Spring Race Day #6 - May 21

Another light air drifter...

It wasn’t much, but it beat sitting on the dock.  The forecast was for calm winds building to a whole 5 mph in the afternoon.  And you guessed it, out of the East/Southeast.  With everyone prepping for the next weekend Memorial Day at the dock only two boats showed up for racing – ZCat II,  a Catalina 22 with Eddie and his dad Frank Zeiler on board and Bogey , a Hunter 22 with George Boger and John Bomar on board.  It was to be a match race of 22 footers in light, sometimes drifting conditions. 

Patience paid off as the wind finally came on after a dead calm wait and both boats hung close to the start line, not wanting to be caught very far away should the winds die out.  Bogey was windward with ZCat a little further down the line as the time clicked off.  With about 30 seconds to the start the wind veered left, knocking both boats and making it hard to make the start line.  Since she could not tack because of Bogey’s approach upwind on the line ZCat had to luff up to try and make it across.   Bogey drove down the line and tacked away with better momentum and lead off the line.  Both boats did their best to keep moving although in the lulls there was hardly enough wind to maintain sail shape.  Both boats made a couple tacks working upwind and on the last starboard tack toward the mark Bogey passed ZCat who had taken the lead.  As they neared the windward buoy the wind died completely and it was a drifting contest.  With no way on Bogey drifted into the buoy collecting a foul and ZCat rounded outside her. 

As it happened, not long after the rounding a good breeze filled in from the West (of all places) and Bogey was able to perform her 360 penalty turn with good speed and minimal time lost.  She and ZCat then reached off with the wind on the beam, ZCat flying her spinnaker.  Bogey managed to stay with her most of the way, only losing ground at the last of the leg as the wind eased.  ZCat got line honors but Bogey was able to correct over her with a margin of victory of only 27 seconds. 

It turned into a pretty good race after all and was fun at the end.  Both boats look forward to the last two races next week-end on Memorial Day which will determine the spring championship.

In the wise words of Eddie Z: "I believe it is getting time to be in the water not on it."

2016 Spring Race Day #5 - May 7

What a beautiful day.  We had plenty of sun with light southerly breezes between 2 and 6 knots.  Eddie Zeiler once again did a great job of setting courses with good upwind legs where neither side was obviously favored.  That makes us have to actually think about what to do in a wind shift.

Contestants were:
Rendezvous with Keith, Joe Klingbeil and Kate McKenna
ZCat with Eddie and Frank
Bogy with George and Matt
Sirocco from GFLYC with George Yerger and our own Ron Nash
Reckless, a new boat and member at IMYC, with Mark Wiley and John Bomar


Sorry for no narrative - we were all too busy chasing the wrong wind shift.  But I did get a couple of pics.

Looks like Eddie is about to push Rendezvous out of his way in race #1.

Love the look of those two chutes in race #2!   Both C22s really did well on the down wind legs.

Congratulations Sirocco for winning the day as they prepare for the C22 nationals later this year.  Good work George and Ron. 

And kudos to Mark Wiley and crew aboard Reckless.  Despite his claims otherwise, he managed to look like he knew what he was doing by beating both Bogy and Rendezvous in the first race.


The numbers:

2016 Spring Race Day #3 - April 9

2016 Spring Race Day #3  - April 9

No commentary for today, just the numbers.

2016 Spring Race Day #4 - April 23

4^th Regatta of the Spring Series

Saturday April 23, 2016

from notes by Ron Nash and John Bomar

It was a great day for an outdoor BBQ, a super day for a canoe trip down the river, perfect for a walk in the flowering woods of springtime.   But it was a really crappy day for a sailboat race.  With a large high pressure dome just to our south and nothing to move it along, the lake surface looked more like a mirror than a ruffled playground.  There were but few zephyrs in patches here and there and on average 2-3 mph of light patchy breeze. 

The skippers meeting began with a review of the rules relating to mark roundings, and restating IMYC’s policy that exonerating one’s self for a rule infraction requires a single 360 degree completed as soon as it can be done while keeping clear. 

Five boats made it to the start: Rama with Bob and Julie Rhodey; Lil’ Girl with Roxanne and Bill Tull; Z Cat II with Frank and Eddie Zeiler; Bogey with George Boger, Matt, and John Bomar aboard; and George Yerger brought Sirocco down from Greers Ferry with Ron Nash crewing.

Once again Eddie had set up a good windward leg into the forecast prevailing southeast wind forecast, with the start line set up just south of B Island and the windward mark set at I.  Most boats hung very close to the start line, not wanting to get caught out in the faint breath or whisper of wind.   Z-Cat II at the pin end and Sirocco further down the line led the charge (at about one knot) off the line with Bogey, Rama and Lil Girl not far behind.  It was all concentration on the tell-tales and wind angles as most boats headed left up the course.  Rama led the southern group tacking off to south, while Sirocco kept looking to the middle of the lake for what wind there was.   At that point it looked as if Z-Cat II had a few boat lengths on Sirocco.  Sirocco managed to catch the slight breezes and tacked on the lay line, heading south to the pin. Rama was ahead of the other group, now headed east to the pin from the area closer to Iron Mountain.

Rama had a short boat length on Sirocco coming to the pin, but had to give way to Sirocco on starboard. The Zone rule does not apply to boats coming to a mark on opposite tacks. Rama rounded the pin outside of Sirocco. Close behind came Bogey, Z-Cat II and Lil Girl.

The downwind leg was now a beat to wind. Sirocco kept her lead headed to the finish. The winds started shifting again. Rama headed off North; Sirocco kept bearing west and ended up heading off more westerly chasing the fickle breezes.  The wind finally shifted back around from the southeast.

Sirocco made a few more tacks and jibs and finished way ahead of the rest of the fleet. Rama ended up finishing next, but had trouble toward the north side with dying whispers of wind. Z-Cat II and Bogy drifted across in that order just behind Rama. Lil Girl made a great effort to catch up by hoisting the beasty spinnaker but with so little wind it was not much help, especially with the light pressure moving all over the compass in the final run. 

The course was a simple windward-leeward back to the start route.  And the short ¾ mile course took about an hour to complete. 

Race Committee Chair Eddie Z. queried the fleet if everyone had had enough of no wind racing, and all but Sirocco conceded. The buoys were pulled and all headed to the docks for beer.

It was still fun, in spite of the fickle and lack luster wind.

Congratulation go out to George and Ron though, they worked hard to coax the most speed out of the little Catalina.   In such conditions, all sailors know they deserve respect for their effort and the win.