RVYC Keelboat Sept 15/16

We had the best regatta in a while for us. Sailed with different cockpit crews - Phil on Saturday and Alex Adams on Sunday. We were a total of 4 for both days with a brand new foredeck who had done one Wednesday night race before on a J/24. We were really light - 720 lbs

(327 kg) and most of that in the back of the boat (where the chequebook resides). The crew work was just great considering the mix with one completely new person.

First let me clear something up - there were a couple of remarks about long forestay on our boat. The class is considering a rule change to remove the restriction on forestay length for a bunch of reasons I won't go into. This concept needs testing. I had agreement from the regular Wed. night racers at RVYC to test it and had set my boat up with a 40 mm longer than legal forestay for the two Wed.

night races before the weekend. Others were invited to test as well.

What I did prove doing this is that it is easy to do, the shrouds still fit and the sails sheet fine - genoa car 2 -3 holes forward.

The boat wasn't any faster but I really didn't have time to figure out the tune, although I did notice a bit more weather helm. For the weekend the boat was set back to a legal forestay, the mast butt back to the position before the trial.

We seemed to have good but not exceptional boatspeed - didn't point well on Saturday but reset the rig for Sunday and were back on point.

One key in the shifty winds seemed to be to not try to steer to every little shift - on a lift - ease the genoa a bit to regain full flow then gradually squeeze up. Keeps the boatspeed more consistent.

We tried to be as anti-social on the start line as possible - stay away from others and get clear air on the line - worked most of the time. The crew worked hard all weekend at finding that hard balance of shifts and being in good pressure. All I did was steer where I was told to go - so all credit to Michelle, Phil and Alex. My only real interventions in tactics were picking the side for one downwind leg (a disaster - lost 200 m. and 3 boats) and on Sunday insisting that we go into the weather mark on a 100 - 200 m. starboard leg (much better - we picked up a number of boats this way all day). We had the one lucky race Saturday - being the only boat to go straight left for a 200 m. lead. Don't know why I was the only one but I'll take it.

So for me - basically go where I was told to go - concentrate on keeping the boat up to speed - and trust the input from the whole crew.

Fun racing - and although small, a highly competitive fleet. Thank you all for being there.

Regards, Lorne

RVYC WAVES June 23/24

The American Perspective

At Rebecca's request, my thoughts on the regatta. To be sure it was a regatta of fortunes made and lost. At times it was the result of a plan hatched and well executed. Other times it was pure luck, or misfortune! That said, we were all on the same playing field. It's been some time since I've sailed in an easterly on English Bay. Saturday, the advice given about the weather mark close to shore - pick a side and avoid the middle as you near it - appeared wise. The moderate tide change both days prevented a parade to a favored side for current relief, and if one could predict where the pressure would come from next great gains could be made.

As to the elements of our approach that appeared to work for us or individual moments that proved pivotal?
- to the extent that we could, trying to stay in phase with the shifts or at least minimize the amount of time spent out of phase.
- our trimmer, Colin, worked constantly upwind trimming and easing in the unstable air so I didn't have to chase the wind as much with the helm and provided feedback when he was in tight or eased.
- staying focused between races and making adjustments to the rig as needed.
- Carl, Doug and Melanie kept track of how the other boats were fairing on various parts of the race course.
- our moments of poor decision making, fortunately, were balanced by a little luck!

Racing was very tight and we observed more than once the whole fleet rounding the weather mark less than 100 meters from each other! As always, we really enjoyed coming to Vancouver and racing with you all. The hospitality and camaraderie were superb and we especially enjoyed cocktail competition on the docks Saturday after racing. May have to borrow that idea!

Many thanks and we'll be back next year! Eric.

RVYC WAVES June 23/24

The Canadian Perspective (top local boat)

I didn't think we did anything special. We started off Saturday with a 6-9 knot setting on our rig, based on the Sobstad tuning guide. Although we found ourselves overpowered in some gusts in the first race, we stretched out in the lulls. On Sunday we had it set the same, except in the second race, where we dialed it up to 10-13. That turned out to be a mistake, as we were underpowered most of the race.

Overall our strategy was pretty simple. Make a plan before the race, and follow it out when really confident. Our best races were when we didn't second guess our plan from the start. Once ahead we would loose cover the fleet to make sure we didn't give up any places. When we were less confident about our initial strategy, we would watch the rest of the fleet up the first half of the first leg, and we would go where ever the biggest gains were being made. Most shifts on both days were too rapidly osculating to tack on, so it was tricky to choose when to tack on a knock. It was more about reading when we were up or down overall as opposed to up or down on a specific shift.

We generally avoided engaging with other boats except in the last leg, and only then if there wasn't anyone close behind us. In dinghy sailing I tend to get excited about tangoing with other boats anywhere on the course. I found that I did better this weekend when I avoided going out of my way to cover someone downwind or do a slam- dunk upwind.

