Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Party after Racing 8/14 sponsored by Hall Spars!
Party after racing 8/14 sponsored by Hall Spars at Ida Lewis!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
A Call to Keyboards (i.e. Volunteers Needed)
If someone were to design a sailing hell, they could do a lot worse (and not in a good way) than simply recreating the conditions from last Thursday night: a mealy, dying southerly and a very strong flood tide running parallel to the breeze.
When we left the dock, we tried to get a gauge on the tide. It looked pretty close to high, so we were anticipating a slack tide or perhaps the start of the ebb, both of which would’ve been fine given the light southerly breeze. No such luck. The tide was smoking in for the entire evening. Even in the Rose Island Cone, where the relief is usually quite pronounced, there was a ton of flow. I’m half surprised Rose didn’t simply break free, bounce through the center span of the bridge, and wedge itself into the Hurricane Barrier in Providence. The incoming breeze and incoming tide meant that the 7-knot southerly was actually a 4- to 5-knot southerly, essentially drifting conditions.
We seemed to play the first portion of the race well, carving out a lane off the line that enabled us to hit the current relief by Goat Island without much trouble. But from there we went backwards. It was one of those nights—no matter what we did, we seemed to lose.
By the leeward mark, we were pretty desperate, so we split from the pack and headed toward Goat Island. We overstood by 20 boatlengths and came into the finish on a tight reach. It was hardly conventional sailing, but it netted us a respectable finish.
And so July came to a close with a resounding thud. Since the results from BargeGate haven’t been released, we currently have three official race results from the entire month. Wow. Who would’ve thunk it? Not to beat a dead horse, but taking the July 3rd off so great right now. Sail ‘em if you got ‘em, to paraphase Die Hard hero John McLain.
Another thing that ended on Thursday was my perfect attendance streak. I’m off to China on Wednesday to cover the Olympics. So, I’m hoping that in my absence a few of you faithful readers (Are there any? You never write?) will chip in with your stories from the wild and wooly world of Thursday night J/24 sailing. You can email me (stuart.streuli (at) sailingworld.com) or any of the fleet officers and we’ll get what you write up on the blog. It’s a lot easier than it looks, trust me. And I’ll need something to get me through 17 days behind the red curtain.
And when the results come out and I can figure out who came scorching out of the right corner on the first beat, I’ll try to get another Winner’s Words up on the site.
See you in September.
When we left the dock, we tried to get a gauge on the tide. It looked pretty close to high, so we were anticipating a slack tide or perhaps the start of the ebb, both of which would’ve been fine given the light southerly breeze. No such luck. The tide was smoking in for the entire evening. Even in the Rose Island Cone, where the relief is usually quite pronounced, there was a ton of flow. I’m half surprised Rose didn’t simply break free, bounce through the center span of the bridge, and wedge itself into the Hurricane Barrier in Providence. The incoming breeze and incoming tide meant that the 7-knot southerly was actually a 4- to 5-knot southerly, essentially drifting conditions.
We seemed to play the first portion of the race well, carving out a lane off the line that enabled us to hit the current relief by Goat Island without much trouble. But from there we went backwards. It was one of those nights—no matter what we did, we seemed to lose.
By the leeward mark, we were pretty desperate, so we split from the pack and headed toward Goat Island. We overstood by 20 boatlengths and came into the finish on a tight reach. It was hardly conventional sailing, but it netted us a respectable finish.
And so July came to a close with a resounding thud. Since the results from BargeGate haven’t been released, we currently have three official race results from the entire month. Wow. Who would’ve thunk it? Not to beat a dead horse, but taking the July 3rd off so great right now. Sail ‘em if you got ‘em, to paraphase Die Hard hero John McLain.
Another thing that ended on Thursday was my perfect attendance streak. I’m off to China on Wednesday to cover the Olympics. So, I’m hoping that in my absence a few of you faithful readers (Are there any? You never write?) will chip in with your stories from the wild and wooly world of Thursday night J/24 sailing. You can email me (stuart.streuli (at) sailingworld.com) or any of the fleet officers and we’ll get what you write up on the blog. It’s a lot easier than it looks, trust me. And I’ll need something to get me through 17 days behind the red curtain.
And when the results come out and I can figure out who came scorching out of the right corner on the first beat, I’ll try to get another Winner’s Words up on the site.
See you in September.
Monday, July 28, 2008
Party This Week After Racing! 7/31/08 Off Site!
Hi All here are the directions for the party after racing Thurday.
Address: 629 Wolcott Ave, Middletown...
(between purgatory and tuckerman ave)
best directions are to turn right on tuckerman after first beach and left on Wolcott Ave...
we will also make up flyers to pass off the race committee boat...
Address: 629 Wolcott Ave, Middletown...
(between purgatory and tuckerman ave)
best directions are to turn right on tuckerman after first beach and left on Wolcott Ave...
we will also make up flyers to pass off the race committee boat...
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Hold the Bus, I mean Barge
Although the events of last Thursday night have luffed a few sails, I think we all need to go take a chill pill until things can be sorted out. After the Protest Hearing Monday night, we learned that the RC cannot DSQ anyone, much less the whole fleet, without filing their own protest.
So where does this leave us as appropriate scoring for last Thursday?.......undecided, I guess. So RC and Fleet 50 management will get together and come to a conclusion on this. Until then, there are no official results. They took a stand, and we should support them for this. We interferred with Commercial Traffic as the barge stopped to avoid what looked like to them was imminent danger. This is against Federal and Fleet 50 regulations. RC was doing what they thought was right.
Now we can all argue the pros/cons of what happened, but I want to think that we all can learn from this. Here are some things to ponder, and I would love to hear others thoughts on this, so please send me an email with your suggestions.
1. Are we capable of policing ourselves? Most of the fleet crossed in front of the Barge, either going to or from the Dumplings.
2. What do we need to put in our SI's to insure that this won't happen again? Or what penalty is warranted if it does? One suggestion is to adapt the Shields class wording.
3. Does RC need more input from the class? We are moving toward more assistance, but should we go further in terms on Race Day assistance. It has been voluntary so far, but maybe it needs to be mandatory.
4. What constitutes an official posting? Something on IDA's website, or does it need to be on Fleet 50's site as well?
There are many things to consider, in addition to how we should score the night. I would certainly like to see the same enthusiasm put into rewriting the SI's to close the gaps, or in helping to administer/assist with racing logistics on a given Thursday.
There are a few boats that did the "right" thing, and took huge detours. I commend them. I was one who did not, and was confused as the proper course to take. Bad Lee.
So send me your thoughts and lets make changes for the better.
So where does this leave us as appropriate scoring for last Thursday?.......undecided, I guess. So RC and Fleet 50 management will get together and come to a conclusion on this. Until then, there are no official results. They took a stand, and we should support them for this. We interferred with Commercial Traffic as the barge stopped to avoid what looked like to them was imminent danger. This is against Federal and Fleet 50 regulations. RC was doing what they thought was right.
Now we can all argue the pros/cons of what happened, but I want to think that we all can learn from this. Here are some things to ponder, and I would love to hear others thoughts on this, so please send me an email with your suggestions.
1. Are we capable of policing ourselves? Most of the fleet crossed in front of the Barge, either going to or from the Dumplings.
2. What do we need to put in our SI's to insure that this won't happen again? Or what penalty is warranted if it does? One suggestion is to adapt the Shields class wording.
3. Does RC need more input from the class? We are moving toward more assistance, but should we go further in terms on Race Day assistance. It has been voluntary so far, but maybe it needs to be mandatory.
4. What constitutes an official posting? Something on IDA's website, or does it need to be on Fleet 50's site as well?
There are many things to consider, in addition to how we should score the night. I would certainly like to see the same enthusiasm put into rewriting the SI's to close the gaps, or in helping to administer/assist with racing logistics on a given Thursday.
There are a few boats that did the "right" thing, and took huge detours. I commend them. I was one who did not, and was confused as the proper course to take. Bad Lee.
So send me your thoughts and lets make changes for the better.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Catch 22
If you went to the Ida Lewis YC website looking for the results for July 17, you likely got quite a shock. In place of a series of finishes from two interesting races was the following statement from the race committee.
All boats receive DSQ for the evening due to violation of SIs and Coast Guard Event Permit – interfering with commercial traffic.
To borrow a phrase from a current KFC commercial, “I wasn’t expecting that.”
Fleet 50 has had its run-ins with commercial traffic, though it’s been a while since we had a situation like last night, with a barge running through the middle of course. I wholeheartedly agree with Part 22 of the Sailing Instructions (below).
Competitors are reminded that Narragansett Bay is a Restricted Channel. Sailing Vessels do not have the right of way over a vessel under power, which is restricted in her ability to maneuver. Competitors found to have run afoul of commercial vessels before, while, or after racing may be subject to penalty which may include disqualification from that day’s completed races. We play where others work; please respect those who are working and do not impeded their progress in any way.
I also agree with disqualifying anyone who even comes close to interfering with commercial traffic. If you have a rule, it should be enforced. And this behavior could jeopardize Fleet 50’s ability to sail every Thursday night.
