On Jul 6, 3:28 pm, Vic Smith wrote:
On Fri, 06 Jul 2007 14:20:41 -0700, Frank wrote:
I didn't sail on the 4th but I did go racing on the 5th. Crewed for
some friends on their Lagoon 380 cat for the Thursday night beercan
race - cruising class - in Seattle. It was my third race with them and
my third time on a big cat. I think I'm starting to get a feel for
her. It couldn't have been a more perfect night. Wind in the mid to
high teens balmy temps and just a beautiful night to be in Elliott Bay
and admire the Seattle cityscape while zooming along, "condomaran"
style. We're still figuring out the best way to handle her crusing
'chute but we'll get it sorted out by the end of the series, I'm sure.

Sounds like a good time. I couldn't find the definition of "beercan
race" but only suppose from context that it's informal.
Can anybody tell me how they are organized and what rules generally
apply?
The Lagoon 380 is a pretty well respected cruiser. I've read some are
equipped with a bowsprit so to use a spinnaker, and some use a
gennaker or a screecher. Pretty confusing to me.
When you mentioned "cruising 'chute" were you referring to one of
those?

Thanks

--Vic

Hi, Vic,

Sorry if my shorthand confused you. There are many tyes of after-work
sailing races. Some are very serious and very competitive with strict
adherence to rules and there are a number of Olympic-class and world-
class racers in the Seattle area. Some of the racing in this area is
mercilessly competitive. For a typical around-the-buoys race, the race
committee sets a course appropriate to the conditions so it'll start
after work and last a reasonable amount of time. This particular
club's race series is sooooo casual, I can't even classify it as
'round-the-buoys, it's pretty much just a "beercan" race. No snarky
captains yelling about obscure rules, no protests, no penalty for
touching the mark, etc. Just a fun night on the water.

This boat has an asymmetrical spinnaker ("cruising chute") which came
with the boat. Think of it as a light-air genoa. Sort of. I don't
think this one was originally made for this boat and it seems to be
badly cut. My friends, the current owners, are trying to get a feel
for how to best use it, as a 40ish couple with three kids. Still
experimenting. I have no previous experience with big cats so I'm
enjoying the learning curve, too. Lots of fun. And roomier than my
first apartment!

Frank