Thursday, August 11, 2011
Monday, August 8, 2011
2011 East Coast Championship - Drew Buttner
The 2011 505 US East Coast Championship saw a little bit of everything over the course of three days of racing. Big wind, light wind, a broken rudder, and many broken egos. In the end, Tyler Moore and Geoff Ewenson were just better than the fleet and won the event going away (although their ego is one of the ones broken).
The Championship was held as part of the Buzzards Bay Regatta. 15 505’s joined over 400 other boats at one of the biggest regattas around. 150 420’s went home wanting to race 505’s ... 10 tons of keelboats went home wanting to race 505’s ... and the 15 505’s went home glad they race 505’s!
Day 1 started with a light northerly. Half the fleet was in denial and didn't leave the beach in time and missed the first race (they were the smart ones). Those that did race were treated to a healthy dose of "eating vang" and a four lap parade before the breeze completely shut off. Everyone waited for the famous sea breeze, but a strong northerly gradient kept the southerly from filling in. At three o'clock the southerly finally arrived, and although moderate at 8-10 knots, it did manage to provide the fleet with two decent light air races. Tyler/Geoff escaped trouble all day and scored a series of bullets. The rest of the fleet found themselves tied for second as everyone had a good race, a bad race, and a terrible race.
Day 2 was one of those days that put a smile on everyone's face, 12-15 knots all day long. The racing was tight and the fleet started to sort itself out. Tyler/Geoff continued their winning ways going just fast enough to lead everyone around the course, increasing their lead at each mark and finishing each race about 100 yards in front. Ramsay/Drew started the day with a pair of seconds, trying to put a dent in Tyler/Geoff's armor, but unable to do so. Ted/Jesse came on at the end of the day as the breeze backed off a bit to 12 knots. The day was not as fun for the Watsons who broke their rudder blade and had to get towed in. Komar/Russell suffered a broken topping lift shackle, which somehow lead them to a full shrimp of their kite. Whit/Chris broke their forestay control, ripped their jib in half, and limped home to lick their wounds.
The forecast for Day 3 was not great: heavy rain and heavy wind. Arriving at the club we found the weathermen right. Breeze was forecasted to peak in the upper 20's, but the rain squalls were not supposed to contain lightning. The race committee cancelled the 420's and sent the 505's to the inner circle. Out we went. It turned out to be a San Francisco day. Race 1 got under way and Macy/Parry, Ramsay/Drew, and Tyler/Geoff quickly separated themselves from the pack. A drag race to the left and all three stayed even. Macy/Parry tacked first, ducked, and headed right ... bad move.
Ramsay/Drew and Tyler/Geoff continued for another minute until Tyler/Geoff tacked right. Ramsay/Drew would follow 30 seconds later and close to the port layline. At the top mark Ramsay/Drew were able to tack inside of Tyler/Geoff and lead the race around the top mark. Tyler/Geoff proceeded to flip on the set. Oops! Ramsay/Drew held on, trying to keep the boat upright, nailed the jibe, and managed to survive the next lap to win. Tyler/Geoff tried to get back into the race, but couldn't catch Macy/Parry.
Race 2 got underway with about half the fleet. Ted/Jesse won the start, but just didn't have the speed to stay in front. Tyler/Geoff proved too much and were determined to make up for their first race blunders. They crossed Ramsay/Drew at the top and lead the fleet around the top mark. The breeze was reportedly hitting 30 knots by this time. Tyler/Geoff and Ramsay/Drew stayed next to each other for both laps, neither making a big mistake. Tyler/Geoff were faster downwind; Ramsay/Drew were faster upwind. Rounding the last leeward mark, Tyler/Geoff had a 20 length lead. They headed right and went deep into the corner under the lee of the shore. Ramsay/Drew tacked out toward the bay. When they came back together, Ramsay/Drew had a 5 length lead. They tacked to make the finish, Tyler/Geoff tried to punch through to leeward while Ramsay/Drew tried to get the boat moving again ... Tyler/Geoff just couldn't make it through and Ramsay/Drew went on to win the race (then managed to pitch pole on the sail in!).
A nice downpour with horizontal rain while we packed up the boats was a great end to the day. Time for a nap!!