However, I don’t think a mass DSQ is the best way to curb this behavior.
Firstly, it’s unfair. We tacked to port not long after crossing the line and headed right. We saw the barge and while we did take one hitch down the bay in the Rose Island Cone, we crossed the channel well astern of the barge. Once we cleared its prop wash we tacked back. We never got within 200 feet of the barge and were never in a position to force it to alter course or slow down. Had the barge continued on its expected course we never would’ve come near it. And the same can be said for most, if not all, of the boats that played the right side of the course.
By the time we got to the windward mark the barge was parked, and had been for a few minutes. The course that took us furthest away from the barge—and yes, kept us going toward the mark—was across its bow on starboard. I guess we could’ve stopped and waited for the barge to resume its path. But that’s a little much. Who knew how long that was going to take. We were always well clear of the barge. However, if that’s still too close for comfort, then what about the 2 or 3 boats that jibed at or near the windward mark and sailed along the Jamestown side of the barge. These boats never crossed the bow of the barge upwind or downwind. How can anyone say they interfered with commercial traffic?
Secondly, what good does a mass disqualification do? A colleague at work pointed out that it gives the fleet a good sound bite for the Coast Guard. “We tossed everyone out.” I guess I can understand that. But it doesn’t teach anyone a lesson. And isn’t that the goal of a punishment, to ensure it doesn’t happen again. No one was really penalized because everyone was tossed.
If the fleet finds itself in the same situation again wouldn’t it be better for boats to think, “Geez, the last time this happened half the fleet was DSQ’d, and half of it wasn’t, so we’d better play it safe, even if it costs us a few boats.” Instead they’ll think there’s strength in numbers. They’ll think, “Get enough boats to cross the barge and then the RC will either throw everyone out or no one. Either way, the conservative route isn’t likely to pay.”
One of the things I understand least about sailing is the occasionally adversarial nature of the relationship between the race committee and the sailors. We’re all out there for the same purpose, to enjoy our time on the water. At times it will get tense, at times some or all of the fleet will need to have its collective hand slapped. But we need to work together as much as we can.
This decision merely serves to broaden the gulf between the sailors and the race committee and does little to ensure this sort of thing won’t happen again in the future.
All boats receive DSQ for the evening due to violation of SIs and Coast Guard Event Permit – interfering with commercial traffic.
To borrow a phrase from a current KFC commercial, “I wasn’t expecting that.”
Fleet 50 has had its run-ins with commercial traffic, though it’s been a while since we had a situation like last night, with a barge running through the middle of course. I wholeheartedly agree with Part 22 of the Sailing Instructions (below).
Competitors are reminded that Narragansett Bay is a Restricted Channel. Sailing Vessels do not have the right of way over a vessel under power, which is restricted in her ability to maneuver. Competitors found to have run afoul of commercial vessels before, while, or after racing may be subject to penalty which may include disqualification from that day’s completed races. We play where others work; please respect those who are working and do not impeded their progress in any way.
I also agree with disqualifying anyone who even comes close to interfering with commercial traffic. If you have a rule, it should be enforced. And this behavior could jeopardize Fleet 50’s ability to sail every Thursday night.
However, I don’t think a mass DSQ is the best way to curb this behavior.
Firstly, it’s unfair. We tacked to port not long after crossing the line and headed right. We saw the barge and while we did take one hitch down the bay in the Rose Island Cone, we crossed the channel well astern of the barge. Once we cleared its prop wash we tacked back. We never got within 200 feet of the barge and were never in a position to force it to alter course or slow down. Had the barge continued on its expected course we never would’ve come near it. And the same can be said for most, if not all, of the boats that played the right side of the course.
By the time we got to the windward mark the barge was parked, and had been for a few minutes. The course that took us furthest away from the barge—and yes, kept us going toward the mark—was across its bow on starboard. I guess we could’ve stopped and waited for the barge to resume its path. But that’s a little much. Who knew how long that was going to take. We were always well clear of the barge. However, if that’s still too close for comfort, then what about the 2 or 3 boats that jibed at or near the windward mark and sailed along the Jamestown side of the barge. These boats never crossed the bow of the barge upwind or downwind. How can anyone say they interfered with commercial traffic?
Secondly, what good does a mass disqualification do? A colleague at work pointed out that it gives the fleet a good sound bite for the Coast Guard. “We tossed everyone out.” I guess I can understand that. But it doesn’t teach anyone a lesson. And isn’t that the goal of a punishment, to ensure it doesn’t happen again. No one was really penalized because everyone was tossed.
If the fleet finds itself in the same situation again wouldn’t it be better for boats to think, “Geez, the last time this happened half the fleet was DSQ’d, and half of it wasn’t, so we’d better play it safe, even if it costs us a few boats.” Instead they’ll think there’s strength in numbers. They’ll think, “Get enough boats to cross the barge and then the RC will either throw everyone out or no one. Either way, the conservative route isn’t likely to pay.”
One of the things I understand least about sailing is the occasionally adversarial nature of the relationship between the race committee and the sailors. We’re all out there for the same purpose, to enjoy our time on the water. At times it will get tense, at times some or all of the fleet will need to have its collective hand slapped. But we need to work together as much as we can.
This decision merely serves to broaden the gulf between the sailors and the race committee and does little to ensure this sort of thing won’t happen again in the future.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Scott Free
Wow, 27 boats? Too bad the breeze didn’t stick around for a little bit longer. But it was great to see such a large fleet, most of the Fleet 50 regulars as well as a few special guests in town for the Coastal Living Newport Regatta. Getting over 25 boats out for a Thursday night means you can be 12th and still consider yourself in the top half. And if you do better, man are there a lot of sails following you across the line.
We thought we had the first race nailed. We started near the pin and headed left, hoping that when we came back on port tack, the lift generated by the outgoing current in the channel would carry us into the lead. A few others had the same idea and we all ended up staring at a lot of transoms as we tried to get around the windward mark.
The second race seemed to go better. We followed Scott Milnes on the low road on the run and snuck into the top 10, but then heard the heart-breaking sound of silence as we crossed the finish line. No gun, we were OCS.
Ugh.
Scott Ferguson made a rare appearance in Fleet 50 and promptly blitzed the fleet in Race 1. If it makes you feel any better, he did about the same thing to the Laser fleet in the Sail Newport Regatta. Doesn’t help? Sorry, that’s all I can offer. Until Thursday that is.
A rather unusual wind condition for last Thursday night’s race. A dying westerly breeze and a strong outgoing tide. What were your initial thoughts on the wind/tide conditions and what did you anticipate might happen during the race? How did you go about setting up your boat for those conditions?
Very loose set-up, lowers were almost slack, headstay was off the Loos scale by over an inch. Initial thoughts were to stay away from the rip around the house on the rock ..... look for some relief from the Rose Island cone. Try not to run into anybody.
There was a strong difference of opinion on how to handle the first beat of the first race. A number of boats went hard left, hoping to come back on port tack in max current. Others, like yourself, played the right side. The right side was the big winner. Can you explain a little bit how you came to this decision and also what you feel was the difference in that first beat.
The initial thoughts of heading for the cone of Rose Island were reinforced by visual appearance of more pressure to the right .... so this strong feeling lead to a good boat start. We sailed for a short time on starboard before tacking. Very tempting to keep going left, but the team (Jessie Fielding, Lyle Fielding, Ben Quatromoni, and Willem Van Waay) decided to stick with the plan. We went almost to layline .... rest was history.
Light air, current, never a lot of fun for a J/24 downwind. What do you think were the keys to that run?
Had to get onto port right away as the current was sweeping left to right .... then we just watched the mark against the land and actually had to sail a little hotter than vmg the whole way across.
We thought we had the first race nailed. We started near the pin and headed left, hoping that when we came back on port tack, the lift generated by the outgoing current in the channel would carry us into the lead. A few others had the same idea and we all ended up staring at a lot of transoms as we tried to get around the windward mark.
The second race seemed to go better. We followed Scott Milnes on the low road on the run and snuck into the top 10, but then heard the heart-breaking sound of silence as we crossed the finish line. No gun, we were OCS.
Ugh.
Scott Ferguson made a rare appearance in Fleet 50 and promptly blitzed the fleet in Race 1. If it makes you feel any better, he did about the same thing to the Laser fleet in the Sail Newport Regatta. Doesn’t help? Sorry, that’s all I can offer. Until Thursday that is.
A rather unusual wind condition for last Thursday night’s race. A dying westerly breeze and a strong outgoing tide. What were your initial thoughts on the wind/tide conditions and what did you anticipate might happen during the race? How did you go about setting up your boat for those conditions?
Very loose set-up, lowers were almost slack, headstay was off the Loos scale by over an inch. Initial thoughts were to stay away from the rip around the house on the rock ..... look for some relief from the Rose Island cone. Try not to run into anybody.
There was a strong difference of opinion on how to handle the first beat of the first race. A number of boats went hard left, hoping to come back on port tack in max current. Others, like yourself, played the right side. The right side was the big winner. Can you explain a little bit how you came to this decision and also what you feel was the difference in that first beat.
