REGATTAS:
2011 New Englands:
The New Englands, hosted by Vineyard Haven YC on Martha's Vineyard begin tomorrow. If you have found you 've nothing to do this weekend, VHYC has a couple of boats available for charter. If you are interested in going but are put off by the "hassle," this is a great opportunity. Contact Alex Meleney at ameleney@deloitte.com if interested, or call 203-536-1190.
2011 Sonar Worlds:
The Scottish Fleet are gearing up for the European and World Championships, as you can imagine we are all very busy with our preparations. Wet sailed boats have been taken out of the water for care and repair and a wee bit of tweaking before the championships. Whilst for the dry sailed boats the final coats of polish and sanding down are being undertaken. Its all seeming just a little bit too serious at the moment. However we are all sure that when the events kick off on 18th August an excellent time will be had by all those attending, and the real serious business of making new friends and enjoying the Corinthian spirit of the class will be enjoyed by all.
Cheers,Ewan
2011 North Americans:
The 2011 North American Championships, hosted by fleet 5 and the Wayzata Yacht Club, are being held on September 23-25. Racing will take place on Lake Minnetonka, Minnesota.
The NOR is now available. It can be downloaded from the Wayzata Yacht Club website Here:
http://wyc.org/sonar/2011SonarNAs.aspx
The NOR can also be found on the SCA website here: http://www.sonar.org/
From Bob Winter, Lake Geneva fleet 19:
Please extol the virtues of inland sailing and the great sailing weather that September brings to the Midwest. Peter Galloway and Steve Shepstone (a transplanted Midwesterner) and others who have sailed in the NA's on Lake Geneva will testify as to the merits of sailing on lakes. The Minnetonka fleet is growing and alive and I'm sure will put on a fine, memorable North American Sonar Championship. We look forward to seeing you in September.
RESULTS:
24 Sonars competed in the Marblehead NOOD last weekend, July 29-31. There is a great article by Michael Lovett which you can find here:
http://www.sailingworld.com/nood-regattas/marblehead/seduced-by-the-bullet
For full results, click here.
A great recap by Tomas Hornos can be found on the SCA website: http://www.sonar.org
RULES:
Rules questions and answers from Peter Wilson, US Sailing Senior Judge:
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GO FAST:
Ever wonder about the fastest way to "shoot" the line when finishing? Here are some tips from Lee Morrison and Jim Linville:
First Lee:
To get the boat to turn into the wind the fastest - in order of priority:
1) heel the boat - then let the boat turn without using the rudder
2) trim the mainsail tight - also causing the boat to turn without the rudder and keeps the wind attached a bit further into the wind.
3) slowly trim the jib - letting it go will cause the boat to turn into the wind but then you loose all its power. Trimming it too quickly could slow the boat because you need to use more rudder to get the boat to turn up. You might release it at head to wind to make sure that it doesn't back and cause the boat to tack.
Understanding how much momentum to carry the boat into the wind is important. Turn too soon and the boat slows too much. Turning too late doesn't take full advantage of shooting the line - getting further to windward on the line. If you are overstanding it pays to just finish as close to the mark (or boat) as possible since you don't have the extra distance to shoot to windward.
From Jim Linville:
It works best in moderate wind and smooth water - less sea than wind. Rolling the boat to windward - hard - as the boat begins the luff will sweep the sails through the wind and accelerate the boat a lot (this does not work in "four up" conditions). The jib trimmer must (underlined) not let the jib back, not even a little bit, it slows the boat down and you need all the speed you can get. Be sure to head the boat at right angles to the line, not straight upwind, but be careful if that takes you past head to wind, you will be tacking and have no rights.
In the right conditions (5-8, smooth water)you can gain two boat lengths doing this. If you are trying to beat a boat ahead and no one is close behind, start the shoot way early- you have nothing to lose.
Practice this near the pin or a lobster pot to get an idea of what is possible, it is amazing what you can gain.
And of course you can shoot the finish on a downwind finish as well, and throw in a hard main trim and spinnaker pump (stay legal) as well. Heel to weather to help the boat bear off.
SPORTSMANSHIP:
Rick Dominique has put together his thoughts on sportsmanship. Something we should all keep in mind while racing:
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