Congratulation again to Tyler Moore and Geoff Ewenson for winning the 2011 US East Coast Championship!!!
Editor's note - all photos courtesy of Spectrum Photo - Full Gallery
Results
The Championship was held as part of the Buzzards Bay Regatta. 15 505’s joined over 400 other boats at one of the biggest regattas around. 150 420’s went home wanting to race 505’s ... 10 tons of keelboats went home wanting to race 505’s ... and the 15 505’s went home glad they race 505’s!
Day 1 started with a light northerly. Half the fleet was in denial and didn't leave the beach in time and missed the first race (they were the smart ones). Those that did race were treated to a healthy dose of "eating vang" and a four lap parade before the breeze completely shut off. Everyone waited for the famous sea breeze, but a strong northerly gradient kept the southerly from filling in. At three o'clock the southerly finally arrived, and although moderate at 8-10 knots, it did manage to provide the fleet with two decent light air races. Tyler/Geoff escaped trouble all day and scored a series of bullets. The rest of the fleet found themselves tied for second as everyone had a good race, a bad race, and a terrible race.
Day 2 was one of those days that put a smile on everyone's face, 12-15 knots all day long. The racing was tight and the fleet started to sort itself out. Tyler/Geoff continued their winning ways going just fast enough to lead everyone around the course, increasing their lead at each mark and finishing each race about 100 yards in front. Ramsay/Drew started the day with a pair of seconds, trying to put a dent in Tyler/Geoff's armor, but unable to do so. Ted/Jesse came on at the end of the day as the breeze backed off a bit to 12 knots. The day was not as fun for the Watsons who broke their rudder blade and had to get towed in. Komar/Russell suffered a broken topping lift shackle, which somehow lead them to a full shrimp of their kite. Whit/Chris broke their forestay control, ripped their jib in half, and limped home to lick their wounds.
The forecast for Day 3 was not great: heavy rain and heavy wind. Arriving at the club we found the weathermen right. Breeze was forecasted to peak in the upper 20's, but the rain squalls were not supposed to contain lightning. The race committee cancelled the 420's and sent the 505's to the inner circle. Out we went. It turned out to be a San Francisco day. Race 1 got under way and Macy/Parry, Ramsay/Drew, and Tyler/Geoff quickly separated themselves from the pack. A drag race to the left and all three stayed even. Macy/Parry tacked first, ducked, and headed right ... bad move.
Ramsay/Drew and Tyler/Geoff continued for another minute until Tyler/Geoff tacked right. Ramsay/Drew would follow 30 seconds later and close to the port layline. At the top mark Ramsay/Drew were able to tack inside of Tyler/Geoff and lead the race around the top mark. Tyler/Geoff proceeded to flip on the set. Oops! Ramsay/Drew held on, trying to keep the boat upright, nailed the jibe, and managed to survive the next lap to win. Tyler/Geoff tried to get back into the race, but couldn't catch Macy/Parry.
Race 2 got underway with about half the fleet. Ted/Jesse won the start, but just didn't have the speed to stay in front. Tyler/Geoff proved too much and were determined to make up for their first race blunders. They crossed Ramsay/Drew at the top and lead the fleet around the top mark. The breeze was reportedly hitting 30 knots by this time. Tyler/Geoff and Ramsay/Drew stayed next to each other for both laps, neither making a big mistake. Tyler/Geoff were faster downwind; Ramsay/Drew were faster upwind. Rounding the last leeward mark, Tyler/Geoff had a 20 length lead. They headed right and went deep into the corner under the lee of the shore. Ramsay/Drew tacked out toward the bay. When they came back together, Ramsay/Drew had a 5 length lead. They tacked to make the finish, Tyler/Geoff tried to punch through to leeward while Ramsay/Drew tried to get the boat moving again ... Tyler/Geoff just couldn't make it through and Ramsay/Drew went on to win the race (then managed to pitch pole on the sail in!).
A nice downpour with horizontal rain while we packed up the boats was a great end to the day. Time for a nap!!
Congratulation again to Tyler Moore and Geoff Ewenson for winning the 2011 US East Coast Championship!!!
Editor's note - all photos courtesy of Spectrum Photo - Full Gallery
Results
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Kings of the Bay - Aaron Ross
Editor's Note - Read up and learn about the venue for the 2012 NA's.