The initial thoughts of heading for the cone of Rose Island were reinforced by visual appearance of more pressure to the right .... so this strong feeling lead to a good boat start. We sailed for a short time on starboard before tacking. Very tempting to keep going left, but the team (Jessie Fielding, Lyle Fielding, Ben Quatromoni, and Willem Van Waay) decided to stick with the plan. We went almost to layline .... rest was history.
Light air, current, never a lot of fun for a J/24 downwind. What do you think were the keys to that run?
Had to get onto port right away as the current was sweeping left to right .... then we just watched the mark against the land and actually had to sail a little hotter than vmg the whole way across.
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Will Welles' Wondrous Words of Wisdom (Say That 5 Times Fast!)
So someone remind me why we aren't sailing tonight? It's a beautiful evening with a fresh southerly blowing. And there's no work tomorrow. Well I guess I've beat this one to death. Don't forget to sign up for the Coastal Living Newport Regatta next weekend. (If you're competing that is) Here's a few pearls of wisdom from fleet co-captain Will Welles, who had a first and a fourth to close out the spring series.
Well I usually stick pretty close to the North sails tuning guide numbers! I then go upwind for a bit to see how the boat feels and the sails look. I may go a touch tighter or looser from there depending on what I see and how the boat feels. If I think it's going to die I make sure I am on the lighter end of things instead of the tighter end.
The key moment in the first race came a third of the way down the first run. You jibed back in to the Fort Adams shore while the other three lead boats headed into the middle. It paid off as you were able to vault into the lead by the leeward mark. What did you see along the shore and why did this move work out so well?
The key moment in the first race came a third of the way down the first run. You jibed back in to the Fort Adams shore while the other three lead boats headed into the middle. It paid off as you were able to vault into the lead by the leeward mark. What did you see along the shore and why did this move work out so well?
The breeze certainly shut off at this point. We rounded about four boat lengths ahead of the Pipe Dream boys and they carried a small puff down with them which made them overlapped to leeward with us. We never really had the puff so that we could drive off....it was a tough situation. We felt lucky to get sprung off to the shore by ourselves. There were three boats that continued towards Rowe's Island and it seemed like they were going slow together and then sailed completely out of the breeze. We were able to work the boat up and down with better breeze and it paid at the end.
Starting a J/24 in light air, in a larger fleet, can be challenging. Do you change your starting tactics as the wind drops into the single digits? If so, how?
Starting a J/24 in light air, in a larger fleet, can be challenging. Do you change your starting tactics as the wind drops into the single digits? If so, how?
Yes, I try and maneuver very little and keep the speed on.
The run of the second race was a real drifter. What’s the key to making the most of those conditions in the J/24, both in terms of boatspeed and tactically.
The run of the second race was a real drifter. What’s the key to making the most of those conditions in the J/24, both in terms of boatspeed and tactically.
The spinnaker trimmer and I work really hard to keep the speed on all the time...up in the lulls and down in the puffs. The communication between the trimmer and the helmsman is key here.
Monday, June 30, 2008
I Would Say I've Been Missing it, Bob
So, I’ve been slacking off a bit on the blog entries. I sort of knew this would happen. Even I get tired of hearing myself speak (type?) and so I can’t imagine what it’s like for everyone else.
Also, my first daughter came on June 18, three weeks early, so it’s been hard enough to remind myself to shave and shower on a regular basis, let alone contribute some pithy reports on Thursday night sailing. But I did sail, my wife giving me a much appreciated hall pass 36 hours after giving birth.
The bottom line, however, may be that there just wasn’t a lot to write about. In the last three weeks the Crack of Noon team has turned in a mixed bag of performances. A few good results, some average ones, and some poor ones. We haven’t been able to string together two good finishes. We’ve left more than a few points on the table, but we’ve also had our share of good fortune.
Last week could be a microcosm for the Spring Series from our perspective. In the first race, it was apparent with 15 seconds to go to the start that we would be lucky to find ourselves in the second row once the gun went off.
If there was a bright spot to this really disappointing realization—aside from the fact that the cooler was full of beer—it was that we came to it quickly. We tacked to port before the gun and started making tracks for the right side. Because we tacked so early, we were able to get through the traffic without anyone camping on our lane.
The current on the right side proved to be the deciding factor and it wasn’t long before we found ourselves in a four-boat group lead group. From there we played the percentages and took in a satisfying fourth, enjoying a front-row seat to a nice North v. Quantum sailmaker battle among the top 3 boats along the way.
Our second start was better, at first blush, but since we’d already burned our Get Out of Jail Free card, we found ourselves fighting through bad air for much of the first half of the beat.
We pushed hard into the left corner on the run and spent a lot of time trying to prop up our morale with statements like: “I think it feels like we might have more pressure on this side. Yes. I really think that.”
Two or more of the following words in any sentence assessing relative wind strength—like, feels, possibly, maybe, should, think—and you know you’re in trouble.
And that ended the Spring Series. Personally, I think that nothing would be better than sailing on July 3rd, watching a few fireworks on the way in and relishing in the fact that the following day was a holiday. Maybe we can revisit that decision next year. Summer’s too short anyway, no sense taking a night off.
But nothing we can do now. So enjoy the holiday weekend. We hope to have some Winner's Wisdom from Will Welles. And then on July 10th, we’re right back into it. We’ll see you all out there.
The bottom line, however, may be that there just wasn’t a lot to write about. In the last three weeks the Crack of Noon team has turned in a mixed bag of performances. A few good results, some average ones, and some poor ones. We haven’t been able to string together two good finishes. We’ve left more than a few points on the table, but we’ve also had our share of good fortune.
Last week could be a microcosm for the Spring Series from our perspective. In the first race, it was apparent with 15 seconds to go to the start that we would be lucky to find ourselves in the second row once the gun went off.
If there was a bright spot to this really disappointing realization—aside from the fact that the cooler was full of beer—it was that we came to it quickly. We tacked to port before the gun and started making tracks for the right side. Because we tacked so early, we were able to get through the traffic without anyone camping on our lane.
The current on the right side proved to be the deciding factor and it wasn’t long before we found ourselves in a four-boat group lead group. From there we played the percentages and took in a satisfying fourth, enjoying a front-row seat to a nice North v. Quantum sailmaker battle among the top 3 boats along the way.
Our second start was better, at first blush, but since we’d already burned our Get Out of Jail Free card, we found ourselves fighting through bad air for much of the first half of the beat.
We pushed hard into the left corner on the run and spent a lot of time trying to prop up our morale with statements like: “I think it feels like we might have more pressure on this side. Yes. I really think that.”
Two or more of the following words in any sentence assessing relative wind strength—like, feels, possibly, maybe, should, think—and you know you’re in trouble.
And that ended the Spring Series. Personally, I think that nothing would be better than sailing on July 3rd, watching a few fireworks on the way in and relishing in the fact that the following day was a holiday. Maybe we can revisit that decision next year. Summer’s too short anyway, no sense taking a night off.
But nothing we can do now. So enjoy the holiday weekend. We hope to have some Winner's Wisdom from Will Welles. And then on July 10th, we’re right back into it. We’ll see you all out there.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
1st Party of the Season this Thursday
This Thursday 6/19 is the first party of the year at Ida Lewis YC after racing. The party is hosted by: Talking Heads, Smokin' and Obstreperous. In addition there will be video of the nights racing courtesy of J/Boats!
Tuesday, June 10, 2008
Higgins, I'm taking the Ferrari
Thomas Magnum, P.I., drove a red Ferrari. Charlie Enright drives a red J/24. Magnum solved mysteries on Hawaii. Enright solves the beats and runs off Newport on Thursday nights. And they both have stylish facial hair. Coincidence? I think not. Here's this week's widsom from Charlie Enright of Rooster (USA 4274).
J/24 Blog: You just wrapped up a very successful collegiate career at Brown University. Which of the many skills or lessons you learned in college sailing have proven particularly useful in sailing the J/24s in Fleet 50?
Charlie Enright: College sailing and Fleet 50 sailing are very similar. Both put a premium on starting and positioning. The average college fleet race is about 18 to 22 minutes long, this does not leave a lot of time for grinding back. In practice, especially at Brown, we did a lot of practice starts. The average college sailor does more starts in college than they will in the rest of their sailing careers. (Not science, but it must be true.) Once off the line, the positioning of our boat relative to other boats becomes our main focus. Perhaps one side of the course is heavily favored, a characteristic we see in Fleet 50 all the time, maybe we decide we want to go left, and as a rule, we decide to let all port tackers cross and lead all starboard tackers back left. Why would we spend time on port tack early in a beat if we want to go left? To check in with the fleet. That is how you play the percentages. Look for weather bows to come down (i.e. boats on your hip point more toward you) and always consolidate when you can. There are anomalies on one-sided racetracks and you always have to position your boat for the what ifs.
Like in college sailing, starting is vital in the short races on Thursday nights. Last Thursday was no exception. How did you approach the two starts? Also can you explain a bit how the flow of information works on your boat during the start? Feedback from the bowman, jib trimmer, and tactician can be very useful during the pre-start, but too many people talking at once can also negate any benefit in a hurry.
