Montclair: 1; Ramapo: 0

Last night, in a closely-fought game, the Montclair High varsity soccer team defeated perennially powerful Ramapo High varsity soccer team by a score of 1-0. GO BLUE!!!

Sadly, the Montclair freshman squad was defeated by its Ramapo counterpart. But starting (and full-game playing) centerback Graham Christie was singled out after the game by Montclair coach Stu Ball for excellence in his play.

The visitors cheering squad was sparsely attended, due to the traveling distance. But die-hard soccer fan Marge Christie has, once again, stepped out in front of the crowd. You've heard of the Soccer Mom? Well, the original soccer mom is now the Soccer Grandma!

The August Series

Sailboat racing is a humbling exercise. Sometimes you think that you know what you are doing and everything goes well. Other times you think that you know what you are doing and all goes wrong. Then again, you might think that you don't know anything and find out either that you are correct or quite suprisingly that you know more than you think that you know. There are probably more possibilities & philosophical viewpoints than these four mentioned but they pretty much cover my sailing experience in August.

At the Harbor Sailboats Club in August we had four successive Tuesday evenings of racing of three races each.

8/02
An example of 'think that I know...& all goes wrong.'

After finishing an unexciting 4th out of ten boats in the first race Kyle and I get a very good start in the second race. But more importantly, I was watching the light wind condition change so that the better air was coming from the left side while the right side of the course was dead. So, by starting on the left side our boat and the only other boat on the left side had a big advantage. Four minutes into the race we were moving ahead surely and were 30 to 40 boat lengths ahead of everyone and on what I thought was the layline to the upwind mark. We were looking back at everybody and laughing. So, we tacked.......and stopped. No wind. And worse than that everyone else had some wind now. In fact, the wind was slowly coming to us from the direction of the other boats. By the time the wind reached us everyone had pretty much caught up to us. We had a slight lead overall at the mark but the wind was so light that maintaing any speed going downwind was extremely difficult especially being surrounded by all these sailboats. I can remember plenty of times before when I rounded the upwind mark in 6th or 7th place and passed a bunch of boats going downwind. Well, this night almost everybody passed me. We finished 8th.

The next race was still very light air. We reached the top mark in 3rd but felt like we were dragging an anchor downwind and took another 8. We ended with a humiliating 20 points on the night. And I thought that I liked to sail in light air. With 20 points we are basically dead in the August series. I was so down, I told Kyle that I'm finished, can't do it anymore. "That's my last race." From now on I'm just going to sail for fun. Why ruin sailing by suffering the frustrations of racing. I quit.

8/09
Kyle talked me into racing again. Lets just race for fun. Whatever happens, happens. Lets not be over-competitive. Just enjoy the moment. After all it's better than being at work which is where I would be if I didn't leave early to go race. Lets just clear our minds, relax and sail. And so, we get a 1st, a 2nd and a 1st. And the 2nd was only by about a foot and a half. We sailed so fast and so well that I really don't remember much about it. Why would I ever think about quitting racing? It's fun! I think this was a "don't know anything but surpisingly you do" experience.

8/16
Tonight we have a genuine 'rock star' join our crew. For weeks Dave has been saying that he misses racing on Tuesday nights with the club and so finally he takes a day off and joins the party. In the first race we size up our competition and decide who we want to beat most then we gain a favorable position on him in the pre-start and off we go. Dave steers and Kyle & I crew. We achieve our goal and finish fourth, 3 boats ahead of our chosen competition and so we move up in the standings. In race #2, Kyle steers and does well. The wind is medium strength and it is a good thing that Dave & I have the weight to stabilize the boat. We finish 3rd, but our 'target' finishes first. He's good. Race #3, 3 legs, Kyle still steering, we beat our competition to the upwind mark (we are in second) but he passes us going downwind. On the beat to the finish we are slightly behind him and tack away. The next time we cross, we are ahead and we finish the race in second place and second overall for the night. Kyle steers beautifully and Dave's crew work is impeccable and his tactical calls are excellent. I think this was a "we know what we are doing and everything went well" experience. Have I mentioned that I really like racing? We celebrate in a Mexican restaurant with muchos Margaritas and an iced Tea for Kyle.

8/23
This is the last night of the series. We are tied for first in points with Matt and just one point ahead of Steve and five points ahead of Bob. First place in the series gets the big trophy and a name on the clubhouse wall. (Dave is there nine times!)

