74 replies to this topic

[The Dude]

Lets start the chatter......

[Cirdan]

Lets start the chatter......

OK, you are sailing on _________________

[Maxx Baqustae]

Good job posting this The Dude - I usually start this but!

Here's the official link at WVYC with pre-amble, NOR etc: http://www.southerns...s.ca/index.html

[The Dude]

I see we get to go to Sister's again........Man I hate that place.

[Schnick]

Looks like we are in on Manana, doublehanded again. Mid course. More wind this year please!

[Ishtarsdog]

Kotuku will be coming north, fully crewed, with kids and wives in tow. We love this race, and I really appreciate the job that WVYC does with it. Skippers meeting and weather briefing sets the bar for the entire PNW. Looking forward to another interesting race in 2012!

[Maxx Baqustae]

I see we get to go to Sister's again........Man I hate that place.

I hear ya mate but there is only so many places you can go around and it's harder and harder to find a suitable substitutes as the marine traffic "police" don't like us to invade "their" ocean! Would you prefer to round T10? Sandheads? Alden Bank???

At least it keeps it fresh and it's always been the mandate to not doing the same course over & over again.

I'm not a huge fan of Sisters either (and saying that two of the OA's we won have been Sisters races) but at least there is usually some wind there - sometimes too much.

[Cirdan]

Kinetic will be back for the long course as a pre Vic-Maui dial up. Last time we rounded Sisters, it was 3 reefs and a storm jib, and even that was a bit much ...

[Boomberries]

Tonight at WVYC

March 14, 2012 - 1930 hours (Wednesday) - "Straits Seminar Series and Pub Night"
Ross MacDonald will be leading our discussion on race tactics for the 2012 Southern Straits event.
Ross MacDonald is one of Canada's most successful international sailors winning silver and bronze medals in the men's Star event.
Ross is a veteran of many local and international distance races and is one of the best resources for local sailors looking to improve their results and experience in this year's race.

[Gong Show]

We just survived 74 knots of a weather bomb here in the Campbell on Monday. It's blowing again today!
Memories of a couple of years ago!
Be careful of tempting the wind gods.
That said, wind is fun!
I am told that Kiva will be on the line with me aboard sleeping off something or mixing up something else!

GS

[Ultraman]

Ultraman is signed up for the Medium Course again.

[Ishtarsdog]

Kotuku, Kiva and Rubato too, I heard. Will be great to see some familiar faces from the VanIsle!

[RavenNW]

Raven will be racing too. Tuning up with VARC Opener and
Round Patos.

[Maxx Baqustae]

Straits is quickly approaching but there is a seminar/pub night on Monday with David Jones of Environment Canada. He's always very knowledgeable and entertaining. He will be giving his long range forecast as well. Be there or be square!

From WVYC:

April 2, 2012 - 1930 hours (Monday) - "Straits Seminar Series and Pub Night"
Senior Meteorologist David Jones will be providing an introduction and guide to the high-resolution weather models available to sailors in the Pacific North West. David will also be providing the pre-race weather forecast on the awards night prior to race day.


Now who's doing the race?

[PHRF Whipping Boy3]

Neptune's Car will make the annual trek to SS, this year sailing with 4 Canadians on board!

[Maxx Baqustae]

Neptune's Car will make the annual trek to SS, this year sailing with 4 Canadians on board!

Terrific anyone else?

[EdithFergus]

Good job posting this The Dude

[silvergirl]

Neptune's Car will make the annual trek to SS, this year sailing with 4 Canadians on board!

Terrific anyone else?

Hahahah! Maxx, that is funny! Maybe they have an American or two on board to help those Candadians....

[The Dude]

One week to go.......what will the wind do......

[BCR]

Wasabi is going. Spending Thrudsay night at RVYC rather than WVYC. Shorter drive for the carpoolers.

[sloansailing]

ICON will be there (with 5 Canadians) (eh?)

[Schnick]

I am getting excited now. One week!

[Maxx Baqustae]

I'm going to be the only Canadian on our Seattle car pool.

Hey! A token Canadian - I like it!

[Irish River]

The burning Question, are the torpedoes aiming at Canadian boats or American?

