The forecast may have intimidated the venerable and supposed die-hard sailors of the fleet, but it didn’t intimidate the 30-and-under crowd, who showed up ready to sail yesterday like it was business-as-usual, and made up three quarters of the fleet of 23.
With a couple gusts to 30, and temps that never made it to 40, the important factors were keeping your hands warm and the boat upright and intact. There were a couple breakdowns, and it was a good reminder to look over your boat and make sure everything is solid.
In 5 races, Peter Shope won the day and has shared some words of wisdom about how to get around the course in survival conditions.
Parker Colantuono was 2nd, and Mike Zonnenberg beat Adrian van der Wal on a close tie breaker for 3rd.
Marina Barzaghi won the Radials, Chris Bollengier won a race, and Oskar Tullberg beat his brother by a place. 5 races wasn’t enough for the brothers as they were seen heading out of the harbor for practice after racing.
Results are
here. Some pics and video to come on the facebook page.
A gentle reminder to: Register for the season, sign up for RC, and check the SI’s on the website if you have any questions about the courses.
See you next Sunday!
-Christine and Scott
11/20/22 W.O.W. from Peter Shope:
Heavy air tips / how not to capsize:
- Before the start keep vang loose (keeps you out of irons, and prevents capsize).
- Don’t gybe before a start.
- Upwind if you see a knock-down gust coming ease vang past two block mark.
(Most upwind heavy air capsizes are due to too tight a vang – boom hits water.)
- Tack fast through the wind and down to a reach to prevent getting in irons.
- If in doubt ease vang before tack. Throw vang loop to leeward just before tack.
- Ease vang to nearly down-wind setting before bearing off to run.
- Only release cunny and outhaul downwind if you’re not at risk to capsize by doing so.
- Sailing hard by the lee downwind with vang off is very stable. Press down on the leeward deck to keep the boat flat.
- When the 30-35 knot gust hits downwind overtrim main (by the lee) to depower. Don’t reach. Broad reaching at mach speed can result in rounding up and dumping to leeward.
- Don’t gybe (use right gate mark).
- If you have to / want to gybe ease vang a lot just before gybing. Trim vang after gybe.
(Gybing capsizes happen when the boom hits water. You can’t capsize if the
boom is up.)
