Happy New Year Back At Ya

And what do sports fans love on New Year's Eve but hate on New Year's Day? For those who haven't solved the puzzle yet, a coded answer:

xbudijoh uif cbmm espq

Happy New Year

A Happy and Healthy New Year to all MSYCers!!!!!

here's marge!

the only way i get computer-smart is when linda comes to visit!

fame

i happened across this entry in a "tips and tricks" site which explains how to check if any other sites have links to your site. so you would type link:msyc.blogspot.com in the google search window and see what it finds....

here's the problem

instead of doing a search for "writer" you should be searching for "sailing".
i found the following using this methodology:

We are actively seeking experienced RF Integrated Circuit (RFIC) Engineers (multiple openings). Understanding of the following analytical techniques desired: Cascaded NF, intercept point, PLL gain/phase margin, spurious analyses, etc.

but wait - here's another... it's true the pay is not much but...

The Ocean Institute, Dana Point CA
INSTRUCTOR: MARITIME PROGRAMS(Positions also available in Science Instruction)DESCRIPTION: Join our maritime instructional staff in providing award-winning educational programs aboard a tallship! Our instructors utilize role-play, combined with traditional teaching skills and strategies, to take students grades 4 and above on exciting voyages of learning. Programs take place dockside in Dana Point Harbor and on the open sea.QUALIFICATIONS: Two or four year degree in social science, drama, or education (work in progress or equivalent relevant experience may be acceptable.)  Applicant should have experience working with groups of young people.  Self-motivation, quick thinking, humor and curiosity are essential.  Background or coursework in California History, U.S. History, sailing, drama, or music is a plus! Conditions of employment: Approximately 10-40 hours per week (varies week to week)  Wage starts at $9.79 per hour with possible increases to $12.00 per hour  Up to two overnights per week and some weekend work may be required

What Does This Mean?

Still trying assiduously to resume my gainful employment, I opened monster.com on the computer the other day. I typed in the keyword "writer," selected the usual filters (San Diego for location, four or five likely job categories), and discovered the usual seemingly endless listings for "Start a business on your home computer and earn six figures while working just two hours a day!!!" Almost hidden among them, however, was a listing for a real job — technical writer for a company that... uh... well, you be the judge:

"CalAmp is a leading provider of comprehensive breakthrough communications access and content delivery solutions, services, and products."

Huh? What do these people do for a living? Is it just me? In order to get the job, do I have to learn how to talk like this?

Just thought I'd share....

#18 on the List

the List of 50 things to do in one's life:

#18. Sail on an America's Cup Yacht

Mom ___ Cathie ___ Kyle ___ Graham ___ Linda ___

Ross ___ Rosemary ___ Caroline ___ Emma ___X

Dave ___X Vanessa ___ Stuart ___ Lauren ___

A Cruise to Remember

Imagine: Someone comes along and says, Hey, why don't you take a ride on this bike that Lance rode in the Tour de France? Well here's a proposition that's arguably better: Someone came up to me and said, Let's sail Stars & Stripes, the boat in which Dennis Connor raced for the Americas Cup in 1995. And so yesterday, off we went cruising.

Some background: I once sailed in a San-Deigo-to-Ensenada race, and another member of the crew was a woman named Camille Rasdal, who has a husband named Andy, who not so long ago bought a Beneteau First 36.7 called Valhalla. Andy and Camille needed crew to race the boat, Camille remembered me, and now I crew for them regularly.

More background: There's a guy who was affiliated in some background way with several of the recent Americas Cup regattas. He purchased two of the boats — Stars & Stripes and Abracadabra — and keeps them at the Broadway pier in downtown San Diego. On them, he takes passengers cruising on San Diego Bay. Andy and Camille decided to reward their crew after a season of racing by taking us out on Stars & Stripes. (Pretty successful racing, I might add: After an admittedly shaky start to the season, we placed third in the West Coast Championships of the Beneteau First 36.7 class, and in the final race of the season we took our first first place.)

But: Back to Americas Cup sailing. The boat was amazing. I know you're wondering, and yes, I did get to steer it. Although I still have great respect for the sailors who compete in Americas Cup racing, I have to say that this was the easiest boat to sail that I've ever been on.

First of all, the hull is made entirely of carbon fiber, which makes it very light; as a result 80 percent of the weight of the hull is concentrated in the bulb of the keel; as a result the boat is incredibly stable. Most large boats have lifelines (wire lines suspended from stanchions about two to three feet above the rails); to hike, you sit on the rail facing outward, with your feet dangling overboard, and lean your chest against the lifeline. As originally designed, an Americas Cup Class boat has no lifelines, because there's no need to hike; no matter how close you are to the wind, the boat heels a tiny bit and just stays there. (S&S now has lifelines, but only because the Coast Guard requires them for the taking out of passengers.)

Second, it's incredibly fast. Lots of times yesterday, we were sailing faster than the wind speed (and this was with a suit of sails that had seen better days). I don't know if you know about sailboat handicapping: Because boats often race against boats of differing capabilities, every boat gets a PHRF (Pacific Handicap Racing Formula, I think) number that corresponds to a number of seconds per mile. The higher your number is, the slower your boat is. Valhalla (a pretty good boat in its own right) has a rating of 80-something (for the sake of explanation, let's say it's 80). If another boat had a rating of 90, then for every mile of a race Valhalla would owe that boat 10 seconds — that is, if the race were three miles long, 30 seconds would be added to Valhalla's time to evaluate its performance against the other boat. Well, the rating for Stars & Stripes is negative 120. It's really fast.

This was a family event, and I was very happy to have Emma with me. (She brought a book along, of course.) I was also thinking of Dad while I was out there — I'm sure he would have loved to have a crack at a boat like that.

There are pictures: go to this link.

Crabs for a Thousand, Please, Alex

Way back in time, last summer, July,
Ken Jennings was the JEOPARDY guy.
Every night at 7:30 we'd turn the show on.
By eight, another two challengers were gone.
Potpourri, religion and questions high tech,
Quick with the answer, he amazed Al Trebek.
Ken'd win about 50 thousand dollars a show.
By December, he'd won a whole lot of dough.
He knew all the questions/answers, whatever...
He even knew NY state governors, clever!
Any category at all: capital cities, Star Trek,
presidents, wine...he's always correct.
He'd get obscure questions about a volcano
I'd just shake my head, "how did he know?"
We couldn't believe he could win every day,
He's so damn smart, he's just gotta be gay.
No category in JEOPARDY was beyond his scope,
Every other contestant would look like a dope.
His unique genius had taken him so far,
That he became an American celebrity star.
But, after 74 games of ruling the Daily Double
he blanked on some questions that gave him real trouble.
Finally it happened...a brain freeze lock,
He couldn't come up with "H&R Block"
Nancy Zerg had it right! and then
the audience gasped, but cheered for Ken!
Thanks Ken for the run, you made it interesting.
You're number one, the all-time game show king.

