This represents an idea to have both an overall series winner and class winners, too, with the thought this would increase participation and recognize more of our members. The class names, the boats listed in the each class and the order of finish in the series is made up to give an example of what such a class or fleet structure might look like. What do you think? Got an idea? Take it to the forum.
Spring Whitecap Series
Final Standings
Overall
The Wizard
Pegasus
Dorado
Classics
Vito Dumas
Racer/Cruisers
Pacemaker
Rebound
Step'n Annie
Etchells One Design
Oden
Libertarian
PHRF for mainly racing boats
The Wizard
Pegasus
Sirocco
Don’t miss the upcoming racing seminar to be presented on February 26th at 6pm at the Northwest Maritime Center. Stig Osterberg, Daubie Daubenberger, Joe Daubenberger, and Piper Dunlapberger will talk about the many aspects of racing and winning on the Bay. There will be Q & A and some fun and interesting multimedia enhancement … as well as beer.
Let's tune up the fleet!
So bring your questions about tactics, wind, current, boat tuning, rules, etc., and bring a friend who’s been thinking about getting into racing but hasn’t quite gotten up the nerve. This seminar promises to be “demystifying!”
We’ll see you at the Shipwrights’ Regatta and the racing seminar. Look for the cool posters plastered around town.
33rd America’s Cup starts Monday, Feb. 8th. Does anyone care?
While the history of the 33rd America’s Cup up to now has not been pretty, the best two out of three races are scheduled for Monday the 8th, Wednesday the 10th, and Friday the 12th in Valencia. The continual war in court between the battling billionaires has driven away the sponsors, the challengers, and for many, any interest in the race.
The boats themselves though are spectacular. BMW Oracle was built at Core Builders in Anacortes ~
Length and width – 90′ x 90′
mast height – 185′ tall (and rumors have it even taller).
The wing is longer than the wing of a 747.
The sail area is just immense
main sail – 7,000 sq. ft.
genoa – 6,700 sq. ft.
gennaker 8,400 sq. ft..
Here’s a video on BMW Oracle from their site, and an article about the cup lifted from the British paper, the Telegraph here.
BMW Oracle Video
Article from the Telegraph
America’s Cup to be over in days after years of acrimony between Alinghi and BMW Oracle
The acrimony between two power-crazed billionaires might be familiar, but in every other respect the 33rd America’s Cup bears little relation to anything previously seen in its 159-year history.
By Kate Laven Published: 5:18PM GMT 03 Feb 2010
Boats apart, everything else has been scaled down reflecting the diminished size and importance of an event ravaged by the passions, obsessions and egos of two men.
Swiss tycoon Ernesto Bertarelli, whose Alinghi team are the holders of the cup and therefore owners of the event, has grown to despise Larry Ellison, the head of BMW Oracle and the fourth-richest man in America, who has spent millions aggressively blocking any moves by Bertarelli to claim the upper hand.
Usually the ‘Auld Mug’ is fought for over four months with multiple challengers competing for the right to take on the defenders.
This time, after almost three years of courtroom wrangling over its format, believed to have cost more than $50 million, it will be decided in a best-of-three head-to-head which is likely to take just three days or less, depending on the weather.
There will be two boats, though these are no ordinary cup boats. Typically, America’s Cups feature big but skinny monohulls, powered by massive sails and stacks of human muscle.
The multihulls in Valencia are big and fat – about 90ft by 90ft – powered by massive sails and for the first time in history, electric winches which means they can be loaded up like never before to achieve speeds of up to 40 knots, making all previous contenders look limp and pasty.
The following article ran last November in the new Northwest boating site, Three Sheets Northwest, to celebrate Port Townsend’s own schooner Martha’s victory in the recent Round the County race. In case you missed it, here’s the article and some pictures by Sean Trew of Pacific Fog.
I bet there’s more than one boat that has a goal for the coming season of doing a better job handling their spinnaker. Here’s an interesting video of Philippe Kahn’s crew practicing jibes in a Mumm 30. Lots of things to learn watching this clip.
Mark your calendars for the WBF Shipwright’s Regatta, this coming February 20th
Start your boating season with this traditional Port Townsend regatta. Lots of fun prizes and wacky awards. Boats of all construction welcome!
Skippers Meeting at 9 am at the NW Maritime Center/Wooden Boat Foundation. Race starts at 11:30 on Port Townsend Bay. Awards at the Shanghai Restaurant at 4:30. There will be a Racing, Cruising, and Inshore small boat class. continue reading » 19th Annual WBF Shipwright’s Regatta February 20th
The meeting was called to order by President Adam Henley
Kathy Grace gave a synopsis of upcoming events sponsored by the Wooden Boat Foundation. They sponsor the Shipwright’s Regatta on Feb. 20th and the Classic Mariners’ Regatta which will be held June 4 – 6. Kathy Grace , Guy Hupy and Chris Grace are spearheading an effort to increase attendance for these events. They hope to decrease the fees required as well as increase the fun. Kathy made available an application for the Shipwright’s Regatta. They deserve all the support we can give them for these special events.
Symbolyn Sebastian presented information about a “Fit for Sailing ” class which will be offered through Discovery Physical Therapy in Hadlock. The class will be Tuesday and Thursdays, 5-6 PM, February 2nd – March 11th. Call 385-9310 if you are interested in registering for this class. Sym promises that it will be beneficial and fun.
Elections were held to replace three vacancies on the board. Two members could not complete their term and Adam Henley has completed his two year term. Nominations were accepted for Dr. Stig Osterberg, Aleta Erickson, and Piper Dunlap. All nominees were subsequently elected for two year terms.
An awards ceremony was held for the Fall Nightcap Series.
The winners are as follows: The Wizard- 1st Place, Pinger- 2nd Place, Dorado- 3rd Place.
Piper accepting award for 1st Place
Joe accepting 3rd Place award
There were also gifts of appreciation presented to the Racing Committee members.
Gifts of appreciation presented to Racing Committe members
A Beginner’s guide to the Round the County race, by Dan Newland
Close to Thanksgiving, many boaters love to sail “South of the Border”, however that generally assumes the US border, not the Canadian. But for 21 years, sailboats in the Puget Sound area have participated in a two day event that is more akin to an ocean race than an inland sail at a time of year that often brings storms, snow and freezing rain.
Being new to the area, we had not sailed on any of the larger, well attended and competitive races in the area. This year, we decided to change that and participate in what has become the popular and very challenging, Orcas Island Yacht Club “Round the County” Race. The RTC has been always been a little bit different. The race circumnavigates San Juan County in November when sane people are wearing ski parkas, not foul weather gear. It also alternates between clockwise on even years and counterclockwise on odd years. Here, you are surrounded by snow capped mountains and clear water with fir, cedar and maple trees seeming to disappear into the water. And if it weren’t for the horizontal rain and wind whipped waves, I’m sure we would have seen just that. continue reading » Pegasus Goes Round the County
Many of us will no doubt be doing bottom work this coming spring and this picture is a reminder that although it is tempting to move the stand yourself, it might be better to ask the yard guys for a hand.
The story behind this shot from Sailing Anarchy is that a stand was moved to paint an area of the bottom that had been covered by a stand pad, the wind came up, the boat came down. The Sydney 32 and the Alden in the picture took a beating, too.
If you are holding a perpetual trophy from the 2009 (or earlier) Shipwright’s Regatta, please return your trophies to: Kathy Grace at 507 Taft St in PT (or call to make other arrangements: 301-4938) by February 10th.
Then try and win them back on February 20th.