JUNE 14TH RACE: Wind For Our Sailors and a Feast For Our Volunteers

(photos courtesy of Jack & Sandy Miller) 
First,  we are delighted to welcome new Committee Boat volunteer and soon-to-be racer, Angela Shelton, and Matt Schroeder, a new sailor who is here for the summer and experienced his first sailing race crewing for his uncle, Tom Schroeder.  Angela and Matt picked a great race to join up.  We’re not sure who had more fun, the 15 sailors enjoying the fast southerly winds, or the 6 Committee Boat volunteers watching the frenzy while enjoying a gourmet feast.

The first of the eight objectives of our official race procedures is that our races be “an enjoyable experience for committee boat volunteers” (seriously, it is the first of our printed objectives because without Committee Boat volunteers, there is no race).
Well, this group of volunteers did not leave that to the sailors.   Once the race began they enjoyed a feast of mixed fruit salad (Donna Mount), Reuben sandwiches (Gretchen Fisher) and Coconut bars (Sandy Miller). 

Steve and Gretchen are laying out the main course, Gretchen's Reuben sandwiches.  This Committee Boat crew has taken the Committee Boat experience to a new level!

However they reported that because the race was so fast despite the long course, they had to eat quickly to be ready to record the finishing time of the sailors.  As a result, some reported on the race sheet they experienced a bit of heartburn.   On the salty side one might respond that  “the main thing is to keep the main thing the main thing”.  However since it is important we accomplish our first objective,  we are considering a new signal flag.  This flag will indicate that the Committee Boat volunteers have finished dining and are ready for the sailors to begin crossing the finish line! 

Our thanks to Committee Boat volunteers Steve & Gretchen Fisher, Jack & Sandy Miller, Donna Mount, Mimi Riffle, and Angela Shelton.  We know you are volunteering for the next race as well and we are hoping that not too many of our sailors decide to serve on the Committee Boat instead of racing.

Our happy and much appreciated Committee Boat volunteers

Our Grandview wind remains in Tasmania (see May 31^st race report for details) but is miffed at our enjoyment of its absence, and our courting of better-mannered winds from the South.  Prepare ye for its ultimate return.    In the meantime, this is the third race in a row that the percent chance of thunderstorms in the weather forecast made a race doubtful.  But glass-half-full Race Chairman, Kevin Preuss has kept an eye on the radar, etc., and the races have proceeded in what have turned out to be great sailing conditions.  John Auld and Paul Hass set up a long course, appropriate to the fast winds.  Marks were to starboard, which caught at least one habit-bound sailor preparing to turn to port around a mark.  Thanks to Kevin, John and Paul.  And kudos to Wayne Truex, who came to the Hale racing team’s  rescue just prior to the race, bringing them an assortment of drain plugs from which to choose. One fit their Y-flyer and made their participation in the race possible. 

With 10 sailboats, there are many more interesting occurrences on the course and on the Committee Boat than this blogger was able to observe. Therefore racers or other observers are encouraged to give us their "take" on the race from their vantage point. Clarifications and rebuttals are also welcome.   Just click on the “# comments” phrase at the bottom of this post. 

Due to a pre-race wind shift, the starting line required that those sailing on a starboard tack, (and therefore enjoying the advantage of the right of way) start the race running almost parallel to the starting line.  But doing so required a fairly quick tack to starboard which may or may not have been possible considering the surrounding traffic.  And a few boats started on a port tack which added to the confusion.   This was fun to watch from the Committee Boat - a sensory feast of shouts (of all kinds) among sailors, ratcheting of winches, flapping of sails, and strategic maneuvering of sailboats in tight quarters. And there was the culinary feast they were about to enjoy.   If you haven’t observed a race from the vantage point of the Committee Boat, you really ought to; it’s the best place to be on the lake.   Contact Committee Boat Chairperson Beth Auld to volunteer –we will train you.   

The orange pole in the middle of the frame is the far end of the starting line. The photo was taken from the other end of the starting line (the Committee Boat). Racers had to sail nearly parallel to the starting line.

Once the racers were recombobulated, the race to the first mark got interesting given some wind shifts.  Tom and Matt Schroeder counted themselves lucky in this regard.  Having gotten stuck in traffic at the start, they were initially about 8^th out of 10 boats.  But they took quick advantage of a wind shift that benefitted only them, and found themselves third to the first mark behind Jim Voelz and Kevin Preuss.  Jim finished the race first, and Kevin, second.  Approaching the 3^rd mark, Catey Hale and son Graham, substantially behind Tom and Matt, but running a parallel course only 100 feet to their starboard, found wind that favored only them.  Taking full advantage, Catey and Graham finished the race behind Jim and Kevin and a minute ahead of Tom and Matt.    Riley Leonard finished ten seconds behind Tom and Matt and was followed closely by John Auld and Paul Hass, then Jim Riffle and Arlene Truex,  and the “Brothers Gall”, Jack and John.   The Butterfly sailboats are slower based on their design (but get an associated adjustment to their time on a handicapped basis) and were next to finish with Peggy Voelz beating Laura Garrett who got hung up at the last mark.  See below for class-order finishes, and handicapped results which can be much different than the order just described. 

The second race also had an interesting start as shown in this photo.    

Tom and Matt in the boat to port (left) decided to cross the starting line with the wind coming over their port side instead of having the right of way on the alternative starboard tack.  Therefore they had to yield by going behind Kevin as you can see here.