Not Just a Sunday Stroll around the Bay

One thing that Captain Dave left out was that there was a party at the club after the race and trophys were presented to the first three finishers by the club president. During the presentation Tom consoled those that finished in the back of the fleet by explaining that they shouldn't feel bad about their performances because they were sailing against experienced and competitive sailors and that the top five finishers in the Capri 22 group are all "very good sailors."

Representin'

It may be November in some parts of the world (well, technically, it's November here too), but in San Diego there are still sailboat races to be raced. And so on Sunday Dave, Ross, & Midshipman Krabby, representing the Maris Stella Yacht Club, entered a Capri 22 in the 2004 Harbor Sailboats Fall Fleet Race.

The format was a course around channel buoys from mid-Harbor Island to the northeast tip of Shelter Island, then across the bay, then down past the Coronado Bridge, and finally back up to the western tip of Harbor Island — roughly 10 nautical miles. Boats of all sizes were welcome to enter.

Since larger boats go faster, the start was staggered according to boat capabilities. The 22s were to go off the line at 11:30, the next largest a couple of minutes later, and so on. Chaotic as that may seem, the start turned out to be a little more so as the race committee only set up the line at about 11:20, and at some distance from where everyone had gathered. The committee was determined to hold to schedule, however, so boats turned on engines just to reach the line on time, a planned 10-minute gun was never sounded, and much pre-start maneuvering went by the wayside. Even so, that didn't excuse our having left ourselves in position to be luffed up at the committee-boat end by our old friend Steve McNally and, as a result — how shall I say it — "nudging," "grazing," "kissing" the committee boat itself. Doh! Penalty turn for you, Captain Dave!

But after that we sailed well enough, remaining near the front at the first several marks. The long leg from Shelter Island down past the Coronado Bridge was downwind with crews winging the jib (that is to say, holding it out by hand on the side opposite the main) in a breeze that freshened enough to raise whitecaps on the bay (a much rarer occurrence here than on Barnegat, with our much deeper water and typically lighter winds). Many crew members complained of sore arms at the after-race party. The lead boats (us among them) were initially close enough to hail one another, but near downtown, where the bay widens, they separated into two groups on opposite sides of the course. Near the bridge they converged again and incredibly everyone seemed to be in the same position and the same relative distance apart. Everyone except, that is, for Frederic Hayem — you remember him, the one who you never see anything of him except his transom? Well, we couldn't see anything of him except his transom. Somewhere way ahead.

We rounded the downwind buoy and started some hard tacking (remember, whitecaps, strong breeze) and had a "moment." Somehow we slipped back and lost quite a few boat lengths and positions. But we kept sailing, regained much of what we had lost, and found that Frederic was untouchable, so was the second-place boat (that pesky Steve), but we were neck and neck for third (out of 15 boats, by the way) with a guy named Sheldon Black. We would gain a bit, he would gain a bit; we'd have a good tack, he'd get a good lift, and so on until...we ended a two-and-a-half-hour race with him crossing the finish line 15 seconds ahead of us.

Ah, but all was not lost: It turns out that in that chaotic start Sheldon crossed the line early by about a boat length and a half and never came back to start properly. A race committee would typically, I gather, assess a three-minute penalty for that; our committee had already resolved to be "nice" and assess only a one-minute penalty, but even that was enough to give us the third.

Results and pictures are at this link.

There's been some talk already about the 2005 Spring Fleet Race: Ross might join the club and enter his own boat, and we might be recruiting some high-quality east-coast crewing talent. Waddaya think?

Peace Is Our Profession

The military insanity is closer to home than we thought, or I thought. Next time you are driving down the Garden State Parkway it might be wise to keep your eyes on the sky as well as the road. And a bullet proof vehicle might not be a bad idea.......

Fighter jet strafes New Jersey school


Friday, November 5, 2004 Posted: 7:49 AM EST (1249 GMT)
Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School is cordoned off after it was fired on Wednesday night.


LITTLE EGG HARBOR, New Jersey (AP) -- The target was an object on the ground well within the confines of the Warren Grove firing range, a 2,400-acre scrub pine expanse used by the military to train pilots in bombing and strafing techniques.

But when the heavy gun in the left wing of an Air National Guard F-16 fighter jet fired Wednesday night, it sent 25 rounds of 20mm ammunition smashing through the roof and zinging off the asphalt parking lot of the Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School 3 1/2 miles from the range.

Military investigators are trying to determine how it could have happened.

A custodian was the only person in the school when the shots hit at 11 p.m., and no one was injured.

The jet that fired the rounds was assigned to the 113th Wing of the District of Columbia Air National Guard, based at Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland. It returned there after the shots were fired, an Air National Guard spokesman said.

Military officials would not identify the pilot. Operations were suspended at the firing range pending completion of the investigation.

Police were called after the custodian heard what sounded like someone running across the roof.

Police Chief Mark Siino said officers who responded noticed punctures in the roof. Ceiling tiles had fallen into classrooms, and there were scratch marks in the asphalt outside.

The pilot of the single-seat jet was supposed to fire at a ground target on the firing range 31/2 miles from the school, said Col. Brian Webster, commander of the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard, which is responsible for the range.

The plane was flying at 7,000 feet when the rounds were fired from the M61-A1 Vulcan cannon in the plane's left wing. The weapon fires 2-inch-long lead projectiles that do not explode, Webster said.

Webster said he did not know what caused the gun to fire.

"The National Guard takes this situation very seriously," said Lt. Col. Roberta Niedt, a spokeswoman for the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs. "The safety of our people and the surrounding communities are our foremost concern."

Mike Dupuis, president of the township's Board of Education, said school workers are mindful that the firing range is nearby.

"Being so close to the range, that's always in the back of our minds. It is very scary. I have children in that school and relatives that work there," he said.

