Mark 3?

Nic and Kev on the way back to the Club

Nice colours as sun sets

Wes keeps the boom under control on the trip back

Sunset: Day are getting shorter!

The start of the fall series was a series of mix ups. The crew was all on time. I was a bit anxious about getting everyone adjusted to the earlier start.

Unfortunately it was raining. WE got the boat launched and kept out of the rain. Most of the discussion was about when the committee would call the race. Around 17:50 Grand National left the basin. We headed out.

Obviously we went into AP. I was not sure about the indicated course; Foxtrot, 3 --- 0. Is there a Mark 3? In the fall series we are second start. All the FS boats are in one start. This makes navigation easy as we just follow the bigger faster boats.

We headed to windward and very quickly Notorious and Zoomer were ahead. We could see a mark but I was certain that it was TSCC’s. One boat rounded it; it was TSCC Mark 3. We tacked when the big boats tacked and went.

I could see spinnakers flying and asked the crew could they see the mark. Nope; there was no Mark 3.
The RC flew ‘N’ over ‘A’ and made three sounds. We enjoyed the sail if not the race!

No wind no race

The photo sys it all.

August 21, 2013

Everyone seems to like to take holidays in August. This creates a problem for getting crew. On the 21st I had Ryan and Nick. A bit short handed but it was a good day.

 

August 14, 2013

On the way out to the start, Wes practised doing foredeck.

Nic helmed while Kev did sheets

The line was somewhat skewed and there were a few boats over early. i anxiously watched to see that the individual recall flag was lowered. We were OK.

Kevin did sheets. The boat seemed to perform well. The wind was northwest. boats tended to stay on the north side. Harrier beat to the windward mark. They lead throughout the race.

On the downwind leg we stayed on starboard. About half down Kev pointed out that we were sailing by the lea. Very slow. We were lost especially to Harrier on this leg.  Jazz seemed to have some problems with dousing at the leeward mark. We did good; tacks seemed to work well with helm trying to allow trimer just enough time to sheet in before the tack was complete.

On the second downwind we gybed onto to port. this went much better. (The key lesson here is that I need to questions things more; just because it seems we are doing OK doesn't mean we are.) The important thing was that we learned from the first downwind leg and adjusted accordingly to the second.

It felt good to have the boat well crewed. Harrier was first. and we failed to beat Jazz on corrected time. Still a fun race.

August 7, 2013

We  motored out. The wind was from the south but the PRO still sent us a long way south to set the start. The wind was 185ish. The line was long and fairly set. There was a good wind with a bit of chop.

We had a good start on the left side of the course. We waited for Windburn to tack; we were clear ahead of Windlight. We were second boat rounding the windward mark (a J 22, which had not registered for the series,  was clear ahead). There was a good hoist after rounding. We gybed to keep clear of windlight. We sailed pretty much dead downwind to the leeward mark. Windburn caught up. Perhaps I waited too long for the takedown. It did not go well and Windburn took the lead

The course was changed; the wind had shifted west we had a good rounding shooting the mark ahead of  Windburn i e we had once again were ahead. Winburn was able to pull away on the downwind and finished clear ahead. The J22 was lead boat well ahead of the fleet

We knew we lost to Windburn but it would be close with Windlight . Jazz, although well behind, won on corrected time with Windburn second and Aristosera. Third. Very fun race.

Rain

July 31

The forecast did not just call for rain but it was raining. No doubt about it. Wes called to report its raining and therefore he wasn't sailing! after OOPS I and II _I_ wasn't not going sailing.

We had a good start. Windlight was ahead. The main problem was downwind. We could not get the chute to fly. As a result Jazz was able to catch us and for a short time was ahead we finally managed to get the chute to work enough to get ahead. i was impressed with Hardtack; they had a full chute and were able to 'motor' through the fleet. At least we didn't let Jazz beat us in real time (but that is a sad state of affairs).  There were only three boats out so another third.

On the back I realized that I was wet and decided to put on my jacket. Not a great day.

oops times 2

July 10th, 17th and 24th

The  forecast called for possible severe thunder storms. Toronto had a major storm two days earlier and I decided to be a bit cautious. We consulted with the other boats and decided to not go out. We had supper while watching  Windburn and Jazz leave.