The trip to the first mark involved some wind-reading skill.  Rookie crew Matt Schroeder alerted Captain Tom Schroeder that those in front of them had just lost their wind, which caused  Tom to  tack immediately saving them from the dead-spot and gaining an advantage over the others.   Matt is off to a fine start as a quick-learning crew.   Are you interested in sailboat racing, but have never sailed and don’t have a sailboat?  Just like Matt, you can sail with us anyway.   Just contact Commodore Tom Schroeder and we’ll give you some training and get you out there when we need someone to crew.

After rounding the first mark, the course was a run-with-the-wind to the second mark, but from time-to-time the wind would shift to the port side.  Such a shift/blast capsized front-runner Jim Voelz. Getting his boat turned properly relative to the wind before righting it cost precious time and allowed fellow Laser sailor Kevin Preuss to overtake him.  

Jim has capsized. John/Paul pass him.  It is very difficult for another sailboat to assist a capsized sailboat.  And Jim is skilled at righting his boat (As all Laser sailors must be)

But Jim out-jibed Kevin at the 2^nd mark regaining the lead over Kevin.  Meanwhile Catey and Graham Hale again found a hugely favorable wind and rocketed ahead of the rest of the fleet, never to be caught, and finishing nearly four, count-em, four!, minutes ahead of, and 22% faster than the next-to-finish boat (and causing some of the aforementioned heartburn on the Committee Boat).   See below for class order finishes and handicapped results.

Many agendas were brought to the protest meeting even though there were no formal protests.  We lamented Tom Jennings not being part of the race even though his absence had been planned long in advance.  Best wishes from your fellow sailors, Tom!  Kevin Preuss bemoaned the fact that despite Jim Voelz’ s time consuming capsize, Jim still beat Kevin by out-jibing him at the 2^nd mark. Jibing is when the wind is coming from behind your boat and you change direction such that the sail and the boom move from one side of the boat to the other – duck!   Jibing, if not well controlled, can easily cause a capsize.  One sailor fessed up that at the 2^nd mark he was tempted not to jibe, but instead to turn into the wind and make his tack that way instead (inefficient, but safer).  But he didn’t want to look like a weenie, and went ahead and jibed carefully.   John Auld learned that Jim Riffle yelled “room-at-the-mark” even though they were far from being overlapped within the required 3 boat lengths to which Jim defended himself with a depth-perception exception (still checking the rule book on that one);   We found out that some had trouble finding the darned 1^st marker flag costing them precious time (tip: when you are directly downwind of a marker, you can’t see the side of the flag);  Tom Schroeder  reflected that when he and crew Matt were approaching the third mark he could have claimed the right of way over John Auld and crew Paul, and should have yelled “starboard” and/or “room-at-the mark” instead of yielding. But John Auld did a little post-protest meeting research and determined that according to the rules, and (please take note): starboard / port rules are suspended once a boat reaches the mark zone (3 boat lengths from the mark), so Tom would have lost a protest on that basis.  However, since they were coming to the mark at a ninety degree angle from one and other, would John have to yield if Tom asked for “room-at-the-mark”?   Stay tuned or read/post comments below.  We were happy to hear that the visiting brothers Gall will be sailing with us on and off during the length of the summer;  And  many expressed wonder at Catey and Graham Hale’s remarkable performance in the second race.  Arlene cleared the mystery up for us - they needed to get Graham to the airport in time to catch his flight, and so they “made it thus”.  OK then!  Our thanks to Wayne and Arlene for their hospitality, hosting us at the GYC’s “Home Port”.

RACE RESULTS

FIRST RACE

Laser Class:  1^st Jim Voelz, 2^nd Kevin Preuss, 3^rd Riley Leonard

Butterfly Class: 1^st Peggy Voelz, 2^nd Laura Garrett

International Class – handicapped: 1^st Tom Schroeder/Matt Schroeder, 2^nd Catey Hale/Graham Hale, 3^rd John Auld/Paul Hass, 4^th Jim Riffle/Arlene Truex, 5^th John Gall/Jackson Gall

Overall On Handicapped Basis (not for scoring): 1^st Jim Voelz, 2^nd Kevin Preuss, 3^rd Tom/Matt Schroeder, 4^th Catey/Graham Hale, 5^th Riley Leonard,  6^th Peggy Voelz, 7^th Auld/Hass, 8^th Riffle/Truex, 9^th Laura Garrett, 10^th Jack/John Gall

SECOND RACE

Laser Class:  1^st Jim Voelz, 2^nd Kevin Preuss, 3^rd Riley Leonard

Butterfly Class: 1^st Peggy Voelz, 2^nd Laura Garrett

International Class – handicapped: 1^st Catey/Graham Hale, 2^nd Tom/Matt Schroeder, 3^rd Auld/Hass, 4^th Riffle/Truex, 5^th John/Jack Gall.

Overall On Handicapped Basis (not for scoring): 1^st Catey/Graham Hale, 2^nd Tom/Matt Schroeder, 3^rd Auld/Hass, 4^{th st} Jim Voelz, 5^th Kevin Preuss, 6^th Peggy Voelz, 7^th Laura Garrett, 8^th Riley Leonard, 9^th Riffle/Truex, 10^th John/Jack Gall.