After hanging out a couple days Tuesday was the start of real racing. The weather forecast wasn't bad with the cold temps moderating into the 60's and some breeze. The reality was something like that, we had some sun, it did warm up and there was some patchy breeze.
The sailing was tricky, a lot like lake sailing in fact. The breeze started out generally north to northeast and I might of expected it to be more steady, but no. What seemed to work was to pick a side and work it, the middle just wasn't good. Sailing at Davis Island YC seems to work like that as we'll so we should have done better. There were some bright spots for Florida though, Zeke had a good lead in race one and finished third, Greiner had a nice lead in race two and held it, we had the lead in race three until the wind shut down and they abandoned the race.
Results were posted on FSSA.com and can be found by clicking regatta results tab.
Wednesday looks to be warmer but less wind, stay tuned...
Showing posts with label flying scot. Show all posts
Showing posts with label flying scot. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 19, 2014
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
FS 2014 Midwinters from New Orleans
So we have settled in nicely here in NOLA, back at the Rose Manor Bed and Breakfast where we also stayed two years ago. There is no RV accommodations at the club so it is home and our dogs are with our old friends near Dunedin. I'm sure they are having fun!
We had an easy trip up here and split it up by stopping for an overbite stay with John Damagala. John and Susie have a cool house near Pensacola. John showed us around town and af,ter dinner we stopped in at the yacht club for some bushwackers, which are excellent. Rumor has it we may be doing a little sailing there in the future which would be cool. On a similar note the Midwinters will be returning to St. Andrews Bay for a year in the future. We like the sounds of that especially since it is a camper friendly venue.
The turn out is off a little with about 30 boats entered this year but there is no shortage of talent. It has been chilly but we should have better weather starting Tuesday which is the first day of racing. Temps are supposed to be in the 70's with generally light wind.
We will try to set something posted here Tuesday pm, you might check the class website for news and maybe some GoPro video from Eric who has a bunch of cameras rigged on his Scot. We will add a link later.
We had an easy trip up here and split it up by stopping for an overbite stay with John Damagala. John and Susie have a cool house near Pensacola. John showed us around town and af,ter dinner we stopped in at the yacht club for some bushwackers, which are excellent. Rumor has it we may be doing a little sailing there in the future which would be cool. On a similar note the Midwinters will be returning to St. Andrews Bay for a year in the future. We like the sounds of that especially since it is a camper friendly venue.
The turn out is off a little with about 30 boats entered this year but there is no shortage of talent. It has been chilly but we should have better weather starting Tuesday which is the first day of racing. Temps are supposed to be in the 70's with generally light wind.
We will try to set something posted here Tuesday pm, you might check the class website for news and maybe some GoPro video from Eric who has a bunch of cameras rigged on his Scot. We will add a link later.
Monday, October 8, 2012
2012 Flying Scot Wife/Husband Champ. Part 2
Sunday, October 7
Day 2 of Racing
Cold, dreary, cloudy, gray, colder than yesterday. The boats were pretty damp from a bit of rain last night, as well. Two extra shirt layers recommended, and since we noticed there was some breeze this morning, we continued with the old main and spin, new jib sailplan. Two races scheduled for today, hope it doesn't blow much more!
Our results were better today, third in both races, or so we thought...the second place boat in the second race was OCS, which gave us a two! This helped our cause substantially, although we didn't medal in the event, fourth place will motivate you to continue training for four more years(!!!)
Wilson and Bonnie Jenkins (with help from their girls) put on an excellent event with an Olympic themed awards ceremony. The symphony played (over the sound system), the music from the Olympics and gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded accompanied by a bouquet of colorful flowers. Great job, Muscle Shoals!!
Gold: Jeff and Amy Linton
Silver: Chris and Monica Morgan
Bronze: Sue and Tim Stombaugh
Overall, a strong performance by Team Florida. Way to go, you traveling fools!
We thought we might stop in Dothan, AL, lots of hotels to choose from...I was imagining chips, salsa, margaritas...the hotel/restaurant pairings featured Mexican restaurants prominently. As we drove past Dothan, we discussed how tired our eyes were (stinging, actually) and how nice it will be to close them, suddenly, the road was dark. Ahhhh, the emptiness of LA (lower AL) and north FL (above I-10). Thank goodness Marianna has grown to 5hotels. We were able to find an acceptable Microtel for the night and caught the end of the SD/NO game. Showered and in bed by 10:30CT/11:30ET
One positive, more driving tonight, less driving tomorrow...and closer to the pups!
Safe travels to all our driving friends who may be going till late into the night.
Day 2 of Racing
Cold, dreary, cloudy, gray, colder than yesterday. The boats were pretty damp from a bit of rain last night, as well. Two extra shirt layers recommended, and since we noticed there was some breeze this morning, we continued with the old main and spin, new jib sailplan. Two races scheduled for today, hope it doesn't blow much more!
Our results were better today, third in both races, or so we thought...the second place boat in the second race was OCS, which gave us a two! This helped our cause substantially, although we didn't medal in the event, fourth place will motivate you to continue training for four more years(!!!)
Wilson and Bonnie Jenkins (with help from their girls) put on an excellent event with an Olympic themed awards ceremony. The symphony played (over the sound system), the music from the Olympics and gold, silver, and bronze medals were awarded accompanied by a bouquet of colorful flowers. Great job, Muscle Shoals!!
Gold: Jeff and Amy Linton
Silver: Chris and Monica Morgan
Bronze: Sue and Tim Stombaugh
Overall, a strong performance by Team Florida. Way to go, you traveling fools!
We thought we might stop in Dothan, AL, lots of hotels to choose from...I was imagining chips, salsa, margaritas...the hotel/restaurant pairings featured Mexican restaurants prominently. As we drove past Dothan, we discussed how tired our eyes were (stinging, actually) and how nice it will be to close them, suddenly, the road was dark. Ahhhh, the emptiness of LA (lower AL) and north FL (above I-10). Thank goodness Marianna has grown to 5hotels. We were able to find an acceptable Microtel for the night and caught the end of the SD/NO game. Showered and in bed by 10:30CT/11:30ET
One positive, more driving tonight, less driving tomorrow...and closer to the pups!
Safe travels to all our driving friends who may be going till late into the night.
Saturday, October 6, 2012
2012 Flying Scot Wife/Husband Champ. Part 1
Wife Husband Weekend, October 6,7 2012
Joe Wheeler State Park, Muscle Shoals, AL
We were able to take Thursday off work, and we hit the road just before 11:00am. The plan was to drive as far as comfortable, and arrive in Muscle Shoals on Friday early enough to set up and sail. For the ride, we recently borrowed Randy Wayne Wright's Black Widow from the always reliable and fantastic, favorite dog-watching family. Silly bridesmaids.
3:30 pm. Driving past Tallahassee, and the rest of Team Tampa are meeting at the rest stop at I-4 and 75, when Lisa checks in. Good to hear from the Haywards, we'll be checking in with them along the way, maybe you've seen the Linton-Hayward-Silvernail convoy pics on fb. Mark is also in attendance as support crew/bartender, the gang is all together, and Team FL will be complete when John and Sue Domagala meet us at the Lodge.
Crossed the time zone line around 4:00, turning north after Marianna, FL and heading toward Dothan. A quick stop at the AL Visitor's Center scored us some hotel coupons and info for the night. Attempted a stop at exit 179 which seemed to have a good selection of hotels and restaurants, but a surly counter girl and some full hotels had us back on the road a bit to Clanton, exit 205, where a Best Western was our home for the night.
Friday, October 5
After a leisurely wake-up, the second half of the trip went more quickly than we expected. The rest of Team Tampa ended up with our surly friend at exit 179, and we arrived at the beautiful entrance to Joe Wheeler State Park around 10:30 local time. Harry and Karen were already in the parking lot setting up, and we joined them. Sailors needed to ramp launch and sail or be towed to the docks at the Lodge. By noon, we're in the water, and by 1:40 pm, we're checked in. The Lodge has a restaurant and we had some tasty lunch before tuning up out on the lake.
Saturday, October 6
First day of racing!!!!
Tune up wardrobe consisted of T-shirts and shorts, this morning it was gray, and 52 deg. Ugh!
We brought and wore most of the clothes we owned and after the skipper's meeting, an enterprising soul golf carted some hats to the docks and scored a bundle from the chilly, unprepared southern folks. Capitalism at work!
As we sailed to the course, "Smoke on the Water" came to mind. The water was warmer than the air for a very cool effect. As lakes will be, the shiftiness abounded. We did well in the first race and the wind shifted left and right and up and down. RC made a few adjustments and the sun started to make an appearance. We haven't auto tacked in a long time, was the observation of the day. In the third race, it seemed like we couldn't do anything right, and poor planning at the start snowballed into a big mess.
Back at the room, warm, showered and dry, dinner is outside at Shelter #3 in a little bit. Thoughtful RC left some time to catch up on some football and blogging before dinner. Anticipating similar conditions tomorrow.
Gators just beat LSU!
Joe Wheeler State Park, Muscle Shoals, AL
We were able to take Thursday off work, and we hit the road just before 11:00am. The plan was to drive as far as comfortable, and arrive in Muscle Shoals on Friday early enough to set up and sail. For the ride, we recently borrowed Randy Wayne Wright's Black Widow from the always reliable and fantastic, favorite dog-watching family. Silly bridesmaids.
3:30 pm. Driving past Tallahassee, and the rest of Team Tampa are meeting at the rest stop at I-4 and 75, when Lisa checks in. Good to hear from the Haywards, we'll be checking in with them along the way, maybe you've seen the Linton-Hayward-Silvernail convoy pics on fb. Mark is also in attendance as support crew/bartender, the gang is all together, and Team FL will be complete when John and Sue Domagala meet us at the Lodge.
Crossed the time zone line around 4:00, turning north after Marianna, FL and heading toward Dothan. A quick stop at the AL Visitor's Center scored us some hotel coupons and info for the night. Attempted a stop at exit 179 which seemed to have a good selection of hotels and restaurants, but a surly counter girl and some full hotels had us back on the road a bit to Clanton, exit 205, where a Best Western was our home for the night.
Friday, October 5
After a leisurely wake-up, the second half of the trip went more quickly than we expected. The rest of Team Tampa ended up with our surly friend at exit 179, and we arrived at the beautiful entrance to Joe Wheeler State Park around 10:30 local time. Harry and Karen were already in the parking lot setting up, and we joined them. Sailors needed to ramp launch and sail or be towed to the docks at the Lodge. By noon, we're in the water, and by 1:40 pm, we're checked in. The Lodge has a restaurant and we had some tasty lunch before tuning up out on the lake.
Saturday, October 6
First day of racing!!!!
Tune up wardrobe consisted of T-shirts and shorts, this morning it was gray, and 52 deg. Ugh!
We brought and wore most of the clothes we owned and after the skipper's meeting, an enterprising soul golf carted some hats to the docks and scored a bundle from the chilly, unprepared southern folks. Capitalism at work!
As we sailed to the course, "Smoke on the Water" came to mind. The water was warmer than the air for a very cool effect. As lakes will be, the shiftiness abounded. We did well in the first race and the wind shifted left and right and up and down. RC made a few adjustments and the sun started to make an appearance. We haven't auto tacked in a long time, was the observation of the day. In the third race, it seemed like we couldn't do anything right, and poor planning at the start snowballed into a big mess.
Back at the room, warm, showered and dry, dinner is outside at Shelter #3 in a little bit. Thoughtful RC left some time to catch up on some football and blogging before dinner. Anticipating similar conditions tomorrow.
Gators just beat LSU!
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Sarasota Fleet Racing
Saturday was a red letter day in our fleet history. We had a super day for racing and when the gulf breeze kicked in the winds were in the 12 -15 kt range. Sue and John Damagala ran 3 races and mixed things up with 3 different course configurations. THANK YOU!! Twelve boats sailed out to the starting area and 10 entered the races. We were joined by the Thinels and Lintons from the Tampa fleet. They came down to get some practice in before heading north to the Flying Scot North Americans. Super exciting news for the day and our fleet was having two new fleet members come out for the first time. Both, Andy Lindgren in Over Easy and Mark George in Scot Free Joined us for the first time. Welcome to our fleet!!! On top of the leader board after the 3 races were The Lintons in first, Don & Stu (Leprechan) second and Ron and Richard (Sidewalk Express) in Third.
