Re: [Cal_Boats] 22 knot winds

Hi, Leslie. There are just a couple rules that govern who can do what to whom, and who has right-of-way. Even in the tight stack of boats at the racing start, I feel safer there than I do out cruising on a day like the 4th of July when one is not sure who knows what about right-of-way and concentration. There are indeed a couple differences between standard and racing rules, but the racing is a great way to learn about how your boat handles. Cheers Charlie Annapolis From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Leslie Newman Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 9:00 AM To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com Subject: [External] Re: [Cal_Boats] 22 knot winds Thanks for the advice. So, what the heck are they doing? I see a power boat beside an orange buoy. All the boats are doing some loop I take it. A few weeks ago we were out near Stingray point and a regatta was in progress. We sailed nearby and sailed by watching as the boats jockeyed around. Some of them came very, very close to each other as they crossed paths. On Mon, Oct 14, 2013 at 9:09 PM, Donald C Dutton <dn… [at] comcast.net<mailto:dn… [at] comcast.net>> wrote: I remember when we were new to sailing and declined to enter a regatta with our friends. Our fleet captain told us to just go out and tag along and follow what everyone else was doing. Well we finished last, but we began to see what everyone was doing in front of us and learned. By the third or fourth regatta we were mixing it up with the middle of the fleet! Had tons of fun for years sailing races. Just bite the bullet and enter one. Don't be aggressive and hang back and watch what all the other boats do. Soon you will find yourself reading the rules and joining the fun in the pack! Don Dutton 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution" On Oct 13, 2013, at 7:17 PM, Leslie Newman wrote: No. Actually, we just drove down to check on the boat, but the wind was so good I asked Claire if she would mind going out a few hours. She was game and we scooted out and headed up river. Saw that the regatta was in progress. Sailed by, then turned back for home. Was a fun time out there today. I don't think Claire and I are ready for a regatta yet. Still getting our sea legs after being away from sailing a few years. On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 9:04 PM, sailor7312 . <sa… [at] gmail.com<mailto:sa… [at] gmail.com>> wrote: did you do the turkey shoot regatta today? Jim Cal 29 sailor(Mobjack Bay)

I agree with Charlie, when racing you are pretty sure (not absolutely) that the person at the helm understands right of way rules, and observant crew are keeping him informed of other boats he may not see (sails and concentration on other task to make the boat go fast). Basic "rules of the road" apply in all cases. Racing has a few enhancements as boats get close to each other, marks and obstructions. The nice thing about racing is you become aware of the "other boats" and your judgement and reactions are better. When you get back to "cruising mode" you feel more relaxed and confident on your skills and ability to control your boat. John Raxter > On Oct 15, 2013, at 9:31 AM, "Husar, Charlie [USA] (ASE)" <hu… [at] bah.com> wrote: > > Hi, Leslie. There are just a couple rules that govern who can do what to whom, and who has right-of-way. Even in the tight stack of boats at the racing start, I feel safer there than I do out cruising on a day like the 4th of July when one is not sure who knows what about right-of-way and concentration. There are indeed a couple differences between standard and racing rules, but the racing is a great way to learn about how your boat handles. > > > > Cheers > > Charlie > > Annapolis > > > > From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Leslie Newman > Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 9:00 AM > To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > Subject: [External] Re: [Cal_Boats] 22 knot winds > > > > > > > > Thanks for the advice. So, what the heck are they doing? I see a power boat beside an orange buoy. All the boats are doing some loop I take it. A few weeks ago we were out near Stingray point and a regatta was in progress. We sailed nearby and sailed by watching as the boats jockeyed around. Some of them came very, very close to each other as they crossed paths. > > > > On Mon, Oct 14, 2013 at 9:09 PM, Donald C Dutton <dn… [at] comcast.net> wrote: > > > > I remember when we were new to sailing and declined to enter a regatta with our friends. Our fleet captain told us to just go out and tag along and follow what everyone else was doing. Well we finished last, but we began to see what everyone was doing in front