PRO gave us a two lap race and lengthened the course a bit. This time around Rhyme N Reason was really going after One Time. Back and forth they went with RNR trying very hard to hook One Time and perhaps force them over early. It didn't happen, however, as One Time was able to escape by using Nemesis, Iguana and Tiburon to peel RNR off their back. Once again everyone got a good start with One Time starting at the committee boat end and everyone else evenly spaced down towards the pin. Tiburon won the start and worked the middle of the course. RNR went hard left, Santa Maria, Nemesis and Iguana went hard right. One Time and Tiburon were close to each other going up the center. One Time tacked first and was able to pass Tiburon by giving them bad air.
At the weather mark One Time was coming in on port tack and had to duck behind Iguana and in front of Nemesis who were both on on starboard. It was close. Iguana was first around followed by One Time, Nemesis, RNR, Tiburon and Santa Maria. Iguana had a clean hoist and elected to do a bear away. It cost them as One Time was first to gybe and thus got the inside track. Heading to the leeward mark it was One Time, Iguana, Nemesis, RNR, Tiburon and Santa Maria.
At the leeward mark One Time caught a break. They were followed around the mark with a slim lead over Nemesis and Iguana. Iguana tried to sneak inside but Nemesis wasn't buying it. Nemesis took them up sharply and as a result both boats lost a substantial amount of speed. While they were trying to get things going again the rest of the fleet got to the mark and had to maneuver around the boats in front. As a result everyone slowed down while One Time sailed away merrily and unscathed. RNR did their best to avoid the chaos by electing to go hard left. However, it wasn't to be as the wind shifted to the right and Don Reiman and the boys found themselves in no man's land.
One Time won the race, followed by Iguana, Nemesis, Tiburon, RNR and Santa Maria.
THIRD RACE;
The third race was another two lapper with the legs shortened a bit to approx one half mile or so. The wind had clocked to the right and picked up in pressure to about twelve knots. Again everyone got a good start with One Time taking the pin end and the rest of the fleet spaced evenly along the line. As soon as they could One Time tacked over because they wanted the middle of the course. Santa Maria went all the way to the left which wasn't a good thing insofar as the wind had shifted to the right. The rest of the fleet elected to go up the middle. One Time did their normal thing of going to the weather mark on port tack while the rest of the fleet was coming up fast on starboard. At the mark things got a little exciting. Iguana was coming on hard and with rights. They were followed closely (not too closely though) by Nemesis, also with rights. One Time was coming in on port (no rights) and slightly ahead of Iguana. To tack in order to fetch the mark would have resulted in fouling Iguana or worse yet, colliding with her. Neither option seemed the thing to do. One Time resolved the problem by passing in front of Iguana, going past the mark and then tacking on Iguana's hip. It worked although I must admit I had my eyes closed tightly while praying we'd make it. Iguana was first around, One Time second, Nemesis third followed by RNR, Tiburon and Santa Maria.
Everyone had a clean hoist. It was at this time that Iguana got a little lazy and failed to cover their position with a gybe to the inside. One Time saw the opening and gybed quickly thereby giving them the inside track. A few more gybes along the way ensured them the inside position around the leeward mark. Nemesis and Iguana continued their practice of sticking it to each other. To see them go at each other all day like they did one would never realize their friendship goes all the way back to their days as college roommates.
In retrospect it was a great day. The race committee did a great job of keeping the course square and the day moving. It was a day where banging the corners didn't really pay off all that much. There were times when one side or the other was fast but for the most part, going up the middle paid off.
One Time won all three races but it was far from easy. Every race was a dog fight from the beginning to the end. And the starts, well what can one say about them? They were tough. Iguana had good boat speed all day and showed it with a great second place finish. Ditto for Nemesis who took a solid third place. They were right there in the hunt in every race. Congratulations to both.
The Rhyme N Reason boys had good boat speed but a couple of flyers just didn't work out. You had to feel for Tiburon. Nothing they tried (and they tried everything) worked for them. Felix and Rick have elevated their program so as to be competitive with anybody however Sunday just wasn't their day. I know the feeling. Been there, done that.
When it was all over we met at the long dock for some good old fashioned camaraderie and beer. After that it was on to the yacht club for trophy presentations (and more beer).
Remember: Our annual awards dinner is scheduled for Saturday, February 23rd. Save the date. The invitations will be going out after January 1st.