Hope everyone has fun this year, judging from the past month, it'll be chilly. My ride pulled out, so I'll watch from the sidelines, and hit the slopes instead.

[The Dude]

When will we know if WG is going to be active or not?

[Maxx Baqustae]

The Navy will make a decision on the 4th. However:

http://www.southerns...nstructions.pdf

Read 7.6 and 7.7

No Biggie!

[n00b]

The alternate long course would be new and different...

[silvergirl]

The alternate long course would be new and different...

Would someone please fill-in a total newbie.... What does all this mean??? Why might the course change??? I'm not readin' English in 7.6......

[svgreatwhite]

The Navy will make a decision on the 4th. However:

http://www.southernstraits.ca/documents/SailingInstructions.pdf

Read 7.6 and 7.7

No Biggie!

In the past has WG ever been active during the race?

[Irish River]

In the middle of Georgia Strait they is a NATO Naval underwater test area. It is called Whiskey Gulf (WG) and is marked on the Canadian Coast guard maps. They routinely use nuclear subs to test TORPEDOES. When WG is active, the area is off limits to everyone. They will come to meet you with a helicopter and loud speaker if you enter the area. To find out if it active, one can listen to a Canadian weather forecast WX1, I think.

[Irish River]

The Navy will make a decision on the 4th. However:

http://www.southernstraits.ca/documents/SailingInstructions.pdf

Read 7.6 and 7.7

No Biggie!

In the past has WG ever been active during the race?

Not to my knowledge.

You definitely would have known if you entered it when active. I saw a very prominent political figure in BC escorted out when he wandered in to it. Also saw a Big Ass US sub on the surface once when I was a kid sailing nearby WG, it was pretty cool sight for a ten year old.

[silvergirl]

Ahhh! I was WONDERING what that earlier reference to torpedoes was all about..... who they'd be firing at, CN or US craft!!!


From what I hear, the alternate course might be preferable to Sisters????

[dash34]

The Navy will make a decision on the 4th. However:

http://www.southernstraits.ca/documents/SailingInstructions.pdf

Read 7.6 and 7.7

No Biggie!

In the past has WG ever been active during the race?

Not to my knowledge.

You definitely would have known if you entered it when active. I saw a very prominent political figure in BC escorted out when he wandered in to it. Also saw a Big Ass US sub on the surface once when I was a kid sailing nearby WG, it was pretty cool sight for a ten year old.

I've had the Orion go overhead just above mast height and drop flares to show me were the boundary was that I wasn't supposed to cross.

Ok, I was single-handed in 25 kts of breeze and precise navigation was a bit difficult....

I drive past Nanoose Harbour on the way to work every day and there has been a submarine operating almost daily. I read that they are busy testing our only operational submarine to see if it can actually fire our torpedoes.

dash
p.s. that would be "Whisky Golf" as the name of the military activity area. It is marked as WG on the charts.

[dash34]

The Navy will make a decision on the 4th. However:

http://www.southernstraits.ca/documents/SailingInstructions.pdf

Read 7.6 and 7.7

No Biggie!

Hey Maxx!

How come the short/medium course is buttonhooking Entrance? Dundarave to Entrance then Halibut should be a starboard rounding at Entrance shouldn't it? Or is the idea to just always round it the same way to keep it simple...

cheers

dash

[Schnick]

Haven't been down to Sand Heads since my first ever Southern Straits when I was a kid. I recall it was snowing as we rounded, which has probably colored my impression of it as a totally god forsaken place. But who cares, it would be a change from the same 4 or 5 marks we have been going round the last 10 years. Bring it on!

[Maxx Baqustae]

The Navy will make a decision on the 4th. However:

http://www.southerns...nstructions.pdf

Read 7.6 and 7.7

No Biggie!

Hey Maxx!

How come the short/medium course is buttonhooking Entrance? Dundarave to Entrance then Halibut should be a starboard rounding at Entrance shouldn't it? Or is the idea to just always round it the same way to keep it simple...

cheers

dash

Not sure what you mean mate - everything is to port:

http://www.southernstraits.ca/documents/Straits2012Courses.pdf

[Maxx Baqustae]

Haven't been down to Sand Heads since my first ever Southern Straits when I was a kid. I recall it was snowing as we rounded, which has probably colored my impression of it as a totally god forsaken place. But who cares, it would be a change from the same 4 or 5 marks we have been going round the last 10 years. Bring it on!

