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Our
Sail Past was carried off with the usual flair – all the dignity-of-office
demonstrated by the commodore.
It was well attended, and there was enough wind to sail and flog a jib
a little. Following
that was the Sail Past Race. I’ll give full results if they arrive, otherwise,
readers will have to be content with what I do know: The
race was to the bellbuoy, which was better-than-usually planted to
windward. Some people
(Martins?) played it smart, and port-tacked out toward Pt. Atkinson. Others played it smart, and
starboard tacked over toward Spanish Banks, but Lodestar went right up the
middle and beat them all!
Congrats to Glen Mitchell.
It’s a nice trophy you get.
TCYC WINS VALHALLA CUP! by
Ernie Fiedler
I decided not to race Senza this year,
because it seemed to take too many of our best sailors from smaller boats,
and so I had promised, a week before, to sail for Tim Coughlin on Makai But
Saturday morning arrived and it seemed like crew were coming from everywhere,
and there were more crew than boats.
Jack Kawaguchi even ferried over to race. Now what to do.
I was not at all equipped to
race Senza — dodger on ,
wrong sails— things like that — and anyway I had made another committment.. Ha!
A solution. Trevor Salmon was
there alone with his new Humbolt Bay 30, Maņana. Maybe he’ll race —— and so he did. He became a “Virtual Tiddly Boat”,
and sailed with an all-TCYC crew of Jerry Furseth, Penny Bax Jack, Kawaguchi,
Brian Ferris, and Brian’s partner Maury-Lynn. So we attacked with a fairly strong slate of boats — but
it was Makai that won the Valhalla Cup with Tim, his lady Laurie, crew Duncan
and myself. The
course was from Shoal Channel, out around Popham I, Whorlecombe I, Mt.
Gardner mark (we call it the
Collingwood Channel Mark) and Keats Island. The wind was spotty out in the Gulf, and a bit weak in
Collingwood Channel, but we never stopped, and much of the race was in ideal
wind. Shown above right, Jack Kawaguchi, sailing on the virtual Tiddly boat,
Maņana in the Valhalla Cup race.
Jack was a long time crew on Valhalla. Both the skipper, Trevor Salmon
and the boat are only half shown, since they are only virtual. Results:
1.
Makai
TCYC SJ 24 We
had a 3-boat race home from
Gibsons, taking the inside route. On Senza we made every possible mistake, but the wind gods
decreed that the bigger faster would win, no matter what. Results,
Senza, Makai, Pegasus. 2004 ENGLISH BAY
SCRAMBLE – AUGUST 14TH On August 14th, TCYC is
once again hosting the North Sails English Bay Scramble, the zaniest and most
challenging race in the VARC racing calendar. As many of you know, boats can
cross the start line in either direction, round the marks in any order and to
either side, and cross the finish in either direction. This year, the course is being made
more challenging by moving the start/finish to the approximate centre of
English Bay and requiring that each boat also cross the finish line after
either its first mark rounding or its second and before continuing to
subsequent mark roundings.
Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and a Scramble primer written by
Ernie Fieldler will be posted on the Tiddly Web Site within the next couple
of weeks. Last year 32 boats raced
in the Scramble and 150 people attended the post-race event. We expect this year's event to be
equally or more popular. Once
again, our post-race party will be held on the outdoor patio at the Vancouver
Maritime Museum and will include a barbecue (featuring our now famous
"English Bay Scramble burgers", awards presentation, the "Rail
Meat Challenge" dinghy race (sponsored by MacSailing), dancing to a live
band, volley ball, and, new this year, some activities for the younger set
(boat-making and pirate-hat making).
Barbecue tickets will be $10.00 for adults and $5.00 for children 12
and under (children's activities included). This event is a great opportunity to showcase our club to
racers, their friends and family from across the Lower Mainland, so if you're
going to be in-town on August 14th come out and join the party--either by
racing, coming out to the post-race party, or volunteering. North Sails is returning
as our Event Sponsor, as are other sponsors Barnstorm Creative Group,
MacSailing, TOS Insurance (North Shore) and Odlum Brown. If you know of any other companies
who would be intersted in participating in the Scramble as a sponsor, please
contact Bruce Ward (mailto:bward@canadafailm.com/
604-880-7846). We still need more
volunteers to help with the post-race activities at the Maritime Museum on
the day of the race (August 14th).