Schools in New Jersey were closed Thursday because of a teachers convention.

The Warren Grove range, about 30 miles north of Atlantic City, has been used by the military since the end of World War II, long before the surrounding area was developed.

In 2002, an Air National Guard F-16 that had been practicing at the range crashed along the Garden State Parkway. The plane's pilot ejected safely, and no one on the ground was hurt.

Errant practice bombs were blamed for forest fires that burned more than 11,000 acres of the Pine Barrens near the range in 1999 and more than 1,600 acres in 2002.

Old Barney Photo Contest

We all know of Linda’s idea (it was Linda’s, wasn’t it?) to equip everyone with cameras and see who can take the most photographs of Barnegat Lighthouse likenesses. In case the contest actually takes place next year, I thought I’d stake a claim for the image of Old Barney taken farthest from the actual Old Barney — at Nugent’s Seafood Grille in Del Mar, California, some 2,430 miles away.



[Just a moment of levity in trying times.....]

No Chance

Schilling will not become the new name of my boat inasmuch as I have found out that he is a Bush supporter. Cher on the other hand is an outspoken Bush basher:

"Has everyone lost their f---ing minds? Doesn't anybody remember the illustrious Reagan-Bush years when people had no money and no jobs? What has happened to people's memories? It's like they have Alzheimer's or something ... If you're black in this country, if you're a woman in this country, if you are any minority in this country at all, what could possibly possess you to vote Republican?"

"If you think the president is an ass, fine -- after four years you can vote him out. But the Supreme Court -- that's 30 years! The Jerry Falwells of this world will be right in your back pocket. You won't have one f---ing right left."

"The environment in Texas is the worst environment in the United States. (Bush) has let people who pollute the environment have the choice to clean up the environment; that's like putting Dracula in charge of the blood bank.

"If you look at Bush's record, if you read Molly Ivins' book, 'Shrub,' it will show you exactly what he's done, what his record is. What he's done in his six years as governor is let other people make his judgments for him, and they tell him, they give him their opinions and he lets them do it. He's stated that he doesn't like to read. He wants someone to tell him what the issue is and give him their recommendation because he doesn't like to read. ... He's not smart enough to be in the White House."

"I don't like Bush. I don't trust him. I don't like his record. He's stupid. He's lazy."

Name Change

So, perhaps Linda will change her boat's name from CHER to SCHILLING?

who would have guessed...

stuart.. at a loss for words.... ????? when he finally gets round to saying something i'm sure it will be worth waiting for!

you should've seen lauren going down the alpine slide at bromley mt. VT this weekend. wheeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee

Your Third Post

You guys are really getting warmed up! I can hardly wait to read the third post.

our second first post

. . . hmmm . . . umm . . . cough, cough . . . is this thing on? . . . test one . . . test two . . . test three . . . um, well, um, hi, nice to be here . . .

More words of wisdom from "The Old Geezer"

I saw this on the Sunfish message board and decided it had relevance to our humble association's membership:

You ask how many Sunfish are too many...

Well, if you and your two kids sail, then three is only just enough.

I know of an old geezer has one boat for practice and one boat for regattas and one boat for their kid that left home 10 years ago and another one because there was a great deal on a new boat but it's a shame to sail such a shiny new boat and one that someone abandoned at the lake and he's meaning to fix it up and sell it but he never get's round to it and one in case anyone wants to borrow a boat and one that he keeps on the front lawn just to annoy the neighbors and one that maybe one day his wife that hates sailing might use and one that he can't remember why he has it...

Now THAT's too many.

My first post

is a forgery.. someone must have discovered my username and password!

live from the sunny worlds

But wait...

Maybe they can do it. I can't believe I'm saying this but maybe they can.

It's Ova

It was a good run but it's ova. O-V-A ova. They blew it. It's ova.

Sucked In

I can't believe it. I think they're going to do it.

sailing simulator

if you find you can't sleep at night, here's something fun to keep you occupied:

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/volvooceanrace/interactives/sailing/index.html

Close Encounters

Isn't this the summer of close encounters with ocean wildlife? On Sunday last I went swimming (yes, I'm back in the water) off La Jolla and saw a dorsal fin only about 40 feet away and coming in my direction. Fortunately it had the friendly curve that identifies the Pacific White-sided Dolphin and I was of course immediately relieved that it was not a shark. Soon more joined the first dolphin and some came as close as 15 - 20 feet.


Ross

Reach Out Reach Out and Touch Something

.

Rosemary and I went for a sail this afternoon at the tip of Cape Cod, starting near the coast guard station in Provincetown harbor, continuing around Long Point (which we renamed Cape Horn) to Herring Cove. It started out innocently enough, until we started to make our way back. The wind picked up, making the waves quite large, compounded by the passing of numerous whale watching boats which produced big enough wake to surf. Ok so that was fun, navigating the waves without capsizing, until I noticed a RATHER LARGE dorsal fin right next to us. Connected to an equally large shark body. Oh and did I mention that we were in Cher. Very close. Too close. Well, let me say that I was happy enough to reach shore and we will not be venturing out into the ocean in such a small craft anytime soon. It turns out that it was probably a Basking Shark, which is harmless and feeds on plankton, but it was scary enough for us.
.

Here's an idea for a new race for 2005... Start at the Coast Guard Station, sail to Herring Cove, buy a hot dog at the snack bar (be sure to ask for a receipt) and sail back. First one to return alive with an intact hot dog receipt wins.

Womens Beach Volleyball

I hope all of you are enjoying the 2004 Athens Olympics as much as I am. My favorite event so far has been Womens Beach Volleyball with Kerri Walsh and Misty May. I only wish that I had taped their Gold Medal championship game and all the games leading to the championship. I could watch these two athletes forever. I'm ready for the pro beach volleyball tour. USA! USA!

Ross

Blau Painting Wins Contract

The west coast affiliate of Blau Painting has been granted the coveted contract to paint and restore the Casa Christie in La Costa. A classic example of California tract housing, the residence would no doubt be granted landmark status if all the other buildings in the state were suddenly to fall down.

A spokesman for a noted landmarks protection group, California Restorative Architectural Planners, noted, "We were initially worried that the contract was granted to a company with its roots on the east coast, because we thought the firm might be inappropriately concerned with quality. We learned, however, that the company has retained the services of a craftsman whose only qualifications are that he didn't happen to be doing anything else and he did happen to own the house. So we're confident that any impulse toward quality work will be sacrificed to cost-control and expediency, which is, of course, in keeping with the highest tradition of California tract house construction."

