On The bow of a J105; emergency management...

If you have ever has the luxury to be on a high performance race boat and watch the dynamics consider yourself privileged! Most passengers on a race boat are given meaningful roles and painful duties and are not allowed to watch the overall race and maneuvers.

I had the privilege to race at the Fort Worth Boat Club today. Light winds and long courses make for tactically difficult sailing. Couple that with an almost all rookie crew against a very talented set of experienced competitor boats and you have a phenomena bowman like to call Emergency Management!

I raced on a well seasoned boat named "Beauty" a classic J105. Aged sails and crew enthusiastic to get out on the water and battle like gladiators.

We get to the boat late like most of the team to find out that the battery was dead so we would have to engine to get out of the marina or to get us back in the slip.

Setting up the bow, running spinnaker sheets and running the tapes of the kite below deck reminded me of how little "additional" work I do on my regular crew.

I take for granted that on Second Star I show up for a very specialized job and set of tasks and how little I get involved with the ancillary tasks that others on the team complete.

With a crew of six for this adventure everyone was doing two or more jobs. I was doing sail repair on a jib, packing the chute for an out of hatch launch and double checking my work and the work of those around me.

Without the routine of the boat I kept finding myself asking "am I forgetting something?" looking back over my work looking for the one crossed line that would spell disaster for the entire team and lose the race for us.

Confident that the "kite would fly on cue" I proceeded to "gear up" and mentally prepare myself for whatever requests or commands that would come from the afterguard.

After a quick tow to the battle ground we found ourself in sequence with no time to practice. Since the battery was dead we would have no instruments but the sailing watch on my wrist.

Getting to the line late we started odd on a port tack dead last. We seemed to have favorable winds and the rest of the fleet soon followed. Moving upwind we found ourselves being very competitive especially since our band of merry men and women didn't know what course was called or where the weather mark was.

This lack of basic information didn't seem to bother the crew as we made trees on the fleet and positioned ourselves in the front of the pack. Seeing an old friend driving a competitive boat we exchanged happy salutations while we came up with our sail plan.

Watching the competitive boat we found our mark and set up for the first set of our spinnaker. After rounding the mark the kite filled flawlessly and we made our downwind run.

With each jibe and set/douse we found ourselves learning each others strengths and weaknesses on the fly and during our battle. Each emergency brought it's own set of solutions and penalties. I kept asking myself so "how did I get to the pointy end of the boat?"

I se to always find myself in exciting roles when sailing. My lightweight (under 165lbs) relatively good strength and stamina coupled with I will die trying speed has placed me on the bow along with all of my crazy cousins that live life in the fast lane on the pointy end of the boat.

Bowman are a crazy lot that don't mind extreme pain and fatigue and seem to thrive on "emergency management."

It is my contention that the only position crazier than the bow is the helmsman who drives the large boat into crowed places with others just as driven and crazed to win as he. Typically this is the owner of the boat as he has to write the checks to pay for all the damage he does by putting his (or someone else's) asset at grave risk. (Or the loved one that has to afford his drug of choice, in this case competitive boat racing!)

In the end all of the strategy and gambling on the wind and his crew we ended up finishing a solid third place.

Afterwards we sailed back into the slip a feat of worthy mention and proceeded to put up our weapon so we could partake in the ritual that all racers love! This of course is the awards and serious drinking that occurs immediately afterwards.

Now a bit beaten up, bruised and made alive I remember why I do this at all. I do it for the teamwork and the emergency management that earns me a place on future rides to another battleground.

We are like mercenaries that are always looking for a war to fight. When no war is available we make up war games to practice our wears and challenge our tactics against our own to see who is ready for the next event.

Pirate Mike reporting for duty sir; where do you need me to go!


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Location:Eagle Mountain Lake

Asymmetric Spinnakers; a few tips from a J105 sailor…

A bowman's job is never done nor done fast enough for everyone else on the boat, so as people step up to give their 2 cents worth it is valuable to point out where to get the information.

