[hyerstay]

I will be doing network support, photos, and more from our race committee boat during the regatta, which runs from today thru Sunday (9/14 - 9/16) here on Lake Champlain.

We just had the skippers' meeting, and the wind is howling like mad. More news to follow.

Cheers from Vermont!

Regatta info: http://lcyc.info/racing/etchells/nec
Weather links: http://lcyc.info/links/weather

jason

[Slowboat]

It's cranking out there...(and building?) I will be watching from my window here at work.


Time Dirc Avg Gust
1000 | 182 | 27 | 29
945 | 187 | 27 | 29
930 | 189 | 25 | 28
915 | 183 | 24 | 26

[RUMLIME]

good thing they are not racing J24s....

[Madmax]

RUMLIME, on Sep 14 2007, 03:21 PM, said:

good thing they are not racing J24s....

Or it might get a little bubbley

[hyerstay]

Madmax, on Sep 14 2007, 11:33 AM, said:

Or it might get a little bubbley

One of our mark boats started to sink at the dock, from waves over the stern! It got sorted quickly, but we're getting a real day of September winds here.

jason

[Slowboat]

I think they will be racing in some pretty deep water...

[hyerstay]

Wind speed is hitting 29 knots; the race committee is in conference.

Slowboat (now Longboat!), you should be out there with your Swede 55 for moral support. After all, it's the largest Etchells on the lake!

jason

[RUMLIME]

hyerstay, on Sep 14 2007, 03:47 PM, said:

Wind speed is hitting 29 knots; the race committee is in conference.

jason

don't encourage me to make a Melges 32 comment...
or is the St. Pete Race Committee running the show up there

[Slowboat]

Work today so no go. I will only be able to watch on Sunday - life gets in the way sometimes. I hope they hold the races today. A little wind is a good thing...It looks like it's going soft down at Diamond Island.

[hyerstay]

Race postponed for at least one hour. Next start attempt at 1300 or 1400.

jason

[RUMLIME]

hyerstay, on Sep 14 2007, 04:01 PM, said:

Race postponed for at least one hour. Next start attempt at 1300 or 1400.

jason

ok - not quite St. Pete RC... but close

[Phoenix]

Unless the boat is set up for survival conditions, you just break too much shit sailing in much over 25. In particular, there need to be enough crash boats so that when somebody broaches you can get them in with some alacrity. The boat doesn't sink right away, but there isn't enough freeboard to bail it out until you get to pretty protected water.

Also, one day in over 25 and gusty and you can toss the jib and probably the main. The chute has about half the life left if you are lucky. Remember, you only get 6 sails per year. Do that twice and you are out of sail card. Vang sheeting breaks the boom if you are lucky. If you don't get the backstay tossed off before the chute fills, the mast assumes a rather pronounced bend at the hounds. All in all, it's pretty easy to burn off $4,000 to $10,000 on one day's racing.

[hyerstay]

RUMLIME, on Sep 14 2007, 12:02 PM, said:

ok - not quite St. Pete RC... but close

Don't jump to any conclusions about the RC. We've got a very experienced crew with years of RC experience. Fritz Horton, father of Star and Luna Rossa sailor Andy Horton, is head PRO, with support from Dale Hyerstay, Ernie Reuter, Tris Coffin, and several others. They will be working in concert with the fleet to give the best regatta possible for the competitors. The RC and fleet are on the same page with this postponement.

Cheers,

jason

[ducky]

entry list? any left coasters? :P

ducky

[SW Dropout]

ducky, on Sep 14 2007, 12:28 PM, said:

entry list? any left coasters? :P

ducky

http://lcyc.info/rac...nec/competitors

[hyerstay]

ducky, on Sep 14 2007, 12:28 PM, said:

entry list? any left coasters? :P

ducky

http://lcyc.info/rac...nec/competitors


Vermont is the left coast of New England, but there is a San Diego boat!

Edit: SW Dropout beat me to posting the link to the page I just posted! ;)

jason

[hyerstay]

Racing is cancelled for Friday. There will be a dinner tonight at LCYC for competitors and club members. Racing will resume tomorrow.

Thanks,

jason

[Phoenix]

Cancelling is a very good move.

[xfire]

hyerstay, on Sep 14 2007, 09:55 AM, said:

http://lcyc.info/rac...nec/competitors
Vermont is the left coast of New England, but there is a San Diego boat!

Edit: SW Dropout beat me to posting the link to the page I just posted! ;)

jason

That is her Marblehead boat. Her newer boat is 1313.

[Teddy]

Phoenix, on Sep 14 2007, 08:18 AM, said:

Unless the boat is set up for survival conditions, you just break too much shit sailing in much over 25. In particular, there need to be enough crash boats so that when somebody broaches you can get them in with some alacrity. The boat doesn't sink right away, but there isn't enough freeboard to bail it out until you get to pretty protected water.

Also, one day in over 25 and gusty and you can toss the jib and probably the main. The chute has about half the life left if you are lucky. Remember, you only get 6 sails per year. Do that twice and you are out of sail card. Vang sheeting breaks the boom if you are lucky. If you don't get the backstay tossed off before the chute fills, the mast assumes a rather pronounced bend at the hounds. All in all, it's pretty easy to burn off $4,000 to $10,000 on one day's racing.

P,

Do you mean to tell me that you didn't enjoy the day of 25 puffing into the 30"s here in Chitown 2 years ago? Only 1 rig broke.

T

[Phoenix]

I didn't particularly enjoy the last race in New Bedford.

[Teddy]

[quote name='Phoenix' date='Sep 14 2007, 12:14 PM' post='1337664']
I didn't particularly enjoy the last race in New Bedford.


I wasn't there. Tell me about about it when I am next in 'Nap town.

T

[Phoenix]

Slightly less than 30 knots with puffs to almost 40. Short very steep chop. Cam and another boat had a PS just after the start that took away the only crash boat. Headstays pulling out of the bow, booms breaking, near wipe outs all over and about half the boats with no chute. That's after about half just went home. We sailed all the life out of the main and heavy jib and most of the life out of the chute. Nothing broke, but I got to thinking on the last weather leg that this was one of the dumber races I had ever done. If anything had happened to any of the boats that required a quick tow, there wouldn't have been one. Even the photo boat went home. The only reason we all did the last weather leg is because you had to go that way to get home.

[hyerstay]

Saturday Update...

We are on the race committee boat at the dock. There is very light wind and a light drizzle. I haven't yet looked at the weather report, but hopefully it will clear up a bit, and the wind will fill in.

jason

[hyerstay]

We'll be starting soon. Wind has built and the sun is starting to show. It's a beautiful September day on Lake Champlain!

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