Indeed, after spending the better part of an afternoon on the initial wall-scraping phase of the project, the craftsman demonstrated his affinity for the California lifestyle by calling in sick to go body surfing for the next two days. He is reported to have explained, "I saw a TV commercial for spray-painting equipment, where this guy does his own house in about ten minutes and has so much fun that he runs off, does the rest of the neighborhood, and still gets home in time to have a beer before dinner. That was kind of my motivation to take this project, except of course that the neighbors can fend for themselves. I'd forgotten that painting involves actual physical labor."

Rosemary, how did you do this for a living?!! AAhhhhhhhhh!!!!!

Blog censorship

I'm afraid I must, as administrator of this blog, censor your post before Rosemary reads it or else she may never set "foot" in the ocean again. And that would be a shame as we made such progress this year in that direction. p.s. maybe you should have tried urinating on your xxxx. It works with snakebites I've heard (or is that sea urchins? even better!). Ouch!

The wind has returned to Quannapowitt! Thank you Charley!!!

Boogie Boarding and More

Went to the beach on Monday for a nice afternoon of wave riding. The were small but the water was warm. Maybe one out of every thirty waves was large enough to catch and that was just fine. Kyle and I were out there together (South Carlsbad State Beach, but we know it as "Rocky Beach") usually riding the same wave because they were so infrequent. The pair of fins that I bought fit o.k. in the store but in the surf world they are too tight. So, I gave them to Kyle and they fit 'little big foot' just fine. I went finless. Small waves are hard to catch without fins but if you stand just where they are about to break you can jump on the board and catch most . We were out there for about half an hour having a good time. We rode a wave nice in, hopped off our boards and started out again when I got xxxx. In a way I can't believe that I've never xxxxxxxxx considering the uncountable number of hours that I've been in the surf. But, now I have. At first it just feels like xxxxxxx into your xxxxx. Then, about five minutes later xxxxx. Let me tell you about the xxxxxxx. Fortunately Vanessa was with us, sitting in a beach chair, xxxxxxxxxx. There was no way that I could have driven home. Hot water, really, really hot water xxxxxxxxxxx. Drive faster Vanessa!!! Screw the red lights!!! Just keep driving!!! Faster!!! Meanwhile the xxxxxxx. Finally we got home and I got my xxxxx into xxxxxxxxxx. Wsheewww. A bottle of beer and a couple of shots of rum helped for a little while until the xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx. Well, me and my xxxxxxxxxxxx stayed home from work the next day. The thing is fins would have xxxxxx if I was wearing them. I'll have to get a pair that fits next time.

Ross

Maris Stella Regatta 2004

July 29, 2004
Loveladies Harbor, Barnegat Bay, N.J.

We have two new boats and three new sailors!!!

Brand new Kaigan (coast + enlightenment) and Sunny II (Son of Sunny) are Champagne Christened and added to the fleet. We are five boats strong now including the virtually brand new Cher and the seasoned Red Weather. Maris Sella Yacht #1 Sunny stayed home this year. So, we have four racing yachts in this year's regatta.

Team sailing is a new concept for us this year as Kyle and Graham join forces as a race entry and Caroline joins Ross for another team entry. Veterans David, Linda and Stuart sail solo.

Five teams, four boats = five races.

Also new this year, we have an official race committee in an official committee boat!! Cathie and Rosemary expertly manage the races from the kayak. A thousand thanks.

After ten days of recreational sailing and tuneups we are ready for the Regatta. The wind is 6-8 knots out of the southeast. The Barnegat Lighthouse is clearly in view just northeast of the racecourse. It's a beautiful day for racing.

They're off! Dave, Linda and Kyle/Graham hit the starting line while Stu attempts a pin side port tack start and reaches the line a little behind the others. O.K., way behind. Dave/Kaigan gets to the upwind mark first closely pursued by Linda/Cher and the Boys in Red Weather a length back. Stu/Sunny II is boatlengths behind. The west coast sailing legend Dave can't hold his lead downwind and is no match for 2003 champion Linda as she blows by for a very impressive race #1 victory. The Kyle/Graham team finishes respectably in third. The committee and the bye team are in awe of Linda's speed downwind and one of us is clearly recalling her amazing downwind passing of Stuart in '03, the leg that modernized the club fleet.

Race #2. Kyle/Graham sit. Ross/Caroline race with Linda, Dave and Stu. Ross/Caroline get a pretty good start in Red Weather but carrying about 260 lbs. of personnel I'm expecting the other three boats to go right by me. It turns out that Caroline is helping a lot to balance the boat and report the status of the other boats going upwind while I concentrate on sail trim. Red Weather is actually holding its own in boatspeed. We make a couple of reasonably smooth tacks and amazingly find ourselves first at the upwind mark. We are going downwind about five lengths in front of Linda but she is definitely going faster than we are. She is closing fast and on starboard. We are in trouble. I can hear her saying, "go Cher, go Cher, go Cher." Caroline is doing a great job of both holding up the daggerboard up and steadying the boom as she warns, "Linda is getting close." We jibe and reach a little bit and pick up some speed. As leeward boat we hold Linda off a little on a northerly course and then bee-line back to the pin end finish line. We just barely beat Linda with Dave and Stu finishing 3 and 4. I think that everyone is surprised that Red Weather could sail with the new boats.

Race # 3. Linda sits out and the boys race in Cher. All I remember about this one is that when we were just about to the upwind mark I asked Caroline where the other racers were and she replied that "Kyle and Graham are pretty close, my dad is right next to them and Uncle Dave is in the water." And that's how race #3 finished with Red Weather in first, the amazing boys in second, Stu third and Dave last.

Race # 4. Stu rests this one. Red Weather gets another good start. At about a minute Dave and Kyle/Graham tack to port while Ross/Caroline and Linda continue on starboard. Linda tacks as does Red Weather. RW reaches the lay line ahead of Linda and K/G & Dave who are coming up on starboard. Another downwind screamer with Linda again closing the gap between second and first. Red Weather holds its lead to finish first, Linda/Cher second, the boys/Sunny II third and Dave/Kaigan last.