of us and learned. By the third or fourth regatta we were mixing it up with the middle of the fleet! Had tons of fun for years sailing races. > > > > Just bite the bullet and enter one. Don't be aggressive and hang back and watch what all the other boats do. Soon you will find yourself reading the rules and joining the fun in the pack! > > > > Don Dutton > > 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution" > > > > On Oct 13, 2013, at 7:17 PM, Leslie Newman wrote: > > > > > > > > > No. Actually, we just drove down to check on the boat, but the wind was so good I asked Claire if she would mind going out a few hours. She was game and we scooted out and headed up river. Saw that the regatta was in progress. Sailed by, then turned back for home. Was a fun time out there today. I don't think Claire and I are ready for a regatta yet. Still getting our sea legs after being away from sailing a few years. > > > > On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 9:04 PM, sailor7312 . <sa… [at] gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > > did you do the turkey shoot regatta today? > > Jim > > Cal 29 sailor(Mobjack Bay) > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > >

Thanks. This past weekend when approaching another sailboat I was making sure to note how quickly we are moving, how we were going to intersect and such. You definitely have time to make corrections, but I can see where things would get very crazy if everyone was all jumbled together. There was this one boat obviously in the race. They appeared to be about the same size as us, so I decided to see if I could catch them, which I did and passed them. That was fun, though I don't have a clue as to any handicap they might of had or anything. It was just fun to be getting all I could out of my boat. Not sure the wife is very interested in racing, but I have friends that would definitely like to be involved. On Tue, Oct 15, 2013 at 12:36 PM, John Raxter <jr… [at] triad.rr.com> wrote: > ** > > > I agree with Charlie, when racing you are pretty sure (not absolutely) > that the person at the helm understands right of way rules, and observant > crew are keeping him informed of other boats he may not see (sails and > concentration on other task to make the boat go fast). > > Basic "rules of the road" apply in all cases. Racing has a few > enhancements as boats get close to each other, marks and obstructions. > > The nice thing about racing is you become aware of the "other boats" and > your judgement and reactions are better. When you get back to "cruising > mode" you feel more relaxed and confident on your skills and ability to > control your boat. > > John Raxter > > > > On Oct 15, 2013, at 9:31 AM, "Husar, Charlie [USA] (ASE)" < > hu… [at] bah.com> wrote: > > > > Hi, Leslie. There are just a couple rules that govern who can do what > to whom, and who has right-of-way. Even in the tight stack of boats at the > racing start, I feel safer there than I do out cruising on a day like the 4 > th of July when one is not sure who knows what about right-of-way and > concentration. There are indeed a couple differences between standard and > racing rules, but the racing is a great way to learn about how your boat > handles.**** > > ** ** > > Cheers**** > > Charlie**** > > Annapolis**** > > ** ** > > *From:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com<Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com>] > *On Behalf Of *Leslie Newman > *Sent:* Tuesday, October 15, 2013 9:00 AM > *To:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > *Subject:* [External] Re: [Cal_Boats] 22 knot winds**** > > ** ** > > > > > **** > > Thanks for the advice. So, what the heck are they doing? I see a power > boat beside an orange buoy. All the boats are doing some loop I take it. A > few weeks ago we were out near Stingray point and a regatta was in > progress. We sailed nearby and sailed by watching as the boats jockeyed > around. Some of them came very, very close to each other as they crossed > paths.**** > > ** ** > > On Mon, Oct 14, 2013 at 9:09 PM, Donald C Dutton <dn… [at] comcast.net> > wrote:**** > > **** > > I remember when we were new to sailing and declined to enter a regatta > with our friends. Our fleet captain told us to just go out and tag along > and follow what everyone else was doing. Well we finished last, but we > began to see what everyone was doing in front of us and learned. By the > third or fourth regatta we were mixing it up with the middle of the fleet! > Had tons of fun for years sailing races.**** > > ** ** > > Just bite the bullet and enter one. Don't be aggressive and hang back and > watch what all the other boats do. Soon you will find yourself reading the > rules and joining the fun in the pack!