Our next race date on the calendar is June 9th. Start time is 4:30 out on the course.
Sue and John were kind enough to bring a camera along and took many photos including the great ones below. Some may notice that they are all of Kim and I, a benefit of having your own blog! You will, of course, want to click on them for the full screen view.
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As mentioned above the Lintons and Kim and I were wanting to get a little tiller time in advance of the NAC. This proved to be a good idea in our case since we were feeling a little rusty, the Lintons were rust-free as is common.
Gotta love Sarasota Bay!!
Sunday, March 25, 2012
Midwinters 2012, Wrap-up
All in all we had a really good time even with the lousy weather. The RC decided early on both Tuesday and Wednesday, that there would be no racing, so we were free to go play for the day. New Orleans is one of the better places to be if sailing is cancelled and other fun activities are needed.
Of course by the Friday afternoon BBQ and awards ceremony the weather had cleared and it was a little on the warm side. They gave away a million or so door prizes during the week so nearly everyone went home with some loot. Larry Taggert also presented the Allen Douglass Sportsmanship Award to Mark and Maria Benner. You may recall our story in the Day 2 post about the crash on the interstate on the way to NOLA. Well they persevered, sailed well, and won the sportsmanship trophy so things are looking up for them!
Would you like to see race results?
The photos below are from the trip home, from west to east.
The trip home was smooth and un-eventful and took 10 hours and 10 minutes. This is really not a bad trip at all for those of us in the Tampa Bay area, or nearby. We will plan to return the next time the midwinters is in New Orleans!
Of course by the Friday afternoon BBQ and awards ceremony the weather had cleared and it was a little on the warm side. They gave away a million or so door prizes during the week so nearly everyone went home with some loot. Larry Taggert also presented the Allen Douglass Sportsmanship Award to Mark and Maria Benner. You may recall our story in the Day 2 post about the crash on the interstate on the way to NOLA. Well they persevered, sailed well, and won the sportsmanship trophy so things are looking up for them!
Would you like to see race results?
The photos below are from the trip home, from west to east.
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| Pulling out of SYC on a beautiful Saturday morning, it figures. |
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| The boat houses look a little better with out the gloom. |
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| Rolling along Canal Blvd. before reaching I-10 |
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| NOLA looking south from the Interstate |
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| I-10 crossing the eastern end of Lake Ponchatrain |
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| Just after emerging from the Mobile Bay tunnel you have the old warships |
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| Back in Florida and crossing Pensacola Bay |
The trip home was smooth and un-eventful and took 10 hours and 10 minutes. This is really not a bad trip at all for those of us in the Tampa Bay area, or nearby. We will plan to return the next time the midwinters is in New Orleans!
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
Midwinters 2012, Day 2, Wednesday
10:00 am Cancelled-thunderstorms, high winds, tornado watch, flood watch. Pretty much covers it.
The lake level is rising toward the "dry sailing" area
The approach to the club is under about a foot of flood water
12:30 Met a bunch of folks at Joey K's a suggestion of Dan Baird's then a tour of his loft before a visit to the WWII Museum.
John Aras took the opportunity to win enough at Harrrah's (casino) to pay for the trip. He is as skilled at Blackjack as he is at sailing.
An incredibly positive plug for the WWII Museum. Don't think there is anything like it anywhere else in the US. Heard that it started as the D-Day Museum, and it was such a great thing that they expanded it to include the entire Pacific and European theaters. As we walked through, a Paratrooper veteran who was sent in prior to the amphibious landing at Omaha Beach introduced himself. We were all speechless. After fully understanding the circumstances, we were completely surprised that he was here, speaking with us.
The Higgins boat was designed by Mr. Andrew Higgins from NOLA. He demonstrated the durability and functionality of the craft here on Lake Pontchatrain. He actually had to present his case more than once to the Administration. Thank goodness they finally saw the benefit of amphibious landings. Dave's uncle and Melanie's grandfather (among many other brave ouls) drove these boats onto these amazing beaches. Anyone visiting this museum should make sure they see the movie associated with it as well.
We saw the movie and collected ourselves in the hour between this and dinner at Southern YC. They prepared crawfish, shrimp and oysters (cooked and raw) southern boil style with potatoes and corn. It was a bit chilly with the wind, but we managed to eat a bunch, then go for ice cream.
Story which we didn't tell earlier. Housemates Mark and Maria Benner had quite an exciting trip from PA to LA. In AL, an injured vehicle was pulled off on the side of the road. Mark saw a pick-up truck advancing on them from their L side, and he would have pulled further to the R, but there was a vehicle in the way. This pick up truck swerved to the L, hitting the Flying Scot in tow, and pushing it into the vehicle on the shoulder, the Scot came off the trailer. Damage all around. Scot sandwich. 81 year old driving the pick-up decided it would be best to run away. On foot. According to M & M this man is known to authorities, and we hope he is brought to justice.
Hope for racing Thursday.
12:30 Met a bunch of folks at Joey K's a suggestion of Dan Baird's then a tour of his loft before a visit to the WWII Museum.
John Aras took the opportunity to win enough at Harrrah's (casino) to pay for the trip. He is as skilled at Blackjack as he is at sailing.
An incredibly positive plug for the WWII Museum. Don't think there is anything like it anywhere else in the US. Heard that it started as the D-Day Museum, and it was such a great thing that they expanded it to include the entire Pacific and European theaters. As we walked through, a Paratrooper veteran who was sent in prior to the amphibious landing at Omaha Beach introduced himself. We were all speechless. After fully understanding the circumstances, we were completely surprised that he was here, speaking with us.
The Higgins boat was designed by Mr. Andrew Higgins from NOLA. He demonstrated the durability and functionality of the craft here on Lake Pontchatrain. He actually had to present his case more than once to the Administration. Thank goodness they finally saw the benefit of amphibious landings. Dave's uncle and Melanie's grandfather (among many other brave ouls) drove these boats onto these amazing beaches. Anyone visiting this museum should make sure they see the movie associated with it as well.
We saw the movie and collected ourselves in the hour between this and dinner at Southern YC. They prepared crawfish, shrimp and oysters (cooked and raw) southern boil style with potatoes and corn. It was a bit chilly with the wind, but we managed to eat a bunch, then go for ice cream.
Story which we didn't tell earlier. Housemates Mark and Maria Benner had quite an exciting trip from PA to LA. In AL, an injured vehicle was pulled off on the side of the road. Mark saw a pick-up truck advancing on them from their L side, and he would have pulled further to the R, but there was a vehicle in the way. This pick up truck swerved to the L, hitting the Flying Scot in tow, and pushing it into the vehicle on the shoulder, the Scot came off the trailer. Damage all around. Scot sandwich. 81 year old driving the pick-up decided it would be best to run away. On foot. According to M & M this man is known to authorities, and we hope he is brought to justice.
Hope for racing Thursday.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Midwinters 2012, Day 1, Tuesday
Tuesday, March 20 First Day of Racing??????
So far, we're looking at the travel brochures and discussing where to go and what to do UN-related to sailing.
Small craft advisories have been set.
Flood warnings are in effect.
No high profile vehicles or motorcycles allowed on the Lake P. causeway.
All signs leading to no sailing today.
With about 45 min to go before the you-had-better-put-the-boat-in-or-you'll-be-late-to-the-start limit, we finally left the B&B to meet our fate.
Many folks milling about, checking their phones and looking at forecasts, discussing the wind, etc, then we were instructed to organize in one of the meeting rooms around 1000.
First warning signal was to be at 1100.
Since the scheduled post-race Top Gun school will likely not be occurring, the sailmakers and friends did more Tips & Techniques, Q & A (no, Ryan and Paul, NOT "T & A" - ugh, Bourbon Street) related to Scot sailing and what they do on their boats to go fast.
The race organizers are all about Lagniappe- getting more good stuff than you bargained for, (we didn't mean for them to offer so much wind, however) so, they graciously called racing 1/2 hour before they said they would, and raised the flags giving us more time to spend $$ in this unusual place.
Wake and Kim had time for a run (the wind added extra challenge) while Dave made some improvements on the boat. We fortuitously parked the boat near Harry's mobile fix-it shop and he completed some projects with ample supervision.
We met up with Larry and Carrie (local knowledge is key)and house mates and headed out to lunch. Mandina's (since 1932!!) supplied us with grilled and fried shrimp and oyster po boys and gumbo. Excellent. Can't wait to try more culinary specialties of NOLA.
The French Quarter called to us, and we drove to a public parking spot near the Riverwalk and walked, maps in hand, looking every bit the part of a touron, to Jackson Square (Cafe du Monde was packed!!) and surrounding area. The cloudiness made the atmosphere somewhat dreary, kinda funny to have bands playing and folks trying to lure you into beer drinking and other "evening" establishments at 3:00 in the afternoon.
Jackson Square
Mississippi River opposite Jackson Sq.
Canal Street leaving the French Quarter
It started to rain so we bailed, and the phone was running out of power, so we returned to the Rose and plugged in, just in time to make dinner plans with Dan Baird, adding our names to the already long list headed to Cochon's. Hope they're ready! Sounds excellent.
The radar continues to look rather ugly, with scattered rain, thunderstorms but maybe less wind for tomorrow. At least it's not cold (except in the AC!)still close to 80 degrees, with occasional sprinkles.
So far, we're looking at the travel brochures and discussing where to go and what to do UN-related to sailing.
Small craft advisories have been set.
Flood warnings are in effect.
No high profile vehicles or motorcycles allowed on the Lake P. causeway.
All signs leading to no sailing today.
With about 45 min to go before the you-had-better-put-the-boat-in-or-you'll-be-late-to-the-start limit, we finally left the B&B to meet our fate.
Many folks milling about, checking their phones and looking at forecasts, discussing the wind, etc, then we were instructed to organize in one of the meeting rooms around 1000.
First warning signal was to be at 1100.
Since the scheduled post-race Top Gun school will likely not be occurring, the sailmakers and friends did more Tips & Techniques, Q & A (no, Ryan and Paul, NOT "T & A" - ugh, Bourbon Street) related to Scot sailing and what they do on their boats to go fast.
The race organizers are all about Lagniappe- getting more good stuff than you bargained for, (we didn't mean for them to offer so much wind, however) so, they graciously called racing 1/2 hour before they said they would, and raised the flags giving us more time to spend $$ in this unusual place.
Wake and Kim had time for a run (the wind added extra challenge) while Dave made some improvements on the boat. We fortuitously parked the boat near Harry's mobile fix-it shop and he completed some projects with ample supervision.
We met up with Larry and Carrie (local knowledge is key)and house mates and headed out to lunch. Mandina's (since 1932!!) supplied us with grilled and fried shrimp and oyster po boys and gumbo. Excellent. Can't wait to try more culinary specialties of NOLA.
The French Quarter called to us, and we drove to a public parking spot near the Riverwalk and walked, maps in hand, looking every bit the part of a touron, to Jackson Square (Cafe du Monde was packed!!) and surrounding area. The cloudiness made the atmosphere somewhat dreary, kinda funny to have bands playing and folks trying to lure you into beer drinking and other "evening" establishments at 3:00 in the afternoon.
It started to rain so we bailed, and the phone was running out of power, so we returned to the Rose and plugged in, just in time to make dinner plans with Dan Baird, adding our names to the already long list headed to Cochon's. Hope they're ready! Sounds excellent.
The radar continues to look rather ugly, with scattered rain, thunderstorms but maybe less wind for tomorrow. At least it's not cold (except in the AC!)still close to 80 degrees, with occasional sprinkles.
Midwinters 2012 Southern YC, New Orleans, LA
Sunday, March 18, 2012 Day 1, continued travel
6:00 pm departure from Dunedin, checked in with Facebook, Paul Abdullah posted that Southern YC might not be the safest place for the vehicles. His wallet was stolen, Nancy Claypool's (very expensive) purse was taken after her window was broken, and Bob Neff's vehicle was stolen! Yikes!