I hear ya Schick but there was a lot grumbling about places like Sandheads, T10, Alden Bank etc with no wind and lots of current. And in the middle of night usually. The Committee(s) of the past have gone away from the eastern side of the strait for that reason. TA is in the "vicinity" of Sandheads but really more like in the middle.

And 7.6 & 7.7 are key - they are "alternates" only!

[dash34]

The Navy will make a decision on the 4th. However:

http://www.southerns...nstructions.pdf

Read 7.6 and 7.7

No Biggie!

Hey Maxx!

How come the short/medium course is buttonhooking Entrance? Dundarave to Entrance then Halibut should be a starboard rounding at Entrance shouldn't it? Or is the idea to just always round it the same way to keep it simple...

cheers

dash

Not sure what you mean mate - everything is to port:

http://www.southernstraits.ca/documents/Straits2012Courses.pdf

Ok, I get it, the RC doesn't want the short course rounding to starboard at Entrance when everyone else might be rounding to port if the short course boats are slow getting there. Gotcha.

Gonna be a bit weird in a southeaster for the short course - instead of it being a gybe mark it will be a douse, switch to whites, sail up wind for 200m, tack, bear off, and hoist kite again. Get the kids hungry for afternoon tea and biscuits.

dash

[wildangels]

wind report?

[YabbaDabba]

The Navy will make a decision on the 4th. However:

http://www.southerns...nstructions.pdf

Read 7.6 and 7.7

No Biggie!

Hey Maxx!

How come the short/medium course is buttonhooking Entrance? Dundarave to Entrance then Halibut should be a starboard rounding at Entrance shouldn't it? Or is the idea to just always round it the same way to keep it simple...

cheers

dash

Not sure what you mean mate - everything is to port:

http://www.southernstraits.ca/documents/Straits2012Courses.pdf

Ok, I get it, the RC doesn't want the short course rounding to starboard at Entrance when everyone else might be rounding to port if the short course boats are slow getting there. Gotcha.

Gonna be a bit weird in a southeaster for the short course - instead of it being a gybe mark it will be a douse, switch to whites, sail up wind for 200m, tack, bear off, and hoist kite again. Get the kids hungry for afternoon tea and biscuits.

dash

Not too many years ago we were heading to Halibut. It was well after dark. This leg was downwind. We were crossing gybes with the Melges. We were sailing the long course, the Melges was sailing the short course. The Short course was leaving the mark to starboard, the long course had the leave it to port. We got to the mark (maybe) 10 boat lengths behind. I can still see it all happening.

[The Dude]

wind report?

Bring lots of food.....This one is going to be worse than last
year......slow, slow & more slow

[silvergirl]

Anybody checking the forecast? Is it still looking like "slow, slow, and more slow" ?

I'm packing food.....

[The Dude]

Anybody checking the forecast? Is it still looking like "slow, slow, and more slow" ?

I'm packing food.....

Yup...just checked the latest .....pack lots of food & warm cloths. It's going to be light...& cold

[DoRag]

The Navy will make a decision on the 4th. However:

http://www.southerns...nstructions.pdf

Read 7.6 and 7.7

No Biggie!

Hey Maxx!

How come the short/medium course is buttonhooking Entrance? Dundarave to Entrance then Halibut should be a starboard rounding at Entrance shouldn't it? Or is the idea to just always round it the same way to keep it simple...

cheers

dash

Not sure what you mean mate - everything is to port:

http://www.southernstraits.ca/documents/Straits2012Courses.pdf

Ok, I get it, the RC doesn't want the short course rounding to starboard at Entrance when everyone else might be rounding to port if the short course boats are slow getting there. Gotcha.