**** > > ** ** > > Don Dutton**** > > 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution"**** > > ** ** > > On Oct 13, 2013, at 7:17 PM, Leslie Newman wrote:**** > > > > **** > > **** > > ** ** > > No. Actually, we just drove down to check on the boat, but the wind was so > good I asked Claire if she would mind going out a few hours. She was game > and we scooted out and headed up river. Saw that the regatta was in > progress. Sailed by, then turned back for home. Was a fun time out there > today. I don't think Claire and I are ready for a regatta yet. Still > getting our sea legs after being away from sailing a few years.**** > > ** ** > > On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 9:04 PM, sailor7312 . <sa… [at] gmail.com> > wrote:**** > > **** > > ** ** > > did you do the turkey shoot regatta today?**** > > Jim**** > > Cal 29 sailor(Mobjack Bay)**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > > > > **** > > **** > > >

Leslie, To start out with, let's keep this simple so your interest will stay high! I agree that you can learn a lot by crewing for someone else and, if that is available to you, it is worth doing. However, when we crewed for a really nice skipper, I found little time to actually observe where everyone else was on the course as I was busy with tasks. That is why I also recommend entering a regatta and then basically following everyone else around and watching what they do and mimic it as best you can. The diagram below comes from USSailing's website and shows the most common big boat race course used by many yacht clubs. The boat with the orange mark you mentioned is shown at the bottom left of the diagram. This boat raises and lowers flags to tell you how long until your start, usually White for ten minutes to go, blue for five minutes to go, and then red for your start along with a horn. You start between the boat and the orange mark. You sail a course to weather into the wind until you round mark 1, leaving it to port, and then reach to mark two, where you jibe (leaving the mark to port), and then sail to the first orange mark on a reach, leaving it to port again and sail another weather leg to mark 1. You then round mark 1, leaving it to port, and sail a run to finish between the mark and boat where you started. You receive a horn from the race committee if you have successfully completed the course. The activity you see before the race is usually boats beam reaching up and down the starting line and fighting for position as the time nears the raising of the red flag. This is the most intense part of most races and you would do well to stay several boat lengths to leeward of the other boats and start after they do! As you maneuver around the other boats and get a better feel for what is happening, you will discover yourself becoming very comfortable with closer and closer passage between boats. And as you sail upwind and downwind and observe boats that are sailing faster than you, you will see how to trim your sails and steer your boat to match their speed. This is the gain in confidence in handling your boat that you will get from racing. Soon you will find yourself passing the stern of other boats within a quarter boat length without qualm, and your tacks and jibes will get quicker and sharper as the race course and other boats require you to do so much more often than when cruising. You will also find that you will arrive at your cruising destinations faster after you race for a while. After all, no competent racer will continue sailing on a strong header toward an anchorage when you could easily tack and be lifted home to your anchorage!! Experience racing dinghies and my Cal 33-2 also made it possible for me to sail back into my slip when the engine died in the channel as I had a very good feel for just how fast the boat accelerates and, more importantly, decelerates when facing in different directions on the helm. If you get a chance I hope you can try a regatta or two! It made my sailing experience a much more pleasurable experience. Don Dutton 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution' On Oct 15, 2013, at 9:36 AM, John Raxter wrote: > > I agree with Charlie, when racing you are pretty sure (not absolutely) that the person at the helm understands right of way rules, and observant crew are keeping him informed of other boats he may not see (sails and concentration on other task to make the boat go fast). > > Basic "rules of the road" apply in all cases. Racing has a few enhancements as boats get close to each other, marks and obstructions. > > The nice thing about racing is you become aware of the "other boats" and your judgement and reactions are better. When you get back to "cruising mode" you feel