The weather clear. Perfect conditions. I felt like an idiot. My default decision is always to leave it to  the PRO to decide. DNC. OOPS I

The next week conditions were good. We had a nice practise hoist with the spinnacker. Our start was OK. We had a good first windward leg. As we rounded the offset the spinnaker halyard got caught. We could not raise or lower the chute! After some debate I decided to bail. We motored by the RC and informed them of our decision. At the club we had lots of time to use the masting crane as a ladder to check out the top of the mast. The halyard had jammed itself between the sheave and the bracket. There was no way we could sort this out without the mast coming down. On Sat. we got the mast down and used some washers to fill in the gap btween the halyard and the sheave. This seem to be Ok but we got  DNF. OOPS II


We finally got racing again. Winds were light. We had a good start. I tried to head up as much as i could but it only resulting in stalling the boat and having to bear away to gain back way. Windlight was clear ahead and maintained their lead for the race. The RC finished us at the windward mark (Great relief). We got another third but that is a lot better than the DNC an DNF!

AHMEN Update

The AHMEN schedule for 2013 has been finalized and the dates are as follows:

1. Sat. Aug. 10
2. Sun. Aug. 16 – Argosy
3. Sun. Sept. 8
4. Sat. Sept. 14
5. Sat. Sept. 21
6. Sun. Sept. 29

AHMEN is an acronym for Alexandra YC, Harbour City YC, Mimico CC, Etobicoke YC and National YC. These clubs organize a series of 6 races in August and September. Each race has two white sail and two FS divisions. The races are held in Humber Bay and take between 2 and three hours to complete. There is only one race; the starting signal is at 11:30. Each division awards a flag for 1st, 2nd, or 3rd. In addition the R boats are scored and awarded a trophy specific to their class. Two  years ago, the Argosy, was incorporated into the NYC race. The Argosy Cup is awarded after the race at NYC. An Awards Dinner is held in early February.
There is no entry fee but competitors must register before the race. Eligible boats may register by completing an AHMEN Racing 2013 entry  form, available from www.ahmen.ca and sending it to Etobicoke Yacht Club, Attn.: Paul Bryan [AHMEN], 300 Humber Bay Park Road West, Toronto, Ontario M8V 3X7, by fax to 416.259.9808 or as a scanned document to: registrar@ahmen.ca. Entries must be received by 5PM Thursday, prior to the first race in which you wish to compete.

Good luck to the all the competitors!

Spring series final

Nick returned, but in view of his recovering hand, decided to do foredeck; Kevin was put on sheets. Wes was not available. No one was provided by the crew bank. It was another light wind night so three would be OK.

We motored out to the start just in time for the wind to die. The RC went into AP. Wind filled in from the south so after a brief delay we were able to start the sequence. The pin was very favoured. We were not at the pin (needless to say!).

On the first downwind leg Windlight rounded the leeward mark ahead of us. We had a good upwind staying in the centre. There were a few (very) close crossings with the Melgies; first with us ahead and secondly having to duck. We managed to gain on Windlight and were ahead of them going into the windward mark.

On the second downwind we were somewhat concerned about keeping clear of the big boats heading upwind. We followed a non registered J 22 (who was way ahead). Of the registered boats we finished first in our division but not enough to beat Windlight in corrected time. Jazz was third.

The Spring Series overall were also announced: Windlight, Jazz, Aristosera. Congratulations to Windlight for their well deserved win!

No win

Recent Tuesday races (when I  am on Race Committee) provide an interesting conundrum. You have to tack in order to make the mark but there is not sufficient wind to counter the current. You are doing 'the right thing' but you are dead in the water (or going backwards). A no win situation.

“3708. Over.”

Nick was once again absent. He is participating in the Shark North American’s on the weekend and did not want to risk further damage to his wrist. Unfortunately, do to a miscommunication, I did not realize that Wes also would not be available. We needed two new crew.

