Tuesday, April 10, 2007
2007 North Americans report
Here is an update from WRSC, A class North American championship headquarters.
Planning is well under way and all indications suggest it will be a very successful regatta.
The NOR, entry and accommodation forms have been posted on the USACA web site http://www.usaca.info/ under upcoming regatta's. If at all possible please register and send your entries in to Mark Bellerman OR sign up online at www.sailcrac.com under the A cat nationals tab OR contact Tony Arends .
It is important to get everyone signed up and committed early for our planning.
West river sailing club is pleased to announce that the Westfield Annapolis mall has made a kind donation and will be named title sponsor of the event.
We all know this event is to crown a National champion and gain valuable fleet experience for the 2007 world championships. One World championship qualifying slot is up for grabs to the highest finisher that has not already pre-qualified for the 2007 worlds.
In addition to competitive racing, all efforts will be devoted to staging an event that can offer every competitor a good reason to attend this regatta.
Preparation is underway to have a respected sailing coach document the days' sailing action, then discuss his notes with the competitors during our post-race debriefs. Velocitek has also made available five GPS units to be placed on boats at random for the purpose of recording GPS tracks. These track will also be used during the debrief to Illustrate the gains and losses made on the race course. Such activities should make this regatta the most educational, enjoyable sailing experience in A cat history.
A photo slide show will run daily and each competitor will receive a photos CD at the end of the event. Reprints and photo enlargements will be available at a very reasonable price.
District report suggest over 30 boats will attend.
District 1 : Bristol has reported that 6-8 boats will attend: Hall, Guck, Gaynor, Atkins, Penfield, Godbey
District 2 : 23 boats : Ford, Bellerman, Llewellyn, Mills, Saunders, Mack, Taylor, Orr, Arends, Neilsen, Nees, Fabre, Oliver, Schneider, Fornaro, Kaiser, Brown, Skeels and 5 others from New Jersey.
District 3 : 4 boats: Hodges, Ogeltree, Moon, Cope.
District 4 : No report yet
District 5 : No report yet
Our food and social directors are hard at work to provide a top notch regatta menu including an upscale dinner, BBQ and pizza night. Not to mention a fun night out in Annapolis.
Our hospitality includes free accommodation with local sailors and club member. Contact Dave Fornaro dfornaro AT comcast.net
For a hassle free sailing vacation don't be afraid to ask about charter boats. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.
We plan to have plenty of awards and prize give always.
Velocitek, will run a VMAX competition awarding a Velocitek S10 to the person recording the highest speed of the regatta, Value $299
New England ropes, Spools of line
Astral. Buoyancy vest
Ronstan, Gloves
Shirts and hats
Special thanks go to our Beer sponsors
Jim Godbey Candy creek
David Nees Fitness resource
Plus the normal trophies for our top finishing champions
Regards Tony Arends (Division 2 chairman)
Planning is well under way and all indications suggest it will be a very successful regatta.
The NOR, entry and accommodation forms have been posted on the USACA web site http://www.usaca.info/ under upcoming regatta's. If at all possible please register and send your entries in to Mark Bellerman OR sign up online at www.sailcrac.com under the A cat nationals tab OR contact Tony Arends .
It is important to get everyone signed up and committed early for our planning.
West river sailing club is pleased to announce that the Westfield Annapolis mall has made a kind donation and will be named title sponsor of the event.
We all know this event is to crown a National champion and gain valuable fleet experience for the 2007 world championships. One World championship qualifying slot is up for grabs to the highest finisher that has not already pre-qualified for the 2007 worlds.
In addition to competitive racing, all efforts will be devoted to staging an event that can offer every competitor a good reason to attend this regatta.
Preparation is underway to have a respected sailing coach document the days' sailing action, then discuss his notes with the competitors during our post-race debriefs. Velocitek has also made available five GPS units to be placed on boats at random for the purpose of recording GPS tracks. These track will also be used during the debrief to Illustrate the gains and losses made on the race course. Such activities should make this regatta the most educational, enjoyable sailing experience in A cat history.