CE: Last Thursday's line was pretty square. We started at the pin in both races because we wanted to take advantage of the fair tide and, what we thought, was better pressure on the left. I also just really like starting at the pin. Before every start, we as a boat, come up with a game plan. We take into consideration a lot of things: where we want to go on the beat, how square is the line, where we think all the other boats will be and how to avoid them, what position on the line will allow us to play the first beat the way we want to play it, whether we need to get onto port tack right away, are we going to be on starboard all the way to the fort, anything we can think of. The key to starting is getting one that can help you execute your game plan. The best way to end up where you want to be on the line is to back it all up a couple of steps. If you know you want to be at the middle of the line at go, you know you want to be on your final approach to starboard of the boat at a 1:30, and if you know that you also know that you want to be on port in the middle of the line at 2:30. I like to tell my crew how many maneuvers we have left as it becomes apparent. We have a bow guy calling lengths to the line. We have the trimmer listening to the helmsman who only says, trim, slow, or racing...we have one person dedicated to the time and another looking back for scoopers. Our time guy is our radio guy after the start. As the helmsman, I am constantly thinking about three different spatial scenarios. The distance between our bow and the line, whether we are bow out or bow behind relative to immediate neighbors, as well as our lateral distance to windward and leeward. The first two are pretty self-explanatory, the third is a bit more tricky and in my opinion a bit more important.
As with any northerly breeze, the wind last night was shifty and puffy. I noticed that upwind you don't even hold on to the mainsheet most of the time. Explain how you switch gears on your boat, how you depower when a puffs hits?
CE: The genoa drives the J 24. The puffs last Thursday night were not knock-down puffs. Mike, our genoa trimmer, dealt with most of them. In those conditions I keep one hand on the tiller and the other works the jib winch handle and the backstay. We are very active with our genoa. I only play the main when it gets really windy or really wavy. Flat water allows us to keep the leech profile of the main the same. Easing the genoa helps flatten the boat and allows it to climb to weather, unlike easing the main. The only time I ease and trim the main in conditions like last Thursday night is through tacks. As the puff comes the genoa goes out, the backstay comes on, the genoa comes back in and the backstay comes off.
Samson had his hair. And we all know what happened when he cut that. Is there any truth to the rumor that you're afraid that shaving off that Magnum P.I. moustache will compromise your sailing skills?
CE: Here is the story with the mustache. It started as a bet, gained some serious volume, now I can’t get rid of it.
J/24 Blog: You just wrapped up a very successful collegiate career at Brown University. Which of the many skills or lessons you learned in college sailing have proven particularly useful in sailing the J/24s in Fleet 50?
Charlie Enright: College sailing and Fleet 50 sailing are very similar. Both put a premium on starting and positioning. The average college fleet race is about 18 to 22 minutes long, this does not leave a lot of time for grinding back. In practice, especially at Brown, we did a lot of practice starts. The average college sailor does more starts in college than they will in the rest of their sailing careers. (Not science, but it must be true.) Once off the line, the positioning of our boat relative to other boats becomes our main focus. Perhaps one side of the course is heavily favored, a characteristic we see in Fleet 50 all the time, maybe we decide we want to go left, and as a rule, we decide to let all port tackers cross and lead all starboard tackers back left. Why would we spend time on port tack early in a beat if we want to go left? To check in with the fleet. That is how you play the percentages. Look for weather bows to come down (i.e. boats on your hip point more toward you) and always consolidate when you can. There are anomalies on one-sided racetracks and you always have to position your boat for the what ifs.
Like in college sailing, starting is vital in the short races on Thursday nights. Last Thursday was no exception. How did you approach the two starts? Also can you explain a bit how the flow of information works on your boat during the start? Feedback from the bowman, jib trimmer, and tactician can be very useful during the pre-start, but too many people talking at once can also negate any benefit in a hurry.
CE: Last Thursday's line was pretty square. We started at the pin in both races because we wanted to take advantage of the fair tide and, what we thought, was better pressure on the left. I also just really like starting at the pin. Before every start, we as a boat, come up with a game plan. We take into consideration a lot of things: where we want to go on the beat, how square is the line, where we think all the other boats will be and how to avoid them, what position on the line will allow us to play the first beat the way we want to play it, whether we need to get onto port tack right away, are we going to be on starboard all the way to the fort, anything we can think of. The key to starting is getting one that can help you execute your game plan. The best way to end up where you want to be on the line is to back it all up a couple of steps. If you know you want to be at the middle of the line at go, you know you want to be on your final approach to starboard of the boat at a 1:30, and if you know that you also know that you want to be on port in the middle of the line at 2:30. I like to tell my crew how many maneuvers we have left as it becomes apparent. We have a bow guy calling lengths to the line. We have the trimmer listening to the helmsman who only says, trim, slow, or racing...we have one person dedicated to the time and another looking back for scoopers. Our time guy is our radio guy after the start. As the helmsman, I am constantly thinking about three different spatial scenarios. The distance between our bow and the line, whether we are bow out or bow behind relative to immediate neighbors, as well as our lateral distance to windward and leeward. The first two are pretty self-explanatory, the third is a bit more tricky and in my opinion a bit more important.
As with any northerly breeze, the wind last night was shifty and puffy. I noticed that upwind you don't even hold on to the mainsheet most of the time. Explain how you switch gears on your boat, how you depower when a puffs hits?
CE: The genoa drives the J 24. The puffs last Thursday night were not knock-down puffs. Mike, our genoa trimmer, dealt with most of them. In those conditions I keep one hand on the tiller and the other works the jib winch handle and the backstay. We are very active with our genoa. I only play the main when it gets really windy or really wavy. Flat water allows us to keep the leech profile of the main the same. Easing the genoa helps flatten the boat and allows it to climb to weather, unlike easing the main. The only time I ease and trim the main in conditions like last Thursday night is through tacks. As the puff comes the genoa goes out, the backstay comes on, the genoa comes back in and the backstay comes off.
Samson had his hair. And we all know what happened when he cut that. Is there any truth to the rumor that you're afraid that shaving off that Magnum P.I. moustache will compromise your sailing skills?
CE: Here is the story with the mustache. It started as a bet, gained some serious volume, now I can’t get rid of it.
Friday, June 6, 2008
One Ahead, One Behind
If you like symmetry, then there was a certain poetic beauty to the Crack Of Noon’s scoreline last night. In the first race, we were beaten by just one boat. In the second, we beat just one boat.And in both races, the most important moment was the start. In the first race, we had a beautiful start a third of the way down from the boat. After four weeks of struggling off the line, and usually having to tack away or live in a marginal lane, it was amazing to have the freedom to sail the boat as we wanted. Clear air can make you feel like a superstar. (Once again, thanks to www.SailFlow.com for the wind readings from Rose Island. Check out their site for forecasts and up-to-the-minute wind readings. Well worth the subscription. My sense is the reading is a little low from the north, but I could be wrong.)
We played the middle left side of the course, trying to stay in the puffs and the most advantageous current. Halfway up the beat it looked like we were going to have a dogfight getting through all the boats to our right—a wide-open track and flat water means everyone goes the same speed.
But we exercised some patience, staying to the left and biding out time, and got a very fortunate left shift on our final port tack and rounded third. On the run we had just enough separation to avoid the chaos right behind us, though there were plenty of tense moments. On the second beat we picked up one boat by staying to the left and in more pressure and current. Downwind we held off the wolves and followed only Salsa across the finish line.
The second race, we had an equally beautiful start. Or at least we thought we did until 30 seconds after the gun when we heard our number over the radio. By the time we rounded the boat and started back upwind the fleet was a quarter mile ahead of us. So we rolled the dice and, not surprisingly, they came up snake eyes. We caught one boat down the run.
So, an up-and-down performance that averaged out right smack in the middle of the fleet. But after four weeks of middling results, it felt a heck of a lot better than a pair of 10s. It was nice to have one race where we put it all together, where we got to line up with some of the top guys in the fleet and discover that we weren’t far off the pace, if at all.
It was also great to see the fleet break 20 boats for the first time this summer. That’s the sort of sailing that makes Fleet 50 so great, two-dozen boats, in close quarters. A few choice words here or there. No position is safe until you cross the line.
Salsa blitzed the fleet, winning both races. I think they might’ve finished the second race before we rounded the leeward mark. But since we heard from them last week, and we’re sure to have other opportunities to get their thoughts, we sent off a few questions to Charlie Enright, who drove Rooster to a pair of thirds last night.
Monday, June 2, 2008
Salsa, Al Fresco
Good things come to those that wait, or so my parents used to tell me when I was younger. But in this case, they were right. Monday morning we received some excellent wisdom from one of the best J/24 teams in the world (they won the 2004 World Championship after all), Team Salsa, led by Jens Hookanson and PJ Schaffer. Oh, they also tend to do fairly well on Thursday nights. Salsa crushed the fleet in Race 1, flying the big genoa. We had to know how they did it. Thanks PJ and Jens.
Last night was one of the windiest Thursday nights we’ve had in while. Many teams chose the blade jib for the first race, you guys went with the genoa. How did you come to that decision?