Race # 5. Dave sits out and the boys race in Kaigan. Stuart gets a great start and takes command. The boys just edge Red Weather at the top mark with Linda a few lengths behind. Stu stretches his lead downwind and runs away with at least a 15 boatlength victory. The boys lead most of the way downwind but Red Weather edges them at the finish line. Linda finishes in last.

It's all over. The team of Ross and Caroline win the Barnegat Light Trophy for 2004. Last year's champion Linda comes in second. The new generation team of Kyle and Graham come in third. Stuart is fourth. Dave is last.

We follow up racing day with fun sailing on the bay in strong winds and big waves. We certainly had some awesome and unforgettable sailing this summer. Just putting the boats in, taking them out and cleaning them up every day was fun. Using the hoist, tying the bridle knot, jumping off the dock, drinking beer, kayaking, catching crabs....Loveladies 2004 was great.

I can't wait until next year.....more sailors, more boats.

I Miss Barnegat Bay

While we wait for this year's winner to compose his sure to be thrilling post-regatta analysis, let me just say that sailing at Lake Quannapowitt was such a let-down after Barnegat Bay. Murky fresh water (ick) practically wave-less, dirty messy sand-like substance, hardly enough wind to lift my pink feather, no davit (no tying cool rope harness), no after sailing cleanup ritual. It was kindof like riding my bike in the backyard. Two lost seagulls offering a faint reminder of the good times left behind.


Who wants to meet me in Hyannis to watch the World Sunfish Championship? Sept 18-24.

Perhaps compete in the Central South American & Caribbean Championship – Salinas YC; Salinas, Ecuador? (November)


Here's a good tip I picked up on the Sunfish message board (posted by someone who calls himself "Old Geezer, Grand Master Sailor"):

Re: Connecting to Upper Boom
Put duct tape on the boom. Then tie a Clove Hitch over a Snuggle Hitch underneath a Ring Hitch on top of a Prusik Knot and finish it off with a Boom Hitch. Put duct tape over the knots. Paint it all with superglue. Then discover that you tied it in the wrong place and you are doomed to sail the boat forever looking like some recreational sailor who has rigged the sail high enough so he can tack standing up.

2004 Winners

here we go

I'm going to pick up Cher tonight!  See y'all downa shore!!!!

N.S.C.

stands for No Sailing Content. Just a humorous true story with a picture to go with it. First the picture.



So we were driving down Comm Ave. just outside of Kenmore Square (me, Rosemary, Maggie - old friend from Drew, and her partner Barbara) when I saw this Huge Marmaduke-like great dane in a "new beetle" convertible. So I say to Rosemary (who is driving) "get next to them so I can take a picture!". So we are stopped at a red light and the dog is looking away so I go "Doggie! Doggie! Yoo Hoo!!!" so he will look over, and I snap the picture. Next thing I know, the driver rolls up the windows, and we are like "Huh?? Why'd he do that??"..

So off he goes and then emphatically throws us the middle finger.

Now we are really intrigued and start chasing him down Comm Ave. at which point he turns on the winshield washers and proceeds to drench himself and doggie. At which point we are busting a gut laughing. Next thing he puts the top up. Now he seems to be pulling over to park and we are alongside again and he rolls down the window and says ... "Get away from me you FREAKS!"

I swear everyone in Boston is nutty.

No Fear

it's more likely that she has attached a bicycle/paddlewheel aparatus on the stern so that she can get a workout while she sails.....

A New Name....

....for a new boat: Kaigan. This Japanese word means, according to my sources, both "coast" or "beach" and "enlightenment" or "spiritual awakening." It made a great deal of sense to me that the two should go together. (And I need hardly add that Emma approves.)

So Commodore Linda: What do we need to be afraid of? Did you buy an outboard engine?

Be Afraid

With all the new boats I had to do something to maintain my competitive edge.

New Racing Results

The Harbor Sailboats Capri 22 June series is in the books! While past series have been subject to exhaustive (some would say exhausting) analysis, this time we'll just let the official results page do the talking. We'll make this one comment, though: When you get to the photos page, note that the winning skipper's shirt proclaims him a proud member of the Maris Stella Yacht Club and Crabbing Society!

Fleet

Once Stu gets "Sunny II" we will have enough boats to qualify as an official Sunfish Fleet!!

Cap'n Mom

Here are Mom at the Helm and Mom in Foul Weather Gear. (In the latter, just relaxin', got her feet up, givin' Dave some advice on how to steer the boat...)

Stars and Stripes

Not only should there be good pics of mom at the helm, but there should also be pics of two America's Cup yachts, Stars & Stripes and Abracadabra, sailing right along side us. Mom actually held off Stars & Stripes for a couple of miles on a downwind course until it finally caught and passed us. We also had a tall ship, the Californian, sail past us in the ocean. I think the best pictures may be on mom's camera.

more photos please

heard there were pictures of mom at the helm, we want more pictures! i'm planning on bringing TOOLS to the shore to work on drying out the red storm. i figure with the blazing sun down there we can dry her out in no time including the foam blocks which are most certainly saturated and contributing heavily to the weight issue.

Cool!

but what are you going to do with it after july and is stuart buying one too? wow.

Inside the Inside Information

Or, to be more direct, I did buy a new boat (with racing sail). It'll be waiting for me at Hance & Smythe when I arrive in July.

Inside Information

Cher is no longer the new kid on the block

I Give Up!

What did you do today? Buy a new boat?

Guess What I Did Today

Well, let's just say that my sunfish won't be taking on any water this summer......

Congratulations Emma!

A R

It's not all yachting and crabbing at the MSYC. There is also Argentine Rummy ! Last night Mom, Dave, Emma and Ross played a round (Mom is here in San Diego for Emma's High School Graduation) and the lady from New Jersey won. Dave second place. Emma and I both got caught with huge points on a couple of hands. That three 3's!!! My Waterloo again.

Possibilities...

There are several interesting possibilities on ebay this week.

here are just a few of them...

1 (I have an extra sail)

2 (Sullivan County?)

3 (Sunny's cousin)

Boat Repairs

If the rumors are true (and even if they aren't) here are some tips on drying out Red Weather for its next owner. Not that i want to make Red Weather any more competitive or anything but it's distracting to hear all that water sloshing around in the next boat.

drying her out

installing the ports

of course you may have to come out a few weeks early in order to accomplish all the above.