Marcia was assigned by the crew bank. I knew she would be good with tweekers and help to hoist the chute . However I needed someone to do sheets. Obviously the only solution was to use a British Naval tradition, shanghaiing someone wondering aimlessly along the quay. This would be Jack.

I gave Jack a few tests, e g “Tighten the outhaul”.  It is interesting and telling to see what is the response to this type of command. Jack passed this test but I waited until we got through a few tacks before finally deciding that he could do sheets. Kevin, who knows how to keep me out of trouble, was on foredeck. We were good. Once again our prestart crew evaluations distracted me from getting properly setup for the start and we were once again late.

Windburn was windward and gave us bad air. We tacked away. This meant the we were heading towards the wrong side of the course. We had good hoists at the windward and good takedowns at the leeward. The new crew worked well. The wind at the leeward mark was very light although there was good wind at the windward mark.

On our second downwind leg we were in second position. Windlight was clear ahead. However things got very messy. The wind died and the current was in the opposite direction to the finish. Boats were drifting backwards. There appeared to be some wind but it was very light. I thought we were in irons after an attempted tack. Eventually I realized that it was just the current which distorted my assessment of wind direction. Windlight was able to get underway and finished well ahead. There was also a J 22, Eclipse,  who managed to keep way and ‘motored’, figuratively if not actually, ahead. Another 3rd.

In these excruciatingly slow conditions what finer words can one hear than “3708. Over.”

Summer (still unofficial) racing

Nick was still absent so I relied on the crewbank for a fourth. Yelena was assigned. She had dinghy experience and, as I found out, she knew where the wind might be; both good things for a crew. (She was also very supportive of her skipper. Not a necessity but also a good thing IMO). With new crew we did a few prestart tacks and gybes with the spinnaker. Yelena was not familiar with spinnakers. However we were not able to get back to the RC Boat and my efforts to do so meant that we were late to the start line. The wind was very light.

The course was southeast. Most of the boats went right but we stayed in the centre. Any choice of sides would be lucky or unlucky due to the light and variable winds. We were lucky and with good crew teamwork we rounded the windward mark ahead of our division.

We won the first leg! The hoist went well. The downwind was annoying. Where is the wind? Windlight and Windburn caught up to us at the leeward rounding. We rounded inside of Windlight and had clear air for the second upwind leg.

Surprisingly the fleet did a repeat of the first upwind leg. We stayed in the centre. On starboard we ate a big knock; course went from 98 to 88. However when we tacked over onto port we got a persistent lift. We were clear ahead once again. There was a persistent shift left and we were left of the fleet.

The downwind leg was extremely frustrating. Light wind became no wind. Wes did a great job trying to find something but the only thing we could do was wait. And wait. The current was not against us!

It was a nice late spring evening but for sailors the lack of wind was frustrating. In these conditions a slight puff or an unanticipated shift makes a huge difference. Kevin summed it up well: “It demonstrates the importance of being on the right side of the course. Last week we weren’t; this week we were. The results (or at least the real ones) speak for themselves.”

Not third this time!

It was a beautiful day. Flat water but good wind: east at 10 knots. Nick injured his arm in his Tuesday night race so we recruited Katie from the crew bank. Katie is new to the club and new to sailing but a fast learner.

We had some good practise hoist with the chute. Being early is good. Wes handled sheets and it gave him an opportunity to practise a new position. There was a bit of a kerfuffle before the start as the backstay pin split ring failed. We managed to sort out the problem quickly.

We had a good start; ahead of our division. We elected to cover Windlight. When the fleet crossed we realized this was not good. Windburn and Jazz were clear ahead. The race was effectively over. It was three times so we had lots of time, but we could never recover from this first leg error. Having Jazz ahead of me makes me extremely unhappy.

To make matters worse the wind died just before we finished. Big boats came over top and we were blanketed. Once we lost way it was very difficult to get the sails to work. Windburn and Jazz finished when there was wind but just at our finish the wind died completely. All boats drifted together. It was all very annoying.