Jens Hookanson: We decided to go out without a headsail hooked up so we could make the call when we got out on the course based on the conditions. I knew if we went out with one of the sails already hooked up this might influence our decision. I prefer not to pay any attention to what other boats are doing and just make the decision based on our own situation. There were a few things to consider last night that went into our decision making process.
We did not have either Jock Hayes or Larry Colantuano (our normal cockpit guys) to pull the genoa. I steered and PJ decided to do the cockpit. The fact that we did not have our normal guys to pull the genoa was in the back of my mind, but I knew PJ could still do a good job at it and we had almost max weight on board and very competent crew.
It was indeed windy, but PJ brought up a good point that normally the breeze lightens as the evening progresses, and in fact it did just that.
We hate to change jibs between races on a Thursday night. I had a feeling that if we started with a blade then race 2 would likely require a change, and we wanted to avoid that scenario like the plague.
Since the tide was ebbing, this opened up the full race course tactically, meaning we could choose to minimize our number of tacks. No short tacking up Fort Adams required.
One thing about the J24 is that you can de power the boat quite easily. We tightened the shrouds to accommodate the windier conditions (about 29/29 on the Loos guage) and we moved the genoa lead back about 6” from our normal powered up setting. Once we decided to go with the genoa, we went upwind for a bit and I felt we were fine with the boat a bit de powered.
The genoa allows you to point much higher than with the blade and one of the things that I hate is not being able to hold a lane. Holding your lane often enables you to sail the race you want to sail rather than have your tactics decided for you by another boat.
How did you keep the boat on its feet with the genoa? Could you tell us a little bit about how you depowered the boat when a puff hit?
JH: One thing that really helps is having your crew call the puffs and lulls. This enables you to power up or depower as necessary. Last night was a critical night for this as it was windy and there were a lot of puffs. I find it really important to sail the J/24 as flat as possible and sometimes this requires pointing higher than normal to keep the boat on its feet. If the boat heels too much, the keel does not work and the boat slips sideways and that’s very slow. It’s the typical saying on a J24 that when it feels like you’re going slow and the boat feels like crap; you’re really going quite well. Sometimes I have a good bit of the genoa backing in the puffs, but this is actually fine and often quite fast at the upper end of the genoa. When sailing in the upper range of the genoa, one thing that we often do is ease the genoa 4-6” in the big puffs. This becomes necessary especially if the main begins to luff and the boat heels too much. I generally pull the mainsheet on quite hard and use the traveler and backstay to de power in the puffs and when the puff subsides, power back up so you don’t lose your pointing ability. Move the jib leads between tacks if you think the wind is trending up or down.
A big concern in heavy air with the genoa is tacking. What are the keys to a good tack in these situations?
PJ Schaffer: The biggest thing to remember is that “tacking” is a team sport. There is a common misconception that you have to be a big/strong person to tack the genoa in heavy air but the keys really are timing and coordination. The most important part of the tack is making sure the helmsman does not overturn the boat. The goal is to keep the boat moving through the tack while allowing the genoa to cross sides and lie within the opposite side lifelines. The cockpit trimmer must release just after the tack has started (slight backwind) so the sail “pops” thru the foretraingle. At this point the helmsman must slow the turn enough to allow the tailing of the sheet to catch up with the clew now on the new leeward side between the shrouds and lifelines. If the sail is heavily loaded on the new tack there is a good possibility the boat was turned too much thru the wind.
To help the trimming, the #3 (middle) must overhaul the released sheet to make sure it doesn’t wrap around the winch or snag any obstructions. Once the sail is trimmed as much as you can pull in, it’s three (for heavy air, two for medium/light) quick wraps around the winch and get out and hike. The helmsman will remove the weather side winch handle from the holster and wind the sheet in to desired trim. The bow man may need to skirt the jib but should wait until the cockpit trimmer is hiking and the helmsman calls for the skirt. Other keys are picking a good spot to tack (flat water, no puffs, etc.) and making sure the genoa sheets are as short as possible.
Last night was one of the windiest Thursday nights we’ve had in while. Many teams chose the blade jib for the first race, you guys went with the genoa. How did you come to that decision?
Jens Hookanson: We decided to go out without a headsail hooked up so we could make the call when we got out on the course based on the conditions. I knew if we went out with one of the sails already hooked up this might influence our decision. I prefer not to pay any attention to what other boats are doing and just make the decision based on our own situation. There were a few things to consider last night that went into our decision making process.
We did not have either Jock Hayes or Larry Colantuano (our normal cockpit guys) to pull the genoa. I steered and PJ decided to do the cockpit. The fact that we did not have our normal guys to pull the genoa was in the back of my mind, but I knew PJ could still do a good job at it and we had almost max weight on board and very competent crew.
It was indeed windy, but PJ brought up a good point that normally the breeze lightens as the evening progresses, and in fact it did just that.
We hate to change jibs between races on a Thursday night. I had a feeling that if we started with a blade then race 2 would likely require a change, and we wanted to avoid that scenario like the plague.
Since the tide was ebbing, this opened up the full race course tactically, meaning we could choose to minimize our number of tacks. No short tacking up Fort Adams required.
One thing about the J24 is that you can de power the boat quite easily. We tightened the shrouds to accommodate the windier conditions (about 29/29 on the Loos guage) and we moved the genoa lead back about 6” from our normal powered up setting. Once we decided to go with the genoa, we went upwind for a bit and I felt we were fine with the boat a bit de powered.
The genoa allows you to point much higher than with the blade and one of the things that I hate is not being able to hold a lane. Holding your lane often enables you to sail the race you want to sail rather than have your tactics decided for you by another boat.
How did you keep the boat on its feet with the genoa? Could you tell us a little bit about how you depowered the boat when a puff hit?
JH: One thing that really helps is having your crew call the puffs and lulls. This enables you to power up or depower as necessary. Last night was a critical night for this as it was windy and there were a lot of puffs. I find it really important to sail the J/24 as flat as possible and sometimes this requires pointing higher than normal to keep the boat on its feet. If the boat heels too much, the keel does not work and the boat slips sideways and that’s very slow. It’s the typical saying on a J24 that when it feels like you’re going slow and the boat feels like crap; you’re really going quite well. Sometimes I have a good bit of the genoa backing in the puffs, but this is actually fine and often quite fast at the upper end of the genoa. When sailing in the upper range of the genoa, one thing that we often do is ease the genoa 4-6” in the big puffs. This becomes necessary especially if the main begins to luff and the boat heels too much. I generally pull the mainsheet on quite hard and use the traveler and backstay to de power in the puffs and when the puff subsides, power back up so you don’t lose your pointing ability. Move the jib leads between tacks if you think the wind is trending up or down.
A big concern in heavy air with the genoa is tacking. What are the keys to a good tack in these situations?
PJ Schaffer: The biggest thing to remember is that “tacking” is a team sport. There is a common misconception that you have to be a big/strong person to tack the genoa in heavy air but the keys really are timing and coordination. The most important part of the tack is making sure the helmsman does not overturn the boat. The goal is to keep the boat moving through the tack while allowing the genoa to cross sides and lie within the opposite side lifelines. The cockpit trimmer must release just after the tack has started (slight backwind) so the sail “pops” thru the foretraingle. At this point the helmsman must slow the turn enough to allow the tailing of the sheet to catch up with the clew now on the new leeward side between the shrouds and lifelines. If the sail is heavily loaded on the new tack there is a good possibility the boat was turned too much thru the wind.
To help the trimming, the #3 (middle) must overhaul the released sheet to make sure it doesn’t wrap around the winch or snag any obstructions. Once the sail is trimmed as much as you can pull in, it’s three (for heavy air, two for medium/light) quick wraps around the winch and get out and hike. The helmsman will remove the weather side winch handle from the holster and wind the sheet in to desired trim. The bow man may need to skirt the jib but should wait until the cockpit trimmer is hiking and the helmsman calls for the skirt. Other keys are picking a good spot to tack (flat water, no puffs, etc.) and making sure the genoa sheets are as short as possible.
Friday, May 30, 2008
Singing the Genoa Blues, and Wisdom from Rob Lambert (USA 3360)
A number of years ago, I offered to trim jib for a J/24 at the San Francisco NOOD Regatta. That experience, which featured three days of short tacking the shore to avoid the strong flood tide, gave me two things: 1. A deep appreciation for the intricacies of trimming the genoa on this one-design. 2. A severe case of tendonitis in my left elbow.
The years since have erased the pain in my elbow and any sense of how hard it is to really tack the genoa on a J/24, especially in any kind of breeze. I can look back from my spot on the twings (now there's a challenge) and tell our genoa trimmer, with a straight face, how much it would really help us if he could get it inside the lifelines on the next tack.
Or at least I could do that. Last night, after three light-air Thursday nights, we got a load of breeze on the one night that none of the top three trimmers on our crew depth chart could make it and I was forced to fill in.
If there is one benefit to being the jib trimmer, it’s that you can swear with impunity. I did plenty of that, especially on the final tack of the night when I thought I’d finally gotten my technique down pat and the jib sheet somehow got caught around the latch on the companionway slider. How did that happen? I’m still mystified.