Dave asks, "Why are we going there?"
Publix Cubans and Feta pasta salad for dinner...enough for leftover snacking on the way.
Travel observation: They sell Livers and Gizzards in the Chiefland KFC. Thats wrong.
We stopped in Tallahassee (Quincy)showered, and in bed by 11:30, for an early start tomorrow.
Monday, March 19, 2012 Day 2 of travel
Woke up ad 6:00 am, remembered that we gain an hour going West, and slept till 7:00!!
On the road by 8:00.
11:00 am, (Eastern Time)crossed state line into AL, we switched time zones a while back, but to keep track of how long this adventure is, it's easier in one zone. 3 hours so far.
Lion's Game status report: John Corey is educating the FBI on some NYPD common sense and tactics, traveled back in time to the Libyan bombing in 1986.
Noon (Eastern Time) stopped for gas in AL. Note to self: good gas prices, remember this for ride home. Into MS an hour later, yukky potholes, sorry Piggy and trailer! 111 miles to go!!
2:00 pm (Eastern Time)arrival at SYC!! A nice New Orleans welcome, registration went without a hitch, but we noticed a foreboding breeziness present, as we set up the boat. Lots of talk about big breeze in the forecast. Pretty gusty out of the Southeast, a few brave souls tested the wind and the water. That didn't last long, they were back soon. Al Terhune and Andrew Egan led an informal talk about local conditions, expectations, general Scot sailing techniques, etc. while the first keg was tapped.
4:30 pm (into Central time, now) we followed the phone voice to the Rose Manor, what did we do without the electronics speaking to us?? Ruby greeted us and got us settled. The house is beautiful, with larger rooms than we expected, and so comfortable. We are so fortunate! All FS sailors in the 9 room home, the hosts, Peter and Ruby Verhoeven are very sweet and ready to answer any of our questions and eager to share their fine city with us.
6:00 pm Evening event at SYC, cocktail party and buffet for participants. Yummy jambalaya, local sandwiches, muffalettas (it's not a bad word, really!), and a bread pudding that was "the best I ever had" from one happy customer. A really wow Whiskey sauce, 'nuff said. They got em some good chow!
Nancy Claypool led the livliest raffle and give-away ever! She's a natural, good thing she's not shy. Fun AND educational, learned a bit about the local situation and King Larry (Taggert) was MC of the show, actually RC (Regatta Chair)--good times.
Update on the thievery-Bob Neff's truck was found!! Most of the personal items were intact. They apparently had a lot of important paperwork, and Mary's artwork.
Back at the Rose Manor, Harry holding court in the comfy living room, lots of couches, everyone with their respective electronic device (some with two). Up to bed, lots of pillows!
Ruby showed us her desktop, so we can work from this, so much better than the malfunctioning note pad keyboard that usually mires our blogging experience. Later.
6:00 pm departure from Dunedin, checked in with Facebook, Paul Abdullah posted that Southern YC might not be the safest place for the vehicles. His wallet was stolen, Nancy Claypool's (very expensive) purse was taken after her window was broken, and Bob Neff's vehicle was stolen! Yikes!
Dave asks, "Why are we going there?"
Publix Cubans and Feta pasta salad for dinner...enough for leftover snacking on the way.
Travel observation: They sell Livers and Gizzards in the Chiefland KFC. Thats wrong.
We stopped in Tallahassee (Quincy)showered, and in bed by 11:30, for an early start tomorrow.
Monday, March 19, 2012 Day 2 of travel
Woke up ad 6:00 am, remembered that we gain an hour going West, and slept till 7:00!!
On the road by 8:00.
11:00 am, (Eastern Time)crossed state line into AL, we switched time zones a while back, but to keep track of how long this adventure is, it's easier in one zone. 3 hours so far.
Lion's Game status report: John Corey is educating the FBI on some NYPD common sense and tactics, traveled back in time to the Libyan bombing in 1986.
Noon (Eastern Time) stopped for gas in AL. Note to self: good gas prices, remember this for ride home. Into MS an hour later, yukky potholes, sorry Piggy and trailer! 111 miles to go!!
2:00 pm (Eastern Time)arrival at SYC!! A nice New Orleans welcome, registration went without a hitch, but we noticed a foreboding breeziness present, as we set up the boat. Lots of talk about big breeze in the forecast. Pretty gusty out of the Southeast, a few brave souls tested the wind and the water. That didn't last long, they were back soon. Al Terhune and Andrew Egan led an informal talk about local conditions, expectations, general Scot sailing techniques, etc. while the first keg was tapped.
4:30 pm (into Central time, now) we followed the phone voice to the Rose Manor, what did we do without the electronics speaking to us?? Ruby greeted us and got us settled. The house is beautiful, with larger rooms than we expected, and so comfortable. We are so fortunate! All FS sailors in the 9 room home, the hosts, Peter and Ruby Verhoeven are very sweet and ready to answer any of our questions and eager to share their fine city with us.
6:00 pm Evening event at SYC, cocktail party and buffet for participants. Yummy jambalaya, local sandwiches, muffalettas (it's not a bad word, really!), and a bread pudding that was "the best I ever had" from one happy customer. A really wow Whiskey sauce, 'nuff said. They got em some good chow!
Nancy Claypool led the livliest raffle and give-away ever! She's a natural, good thing she's not shy. Fun AND educational, learned a bit about the local situation and King Larry (Taggert) was MC of the show, actually RC (Regatta Chair)--good times.
Update on the thievery-Bob Neff's truck was found!! Most of the personal items were intact. They apparently had a lot of important paperwork, and Mary's artwork.
Back at the Rose Manor, Harry holding court in the comfy living room, lots of couches, everyone with their respective electronic device (some with two). Up to bed, lots of pillows!
Ruby showed us her desktop, so we can work from this, so much better than the malfunctioning note pad keyboard that usually mires our blogging experience. Later.
Wednesday, December 21, 2011
6,000 Flying Scots!
Deep Creek, MD — The 6,000th Flying Scot has been built and will be on display at Chicago’s Strictly Sail boat show January 26-29 at the Navy Pier. After the show it will be delivered to its new owner, Dan Koules, who requested the number and ordered the boat more than two years ago. Koules sails out of Sheridan Shores Yacht Club in Wilmette, Illinois, where Flying Scots are the most active fleet in club racing.
“The Flying Scot is a beautiful, all-purpose boat with lovely traditional lines that is obviously very well made,” says Koules.
Koules, who had been looking to buy a new Flying Scot, thought it would be a thrill to own such a milestone boat. He started sailing for something to do with his nephews, Charlie, now 16, and Christian, now 14. Koules loves racing his current Flying Scot , #5567, with his nephews. He says they take turns at the helm.
“Buying the Scot is a nice opportunity to get out and race with them,” he says. “The Flying Scot also has a very strong class association, which I like.”
Flying Scots are a strict one-design class, with all boats being pulled from a single master mold. The Flying Scot was designed in 1957 by Gordon K. (Sandy) Douglass, who wanted to design a boat that was roomy, comfortable and stable and could be used for both racing and cruising. The Flying Scot was inducted into the American Sailboat Hall of Fame in 1998.
Harry Carpenter, the current builder, has been building Flying Scots since 1978 and owned the company with his wife, Karen, since 1991. Today the Flying Scot is a leading one-design class in the United States. While many small boat builders have folded their tents, Flying Scot, Inc. has continued to grow.
###
Editor’s Note: To reach Harry Carpenter call 301-334-4848 or harry@flyingscot.com
“The Flying Scot is a beautiful, all-purpose boat with lovely traditional lines that is obviously very well made,” says Koules.
Koules, who had been looking to buy a new Flying Scot, thought it would be a thrill to own such a milestone boat. He started sailing for something to do with his nephews, Charlie, now 16, and Christian, now 14. Koules loves racing his current Flying Scot , #5567, with his nephews. He says they take turns at the helm.
“Buying the Scot is a nice opportunity to get out and race with them,” he says. “The Flying Scot also has a very strong class association, which I like.”
Flying Scots are a strict one-design class, with all boats being pulled from a single master mold. The Flying Scot was designed in 1957 by Gordon K. (Sandy) Douglass, who wanted to design a boat that was roomy, comfortable and stable and could be used for both racing and cruising. The Flying Scot was inducted into the American Sailboat Hall of Fame in 1998.
Harry Carpenter, the current builder, has been building Flying Scots since 1978 and owned the company with his wife, Karen, since 1991. Today the Flying Scot is a leading one-design class in the United States. While many small boat builders have folded their tents, Flying Scot, Inc. has continued to grow.
###
Editor’s Note: To reach Harry Carpenter call 301-334-4848 or harry@flyingscot.com
Monday, October 3, 2011
FL District Championship, Miami 2011
The creepy neighbor is stalking the contractors building his new house right next to ours. We try to dodge him as much as possible but with the project in full swing it is getting more difficult. He startled Kim early in the morning “So, what do you think?” Says CN nodding towards the concrete slab and mass of cement blocks. This seems to be his new favorite line, a real conversation starter, especially with the ladies. Later the car and boat are loaded and ready, we are happy to see he must have left for the day. We are pulling out with the boat in tow and gasp, he comes around the corner in his car, pauses for a chat and we hit the gas..... Off to Miami!
We are headed for Naples for the night which leaves an easy drive into Miami Saturday am. The last time we raced we forgot the spinnaker pole (not recommended) so we are hoping not to pull off another bonehead move like that. I’m pretty sure we’re good.
Sadly we are driving while the Rays are playing game one of the playoffs in Texas. Would have much preferred the TV to radio but so far the Rays are hot and off to an early lead so no complaints. During one of the radio breaks there is a news flash; today is the last chance to have sex with an animal! Oh crap, I didn’t know! Yes the FL legislator saw the need to pass a law against it and it takes affect at midnight. Seems the folks in the panhandle are the culprits and are ruining it for the rest of us.
The trip to Coconut Grove Sailing Club is smooth and we quickly see quite a few Scots. We were hoping for a good number of boats this year but I found about two last minute cancellations so we weren't sure how it would go. We get rigged quickly and “Oh shit the mast is bent” oh well, to late to deal with it now. While trailering and looking in the rear view mirror it appeared bent but I figured it was distortion or illusion or whatever. No idea how it happened but it is not too bad.
Light breeze for Saturday’s first race, maybe 5 to 7 or so, and from the Northwest. To which the locals say; “it never does that”. By the end of the first beat we are relieved to see that the bent mast is no issue, we have boat speed. When the pack made it back down to the leeward mark the wind went to about 1, when it wasn’t 0. RC tried a shortened finish at the weather mark but few made it and the race was abandoned.
Back at the very hot and still club we had the bright idea to hang at the Marriott pool, where Jim and Richard are staying. Yes, Jim Egan and Richard E. are back! Another group of travelers including Ron, Barry, John D. Terry, Mark and Dawn were staying at a nearby condo, they had the pool idea too. Upon meeting up at Flanagan’s for dinner we learned that there pool was hot so they retired to the cool a/c in the condo and watched porn. Hmmm...... We have no pictures of that!
Sunday morning is nice and somewhat cool. The weather forecast was for the first cold front of the season to dip down into FL and it felt good. We found a nice 8 knot northerly at the club and the early dark clouds seemed to be dissipating. A promising day. As we head out the Dinner Key Channel we notice some bumps way out toward the east and southeast. Interesting for a light-ish breeze we think. The plan is for a 10:30 start and 3 races to try to make up for Saturday. The course is about set and at 10:20 we have a 50 degree righty and whitecaps. “Crap!” say the lightweights. After a short postponement the course is reset (and bumpy) and we are underway and hiking. After two good W/L four leggers the pack is tight. Jim and Mark are tied with 5 points while Ron, John and I are tied with 7 points. The third race was shortened to two legs, with a mile beat. Jim jumped out to the right and grabbed a bullet and the regatta! Congratulations to Jim and Richard! Mark and Dawn finished second and John and Terry were third. Good job to all.