Nine teams turned out last weekend for the Kings of the Bay Regatta, hosted by the San Francisco Yacht Club in beautiful Belvedere, California. Saturday's racing was held on Southampton Shoals, which is a little to the north of the Berkeley Circle. Being in the lee of Angel Island, there's a little less breeze and a fair bit less chop. This course can also be shiftedto get just the right amount of breeze. The race committee nailed the location, and we had 3 perfect races in 15-18+. Race 1 was a triangle sausage, 2 and 3 were sausage triangle sausages. All the races were gate starts and downwind finishes, so racing time was maximized. The longer courses were only 35 minutes long, so even though there was a lot of corner banging, there was no time to get bored. Mike and Carl won the day with a 1,1,1. Howard and Andy scored a 2,2,2, Jeff and Pat a 3,3,3. Ted with Steve Kleha got a 4,4,4, and Aaron and Rob recorded a 5,5,5. Tim and Garth got a 6,7,6, with Geoff and Reeve breaking the trend with a 6 in race 2. While preparing to be the pathfinder for race 3, Geoff decided now would be a good time to break a rudder gudgeon.
Back on shore, the club wheeled out a dock cart full of beer on ice and a barbecue with all the trimmings. A comprehensive debrief followed.
Since the 2012 North Americans will be at SFYC, the fleet and the race committee took the opportunity to try a new race course on Sunday. We sailed the Knox course, very close to the club between Angel Island and the Marin headlands. With 8-14 knots of breeze, 4 knots of current and geographically shifty breeze, the results were not a repeat of Saturday. Jeff and Pat won the day with a 1,3,2. Howard and Andy would have won the day, but they were outsmarted and outmaneuvered at the finish of race 4 by the incredibly handsome team of Aaron and Rob. Mike and Carl scored a 2,2,3, enough to hold onto the regatta win. There was much place changing between fourth and seventh in each race. So even though the conditions were not as exciting as Saturday, there was never a dull moment.
Back on shore, the club wheeled out another cart full of beer and presented trophies, engraved hot toddy sized thermoses for the top three helms and crews.
A big thank you is due to the San Francisco Yacht Club staff and volunteers, including the local 505 team of Mark Dowdy and Jason Bright. You can always count on the club to put on a great regatta with excellent on shore facilities, race management and logistics. Plus it's always sunny and warm on the club's deck, it's the best place to be after a day on the Bay. God would live in Belvedere if he could afford it. The 2012 North Americans at SFYC is a regatta not to be missed. And unlike the Saint Francis, you can leave your hat on...
Results
Nine teams turned out last weekend for the Kings of the Bay Regatta, hosted by the San Francisco Yacht Club in beautiful Belvedere, California. Saturday's racing was held on Southampton Shoals, which is a little to the north of the Berkeley Circle. Being in the lee of Angel Island, there's a little less breeze and a fair bit less chop. This course can also be shiftedto get just the right amount of breeze. The race committee nailed the location, and we had 3 perfect races in 15-18+. Race 1 was a triangle sausage, 2 and 3 were sausage triangle sausages. All the races were gate starts and downwind finishes, so racing time was maximized. The longer courses were only 35 minutes long, so even though there was a lot of corner banging, there was no time to get bored. Mike and Carl won the day with a 1,1,1. Howard and Andy scored a 2,2,2, Jeff and Pat a 3,3,3. Ted with Steve Kleha got a 4,4,4, and Aaron and Rob recorded a 5,5,5. Tim and Garth got a 6,7,6, with Geoff and Reeve breaking the trend with a 6 in race 2. While preparing to be the pathfinder for race 3, Geoff decided now would be a good time to break a rudder gudgeon.
Back on shore, the club wheeled out a dock cart full of beer on ice and a barbecue with all the trimmings. A comprehensive debrief followed.
Since the 2012 North Americans will be at SFYC, the fleet and the race committee took the opportunity to try a new race course on Sunday. We sailed the Knox course, very close to the club between Angel Island and the Marin headlands. With 8-14 knots of breeze, 4 knots of current and geographically shifty breeze, the results were not a repeat of Saturday. Jeff and Pat won the day with a 1,3,2. Howard and Andy would have won the day, but they were outsmarted and outmaneuvered at the finish of race 4 by the incredibly handsome team of Aaron and Rob. Mike and Carl scored a 2,2,3, enough to hold onto the regatta win. There was much place changing between fourth and seventh in each race. So even though the conditions were not as exciting as Saturday, there was never a dull moment.