more relaxed and confident on your skills and ability to control your boat. > > John Raxter > > > > On Oct 15, 2013, at 9:31 AM, "Husar, Charlie [USA] (ASE)" <hu… [at] bah.com> wrote: > >> >> >> Hi, Leslie. There are just a couple rules that govern who can do what to whom, and who has right-of-way. Even in the tight stack of boats at the racing start, I feel safer there than I do out cruising on a day like the 4th of July when one is not sure who knows what about right-of-way and concentration. There are indeed a couple differences between standard and racing rules, but the racing is a great way to learn about how your boat handles. >> >> >> >> Cheers >> >> Charlie >> >> Annapolis >> >> >> >> From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Leslie Newman >> Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 9:00 AM >> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com >> Subject: [External] Re: [Cal_Boats] 22 knot winds >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Thanks for the advice. So, what the heck are they doing? I see a power boat beside an orange buoy. All the boats are doing some loop I take it. A few weeks ago we were out near Stingray point and a regatta was in progress. We sailed nearby and sailed by watching as the boats jockeyed around. Some of them came very, very close to each other as they crossed paths. >> >> >> >> On Mon, Oct 14, 2013 at 9:09 PM, Donald C Dutton <dn… [at] comcast.net> wrote: >> >> >> >> I remember when we were new to sailing and declined to enter a regatta with our friends. Our fleet captain told us to just go out and tag along and follow what everyone else was doing. Well we finished last, but we began to see what everyone was doing in front of us and learned. By the third or fourth regatta we were mixing it up with the middle of the fleet! Had tons of fun for years sailing races. >> >> >> >> Just bite the bullet and enter one. Don't be aggressive and hang back and watch what all the other boats do. Soon you will find yourself reading the rules and joining the fun in the pack! >> >> >> >> Don Dutton >> >> 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution" >> >> >> >> On Oct 13, 2013, at 7:17 PM, Leslie Newman wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> No. Actually, we just drove down to check on the boat, but the wind was so good I asked Claire if she would mind going out a few hours. She was game and we scooted out and headed up river. Saw that the regatta was in progress. Sailed by, then turned back for home. Was a fun time out there today. I don't think Claire and I are ready for a regatta yet. Still getting our sea legs after being away from sailing a few years. >> >> >> >> On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 9:04 PM, sailor7312 . <sa… [at] gmail.com> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> did you do the turkey shoot regatta today? >> >> Jim >> >> Cal 29 sailor(Mobjack Bay) >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > >

I guess you have to be a racer to appreciate the video. Everyone I know thought it was hilarious. The start is the most important part of many races, particularly one design. This video was, of course, of the start where all the boats try and get a good position. Typically, but not always, the starting line is between a "committee boat" on the right as you approach the line and the "pin" on the left. The orange buoy was the pin. There are many different courses as Don has pointed out. The more serious races do what they call a sausage, pure upwind, downwind. The courses most of us race are around fixed buoys so the legs have various orientations to the wind but most race committees try and approximate the upwind-downwind courses to some extent. Most all racers in beer can racing are looking for crew so if you want, you can likely find a ride. If you are willing to make a commitment to a season and show up at most every race, you will become a well trained valuable member of the crew. Many skippers prefer getting crew that does not have their own way of doing everything so they can train them in the way they want. Allen On Tue, Oct 15, 2013 at 10:35 AM, Donald C Dutton <dn… [at] comcast.net>wrote: > Leslie, > > To start out with, let's keep this simple so your interest will stay high! > I agree that you can learn a lot by crewing for someone else and, if that > is available to you, it is worth doing. However, when we crewed for a > really nice skipper, I found little time to actually observe where everyone > else was on the course as I was busy with tasks. That is why I also > recommend entering a regatta and then basically following everyone else > around and watching what they do and mimic it as best you can. > > The diagram below comes