Here is a summary of the scores; 1-Jim 6 pts, 2-Mark 9, 3-John 13, 4-Bob McElwain 13, 5-Ron 14, 6-Dave 15, 7-Tom McNally 19, 8-Vladimir Stroleny 21, 9-Larry Ames 28, 10- Bud Price 30, 11-Larry Whipple 33, 12-Henry Bernstein 33, 13- Ryan Alexander 39, 14-Henry Picco 44.
Mark your calendar for our next district championship regatta in Sarasota Nov. 5-6. It will be great to see the big crowd in Sarasota.
We are headed for Naples for the night which leaves an easy drive into Miami Saturday am. The last time we raced we forgot the spinnaker pole (not recommended) so we are hoping not to pull off another bonehead move like that. I’m pretty sure we’re good.
Sadly we are driving while the Rays are playing game one of the playoffs in Texas. Would have much preferred the TV to radio but so far the Rays are hot and off to an early lead so no complaints. During one of the radio breaks there is a news flash; today is the last chance to have sex with an animal! Oh crap, I didn’t know! Yes the FL legislator saw the need to pass a law against it and it takes affect at midnight. Seems the folks in the panhandle are the culprits and are ruining it for the rest of us.
The trip to Coconut Grove Sailing Club is smooth and we quickly see quite a few Scots. We were hoping for a good number of boats this year but I found about two last minute cancellations so we weren't sure how it would go. We get rigged quickly and “Oh shit the mast is bent” oh well, to late to deal with it now. While trailering and looking in the rear view mirror it appeared bent but I figured it was distortion or illusion or whatever. No idea how it happened but it is not too bad.
Light breeze for Saturday’s first race, maybe 5 to 7 or so, and from the Northwest. To which the locals say; “it never does that”. By the end of the first beat we are relieved to see that the bent mast is no issue, we have boat speed. When the pack made it back down to the leeward mark the wind went to about 1, when it wasn’t 0. RC tried a shortened finish at the weather mark but few made it and the race was abandoned.
Back at the very hot and still club we had the bright idea to hang at the Marriott pool, where Jim and Richard are staying. Yes, Jim Egan and Richard E. are back! Another group of travelers including Ron, Barry, John D. Terry, Mark and Dawn were staying at a nearby condo, they had the pool idea too. Upon meeting up at Flanagan’s for dinner we learned that there pool was hot so they retired to the cool a/c in the condo and watched porn. Hmmm...... We have no pictures of that!
Sunday morning is nice and somewhat cool. The weather forecast was for the first cold front of the season to dip down into FL and it felt good. We found a nice 8 knot northerly at the club and the early dark clouds seemed to be dissipating. A promising day. As we head out the Dinner Key Channel we notice some bumps way out toward the east and southeast. Interesting for a light-ish breeze we think. The plan is for a 10:30 start and 3 races to try to make up for Saturday. The course is about set and at 10:20 we have a 50 degree righty and whitecaps. “Crap!” say the lightweights. After a short postponement the course is reset (and bumpy) and we are underway and hiking. After two good W/L four leggers the pack is tight. Jim and Mark are tied with 5 points while Ron, John and I are tied with 7 points. The third race was shortened to two legs, with a mile beat. Jim jumped out to the right and grabbed a bullet and the regatta! Congratulations to Jim and Richard! Mark and Dawn finished second and John and Terry were third. Good job to all.
Here is a summary of the scores; 1-Jim 6 pts, 2-Mark 9, 3-John 13, 4-Bob McElwain 13, 5-Ron 14, 6-Dave 15, 7-Tom McNally 19, 8-Vladimir Stroleny 21, 9-Larry Ames 28, 10- Bud Price 30, 11-Larry Whipple 33, 12-Henry Bernstein 33, 13- Ryan Alexander 39, 14-Henry Picco 44.
Mark your calendar for our next district championship regatta in Sarasota Nov. 5-6. It will be great to see the big crowd in Sarasota.
Monday, September 12, 2011
A Great Time for a New Flying Scot !!
The Adams Cup is about a month away which means a dozen or so new Flying Scots will be ready for the regatta and their new owners. As of now, there are a couple boats available so if you are itching this could be good chance to save big. Here is the official word;
Flying Scot, Inc. is pleased to provide eleven new Flying Scots to the 2011 Adams Cup finals at Lake Norman Yacht Club near Charlotte, NC. These boats will not have been sailed prior to the event and could be picked up after the event in October 2011. Ordering one of these boats now with a deposit makes it possible for you to get into a new Flying Scot at a great price. Place your order early to pick your colors and save on accessories. Boats will be assigned on a first come first served basis. These boats are race rigged and are complete with anchor, paddle and compass. They are also complete with main, jib and spinnaker sails, galvanized trailer and tie-down rig. Delivery to other areas may be available at an additional cost. Details of how these boats will be rigged are as follows: Flying Scot complete Mad main, jib and spinnaker – AirX spinnaker - white with two color stripes Galvanized trailer and tie-down Mast hinge Jib sheet cleated on seat with Harken auto ratchet 2:1 jib sheet rig 360 swivel cleat for centerboard Ronstan X-10 fixed h-o stick Mainsheet – 5/16 polypro - rigged 3:1 with Harken Carbo blocks Spinnaker rig and spinnaker pole Two rings on mast for pole Spinnaker halyard led aft with take-up reel Spinnaker guy hooks on deck with cleats at chainplates Spinnaker sheets – ¼” Ultra-lite - internal system with self-ratchet cheek blocks under seat Spinnaker turtles on forward seat corners Outhaul – 6:1 internal wire Cunningham system led aft to console Vang – 12:1 cascade purchase led aft to console cleat Pole lift – 2:1 - led through deck to console cleat Pole downhaul – shock cord through deck Mast head fly Break-away rudder blade hold down pin Ritchie compass and mount Safety equipment - anchor & line, paddle, cushion, whistle, bucket & chamois Price complete $19,826.00 Less Adams 2011 discount – 15% - 2,973.90 $16,852.10 Class measurement certificates for hull and sails 85.00 Freight to Lake Norman Yacht Club, Mooresville, NC 200.00 Total price delivered $17,137.10 Deposit of approximately 50% ($8,600.00) due with the order and balance due on delivery following the 2011 Adams finals October 10, 2011. Order early and save! Order by September 1, 2011 and get the first $100 in accessories free. Prices are subject to change without notice. Freight is approximate and subject to change with rising fuel prices.
Looks like a lot of cool stuff for only 17+, plus it is already in NC for easy pick up or ready for the Fall 48. Operators are standing by......
Flying Scot, Inc. is pleased to provide eleven new Flying Scots to the 2011 Adams Cup finals at Lake Norman Yacht Club near Charlotte, NC. These boats will not have been sailed prior to the event and could be picked up after the event in October 2011. Ordering one of these boats now with a deposit makes it possible for you to get into a new Flying Scot at a great price. Place your order early to pick your colors and save on accessories. Boats will be assigned on a first come first served basis. These boats are race rigged and are complete with anchor, paddle and compass. They are also complete with main, jib and spinnaker sails, galvanized trailer and tie-down rig. Delivery to other areas may be available at an additional cost. Details of how these boats will be rigged are as follows: Flying Scot complete Mad main, jib and spinnaker – AirX spinnaker - white with two color stripes Galvanized trailer and tie-down Mast hinge Jib sheet cleated on seat with Harken auto ratchet 2:1 jib sheet rig 360 swivel cleat for centerboard Ronstan X-10 fixed h-o stick Mainsheet – 5/16 polypro - rigged 3:1 with Harken Carbo blocks Spinnaker rig and spinnaker pole Two rings on mast for pole Spinnaker halyard led aft with take-up reel Spinnaker guy hooks on deck with cleats at chainplates Spinnaker sheets – ¼” Ultra-lite - internal system with self-ratchet cheek blocks under seat Spinnaker turtles on forward seat corners Outhaul – 6:1 internal wire Cunningham system led aft to console Vang – 12:1 cascade purchase led aft to console cleat Pole lift – 2:1 - led through deck to console cleat Pole downhaul – shock cord through deck Mast head fly Break-away rudder blade hold down pin Ritchie compass and mount Safety equipment - anchor & line, paddle, cushion, whistle, bucket & chamois Price complete $19,826.00 Less Adams 2011 discount – 15% - 2,973.90 $16,852.10 Class measurement certificates for hull and sails 85.00 Freight to Lake Norman Yacht Club, Mooresville, NC 200.00 Total price delivered $17,137.10 Deposit of approximately 50% ($8,600.00) due with the order and balance due on delivery following the 2011 Adams finals October 10, 2011. Order early and save! Order by September 1, 2011 and get the first $100 in accessories free. Prices are subject to change without notice. Freight is approximate and subject to change with rising fuel prices.
Looks like a lot of cool stuff for only 17+, plus it is already in NC for easy pick up or ready for the Fall 48. Operators are standing by......
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
The wrap-up
Monday, August 15
Last night, around 10:00, we decided to stop in Brunswick, GA. Hilton Head will have to wait for another trip when we’ve planned ahead a little better. The Golden Isles area is nice and if you don’t mind driving a bit, there are quite a few food choices at Exit 38. We noticed more fast food options closer to hotels and the highway at Exit 36A. Dave is also pleased with the results of the highway improvement work that has been going on seemingly forever in this area.
Today’s destination is our backup Walt (Disney) reservation in Orlando. On this trip, we decided to take an extra day of recovery/vacation—woo hoo!! We thought we might be exploring Hilton Head or Savannah today...maybe next time. Walt’s places are always dependably comfortable, and it will be a relaxing day for us. The Yacht/Beach Club has an excellent pool area and that’s where we plan to spend most of our time.
By 12:30 we’re beering and lunching by the pool, as planned, forgetting about the afternoon gym workout—oops. The pool has a neat current that pushes you around different areas and there is a fun slide! Even fun for adults!
Dinner at Big River Grill and Brewing Co. (you all KNOW the key word in the name of the restaurant for us!) Nachos for dinner, we haven’t had them in a while, yum! Post dinner fireworks at Epcot were actually viewed from the bridge on the Epcot side of the lake behind the Beach Club. Thought we might have been able to see them from the balcony of our room, but the view was obscured.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
A little sleeping in, an am gym workout and poolside recovery set us up for a nice departure. Walt has some excellent workout areas, the one at Old Key West is a bit small, and under-equipped, but the others have fulfilled our expectations. By 10:30 we were packed up and out before the 11:00 checkout time.
We were definitely looking forward to seeing the girls. We missed them a lot. Carol seems to like them, she takes great care of them, and all 4 dogs get along well. Home by 2:00 and it’s nice to be home. Puppies had a bath, and we spent the afternoon catching up on the “homework” and laundry
Another great trip
Last night, around 10:00, we decided to stop in Brunswick, GA. Hilton Head will have to wait for another trip when we’ve planned ahead a little better. The Golden Isles area is nice and if you don’t mind driving a bit, there are quite a few food choices at Exit 38. We noticed more fast food options closer to hotels and the highway at Exit 36A. Dave is also pleased with the results of the highway improvement work that has been going on seemingly forever in this area.
Today’s destination is our backup Walt (Disney) reservation in Orlando. On this trip, we decided to take an extra day of recovery/vacation—woo hoo!! We thought we might be exploring Hilton Head or Savannah today...maybe next time. Walt’s places are always dependably comfortable, and it will be a relaxing day for us. The Yacht/Beach Club has an excellent pool area and that’s where we plan to spend most of our time.
By 12:30 we’re beering and lunching by the pool, as planned, forgetting about the afternoon gym workout—oops. The pool has a neat current that pushes you around different areas and there is a fun slide! Even fun for adults!
Dinner at Big River Grill and Brewing Co. (you all KNOW the key word in the name of the restaurant for us!) Nachos for dinner, we haven’t had them in a while, yum! Post dinner fireworks at Epcot were actually viewed from the bridge on the Epcot side of the lake behind the Beach Club. Thought we might have been able to see them from the balcony of our room, but the view was obscured.
