STC BI Race

jackolantern

jackolantern

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As a discussion point: does anyone remember the last time there was a safety inspection carried out on a finisher of this race? 

 
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sunseeker

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Cristoforo said:
It was claimed Sailflow reported sustained winds in the 40's (knots)  and gusts over 50 (knots) at both Eatons Neck and Great Gull. However both WLIS and ELIS NOAA buoys show one max gusts at 44 (MPH), with most high gusts in the 30s (MPH) and sustained winds in high 20s (MPH) for the worst period. Wonder what weather stations they used?  I don't think I ever saw any forecast with  a '50' in it and would  agree a postponement is in order if 50 was expected.  Speaking of postponement, a 24 hour postponement would have worked fine and they still could have had a party. Wonder if that was considered?      

How about this for the Vineyard Race which is effectively follows the same mgt.  But its not required for Block.  Last year it was pointed out several  podium finishers did not meet this requirement, but it was not addressed.  Why have it other than to sell seminars if it wont be enforced?  Will they require certificates be produced this year?   15.1 For all classes, at least 75% of those aboard the boat shall have attended a US SAILING Safety at Sea Seminar after December 31,  2014. Such seminars may be attended online (ussailing.org/safety) provided at least 30%, but not fewer than two members of the crew, including the person in charge, have attended an International Offshore Safety at Sea Course with Hands-on Training or a US Sailing sanctioned In-person Offshore Safety at Sea Seminar after December 31, 2014. If the 30% requirement cannot be met due to a “Safety at Sea with hands-on training” course not being available, the requirement may be met by completing the US Sailing “Online Offshore Safety at Sea” course.

Could it be the Around Long Island Race has reclaimed its position as the premier ocean race in the United States?  
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Premier ocean race in the US is Transpac. 

 
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sunseeker

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Cristoforo said:
Ha!  Most people rate the Figawi over the TransPac 
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The figawi is an interesting, fun day sail. Hardly an ocean race. 

 
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jackolantern

jackolantern

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jesposito said:
Question is what do these hacks do if it rains and the wind blows 30-40 during the Annapolis to Newport or Bermuda race?

Does everyone just seek shelter? 
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You mean the last A2N race? The fragile and poorly maintained boats broke, the well prepared, sturdy, boats finished in the silver. 

 
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Ganzi

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Long Island Sound
1) About the STC “diminishing their brand” by canceling the race: I think on the contrary, they acted as people who know what adverse weather is.

For instance, I think that comments above in this thread  on hypothermia are spot on.

2) Yes, Mrs Riley did the right thing sending her boats, in still manageable conditions, to train the crews. Right move indeed, in controlled conditions that were nothing like round BI on early Sat. morning. Please note, she took the care of telling us that the crews were happy to go back to shore when the exercise was done.

3) Regarding how the race would have been in the 70s, 60s...well yes in absence of forecast the start might have been given. My guess is that the racing strategy would have been to take shelter/hove to, etc. when the conditions deteriorated, and resumed at just the right time. If this assumption is correct, that would actually reinforce that these were not condition you race in. 

4) So maybe the attraction is for some to sail into heavy weather ? Well, absolutely nothing was preventing anyone from setting off to Block Friday 14:00. Does anyone has a good report to give us ? 

 
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sailforbeer

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quod umbra said:
Don't know about that. 1972 Vineyard [snip]
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You can't be serious, tough guy, comparing a Vineyard Race to a Block Island Race.

The average water temp in Long Island Sound in May is about 58 degrees F. In September -- when the Vineyard Race happens, as you know -- it is in the 70 degree range. You lose dexterity in less than 15 minutes in May. You get a couple of hours in September.

Subtract a few degrees for Block Island Sound. You might have 5 minutes of dexterity in May.

Water temp is not a factor to be ignored.

 
Parma

Parma

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sailforbeer said:
You can't be serious, tough guy, comparing a Vineyard Race to a Block Island Race.

The average water temp in Long Island Sound in May is about 58 degrees F. In September -- when the Vineyard Race happens, as you know -- it is in the 70 degree range. You lose dexterity in less than 15 minutes in May. You get a couple of hours in September.

Subtract a few degrees for Block Island Sound. You might have 5 minutes of dexterity in May.

Water temp is not a factor to be ignored.
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And besides that, don't the Figawai already live on BI ?

 
bloodshot

bloodshot

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https://wetasschronicles.substack.com/p/feeling-abandoned

more on the abandonment....

 But reality set in when I listened in to a weather briefing call by Ken Campbell of Commander’s Weather on Thursday morning, as I drove north.

Campbell explained that we were basically looking at a winter weather pattern, when coastal lows and strong northeasterlies commonly pound the Atlantic coast. He warned that the highest winds would occur when the fleet was most exposed in Block Island Sound, that wind chills would be in the 30s, and that we might see short 10-foot waves exiting Long Island Sound, where the highest tides of the year would be ebbing hard against the strong easterlies. “In the 30 years I have been doing this, I’ve seen worse,” he said. “But this looks pretty bad.” For good measure he signed off with a wry “I’m glad I won’t be out there.” Alrighty then.
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After the race had been abandoned, the same gentleman was at the club when we returned the Yellowbrick tracker. Curious, I asked him about the decision to abandon, saying “Thirty years ago I can imagine a Race Committee might have simply proceeded with the race and left it up to skippers to decide whether to sail.”

“Well,” he responded. “I have actually been doing this for thirty years, and the big difference is that today we have much better information on what the weather will be.” I hadn’t considered that point, and it is a good one. It is one thing to send a fleet out when there is uncertainty about how bad the weather will be. It is quite another to do the same thing when you know that the weather could be dangerous. He added an additional consideration. “We know our fleet,” he told me. “And there are a lot of new COVID boat owners, and crews that are not that experienced signed up for the race. In these conditions someone would get hurt.”

In short, he finished, to send the fleet out in conditions that had even Ken Campbell shaking his head “would have been irresponsible.”
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