Gonna be a bit weird in a southeaster for the short course - instead of it being a gybe mark it will be a douse, switch to whites, sail up wind for 200m, tack, bear off, and hoist kite again. Get the kids hungry for afternoon tea and biscuits.

dash

Not too many years ago we were heading to Halibut. It was well after dark. This leg was downwind. We were crossing gybes with the Melges. We were sailing the long course, the Melges was sailing the short course. The Short course was leaving the mark to starboard, the long course had the leave it to port. We got to the mark (maybe) 10 boat lengths behind. I can still see it all happening.

Thanks for sharing that.

WTF?

[WHL]

According to the Cdn CG, WG will not be active this weekend.. they have nothing booked until April 11.
Sooo... a long beat / reach to Balenas in under 5knots of wind?

[Trevor B]

Predictwind says it'll be a bit shifty.
Have fun, wish I was racing this year.

[bsainsbury]

Canada has a Navy?

[Maxx Baqustae]

According to the Cdn CG, WG will not be active this weekend.. they have nothing booked until April 11.
Sooo... a long beat / reach to Balenas in under 5knots of wind?

It happened this morning but the "official" edict from WVYC isn't posted quite yet. No WG issues for the weekend so the original courses stay the same. Thank Xmas!

Have fun campers! look to see you all at the start.

Cheers & sail safe!

[Maxx Baqustae]

Predictwind says it'll be a bit shifty.
Have fun, wish I was racing this year.

Yup. It's wobbling for days but I don't see anything more than 15 in my crystal ball.

Not coming Trevor? Pity. We have an excellent team this year.

[rawthul]

I'm unable to watch the tracker from work - internet browser too old to support it... Any updates on the conditions/action from the start?

[Mach 5]

I'm unable to watch the tracker from work - internet browser too old to support it... Any updates on the conditions/action from the start?

Here ya go.. Light, light, light.. Halibut Bank is showing 1 with gusts to 3.

Attached Files

•  SS1309Fri.png   95.08K   95 downloads

[rawthul]

Wild Rumpus must be the first quitter... At 5.7kn heading to lighthouse park I'm guessing Andy ran out of Miller lite.

[alymatt]

is that 2 years in a row they are first to say uncle?
Slow going for sure!

Wild Rumpus must be the first quitter... At 5.7kn heading to lighthouse park I'm guessing Andy ran out of Miller lite.

[Bcam]

I'm unable to watch the tracker from work - internet browser too old to support it... Any updates on the conditions/action from the start?

Here ya go.. Light, light, light.. Halibut Bank is showing 1 with gusts to 3.

Somebody remind me why I'm working on my boat this weekend and missing all that fun.

Sisters showing SSW 2!

[By the lee]

Astral Plane's run aground in Sechelt, Sea Weasel's up on the hard in Gibsons, several others are heading east, south, what-have-you.
All are still racing.
Sweet!

[view at the front]

From Stephanie:

https://www.facebook...&type=1

[rawthul]

is that 2 years in a row they are first to say uncle?
Slow going for sure!

Wild Rumpus must be the first quitter... At 5.7kn heading to lighthouse park I'm guessing Andy ran out of Miller lite.

Pretty sure that's the case... May not be defined as "impatient" this year though...

On another note, nice to see Incisor making entrance island 1st.

[Capri25]

Neptune, wherefore art thou?

Looks like her transponder quit last night.

Is she keeping up with Icon?

Sailor Jerry writes.

[By the lee]

On another note, nice to see Incisor making entrance island 1st.

Looks like he's just now got some breeze, too little too late I'm afraid the Miura and Laser are too close.....unless, naw, there ain't enough distance to go.

As an aside it'd been better graphics if short and med course boats had been green and dark blue instead of green and light grey.
Just sayin', it was fun watching this.....

[bad_burritos]

Neptune, wherefore art thou?

Looks like her transponder quit last night.

Is she keeping up with Icon?

Sailor Jerry writes.

looks close - check out last Ballenas rounding time betweens Icon and Neptune -

http://southernstrai...chtPosition.htm

[Green Card]

Go Car go!

[The Dude]

Neptune, wherefore art thou?

Looks like her transponder quit last night.

Is she keeping up with Icon?