Tuesday, August 16, 2011
A little sleeping in, an am gym workout and poolside recovery set us up for a nice departure. Walt has some excellent workout areas, the one at Old Key West is a bit small, and under-equipped, but the others have fulfilled our expectations. By 10:30 we were packed up and out before the 11:00 checkout time.
We were definitely looking forward to seeing the girls. We missed them a lot. Carol seems to like them, she takes great care of them, and all 4 dogs get along well. Home by 2:00 and it’s nice to be home. Puppies had a bath, and we spent the afternoon catching up on the “homework” and laundry
Another great trip
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Fishing Bay Annual regatta part 2
August 14, 2011
Sunday
Again, today, we were the first ready to launch! Even before the tractor guys were ready for us! When does this happen? Who ARE these Thinels, really? We made a smooth transition to the leeward side of the dock, and waited. And waited, and waited, for the RC to decide where to set the course. The wind kept building and the radar showed thunderstorms coming.
While we were on the ramp side of the street, John A. / John W. and Johnny K. / Joey B. used the hoist on the other side of the street where calmer waters prevailed. A shroud started failing as the Johns hit a wave on their way out to the course, and with little time to spare, in true Team Mad Sails fashion, Dave came through with a spare shroud that ended up working, John and John speedily replaced it at the dock and off they went. Good thing, too, they had a race/regatta to win! The Magic House Team Mad Sails worked excellent juju for first and second today. Johnny K. and Joey B. kept it tight with Mr Hubbard and son as the lead traded places throughout the race among the 3 boats.
Good work to all who raced today.
Forgot to mention that the 2nd race yesterday was thrown out. Bummer for JK and JB as they won it! Also, there was this crazy haze in the air yesterday, and even though we didn’t hear about it on the radio or TV (it was a fairly media-free weekend…nice!) we heard from some locals that the Great Dismal Swamp was afire! With the wind from the south, it sent gray air our way. It was very interesting, and quite unexpected when you licked your lips, you tasted soot!
Today, we had excellent timing, we left after saying good-byes between 12 and 12:30, and around 6:30 a cell of storms crossed I95 just before we arrived in that area of SC.
We were about 150 mi north of Savannah, and the clouds were still dark to our left, but a beautifully bright rainbow was shining through.
I will also say that as I write this on the supremely inferior notebook keyboard that has this annoying curse of the jumping cursor, I miss the clean typing of the desktop at the Wake’s where I was able to enter information without being concerned that my words might be jumbled due to the erratic behavior of the crazy keyboard. Miss you guys, and thanks again for a wonderful stay at the Estate, aka Magic House! It was great spending time with John and Sharon, John and Caroline, and John and Joe (hee hee, that sounds funny). Good times!
Sunday
Again, today, we were the first ready to launch! Even before the tractor guys were ready for us! When does this happen? Who ARE these Thinels, really? We made a smooth transition to the leeward side of the dock, and waited. And waited, and waited, for the RC to decide where to set the course. The wind kept building and the radar showed thunderstorms coming.
While we were on the ramp side of the street, John A. / John W. and Johnny K. / Joey B. used the hoist on the other side of the street where calmer waters prevailed. A shroud started failing as the Johns hit a wave on their way out to the course, and with little time to spare, in true Team Mad Sails fashion, Dave came through with a spare shroud that ended up working, John and John speedily replaced it at the dock and off they went. Good thing, too, they had a race/regatta to win! The Magic House Team Mad Sails worked excellent juju for first and second today. Johnny K. and Joey B. kept it tight with Mr Hubbard and son as the lead traded places throughout the race among the 3 boats.
Good work to all who raced today.
Forgot to mention that the 2nd race yesterday was thrown out. Bummer for JK and JB as they won it! Also, there was this crazy haze in the air yesterday, and even though we didn’t hear about it on the radio or TV (it was a fairly media-free weekend…nice!) we heard from some locals that the Great Dismal Swamp was afire! With the wind from the south, it sent gray air our way. It was very interesting, and quite unexpected when you licked your lips, you tasted soot!
Today, we had excellent timing, we left after saying good-byes between 12 and 12:30, and around 6:30 a cell of storms crossed I95 just before we arrived in that area of SC.
We were about 150 mi north of Savannah, and the clouds were still dark to our left, but a beautifully bright rainbow was shining through.
I will also say that as I write this on the supremely inferior notebook keyboard that has this annoying curse of the jumping cursor, I miss the clean typing of the desktop at the Wake’s where I was able to enter information without being concerned that my words might be jumbled due to the erratic behavior of the crazy keyboard. Miss you guys, and thanks again for a wonderful stay at the Estate, aka Magic House! It was great spending time with John and Sharon, John and Caroline, and John and Joe (hee hee, that sounds funny). Good times!
Saturday, August 13, 2011
Fishing Bay YC Annual Regatta
August 11, Thursday, 2011
Yesterday, Dave noticed the van needed attention and took it to the Honda dealer. UGH..Serpentine belt, another belt and the belt tensioner needed replacing/fixing. At least they weren't busy and things were fixed that day. Seriously, since we were planning to leave Thursday. The guys mentioned the brake pad thickness and replacement needed, Dave called BS on that and said no, thank you.
Thursday, am: Boat loaded, cages and dogs, supplies and luggage in tow, as we're making a stop in Orlando to drop the pups at the dogsitter. They love to ride in the van. Carol (dogsitter) has a lovely Golden Retriever, Lucy, and a small white dog...Maya maybe? The girls have stayed with Carol a few times and she was recommended to us through the kind folks at HoundHaven. She volunteers there. Lucy loves to lean into you and hold hands. Small white dog...doesn't like much.
Leaving Tampa, an accident in the opposite direction stops traffic for several miles. We were pretty thankful that we weren't heading West.
Noon-
Successful dog droppage. Lucy looks cute with her summer 'do. Little white dog, Mia (I was close) also with a close-cropped do, happy in the warm weather.
Interestingly, the paper mentioned the Persied meteor shower this weekend. May be a late night Fri or Sat to observe. A full moon is also scheduled. Wondering the significance (when you're driving many miles, you get to thinking about many things), might be fun to see some fireworks in the night sky.
For this trip we are reading the "Burning Wire" by some guy named Deaver.
It is amazing how quickly time goes by when you're fascinated by the law enforcement and forensics teams solving crimes of a perpetrator who is motivated to kill using the electric grid flowing through NYC. At 3:00 pm I was thinking how long it took for the clock to advance to 3:20. Then the action in the book started taking off and it was 7:00pm before I knew it.
Dave had a conference call, we had to stop for gas and got a Frosty and Fries to go...irresistable.
Decided on Exit 121 in NC as our destination for the evening. There were several hotels, and we grbbed coupons from the Visitor's Center, to score the best non-priceline deal. Fairfield did the bait and switch but Country Inn and Suites came through with the 64.99 thing so we were happy. several good experiences with them in the recent past so that is a heads up for travelers.
Friday August 12.
Excellent stay at the Country Inn and Suites in Wilson, NC. Met some friendly folks in town for a family reunion.
9:00 am Fueled up and ready to go! Mapquest says about than 3.5 hours-Fun!
John Wake routinely checks our progress, "Are you there, yet?" (Paying homage to Hans) Nice to have a homing beacon guiding us in.
We're on the home stretch, Hwy 33 to Deltavile. The corn is so dry, very sad. All the houses are red brick or white. A new observation: we didn't recall Crepe Myrtles growing so large here on our last trip. Soy beans are looking good, not nearly as dry as the corn. I thought I may have been exaggerating during blog posts on our first trip up (NACs '07) but, really, there is a lot of corn!
The Wakes have generously offered us a place to stay, as well. We are super fortunate to be so close to the club. Sweet setup, excellent home. Definitely a HUGE staircase up from the Dockside (aka Taj Mahal) Inn.
12:00 noon! Beer me! We're in!
The Wake's house was built on the land that has been in the Wake family for generations. Family settled here from England and Dad was born on this site. The present house was built in '92. I noticed a town named Wake on the map and John said it was named for his grandfather's cousin. There's a post office there, and on a reunion, a picture was taken of the family in the building. He said it was a good thing the family wasn't any bigger! They wouldn't have fit!
Saturday, August 13, 2010
First day of racing. Who ever knew the Thinels to be the first folks out of the house, to the boat, in the water and on the end of the dock on a day of racing. Crazy talk, right there, but it was true.
John and Sharon have been excellent hosts. Food, lodging, friendship, a nice run this am, without deer, though. At the club, the wind was light when we splashed the boat, but I was dismayed to feel the wind increase as we waited to for the Skipper's meeting.
We feel that we live in the Magic House! John Wake and John Aras were first in the first race, John Kreidler and Joe Brake were 2nd and we were third. sweet! While we waited, and waited, and waited for the race committee to set the course and start the 2nd race, the sea breeze increased and Dave and I were concerned about how this next race would go. I don't know the exact results, but John K and Joe B were first, John A and Wake were third and we were also in the single digits to finish. I'm tickled. Afterall there were several capsizes and breeze is not out thing so, all good.The race committee finished us for the day, but we had some discussion on our boat about being ready for the next race. I was concerned about being able to jibe downwind, but we hung to make sure the day was finished.
phew.
Back to the house, into the pool and John K made some serious margeritas. Love this place. An hour till dinner back at the club...we'll see how it all washed out. Later...
Yesterday, Dave noticed the van needed attention and took it to the Honda dealer. UGH..Serpentine belt, another belt and the belt tensioner needed replacing/fixing. At least they weren't busy and things were fixed that day. Seriously, since we were planning to leave Thursday. The guys mentioned the brake pad thickness and replacement needed, Dave called BS on that and said no, thank you.
Thursday, am: Boat loaded, cages and dogs, supplies and luggage in tow, as we're making a stop in Orlando to drop the pups at the dogsitter. They love to ride in the van. Carol (dogsitter) has a lovely Golden Retriever, Lucy, and a small white dog...Maya maybe? The girls have stayed with Carol a few times and she was recommended to us through the kind folks at HoundHaven. She volunteers there. Lucy loves to lean into you and hold hands. Small white dog...doesn't like much.
Leaving Tampa, an accident in the opposite direction stops traffic for several miles. We were pretty thankful that we weren't heading West.
Noon-
Successful dog droppage. Lucy looks cute with her summer 'do. Little white dog, Mia (I was close) also with a close-cropped do, happy in the warm weather.
Interestingly, the paper mentioned the Persied meteor shower this weekend. May be a late night Fri or Sat to observe. A full moon is also scheduled. Wondering the significance (when you're driving many miles, you get to thinking about many things), might be fun to see some fireworks in the night sky.
For this trip we are reading the "Burning Wire" by some guy named Deaver.
It is amazing how quickly time goes by when you're fascinated by the law enforcement and forensics teams solving crimes of a perpetrator who is motivated to kill using the electric grid flowing through NYC. At 3:00 pm I was thinking how long it took for the clock to advance to 3:20. Then the action in the book started taking off and it was 7:00pm before I knew it.
Dave had a conference call, we had to stop for gas and got a Frosty and Fries to go...irresistable.
Decided on Exit 121 in NC as our destination for the evening. There were several hotels, and we grbbed coupons from the Visitor's Center, to score the best non-priceline deal. Fairfield did the bait and switch but Country Inn and Suites came through with the 64.99 thing so we were happy. several good experiences with them in the recent past so that is a heads up for travelers.
Friday August 12.
Excellent stay at the Country Inn and Suites in Wilson, NC. Met some friendly folks in town for a family reunion.
9:00 am Fueled up and ready to go! Mapquest says about than 3.5 hours-Fun!
John Wake routinely checks our progress, "Are you there, yet?" (Paying homage to Hans) Nice to have a homing beacon guiding us in.
We're on the home stretch, Hwy 33 to Deltavile. The corn is so dry, very sad. All the houses are red brick or white. A new observation: we didn't recall Crepe Myrtles growing so large here on our last trip. Soy beans are looking good, not nearly as dry as the corn. I thought I may have been exaggerating during blog posts on our first trip up (NACs '07) but, really, there is a lot of corn!