Those silly enough to take their dance to the pointy end deserve some advice once in a while. Oct 18, 2006 Sailing World, Steve Marsh's article, "The Bowman's Guide to the Asymmetric" the article is a bit dated but I wanted to put a pointer to it so you have it as a resource. This is one man's view on how to survive and thrive on the pointy end with an asymmetric spinnaker.

During the time of the article Steve sailed on Masquerade which is a J105 sailed out of the San Francisco Fleet in California. Based on the J105 Association's website the boat is owned by Tom Coates and is Hull #17.

In the article Steve talks about Masquerade's spinnaker setup and some techniques that they use to keep things simple and light like using spliced spinnaker sheets. Here is an excerpt of his article,

Setting the spinnaker
As we come to the weather mark, the crew is hiking, and if there's an offset in place, we stay on the rail until the boat flattens on the reach to the offset. Once it's flat, I open the hatch, go forward, and pull the tack out past the pulpit. As we start to round the offset, I'm pulling the rest of the tack, and the head, out of the hatch (or bag), and as the mastman hoists, I run the luff tape to make sure there are no twists. A twist generally shows up near the head, and by running the tape it can be cleared quickly as it comes out of the hatch. If your previous drop was questionable, then give yourself a couple of extra seconds to make sure it comes out clean. It is always best to have your mastman and pitman on the same page with you during any maneuver. If they're watching what's going on, they can control the speed of the set and allow the bowman to clear a twist or fouled sheet.

The key to having good sets is marking everything. For the tack line, we have a 3-inch-long mark at the jammer. The halyard has a mark showing full hoist, and the pole has a mark to confirm it's fully extended.

As soon as the spinnaker is clear of the hatch, I go directly to the furling line exiting the drum and furl the jib. An immediate furl allows the spinnaker to fill more quickly. Once the jib is furled, I get ready for a jibe by grabbing the weather sheet, sitting low, and waiting for the call. At this point, take a look back; it's always fun to see if the spinnaker is up and flying before your transom clears the offset. Make it a goal.

Assisting through the jibe
When the call is made to jibe, I stand up, go forward, and as the boat starts to go through the wind, help the kite through the jibe by pulling aft and down. How hard and fast you need to pull is determined by the wind strength; slow and controlled in the light stuff, fast and furious in the breeze. Kite size also makes a difference because larger kites require more strength in the breeze. On a J/120, with its massive spinnaker, we've found that in more than 18 knots, the outside jibe is much easier than muscling the entire thing through an inside jibe. With either jibe, the rate at which the trimmer tails can make or break a good jibe. The trimmer should be tailing the sheet for all he's worth. The second trimmer simply eases the old sheet, and once the clew is past the headstay, lets the sheet run free (making sure he's not standing on the tail).

Coordinating the drop
For sets and douses, our team has developed a choreography that has a few of the crew changing positions. The bowman always stays forward, but the spinnaker trimmer, who happens to be one of our bigger guys, bumps the halyard on the set, and helps get the kite down. Our pitman works the middle during the sets and jibes, but moves below to become the sewer man during the douses. The second trimmer takes the spinnaker sheet on the set, then passes it to the trimmer, who is already on the weather rail and in position to trim. The hardest part of this crew-switch technique is the second trimmer's multitasking. Before the drop, he needs to preset his jib, take the spin sheet from the trimmer, and then become the pitman where he drops the halyard and releases the tack line."

To read the entire article you can go to Sailing World's website here, "The Bowman's Guide to the Asymmetric"

Based on class rules the J105 has an 89 meters squared Spinnaker, we sail a J122 which has a 155 meters squared Spinnaker I'm going to go back and look at the techniques that we use to see how they are similar or different from the ones above.

This will be a several part writing I think.

Pirate Mike
Bowman, Second Star Racing

Volvo Ocean Race Course Posted!

For Bowman that are really serious about the sport, The Volvo Ocean Race is the place to be. The 2011-2012 Course and format has been posted.

In a press release:

Monday 19 April 2010, 12:00 GMT



The course and dates for the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 have been officially announced today. The racing format and stopover schedule features a number of innovations the most notable sees the event conclude with an In-Port race in the finish port of Galway.


The islands of the Azores in the Atlantic, Fernando de Noronha off the Brazilian coast, and the Fastnet Rock, are all included on the new-look course.