Series 3 Race 5
Guys,
You have no idea how tempted I was to not write this race up or else pen something akin to, "One Time worked diligently in an attempt to catch Rhyme N Reason downwind but it just didn't work out. And, oh by the way Tiburon won the race." Some mischievous people even encouraged me to do so thinking that it might be a funny joke before writing a true account of the race. They may be right however some times good intentions have a way of going awry. Soooo let me first congratulate the boys from Tiburon on their victory last night and then I'll tell you how they got there.
We returned to six boats at the starting line: One Time, Tiburon, Nemesis, Iguana, Rhyme N Reason, and Santa Maria ( AKA Go Big Daddy). The wind was blowing around seven knots from a direction of approx 195 degrees. The wind forecast called for it to shut down soon after the race started. It lightened up a bit but never completely shut off. The race committee gave us course number 40, a 3.4 mile trek around mark 31 and home. It was a great course for the conditions. I think the PROs have done a great job this year when it comes to their course selections.
Prior to the start One Time was primed for round 2 of "Nemesis vs One Time." It never happened. Thank goodness. One Time took a look at the first mark along with the wind direction and felt they could port tack the start from the committee boat end. They set up for it and just about pulled it off however at last few seconds prior to the gun going off there was just enough of a wind shift to foil their plan. As a result they got a lousy start and found themselves last coming off the line. Not so with Iguana and Tiburon who hit it perfectly and sling-shotted off the line with authority. Rhyme N Reason got their normal high quality start and was looking good. Santa Maria and Nemesis also came off the line looking pretty good.
Everyone headed to the wall. Since we were heading to the first mark on the wall there was no reason to take the beach route to get there. Rhyme N Reason loves this type of air and showed it soon enough by out legging One Time to the wall. They were pointing higher and going faster and there was nothing One Time could do about it. From my vantage point it appeared that Iguana had a solid lead. However, it didn't last as Tiburon ran them down (or up) and got slightly ahead. Iguana got caught in their dirty air and was forced to tack away. This move solidified Tiburon's lead and thus they were first to the weather mark. Rhyme N Reason rounded soon after followed by Iguana, Nemesis, One Time and Santa Maria. Tiburon executed a clean set and was gone. Ditto for RNR. Nemesis had some difficulty and Iguana had even more. It's an ill wind indeed that doesn't blow somebody some good and One Time was quick to take advantage of the situation and pass both boats by executing a clean hoist.
Heading down to the jetty entrance Tiburon had a clear lead and unless they sank I couldn't see anyone catching them. One Time had a brief shot at catching RNR however it disappeared when they started getting trained by the Catalina 37s who were also heading to the jetty. A strange sailing phenomonon occurred while enroute to the jetty. A few of the 37s became irritated when some of the "25s" wouldn't get out of their way. After all they're bigger and faster aren't they? No matter-you can't make everyone happy. Why in the world anyone would expect you to voluntarily go slower so they could go faster? It's beyond me. Next time we're out there I may consider asking them if they'll get out of our way. Wonder what the answer will be?
Heading down the jetty Tiburon was able to put several boats between them and their competitors. Once this occurred no one was going to catch them. They sailed a clean race, made no mistakes and ended up taking home the rum. Congratulations. It was a well deserved victory. Rhyme N Reason came in second, followed by One Time, Iguana, Nemesis and Santa Maria.
Next week is the last Wet Wednesday race of the year. How quickly it went. Be prepared to sail the same course as I will be asking the PRO for either a repeat of course 40 or perhaps, if the wind allows it, course thirty (second on the wall). Following next week's race we will have a dock party on gangway 26. Everyone's invited. Please bring your own adult beverages. The fleet will provide the food, desserts, soft drinks and water. Feel free to bring whatever you would like to share. There is no need to coordinate anything. Bear in mind that the yacht club is having a little party of their own. It's not free but there will be an elongated awards ceremony as well as a deejay and dancing. Once you leave our party you may want to consider going up there and enjoy a bit of theirs.
Finally: It appears that the Catalina Island race is shaping up very well. Thus far we have four entrants: Nemesis, Iguana, One Time and Tiburon. There's room for more. Even though it's difficult (for us seniors) to sleep on these boats this race is still one of the more enjoyable races on the calendar. The camaraderie experienced is great. For those of you not currently planning to participate you may want to give it some extra thought.