The wind is light and that's o.k. We sail nicely upwind (3 boats were over at the start and called back but we stayed clear) and reach the mark in second place just behind Bob. Matt is right behind us. Bob sails into some choppy water and we reach off left as does Matt. We reach back on starboard now and are slightly in first place with Denny running down mid-couse on port. We intercept Denny and declare our rights as a starboard boat but he refuses to get clear of us. He is basically fouling us but my real race is with Matt and so I jibe to cover him and we finish second to Denny with Bob third and Matt fourth. Steve is fifth. We are now two points ahead of Matt, four points ahead of Steve and six points ahead of Bob. We are feeling good! This is our night.

In the second race we get on top of Matt at the start and pretty much smother his sails but we are not sailing that well by focusing on him and so we tack away to get better speed. Except that the speed doesn't come. We try some adjustments but never really get going too well. We approach the layline on port in about fifth place with a starboard boat coming across us. Here I make my big mistake. I should have crossed behind the starboard boat but instead I tacked and I was under the layline with no place to go. By the time I was able to tack back all other boats passed me. I rounded the mark in last place and slow and never caught up with anyone. Hello 8th place and 8 points. Inconceivable! Steve finished first and Matt 4th. Uh oh.

Last race, three legs, we get a good clear start but still the boat is not moving that well. We tack and tack again to get something going but never get into our 'good groove' which is what really makes it happen for us. We are basically scratching and clawing our way upwind and get to the mark in second place behind Bob and just in front of Steve (which is always a good thing). The wind is very light now and we are all slow going downwind except that Matt is moving a little better where he is. We round the downwind mark in third, behind Matt and Bob (who bumps us after we gave him room, a foul which he ignores even after both Steve and I call it out) but ahead of Steve. And here begins the slowest leg of my life. What is going on? I can't steer (yes, I am steering now instaed of Kyle - what a mistake) at all. I'm not pinching, I'm not falling off...I really don't know what I'm doing. I'm choking actually. Nothing is going right. I really just can't move the boat. Where is my wind? Oh no, I'm having a "I don't think I know anything and I truly don't" experience. Everyone else is pointing better and going faster except one boat that actually manages to sail slower than I do. So we finish seventh for the race and the day. Yikes.

A small consolation.....we end up with 50 points, one better than Bob, and get the little 3rd place trophy. Steve gets second and Matt gets first. Matt was so happy that he did a little dance in the parking lot. I don't think anyone else saw it.

It has Arrived!

thanks dave! i owe ya 20 bucks!! plus postage!!! would you settle for 2 or 3 white's subs?

for caroline....

DSC_0019
Originally uploaded by lindachr.

saw this handsome fellow and immediately thought of you!

More Hats Than You Can Shake a Stick At

And yours is on its way!

Presentation of the Trophy

Last years winners



present the trophy



to this years winner!

Surfin' USA

All over Beach Haven and down Holgate way............the waves finally were great today! The tide change from low to high created two hours of great waves and Kyle & I worked them until our arms couldn't paddle for another. Actually, Kyle caught twice as many waves as I did. You should have been there. Tomorrow should also be a good wave day.

Talisman: An object marked with magic signs and believed to confer on its bearer supernatural powers or protection.

In a maelstrom of controversy, unparalleled by any of the previously thought contentious regattas, yours truly nevertheless came back from a dismal showing in the club’s “practice races” to secure the trophy amidst bad feeling and hurt pride. Day one, slightly less tumultuous than day two, was aided by able committee person Cathie and her inferior air horn. With Dave securing a tenuous first place at the end of the day, Linda and Ross (once again assisted by his able crew Caroline) tied for second, and Stuart and Kyle in close pursuit, it was anybody’s game. But the second day of racing spelled trouble for our earlier frontrunner, as Linda managed to cross the line first in all three races.

She attributes her remarkable success to three factors: unchecked confusion, rampant frustration and her assorted collection of talismans. “I knew that if I brought my plastic Madonna and lucky Sponge Bob shorts I could relax and everything would fall into place” she remarked. “In the interest of fairness and full disclosure, I let my opponents know about the Madonna but I chose to keep the shorts a secret.” The others apparently arrived without any such articles. In fact, Dave graciously relinquished his brand new “lucky Harvey Cedars Marina hat” to Linda the day before, not realizing its full potential.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was the intimidation factor of Linda’s new class-legal sail numbers.

Most improved goes to Skipper Kyle, who pulled off an impressive second place finish in one race while at the same time managing to not capsize.

A Baseball Story

we have no internet access!

so no email, no blogging till maybe saturday if the phone gets fixed. mom and i are at an internet cafe in ship bottom right now. see you saturday.....

Who will be next

The King

Uuggga Booggga Kong!

Upgrades, anyone?

Class Approved Sunfish Upgrades

After final testing at the 2005 World Championships, two new International Sunfish Class approved upgrades for the Sunfish are available now.