Back on shore, the club wheeled out another cart full of beer and presented trophies, engraved hot toddy sized thermoses for the top three helms and crews.
A big thank you is due to the San Francisco Yacht Club staff and volunteers, including the local 505 team of Mark Dowdy and Jason Bright. You can always count on the club to put on a great regatta with excellent on shore facilities, race management and logistics. Plus it's always sunny and warm on the club's deck, it's the best place to be after a day on the Bay. God would live in Belvedere if he could afford it. The 2012 North Americans at SFYC is a regatta not to be missed. And unlike the Saint Francis, you can leave your hat on...
Results
Thursday, July 21, 2011
The A-Team Reports - Zack Marks
The first thing that I noticed when rigging the bowsprit and the asymmetric was how much gear I did not have to use. The auto guys could be taken off, the foreguy could be left in the boat, the topping lift could be skied, and the pole could be tied to the boom with launcher lines removed. A very clean look. And the bowsprit (the Kiwis call it “the prod”) is superlight.
The first day I sailed with the rig was in New Jersey in Barnegat Bay. Andrew Jones and I sailed downwind with Parry and Macy in non-wire running conditions. We eased the tack line and seemed to be holding well and against them. They might have been a touch faster but that also might have been technique. Either way the performance felt fine in light air. A friend, Mike Dowd, was on a coach boat. He said that the separation between the spinnaker and the main and jib looked much better with the a-sail than the symmetrical.
The next time I used the prod was on a windier day in Marblehead. It was probably about 10 knots, which was enough to wire run. I sailed with another Pleon instructor, Pete McGrath, who is a current collegiate sailor but had never sailed a 505 before. Despite having a rookie crew everything was easy. He pulls out the tack line and trims the sheet while I raise the sail. Going into gybes he eases one sheet and pulls another. By the end of the day his last two gybes were really good and he was having a blast. It was easy for a new sailor to pick up. Regarding, performance the boat felt great downwind. We were playing with some keelboats that were racing and we could easily gybe back and forth through the fleet.
The video that I uploaded was also sailed in Marblehead with yet another rookie 505er. Ian Barrows skippered while I crewed on another day around 10 knots. As a crew who has sailed with the single pole, the double pole, and some other weird stuff in between, the a-sail was incredibly easy and clean. I even tried gibing backwards a few times because the spin sheet blocks are so far aft that it is an easy hand switch. Check out the video for all the details. While the kite does not stay flying the whole time and it takes a while to get trimmed back in, I think that in heavier air this will be less of an issue because the kite will be floating further away from the boat.
Overall I really like the asymmetrical spinnaker. The boat was really easy to rig and the performance was about the same if not better. I would like to do more testing in windier conditions but unfortunately Marblehead is not known for its massive summer seabreeze. I will have the equipment down in Newport for the upcoming clinic if anyone wants to try it out.
The first day I sailed with the rig was in New Jersey in Barnegat Bay. Andrew Jones and I sailed downwind with Parry and Macy in non-wire running conditions. We eased the tack line and seemed to be holding well and against them. They might have been a touch faster but that also might have been technique. Either way the performance felt fine in light air. A friend, Mike Dowd, was on a coach boat. He said that the separation between the spinnaker and the main and jib looked much better with the a-sail than the symmetrical.
The next time I used the prod was on a windier day in Marblehead. It was probably about 10 knots, which was enough to wire run. I sailed with another Pleon instructor, Pete McGrath, who is a current collegiate sailor but had never sailed a 505 before. Despite having a rookie crew everything was easy. He pulls out the tack line and trims the sheet while I raise the sail. Going into gybes he eases one sheet and pulls another. By the end of the day his last two gybes were really good and he was having a blast. It was easy for a new sailor to pick up. Regarding, performance the boat felt great downwind. We were playing with some keelboats that were racing and we could easily gybe back and forth through the fleet.