Aug 29th Wet Wednesday Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.381651828575199.91181.348363625237353&type=3
Series 3 Race 4
Guys,Another great race coupled with another great day. Don't know about you but I couldn't wait to get down to the beach so as to get away from the oppressive inland heat. It was 95 degrees when I left Whittier. The race committee gave us course #4, a 4.8 mile course, which consisted of around mark 31 (first on the wall), around mark 33 (midway on the beach), mark 8 (Island Chaffee) and then home. This is the race committee's "mini Five Island" course and to negotiate it you have to perform two spinnaker hoists and douses. That is you have to do them unless you're on the lazy side or drinking too much beer. We were reading 16 knots of breeze (probably closer to 13) from a direction of 200 degrees just prior to the start.
We had five boats on the line: Tiburon (without Felix), One Time (without Monica), Nemesis, Go Big Daddy and Rhyme N Reason. Missing was Iguana although I saw Dennis at the bar later in the evening. Depending on your viewpoint this could have been one of our more memorable starts insofar as Nemesis came out loaded for bear. They dogged One Time prior to the start and took them up here, there and just about everywhere. The only time they let loose was to get a better grip. One Time executed a quick gybe for a temporary escape however it didn't last long as Nemesis quickly found them and once again started making their life miserable. For awhile I thought we were in a match race with dueling boats. Ultimately, Nemesis pushed One Time up so high that they went into irons right next to the race committee boat. Not good. Nemesis finally let go and headed for the line. One Time barely (and I mean barely) managed a tack and came to the line a bit late but in decent position. That cantankerous Nemesis wanted to mix it up some more and they headed straight at One Time but alas the gun sounded and they had to back off to hard on the wind. Escape at last. I'd like to tell you how the rest of the fleet handled the start but frankly at that point I really didn't care. I just wanted to go racing and get away from that pesky Nemesis. Too much Testosterone present. We could do well with the calming hand of some feminine influence around here (are you reading this Marie?).
Back to the race. Now we were all heading to the wall. Nemesis broke first and paralleled the beach. GBD and Tiburon were below One Time but positioned well. Rhyme N Reason was going faster and pointing higher than One Time and so it was just a matter of time before they forced them over. That time came sooner than expected as One Time was forced to bail somewhere near the bait barge. The forced move worked in One Time's favor however as they got a bit of a lift and managed to beat everyone to the first mark. Close behind was Rhyme N Reason followed by Nemesis, Tiburon and Go Big Daddy in that order.
The race to mark 33 was pretty uneventful. Everyone hoisted well and pretty much held their positions to the leeward mark. One Time was still in the lead but it was still anyone's race. A mishap here or a mistake there and who knows what could have happened? The fleet was stacked up pretty good and it looked like a good race down the jetty was in the development stage. One Time called a pretty good lay line to mark 8 and was able to get around without losing any distance to the fleet. Up went the chute and onto the jetty we went. Everyone else got around without any problems but the advantage here was that One Time was first to hoist and thus got the downwind kick when everyone else was still struggling upwind. Everyone hoisted well except for Tiburon who opted to not fly the chute.
Down the jetty One Time got mixed in with the Cal 20s and thus was able to put a few of them in front of her pursuers. It's tough enough to pass in the jetty but it becomes even tougher when you have to get around those pesky 20's in order to do it. To make matters worse (or better depending on your position) the wind held steady. Broad reaching down the jetty in 8 knots of breeze. You gotta love it.
In the end One Time got the win and the rum. Rhyme N Reason took second, followed by Nemesis, Tiburon and Go Big Daddy
who sailed their second straight strong race. It's always more fun when you're still in the hunt at the end.
Only two more weeks to go. Let's finish strong.
Series 2 Race 2
Guys,Sorry about missing last week. Couldn't be helped-family always takes precedence over sailing and your brother's surprise seventy-fifth birthday party only comes around once.
On to the news: Congratulations to Don Reiman and crew of RhymeNReason for last week's win. It was my understanding they were the only ones that didn't overstand the weather mark enabling them to scoot to the front and stay there until the end. They're an experienced, cagey crew and once they get the lead it's very difficult to wrest it away from them.
Last night's race was a bit different. It started out on an ominous note when the race committee couldn't get the Loynes started. It never left the dock and the 18ft "Griff" had to assume all race duties. The PRO was Jerry Leth. He and his crew (Dave Westerfield, Charlie Legeman and two other guys whom unfortunately I do not know) did a fine job of getting the races going with nary a hitch (and that "hitch" didn't involve our race). Jerry's statement to me after the race was, "It was fun." Suffice to say they earned their money (they don't get paid anything).