from USSailing's website and shows the most common > big boat race course used by many yacht clubs. The boat with the orange > mark you mentioned is shown at the bottom left of the diagram. This boat > raises and lowers flags to tell you how long until your start, usually > White for ten minutes to go, blue for five minutes to go, and then red for > your start along with a horn. > > You start between the boat and the orange mark. You sail a course to > weather into the wind until you round mark 1, leaving it to port, and then > reach to mark two, where you jibe (leaving the mark to port), and then sail > to the first orange mark on a reach, leaving it to port again and sail > another weather leg to mark 1. You then round mark 1, leaving it to port, > and sail a run to finish between the mark and boat where you started. You > receive a horn from the race committee if you have successfully completed > the course. > > > > > The activity you see before the race is usually boats beam reaching up and > down the starting line and fighting for position as the time nears the > raising of the red flag. This is the most intense part of most races and > you would do well to stay several boat lengths to leeward of the other > boats and start after they do! > > As you maneuver around the other boats and get a better feel for what is > happening, you will discover yourself becoming very comfortable with closer > and closer passage between boats. And as you sail upwind and downwind and > observe boats that are sailing faster than you, you will see how to trim > your sails and steer your boat to match their speed. This is the gain in > confidence in handling your boat that you will get from racing. Soon you > will find yourself passing the stern of other boats within a quarter boat > length without qualm, and your tacks and jibes will get quicker and sharper > as the race course and other boats require you to do so much more often > than when cruising. > > You will also find that you will arrive at your cruising destinations > faster after you race for a while. After all, no competent racer will > continue sailing on a strong header toward an anchorage when you could > easily tack and be lifted home to your anchorage!! > > Experience racing dinghies and my Cal 33-2 also made it possible for me to > sail back into my slip when the engine died in the channel as I had a very > good feel for just how fast the boat accelerates and, more importantly, > decelerates when facing in different directions on the helm. > > If you get a chance I hope you can try a regatta or two! It made my > sailing experience a much more pleasurable experience. > > Don Dutton > 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution' > > On Oct 15, 2013, at 9:36 AM, John Raxter wrote: > > > > I agree with Charlie, when racing you are pretty sure (not absolutely) > that the person at the helm understands right of way rules, and observant > crew are keeping him informed of other boats he may not see (sails and > concentration on other task to make the boat go fast). > > Basic "rules of the road" apply in all cases. Racing has a few > enhancements as boats get close to each other, marks and obstructions. > > The nice thing about racing is you become aware of the "other boats" and > your judgement and reactions are better. When you get back to "cruising > mode" you feel more relaxed and confident on your skills and ability to > control your boat. > > John Raxter > > > > On Oct 15, 2013, at 9:31 AM, "Husar, Charlie [USA] (ASE)" < > hu… [at] bah.com> wrote: > > > > Hi, Leslie. There are just a couple rules that govern who can do what to > whom, and who has right-of-way. Even in the tight stack of boats at the > racing start, I feel safer there than I do out cruising on a day like the 4 > th of July when one is not sure who knows what about right-of-way and > concentration. There are indeed a couple differences between standard and > racing rules, but the racing is a great way to learn about how your boat > handles.**** > > ** ** > > Cheers**** > > Charlie**** > > Annapolis**** > > ** ** > > *From:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com<Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com>] > *On Behalf Of *Leslie Newman > *Sent:* Tuesday, October 15, 2013 9:00 AM > *To:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > *Subject:* [External] Re: [Cal_Boats] 22 knot winds**** > > ** ** > > > > > **** > > Thanks for the advice. So, what the heck are they doing? I see a power > boat beside an orange buoy. All the boats are doing some loop I take it. A > few weeks ago we were out near Stingray point and a regatta was in > progress. We sailed nearby and sailed by watching as the boats jockeyed > around. Some of them came very, very close to each other as they crossed > paths.