The video that I uploaded was also sailed in Marblehead with yet another rookie 505er. Ian Barrows skippered while I crewed on another day around 10 knots. As a crew who has sailed with the single pole, the double pole, and some other weird stuff in between, the a-sail was incredibly easy and clean. I even tried gibing backwards a few times because the spin sheet blocks are so far aft that it is an easy hand switch. Check out the video for all the details. While the kite does not stay flying the whole time and it takes a while to get trimmed back in, I think that in heavier air this will be less of an issue because the kite will be floating further away from the boat.
Overall I really like the asymmetrical spinnaker. The boat was really easy to rig and the performance was about the same if not better. I would like to do more testing in windier conditions but unfortunately Marblehead is not known for its massive summer seabreeze. I will have the equipment down in Newport for the upcoming clinic if anyone wants to try it out.
Thursday, July 14, 2011
2011 Pacific Coast Championship - Mike Holt
Editor's note - Mike has also posted this article on the International Site.
For the 2011 running of the Pacific Coast Championships 24 505's turned up for three days of racing in Santa Cruz. The last major event hosted by the Santa Cruz Yacht Club was the 2004 Worlds and in the intervening years there has been a changing of the guard at the Yacht Club and a new to the 505 class team of John Buchanan as Regatta Chair and Dave Emberson as PRO had the reigns and an excellent job they and their team did too.
Friday's racing was run in a slow to clear high fog resulting in fickle westerly breeze. During the afternoon the fog pulled back a little and the wind increased to a peak of around 12 knots. Just allowing for some good wire running in the last race. At the end of the day Andy and Howie held the lead from the three races ahead of the East Coast's finest, Jesse and Tyler with "locals" Carl and myself in third. Following racing a thorough debrief was held on the deck of the YC with Howie and Tyler revealing all their hard earned knowledge.
Saturday dawned to a heavy overcast fog and drizzle and doom and despair were espouced by the locals and light weight spinnakers were stuffed into launchers. Race 1 was sailed in 8 knots building to 12 by the end and by race 2 the breeze was a good steady 12-15. For race 3 of the day those packing .6 spinnakers were getting nervous as the breeze approached 20 knots. The day was "won" by Steve and Nick, back from their "break" from sailing with a 5,1,2 score line and surely regretting not taking the day off on Friday. Elsewhere in the fleet Matthias and Bruce moved up the standings with a race win in the big breeze and Carl and I leapfrogged the pride of the East Coast to move into 2nd with Andy and Howie's lead at the top narrowed to two points. Another full debrief was delivered with Bruce explaining his tactical genius. Following this was a huge Taco feast.
Sunday started brighter and it was quickly clear that Santa Cruz was going to deliver a classic day. The fog peeled back from the shore fast and by 1PM start time the breeze was already at 15 knots and climbing. Carl and I knowing that we had to pull two points back went at hit hard and fast but Andy and Howie stuck close behind for us to finish in that order. Matthias and Bruce finished 3rd to put some serious pressure on Jesse and Tyler for third overall. By the 8th and last race the breeze was up to around 20 knots with a lovely rolling swell. The course was the full Worlds course so plenty of race track, no quick crash and burn and by the top mark Matthias and Bruce just led Carl and I with Steve and Nick right on our heels. At the bottom of the run we had dropped to 5th and Andy/Howie had moved up to third, momentum back to them. By the gybe mark it had swung back as we pulled up to and past them, but a slow drop at the leeward mark allowed the SoCal team back ahead again and they put a hard cover on from there. Meanwhile at the front Matthias and Bruce reveled in the big breeze to win handily from Steve and Nick. Bruce was heard singing "Bruce is back, who needs Dave" all the way in!
All the way through the fleet there were some good battles, boat on boat and boat versus race track, with lots of new faces and boats traveling down from Canada, up from San Diego and across from the East Coast. It was also good to see three mixed teams racing too. For me it was the best regatta on the West Coast since the North American's in Santa Cruz in 2000.
Friday's racing was run in a slow to clear high fog resulting in fickle westerly breeze. During the afternoon the fog pulled back a little and the wind increased to a peak of around 12 knots. Just allowing for some good wire running in the last race. At the end of the day Andy and Howie held the lead from the three races ahead of the East Coast's finest, Jesse and Tyler with "locals" Carl and myself in third. Following racing a thorough debrief was held on the deck of the YC with Howie and Tyler revealing all their hard earned knowledge.
