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?

Perhaps Jeeves can hold Dave's flashlight while he makes repairs to his yacht. I presume that is what the 1999 trophy winner is doing with his spare time.
(did I guess the year correctly?)

You fools....that wasn't just an ordinary rice cooker..it was - ONE RICE COOKER TO RULE THEM ALL !!!

Ross

here it is, the winner of this year's yankee-swap (it's the dash that makes the difference!!)

jeeves!!

skippers,

just to give you fair warning, i have a new secret weapon for next year's races. it's white and has a window.

I'd take a 26-inch sloop if having a 15th birthday were still a possibility.

how would you like to get a 26 foot sloop for your 15th birthday?

story about famous yacht

cher is buried under 2 feet of snow.

cannons are fine, but we will have to have surgeons on board. also, i would be happy to wear a coat like the captain had.

Maties,

Has everyone seen Master and Commander / Far Side of the World ? There is some stuff about sailing in the movie. And cannons. I think we should allow cannons in the 2004 regatta series just to make things 'interesting'.

Then thars that Pirates of the Caribbean film. Arrrrrr. Now that's yachting!

Ross

Happy Halloween

I went trick-or-treating last night (with Kyle) in my best of all time costume....Old Barney....pictures,when developed, to follow....the revolving lamp was the coolest part....Ross

No way will I vote for.....

Maris Stella Yacht Club and Crabbing and Running and Barbie Society

Oh do my legs ache today. Walk it off. Walk it off.

i was just going to suggest that we vote on a name change to "and running society" when i noticed ross already took care of that. still no input from stu -- he told me (on the phone) that he was worried about viruses... and spending his time playing barbie with lauren. he pretends barbie is frankenstein. that's the way boys play barbie. congrats, ross!! we will look great on the loveladies-barney-loveladies. tomorrow is the roslindale trick or treat trot (5k). i think i may do it since it starts right down the street.

Maris Stella Yacht Club and Crabbing and Running Society

It was only a 5K but the important thing is that not only did I run it but I also have decided to keep running on a regular basis. So, summer 2004, a new-old runner will be sweating the Loveladies-Barney-loveladies trip. I met all my goals. I was a little concerned about the heart attack part since no training put some stress on the myocardial system but actually after 2Ks my breathing adjusted and it was just a matter of coping with leg muscle pain. The nice butt 10 meters ahead of me was just the inspiration I needed to keep going when the going got tough. But unfortunately she quit at about 4k and I had to go it alone to the finish. Someone passed me at about 1/2 K to go and I actually had enough to pass him back and we raced to the finish. We passed a few others and it felt great to finish strong. Probably only 400 or 500 runners finished before me. That means I finished in front of 800 or 900. Next year I'm going to win my age group! The Chancellor beat me by 6 minutes. My time? Hey, give me a break.

"He apparently had some personal problems we didn't know about — money problems, he was a little depressed, my parents moved away and stuff like that" said his brother...

This just in... a man survives plunge over Niagra Falls "with only the shirt on his back." No one has ever done this before. Ross

Friday is the UCSD annual Chancellor's Challenge 5k run. Finish before the Chancellor and he will donate $25 toward undergraduate scholarships and you get the respect of other runners. I ran 2 years ago and finished well behind the C. Although he is about 60 years he is a good runner. Suddenly I wish I wasn't so lazy on LBI. If I had trained with Linda and Dave on the Loveladies to Lighthouse to Loveladies runs I might have a shot. Instead I am fat and slow. My goals: to get a little exercise, to finish, to not throw up, to not have a heart attack, to meet some women, to set a time that I might better next year, to meet a woman, to not throw up, to get a fancy new t shirt, to get out of work for a few hours, and to not throw up.

The Fifty+ Flash

GO SOX!

yesterday was the annual tufts 10k race for women --

1783 360/1187 F4049 56:59 9:11 59:14 LINDA CHRISTIE 49 2958 ROSLINDALE MA

compared with 2002:

2474 535/1132 F4049 59:10 9:32 1:00:48 LINDA CHRISTIE 48 4575 ROSLINDALE MA

hey, i improved!! yes, it's true, i threw up at the finish line, but it was worth it!!! :-)

way to go dave. looks like you benefitted from the experience of BLR #1.

First Place....that's where PURSUIT finished in her fleet last weekend with Dave as a member of the crew in the "Little Ensenada" (San Diego to Ensenada, Mexico) race.

pictures.....http://67.117.213.251/Pursuit3

how's this for a cute kittie...

Cute Kitties......Cute Gorilla.......aahhhhhhhh.