Boat Rumors

So what about these rumors of new boats for the '04 season? I've heard Rosemary, Stu and Dave. Anybody placed any orders yet?

more sailors, more boats

I'm working on Andrew to represent New England in the 12 - 15 year old category with Cher. we need more boats! well one more anyway. actually went sailing yesterday - it was awesome. that's it that's my report.

new blood

I've been thinking about a plan to encourage the youth movement in the family to participate in the sailing program. Perhaps if we offered a trophy to the winner of the under 20 age group (the Maris Cup?) we might get some interested sailors. For me, it would be exciting just to watch any of those guys/girls race a boat. Hopefully they would graduate and some summer go after the Barney .

June is just around the corner. And then, July.

Hearty Congratulations are in Order!

meanwhile, it remains cold and rainy here in New England :(
pssst don't forget mom's bday this weekend...

am i to believe that you all were soundly and consistently beaten by
a 3 year old baby? ha! i better tell stu to start writing my name on
the gold plaque for 2004.

& did we all enjoy the "ramapo" references on last weeks "sopranos"?

The Plot Thickens

"When life looks like easy street, there is danger at your door...." After our first day's sailing in the new regatta, we seemed to have things well in hand. We had contained Steve McNally, seemingly our major competitor; we had contained everyone else as well; we were ahead. Little did we know that days two and three would bring some serious new competition: Frederic Hayem.

Frederic is a not especially prepossessing man who sails with his wife as crew, and they always bring along their daughter, who is perhaps three or four years old. They give the appearance of being a nice, innocuous couple who thought it would be fun to go out and give sailing a try. That is, they seem that way until you actually race against them: They don't look as if they're trying all that hard or doing all that much, but early in the first leg you realize that they were right there a moment ago but now all you can see of them is their transom. It turns out, as I learned last evening, that in his native France (where they take sailboat racing seriously), Frederic was a professional sailboat racer.

We've sailed against him in the past, and actually defeated him — by one and some fraction points over the course of at least nine races. Even that involved taking advantage of some uncharacteristic mistakes on his part. We were glad to have him back. We view him as our real competition.

So: Day two. Three races among 10 boats (a much better turnout than on the first day). In the first race, we reached the starting line a few seconds early, but there was room to run down it, and we got a good start with clear wind. Near the top of the upwind leg, though, we were on starboard and would need to tack onto port at the lay line. Another boat had positioned itself so that, although a bit behind us, it was to windward on starboard, and we couldn't tack without fouling it. We had to sail several boat lengths beyond the lay line before we gained enough of a margin to cross in front of the other boat, and the extra distance gave Frederic (who was sailing on the other side of the course) the room he needed to reach the upwind mark first. We were second, and after a leg of downwind sailing, that's how we ended: Frederic first, us second.

Then the wheels came off (if you can use that metaphor for a vehicle that doesn't have wheels to begin with). In the second race we got clogged up among several other boats at the start, never got clear air, and came in seventh. Frederic was second. What was worse, a guy named Ricard Simons, who was 1.25 points behind us after the first day, finished four places ahead of us in this race; he now led the regatta. In the third race, we got gummed up at the start once again, but at least were able to use a leeward-boat trick to send Ricard off on the wrong side of the committee boat — he missed the starting line completely and had to come back. We ended fifth; Ricard was ninth; we were once again in the overall lead. Frederic — need I say it? — finished first.

Day three: Once again, three races among 10 boats. In the first, we had a good (although not especially distinguished) start in clear air, sailed well upwind, and found ourselves rounding the upwind mark...once again second, behind Frederic. This time however, we were only perhaps a boat length behind, with a serious chance of catching him. And indeed, we were able to take some of his wind, establish an overlap, and continue to gain, but we ran out of room; he beat us by perhaps a quarter of a boat length.

In race two, another good start, and good position midway up the first leg, but somehow for a time I couldn't point the boat quite as high as others (don't know why), and we lost some ground. Frederic rounded the mark first, another boat second, and we rounded essentially tied with our old pal Steve McNally — we could have reached the mark slightly before him, but in such a way that the rules required us to give him room, and that enabled him to get between us and the mark and catch us. So for us, the downwind leg was a race for third place. Steve stayed on starboard and we gibed onto port; we were to his right. Our boat speed was identical, and he used his starboard-boat right of way to push us gradually farther to the right, not realizing that I had an ace up my sleeve: the more he pushed us, the more he pushed himself to the right of a direct course to the finish. He would have to gibe onto port to fetch the finish line, and once he did, the right-of-way advantage would go to us as leeward boat. That's just what happened; I pushed him farther upwind than he wanted to go; no more than two seconds before we reached the pin end of the line, I turned directly downwind (a move he couldn't make without fouling me) to push my bow over; I'd guess that we beat him by about a centimeter. It was so close that none of us knew which boat had crossed ahead; we had to sail over to the race committee boat and ask. (By the way, guess who took first in the race? Frederic.)

Race three: A not-so-good start. We were to windward of Steve, who tried to use his leeward-boat position to push us over early (and very nearly succeeded). When things settled just after the start, we seemed to be in perhaps fifth or sixth place and in foul wind, so we tacked onto port. So did four other boats, of which two went back onto starboard and crossed ahead of us. (Other boats that hadn't gone onto port to begin with were ahead of us on the other side of the course.) We tacked onto starboard a little while later, found ourselves alone (Steve was to windward of us at one point but tacked away; thanks Steve!), finally tacked onto the port-tack lay line expecting to be way behind, and were astonished to discover that everyone else was approaching the line on starboard and we were in position to cross ahead of every one of them except Frederic. It was magic, I think. Ross and I literally looked at each other and asked, "How did that happen?" And second is where we stayed until the race ended. (Guess who won?)

Scoring technicalities: For each race you miss, you are given all possible points (10 in our case, because the largest number of boats competing in a given race was 10) plus two. Because Frederic had missed the first day of racing — the first three races — we technically finished ahead of him (I think by one point). However, there was no way we were going to accept a first-place trophy ahead of a guy whom we had not beaten and who had taken five firsts and a second in his only six races. So before the awards presentation we had a quiet word with the race committee and were happy to accept a second place for the May series. What's more, we discovered that Harbor Sailboats decided to combine the April and May racing into a single Spring Series, and we had no qualms about accepting the first-place trophy for that. Here it is:

The race, It was a bust

The people of New England are by nature patient and forbearing, but there are some things which they will not stand. Every year they kill a lot of poets for writing about "Beautiful Spring." These are generally casual visitors, who bring their notions of spring from somewhere else, and cannot, of course, know how the natives feel about spring. And so the first thing they know the opportunity to inquire how they feel has permanently gone by. -- Mark Twain

Now if I only understood half of what you were talking about in your previous post I would be in good shape....