Saturday dawned to a heavy overcast fog and drizzle and doom and despair were espouced by the locals and light weight spinnakers were stuffed into launchers. Race 1 was sailed in 8 knots building to 12 by the end and by race 2 the breeze was a good steady 12-15. For race 3 of the day those packing .6 spinnakers were getting nervous as the breeze approached 20 knots. The day was "won" by Steve and Nick, back from their "break" from sailing with a 5,1,2 score line and surely regretting not taking the day off on Friday. Elsewhere in the fleet Matthias and Bruce moved up the standings with a race win in the big breeze and Carl and I leapfrogged the pride of the East Coast to move into 2nd with Andy and Howie's lead at the top narrowed to two points. Another full debrief was delivered with Bruce explaining his tactical genius. Following this was a huge Taco feast.
Sunday started brighter and it was quickly clear that Santa Cruz was going to deliver a classic day. The fog peeled back from the shore fast and by 1PM start time the breeze was already at 15 knots and climbing. Carl and I knowing that we had to pull two points back went at hit hard and fast but Andy and Howie stuck close behind for us to finish in that order. Matthias and Bruce finished 3rd to put some serious pressure on Jesse and Tyler for third overall. By the 8th and last race the breeze was up to around 20 knots with a lovely rolling swell. The course was the full Worlds course so plenty of race track, no quick crash and burn and by the top mark Matthias and Bruce just led Carl and I with Steve and Nick right on our heels. At the bottom of the run we had dropped to 5th and Andy/Howie had moved up to third, momentum back to them. By the gybe mark it had swung back as we pulled up to and past them, but a slow drop at the leeward mark allowed the SoCal team back ahead again and they put a hard cover on from there. Meanwhile at the front Matthias and Bruce reveled in the big breeze to win handily from Steve and Nick. Bruce was heard singing "Bruce is back, who needs Dave" all the way in!
All the way through the fleet there were some good battles, boat on boat and boat versus race track, with lots of new faces and boats traveling down from Canada, up from San Diego and across from the East Coast. It was also good to see three mixed teams racing too. For me it was the best regatta on the West Coast since the North American's in Santa Cruz in 2000.
Newport Regatta - Drew Buttner
17 boats showed up for the 2011 Newport Regatta in Newport, RI July 9-10. This was a huge multi-class event in New England with hundreds of boats and probably close to a thousand competitors. 505's ended up being the second biggest class!
Newport is known for a comfortable sea breeze that offers quality racing for all. Our circle was placed outside the bay which usually leads to an early sea breeze and some decent ocean racing. Unfortunately the gradient was too dominate and the sea breeze only managed a weak showing. Crews spent most of the event crouched on the rail, praying to stretch their legs.
4 good races and one (I'll be honest) crap race (#2) were completed. Racing was challenging with decent changes in wind direction, strong current, and off-center swell. Geoff Woolley and Zack Marks continued their early season dominance winning again in relatively dominating fashion. Parker Shinn and Simon Gerson were able to break through twice for race wins and take 2nd overall.
The event also saw Tim Collins make an appearance on Sunday, helping secure a 3rd place result for Mark Zagol and Drew Buttner.
Next on the calendar in New England is the East Coast Championship Aug 5-7 which will be part of the Buzzards Bay Regatta.
Newport is known for a comfortable sea breeze that offers quality racing for all. Our circle was placed outside the bay which usually leads to an early sea breeze and some decent ocean racing. Unfortunately the gradient was too dominate and the sea breeze only managed a weak showing. Crews spent most of the event crouched on the rail, praying to stretch their legs.
4 good races and one (I'll be honest) crap race (#2) were completed. Racing was challenging with decent changes in wind direction, strong current, and off-center swell. Geoff Woolley and Zack Marks continued their early season dominance winning again in relatively dominating fashion. Parker Shinn and Simon Gerson were able to break through twice for race wins and take 2nd overall.
The event also saw Tim Collins make an appearance on Sunday, helping secure a 3rd place result for Mark Zagol and Drew Buttner.
Next on the calendar in New England is the East Coast Championship Aug 5-7 which will be part of the Buzzards Bay Regatta.
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