Sailor Jerry writes.

looks close - check out last Ballenas rounding time betweens Icon and Neptune -

http://southernstrai...chtPosition.htm

It was close.....light air. Overlapping sails win. " We brought jibs to a genoa fight"

[dogger]

Looks like the Ballard hillbillies on Kotuku had a good race!

http://southernstraits.ca/results.html

[Maxx Baqustae]

Neptune, wherefore art thou?

Looks like her transponder quit last night.

Is she keeping up with Icon?

Sailor Jerry writes.

looks close - check out last Ballenas rounding time betweens Icon and Neptune -

http://southernstrai...chtPosition.htm

It was close.....light air. Overlapping sails win. " We brought jibs to a genoa fight"

Yawn - SD won Div. I

[Bcam]

Yawn - SD won Div. I

Must be tired, eh? Congrats to DS.

Good weekend for the McKee Bros. Charlie was tactitian on Mayhem for her win in St. Barths.

7 out of 13 entries for long course were Beneteaus. Must be a good dealer in Vancouver.

[gimpy]

Looks like the Ballard hillbillies on Kotuku had a good race!

http://southernstraits.ca/results.html

[Boomberries]

Great to see that Mad Max can dust off the cobwebs, crank it up and win the Long course overall! Kudos to Micah and team.

Best story of the weekend IMO, is Sean winning the short course, which was re-named in honor of his father, Buddy Story here

Yeah, lots of Beneteaus out to play every second year, as they get warmed up for the Vic Maui.

Well done to all the crew who stuck it out in very light wind and were rewarded on Saturday with more breeze than forecast.

Here is the view we enjoyed doing a whopping two knots SOG on Saturday

Attached Files

•  Beauty day - SS 2012.jpg   33.5K   41 downloads

[Maxx Baqustae]

We had our own battle royal with Wasabi for quite awhile.

 DKSTR.3.sml.jpg   60.74K   124 downloads

Like a string until Ballenas the first time.

[Boomberries]

There are incredible photos of sunsets, full moons and sunrises lighting up trimmed sails, popping up all over facebook. Sure has been a shift toward facebook the last couple years for story and photos sharing, esp. since the 2010 race.

I only took a handful of pics, but this is one last one

Attached Files

•  Div 1 start.jpg   56.49K   86 downloads

[n00b]

We had our own battle royal with Wasabi for quite awhile.

 DKSTR.3.sml.jpg   60.74K   124 downloads

That whole race was great racing with you guys!

[Ishtarsdog]

Heck of a race. Lots of hero to zero moments, really good competition in our class. Slow motion tacking duels in the moonlight. Great reaching legs up and back from Halibut Bank. And a honking good ride home with Icon and the Car charging through our fleet to the finish while we battled with Kiva again, trying to catch every little wave to stay ahead.

Thanks to everybody who made this race happen. And thanks to everyone for the warm welcome at the finish--and the bottle of Bushmills, after inspection of course!

[WHL]

Spectacular scenery
 Southern Straits - sunset with a whisper of wind-sm.jpg   102.26K   48 downloads

[PHRF Whipping Boy3]

A brief note of tribute to the crew ( both on board and shore support ) of the Car. We had a great time, never stopped moving, and never stopped competing. It was a hard fought race. Kudo's to the race organizers and volunteers as well. We will be back!

[The Dude]

A brief note of tribute to the crew ( both on board and shore support ) of the Car. We had a great time, never stopped moving, and never stopped competing. It was a hard fought race. Kudo's to the race organizers and volunteers as well. We will be back!

+1...Good sailing again my friend. I loved the battle the whole way around.....

[Gong Show]

Heck of a race. Lots of hero to zero moments, really good competition in our class. Slow motion tacking duels in the moonlight. Great reaching legs up and back from Halibut Bank. And a honking good ride home with Icon and the Car charging through our fleet to the finish while we battled with Kiva again, trying to catch every little wave to stay ahead.

Thanks to everybody who made this race happen. And thanks to everyone for the warm welcome at the finish--and the bottle of Bushmills, after inspection of course!

Great race.
Hero to Zero was heard upon our decks from time to time.
Excellent ride into the finish, made the misery of trying to break 2 knots during periods of the night worthwhile.

Gong Show