Wednesday, September 24, 2014

SONAR FLEET 1 NEWSLETTER

FLEET RACING:

Sunday September 21:

From the September 2nd newsletter: "Summer finally arrived on Long Island Sound this past weekend..."

That was a bit of foreshadowing as summer continued last Sunday with wind out of the east at 4-6 kts. After a half hour onshore delay, PRO Morgan Connor sent the fleet of seven die-hard, just-get-me-on-a-boat, wack... we mean dedicated sailors... out to ply their light air skills and test their patience on a D1.

In usual fashion, the fleet rounded the windward mark together. Then the fun really started.

The dilemma for everyone at the windward mark... slightly more wind but stronger adverse current out towards the middle (what would a light air day be without an adverse current sailing down to the leeward mark?) or less wind (how could it be any less?) and current towards shore.

Most picked option 2. Ed Sweeney and team 454 went for what little pressure there was and picked option 1. What seemed like an eternity later, Morgan made a good call, shortened the course and finished everyone at the leeward mark. Ed guessed right as he crossed the finish line several minutes (about 1/2 a boat length... just kidding) ahead of Scott Macleod and team 506. Third was Bruce Kirby and team 633.

Team 454 taking the gun.


Then we were all towed in.

As always, full results can be found here: http://www.fleet1.org/

Team 454: Tim Sickinger, Peggy Hersam's stand-in: Cassie Jones, Ed Sweeney and Alec Wiggin.
ACC REGATTA:

The Atlantic Coast Championship is upon us. We have 20 boats entered at this time with a couple of "maybes" still out there.

For those participating...

There will be chili and beer Friday evening for those who feel like avoiding the rush at 9:00am Saturday and launching on Friday.
 
The competitors meeting is set for 9:30am on Saturday, harbor start is 10:00am. 

If you want, you can order box lunches from Kitty. Let her know you are interested before Saturday and your lunches will be will be there for you Saturday morning.

Hang out after racing on Saturday for dinner on the patio.

Then we do it again on Sunday, with a harbor start of 9:00am.

Pray for wind.

TEAM RACING:

The club hosted the Kirby Cup on September 13-14. Congratulations to New York YC for their undefeated record to win event (the Team Race championship of the Sonar Class Association).

Final Results: 
1. New York (15-0)
2. Noroton YC
3. Vineyard Haven YC
4. Rochester YC
5. Marblehead YC
6. Seawanhaka YC

Team NYYC. How many Noroton members can you name?

Here is the remaining Sonar Class regatta schedule for 2014:

Atlantic Coast Championship, September 27-28, Noroton YC

FLEET 1 CALENDAR:

Atlantic Coast Championship: Noroton YC, September 27-28
Last day of racing: Sunday October 5 with season awards given out immediately after racing.

PACKING IT IN FOR THE WINTER:

Our remaining sailing schedule consists of this weekend's regatta and fleet racing on 10/5.

If you have Ed Morgan shrink wrap your boat, let him know when you're done so he can do his thing. 

Let's help him manage the inevitable last minute rush to get all the boats prepped for winter.

You can reach him at: 516-883-6700 or find him most days at the club.

Monday, September 8, 2014

SONAR FLEET 1 NEWSLETTER

FLEET RACING:

Sunday September 7:

Photo: Mark Sullivan 


A shifty, puffy, northerly offered the nine boats that went out racing the toughest conditions of the season. Tough for competitors and tough for the RC. Still, PRO Steve Shepstone ran three races, two W2s and a W1 1/2.

Actually, we're told that what was happening was two separate breezes were competing for the same space. This meant, for the most part, if you went right, you'd sail into a righty. If you went left, you'd sail into a lefty. If you played the middle, you struggled.

Scott Harrison (happy birthday, Scott) and team 772 tacked onto port at the start of all three races and went right. Apparently that was the thing to do as Scott finished the day with only 4 points, taking second in the first race and winning races 2 and 3.

Fast Forward doubled 772's points with scores of 1, 3 and 4 and still finished second overall. Third went to team 506 who finished with 13 points by virtue of finished of 6, 4 and 3.

Scott's take on the day:

Tricky has been the word for this summer.  Team Shepstone did a great job getting 3 races off in an up and down northerly.

We got readings from 340-30 degrees with substantial changes in velocity.  Changing gears and finding the lifted tack were our primary mission.