The Wakes have generously offered us a place to stay, as well. We are super fortunate to be so close to the club. Sweet setup, excellent home. Definitely a HUGE staircase up from the Dockside (aka Taj Mahal) Inn.
12:00 noon! Beer me! We're in!
The Wake's house was built on the land that has been in the Wake family for generations. Family settled here from England and Dad was born on this site. The present house was built in '92. I noticed a town named Wake on the map and John said it was named for his grandfather's cousin. There's a post office there, and on a reunion, a picture was taken of the family in the building. He said it was a good thing the family wasn't any bigger! They wouldn't have fit!
Saturday, August 13, 2010
First day of racing. Who ever knew the Thinels to be the first folks out of the house, to the boat, in the water and on the end of the dock on a day of racing. Crazy talk, right there, but it was true.
John and Sharon have been excellent hosts. Food, lodging, friendship, a nice run this am, without deer, though. At the club, the wind was light when we splashed the boat, but I was dismayed to feel the wind increase as we waited to for the Skipper's meeting.
We feel that we live in the Magic House! John Wake and John Aras were first in the first race, John Kreidler and Joe Brake were 2nd and we were third. sweet! While we waited, and waited, and waited for the race committee to set the course and start the 2nd race, the sea breeze increased and Dave and I were concerned about how this next race would go. I don't know the exact results, but John K and Joe B were first, John A and Wake were third and we were also in the single digits to finish. I'm tickled. Afterall there were several capsizes and breeze is not out thing so, all good.The race committee finished us for the day, but we had some discussion on our boat about being ready for the next race. I was concerned about being able to jibe downwind, but we hung to make sure the day was finished.
phew.
Back to the house, into the pool and John K made some serious margeritas. Love this place. An hour till dinner back at the club...we'll see how it all washed out. Later...
Saturday, July 16, 2011
NAC Series Day 3 Final
Final race of the series in the Chamber of Commerce conditions we had been expecting on Long Island Sound: warm, lovely, 6 knots of breeze, sunshine. We got the old boat revved up and brought a little game to the day.
One general recall, and then one five-legged race in which the leaders switched positions back and forth between Al and Katie, Andrew and Jackson (an especially Southern team), with the Goughs, us, and Team Morgan nipping at their heels.
Al and Katie won the race, followed by the Goughs, and then photo finish put Andrew ahead of us (by about one foot, according to the RC), giving him the championship over Al and Katie by a single point. Tight racing up top! For the regatta, the Goughs finished third, John Aras and John Wake (skipper John is a master, btw – AND he dated Dave Perry’s sister. Cool the stuff you learn in the parking lot) we shook into fifth place, and stable-mates Team Pletsch finished sixth. Way to represent, Florida.
As always, the awards ceremony is quite a spectacle: the class has folks sign for every perpetual trophy, and there are a LOT of perpetual trophies. Al and Katie got a beautiful silver teapot trophy among the loot, which might have been for top family with female aboard? Anyway, it was a big vanload of prizes, expertly expedited by John Cooke, one of the best MCs in the biz.
Wonderful regatta. Sorry it’s over. Jeff was offering flyfishing lessons early this morning -- (ten and two Ryan! ten and two!), so the week is complete (fishing at least once every seven days). We’ve packed up the various bits and bobs (extra mast for Mark and Dean and Judy – check. Bow-bag for Ed – check. Bikes – check. Lawn furniture – check. Small dog – trick question. She’s always packed and ready), and flirted with the idea of trading the Mighty Majestic in on a less seasoned model from Harry Carpenter. We said our au reviors, had a last cocktail hour with Donny Brennan and Josh Goldman and Andrew and Jackson. We are hopeful that Andrew and Jackson will have a pleasant adventure in Manhattan and that we won't get the call for bail should any such call be needed.
Tomorrow the less scenic route home down the big highway---maybe. We’ll see what mood strikes us and the GPS gal Beatrice.
One general recall, and then one five-legged race in which the leaders switched positions back and forth between Al and Katie, Andrew and Jackson (an especially Southern team), with the Goughs, us, and Team Morgan nipping at their heels.
Al and Katie won the race, followed by the Goughs, and then photo finish put Andrew ahead of us (by about one foot, according to the RC), giving him the championship over Al and Katie by a single point. Tight racing up top! For the regatta, the Goughs finished third, John Aras and John Wake (skipper John is a master, btw – AND he dated Dave Perry’s sister. Cool the stuff you learn in the parking lot) we shook into fifth place, and stable-mates Team Pletsch finished sixth. Way to represent, Florida.
As always, the awards ceremony is quite a spectacle: the class has folks sign for every perpetual trophy, and there are a LOT of perpetual trophies. Al and Katie got a beautiful silver teapot trophy among the loot, which might have been for top family with female aboard? Anyway, it was a big vanload of prizes, expertly expedited by John Cooke, one of the best MCs in the biz.
Wonderful regatta. Sorry it’s over. Jeff was offering flyfishing lessons early this morning -- (ten and two Ryan! ten and two!), so the week is complete (fishing at least once every seven days). We’ve packed up the various bits and bobs (extra mast for Mark and Dean and Judy – check. Bow-bag for Ed – check. Bikes – check. Lawn furniture – check. Small dog – trick question. She’s always packed and ready), and flirted with the idea of trading the Mighty Majestic in on a less seasoned model from Harry Carpenter. We said our au reviors, had a last cocktail hour with Donny Brennan and Josh Goldman and Andrew and Jackson. We are hopeful that Andrew and Jackson will have a pleasant adventure in Manhattan and that we won't get the call for bail should any such call be needed.
Tomorrow the less scenic route home down the big highway---maybe. We’ll see what mood strikes us and the GPS gal Beatrice.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
NAC Series Day 2
Seems as if no matter where in the world we go, the hosts of any given sailboat race declaim loudly, “It’s NEVER like this here!” At Cedar Point YC – no one even begins to suggest that Long Island Sound won’t throw everything and anything at us. It’s always like that here…
Flying Scot Championship Racing Day 2
In the overall Winnebago adventure clock, this is Day 9.
So today, after the sailing predictions suggested that either there would be a fading Northerly dying and backing into a sea-breeze, or that the sea-breeze would kill the remaining cold front wind, or that it wasn’t nearly as windy off shore as on it. Bull. It was windy all day long.
Windy so that we even had some nice downwind runs today. And we had some holes going upwind. And there were streaks of shifted wind that could open passing lanes for people brave and lucky enough to give them a shot.
The results? Oh, I can explain. We had a rotten first race, and were lucky to end up with only 19 points. A giant cone of confusion must have settled over our mast overnight. Maybe it was the revenge of the lobster Jeff ate. Perhaps we just got, as Steve Davis says, Beflustercated. In any case, we came off the line at the pin-end in traffic and watched in noisy frustration as the right side of the course – the place we just couldn’t get to – had a big old lift in breeze. See yuh! We might have been in the 30s around the top mark. Blah blah blah, broken gooseneck track (BANG! Followed by a chorus of “oh crap, what was that??”) blah blah blah no passing lanes, no pressure, blah blah blah, deleted expletive, finishing downwind in 19th.
Luckily, Mr. Linton is no stranger to fixing problems on a boat without much equipment. That piece of fuzzy line we’d been using to tie up the main at the dock? Perfect for lashing the boom gooseneck to what was left of the track that holds it onto the mast. We watched it dubiously as we got ready for the second start. Then of course we forgot about it. This is racing. Go until it breaks, right?
Second race, we started at the pin, and despite a few moments where it looked questionable, made a one-tack beat of it, bee-lining for the dark sign of breeze along the shore. We rounded the top mark in WHOOHOO fourth place, and then hung on throughout the five legs to finish in fourth.
Andrew Eagan led the whole way, but our own Team Pletsch of Sarasota finished in second that race, edging out Al and Katie at the finish line by the power of starboard tack. Mighty black boat ahoy!
There was some carnage: I saw a couple of trailer-wheels-over-toes (ouch! No blood), plenty of bumps and oopsies at the dock, which is only natural given the ratio of Scot to dock divided by Junior Sailing boat. Watery carnage: at one point I looked upwind to see what looked like bookends in the water way off in the distance: a matched pair of flipped Scots. According to my Challenger-fleet mole, the two bookended boats turned out to be Mark and Maria Brenner, and Sandy and Keith Eustis – and then Sandy got a hand squished between mast and powerboat during retrieval. No hospital visit, so we are hopeful it’s a minor squish. Got a glimpse of it, and ouch: there is blue bruise on his palm AND on top of the hand.
He doesn't need this. Brian Hayes is calling the class upstairs for the annual meeting. I claimed this time to explore the wonders of Blender Bob’s contraption. As I mentioned earlier, this started life as a Thistle. ("Best use of a Thistle EVER," says Capt Winnebago) Powered by a gas two-stroke ("Sounds like your lawn man is bringing you a pina colada," John Aras), that runs half a dozen industrial-strength blenders. RPM control is like on a motorbike: throttle grip action!
On the other side of the contraption is a music center and my all-time-favorite technical device name, the BU 350 by American DJ, which is, of course, an automated bubble blower. It can even blow technicolor bubbles, which leaves my favorite clown joke WIDE open. (Ask me!)
Of course, hanging from a yardarm (All boats should have at least one, right?) is, of course, the piece de resistance: a disco ball. Just add liquid refreshment and you have yourself every excuse for excess and party!
One more race tomorrow -- if the wind doesn't completely crap out, which is what we have been promised. We are expecting it to blow 20.
Flying Scot Championship Racing Day 2
In the overall Winnebago adventure clock, this is Day 9.
So today, after the sailing predictions suggested that either there would be a fading Northerly dying and backing into a sea-breeze, or that the sea-breeze would kill the remaining cold front wind, or that it wasn’t nearly as windy off shore as on it. Bull. It was windy all day long.
Windy so that we even had some nice downwind runs today. And we had some holes going upwind. And there were streaks of shifted wind that could open passing lanes for people brave and lucky enough to give them a shot.
The results? Oh, I can explain. We had a rotten first race, and were lucky to end up with only 19 points. A giant cone of confusion must have settled over our mast overnight. Maybe it was the revenge of the lobster Jeff ate. Perhaps we just got, as Steve Davis says, Beflustercated. In any case, we came off the line at the pin-end in traffic and watched in noisy frustration as the right side of the course – the place we just couldn’t get to – had a big old lift in breeze. See yuh! We might have been in the 30s around the top mark. Blah blah blah, broken gooseneck track (BANG! Followed by a chorus of “oh crap, what was that??”) blah blah blah no passing lanes, no pressure, blah blah blah, deleted expletive, finishing downwind in 19th.
Luckily, Mr. Linton is no stranger to fixing problems on a boat without much equipment. That piece of fuzzy line we’d been using to tie up the main at the dock? Perfect for lashing the boom gooseneck to what was left of the track that holds it onto the mast. We watched it dubiously as we got ready for the second start. Then of course we forgot about it. This is racing. Go until it breaks, right?
Second race, we started at the pin, and despite a few moments where it looked questionable, made a one-tack beat of it, bee-lining for the dark sign of breeze along the shore. We rounded the top mark in WHOOHOO fourth place, and then hung on throughout the five legs to finish in fourth.
Andrew Eagan led the whole way, but our own Team Pletsch of Sarasota finished in second that race, edging out Al and Katie at the finish line by the power of starboard tack. Mighty black boat ahoy!
There was some carnage: I saw a couple of trailer-wheels-over-toes (ouch! No blood), plenty of bumps and oopsies at the dock, which is only natural given the ratio of Scot to dock divided by Junior Sailing boat. Watery carnage: at one point I looked upwind to see what looked like bookends in the water way off in the distance: a matched pair of flipped Scots. According to my Challenger-fleet mole, the two bookended boats turned out to be Mark and Maria Brenner, and Sandy and Keith Eustis – and then Sandy got a hand squished between mast and powerboat during retrieval. No hospital visit, so we are hopeful it’s a minor squish. Got a glimpse of it, and ouch: there is blue bruise on his palm AND on top of the hand.