The stopover programmes have been designed to provide non-stop activity for local visitors and international guests in the race villages of host cities.


In explaining the revised format, Volvo Ocean Race CEO Knut Frostad said there were two clear aims. "Firstly we have reduced the time the teams are onshore and the time they have between the In-Port and the Leg Start," he said.


"Traditionally the teams would change their yachts from an offshore sailing mode to an inshore racing one and back again for the Leg start. By bringing the two events together we lower the costs to them and their sponsors. We have also achieved more time for the shore crews to work on the yachts and subsequently the sailors get more time off.


"Secondly we can entertain the local public with the spectacle that is the Volvo Ocean Race on the water, for a long weekend of great racing and thrilling viewing. We hope by providing the local spectators with this on-the-water display, we will increase the public's awareness and passion for the sport of sailing."


The Pro-Am races will be first on the agenda for the weekend, where the power of the Volvo Open 70s are showcased to the public and race guests.


The second day sees the Volvo Ocean Race teams battle it out in two In-Port races, which count to their overall points tally. The short course of the In-Port races and the proximity to the stopover harbours and beaches, will allow the public to watch the racing up close.


The finale to the long weekend is the Leg start.


The start and finish ports also have a revamped schedule. Alicante will have a week of festivals between the In-Port and Pro-Am race weekend and the start of Leg One to Cape Town.


Galway will be the first finish city in the event's history to stage an inshore race after the final leg.


There will be no scoring gates in this edition of the race but the fleet will still pass round some famous islands. On Leg One the fleet will pass the island of Fernando de Noronha, 200 nautical miles off the Brazilian coast as the first proper rounding mark of the race.


Due to increasing pirate attacks and hijacking off the coast of Somalia, the fleet will sail around an exclusion zone, which will be added to this area nearer race time.


On Leg Eight from Lisbon, Portugal to Lorient, France the fleet heads offshore again for a 1,940-nautical mile leg, rounding the Portuguese archipelago of the Azores before heading back towards the northwest coast of France.


The Fastnet Rock is the last landmark the sailors will catch sight of before their final sprint up the west coast of Ireland to Galway.


The race will visit eight stopover ports on five continents and race through four oceans, in under nine months. The Volvo Open 70's will cover over 39,270 nautical miles racing around the globe.

You can follow them on their Facebook Page Volvo Ocean Race - I'm not sure what you have to do to be considered for this level of racing but it surely is a worthwhile endevour!
 
Pirate Mike

Second Star Racing Takes 2nd Place Overall at the Texoma Lakefest Regatta

Texoma Sailing Club

2010 Lakefest Regatta
Overall Results

Combined Spinnaker Fleet

Place	Boat	Skipper	PHRF	Type	Points	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Race 5	Race 6	Race 7
1	Mauri Pro Sailing	Mauri, Juan	9	Farr 39 ML	12	1	5*	1	1	4	4	1
2	Second Star	Hill, JD	33	J-122	14.5	3	3	2	4	1.5	1	5*
3	IRISH ROVER 2	Meade, Virginia	51	Beneteau 40.7	16	2	1	4	3	3	5*	3
4	Coyote	Naugher, Mike	33	OD 35	25	4	10*	5	5	5	2	4
5	Chareta	Law, Scott	84	J-36	26	10*	7	3	2	6	6	2
6	Valhalla	Hobbs, Mark	72	J-35	29.5	5	2	10	8	1.5	3	DNC
7	Blue Flash	Arno, Matt	78	J-105	40	7	6	7	7	9*	7	6
8	SUPERMANS CAPE	McKenzie, Marshall	96	EVELYN 32-2	43	6	4	8	6	DSQ	10	9
9	Godspeed	Ramsey, Dave	66	Beneteau 40	57	9	13*	13	9	11	8	7
10	80 Proof	Torres, Ramon	114	J-80	58	8	9	9	11	7	14	DNC
11	TBD	Meinhardt, Mike	96	J-92s	60	11	12	6	12	8	13*	11
12	Two Feathers	Masur, Mark	78	J-105	63	14*	14	12	10	10	9	8
13	Tsunami	Long, Mike	72	Beneteau 42.7	65	12	8	11	13*	13	11	10
14	Rumps 'a Bumping	Sittel, Bob	105	J-95	77	13	11	14	DNC	12	12	DNC

Another year has come and gone and Second Star Racing has shown that they are a contender. It was just this time last year that we changed boats from the Beneteau 33.7 to the J122. So now with a year under our belt and a lot of new crew members we have shown that we are not a team to be forgotten. Looking forward to another good season we are hoping to improve our boat handling and teamwork.

