We’ll start with Saturday, a check of the internet wind reports in the morning looks pretty good, southeast at 12. While an easterly is likely to fade some around midday, at least it is solid enough that I expect some decent sailing. The first start is scheduled for 1pm and we are running late leaving the house. On top of that, we hit a lot of traffic near the airport construction area, which then gets worse on I-275. I’m getting pretty aggravated, as I usually am when sitting in traffic, not exactly the frame of mind you want for racing. So after 1 ½ hours (should be about 40 minutes) we arrive at the club and see quite a few boats on the bay, sitting almost completely still. Even though it is now after 1pm we have not missed anything, except some drifting. We hit the elevated club balcony for a better look at the bay and it’s not good. The funny thing was, the club had a light easterly breeze but about halfway between it and the pack of motionless boats, it transitioned to glass smooth water. So what to do? We probably have time to rig and launch but with little to no motivation, we decide to hang out on the balcony to see what the wind does.
The wind transition line seems stubborn, unwilling to give the Scots, J-24’s and Melges any relief. However, very near the club shoreline a few lasers and Opti’s are busy with some short course drills, they have wind. Go figure.
The wind readings from the club - the bay wasn't nearly this good. UGH! You gotta love those yellow direction arrows.
For about the next hour our conversation goes something like this:
Well what should we do?
I don’t know, you think the wind will come?
Maybe, but probably not till 4 o’clock, maybe never
At least it is cool in the shade of the clubhouse
We might be better off than those drifters
Maybe we should get a beer?
We could but then we’d have to leave the balcony.
It would be bad form to drink outside beer (we aren’t members) on the club balcony
We could bag it and head home
Yeah, but then we get to sit in traffic again
Which is worse?
Not sure
Well, let’s wait a little
That crazy breeze line still hasn’t moved
They must be pissed, you know they can see it
I bet they are
Maybe the traffic is better now
Maybe, at least the Van has A/C
At least if we go home we can play with Missy
That’s it, lets go…
The traffic isn’t better...
For about the next hour we can’t print much of what Dave has to say.
That was the shoreside angle, here is the on-water take from Andy Hayward:
This Saturday's single race was a real test of sanity, be sure to ask Dave Bell about his back up skipper's intervention, hilarious!
The fleet of six Scots was equal to the Melges 24's and three shy of the J/24's turnout. We had a nameless
(Dave and Kim Thinel FS #812) boat attend, but they made the call of the day and stayed firmly tied to their trailex!
The fleet pushed off around 1230 in a spotty breeze generally in the southerly quadrant. The RC postponed and the fleets drifted and waited. Stewart and Drew Taylor, FS #4321 had the right idea and had a blast swimming and splashing around in the cool bay water. At 1445 Andy and Lisa Hayward, FS #38 spotted a small Easterly puff and decided the was the ticket to ride back to the club. Tied up and all set for a cold one at the bar, Lisa foolishly points out that it appears that the Melges are racing, Huh? It's back in #38 and we slowly limp back toward the starting area, Lisa muttering something about finding a cutthroat divorce attorney. Settle down honey, we are only 8 minutes late for the start, anything can happen in light air right? More muttering about visitation rights. We were close enough to see a boat hit the first puff and quickly jump to a 200 yard lead, (too far to read a sail number). Turns out too be Dean Bell in his snappy new racer, FS #5477, well done Dean! The hot 4k Easterly does exactly what hot Easterly's do and craps out. Dean holds his lead, Team #38 rallies hard, passes a boat, and scares the pack, Lisa still muttering something that ended in "idiot". www.diyc.org
I'm back,now it’s Sunday and we are off to Sarasota. Upon returning home on Saturday, I checked the wind in Sarasota and was pleased to see that the seabreeze kicked in close to 10 for the afternoon. Nice. Hope for some of that today.
We actually got to the Sarasota Sailing Squadron in less time than it took to get to Tampa yesterday, even though it is about double (or more) the distance. As we set up Pig Pen, the seabreeze begins to fill in from the west. We leave the dock in about 8 which builds and holds in the 10 -12 range for the rest of the day. The tide is up, so the water is really clear and beautiful, we know we made a good decision to come. I think there were 8 other Flying Scots who made the same good decision and everyone enjoyed the perfect day.
Random photo before departure, I'm fairly certain that I would become a regular under that dock-mounted-shelter-thing, if I were to join this club
There must have been a PHRF race as well since there were more sailboats out than I think we’ve ever seen before. Perhaps it was a distance race, not too sure though. It all seemed pretty random to us. Then again we may have appeared random at times as well with having to locate the compass course marks. There were a few “oh shits” followed by a quick tack or jibe, once a mark was spotted. I intended to bring the GPS but of course, I forgot it. Worse than that was Kim forgot her clothes, well I should say her “sailing” clothes: ie: padded shorts, gloves, sailing shoes, hat and god knows what else. She didn’t completely forget them, they are all neatly packed in the “sailing bag” which is probably sitting on the bed, all ready to go…. Oops. She is a little cranky as a result, I’m keeping quiet.
We do the rabbit start thing again this week and I’m WAY late crossing “Ron the Rabbit”s” stern, fortunately, we hit the left side and quickly make up the deficit. We round first, just ahead of Fred and Cathy Strammer and hold on for the win. This is our second day trying out a new to us but used set of Mad Sails, we continue to do well with them.
The second race was similar to the first but our start was good, we work the left side and we are two for two. Kim’s crankyness has subsided considerably and life is good.
Here is a shot of one of the newer additions to the fleet. This would be a good place to add his name and such, but I can't remember. What can I say?
I mess up the start in the third race again, I think Ron seems to take delight in sailing much higher than I expect, leaving me really late for the cross. We enjoy a joke or two with the Twinems about how screwed we are once Ron’s angle becomes apparent. So, off the start we are pretty deep but we manage to get a shift or two and get left so we are third at the top mark behind Ron and Fred. We end that race with Ron clear ahead and Fred and us overlapped, not too bad.
Spotted this one on the return trip to the club, kinda matches the color motif of old FS#38 in Tampa, this is a truly unique vessel. (click to enlarge) I know, zooming in a little would have been a cool thing to try.
This wind graph from Sarasota on Sunday is where it's at!
The weekly, spur of the moment April fleet race program seems to be a hit. How come no one thought of this sooner?
2 comments:
y'all should mix in a sail at the clearwater sailing center on sand key sometime... sat blew 10 knots seabreeze at about 1pm. sun was 8-10 from the south. the water is looking like the bahamas too!
No Scot fleet there dude!
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