Over the Bounding Main

So there we were, having snatched defeat from the jaws of victory in our last series, aching for vengeance. Last night was the first of three in a new regatta — on this night three races among a disappointing five boats (there having been as many as fourteen in races last summer). Ah well, you take what you can get; at least our new nemesis, Steve McNally, was there.

But the wind was tricky: puffy all over the course and particularly weird at the starting line. Overall the wind blew at us on the first leg (as it should have), but there was a pronounced shift midway up the leg. As a result the port tack was decidedly favored at the starting line. Before the start, as a test, we approached the line close-hauled on starboard and discovered we were moving almost parallel to the line. On port, we were almost pointing at the mark.

However, on port we would be at the mercy of every boat on starboard. And no racing sailor has ever been known to be merciful. So we started on starboard tack at the committee-boat (right) end of the line, got caught eating the foul wind of all the other boats, broke free only when we went so far afield as to put ourselves almost out of the race, and came in fourth. So much for vengeance, it seemed.

I do, though, try to learn from my mistakes. In race two, a port-tack start it would be, now at the pin (left) end of the line. We (I) mistimed it ever so slightly, however, and one boat, skippered by Denny Chapman, approached us on starboard. We would have missed crossing ahead of him by perhaps a foot, so we tacked underneath him onto starboard. Denny had more speed than we and so rolled us; another boat (that damned Steve) was now off to our right, preventing us from maneuvering; we were eating Denny's bad wind again. Moments later we decided we had to tack no matter what and planned to fall beneath Steve. Yet when we tacked onto port so did he; a mistake on his part leaving us a clear lane; Denny went too far off on the left side of the course; and come to find out, we led at the upwind mark. Going downwind we managed to extend our lead from perhaps two boatlengths to about five and took a first place.

For race three the wind hadn't changed, port tack was still favored at the start, and astonishingly we were still the only crew who knew it. (Well, I knew it; Ross demurred. As I recall, when asked his opinion, he said something like "We'll be f***ed, but do it if you want to, just tell me what to do," and so I did.) This time we timed it better — once again it was Denny approaching us on starboard, the other three boats astern of him, but we crossed easily ahead and discovered, ten seconds into the race, that we were at least five boat lengths ahead of the nearest boat, pointing toward the mark on port while everyone else pointed away on starboard. All we had to do to win was sail competently, which we did, turning the helm over to Midshipman Krabby Kyle toward the end of the third leg to bring us over the finish line. Actually I think he won the race for us; I probably would have blown it.

So here we are, leading but only 1.25 points ahead of the second-place boat at the end of the first day of racing. Stay tuned for more. Linda, how did you flying scot racing go?

whose name?

Speaking of 'whose name' will be the 2004 entry on the Barney this year (what a co-incidence, that just happens to be the nickname of a certain body part....), seriously, do we have any new contenders this summer? Rosemary? Emma? Graham? Mom?

Any changes in racing format?

Well, whatever, the next name on the trophy will be....Ross

The one the only the decidedly phallic Barnegat Light Regatta Trophy. Whose name will appear in 2004?  

skippers! looks like i will be crewing in a race this sunday (flying scot).

here's another ebay possibility: ????
located in poor little rhode island.

Update: new england weather being what it is, alas the race was not held.

Look Out, World
Be sure to keep a sharp eye on your rear-view mirror. Emma's now a licensed driver.

wow quite a story... btw did you demonstrate to Lt. stu how to post to the blog while he was in CA?

Sailing News

The story so far.... After two days of racing in a four-day series, we'd completed five races, taking three firsts, a third, and a fourth, giving us a substantial series lead of four and a quarter points. (As you may know, each boat in a race receives the number of points that corresponds to the place it finishes — two for second, three for third, and so on — except that, as a bonus, the first-place boat receives three-quarters of a point. The boat with fewest points at the end of all racing is the winner.)

Day three saw Lieutenant Stu and Midshipman Graham replacing the usual crew. The results: a second, a first, and a fourth, with an overall drop of one point to our principal challenger. But going into the final day we were still a comfortable three and one-quarter points ahead. Incidentally, those who remained ashore took some videotape of this day's racing; we'll bring it to New Jersey in July.

Finally, day four of racing. We really had only one challenger — a guy named Steve McNally — to watch for; no one else was close enough to pass us. Race One: A terrible start put us in an unfavored position, and we couldn't get the boat moving well enough to pass anyone. We ended up fourth, two boats behind Steve. Ross said, "The problem, I think, is you were a bit tense," and I replied, "I AM NOT TENSE! WATTAYA MEAN, TENSE!" Sensing that he may nevertheless have been on to something, and knowing that we still held the overall lead, I relaxed and got a beautiful start in the second race. We approached from below the line on starboard tack timed perfectly to cross as the starting gun sounded, used our leward-boat rights to send one boat off where it didn't want to go and another over the line early, and crossed the line with a lee-bow advantage on Steve. (Lee-bow means that we were to leeward of Steve, but about three-quarters of a boat length ahead of him, so that wind coming off our sails deflected into the backs of his sails.) As typically happens in a lee-bow situation, he gradually fell behind us. Steve tacked onto port for clear air. We waited a few seconds and then tacked onto port to cover. We were in position not only to finish ahead of Steve, but also to win the race. And then, BANG! Our forestay broke; our mast fell down; we scrambled to drop the main before there was serious damage, made sure no one was hurt, fished the jib out of the water, secured everything, turned on the engine, and went home. Net result: last place in each of the last two races and an overall finish well out of the money.

Ah well, it's all just a warmup for the only regatta that actually counts: The Maris Stella Barnegat Light Invitational.

1113 ANNE ROBBINS 1545 83/167 F4049 ROXBURY MA 58:23 9:24
1114 LINDA CHRISTIE 912 11/43 F5059 ROSLINDALE MA 58:24 9:24

http://www.ramble.org/pressroom/

My friend Anne (I did the 200 mile relay with her last fall) and I ran the "James Joyce Ramble"
yesterday. There was free Harpoon Ale at the finish, which could explain my most awesome
time. I only wish I had known there was another 50-59er a few seconds ahead of me...