Fiberglass Rudder Blade: The design profile for the fiberglass blade is the same as the wood model, with great surface finish and shape. The fiberglass blade also provides excellent durability. All future Sunfish Worlds Boats and Sunfish Pro Boats will be equipped from the factory with the FRP rudder blade. The new Fiberglass rudder blade is also available as an after market item.

Mast Sleeve: Sleeves for stiffening and strengthening the mast are now installed on all Sunfish masts. The stiffener consists of an aluminum sleeve inside the bottom of the mast section that inhibits lower mast bend for a stiffer more durable mast. A mast sleeve retrofit kit is available to equip previously purchased masts.

Checklist

1) At least 4 sailboats
2) A Kayak with anchor
3) Toolbox
4) Another toolbox
5) Markers for the course
6) 50 feet of hose & a nozzle
7) One half dozen sponges (large)
8) A strap or 30 feet of rope for cradle
9) Extension cord for hoist
10) Beer
11) Sunscreen
12) Beer
13) Shark repellant
14) Beer
15) Ice Chest
16) Knee brace (Stu)
17) PFD (Dave)
18) Defibrillator (Ross)
19) Trophy (Linda)

Is it possible to pinch a solar wind?

For those of you who don't read the Wall Street Journal on a regular basis, I recommend you to today's issue and, in particular, the Section B Science Journal article entitled "Mission on the Cheap Will Launch Spaceship That Uses Solar Sails." You have to pay a subscription fee for online service - this is the Wall Street Journal after all!

This coming Tuesday, Cosmos I will be blasting off out of a Russian nuclear submarine somewhere underneath the Barents Sea. Four days later (it is hoped), the rocket will pop open and eight 49-foot-long triangular sails (6,500 sq. ft. of sail area) will emerge and, if it works, the ship will be propelled by nothing more than the solar wind (apparently a space sailboat can reach speeds of 10,000 mph). And I still have difficulties raising the sail on a sunfish!

According to the Journal, "[a]s maneuverable as the sails on water-borne ships, solar sails can tack, which in theory means they could make ports of call at any planet." Of course it's in theory; can't you just imagine a skipper, traveling at 10,000 mph over the millions of miles of interstellar space, screaming "Ready about?" and his faithful crew yelling back "No! You're too early!"?

And when I asked for a second opinion, he said . . .

So . . . three weeks ago (the 17th), I was playing soccer in my usual competitive Tuesday night game. We were ahead by a couple of goals, but we've lost in this circumstance too many times before to take things easy. One of their strikers beats one of our defenders, so I slid over to pick him up. We both chased the ball at full speed, except (lucky me!) I got there first. He crashed straight into me - knee to knee - and I went down like a ton of bricks. I (literally) dragged myself off the pitch (because I couldn't bend my knee). As the sensation slowly came back, I decided to ice it down and apply a little medicinal alcohol. I called the local orthopedist the next morning, but he can't see me until the following Monday (the 23rd). Instead, I checked into the hospital for xrays (nothing's broken). Almost a week later, the orthopedist looks at me for all of about 5 minutes, tells me the medical equivalent of "somethin's hittin' somethin"' and sends me for an MRI. I immediately call for an appointment from the parking lot, but of course I need a precertification from the HMO, which doesn't come through for another 4 days (the 24th, aka the Friday of Memorial Day). I immediately call the radiologist, but there's no time available for an entire week (June 3rd). I get my MRI, and now I have to wait until the following Wednesday (the 8th) to go back to see the orthopedist (fortunately, I was smart enough to make the appointment before having the MRI). So it takes almost a month for me to find out that I have a "grade III peripheral tear in the posterior horn of the medial meniscus associated with complete anterior cruciate ligament tear, grade I mcl sprain, tibial plateau bone bruise and large joint effusion" - aka, a torn acl. But I'm not going in for surgery until after this year's regatta is over. After all, first things first!

The Second Annual Marge Christie Memorial Day Croquet Open

It was a beautiful day for the open - cool temperatures amid clear, sunny skies. With the south course temporarily taken out of commission, the decision was made to set up a short course on the east lawn. The grass was cut long, so a slow game was predicted. Graham (playing the black ball) leaps out to an early lead, but Caroline (playing blue) stays with him to the first stake. Stuart (playing red) roars past them as they struggle between themselves and looks to take an easy win . . . but wait! He gets caught in a bad lie in the mid-course trap! Steady strokes by Caroline lead to a lovely first-round victory, one stroke ahead of Stuart, who (finally out of the trap) just barely finishes a stroke ahead of Graham. Lauren (playing yellow, with some assistance from Cathie and her traditional playing stance) plays a solid game for fourth place, and Mom (playing green, and with a late start) comes in at the end. Game two, and all eyes are on Caroline. She jumps out to an early lead, but an unfortunate series of misstrokes leaves her stranded in the mid-course. Graham and Stuart race to the first stake and engage in a ferocious battle of ball-hitting. While they waste their precious strokes, Cathie (with her partner cheering her on) catches up at the stake, with Mom close behind. Caroline (finally out of the trap) gets back into the game, but it will prove to be too late for her. Graham, realizing the error of his ways, powers his way through the high grass and through the ninth and tenth wickets. Cathie and Stuart are left with no options but to try and keep up . . . but to no avail. Graham closes out the game nicely, a clear stroke ahead of Stuart who finishes one stroke ahead of Cathie. Mom closes out with a solid fourth and Caroline, despite a strong run from behind, ends up with a fifth.