He doesn't need this. Brian Hayes is calling the class upstairs for the annual meeting. I claimed this time to explore the wonders of Blender Bob’s contraption. As I mentioned earlier, this started life as a Thistle. ("Best use of a Thistle EVER," says Capt Winnebago) Powered by a gas two-stroke ("Sounds like your lawn man is bringing you a pina colada," John Aras), that runs half a dozen industrial-strength blenders. RPM control is like on a motorbike: throttle grip action!
On the other side of the contraption is a music center and my all-time-favorite technical device name, the BU 350 by American DJ, which is, of course, an automated bubble blower. It can even blow technicolor bubbles, which leaves my favorite clown joke WIDE open. (Ask me!)
Of course, hanging from a yardarm (All boats should have at least one, right?) is, of course, the piece de resistance: a disco ball. Just add liquid refreshment and you have yourself every excuse for excess and party!
One more race tomorrow -- if the wind doesn't completely crap out, which is what we have been promised. We are expecting it to blow 20.
NAC Series Day 1
Math question: with two sailboat races with five legs each, what are the chances that each of the six upwind legs saw puffy conditions up to 15 knots, while the downwind legs each took place in 3 knots? Yeah, that’s just odd...
The Real Racing Begins: Flying Scot North American Championships Day 1
(Day 8 of our adventure)
More strange NW conditions, with the breeze both spotty and shifty. We finished with a 4 and a 7th, which puts us 8 points out of the top, Andrew Eagan (of the fleet Eagan clan of New Orleans) is up there, as is Katie and Al Terhune, John and John, the Goughs and Josh Goldman. Most everyone had to battle back to their spot: we got to the first windward mark in about 30th, having gambled on the wrong puff, but then, managed to sail like Buffalo Girls (‘round the outside, ‘round the outside) to pinch off a pack or two before the fans turned back on for the upwind leg.
The boat seems to be going well: we adjusted the shroud tension up, and then down, though because the wind is so uppy-downy, it’s a gamble.
Ira Cohen took himself home before racing yesterday – a medical problem, which meant that Paul Abdullah had to retrace his Odyssey. With luck, Paul won’t have seventeen stops on the flight back home to Jax. Who knew there was a Delta local flight that takes on passengers in both LaGuardia and JFK!
Kris Smith’s boat took a mighty thunking pre-race, though I think everybody bounced back safe and still floating. Race organizer and man-about-town John Cooke lost a spin halyard in the second race, but managed to hold position not so badly going downwind with jib and main.
Two races today and the banquet tonight.
I write this on Thursday morning: two races plus the lobster/chicken dinner on Sprite Island took me out of the writing game yesterday.
The Real Racing Begins: Flying Scot North American Championships Day 1
(Day 8 of our adventure)
More strange NW conditions, with the breeze both spotty and shifty. We finished with a 4 and a 7th, which puts us 8 points out of the top, Andrew Eagan (of the fleet Eagan clan of New Orleans) is up there, as is Katie and Al Terhune, John and John, the Goughs and Josh Goldman. Most everyone had to battle back to their spot: we got to the first windward mark in about 30th, having gambled on the wrong puff, but then, managed to sail like Buffalo Girls (‘round the outside, ‘round the outside) to pinch off a pack or two before the fans turned back on for the upwind leg.
The boat seems to be going well: we adjusted the shroud tension up, and then down, though because the wind is so uppy-downy, it’s a gamble.
Ira Cohen took himself home before racing yesterday – a medical problem, which meant that Paul Abdullah had to retrace his Odyssey. With luck, Paul won’t have seventeen stops on the flight back home to Jax. Who knew there was a Delta local flight that takes on passengers in both LaGuardia and JFK!
Kris Smith’s boat took a mighty thunking pre-race, though I think everybody bounced back safe and still floating. Race organizer and man-about-town John Cooke lost a spin halyard in the second race, but managed to hold position not so badly going downwind with jib and main.
Two races today and the banquet tonight.
I write this on Thursday morning: two races plus the lobster/chicken dinner on Sprite Island took me out of the writing game yesterday.
Monday, July 11, 2011
2011 NAC Qualifying
Damn, Amy's updates were piling up on me a little. I'll try to do better. Zero excuses.
Today, Monday, (Day 6) started with the sunshine and heat as promised. 80 Flying Scots to hoist into the water. Ten o'clock harbor start, a cast of thousands of volunteers. No problem. But wait -- there is no plan that can't "gang aftly," as the phrase goes. In the case of this morning's start: just add 60 junior sailors. HOLD the PHONE, everybody. There is only so much dock space, and since it was a millpond –– but MILLpond -- on Long Island Sound, the Scots waited for the pram kids to be hauled off to their corner of the water.
Seriously: small, duckweek-covered millpond flat. Skating rink flat. So flat that the haze in the distance obscured any horizon and it looked like a big sheet of whitish poster paper. So flat –– well, I've seen pancakes with more waves. Nice news was that the boat traffic was way down. Must be some poor saps have to go to work this week. That must suck.
Isn't gloating just so unbecoming and vulgar?
On shore postponement lasted until noon and a little. Our first shift: waiting until nearly everyone was in the water before we put the Mighty Majestic into line.
We sailed out to the racecourse in under five knots, making note of the current at every opportunity. I got about an hour of quality helm time (I never drive, but today I needed a little horizon-therapy, until the ginger brew kicked in. Go figure. Flat as all that, and still my sandwich wants to make a reappearance.) The wind faded, streaked, faded some more, and the race committee showed patience and restraint while waiting for the conditions to improve.
The hand-held radio proved entertaining: I am not sure which chase-boat was doing the reporting, but at one point, the report for the race officer went like this: "We are seeing a lot of current out here. It's –– the current is bodacious out here." Later, same voice reports in: "The wind is looking pretty dank over here."
There was a near-heat-stroke moment, but Brian Hayes (on a powerboat) saved the day with a ball-cap full of ice and some cold bottles of water for the sufferer.
Sure enough, the wind eventually piped back up to around five and then a touch more for the first race. The tide was setting downwind, so the starting line was fairly easy to cross on time. The course was W-L-W-L, with a gate and an offset mark. Five minute sequences. We started in the second flight, split sides with John Aras/John Wake, and they put the boots to it: a hundred yard lead that never shortened up much. We finished happy with a second place. Trying to sail conservatively (no over-earlies, and do some smart course-management so that nobody gets too far out of touch), but more often than not choosing the wrong sides, we were delighted with the boatspeed and point. A fairly loose rig and the beautiful new jib felt great upwind. Going downwind, we felt pretty good too.
We were in the first flight for the second race. The RC set us a W-L-W-L-W course, and the wind shifted right during the starting sequence -- enough that it was a challenge to get over the line on starboard. But again. patience prevailed, and the RC blew off that start and reset the line. We'd expected a right shift all afternoon, as the sea-breeze seems to come in at around 240, but the wind built ––maybe 8? We were hiking –– and shifted around a bit both ways, though by the second upwind leg, the RC had moved the windward mark to the right.
Andrew Eagan proved untouchable in our flight, pulling a solid horizon job on the gang. We finished with another deuce, and went to shore happy. Plus Brian Hayes was handing out beers just after the finish, and you know that's bound to put a smile on anyone's face.
On shore, the Dave Perry seminar is happening as I type. The little dog needed some attention, and once back in the Winnie, I found it really really hard to step back outside and take the bike back to the YC. It's less than a quarter mile, but by golly, I think I am done for the night. Time to recharge.
Tomorrow's forecast is for thunderstorms. The race organizers re-scheduled the clam bake on Sprite Island from tomorrow to Wednesday. We'll be using the older jib for tomorrow's one race. Aim for a top-twenty finish and and sail right into the Championship fleet...and then start all over again, like Markie Taylor says.
Today, Monday, (Day 6) started with the sunshine and heat as promised. 80 Flying Scots to hoist into the water. Ten o'clock harbor start, a cast of thousands of volunteers. No problem. But wait -- there is no plan that can't "gang aftly," as the phrase goes. In the case of this morning's start: just add 60 junior sailors. HOLD the PHONE, everybody. There is only so much dock space, and since it was a millpond –– but MILLpond -- on Long Island Sound, the Scots waited for the pram kids to be hauled off to their corner of the water.
Seriously: small, duckweek-covered millpond flat. Skating rink flat. So flat that the haze in the distance obscured any horizon and it looked like a big sheet of whitish poster paper. So flat –– well, I've seen pancakes with more waves. Nice news was that the boat traffic was way down. Must be some poor saps have to go to work this week. That must suck.
Isn't gloating just so unbecoming and vulgar?
On shore postponement lasted until noon and a little. Our first shift: waiting until nearly everyone was in the water before we put the Mighty Majestic into line.
We sailed out to the racecourse in under five knots, making note of the current at every opportunity. I got about an hour of quality helm time (I never drive, but today I needed a little horizon-therapy, until the ginger brew kicked in. Go figure. Flat as all that, and still my sandwich wants to make a reappearance.) The wind faded, streaked, faded some more, and the race committee showed patience and restraint while waiting for the conditions to improve.
The hand-held radio proved entertaining: I am not sure which chase-boat was doing the reporting, but at one point, the report for the race officer went like this: "We are seeing a lot of current out here. It's –– the current is bodacious out here." Later, same voice reports in: "The wind is looking pretty dank over here."
There was a near-heat-stroke moment, but Brian Hayes (on a powerboat) saved the day with a ball-cap full of ice and some cold bottles of water for the sufferer.
Sure enough, the wind eventually piped back up to around five and then a touch more for the first race. The tide was setting downwind, so the starting line was fairly easy to cross on time. The course was W-L-W-L, with a gate and an offset mark. Five minute sequences. We started in the second flight, split sides with John Aras/John Wake, and they put the boots to it: a hundred yard lead that never shortened up much. We finished happy with a second place. Trying to sail conservatively (no over-earlies, and do some smart course-management so that nobody gets too far out of touch), but more often than not choosing the wrong sides, we were delighted with the boatspeed and point. A fairly loose rig and the beautiful new jib felt great upwind. Going downwind, we felt pretty good too.
We were in the first flight for the second race. The RC set us a W-L-W-L-W course, and the wind shifted right during the starting sequence -- enough that it was a challenge to get over the line on starboard. But again. patience prevailed, and the RC blew off that start and reset the line. We'd expected a right shift all afternoon, as the sea-breeze seems to come in at around 240, but the wind built ––maybe 8? We were hiking –– and shifted around a bit both ways, though by the second upwind leg, the RC had moved the windward mark to the right.
Andrew Eagan proved untouchable in our flight, pulling a solid horizon job on the gang. We finished with another deuce, and went to shore happy. Plus Brian Hayes was handing out beers just after the finish, and you know that's bound to put a smile on anyone's face.
On shore, the Dave Perry seminar is happening as I type. The little dog needed some attention, and once back in the Winnie, I found it really really hard to step back outside and take the bike back to the YC. It's less than a quarter mile, but by golly, I think I am done for the night. Time to recharge.
Tomorrow's forecast is for thunderstorms. The race organizers re-scheduled the clam bake on Sprite Island from tomorrow to Wednesday. We'll be using the older jib for tomorrow's one race. Aim for a top-twenty finish and and sail right into the Championship fleet...and then start all over again, like Markie Taylor says.
2011 NAC Prep
Day 4, Saturday, July 9, Flying Scot North American Championships: Measurement
Cedar Point YC is just buzzing with activity. Flying Scots arriving, getting unhitched from their cars, and then whisked away by the excellent big team of volunteers in lime green shirts as the drivers and co-pilots tumble out of the cars, full of stories about the drive. (Overheard: There is NOTHING like taking a trailer on the cross-Bronx Expressway first thing in the morning!) Today, our road-trip turned into a regatta.
Here's how it goes –– Since the Flying Scot is a one-design class, the boats come from the factory resembling one another pretty closely. Then, as this skipper decides to replace that part, or relocated that cleat, or run those lines a different way, or make that bit smoother or flatter or whatever, the boats diverge. And at official regattas like this one, the class has to make sure that the boats all measure back into the class standard. Has a boat gotten too light? Has the centerboard changed shape? Are the sails the right size?