As a matter of information we were supposed to do a windward/leeward course last night with a leeward gate so as to give us some practice for Nationals. The demise of the Loynes scuttled that plan.
The race itself was a ball. We had six boats at the line: Tiburon, Nemesis, One Time, RhymeNReason, Iguana and Santa Maria. The line itself was extremely long-again probably a concession to the Catalina 37s. The course chosen was # 06; a six mile jaunt to mark 36 (last on the wall) and then home. Long upwind and longer down.
Tiburon sought to take advantage of the long starting line by attempting to port tack the fleet at the start. It didn't work for them as they had to duck just about everyone and ended up in the rear right out of the gate. Nemesis with a new number two up (at least I'd never seen it before) won the start with good position right at the committee boat. After that it was Iguana, One Time, RNR, Santa Maria and Tiburon. Everyone headed for the wall except Tiburon who elected to stay on port tack and parallel the beach. One Time, Iguana and Nemesis dueled it out pretty good heading to windward with One Time pulling slightly ahead of Iguana and Nemesis holding everyone off. One Time had to tack at the bait barge and crossed slightly ahead of Iguana but then had to duck Nemesis. It was a terrible tack due mostly to the skipper (me) sitting down on the fair lead thereby giving himself a "fair lead enema." Lots of pain. The crew thought it was funny. I failed to share their levity. At that time it became apparent that the wall was favored so back to the wall we went at first opportunity. Iguana and Nemesis also recognized the value of staying near the wall however they just weren't as aggressive about going there. About this time Tiburon was checking in from its beach route and found themselves in fourth place. Albeit in the rear but at least back in the hunt.
At the weather mark it was One Time, Nemesis, Iguana, Tiburon, RNR and Santa Maria.
At this time it is noteworthy to point out that Santa Maria was sailing their best race of the year.
Off to the jetty we went. The breeze held steady at 210 degrees so it became near impossible to pass anyone going downwind. To make matters worse for passing we had the ocean all to ourselves. No big PHRF or Catalina 37s to sit on someone and mess up their air. Ditto for those pesky little Cal 20s.
Nothing major (or even minor) occurred during the downwind leg. Some boats had some spinnaker trimming issues but those were easily corrected. Probably occurred when the trimmers were opening beer cans. There could be a lesson to be learned here: Trimmers and drivers should be handed beer cans already opened.
The order of finish stayed the same. One Time took the rum (congratulations), Nemesis closed fast but ran out of room for second place, Iguana took third, Tiburon, RNR and Santa Maria finished up in that order.
There will be no racing on Wednesday, July 4th. For those of you with July 4th experience you know that it's no time to be on the water. Our next race will be July 11th-just two days before Nationals. Look for a windward/leeward course. We'll try to work it out if possible. For those out of towners who are racing Nationals you are welcome to come down and race. I'm sure we can get you docking privileges but I need to know as soon as you can whether you're coming.
Series 2 Race 1
Wednesday's race was the first race of the second series. We had six boats at the line: Tiburon, Iguana, One Time, Go Big Daddy (former Santa Maria), Rhyme N Reason, and Nemesis. The race committee selected course number forty-one which was a nice 4.8 mile jaunt around Mark 31 (first on the wall), Mark 33 (beach), Mark 8 (Island Chaffee) and then home to the finish. The wind was moderate at about eight knots and blowing from a direction around 195 degrees. The wind forecast called for much brisker conditions which were going to hold steady until around 2100 hrs. They got it half right. One Time was carrying a guest (Art McMillan) from King Harbor Yacht Club. I hope you were nice to him because he recently purchased a Cal 25 and has expressed some interest in racing Nationals.All of the competitors got a decent start except for Go Big Daddy which had all kinds of pre-race problems and opted to use the evening as a training mission.
The race committee set a very long line, probably because they were tired of the Catalina 37s colliding with each other at the start (they're having a tough year). At any rate the pin was so far down the line that One Time figured they could sail closer to the weather mark if they started on port tack. It was a good plan -ALMOST. One Time hit the pin end with some speed but got promptly blocked by Nemesis and Iguana. One Time had to duck both boats and it was so close that they could actually see the dental fillings on some of Iguana's crew. The maneuver paid off however as they were able to sail alone and actually get closer to the mark while some others remained too long on starboard tack.