The 28th Annual Oceanside to Southwestern Yacht Race

Kyle and I have been racing regularly on Tuesday evenings on San Diego Bay with the Harbor Sailboats Club. Usually all 14 boats compete in three races and we have been fortunate enough to actually finish first in a couple of races. Kyle mostly steers and I do all the crew stuff. Kyle is learning fast and we are getting to be pretty competitive. Mistakes are made of course but we are learning from our mistakes. We did pretty well in May and finished the series second over all.

Last week Kyle and I were invited by a club member and major racing competitor, Steve McNally (an excellent sailor and fine gentleman), to sail in a 36 mile ocean race from Oceanside to Point Loma aboard a 47 foot sailboat (El Sueno) of which he is a regular crew member. We gladly accepted the invitation. So, on Sunday May 29 we became the ninth & tenth members of El Sueno's crew. Kyle, because he is young and perhaps an up & coming sailing star, got the royal treatment by Brad Alberts, the skipper & owner. Kyle got a special tour of the boat, an explanation of the instruments, the sails, he got to steer the boat in the race, sit along side Brad and discuss tactics and he got to trim the spinnaker. I got to grind winches and help haul in the spinnaker during a sail change and of course sit on the rail. Actually I enjoyed every minute of it to the max. It was like a dream come true. It was work but it was fun. And, neither Kyle nor I fell overboard which was my only fear. There were times that we got the boat moving at 9+ knots which is pretty fast. There were some 'yahoos' from the crew when we really got going!

One cool thing is that of the 50 or so boats in the regatta we were part of a class of 11 boats including a boat named Valhalla of which Dave was a crew member. Although we were the first boat to cross the finish line, because we were one of the biggest boats we were handicapped to a corrected time whereby we gave time to smaller boats to allow for the differences in sizes & speed ratios, and therefore we ended finishing in fifth place in our class. What a great day!

RESULTS FOR CLASS PHRF-3
START DATE: 05/29/2005 START TIME: 11:30:00 DISTANCE: 38.25
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
PLC HCAP SAIL# BOAT SKIPPER TYPE CLUB FINISH ELAPSED CORRECTED MARGIN
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 78.00 42733 MALEFICENT CHRIS BENNETT BEN425 CRA 29/16:29:30 4:59:30 4:09:47 LEAD
2 84.00 56266 VALHALLA A&C RASDAL BEN367 SWYC 29/16:50:39 5:20:39 4:27:06 0:17:19
3 72.00 67745 MASQUERADE TIM COKER CHOATE SGYC 29/16:46:16 5:16:16 4:30:22 0:20:35
4 36.00 69408 MISTRESS TOM LAFLEUR SWAN53 SDYC 29/16:23:22 4:53:22 4:30:25 0:20:38
5 18.00 46307 EL SUENO BRAD ALBERTS BEN477 CRA 29/16:13:07 4:43:07 4:31:39 0:21:52
6 96.00 52266 DELIVERANCE DAN SWETT HUNT41 MBYC 29/17:03:44 5:33:44 4:32:32 0:22:45
7 81.00 36764 ARIEL ASARO/SIMON/VORGE BEN367 SDYC 29/16:54:26 5:24:26 4:32:48 0:23:01
8 24.00 51477 COUP D'ETAT RON ELSASSER BEN477 SWYC 29/16:19:23 4:49:23 4:34:05 0:24:18
9 84.00 7085 SORDINO JEFF LASTOFKA BEN376 OYC 29/17:00:53 5:30:53 4:37:20 0:27:33
10 72.00 37133 SAUDADE STEVE LINK S&S47 OYC 29/17:04:11 5:34:11 4:48:17 0:38:30
11 66.00 56345 TE MATAU GREG RITTER BEN473 SWYC 29/17:15:26 5:45:26 5:03:22 0:53:35

Kyle

Kyle 2005, originally uploaded by rosschristie.

Here is a picture of the player who led his team, The Predators, in scoring (5 goals & 7 assists).

Dang that's a big fish

24catfish650
Originally uploaded by lindachr.