Tacking the genoa on a J/24 might be among the toughest headsail handling jobs in the sport. Think about it: modern boats like a Melges 24 have only a 100-percent jib. That couldn't be easier. If the boat is any bigger, and has a genoa, you usually will have help in the maneuver, and you’re not likely to cross sheet. Nope in the J/24 the jib trimmer is all alone, just you, two winches, 20 feet of squirming sheet, and four sets of eyes watching you knowing they could do it better.
But aside from my struggles with the jib sheets, what a fabulous night of sailing. The choice between the blade and the genoa was quite interesting and if anything I came away with the sense that the windspeed range where either sail is pretty effective might be larger than many of us had thought. After all, the first race, which was the windier of the two, was won by Salsa (USA 1964) carrying a genoa. The second race, when the windspeed dropped a bit into the mid-teens, was taken by Barfly (USA 3360) with a blade. (Quick note: Don't forget that sailing with the blade means EVERYONE on the crew MUST WEAR LIFEJACKETS! The RC will DSQ you if you don't follow this part of the SIs. More than a few boats learned this the hard way last night.)
Rob Lambert, from Barfly, was quick to get back to me with his thoughts on the evening. Those are below. Hopefully someone from the Salsa Syndicate will do the same today or over the weekend.
How many days until next Thursday? Oh yeah, same as on every Friday, six!
Winner's Wisdom from Rob Lambert of Barfly
Many of the teams that sailed with the blade in the first race switched over to the genoa for Race 2. You didn’t and, despite a slight drop in windspeed, won the race. What was your thinking in staying with the small jib?
Rob Lambert: Though we did not have a great race on the first one, we thought that we had plenty of power with the blade and our speed and height, when we were in clean air, was good. For me personally I have learned the hard way that I have trouble going as fast as the some of the pro boats like Salsa at the top end of the No. 1. We have had better performance with the blade in 14 knots then the genoa. This is somewhat against the norm, but it is extremely hard, for me, to drive the 24 with the genoa in 15 knots. We noticed the drop in wind speed between races and seriously considered changing up. The deciding factors were that we were confident in our speed with the blade from the first race, thought the wind might come back up, and the water was relatively flat so we thought we did not need the power in the genoa. I think we also got a little lucky because it seemed to get a little more breezy right around the start of the second race.
Did you change the set up of the boat at all between the races to accommodate for slightly less breeze?
RL: No change in the rig, we had it set for the North Sails 14 to 17 wind range. No change in the car position for the jib. The major difference was the backstay, max on the first race, about half way on for the second race.
Can you give us a quick rundown of your strategy for the first beat. Most teams worked the right side of the course, presumably for better current and maybe an evening right-hand shift. You played the left side.
RL: Our fundamental idea was to ride the current as much as possible. We wanted to stay away from the south side of Rose Island where we thought there would be less favorable current. Holding starboard tack off the line, staying in the current, was key. This took us between the two large anchored yachts where we got some more favorable tide push from the water dumping out of Newport harbor. The port tack put us from there in the middle of the bay where we anticipated the most current.
What about on the run? What was your thinking there?
RL: Get out of the tide, get inside position. Coming into the windward mark we decided that we wanted to stay close to the Fort Adams shore to get out of the current. We were able to stay there for a while, but a couple boats from behind began to gain as they were covering us. As it seemed they might get inside position on us we jibed out to maintain inside position and tried to keep as close to the shore as the other boats would allow. In the end it turned out that we were neck and neck with On the Beach for about half the run, but the inside position established in the beginning of the run paid off as we were able round inside at the leeward mark.
Friday, May 23, 2008
What I Meant To Do Was...
One of the stories I’ve been editing for the July/August issue of Sailing World is Part II of a series on sailing downwind in light air by America’s Cup veteran Tony Rey (warning: small plug coming—the first part is in our June issue, which should be on newstands soon). I’ve read the story four or five times and spent countless hours dissecting Tony’s advice and trying to make it as clear as possible. I can recite the key points from memory.
Of course, when put into a position to use this information, I totally screwed up.
The first race was a disaster. We got squeezed out at the boat end, and then managed to screw up virtually every key decision the rest of the way. The second race didn’t start much better as, when the starting gun fired, we were two boatlengths off the line and going slow. But then the night started to turn for us, we took a conservative path up the beat, playing the shifts, and crawled back into the race. Learning from our mistake in the first race, we played the Newport side of the run and jumped into the top half and the other side ran out of wind. We would finish ninth, dead in the middle of the 17-boat fleet, but we had a chance to finish as high as seventh. I woke up this morning thinking about those two places.
One of Tony’s tenets for a light air run is to be wary of coming into the mark on layline as it makes it very easy for other boats to jibe on to your air. It’s best to jibe a little shy of the layline and give yourself some flexibility toward the end of the run.
My first mistake was ignoring this advice and hitting the port-tack layline for the leeward mark two-thirds of the way down the run. This wasn’t an easy call. USA 3360 banged the corner on that run and went from behind us at the windward mark to sixth at the finish. But my decision to hit the layline would hurt us.
As we converged on the mark, it became clear that we were going to be very close with My Heine.
My initial thought was to sail low—we were coming in on a hotter angle and had better speed—and try to get to the mark first. This was my second mistake. In those conditions, sailing through a windshadow is all but impossible. Another of Tony’s key bits of advice for light air is about always keeping your air clear.
Realizing this wasn’t going to happen, we then made the decision to fight for the overlap. We won the battle, getting the inside overlap, but lost the war. We rounded slow and with My Heine planted on our leebow. We had to tack away and eventually lost one more boat at the finish. Ugh.
A third nugget of advice that Tony offered in his story is the singular importance of a clean rounding, with speed, even if it means going to the unfavored side of the gate. We had neither. I often chide myself for not being aggressive enough when approaching leeward marks—especially single marks as opposed to gates. But this time, once we realized we would not get through My Heine’s windshadow, we should have focused on a clean rounding, with speed, right on their transom. This might have enabled us to live on their windward hip. There was so little port tack in the final beat that we didn’t need to stay there long to ensure we could beat them to the tack and have a chance to beat them across the line.
It seems so easy in hindsight.
It was great to see 18 boats out last night. Let’s hope for some breeze next week. We are definitely due. Enjoy the long weekend.
Last night's results can be found on the Ida Lewis webpage.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Winner's Wisdom from Jeff Johnstone and John Mollicone
A two-fer of good advice today, first from Jeff Johnstone who took Race 1 in dramatic fashion. Second we have some nuggets from John Mollicone, who had a more conventional (start first and extend) win in Race 2. Thanks to both of them. Also, if you have any additional questions or comments, drop them in the comments section, all you need is a gmail account, which is free.
Jeff Johnstone (USA 5356)
We all know tide is a huge factor in Thursday night racing. Last night’s first race was especially tough as the tide was switching as we started, so it seemed hard to get a read. You had a good beat, but the winning move appeared to come halfway down the beat. With the top half of the fleet virtually even, you jibe to port, took a number of transoms and headed to the right side (looking upwind) of the course and won the race. Can you tell us what you were looking for?
The decision to jibe out and take all those transoms to get west downwind was due to a mistake we made on the beat. We started at the pin with plan to go left, because pre-start we noticed old flood current in the middle of the course while the new ebb was working its way across from the left. We got the pin and extended nicely, then tacked to port to stay with the fleet, which had mostly headed right. As boats crossed the current line we saw them lighten and drop to leeward. We were licking our chops. Then we made the error of crossing the line before tacking back left. When we tacked 30 seconds later we were fighting a line of flood current, and by the time we got back into the ebb, Crack of Noon, who we had earlier crossed by many lengths, had us by several. On the run, we figured that that same patch of old flood (or at least neutral current) was still along the same line (only further west). As the breeze lightened near the fort, and with Crack of Noon and Smokin’ to our right, we jibed and ducked Tasmanian Devil and two other transoms, then saw the current line and decided to do a hard duck on another 4 boats in order to cross the line. About 30 seconds after we crossed the current line we made an immediate huge gain. Pipe Dream saw this and was next to jibe out. We then picked a spot later to jibe back to consolidate and were able to cross the big pack. All I can say is it was good there weren’t 25 boats out there.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen you outfox the fleet. What is key to getting the best of the tide? Experience is important, but what other keys can you use to take advantage of a variable tide situation like we had last night?
I think we used all our luck and brain cells in the first race, because we neglected to keep track of the current lines pre-start into the second race and overlooked that the full ebb had worked its way across the bay. Races during the mid-tide cycle (2-4 hours after high or low tide) are pretty straight-forward and most of the fleet is dialed into where the best and worst current is. However, when you are within 1- 1.5 hours of a tide change plan on having to more carefully sail across the course pre-start and pay particular attention to any lines and the current on either side. It’s just a habit with us that if we see a current line near the starting line, we’ll sail across it constantly to reaffirm whether its favorable or not, and then set up our starting strategy accordingly (either to get into favorable quicker or to avoid the foul). Also don’t assume that because high tide is 5:30 p.m. that the whole bay is ebbing at 6 p.m. Last night at 6:25, there was still flood current in the middle of the channel.