A photo slide show will run daily and each competitor will receive a photos CD at the end of the event. Reprints and photo enlargements will be available at a very reasonable price.
District report suggest over 30 boats will attend.
District 1 : Bristol has reported that 6-8 boats will attend: Hall, Guck, Gaynor, Atkins, Penfield, Godbey
District 2 : 23 boats : Ford, Bellerman, Llewellyn, Mills, Saunders, Mack, Taylor, Orr, Arends, Neilsen, Nees, Fabre, Oliver, Schneider, Fornaro, Kaiser, Brown, Skeels and 5 others from New Jersey.
District 3 : 4 boats: Hodges, Ogeltree, Moon, Cope.
District 4 : No report yet
District 5 : No report yet
Our food and social directors are hard at work to provide a top notch regatta menu including an upscale dinner, BBQ and pizza night. Not to mention a fun night out in Annapolis.
Our hospitality includes free accommodation with local sailors and club member. Contact Dave Fornaro dfornaro AT comcast.net
For a hassle free sailing vacation don't be afraid to ask about charter boats. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.
We plan to have plenty of awards and prize give always.
Velocitek, will run a VMAX competition awarding a Velocitek S10 to the person recording the highest speed of the regatta, Value $299
New England ropes, Spools of line
Astral. Buoyancy vest
Ronstan, Gloves
Shirts and hats
Special thanks go to our Beer sponsors
Jim Godbey Candy creek
David Nees Fitness resource
Plus the normal trophies for our top finishing champions
Regards Tony Arends (Division 2 chairman)
Monday, April 09, 2007
2007 SCYC A-Cat Spring Open
The Santa Cruz Yacht Club hosted a 505 and A-Cat regatta in classic springtime conditions. The fleet in Santa Cruz has been exploding recently and five local sailors welcomed Jeremy Laundergan from SoCal to experience Monterey Bay sailing at its finest.
Saturday had a cool morning with light southerly winds that slowly gave way to warm clear skies and increasingly strong westerlys until a light easterly came around in the afternoon. Andy Kolb demonstrated some impressive performance enhancements on his new heavily modified flyer as he launched ahead of the fleet right on the heels of Jeremy's A2 in the light winds of the first race on Saturday.
Jeremy held on to a dominant lead, but due to a tactical mistake (a local rule) he found himself disqualified at the finish line. That left Andy to celebrate the day until he was called over-early in the second race and then suffered a ruptured downhaul line inside the mast that forced him to retire just as the winds shifted to the west and were building to his favorite conditions.
With the Kolb flying machine out of the picture, and high winds approaching, Bruce Edwards and Davi Ottenheimer found each other vying for a lead as they blasted over large ocean swell and through the choppy wind waves. Bruce showed his extensive 505 fleet sailing experience by roaring with Davi through an obstacle course of slow-moving spinnakers, as if the other boats were standing still, and then emerging clean ahead to the finish.
Towards the end of the third race the wind from the west started to ease and the day finished with a spectacular sail back into the harbor.
Sunday started out with clear skies much earlier in the day, which usually indicates a blow-out westerly is to be expected. Although big wind was not in the official forecast the fleet took off early for some extra time in the light morning southerly. The wind hesitated to build and so a fourth race was sailed in light southerly breezes.
Back to light air Jeremy turned on the A2 afterburners and walked away from the local heavy-wind loving fleet. Following the previous day's wave action kelp became a huge factor as the slimy green stuff filled the course and threatened to grab foils and bring competitors to a standstill. Mike Egan built up incredible momentum and flew into position just behind Jeremy on the second windward leg but he was mercilessly attacked and forced to retire by an angry kelp monster.
With Mike headed home Bruce Edwards then started to extend his lead on the fleet. He managed to keep his position ahead of Davi and Andy until the final leward rounding when Davi swept in from a big "righty" and initiated a tacking dual to the finish. Although Bruce started to build his lead again through the tacks, he cursed an oily appendage of kelp at the finish as Davi sailed ahead over the line.