On the sailing front, Andrew and I took Cher up to the QYC yesterday. Still way too cold
to venture out onto the water.

where's the wrap up for this weeks race?

Saturday 4/17
Oh Shitake! - with Ross/Caroline, Dave, Graham, Stu, Emma....Dave wins

Sunday 4/18
Argentine Rummy - with Dave, Caroline, Emma, Graham, Stu....Caroline wins

Monday 4/19
Argentine Rummy - with Ross, Dave, Caroline, Cathie/Graham, Emma....Ross wins

Tuesday 4/13, Harbor Sailboats Capri 22 races: race #1, after a collision at the starting line and a penalty turn we took a 4th place; race #2, we beat 'em all..1st place; race #3, beat 'em again...1st place. Dave, Ross, Kyle

Tonight Tuesday 4/20 it's Dave, Stu and either Emma or Graham...or all?

We were rusty but still we took a first and a third in the first two races of the Harbor Sailboats 2004 Spring Capri 22 racing series on Tuesday evening...

Dave, Ross and Kyle

I Once Was Lost, But Now I’m Found

Ross A. Christie, located....David A. Christie, located....Linda Ann Christie, missing....Stuart A. Christie, missing

well. some of you guys may be missing but at least you aren't deceased

skippers! check out the ramapo alumni assoc web page. you can register and then all your good friends from ramapo days will be able to find you. there are class lists and other fascinating info sure to spark a trip down memory lane...

That would be "supremely successful," of course.

and if he thinks 3rd out of 17(or so) boats is "very successful" what does that make 1st out of 3 (or so) boats?

it came from the sunfish message board. the poster's email address is rednun@comcast.net so you would just respond to him there.

I'm interested. Where does this posting come from? Do I even need to know that to respond to it, or will the text boxes and buttons in the listing work even though it seems to be copied from its original site? Most important, since I've already managed to buy a used boat that leaks, would you (Linda) be available to take a look at this boat before purchase, if things get that far?

trailer idea???

comments welcome

interesting?????? interested???? anyone?

last week i went to the san diego museum of art with several other club members and saw paintings by george inness (george inness and the visionary landscape). if you are unfamiliar with g.i., he was an important member of the 'hudson river school' of 19th century artists. there were about 50 landscape paintings in all among which there were several of montclair n.j. also included were other paintings of northern n.j. including one titled "hackensack meadows." g.i. was expressing his spiritual vision of the land. i'm telling you, back in the day...

don't forget to add a few decorative pillows for a nice comfy casual look.

here's an interesting blog

FREE MARTHA

It looks like she's going to beat the rap. To celebrate, I'm going to re-decorate my office. I'll buy some new curtains at K-Mart!

here are some pictures from our trip to mexico plus a couple from mahwah...

pictures...

and a puck made of frozen moose dung...

i want to use a tree branch that is shaped like a hockey stick.

For 2005, fee includes: dance tickets and insurance as indicated:
$10,000 Accidental Death and Dismemberment ; $20,000 Paralysis and Specified Losses; $ 10,000 Blanket
Accidental Medical ; $ 500 Accidental Dental; $ 5,000 Rehabilitation; $2,000 Tutorial and $50 Emergency Taxi

Let's see, travel 3,500 miles to New Brunswick, Canada in February to play hockey outdoors on a pond and very likely get eliminated in the first round. I'll have to get a pair of skates!!

too cute!!!!

did you read the article i sent you about the world pond hockey championships? stuart wants to put together a team for next year... i volunteer to be in charge of the beer.

It's a Dog's Life

A Newfie won best in show at Westminster, and most of us in the household were happy it was a real dog, not one of those rat things with bad haircuts that usually win. Raven was the holdout, of course. She was happy, more or less, but she would have preferrred to have a Rotweiller win. Here she is, closely following the judging (unfair, of course) of her breed of choice.



So give us full details about a week in Cancun. So far, all I know is I'm jealous.

3.7.3 A rig to lower the point at which the upper spar lies against the mast (known as the "Jens Hookansen Rig") may be tied with an extra piece of line used solely for that purpose. The rig must be tied in such a way that the sailor may lower the sail quickly and easily by releasing the halyard.


umm... because the rules say you can? :-)

did you know that mom and i went to mexico last week? (cancun)

http://www.sunfishclass.org/tips/jenstop.gif

Cool. But why is it legal in what is supposed to be a one-design class? (Not that I would expect you to know; it's just a rhetorical question.)

A Jens rig, named after Jens Hookanson who used it in winning the 1976 Sunfish North American Championship (at age 16!), lowers the point at which the upper spar is attached to the mast. This leaves more of the upper spar unsupported. In heavier winds, the upper spar can bend more, twisting the leech and "spilling" air. Since the upper part of the sail is depowered, it is easier to hold the boat flat without easing the sail out. Therefore pointing is not sacrificed.

[from the sunfish message board]

i didn't see the picture but i have a feeling this is what it was...

Current Bid: $1,686...do I hear $1,700 ? remember, price includes trailer.

Well.... The price has gone up some from when I looked last week. At $1,225 it's still probably about half of a new Sunny, but with shipping from Florida added in, it can't go much higher before I might as well buy a new one in New Jersey. By the way, did you notice the funky rigging on this boat? There's some kind of goose neck where the upper spar meets the mast, and that joint is at least two feet down from the top of the mast. What up with that?

smart guy - has a spare tire for his trailer (besides the spare tire under his shirt). can you trailer a trailer behind a trailer? hmmm.... my sail # is 71371371 no..... that's not it - it's 79032. you could take the kids to disneyworld, then drive up from there to boston, deposit it in my backyard. hey it even has a compass! cool.

aaaaaahhhhh, a sail with a window...pretty clean looking hull...old school daggerboard...nice Cooper Mini in the driveway...that guy ain't no supermodel...the boat must belong to his kid because with that gut a Sunfish couldn't float him...the price is right so far...but Orlando, Fl is a problem...hey, Linda, what's your sail #?...thanks for thinking about keeping us competitive...you are correct, we are planning on an upgrade boat to run against Cher in '04.o

check out item #2455569013 on ebay... a worthy opponent for cher?