Jazz finished second but close enough to Windburn to get a first. Jazz has a high PHRF so for it to finish second in our division means that it is well ahead in corrected time. There were a few J 22s which made for more level racing. We finished 5th out of 8 boats; but second (a distant second) with the 4 J 22/24s.

Spring update

Ryan on helm

The racing season has started so what about the Blog? I obviously haven’t been keeping up a regular set of posts. Hopefully now that I have started I can be more reliable. In order to make up for lost entries I will try to summarize events in a single update.

Kevin, foredeck, Nick sheets, and Wes, mast, have returned to crew this year. Our division is pretty much the same as last year. The division regulars includes Jazz, Windlight, and Windburn. Jazz is a bit of an outlier PHRF at 225, while Windlight and Windburn are 170’s. This compares to our 165. We have to beat all, and beat Jazz by more than 5 minutes. We are first start.
The races have been enjoyable. Our finishes have been thirds. Consistency is good?

Nick has started to use his GPS and we are trying to use VMG to give us a heads up on strategy.

In addition to the three regular weekly races we have also had the Round Centre Island race. This is on Victoria Day and it is difficult to get crew. We were shorthanded with Kevin and Ryan being the crew. This was Ryan’s first race. It was a great day and we got another ‘podium’ finish, i e third.

the View from the Masting Crane

The plan is to do a boat set up weekend, a week after launch. This year May 3rd weekend. One tries to get the mast up shortly after launch. The longer it takes the worse your rep with fellow club members.

I like to step the mast on a weekday when hopefully there won’t be a lot of people using the crane. It’s more or less a three man operation. There is usually lots of help from others who are stepping their masts. I got by with help from crewmate Ryan, and help from Incorrigible’s crew, Doug and Gary. 
The only problem was that I forgot to bring the Windex from winter storage. This has to be attached prior to masting.

Over the winter I got a new micro compass. My bracket was broken. Nick was able to sort out a method of reattaching the bracket to the mast. 


I also got a new external tank. Unfortunately the fitting for the motor end of the fuel line is incorrect. It took me a few weeks to figure this out (June 8). My temporary solution is to tape the line to the motor.

The other interesting change is that I have been moved from Drysail #1 to Drysail #4. There are now three Etchells in drysail and it was thought it would be better if they were located next to the crane. we seem to have adjusted but I do miss Drysail #1!

2013 AHMEN Awards Dinner

Frank Bushe, QCYC, assists in handing out prize flags

The AHMEN annual dinner was held on Feb. 1. The event was well attended with over 70 in attendance. NYC staff prepared an excellent buffet. It was also a great opportunity to socialize with fellow racers, to reminisce on the past season, and to think about plans for 2013.

The AHMEN series is composed of 6 races organized by the Yacht Clubs situated around Humber Bay. Membership has expanded to include QCYC and ABYC. There are prize flags awarded for each race and a flag for the overall winner in each division. About 50% of the fleet is from NYC.

               Aristosera's crew: Kev, Nic and Richard             

The fleet is divided into four divisions. The division winners for 2013 were: White sail I, Puffin (Frank Vetricek), EYC; White sail II Fine Wine (Frank Bushe), QCYC; Spin I Diana, (Nicolaus Reimann), NYC; Spin II Aristosera (Richard McKean), NYC. For the last two years the Argosy Rose Bowl has been a part of the AHMEN series. This year the trophy was awarded to Daybreak (John Skinner), NYC.

Nicolaus Reimann, Diana, is presented with the Wilf Scot Memorial Trophy

This year the Wilf Scot Memorial trophy was awarded to the winner of the R class. The trophy has a long history. In the past it was awarded by the LORC. R boats have won the trophy 7 times. Two of those times was by Nic Reimann, Sr.. Nic Sr. and Keith Ryan, elder statesmen of the R class in Toronto, presented the trophy to this year’s winner Nicoclaus Reimann.

Henry and Vicki Piersig

The final part of the evening was an entertaining presentation by Vicki and Henry Piersig on their adventure in the south seas. The boat was a square masted brig. The passengers were crew and required to go aloft and trim the sails. A trip across the Drake Passage and Cape Horn is quite an achievement.

It was a great evening.