NOROTON YC
FLEET RACING:
June 19:
Today saw our biggest fleet to date with 16 boats on the line. PRO Alex Meleney ran two races, the first being a D2 with legs about a mile long. With the wind dying, the race had to be shortened to finish at the second leeward mark. Leading the entire race was Jim Linville with Paul Steinborn and Jack Linville. Finishing just behind them, and coming up fast was Steve Shepstone. Third went to team 616 with John Schultz and Paul Norton.
After a 180º shift, Alex started the second race, a W1 1/2 with the wind out of the north around 11 kts. What a difference a few minutes made. This race lasted 25 minutes with Lee Morrison taking the gun followed by Ed Sweeney in second and Jim Linville in third.
In the end, team Fast Forward won the day. Steve Shepstone finished second with Ed Sweeney winning a three way tie-breaker for third.
June 26:
Here is a recap from Jim Linville, the winner of today's race...
"The cast of characters was Paul Steinborn, Jack Linville, Peter Galloway and me. Peter's status was in doubt right up to the last moment as he was cleaning up an oil spill in the bilge of Course Change that came close to rivaling the Exxon Valdez. He showed up at the last moment, shedding his hazmat suit for sailing togs, looking like James Bond unzipping the wetsuit to reveal a perfectly pressed tux. And speaking of oil, his well oiled crew had the boat launched, sails up, spinnaker rigged, cold beverages in the cooler, ready to go.
The conditions were light with the wind in the 200 to 217 range. Dave Sinclair with able assistance from Craig, finally figured out that the automatic function on the starting horn had taken the day off and got the start off manually, for a D2. The breeze looked to be all on the left side, and Shep drilled the start at the pin and headed left. We tacked out of our seat in the second row of the mezzanine, found a nice lane going left and tacked back, rounding a close 5th, behind Shep, Lee, Scott, and Kirby, maybe not in that exact order. Everyone did a bear away set on to starboard jibe to stay on the favored south side of the course but as often happens, everyone was sailing way too high, trying to find the passing lane, poles almost on the headstay. We got bored with that game and jibed out well short of the layline and immediately were able to sail our polars, work the puffs down, and with the pole on average five feet off the headstay felt like we were gaining a half a boat length for every boat length we were sailing - up to 340 in the lulls an down to a low as 352 in the puffs, with no one threatening our lanes. It paid off as we rounded first, with Shep in second but with Lee and Scott right on his stern. Shep held on Port for awhile and we did, too - no reason to sail away from folks in a breeze that was rapidly dying. Shep tacked, we did too and put the nose down to get as far bow out as we could - no reason to give him any leverage on the favored side of the course. Craig and David had shortened the next leg (thank goodness!!) and as the breeze continued to die decided to shorten the race at the new weather mark. Thanks again, guys, we were really not looking forward to that last run. Lee caught Scott right at the finish to finish fourth, so it was us, Shep, Lee, Scott and then John Schultz in 5th. Craig got on the radio and had the tows organized so we wasted no time at all getting in.
Shared a tow with Sweeney and Raymond who were taunting us with their beers as they relaxed on the way back. We gritted our teeth a took the abuse, but Paul was ready to swim up to them and raid their coolers. In the end, even though we were behind in the tow, some fancy line handling by Vice Commodore Tankoos allowed us to get to the hoist in the lead so Paul could make a run to the kegerator.
Almost all of the above is true."
Jim Linville
Full fleet 1 results can be seen here: http://www.fleet1.org/
RULES:
Here is a great rules question from Peter Wilson. Feel free to submit answers. I'll publish the correct answer in the next edition (it might surprise you).
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UPCOMING SCHEDULE:
Sunday fleet racing: every week
July 4th Series: Sunday July 3, Monday July 4. Harbor start is 12:30 each day. Commodore's race will be the first race on Sunday
Sunday July 17: The Vice Commodore's race will be the first race of the day
Friday July 29-Sunday July 31: Marblehead NOOD
IMPORTANT LINKS:
New SCA newsletter: http://sonarclass.blogspot.com/
Fleet 1 results: http://www.fleet1.org/
SCA Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/sonarclass
SCA Twitter page: http://twitter.com/#!/SonarClass
