To make a long story short- last years new Laser had an issue and so was replaced – and today I took that new boat out for a shakedown and some practice in preparation for the 2015 Laser District 11 Championship at SSA next weekend.
The frostbite season was significantly shortened due to all of the cold weather we’ve had. Was able to get out for one day of Soling frostbiting at SSA.
Today was expected to be a light air day and that’s what we were delivered. Racing was moved up an hour and after a couple false starts we got a race started in a 6-8 north east breeze.
Our start on Spice wasn’t too bad near the middle of the line and we picked our way up the first beat. Near the windward mark we were around 20 but called a thin Pauline and stalled near the make while 5-8 boats went right around us. That further reinforced something we had learned yesterday – when j70s are blanketed they have no power so when in a clump at the windward make it pays to over stand and come in on the outside.
Around the top mark we jibed early going out to the left and that became a kiss of death when a 40 degree shift came in. We limped around the rest of the course while the wind died with only a handful of boats behind us.
All in all it was great to get out of Richmond for a warm weekend of sailing. Thanks to Holly for having me and I enjoyed sailing with Brian and Lud. I also got a lot of homework done on the j70 and am looking forward to having a boat of my own this spring.
Results | Pictures | 2015 Quantum J/70 Winter Series 3 Website
Racing at the Davis Island Yacht Club J70 winter series got underway this morning in a nice 8-10 knot breeze under mostly sunny skies and low 70s temperature. 51 boats are racing what is the final 3-weekend series that has run monthly since December.
In the first race we had a reasonable start and got bounced to the left. We held our own downwind and then made it to the right on the second upwind picking up a couple boats. On the final downwind we picked up a couple more boats and finished 28.
We had an even better start for the 2nd race and pretty much held our lane and got out to the right where we wanted to be and rounded in the top 20. Downwind we held our position and on the 2nd upwind we again made it more to the right and passed a few boats. By now the wind was dipping and it became a more of a challenge to keep clear air and boat speed. On the final downwind we were fast and hit the shifts well and picked up several boats to finish 13th.
We are currently 22nd and hoping for more wind on Sunday.
2015 Quantum J/70 Winter Series 3 Website | Results | Pictures
After half a day of traveling – arrived in Florida at Davis Island Yacht Club to sail the J/70 winter Series on spice with Holly, Lud & Brian against 50 other boats. Today we did some practice, took part in the practice races and settled in for the night.
The forecast is looking a bit on the light side for the weekend, but we are looking forward to getting out sailing.
On Sunday I got to sail for the first time in 2015 in the first race of the Greater Richmond Sailing Association Frostbite Series. I was sailing with Joe and his son Gabe who are new members at FBYC and were taking their new to them Flying Scot out for the very first time.
The weather started pretty miserably with rain showers. After a little over an hour after the expected start time, the rain let up and it turned into a nice clear light wind day.
It was great to be back in a Laser today for what will likely be my last day of Laser racing at Fishing Bay Yacht Club‘s Laser Frostbite regatta. The winds were light, but that didn’t stop us from getting 7 races in while the wind steadily shifted from West to North and then a little east as the day went on.
With 9 boats on very short lines I focused on just sailing well and not getting myself into a hole – wind-wise or situationally. We had great group of sailors out and everyone had a good game and so anyone had a chance to win races. After a few races Stephen Sparkman and myself started to make it a two boat race. In the end he had the better day and got me by a point. Clark Dennison, back in the Laser for the first time in a couple years finished up 3rd.
All in all it was a fun day sailing with Len, Keith, Brad, Luke, Mike W, Mike T, Stephen & Clark and was a perfect way to end the season – racing, drinking beer and sailing with my Laser buddies.
Fishing Bay Yacht Club‘s closing weekend started with a staggered start distance race for the offshore boats. I sailed on Wavelength for what might be our last race as the boat is now up for sale. The course took us up into Fishing Bay and then back out by the entrance to the Rappahannock River and then back to Stove Point near Jackson Creek. It was mostly a reaching race and some boats were really able to get away from us and put some distance between us and them. We finished mid-pack, had fun and made it a great way to end the season.
Racing was followed by a big oyster roast and pot luck and season awards.
Fishing Bay Yacht Club held their inaugural J/70 Chesapeake Championship Regatta and I was sailing on Steve Q’s Hotty Toddy among the 18 boat fleet. The weather forecast for Saturday morning called for some pretty epic winds to move in and little did we know we’d all have some pretty epic sailing before the day was done.
Racing was moved into Fishing Bay and even before we got there, boats were already broaching on there way there. After 1 general recall the first race was started. The wind in the bay was blowing 25+ from the NNW so our course took us from Godfrey Bay, across the Piankatank River and around the windward mark on the western end of Fishing Bay.
Sailing upwind in that kind of wind was a real slog. While we had heard from plenty of others how to sail in those conditions, actually doing it was another story and it definitely took us some time to get into a groove with it. The teams that had clearly done it before easily pulled ahead in what was less about who was fast and more about who was upright especially when it came to the downwind.
Being new to this boat in this kind of wind, we took a conservative approach downwind and after watching plenty of boats wipe out, we only put the chute up when we felt the wind was going to hold and not be so gusty. That didn’t last and a few minutes after putting it up we were on our side. In the process of recovering it, one of the panels split and we quickly took it down and hauled it in, not to be used again. [Watch this whole sequence on the video below.]
After two races in those conditions the race committee abandoned further racing for the day, and ultimately for the weekend. The slog home around Stove Point grueling with 5-6 foot waves and 40 knot gusts. We sailed under main alone with waves sometimes crashing over the boat.
While we weren’t competitive in those conditions, we were happy to have had fun this weekend and learned a lot in the process. We’ll definitely be able to be a lot more competitive and comfortable with the conditions when they are up like that in the future. Thanks Steve Q for having me aboard and I enjoyed sailing with Jerry L and Tom F.
This is pretty cool – I got profiled in Spinsheet Magazine’s November issue in their racer profile. Page 76.