**** > > ** ** > > On Mon, Oct 14, 2013 at 9:09 PM, Donald C Dutton <dn… [at] comcast.net> > wrote:**** > > **** > > I remember when we were new to sailing and declined to enter a regatta > with our friends. Our fleet captain told us to just go out and tag along > and follow what everyone else was doing. Well we finished last, but we > began to see what everyone was doing in front of us and learned. By the > third or fourth regatta we were mixing it up with the middle of the fleet! > Had tons of fun for years sailing races.**** > > ** ** > > Just bite the bullet and enter one. Don't be aggressive and hang back and > watch what all the other boats do. Soon you will find yourself reading the > rules and joining the fun in the pack!**** > > ** ** > > Don Dutton**** > > 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution"**** > > ** ** > > On Oct 13, 2013, at 7:17 PM, Leslie Newman wrote:**** > > > > **** > > **** > > ** ** > > No. Actually, we just drove down to check on the boat, but the wind was so > good I asked Claire if she would mind going out a few hours. She was game > and we scooted out and headed up river. Saw that the regatta was in > progress. Sailed by, then turned back for home. Was a fun time out there > today. I don't think Claire and I are ready for a regatta yet. Still > getting our sea legs after being away from sailing a few years.**** > > ** ** > > On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 9:04 PM, sailor7312 . <sa… [at] gmail.com> > wrote:**** > > **** > > ** ** > > did you do the turkey shoot regatta today?**** > > Jim**** > > Cal 29 sailor(Mobjack Bay)**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > > > > **** > > **** > > > >

This thread has gone pretty far off "22 knot winds" but everyone should know at least Rule 23.1 of the Racing Rules of Sailing. Basically if you are not racing, keep clear of boats that are racing. The term "racing" means, for those who are participating, a period from when their fleet signal is raised until they finish. It means you don't mess with any boat that is racing while you are waiting for your turn to start. I think it's a courtesy to racers to avoid their race course and if you can't, to dip below or otherwise avoid interfering with the racing. We have a smaller lake, and over 104 races per year, so we may encounter racing at any time. It's fun to get close to watch the action, but it's courteous to give the racers plenty of room. George Barlow On Oct 15, 2013, at 11:36 AM, John Raxter wrote: > > I agree with Charlie, when racing you are pretty sure (not absolutely) that the person at the helm understands right of way rules, and observant crew are keeping him informed of other boats he may not see (sails and concentration on other task to make the boat go fast). > > Basic "rules of the road" apply in all cases. Racing has a few enhancements as boats get close to each other, marks and obstructions. > > The nice thing about racing is you become aware of the "other boats" and your judgement and reactions are better. When you get back to "cruising mode" you feel more relaxed and confident on your skills and ability to control your boat. > > John Raxter > > > > On Oct 15, 2013, at 9:31 AM, "Husar, Charlie [USA] (ASE)" <hu… [at] bah.com> wrote: > >> >> >> Hi, Leslie. There are just a couple rules that govern who can do what to whom, and who has right-of-way. Even in the tight stack of boats at the racing start, I feel safer there than I do out cruising on a day like the 4th of July when one is not sure who knows what about right-of-way and concentration. There are indeed a couple differences between standard and racing rules, but the racing is a great way to learn about how your boat handles. >> >> >> >> Cheers >> >> Charlie >> >> Annapolis >> >> >> >> From: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of Leslie Newman >> Sent: Tuesday, October 15, 2013 9:00 AM >> To: Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com >> Subject: [External] Re: [Cal_Boats] 22 knot winds >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Thanks for the advice. So, what the heck are they doing? I see a power boat beside an orange buoy. All the boats are doing some loop I take it. A few weeks ago we were out near Stingray point and a regatta was in progress. We sailed nearby and sailed by watching as the boats jockeyed around. Some of them came very, very close to each other as they crossed paths. >> >> >> >> On Mon, Oct 14, 2013 at 9:09 PM, Donald C Dutton <dn… [at] comcast.net> wrote: >> >> >> >> I remember when we were new to sailing and declined to enter a regatta with our friends. Our fleet captain told us to just go out and tag along and follow