We started 2/3’s to the favored pin side and tacked on to port in all 3 races to avoid the pin pile up as the fleet compressed  with the adverse tide on the left side of the line.  We found pressure on the right at the bottom of the race course and equal pressure at the top.  3 times we sailed off the race course given the severity of the shifts, and playing the edges was dangerous.

Down wind was about pointing the bow to the leeward mark and staying in pressure..  Sailing into a hole was death, as in the first race, when Galloway, Monro and Harrison stopped dead at the finish line and drifted across with the tide.

Given the lack of wind over Labor Day, we were happy to get 3 races completed.

Click the link for full results (be sure to select "Series 2"): http://www.fleet1.org/

Team 772: Adam Westerman, Scott Harrison and Warren Costikyan
TEAM RACING:

No fleet racing on Sunday, September 14 as the club is hosting the Kirby Cup team race next weekend.

Six clubs will be joining Noroton for two days of racing... Boston, New York, Rochester, American, Seawanhaka and Vineyard Haven.

For those owners who have volunteered use of their boats, please make sure you take everything off your boat as soon as possible. Take your sails, sheets, spin pole and any personal equipment like life jackets. There are bins in the junior sailing room with your names on them for storage. Leave only required equipment (bucket, paddle, etc).

ACC REGATTA:

The Atlantic Coast Championship regatta is coming up in three weeks, September 27-28. Online registration is open at http://www.sonar.org/.

Click the link for the NOR: http://tinyurl.com/qfaobb9

We've lowered the registration fee to $195. That includes chili dinner on Friday (for those launching), Saturday and Sunday continental breakfast, snacks and beer after racing and Saturday evening dinner for four. Where else can you get that kind of deal?

To have the best regatta we can, it is critical that fleet 1 boats register early. Our goal is to get 30 boats out on the water. That will only happen with your support. As we all know, the more boats that are registered, the more boats that are willing to travel.

Here is the remaining Sonar Class regatta schedule for 2014:

Atlantic Coast Championship, September 27-28, Noroton YC

FLEET 1 CALENDAR:

Kirby Cup: Noroton YC, Sat-Sun, Sep 13-14 (no fleet racing)
Atlantic Coast Championship: Noroton YC, September 27-28
Last day of racing: Sunday October 5






Tuesday, September 2, 2014

SONAR FLEET 1 NEWSLETTER

FLEET RACING:

"Labor" Day Series:

Summer finally arrived on Long Island Sound this past weekend... Just in time for the club's Labor Day Series.

With a forecast of 11 knots of breeze, 14 boats went out to the race course on Sunday, August 31, with high hopes of some nice racing.

Unfortunately, the current was moving faster than the breeze for most of the day. Add a 140ยบ wind shift and PRO Peter Galloway and his RC really had their work cut out for them.

After a one hour postponement, Peter was finally able to get a W1 race in. Good thing as it ended out being the only race of the series.

For the race, 506, 605, a guest crew from Indian Harbor sailing in 701 (in fact, every boat who went left), stayed pretty much together and finished in that order. Boats that went right... cough, cough 500, 619, 418 cough, cough... well, let's say they wished they'd gone left.

Peter started a second race, a D1, but due to an approaching storm had to abandon the race right after the fleet rounded the windward mark. At that point it was a race to the dock to beat the rain.

Day two was worse. PRO Scott Harrison postponed on shore, then at 1:30 made the right call and abandoned racing for the day.

One race made the series giving 506, with Scott MacLeod, TK, Jan Raymond and Michael Aingorn the victory.

Full results here: http://www.fleet1.org/

Dr's TK and Scott holding the coveted Pepper award handed out for winning
a two day series without ever rounding a leeward mark.

Here is a short video taken (with an iPhone) yesterday. To be honest, we're not sure it's worth 3.5 minutes of your time but you can be the judge...






"Eyes up here!"
Photo credit: Basil Lyden

REGATTAS:

Time to start planning on sailing in the Atlantic Coast Championships being held at Noroton on September 27-28.

Remember, the bigger the fleet, the more travel boats are willing to come. Please register early. Our goal of 30 boats will only happen with fleet support.

Click the link for the NOR: http://tinyurl.com/qfaobb9

Online registration is now open at: http://www.sonar.org/

Here is the remaining Sonar Class regatta schedule for 2014:

Atlantic Coast Championship, September 27-28, Noroton YC

FLEET 1 CALENDAR:

Kirby Cup: Noroton YC, Sat-Sun, Sep 13-14 (no fleet racing)
Atlantic Coast Championship: Noroton YC, September 27-28
Last day of racing: Sunday October 5