Pirate Mike

Lakefest this weekend are you coming?

Do you want to participate in the Largest Charity Regatta in America but are not a SAILOR! Well if that is you we have answers to your questions.

Lakefest Spectator Fleet

Four ways to view all the racing action!

Option 1: Become a Sponsor

While there's really not bad way to watch a regatta, nothing beats watching all the racing action from the comfort of your (or your company's) very own luxury chartered yacht. That's right, at certain sponsorship levels you and your group can be treated to your very own professionally captained yacht complete with snacks, beverages and complimentary cocktails. Yachts will depart from the Grandpappy Fuel Dock on Saturday at a time arranged by the sponsor.

Option 2: From the deck of one of Lakefest Regatta's 50' Luxury Spectator Yachts

For a mere $10 per person donation to the Texoma Lakefest Foundation, you can watch all the racing action up close from one of the best seats in the house. Bring your own snacks and beverages. Water and soft drinks will be available for for a nominal donation. The specator boats will depart the Grandpappy Fuel Dock at 11 a.m. Saturday, April 17, and return to the Grandpappy Fuel Dock at approximately 3 p.m. that afternoon.

Option 3: Sundance Camp

Texoma Destinations has opened up Sundance Camp to the general public for watching the regatta action from the beach at Sundance Camp. The camp features clean, modern restroom and shower facilities and a number of RV sites and camp sites for both racers and spectators. Watch the promotional video below for more details. Specifics on Sundance camp are at 3:00 into the video, and one of the regatta's spectator yachts is featured at 3:34. Admission is $5; kids under 12 are free. Texoma Destinations will provide water and soft drinks onsite for a nominal charge.

Option 4: BYOB (Bring Your Own Boat)

We hope all Texoma sail and power boats will join the spectator fleet and cheer on our competitors. It's the best party afloat! We simply ask spectator boats to keep clear of the race course and keep noise (especially loud music) at a discrete volume just while boats are in their starting sequence.

Regatta Course Description

There will be two courses, one for handicap (PHRF) racing and one for the one-design fleets (Melges 24s, Vipers, J/80s). Since the predicted wind will be out of the south, look for the race courses to be placed somewhere east of Preston Point and the entrance to Grandpappy Pt. Marina.

The starting line will be between the port side of a committee boat (these will be large powerboats with several signal flags on them) and an inflatable mark approximately 50-100 yards to port of the committee boat. The boats will start by heading upwind (south, approximately 1 – 1.5 miles) to one of two windward marks. Remember, since sailboats can't sail directly into the wind, the racecourse will look like a diamond shape to give racers room to tack back and forth.
About 40-50 yards beyong the windward mark is a good place to anchor or raft up. Once the boats round the windward mark, many will set colorful spinnakers and change downwind to the leeward mark – another inflatable mark set about 50-75 yards windward of the Race Committee Boat's bow. Once they round the leeward mark, they'll head back upwind to complete as many laps as the Race Committee designates.
After rounding the windward mark for the final time, the boats will charge downwing for the finish line, which will be setup on the starboard side of the Race Committee boat (approximately the mirror opposite of the starting line. Probably the best spot for watching the racing is approximatley 50 yards behing the Race Committee boat and/or the start and finish lines.

Pending weather, each class of boats will run 3 races Friday, 3 Saturday and 1 Sunday.

Hope to see you there! Dont forget the Shipwrecked Ball on Saturday night is bound to be full of surpises! This is a great way to participate in the charity regatta without having to know how to sail!

Pirate Mike

To find out more about the Lakefest Regatta go here: Texoma Lakefest