If you don't plan to race and can help, or if your spouse can help,
please contact Penny Bax (mailto:penny.bax@telus.net/
604-872-7142). We are also
looking for a suitable race committee boat. Graham McGlashan has volunteered to P.R.O. with his wife
Terry assisting on Committee, so if you know of a boat/skipper who could
assist Graham and Terry, please let Penny know. 2004 EBS Organizing
Committee SCRAMBLE PRIMER by Ernie Fiedler, TCYC When I was asked to
write suggestions on how to take on the challenge of the Tiddly Cove
Yacht Club English Bay Scramble, I imagined starting with the statement
that anyone that approached with a pre-planned strategy was a complete
fool, and then I proceeded to do just that. The race can be seen as a
challenge to be approached starting with the knowns, then the probables, the
unknowns-but-figured-out-on-the-spots, and then a bunch of unknowns that make
up the challenge of racing. What do we know? •We know that the race
will be run on a large incoming tide, starting about a half hour into the
race. •We know that the tide
will be running slower in the beginning than in the middle of the afternoon. • We know the tide inflow
will be less, close to Spanish Banks than farther out into English Bay. • We know the
distances from the start of the marks, with QB at 1.25 nm, the Point
Grey Bellbuoy at 1.8nm, the Kits barge buoy at 2.8nm, and Passage Island
at 4.4nm.* We also have to consider the start line
as another mark of the course. What else is likely? •A westerly wind is the
most likely wind in August. •If there is little wind
at the start, it is likely to increase, and one must plan a strategy that
figures on rounding all the marks. • If there is little wind
at the start, it is likely to build at the PG Bellbuoy before QB and hold up better at PG than QB
later in the afternoon. Unknown •Supply your own. So how to go? In a westerly, it seems
like going to Point Grey Bellbuoy is an only choice. Let’s be doing our westing
early —in the least possible tide and close to Spanish Banks where the tide
flow is less and in an area where the wind is prone to build early. The course from the start is about
145° — probably too high to lay it on one tack, but my choice for the best
way to go — perhaps in any wind direction. . Now that we’re out to the
west, we sure don’t want to fight the tide out here again. so it’s Passage
Island next. Which way
around? That’s pretty easy. By the time we get there, the tide
will be coming in, so we will go through the leeward side (wind shadow)
first, and then fight the inflow when we get around to the windward side and
have the power to do it with. From here: No choice -
gotta go to finish line, but from there we have an interesting choice. Assuming a westerly, I can do the
Kits-QB direction in less distance than the QB- Kits direction, since my
tacks will have to take me to the north somewhat. But knowing how the wind tends to be less and the tide
tends to be more at QB, I’d be inclined to reach out to QB, the reach over to
Kits, and work up the shore to return to the finish. The idea of beating to QB out in that
much tide, makes me fairly sure of the QB-Kits choice. Pondering a strategy for
an easterly wind, I realize that my strategy would not change much HOWEVER This all felt too secure
- I was too sure the best way to start would be toward the Point Grey
Bellbuoy, and then to Passage Island (unless the wind promised to be very
little). So I suggested to the
race committee that if the start were a mile farther east, it would not be
quite so simple.. With the in-the-bay marks so close, it would be so tempting
to rack them up first — a sort of security against wind failure, that I, for
one, would not be at all sure which way to go. Doubtful wind — I’d likely do the close-in marks, then the
start mark and then the Bellbuoy.
The committee is in the process of making that decision, so you have
to revise those distances I gave back at the beginning, and you’ll just have
to come and have a good look around! DUES NEWS An executive decision
calls for a slight increase in our dues for Tiddly Cove Yacht Club. Here are the new rates,
with the old for comparison. The increase was necessary due almost entirely
to the Club's insurance premiums doubling in two years.
These increases “kick
in” on July first so get out and find all the new (lucky) members
you can, to have them join before that time. Curious to know more about what our members wanted from their club these days, the TCYC executive asked club members to fill out a survey/questionnaire before Christmas. About 1/3 of the Members responded and shared their views and ideas about our club.
The results? By and large club members--at least the 21 who responded to the survey--are a satisfied bunch. The friendly, unpretentious atmosphere and good fellowship are main reasons people like the club. The survey indicated that the club is serving a diverse range of interests, and its members appear almost equally split between those that are more cruising focused and those who are more racing focused. In reviewing the results, two items particularly stood out for the Executive. When asked what activities our members would like to see more of, a significant number noted a desire for more cruising events, particularly more variety in destinations for those cruises. An equal number noted their desire for more educational content on topics ranging from "rules of racing", to "boat commissioning", and to "rigging".
Speaking for the Executive, our Commodore indicates that the Executive will try to incorporate as many of the Members' suggestions regarding the cruising / educations suggestions when the Executive convenes its activities planning meetings in the fall..To assist in this planning the Executive wants input and discussion with our Members about possible cruising destinations for the 30th Anniversary Cruising Season in 2005., At the moment we are investigating the possibility of combining an "educational event" on rigging boats to be conducted on the dock or perhaps as part of the Alder Bay Raft-up in June.
