Events

Rick's Unbiased Club Champs Review

September 01, 2003 | by Rick Goldt | Results | News Archives...

This regatta was held on the Labour Day Weekend. 22 boats registered in 5 classes. Three races were held on Saturday August 30. The Champion of Champions race was to be held on Sunday August 31, but was postponed to Sunday September 7, at 3pm.

The following volunteers are thanked for pitching in: Chair: Rick Goldt (subbing for Brian Perry), Registration/Treasurer: Jim MacKenzie, Rescue Boat Teams: by Andy Turnbull with Saturday rescue teams of - Joe Pol, John Bryant, Jeff Kaiser, Ross Green, and on Sunday - Johan Vischschraper and friend (thanks for patiently waiting for the Champions race postponements on Sunday), Race Committee: Tom Sullivan and son Kent, and Prizes: Will Pol. Carlene Hone helped everyone start off the morning with coffee (with exotic creamers) and Timbits. This was Tom's first time on Race Committee for a regatta at the club and he did a great job with the wind conditions. Tom's sharp eyes managed to keep track of the competitors around the course, only occasionally losing them through the trees in front of the race hut. Some Portsmouth Numbers needed to be located for the Hobie 20 and Hobie 17, fairly new boats to the club this summer.

Winds were variable for the day swinging mostly north east starting in the morning with some significant but not very sustaining shifts, to the west and north west throughout the day. Of course with the racing over just after 4 pm, the wind found it's steady direction from the northwest.

THE RACES (unbiased observations according to Wayfarer 7660)

RACE 1: With the course 6-2-6-4-2-finish and the wind looking mostly North East it looked like a tight one tack beat to the first mark. The Darts found out though that the wind on the east shore was too light and shifty to get them directly to the mark. The boats who stayed (or who ended up) closer to the middle of the lake faired slightly better with the wind. A short tack was then needed to the mark. The was a calm hole in the wind close to mark 6 that made approaching on Starboard very futile. The best approach seemed to be from the lake on a short port tack, and almost slightly from upwind to be able to keep up any momentum into the mark and to make sure one didn't get headed below the mark into the calm area. Reaching to 2 became a test of quick adjustments to the sails. With a spinnaker many boats ended up near the race hut cliff being driven down by puffs originating from Wye Creek as one headed for mark 2. Looking ahead to another reach later in the course from 4 to 2, most probably thought it would be impossible, but with a tightening reach from 6 to 4, gybing around 4 to the reach towards mark 2 suddenly looked possible. Of course coming to the Race Hut corner the winds again provided a rude shock as boats were forced to the cliff. Down came the Wayfarer spinnakers, but they went up again about a few minutes later as the cliff was cleared and the course direction eased off more southerly to mark 2. With the wind NE the wind shadow from the campground was not yet a factor in this race, however the fastest way to the mark seemed to be to stay high and catch some of the gusts from lookout point where the lake narrows and a bit of wind funneling takes place.

RACE 2: Same course as the first race. After Lunch this race got away with bit more wind. It was very important in this race to try to find a rhythm of staying in the wind or puffs and avoid the lulls. Your location on the starting line was important not just for the puffs but also for the wind shifts. Boats who took the middle of the lake course as in the first race found some nasty north westerly shifts starting to creep into the course which pinned them closer to the east side of the course. Unfortunately many of the boats were lifted that way initially after the start. Boats forced to the cliff by being on the left side of the middle of the lake found themselves benefiting from the new and stronger north westerlies to take advantage of. These winds didn't last long so getting back to the east half of the lake to guard sudden shifts back was important. One had to keep in mind however being to far east may result in being caught again in the wind shadow close to mark 6 again. With slightly freshening breezes most crews found some good hiking conditions during the puffs. Some of the runs into mark 2 required a number of gybes to keep up with the constant wind shifts encountered.

RACE 3: With the hope of possibly being able to get 2 more races in the Race Committee shortened the course and set an inflatable mark windward about half way towards mark 6. The course became "dot"-2- "dot"-2-finish. With such a short windward leg after the start it was important to get to the right shifts immediately after the start. 2nd and 3rd starts became hectic with earlier starting classes already coming downwind through the start area during the next start. Downwind towards 2 the westerly shifts downwind had to be carefully watched and approaches to the mark were fastest by running towards Lookout Point nearer the east shore and then gybing over. This often put the downwind boats on the course directly at the returning upwind boats on port tack from mark 2. With the winds still shifty and occasionally still letting off, this race still took some time to finish and the Race Committee called it a day.

Champions Race: The champions from their classes arrived for their 2 pm race the next day, but to no avail, as the wind played games with many sailors out for a sail. The wind would at one time fill in from the north, drop completely and then completely about face and fill in again from the south west. This went on for the rest of the afternoon and the decision was to have the race on Sunday, September 7 at 3pm.

The race finally got under way a week later under fair west - northwest winds. The course was 4-6-B-4-6-1. Rick and Aaron in the Wayfarer had a great start as expected, however, Brad Biskaborn in a Laser starting behind quickly tacked into the lead and held it for half the race. Will and Josh Pol in the Albacore and Kris Kozak in the Dart took the long tack to the east shore. Hans Schaffner in his Tanzer 22, who showed excellent speed throughout the last weekend, struggled to get over the starting line due to some equipment problems and could not make up any time on the others after the start. Rick had some trouble gaining on Brad until the second rounding when he seemed to get the same break Brad had after the start, but on the opposite side of the course. Rick obtained a slight lead and Brad couldn't break through again to the port side of the beat to 4, and was also disadvantaged by some lighter winds. The finishing positions were in doubt until the handicaps were calculated as Rick needed to at least beat Brad over the finish line to stand a chance of winning based on the Portsmouth Number handicapping system. In the end, the Wayfarer beat the Laser by only just over 20 seconds to win. Thanks go to Doug MacKenzie who ran the race and toiled over the handicap calculations.