We won a race last year in just the opposite sequence of tide. It was low tide at 5:45, lightly flooding at the start at 6:15, and so most of the fleet hit the Fort Adams coastline. We headed out towards bell 13 and picked up a narrow river of ebb current and managed to close reach into mark #4 in true Sugar Plum fashion. We had seen both Pete and Scott win this same kind of race over the years, but never had the guts to try it!
John Mollicone (USA 5256)
You had a great comeback in that first race, finishing second. Tell a little about your plan for that race and how you got back in the lead group?
Our gameplan was to stay on starboard off the line and head towards the Newport shore. We thought there was more breeze on the left and we also thought the current was fully ebbing on the shore, but not so sure about the right. We had a bad start, but we were still able to get left and at least round the weather not too far behind the leaders. There was a nice left shift on the beat, and, it seemed, more pressure. I think the current started to change in the channel (deeper water) during this race, and was ebbing hard towards the Newport shore.
The second race started in a bit of a shifty breeze. Tell us a little how you approached the start and was your plan was for the first part of the beat?
The starting was a bit skewed and a little difficult to cross on starboard tack. Port tack was the long tack by far, and with the current ebbing hard, our gameplan was to tack onto port right away near the boat end. Being towards the boat, we thought we would get to the shipping channel right away towards Jamestown and in the strongest ebb. The best pressure also seemed to be middle right as well, and port was so lifted.
Very light air, flat water. What's the best way to set up the J/24 for those conditions? And how do you trim to it upwind?
Since it was so light, we went a half turn off both the uppers and lowers from our base setting, which is 20/15. We usually do this in under 5 knots, when we have a body or two down below. We call this our "super setting."
Downwind was very tough in the second race as the wind was very up and down, occasionally going really light. How aggressively were you changing your course to keep the spinnaker drawing? Tell us a little about the dialogue that goes on between the spinnaker trimmer and the driver?
Luckily, we had a decent lead at the weather mark (in the second race). It went real light on the run, with the current starting to go out real hard and against us. Staying aggressively towards the Newport shore but not too close was key. There was a current line that you needed to clearly stay inside of, but if you hugged the shore too close it would get real light. Our trimmer, Peter Henderson, was very vocal about pressure on the sheets and I would always respond slowly with some tiller and with our crew weight in or outboard. Being so light it was important to have very gentle tiller movements, if any, to head up or down. Our tactician, Rob MacMillan, would also be vocal about lane management and if there was pressure coming.
Jeff Johnstone (USA 5356)
We all know tide is a huge factor in Thursday night racing. Last night’s first race was especially tough as the tide was switching as we started, so it seemed hard to get a read. You had a good beat, but the winning move appeared to come halfway down the beat. With the top half of the fleet virtually even, you jibe to port, took a number of transoms and headed to the right side (looking upwind) of the course and won the race. Can you tell us what you were looking for?
The decision to jibe out and take all those transoms to get west downwind was due to a mistake we made on the beat. We started at the pin with plan to go left, because pre-start we noticed old flood current in the middle of the course while the new ebb was working its way across from the left. We got the pin and extended nicely, then tacked to port to stay with the fleet, which had mostly headed right. As boats crossed the current line we saw them lighten and drop to leeward. We were licking our chops. Then we made the error of crossing the line before tacking back left. When we tacked 30 seconds later we were fighting a line of flood current, and by the time we got back into the ebb, Crack of Noon, who we had earlier crossed by many lengths, had us by several. On the run, we figured that that same patch of old flood (or at least neutral current) was still along the same line (only further west). As the breeze lightened near the fort, and with Crack of Noon and Smokin’ to our right, we jibed and ducked Tasmanian Devil and two other transoms, then saw the current line and decided to do a hard duck on another 4 boats in order to cross the line. About 30 seconds after we crossed the current line we made an immediate huge gain. Pipe Dream saw this and was next to jibe out. We then picked a spot later to jibe back to consolidate and were able to cross the big pack. All I can say is it was good there weren’t 25 boats out there.
It’s not the first time we’ve seen you outfox the fleet. What is key to getting the best of the tide? Experience is important, but what other keys can you use to take advantage of a variable tide situation like we had last night?
I think we used all our luck and brain cells in the first race, because we neglected to keep track of the current lines pre-start into the second race and overlooked that the full ebb had worked its way across the bay. Races during the mid-tide cycle (2-4 hours after high or low tide) are pretty straight-forward and most of the fleet is dialed into where the best and worst current is. However, when you are within 1- 1.5 hours of a tide change plan on having to more carefully sail across the course pre-start and pay particular attention to any lines and the current on either side. It’s just a habit with us that if we see a current line near the starting line, we’ll sail across it constantly to reaffirm whether its favorable or not, and then set up our starting strategy accordingly (either to get into favorable quicker or to avoid the foul). Also don’t assume that because high tide is 5:30 p.m. that the whole bay is ebbing at 6 p.m. Last night at 6:25, there was still flood current in the middle of the channel.
We won a race last year in just the opposite sequence of tide. It was low tide at 5:45, lightly flooding at the start at 6:15, and so most of the fleet hit the Fort Adams coastline. We headed out towards bell 13 and picked up a narrow river of ebb current and managed to close reach into mark #4 in true Sugar Plum fashion. We had seen both Pete and Scott win this same kind of race over the years, but never had the guts to try it!
John Mollicone (USA 5256)
You had a great comeback in that first race, finishing second. Tell a little about your plan for that race and how you got back in the lead group?
Our gameplan was to stay on starboard off the line and head towards the Newport shore. We thought there was more breeze on the left and we also thought the current was fully ebbing on the shore, but not so sure about the right. We had a bad start, but we were still able to get left and at least round the weather not too far behind the leaders. There was a nice left shift on the beat, and, it seemed, more pressure. I think the current started to change in the channel (deeper water) during this race, and was ebbing hard towards the Newport shore.
The second race started in a bit of a shifty breeze. Tell us a little how you approached the start and was your plan was for the first part of the beat?
The starting was a bit skewed and a little difficult to cross on starboard tack. Port tack was the long tack by far, and with the current ebbing hard, our gameplan was to tack onto port right away near the boat end. Being towards the boat, we thought we would get to the shipping channel right away towards Jamestown and in the strongest ebb. The best pressure also seemed to be middle right as well, and port was so lifted.
Very light air, flat water. What's the best way to set up the J/24 for those conditions? And how do you trim to it upwind?
Since it was so light, we went a half turn off both the uppers and lowers from our base setting, which is 20/15. We usually do this in under 5 knots, when we have a body or two down below. We call this our "super setting."
Downwind was very tough in the second race as the wind was very up and down, occasionally going really light. How aggressively were you changing your course to keep the spinnaker drawing? Tell us a little about the dialogue that goes on between the spinnaker trimmer and the driver?
Luckily, we had a decent lead at the weather mark (in the second race). It went real light on the run, with the current starting to go out real hard and against us. Staying aggressively towards the Newport shore but not too close was key. There was a current line that you needed to clearly stay inside of, but if you hugged the shore too close it would get real light. Our trimmer, Peter Henderson, was very vocal about pressure on the sheets and I would always respond slowly with some tiller and with our crew weight in or outboard. Being so light it was important to have very gentle tiller movements, if any, to head up or down. Our tactician, Rob MacMillan, would also be vocal about lane management and if there was pressure coming.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Welcome to Newport
We had a new member aboard Crack of Noon last night. Derby Anderson isn’t just new to the boat, she’s also new to town, having moved here just a few weeks ago from Annapolis. However, she’s apparently done her research. As we were tuning up for the race, she said: “So I hear it’s all about the tide in this fleet?”
She picked a heck of a night to say that.
Last night was quite an interesting race. The tide turned at 5:38 p.m. in Newport, which means that by the time we started racing it was just beginning to ebb. Most of the fleet went right, toward the deeper water to the west of Rose Island. Our plan from the outset was to go left as I felt that was a quicker route to the tide. A poor start put us in a hole and we were a quarter of the way through a tack when I decided to stick to my guns and asked Ian to go straight. (Thanks again to www.iWindsurf.com for the wind readings from Rose Island)
As it turned out, the best thing that happened to us on that leg was a windshift to the left and some better pressure on the left side and we rounded the windward mark in second. But that was the beginning of the end. A third of the way down the run I looked to leeward and saw half of the 13-boat fleet lined up, bow to bow. It was a classic restart and we were on the wrong side of it this time. Jeff Johnstone made a radical move toward the cone of current relief south of Rose Island, taking a number of transoms to get there, and won the race. We ended up 11th. Ugh!
By the time we got the second race underway, the tide was beginning to really move, and it seemed to create all sorts of weird eddies up the course. We tried to be patient, and sailed the long tack—port tack—as long as we could. At one point we were looking quite strong, but fell out of phase at the top of the leg and rounded midfleet, which is where we finished. Better, but still plenty of room for improvement. John Mollicone and Rob MacMillan led wire to wire for the win.