what everyone else was doing. Well we finished last, but we began to see what everyone was doing in front of us and learned. By the third or fourth regatta we were mixing it up with the middle of the fleet! Had tons of fun for years sailing races. >> >> >> >> Just bite the bullet and enter one. Don't be aggressive and hang back and watch what all the other boats do. Soon you will find yourself reading the rules and joining the fun in the pack! >> >> >> >> Don Dutton >> >> 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution" >> >> >> >> On Oct 13, 2013, at 7:17 PM, Leslie Newman wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> No. Actually, we just drove down to check on the boat, but the wind was so good I asked Claire if she would mind going out a few hours. She was game and we scooted out and headed up river. Saw that the regatta was in progress. Sailed by, then turned back for home. Was a fun time out there today. I don't think Claire and I are ready for a regatta yet. Still getting our sea legs after being away from sailing a few years. >> >> >> >> On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 9:04 PM, sailor7312 . <sa… [at] gmail.com> wrote: >> >> >> >> >> >> did you do the turkey shoot regatta today? >> >> Jim >> >> Cal 29 sailor(Mobjack Bay) >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> > >

Thanks for all the comments. It's much clearer to me now. FYI, I never got too close to any other boat. Was always several hundred yards away. I figured as George mentioned, give them space. I also figured some of them would probably run over me to win, so I best stay clear. On Tue, Oct 15, 2013 at 2:25 PM, George Barlow <ge… [at] yahoo.com> wrote: > ** > > > This thread has gone pretty far off "22 knot winds" but everyone should > know at least Rule 23.1 of the Racing Rules of Sailing. Basically if you > are not racing, keep clear of boats that are racing. The term "racing" > means, for those who are participating, a period from when their fleet > signal is raised until they finish. It means you don't mess with any boat > that is racing while you are waiting for your turn to start. I think it's > a courtesy to racers to avoid their race course and if you can't, to dip > below or otherwise avoid interfering with the racing. > > We have a smaller lake, and over 104 races per year, so we may encounter > racing at any time. It's fun to get close to watch the action, but it's > courteous to give the racers plenty of room. > ___________________ > George Barlow > > > > > > > > > On Oct 15, 2013, at 11:36 AM, John Raxter wrote: > > > > I agree with Charlie, when racing you are pretty sure (not absolutely) > that the person at the helm understands right of way rules, and observant > crew are keeping him informed of other boats he may not see (sails and > concentration on other task to make the boat go fast). > > Basic "rules of the road" apply in all cases. Racing has a few > enhancements as boats get close to each other, marks and obstructions. > > The nice thing about racing is you become aware of the "other boats" and > your judgement and reactions are better. When you get back to "cruising > mode" you feel more relaxed and confident on your skills and ability to > control your boat. > > John Raxter > > > > On Oct 15, 2013, at 9:31 AM, "Husar, Charlie [USA] (ASE)" < > hu… [at] bah.com> wrote: > > > > Hi, Leslie. There are just a couple rules that govern who can do what to > whom, and who has right-of-way. Even in the tight stack of boats at the > racing start, I feel safer there than I do out cruising on a day like the 4 > th of July when one is not sure who knows what about right-of-way and > concentration. There are indeed a couple differences between standard and > racing rules, but the racing is a great way to learn about how your boat > handles.**** > > ** ** > > Cheers**** > > Charlie**** > > Annapolis**** > > ** ** > > *From:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com [mailto:Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com<Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com>] > *On Behalf Of *Leslie Newman > *Sent:* Tuesday, October 15, 2013 9:00 AM > *To:* Ca… [at] yahoogroups.com > *Subject:* [External] Re: [Cal_Boats] 22 knot winds**** > > ** ** > > > > > **** > > Thanks for the advice. So, what the heck are they doing? I see a power > boat beside an orange buoy. All the boats are doing some loop I take it. A > few weeks ago we were out near Stingray point and a regatta was in > progress. We sailed nearby and sailed by watching as the boats jockeyed > around. Some of them came very, very close to each other as they crossed > paths.