There are a couple of measurement stations set up at Cedar Point, including one for the sails and one for the hull, and then a team of folks going boat to boat. Reminiscent of the Lightning Worlds in Ecuador, when the yacht club employees wore yellow shirts marked "marinera," the lime green tees for the regatta staff are hugely distinctive. They are helping step masts, checking measurements, offering cold drinks, and generally making folks feel welcome.
So far, aside from the usual small kerfluffle about the fatness of the centerboard (there's always some controversy about how the measurement team decides to measure it: calipers? jig? measuring tape?), which will result in somebody having to take a grinder to a board to slim it down. Same as ever, it looks like quite a few centerboards need to go the Red Door Slim-down Spa. There are lots and lots of helping hands, which makes the whole process speed along.
The weather is great: sunny, breezy, and warm, and it's good to see so many familiar faces. Cameron is growing curly hair on her cute little bean.
File under "Crew, Motley"
Here's the short story on Kelly Gough's adventures: yesterday, within 45 minutes of the club, Kelly was gliding up I-95 on the absolute home stretch of his 1800-mile solo odyssey from Texas. In the left lane when Bang! the axel on the trailer breaks. He brings the rig to a halt in the scant left emergency lane-ette, assesses the situation, and then manages to unload the boat so that he can jack up the trailer and get the axel off the ground and have the whole thing cranked onto a tow truck that is supposed to be arriving sometime soon. 18-wheelers blowing by at top speed. Road dirt everywhere. Kelly's life flashing before his eyes. He's under the boat when a particularly powerful gust of air from a passing truck lifts the boat and trailer and sets it back down 6 inches to the side. Kelly admitted to screaming like a girl, scrambling out from under it, and then having to nerve himself back up to finish the job. Yes, he thought about leaving it on the side of the road. Yes, he said he never wants to drive on 95 again. Yes, the tow truck hauled it all back to Jersey, where a crack team of welders put it all back together in an hour and a half better than before, for a couple of Benjamins. You gotta hand that to Jersey -- they got hustle! Kelly's potential adventures are still going: while hoisting the boat on the lift, some quick-thinking observer noticed that his lifting bridle (the wire or rope thingie used to raise the boat from its trailer) was unravelling. Mercifully, they got the boat back down before gravity applied herself. (Overheard: Holy Crap, THAT would have sucked.) Knock wood that Kelly has taken all the close calls for everyone already this week.
Sunday July 10, 2011 Day 5
Flying Scot North American Championships:
Conditions on Long Island Sound are nearly identical today to the warm, humid weather we left in Tampa: wind at around 7 knots, plenty of big chop from powerboats, and a strong tidal pull under the bright sunshine.
The Women’s and Junior’s North American Championships are going on as I type. Meant to sail the Women’s with Monica Trejo, but it turns out that the skipper must be a boat-owner. I am categorically not prepared to drive, though –– bless her good heart –– Monica was willing to crew for me.
Instead, Mr. Linton decided to splash the boat, try out the new Gus sails from Bill Draheim, and check out conditions around the racecourse. We were sad not to see Hans Noordenhaus, though several folks sported orange in honor of our Netherlander friend. Amy Miller’s toenails, for instance, are safety orange, though regrettably, I didn’t catch it on film.
We sailed out the harbor and directly into the reef area at the top end of the Womens-Juniors racecourse. Nice race committee (Thanks Nelson!) chased us down to tell us we were okay for now –– but when the tide dropped, the rocks under our boat would be about out of the water. We rolled right into a tack and got the heck out of there. That’s some critical local knowledge.
The new jib looks nice and crisp, so we rolled it back up to save it for later in the week. The new spinnaker looks equally fresh and lovely. We felt a little off the pace: plenty of point but not much punch, as the phrase goes. Our head-stay was fairly tight, so the skipper decided to loosen the rig. Since the process involves removing a pin to disconnect one of the shrouds, and then replacing that pin while the mast wavers around (not quite as hazardous as changing a tire on the fly, but sort of similar), I was relieved when he opted to make the change on shore.
We sailed with John Aras and John Wake from Fishing Bay and with John Kredler from North Carolina (we hit a patch of Johns, evidently) for about an hour or so and came back around 3 pm. From what we can see, the tide is going to play, and there will be a lot of competitive boats on the field.
Given how bumpy the water is (though one might hope it’s Sunday traffic as much as anything), I’m glad to have laid in a supply of ginger brew. For years, I have felt yurpy as we start sailing. I blamed it on the migraines, the pbj, the weather, or my own bad attitude. But during the sail back from Honduras with Jeff’s papa (what an adventure THAT was), I realized what I was feeling was eerily like sea-sickness. Totally like sea-sickness. Really, just like sea-sickness. Oh. Wow. Duh.
The answer: powdered ginger brew from the Asian market mixed with Gatorade. Sip, sip, sip, and no more yurping.
I am a terrible reporter of the racing news, sad to say. I don’t know how many races they got off, or how it shook out; I can only report that Melanie Dunham took the top spot among the Women's NAs. I think the Flying Scot website should have results for Womens and Youths posted shortly.
Opening ceremonies were yummy: lots of homemade appetizers, vast stores of beer, soda, water, and the best use of a Thistle yet: six blenders, a bubble maker, a disco ball, a head into which one pours ice, a stereo, all built into an old Thistle on a trailer. It even has a license plate. I hope to capture the glory by camera later in the week.
Qualifying races start tomorrow. There are four divisions (a, b, c, d). Each will face off to determine which boats will sail in the Championship fleet or the Challenger fleet on Wednesday. The class also reserves the right to boot a normally high-performing boat into the division they think it deserves, which is kind of an interesting twist on the idea of a qualifying series.
Cedar Point YC is just buzzing with activity. Flying Scots arriving, getting unhitched from their cars, and then whisked away by the excellent big team of volunteers in lime green shirts as the drivers and co-pilots tumble out of the cars, full of stories about the drive. (Overheard: There is NOTHING like taking a trailer on the cross-Bronx Expressway first thing in the morning!) Today, our road-trip turned into a regatta.
Here's how it goes –– Since the Flying Scot is a one-design class, the boats come from the factory resembling one another pretty closely. Then, as this skipper decides to replace that part, or relocated that cleat, or run those lines a different way, or make that bit smoother or flatter or whatever, the boats diverge. And at official regattas like this one, the class has to make sure that the boats all measure back into the class standard. Has a boat gotten too light? Has the centerboard changed shape? Are the sails the right size?
There are a couple of measurement stations set up at Cedar Point, including one for the sails and one for the hull, and then a team of folks going boat to boat. Reminiscent of the Lightning Worlds in Ecuador, when the yacht club employees wore yellow shirts marked "marinera," the lime green tees for the regatta staff are hugely distinctive. They are helping step masts, checking measurements, offering cold drinks, and generally making folks feel welcome.
So far, aside from the usual small kerfluffle about the fatness of the centerboard (there's always some controversy about how the measurement team decides to measure it: calipers? jig? measuring tape?), which will result in somebody having to take a grinder to a board to slim it down. Same as ever, it looks like quite a few centerboards need to go the Red Door Slim-down Spa. There are lots and lots of helping hands, which makes the whole process speed along.
The weather is great: sunny, breezy, and warm, and it's good to see so many familiar faces. Cameron is growing curly hair on her cute little bean.
File under "Crew, Motley"
Here's the short story on Kelly Gough's adventures: yesterday, within 45 minutes of the club, Kelly was gliding up I-95 on the absolute home stretch of his 1800-mile solo odyssey from Texas. In the left lane when Bang! the axel on the trailer breaks. He brings the rig to a halt in the scant left emergency lane-ette, assesses the situation, and then manages to unload the boat so that he can jack up the trailer and get the axel off the ground and have the whole thing cranked onto a tow truck that is supposed to be arriving sometime soon. 18-wheelers blowing by at top speed. Road dirt everywhere. Kelly's life flashing before his eyes. He's under the boat when a particularly powerful gust of air from a passing truck lifts the boat and trailer and sets it back down 6 inches to the side. Kelly admitted to screaming like a girl, scrambling out from under it, and then having to nerve himself back up to finish the job. Yes, he thought about leaving it on the side of the road. Yes, he said he never wants to drive on 95 again. Yes, the tow truck hauled it all back to Jersey, where a crack team of welders put it all back together in an hour and a half better than before, for a couple of Benjamins. You gotta hand that to Jersey -- they got hustle! Kelly's potential adventures are still going: while hoisting the boat on the lift, some quick-thinking observer noticed that his lifting bridle (the wire or rope thingie used to raise the boat from its trailer) was unravelling. Mercifully, they got the boat back down before gravity applied herself. (Overheard: Holy Crap, THAT would have sucked.) Knock wood that Kelly has taken all the close calls for everyone already this week.
Sunday July 10, 2011 Day 5
Flying Scot North American Championships:
Conditions on Long Island Sound are nearly identical today to the warm, humid weather we left in Tampa: wind at around 7 knots, plenty of big chop from powerboats, and a strong tidal pull under the bright sunshine.
The Women’s and Junior’s North American Championships are going on as I type. Meant to sail the Women’s with Monica Trejo, but it turns out that the skipper must be a boat-owner. I am categorically not prepared to drive, though –– bless her good heart –– Monica was willing to crew for me.
Instead, Mr. Linton decided to splash the boat, try out the new Gus sails from Bill Draheim, and check out conditions around the racecourse. We were sad not to see Hans Noordenhaus, though several folks sported orange in honor of our Netherlander friend. Amy Miller’s toenails, for instance, are safety orange, though regrettably, I didn’t catch it on film.
We sailed out the harbor and directly into the reef area at the top end of the Womens-Juniors racecourse. Nice race committee (Thanks Nelson!) chased us down to tell us we were okay for now –– but when the tide dropped, the rocks under our boat would be about out of the water. We rolled right into a tack and got the heck out of there. That’s some critical local knowledge.
The new jib looks nice and crisp, so we rolled it back up to save it for later in the week. The new spinnaker looks equally fresh and lovely. We felt a little off the pace: plenty of point but not much punch, as the phrase goes. Our head-stay was fairly tight, so the skipper decided to loosen the rig. Since the process involves removing a pin to disconnect one of the shrouds, and then replacing that pin while the mast wavers around (not quite as hazardous as changing a tire on the fly, but sort of similar), I was relieved when he opted to make the change on shore.
We sailed with John Aras and John Wake from Fishing Bay and with John Kredler from North Carolina (we hit a patch of Johns, evidently) for about an hour or so and came back around 3 pm. From what we can see, the tide is going to play, and there will be a lot of competitive boats on the field.
Given how bumpy the water is (though one might hope it’s Sunday traffic as much as anything), I’m glad to have laid in a supply of ginger brew. For years, I have felt yurpy as we start sailing. I blamed it on the migraines, the pbj, the weather, or my own bad attitude. But during the sail back from Honduras with Jeff’s papa (what an adventure THAT was), I realized what I was feeling was eerily like sea-sickness. Totally like sea-sickness. Really, just like sea-sickness. Oh. Wow. Duh.
The answer: powdered ginger brew from the Asian market mixed with Gatorade. Sip, sip, sip, and no more yurping.
I am a terrible reporter of the racing news, sad to say. I don’t know how many races they got off, or how it shook out; I can only report that Melanie Dunham took the top spot among the Women's NAs. I think the Flying Scot website should have results for Womens and Youths posted shortly.
Opening ceremonies were yummy: lots of homemade appetizers, vast stores of beer, soda, water, and the best use of a Thistle yet: six blenders, a bubble maker, a disco ball, a head into which one pours ice, a stereo, all built into an old Thistle on a trailer. It even has a license plate. I hope to capture the glory by camera later in the week.
Qualifying races start tomorrow. There are four divisions (a, b, c, d). Each will face off to determine which boats will sail in the Championship fleet or the Challenger fleet on Wednesday. The class also reserves the right to boot a normally high-performing boat into the division they think it deserves, which is kind of an interesting twist on the idea of a qualifying series.
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