In the survey, members were also asked to provide their reasons for decreased attendance at club races. No single reason stood out. Answers ranged from the lack of a boat, to lack of time, to an already intense racing calendar to unfavorable PHRF ratings. The Executive notes it wants to find the right recipe of races for TCYC members, given half the membership is racing focused.
If you have more input, comments and suggestions on these items or anything else relating to the Club, its general activities, or particular items such as our up-coming the 30th Anniversary observations, please write or call any of the members on the Executive. An easy way to send along a quick thought is to hit the "contact" button on our webpage and send a note or comment! oooooooooooooooooooooooooooo I'll put in my suggestion here now, so everybody can take off in their thinking if they are so disposed. I think MAYBE we
should carry on with our "unusual racing" image, and do more
"thinking outside the box" as people like to say these days.
Now if your response is "but we don't have…", you don't understand brainstorming or outside-the-box thinking. The question is "What DO we have?" and "How can we use what we have?" We don't want to copy - what can we come up with?? WHAT’S COMING THIS
MONTH We have a busy
month. •June 5-6 you have three
choices. •There’s the
Sylva Bay Layover (VARC), and •There’s the RNSA
single=handed race to Nanaimo (contact Stamps Landing Yacht Club) •There’s Vancouver Rowing
Club’s Sun Tan Series #4. •Then on June 12, there
is the “Round Bown” Race.
This race draws anywhere from 150 to 200 boats all on one huge
starting line. This may sound
like a horror story, but it’s not —— the line is very generous. This race brings out many once-a-year
racers as well as all the regulars and veterans. •Next, on July 19, you
get a smaller island to sail around.
The Passage Island Race is a feature race of Tiddly Cove Yacht
Club. It counts on the TC
fleet championship series AND it’s great practice for the English Bay
Scramble.
BUT •Don’t forget the annual
Alder Bay Raftup, the night before, i.e. June 18. For the uninitiated, We anchor our boats in
Alder Bay about 6:30 or 7:00 and hold our June meeting with our own
refreshments and initiative.
Alder Bay is the little cove at the southeast corner of Granville
Island. If you don’t have a boat
and choose to attend, call any member of the executive and you can count on
being taken care of. •June 26-27 and various
surrounding dates, brings about the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club WAVES
REGATTA. This is a great
event, on the water and on the land.
There is also racing on the Friday and Monday before and after, and
then the Wednesday after that.
Check in with their website for details. •July holds Thursday
evening races (Tiddly Cove YC), and •August has our ENGLISH
BAY SCRAMBLE. Lots of sailing — lots of fun. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES The couple from the yacht
MAPLE LEAF, that, along with Jerry Ferseth and Penny Bax, reported on their
expedition last summer, wrote a very nice note thanking the club for its
hospitality. It’s a very nice
“it’s somewhere around here” sort of letter that I planned to include, but
I’d rather get this Winks issue published sooner. Sorry. Ed. Ed von Wolffersdorff, the
long time P. I. Y. A. appeals chairman is finally retiring. Ed is a delightful guy, and if you haven’t
dealt with him for an appeal, you probably have seen his picture in
every issue of “48° North” where he challenges readers with
race-rule situations that he has encountered.
THINGS FROM ELSEWHERE There’s
so much ;going on in this big world of sailing, that I hesitate to try to
tell about any of it. It
is also very available to anyone interested — so here’s a little. Olympics: •Transsexuals can now compete as long as they have "had the proper operations" •The
site for the 2012 Olympics is narrowed down to New York, Paris, Madrid,
Moscow and London, with the odds makers favoring Paris. __________________________________________________ The
biggest prize ever ($1m US) will be offered for the Oryx Cup, next
March. The race is from Doha,
Qatar, and the course is around the world. It is open to multi-hulls over 100’. __________________________________________________ To
be launched today, FULL PELT!
She is a big step forward in the well-established trend of lighter,
except that this is a BIG step.
She is 32 feet long and weighs 3520 poinds(1) of which half is in her
canting keel. Now THIS IS LIGHT! Can you imagine a boat that
weighs about 50 poinds for every foot of hull?? They put the numbers in a computer to figure a
handicap, and it fumbled and interpreted it as a powerboat. It
is going to Lake Geneva. The aim
is to be the fastest sailboat in the world, and to genuinely plane
upwind. For pictures: http://www.bangthecorner.com/ Sign-off. That’s it until September. I’ll try to do another one then
if nobody else wants the glory. Good
sailing!
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