TWAS THE DAY AFTER CHRISTMAS

Twas the day after Christmas and all through the bay

5 Day Sailers raced on a warm summers day

There was War Horse and Swamp Thing and Stooze Bote and This Side Up

And a Christmas Miracle because What showed up

Rigging at the boat ramps

It's Bob

Angie is back.

Lil and Angie ready to sail

Dave and Mark thinking

What is Dave holding?  It is some piece from the boat that Bob built this summer.  Not good.

Bob having lunch probably during the skippers meeting since he skipped the reaching mark on the first race.

Stu and Andy.  Nice wind maybe 6-12 from the East, Southeast

Andy on the helm

Bob and Angie heading right for us. 

Stu and Mark reset the starting line for the third race to accommodate the wind shift.  We eliminated the reaching mark  and just did windward/leeward.  Bob must have been having a snack again because he went to the reach mark anyway but still won the race.

Stu and Mark crossing

Mark and Lil making sure the Kelly's don't tack

Stu in the lead

Mark and Lil sailing off somewhere

Beau and Dedee Plessner in What made it out for Races 2-5.  They got two firsts.

Photo finish.  Bob and Angie squeaked in ahead of the Kelly's.  That is Dave's big head in the picture.

Everyone got a first today except for our Champions Mark & Lil.  They had their issues.

The competition continued the next evening at Stu and Shirley's home. 

 Pool Party!

Mark was the winner for the night!

 

Or Bob was?

Lil and Angie didn't care.

Thanks Stu and Shirley for hosting the pool party.  We will let you know when you can do it again.

Next race is changed from January 9 to January 16th because of the Good Old Boat Race.  We will still race on January 23.

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

More Amazing Summer in December Sailing

Fleet Racing Sunday, December 13, 2015

     Fleet Racing was changed to Sunday because of big boat Gulf Racing Saturday.  The Kreutzers raced their boat 'Pilgrim II'.  Mark was part of their crew and Dave crewed on some cushy boat and had cocktails and lunch while racing.  They had light winds on Saturday.
     Sunday was cranking from the good old east.  The wind was 12 to 20 with crazy gusts from all over the place - typical easterly.
     Stu finished the repairs on Mark's boat so he was ready to go.

 
     The first race started with the Kelly's at the boat end and Mark and Lil right under them.  The Kelly's tacked away before they fell into 'This Side Up' and went right.  It seemed like a good choice until a gust hit and Dave's 2015 Day Sailer Nationals hat went overboard.   We chose to save the hat allowing Mark and easy win.

Race number 2 was off.  It did not go well for the Kreutzers.

Oops!

They were able to get the sail on the boat but now they had to get the mast out of the water.

That was the hard part but the Kreutzers are always prepared.  They had their anchor, radio to call Sea Tow and their tool kit.

With the mast finally on the deck, Mark and Lil prepared to tow.

Things come in 3's.  What will happen next?

No worse for wear - I take that back - Where did they get those outfits?

Everyone be ready to race Saturday December 26.  Maybe we will all get new boats for Christmas.  We need to give Stu a break.  He is getting tired of fixing our boats.

The Classic Boat Race (formally Good Old Boat Race) is Sat. January 9.  Mark is racing in that.  We are cancelling Fleet Racing that day and making it the following Saturday, January 16.  We will still race January 23rd.  

We need a pool party soon! 

Summer in November Sailing

November 28th, 2016

Blue skies, 80 degrees, northwesterly sea breeze 6-10.  Can't get too much better than that.

We got in 5 races, windward-leeward twice around.  The Kelly's ruled the day.  Mark & Greg took them out of the start on one race but that did not stop them.  Bob and Bob got a bunch of seconds and they didn't even capsize.  We missed Janet and Bruce but their kids brought home some bug from college so they were home in bed. 

Stu and Andy in the lead-- wait Kelly's took that picture.  Kelly's in the lead, Stu second.

Bob & Bob in the lead-- better get that spinnaker drawing if you want to stay there.  Wait-- Kelly's took that picture.

Getting ready to douse the spinnaker after the finish

 

Mark Rother and Greg Graham in light blue. The "Squid" is a substitute boat while "This Side Up" is being repaired. Greg is a substitute crew for Lil, his hotshot crew. (visiting family).  This is Greg's first time in a centerboard boat.  Mark's boat still under reconstruction.

Stu's handi-work under way.  Stu removed the top of the seat to get to the job.

Finished product coming soon.  We won't tell Mark but Stu added 20 pounds in the seat before closing it up.

Not real sure what this is?  I think it is inside the seat.

 

Next fleet race:  Sunday December 13

 

One-Design Championships at Boca Ciega Yacht Club

November 14th and 15th, 2015

The first day of the One-Design Championship brought strong challenging winds about 15 to 20 with some higher gusts.  Mark and Lil broke a spreader at the dock and almost did not make it out.  Good thing he fixed it because he proved he was fast on Day 1.  With three bullets, a 2nd and a DNF (oops), he was pretty unbeatable.  The race committee kept us out for 5 races on Saturday, hoping to get three in on Sunday which would then allow a throw-out.

Bob & Bob hiking in perfect unison

 

The Kelly's in the foreground and the Kreutzers in the background.

There's the Kreutzers

Stu and JJ

Stu and JJ just ahead of the Bobs

     A collision took Team Mark/Lil and Team Kreutzers out of the 5th race.  A capsize on the starting line took the Bob's out of the third race.  Day 1 finished with a tie for first place.  Team Mark and Lil had 11 points as did Team Stu and JJ. Three races was the goal for Sunday.  

     Sunday brought more wind and the Windmills and Sunfish made the wise decision not to go out.  Team Mark/Lil borrowed the Kelly's loaner boat Squid so were able to sail.  On the way out the Kelly's foolishly decided to dry out their spinnaker.  It was quite a ride on the edge and no one moved on the boat for fear of upsetting the balance.  They finally had to douse and  broached when the spinnaker was mostly in the bag.  They took on some water but managed to stay on their feet.  Team Stu/JJ decided on the way out that it was not a good choice to race.  The Bob's turned back, then the Kelly's reported to the committee boat that they were also going in.  Mark and Lil stayed for the one race held and took a 1st.

1st Place

2nd Place

3rd Place

Team Mark and Lil in "Squid"

Report and pictures of boat repair coming.

Next fleet race Saturday, Nov. 28, 2015