Nice work by the race committee getting as much out of the breeze as possible. It died completely before we reached the dock at Newport YC.
Results for 5/15: 1. USA 5256 (2, 1) 2. USA 355 (5, 2) 3. USA 3969 (3, 5) 4. USA 5356 (1, 8) 5. USA 5291 (8, 3) 6. USA 4453 (6, 6) 7. USA 3360 (10,4) 8. USA 3328 (4, 11) 9. USA 3688 (11, 7) 10. USA 1600 (7, 12) 11. USA 4687 (9, 10) 12. USA 3148 (13, 9) 13. USA 3294 (12, 13)
Friday, May 9, 2008
Winner's Wisdom from Anthony Kotoun (USA 2934)
One of the best traditions of Newport's Laser frostbite fleet is the weekly words of wisdom, where the winner from the previous week shares a few tips on what was working for him. Hopefully we'll be able to do a similar thing with the J/24 fleet. Technically Anthony Kotoun didn't win the first night of sailing, losing on a tiebreaker to Charlie Enright's Rooster. But I didn't have the results at the time I sent the questions out and as a former world champion in the class, Kotoun is definitely no slouch. So I sent him three questions. Here are his repies.
Stuart Streuli: With a strong incoming tide and a moderate southerly, last night featured some very flat water on the bay. How do you adjust the set up of your boat for conditions where the water is flatter than expected for the wind speed?
Anthony Kotoun: We were at 24-21 but were overpowered and had 100-percent back stay on. Kind of got caught when the breeze increased there the last few minutes and should have tightened the back stay adjusters. As for flat water, we all know the answer: pinch! You have to use the mantra of, “If it feels like crap, you are going well.” Every once in a while the crew should have to pull up their feet to keep then out of the water. Mainsheet was really, really tight. Biggest thing for me though is someone good calling puffs. When the puff hits, in a perfect world the boat should never feel it because you have pulled on the backstay, and pinched a bit and the genoa guy has eased 7 inches.
SS: We don’t often start in the cone of tide relief south of Rose Island. Conventional wisdom said you needed to get right to get out of the tide as fast as possible, but in the second race you were not among the first group to head right, and instead chose to come in from the middle/left side two-thirds of the way up the beat. What was your thinking there?
AK: I could see that the boat was going to be very crowed with about 1 minute to go so I chose the avoid and safe route. I was confident in our speed and wanted to be patient. Most importantly though, it wasn't my boat and I wanted to avoid a potential crash. As we saw, a big collision is no way to start of the season!
Current-wise though, the western channel is deeper and I thought it might be stronger over there. I think the left would have worked but the breeze went 7 to 10 degrees right up that beat. When we tacked onto port two-thirds of the way up we were looking good but it faded and we had to put a really weak leebow on Will Welles, who eventually rolled us at the mark.
SS: Downwind was a fetch, but just barely. What did you feel was the key to having a successful run?
AK: I hate fetches. They are so boring. We worked hard on our lane last night and it was semi helpful. More important though is to know ahead of the rounding if it is going to be a fetch or jibe set and be ready to set up your lane appropriately.
Stuart Streuli: With a strong incoming tide and a moderate southerly, last night featured some very flat water on the bay. How do you adjust the set up of your boat for conditions where the water is flatter than expected for the wind speed?
Anthony Kotoun: We were at 24-21 but were overpowered and had 100-percent back stay on. Kind of got caught when the breeze increased there the last few minutes and should have tightened the back stay adjusters. As for flat water, we all know the answer: pinch! You have to use the mantra of, “If it feels like crap, you are going well.” Every once in a while the crew should have to pull up their feet to keep then out of the water. Mainsheet was really, really tight. Biggest thing for me though is someone good calling puffs. When the puff hits, in a perfect world the boat should never feel it because you have pulled on the backstay, and pinched a bit and the genoa guy has eased 7 inches.
SS: We don’t often start in the cone of tide relief south of Rose Island. Conventional wisdom said you needed to get right to get out of the tide as fast as possible, but in the second race you were not among the first group to head right, and instead chose to come in from the middle/left side two-thirds of the way up the beat. What was your thinking there?
AK: I could see that the boat was going to be very crowed with about 1 minute to go so I chose the avoid and safe route. I was confident in our speed and wanted to be patient. Most importantly though, it wasn't my boat and I wanted to avoid a potential crash. As we saw, a big collision is no way to start of the season!
Current-wise though, the western channel is deeper and I thought it might be stronger over there. I think the left would have worked but the breeze went 7 to 10 degrees right up that beat. When we tacked onto port two-thirds of the way up we were looking good but it faded and we had to put a really weak leebow on Will Welles, who eventually rolled us at the mark.
SS: Downwind was a fetch, but just barely. What did you feel was the key to having a successful run?
AK: I hate fetches. They are so boring. We worked hard on our lane last night and it was semi helpful. More important though is to know ahead of the rounding if it is going to be a fetch or jibe set and be ready to set up your lane appropriately.
First Night Done Right, Sort Of
The forecast called for the breeze to fade and go right. From the time we got to the boat around 4 p.m. until we left the dock at 5:15, the breeze dropped steadily, just as the forecast predicted. It seemed to level off around 10 to 12 knots as we sailed out to the course, checked our numbers, and did a few spinnaker sets. So we backed off the rig a bit, down to what is our traditional Thursday-night setting. Then, of course, the breeze kicked up for the first race. Feeling like we were slightly overpowered at times on the first beat, we went back up on rig for the second race and, well, the breeze faded again. (The image is a section of last night’s wind readings from the Rose Island sensor, courtesy of www.iWindsurf.com/www.SailFlow.com)
While it would’ve been nice to be in better sync with the breeze, the real key to last night seemed to be getting off the line. With a strong flood tide, the beat was relatively one-sided and the run was basically a fetch. With each course being upwind, finish downwind, there were few passing lanes.
The Crack of Noon team struggled in both starts and that put us in catch-up mode for the rest of the race. We made up a few boats in both races by tacking shy of the starboard layline and avoiding the parade. This always makes for a slightly hairy final approach to the windward mark—tack, find a hole, tack, pinch to make the mark—but it worked for us in both cases.
Personally, the best move I made all night was throwing a vest into my backpack before I left the house. I was fine without it for the racing, but sucking down the suds afterward was another story. Early May in Newport is always a little chilly once the sun goes down.
It was great to see 13 boats out for the first night. Unfortunately two of them retired after a thunderous windward mark collision in the first race. A fine how-do-you-do to start the season. Hopefully it won't keep either of them off the water for too long. As for those of you who weren’t there, where were you? I’ve always maintained that the key to a Newport summer is ramping up all the summer activities in May. Otherwise you spend June and July trying to find your rhythm and August wondering where the summer went. See you next week.
Preliminary Results for May 8: 1. USA 4274 (1, 3) 2. USA 2934 (2, 2) 3. USA 4116 (4,1) 4. USA 4453 (5,6) 5. USA 4446 (3, 9) 6. USA 2991 (7, 5) 7. USA 3688 (6, 7) 8. USA 3360 (11, 4) 9. USA 355 (10,8) 10. USA 4687 (8,11) 11. USA 3969 (9,10).
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Lovely Night for a Launching
It’s hard to think of a better night for launching a boat than last night, especially in Newport in May. Just three of us made quick work of getting Crack of Noon in the water (that's Dave Reed on the right delivering the boat to its slip at Newport YC). By 8 p.m. we were comfortably seated at the Mudville Pub toasting the impending start of the another season of J/24 sailing. Psyched would be an extreme understatement.
It’s strange that the more sailing I do and the more traveling I do, the more I look forward to Thursday nights in Newport. Though I always seem to remember the water being closer to 70 than 50.
Last fall at the annual awards banquet, I spoke with the incoming fleet captains, Will Welles and Brian Smith, about improving the intra-fleet communications. We thought a weekly blog would be great. So in this space each Friday morning, I’ll be sharing a little recap of the previous night. We hope to have the results up as well, and we’ll also do some impromptu interviews with a strong performer from each week to help share a bit of the collective knowledge of the fleet.
Anyone with a gmail.com account will be able to add comments (the account is free and easy to sign up for, and so far, no junk mail!) and if you get sick of hearing about the travails and triumphs of the Crack of Noon crew, feel free to volunteer to sit in for a week and tell everyone how it went down on your boat. You can reach me at stuart (dot) streuli (at) sailingworld (dot) com. Or just email any of the fleet officers, they can also post stories to the blog.
As nice as the weather was last night, it’s still May, and it looks like we’re in for something a little more typical for tomorrow night’s opening race. The forecast from iWindsurf.com says we can expect strong SW breezes during the day with a possible fade into the evening. Showers are possible as a front moves through.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Registrations Due NOW
Please send your Fleet 50 registration in today. Racing starts in less than 10 days. No registration means no scoring. If I don't have your check and form by Tuesday May 6th, then you won't get scored. I need to send in a list to ILYC on Wednesday, May 7th.
Signed,
Your Fleet Treasurer.
Signed,
Your Fleet Treasurer.
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