After the fourth race the southerly wind shied away and left the sailors in lumpy trough-like seas waiting for new wind. Giant ominous-looking whitecaps could be seen in the far distance but the transition stalled. The committee took some readings and then decided to move inshore to pick up an early easterly instead of sending everyone further offshore into the full-on 20+ knt spring fury of Santa Cruz ocean breeze and swell.
Once again in light wind Jeremy turned the corner at the first windward mark and said "sionara" to the others. He had quick line honors on a shortened course. The big rolling waves combined with a breeze from the opposite direction provided some challenging conditions for sail trim and angles in the final race.
Photo by Bob Simpkins
Saturday had a cool morning with light southerly winds that slowly gave way to warm clear skies and increasingly strong westerlys until a light easterly came around in the afternoon. Andy Kolb demonstrated some impressive performance enhancements on his new heavily modified flyer as he launched ahead of the fleet right on the heels of Jeremy's A2 in the light winds of the first race on Saturday.
Jeremy held on to a dominant lead, but due to a tactical mistake (a local rule) he found himself disqualified at the finish line. That left Andy to celebrate the day until he was called over-early in the second race and then suffered a ruptured downhaul line inside the mast that forced him to retire just as the winds shifted to the west and were building to his favorite conditions.
With the Kolb flying machine out of the picture, and high winds approaching, Bruce Edwards and Davi Ottenheimer found each other vying for a lead as they blasted over large ocean swell and through the choppy wind waves. Bruce showed his extensive 505 fleet sailing experience by roaring with Davi through an obstacle course of slow-moving spinnakers, as if the other boats were standing still, and then emerging clean ahead to the finish.
Towards the end of the third race the wind from the west started to ease and the day finished with a spectacular sail back into the harbor.
Sunday started out with clear skies much earlier in the day, which usually indicates a blow-out westerly is to be expected. Although big wind was not in the official forecast the fleet took off early for some extra time in the light morning southerly. The wind hesitated to build and so a fourth race was sailed in light southerly breezes.
Back to light air Jeremy turned on the A2 afterburners and walked away from the local heavy-wind loving fleet. Following the previous day's wave action kelp became a huge factor as the slimy green stuff filled the course and threatened to grab foils and bring competitors to a standstill. Mike Egan built up incredible momentum and flew into position just behind Jeremy on the second windward leg but he was mercilessly attacked and forced to retire by an angry kelp monster.
With Mike headed home Bruce Edwards then started to extend his lead on the fleet. He managed to keep his position ahead of Davi and Andy until the final leward rounding when Davi swept in from a big "righty" and initiated a tacking dual to the finish. Although Bruce started to build his lead again through the tacks, he cursed an oily appendage of kelp at the finish as Davi sailed ahead over the line.
After the fourth race the southerly wind shied away and left the sailors in lumpy trough-like seas waiting for new wind. Giant ominous-looking whitecaps could be seen in the far distance but the transition stalled. The committee took some readings and then decided to move inshore to pick up an early easterly instead of sending everyone further offshore into the full-on 20+ knt spring fury of Santa Cruz ocean breeze and swell.
Once again in light wind Jeremy turned the corner at the first windward mark and said "sionara" to the others. He had quick line honors on a shortened course. The big rolling waves combined with a breeze from the opposite direction provided some challenging conditions for sail trim and angles in the final race.
Photo by Bob Simpkins
Date: April 7-8, 2007
Sailed:5, Discards:0, Entries:6
1 199 XJ Davi Ottenheimer SCYC 2 2 2 2 2 = 10
2 244 Flyer Bruce Edwards StFYC 5 1 1 3 4 = 14
3 79 A2 Jeremy Laundergan ABYC 6 5 4 1 1 = 15
4 150 Flyer Andy Kolb AKYC 1 6 6 4 3 = 20
5 184 Flyer Mike Egan HBYC 4 3 3 5 6 = 21
6 181 Flyer Paul Allen SCYC 3 4 5 6 6 = 24
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