We very much enjoyed racing with everyone out there, and those of you who didn't make it out, you missed a really great event. Congratulation to Suspense, and we appreciate them coming up from Seattle. See you all at the next event. Nigel

RVYC Keelboat One Design Apr 14/15

At Rebecca's request -random thoughts re this past weekend:
- Make sure several excellent teams are not present. Saying that, I would suggest the absentees might have been equally challenged. (What, no beach??)
- Bribe everyone else with the promise of Jill's cookies!
- Spend most of your free time in the winter optimizing your boat- it's not hard, just do it.
- Buy Sobstad and follow the tuning guide Ð no rocket science here kids.
- We actually had a practice day on the cancelled race weekend in March!@!@! When you Wallys refused to play. That will teach ya!
- Surround yourself with dinghy sailors. The shifty winds and changing gears come natural to those that are used to a full bladder and wet neoprene! (health note Ðdon't share wetsuits##)
- There was a light rapidly oscillating wind and strong flood all weekend. We set for full power in the rig, footed to the next shift and stayed between the competition and the mark. The pinchers got killed. If you watched the clouds and the compass there really was some predictability.
- Get a really smart dinghy guy to call tactics and trust him/her. (Reto/Sean)
- Get a great trimmer who can react to shifts faster than you, steers better and is bigger than you, so your scared to disobey (Mike)
- Get an awesome foredeck - strength of bull, feet of gymnast, (Ed aka sparky)
- Get some very keen people in the middle to keep the info. coming re the competition and roll the boat. (Glen). Most boats don't roll tack or gybe aggressively.
- See a really bad movie the night before (Borat) and spend the weekend laffing - High five
- We saw a lot of unsuccessful lee bows and perfected the technique in one race, going from first to fourth in one leg.
- On the runs we passed several boats by feigning high, getting the lead boat to come up to protect their air. This prolonged the leg, enabling us to gain and cover / roll when they gybed. This works better on some individuals than others! Just gybe when someone comes up on your wind, stay in the middle and sail the shifts.
- The moment you all stand up, scratch, look over your shoulder, put down your beer - I will bet you are going to tack or gybe. Stealth people!
- We seemed to be the only boat that sighted the line, checked every start for the favoured end and changed our approach in the last few moments as shifts rolled in. Some seemed locked in pretty early. There were only 4 boats so there was lots of time and space to be flexible.
- Don't presume that the 242 fleet's start is helpful for tactics- just consider it free entertainment!
- Wavelength wanted to try the Mucho Kahuna start and got busted. We had you in our sights for 30 seconds!! Need a plan B if want to try a port tack start. Robin got it right by taking our stern and won.
Enough already- bl

2007 J24 Worlds, Porta Vuerta, Mexico

It's true, Team Celerity led 70 boats to win the 6th race at the 2007 J24 World Championships held in March in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico.
While the rest of our regatta was a bag of mixed results & alphabet soup, this one race was the most fun we have ever had on a sailboat.
It started for us at the windward end with an uncharacteristically decent start in 20 plus knots.
We tacked to port to clear ourselves and were going well in the big bow-on waves under blade.
We tacked on a header and could see that we were crossing most of the fleet to leeward.
As we closed on the windward mark we were tight with Mike Ingham on Brain Cramp and a top Japanese team in their blue boat Cervezo.
After a few tacks approaching the mark, we rounded second behind the Ingham team.
We had been having good speed & boat-handling downwind and this, coupled with Ingham making a couple extra jibes, had us arrive first at the leeward gate. But a bit of a miscommunication (read panic & swearing) and a sloppy rounding had Ingham back even to weather on our hip.
This was one of the defining moments of our race because it would have been easy at that moment to lose the lead to such a talented team.
But over the next 10 minutes with big wind & pounding waves we hiked hard, worked the sails and ground higher and faster and forced the Americans to tack.
We elected to throw a loose cover and the Japanese continued right.
At the next mark we were first, the Jaanese had gained on the right and were second, with Brain Cramp a close third.
On the second downwind we made a quick jibe followed by the Americans, while the Japanese headed right.
If anything on this downwind we stretched on both boats.
The Japanese sailed a bit of extra distance and as a result they were third at the leeward mark behind the Americans.
On the final upwind we decided to stay with the Americans and the Japanese again headed right since it had paid for them on the 2nd beat.
At some point on this final beat I was struck at how a race with 70 boats could feel like a 3 boat race from the lead with clear air and lots of lanes to choose from.
I looked off to see the eventual regatta winners Bruschetta to leeward of us, a nice feeling but I could see they were going like a train.
Anyway we came back on port with the Americans safely loose covered but the Japanese had gained a bunch.
It was battle-stations as we were bow-to-bow with only 300 metres to the finish and we could not cross Cervezo. We lee-bowed the Japanese and they tacked away. We were not laying so we went back & again we lee-bowed and again they tacked.
One missed tack in these final maneuvers and the race would have been lost.
Back we came a final timeæand we were safely ahead of the Japanese so we tacked on their air and two boat lengths ahead of Ingham on the layline.
With the Japanese in our dirt and stuffing for the finish pin, the Ingham team passed them as did another US boat.
We weren't feeling any remorse as we crossed the line, heard the gun and went crazy.
Our finishes were BFD- 11- SCP 50-16- 41- 1- 39- 37- 30- 30 for 27th overall.
It was an extremely well run regatta and I would encourage anyone from the fleet to try and make it to a World Championship.
Robin Avery also attended from our fleet and finished a solid 35th through hard work both on and off the water.
It was a terrific experience for us all.
Team Celerity in Mexico was: John Polglase - Helm Peter Moes - Cockpit Malcolm Collings - Pit Allison Coleman - Mast Scott Cordell - Foredeck Tevor Murchison - On-shore mixologist