**** > > ** ** > > On Mon, Oct 14, 2013 at 9:09 PM, Donald C Dutton <dn… [at] comcast.net> > wrote:**** > > **** > > I remember when we were new to sailing and declined to enter a regatta > with our friends. Our fleet captain told us to just go out and tag along > and follow what everyone else was doing. Well we finished last, but we > began to see what everyone was doing in front of us and learned. By the > third or fourth regatta we were mixing it up with the middle of the fleet! > Had tons of fun for years sailing races.**** > > ** ** > > Just bite the bullet and enter one. Don't be aggressive and hang back and > watch what all the other boats do. Soon you will find yourself reading the > rules and joining the fun in the pack!**** > > ** ** > > Don Dutton**** > > 1986 Cal 33-2, "Quantum Evolution"**** > > ** ** > > On Oct 13, 2013, at 7:17 PM, Leslie Newman wrote:**** > > > > **** > > **** > > ** ** > > No. Actually, we just drove down to check on the boat, but the wind was so > good I asked Claire if she would mind going out a few hours. She was game > and we scooted out and headed up river. Saw that the regatta was in > progress. Sailed by, then turned back for home. Was a fun time out there > today. I don't think Claire and I are ready for a regatta yet. Still > getting our sea legs after being away from sailing a few years.**** > > ** ** > > On Sun, Oct 13, 2013 at 9:04 PM, sailor7312 . <sa… [at] gmail.com> > wrote:**** > > **** > > ** ** > > did you do the turkey shoot regatta today?**** > > Jim**** > > Cal 29 sailor(Mobjack Bay)**** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > ** ** > > > > > **** > > **** > > > > >

On 10/15/2013 12:36 PM, John Raxter wrote: > > > I agree with Charlie, when racing you are pretty sure (not absolutely) > that the person at the helm understands right of way rules, and > observant crew are keeping him informed of other boats he may not see > (sails and concentration on other task to make the boat go fast). I was in the crew of our local schooner when we sailed into Duluth a couple years ago for their first Tall Ships gathering. It was a big deal. The harbor was crowded with boats. One of the recreational sailors managed to ram us amidships. Please explain that one. I mean, even if you know nothing about right of way rules, you ought to have an instinctive perception of the gross tonnage rule. Our boat is 55' LOD, 92' LOA, with two solid masts made from pine tree trunks, so she's hardly invisible. The only thing dumber is the fisherman who drags his trolling lines right across your bow instead of tucking behind your stern. But since my boat ran aground Sunday I am not getting too noisy about stupidity. Chris Campbell

On 10/15/2013 1:16 PM, Leslie Newman wrote: > > > There was this one boat obviously in the race. They appeared to be > about the same size as us, so I decided to see if I could catch them, > which I did and passed them. The old saying: any two sailboats on the same course are racing. Chris Campbell

Oh, we've already run aground since buying the Cal. Was a non-event, in that we were in light winds and going slow. I was able to crank up the engine and just back up. But it is always surprising when the boat stops suddenly. My ignorance of the river and really not paying close enough attention to what I was doing. Good reality check. We were motoring into Tangier years ago in our Catalina 27, in the channel, doing it all correctly when all of a sudden wham, the boat keel hit something really hard that tipped the stern upwards and threw just about everyone to the deck. Never knew what it was. Never hit it again with many trips back into the island. Just one of those things I guess. On Tue, Oct 15, 2013 at 3:44 PM, Chris Campbell <cc… [at] lsnm.org> wrote: > ** > > > On 10/15/2013 12:36 PM, John Raxter wrote: > > I agree with Charlie, when racing you are pretty sure (not absolutely) > that the person at the helm understands right of way rules, and observant > crew are keeping him informed of other boats he may not see (sails and > concentration on other task to make the boat go fast). > > > I was in the crew of our local schooner when we sailed into Duluth a > couple years ago for their first Tall Ships gathering. It was a big deal. > The harbor was crowded with boats. One of the recreational sailors managed > to ram us amidships. Please explain that one. I mean, even if you know > nothing about right of way rules, you ought to have an instinctive > perception of the gross tonnage rule. Our boat is 55' LOD, 92' LOA, with > two solid masts made from pine tree trunks, so she's hardly invisible. The > only thing dumber is the fisherman who drags his trolling lines right > across your bow instead of tucking behind your stern. But since my boat > ran aground Sunday I am not getting too noisy about stupidity. > > Chris Campbell > > >