Off to the races
 

Well, it's a friendly regatta... Sausalito, around Alcatraz, up Raccoon
Straight, then ending at the Richardson Bay entrance.

I'm sailing an Ericson 32, "competing" with several Beneteaus of various
sizes, a Pearson and a C&C 32, several Hanses (35 and 47), a Caliber 40, and
a Morgan Out Island 51.

We've got the ebb for most of the time, so it should be interesting getting
to Alcatraz and behind Angel Island.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Off to the races
 

"Capt. JG" wrote in
easolutions:

Well, it's a friendly regatta... Sausalito, around Alcatraz, up
Raccoon Straight, then ending at the Richardson Bay entrance.

I'm sailing an Ericson 32, "competing" with several Beneteaus of
various sizes, a Pearson and a C&C 32, several Hanses (35 and 47), a
Caliber 40, and a Morgan Out Island 51.

We've got the ebb for most of the time, so it should be interesting
getting to Alcatraz and behind Angel Island.


With his handicap, if the Morgan arrives two days after everyone goes home
HE WINS! (My buddy's Amel 41 is in that class, too....(c;])

(We carry a starter's gun to shoot off as we cross what WAS the finish line
before they took up the bouys and the bar closed at 3AM. We take a picture
of the dark, vacant yacht club dock...just in case there's a protest.)

If the wind isn't stiff enough and the tide drags us away from the starting
line, we may not place. They're kinda picky about actually crossing the
start line, here.

Nobody has more fun than we do. As soon as she crosses the start line
everyone starts cheering and setting off saluting cannons to mark the
event. We try to put real serious looks on our faces peering out under our
yellow Sowesters with the Lionheart crests on them, to at least give the
appearance we're really serious. "Put down the bloody marys and prepare to
come about!"....Pavarotti blaring away on the big stereo.....

--
-----
Larry

We have our pride!

Off to the races
 

Larry wrote:
"Capt. JG" wrote in
easolutions:

Well, it's a friendly regatta... Sausalito, around Alcatraz, up
Raccoon Straight, then ending at the Richardson Bay entrance.

I'm sailing an Ericson 32, "competing" with several Beneteaus of
various sizes, a Pearson and a C&C 32, several Hanses (35 and 47), a
Caliber 40, and a Morgan Out Island 51.

We've got the ebb for most of the time, so it should be interesting
getting to Alcatraz and behind Angel Island.


With his handicap, if the Morgan arrives two days after everyone goes home
HE WINS! (My buddy's Amel 41 is in that class, too....(c;])


Yeahbut - he has to finish within two days after to do that.

Even money!

Off to the races
 

"cavelamb" wrote in message
m...
Larry wrote:
"Capt. JG" wrote in
easolutions:
Well, it's a friendly regatta... Sausalito, around Alcatraz, up
Raccoon Straight, then ending at the Richardson Bay entrance.

I'm sailing an Ericson 32, "competing" with several Beneteaus of
various sizes, a Pearson and a C&C 32, several Hanses (35 and 47), a
Caliber 40, and a Morgan Out Island 51.

We've got the ebb for most of the time, so it should be interesting
getting to Alcatraz and behind Angel Island.


With his handicap, if the Morgan arrives two days after everyone goes
home HE WINS! (My buddy's Amel 41 is in that class, too....(c;])


Yeahbut - he has to finish within two days after to do that.

Even money!


I'm betting that the boats of similar size will start together. The plan is
supposedly every 10 minutes. We shall see. It's pretty low-key.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Off to the races
 

I once tried to race a Marshall '22 in light winds, got so far back
that I turned on the motor and still I crossed the 'starting line'
after everyone else had left... a crushing experience.

Off to the races
 

"npro" wrote in message
...
I once tried to race a Marshall '22 in light winds, got so far back
that I turned on the motor and still I crossed the 'starting line'
after everyone else had left... a crushing experience.


Heh... well, you can't take racing all that seriously. My boat came in last
today, but we had a great time! The wind and tides were perfect. I almost
cooked a Bene 38, but just couldn't quite manage it. She was behind a C&C
32, I was behind the Bene. I was able to just get a beam of her, but
couldn't get to the high side, and then we got cooked. She then smoked the
C&C in the last stretch.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Off to the races
 

"Capt. JG" wrote in
:

Heh... well, you can't take racing all that seriously. My boat came in
last today, but we had a great time! The wind and tides were perfect.
I almost cooked a Bene 38, but just couldn't quite manage it. She was
behind a C&C 32, I was behind the Bene. I was able to just get a beam
of her, but couldn't get to the high side, and then we got cooked. She
then smoked the C&C in the last stretch.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com



It's fun to race, but not at the expense of safety or pulling the rigging
apart. Cruising boats racing is a practical joke....(c;]



--
-----
Larry

If a man goes way out into the woods all alone and says something,
is it still wrong, even though no woman hears him?

Off to the races
 

"Larry" wrote in message
...
"Capt. JG" wrote in
:

Heh... well, you can't take racing all that seriously. My boat came in
last today, but we had a great time! The wind and tides were perfect.
I almost cooked a Bene 38, but just couldn't quite manage it. She was
behind a C&C 32, I was behind the Bene. I was able to just get a beam
of her, but couldn't get to the high side, and then we got cooked. She
then smoked the C&C in the last stretch.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com



It's fun to race, but not at the expense of safety or pulling the rigging
apart. Cruising boats racing is a practical joke....(c;]



--
-----
Larry

If a man goes way out into the woods all alone and says something,
is it still wrong, even though no woman hears him?


Certainly true. I wish I had been on my boat though. I would have used my
drifter, since there were no rules in place other than keep the marks to
port and no bumping.


--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

Off to the races
 

On Sat, 30 May 2009 03:40:46 +0000, Larry wrote:

(We carry a starter's gun to shoot off as we cross what WAS the finish line
before they took up the bouys and the bar closed at 3AM. We take a picture
of the dark, vacant yacht club dock...just in case there's a protest.)

Carry a short barrel 12 ga shotgun. You should own one of those, in
which case a starter gun is a needless expense. I used to start scow
races with one, and sometimes people couldn't hear it but could see
the puff of black powder smoke. There was also the flag for that
reason. You use live ammo, with small shot, with a gas operated gun.
Or load your own smokeless blanks, which they don't sell. Live ammo is
safe enough, you shoot straight up, and the shot is barely moving when
it comes down.

We had races with a scow, the Iowa schooner, Rebels, Sunfish, and a
Demon. No handicap. No cancellation for a high winds, the reason the
schooner won the season championship. It could go to weather in 50
mph winds with topsails and a tiny jib, and it was the only boat that
could shorten sail. It had lead ballast, I forget how much. It was a
reworked 16 foot wood fishing boat with a rope start half horse
Evinrude for get home power. Eventually we had a fleet of six M-16
scows, and a Sunfish class as well. Free beer available from the
commitee boat at any time. I started every single race single handed
and drank a ton of beer while I did it. Those were the days.

Casady

Off to the races
 

On Sun, 31 May 2009 12:40:29 +0000, Larry wrote:

It's fun to race, but not at the expense of safety or pulling the rigging
apart. Cruising boats racing is a practical joke....(c;]

Race an A scow, 1850 pounds, 38 feet. They have been clocked at
thirty.

Casady