At this point the fleet was divided into two. One Time was working the beach route while everyone else went to the wall. The beach paid off as One Time came very close to laying the mark when they finally went to starboard tack and found themselves leading the pack.
At the weather mark it was One Time, followed closely by Nemesis. Tiburon, RhymeNReason and Iguana were behind but still in the hunt. One Time did a gybe set around the mark and the maneuver got them a little breathing room over Nemesis. Not much changed going downwind as it was pretty much a DDW run. The same order prevailed around the leeward mark and so off we went to round Island Chaffee. One Time got lucky and was able to lay the mark with only having to do one short tack. It looked like the rest of the fleet followed suit except for Tiburon who tacked away a little longer than everyone else hoping to get around the island with some speed.
At the jetty entrance One Time found themselves being squeezed by a Catalina 37 who evidently didn't understand the concept of "inside overlap." A brief discussion ensued and before long everything was settled albeit the Cat 37's tactician didn't smile the rest of the way. Oh well-you can't please everyone.
The race for first was over however a real donnybrook was developing among the remaining competitors. One owner told me that there were five lead changes going down the jetty. Sounded like a lot of fun. Part of me wanted to be involved but then the other part was happy we weren't.
In the final analysis One Time got the rum, Nemesis took second, Tiburon got a third, followed by a fast closing RhymeNReason and Iguana.
One Time will not be out next week as I have family matters requiring my presence elsewhere. However I will be there in spirit as several of the One Time crew will be sailing with Bill Wheeler aboard Go BIg Daddy. See you in two weeks.
Series 1 Race 6
Another great night. Since we had a dock party following the race (we'll get to that in a moment) the race committee gave us a "one and done" course. Course number 40, a 3.4 mile course, which consisted of around mark 31 (first on the wall) and then home. The wind was about ten knots from a direction of 205 degrees-pretty much normal. We had four boats on the line; One Time, Tiburon, Iguana and Nemesis. Don't know what happened to Rhyme N Reason. Go Big Daddy had engine problems and never left the dock.
There were no problems with the start however as Tiburon again won it for about the umpteenth time in a row. One Time was next in line with Nemesis and Iguana lined up in that order. Everyone headed straight to the wall with no one veering off to take the beach route. Somewhere along the way One Time got to windward of Tiburon. Tiburon and Nemesis were sailing side by side and both slightly ahead of One Time albeit to leeward a bit.
One Time elected to bail first hoping that the other two guys would impact each other since they were in such close proximity. The tactic worked as One Time found clean air and sailed unaffected to the lay line. When she tacked for the mark she found herself slightly ahead of both boats. Iguana was coming on fast although they weren't in the mix at the windward mark.
Around the mark it was One Time, Tiburon, Nemesis and Iguana. Things pretty much stayed the same to the jetty entrance. However upon nearing the entrance One Time noted that the Cat 37s were approaching fast. Even though the Cats were going to mark 35 (Seal Beach) memories of them impacting last week's race were vivid in everyone's mind. It didn't happen however, as the Cal25 leaders made it to the jetty without interruption.
Down the jetty it was One Time and Tiburon side by side, cheek to jowl. Tiburon would pull ahead only to lose the lead back to One Time. At times I felt like I was getting a "Tiburon enema" and it didn't feel good. One Time pulled slightly ahead near ABYC and here's where they got a big advantage. The lull caused by ABYC impacted both boats but One Time exited first. Thus, they got a big wind boost that Tiburon still had to wait for. This caused some separation which One Time never gave up. Now the race was between Tiburon and the fast charging Nemesis for second place. Unfortunately for the "Tib" boys a variance in the wind caused their head sail to momentarily collapse which allowed Nemesis to assume sole control of second place.
That's the way things ended up; One Time, Nemesis, Tiburon and Iguana.
The dock party followed the race and it could have been one of our most successful ever. The food, drink and camaraderie were all terrific. Many thanks to those that brought something to share. It was all delicious. Many, many thanks to my wife Celia who worked extremely hard organizing, presenting and cooking for us. It absolutely could not be done without her. I'm a lucky man. A final thanks to the generosity of those that placed something in the Donations Jar.
It all comes together when we do something like this. Our guests, Bill and Marie Rogers, both commented on how much enjoyment we seem to have in this fleet. People notice. You don't see any other fleet doing things like this. We'll do it again during the final series.