Floatline - Chesapeake Bay News

Tuesday Shot

Nice look at the Farr 40 class on Tuesday a starboard tack weather mark layline.
Photo by Tim Wilkes via Premiere Racing.

Wind-less Wednesday

Warm and quiet day on the water today. Racing abandoned on all four courses. Actually, this is pretty good for us seven of our 10 crewmembers are in various stages of stomach bug so we are again far from full strength. Three came straight back and went to bed. The others are quietly hanging in the AC and and working to assess their personal situation. Uggh. Will update again later this afternoon.

-DSG

Three Race Tuesday

Wet morning scene Tuesday at Acura Key West 2008. Turns out that Tuesday's big push was the first three race day in the 21-year history of Race Week.

Tuesday Grunt-Up

Key West -- A tough one today. A stomach bug is running through our team. One of our number stayed shoreside; too weak to make it out. Several others were able to sail despite their "up all night and it's not going well" condition. "Grunting up," the Kiwis call it.

Even as crew members swigged from personal bottles of Pepto we sailed to a 3-3-4 in our 25 boat class. We are tied on points for second but drop to third once the tie-breaker is applied. It was a challenging day with three long races in 10 to 17 knots of easterly and on-and-off rain showers.

The ESPN cameras were on the boat today so I am sure they caught some strange (and vivid) conversations. The photo at left shows the fixed camera set-up on our stern rail. The video has been posted at Jobson Sailing.

Wednesday is a question mark. Several sailors, who were fine as we took to the water, deteriorated as the day went by. At least the Wednesday forecast is for lighter breezes . (Nothing quite like  "grind 'em down" hiking in 16 knots of breeze with a stomach bug!) We saw some great character on our team today and I was proud to be among them. I am sure we will all grunt up and get to work Wednesday morning.

-DSG

No Go Monday

Key West--A lot of motion today but not much action. After arriving at the dock at 0800 and preparing to open Acura Key West Race Week in 20-30 knots of gray northerly, we got word via VHF that the race committee would hold all four divisions ashore in light of the big breeze. The boats were ready to roll and a few of us used the break to slip away and log some computer time but most hung around the docks chatting and catching up with friends.

Shortly before 1100, when I arrived back at The Galleon Marina, the scene looked like the floor of a busy trade show with lots of networking, handshakes, and friendly conversations. The major difference is that everyone was dressed in full foulies! Despite a forecast for rising wind velocity, the organizers sent us out at with an 1130 announcement. We ripped out of the harbor under main and quickly saw that the waves were larger and better formed than yesterday and the breeze was solidly in the mid-20s.

The trip out to the race course, under main alone, passed in a blink with a couple of 16-plus knot surfs as a bonus. I know everyone on our boat was looking forward to a race. We had prepared and were eager to line up against the competition. After a heavy session upwind with full main and #4 jib, complete with a rain squall featuring 30-plus knot gusts, we got word that racing was abandoned for the day. It was a long and slow motor back to the stable. What took about 10 minutes on the outbound took about 90 on the way back in.

Now we look forward to tomorrow. Last night, we passed through the tent for a look. It was a fairly mellow scene which we ascribed to the football games and the cold weather. Tonight will probably be a bit more crowded but with no war stories and no trophies to present it might not be! I do feel for the writers and the daily video teams who have deadlines this evening but no results, images, or story arcs to follow. I've been there before and it is a risk of the game, I guess... There will be plenty for them as the week unfolds.

The forecast for the remainder of the regatta is tricky. Wednesday looks very light and Friday looks like another post-frontal day.

-DSG

Update: The Jobson Sailing Monday video has been posted.

Ramrod Rocks on Practice Day

Annapolis-based Ramrod in yesterday's practice session.
Photo courtesy of Premiere Racing and Sharon Green - UltimateSailing.com

Green Crush

Key West--You almost begin to unwind for a second. Almost. The boat blasts along on a plane, cutting a bold white swath through apple green water. Numbers clip higher on the knotmeter--through the 16s, 17s, into the 18s and beyond…

In this state, even the rush of water off the bow and along the hull seems quieter. At this point, you begin to notice things you had not noticed before.

The helmsman has two hands on the tiller but he also bumps the stick with his thigh when he needs an extra kick to reattach to the wave.

The sky has a little green in it as if it is reflecting the water.

The wind is solidly over 30 knots now and the speed clicks into the 19s.

Someone says “We’d get to Cuba pretty fast in this mode.”

The rig and the lines unload and the balance is palpable. You can feel the balance through the hull, the rigging, your hands and feet, and you almost unwind a little inside. Almost…

Then a wave pattern goes weird. Or the bow catches the back of one and the apparent swings forward. The whole program shudders for a second. A heavy sheet of white froth pushes over the back and into the cockpit. The big blue masthead kite snaps and it is louder than you expected. You touch the edge. and you know what the next scene looks like. You cannot unwind.

This was our third day of practice heading into five days of Farr 40 racing at Acura Key West 2008. Friday and Saturday were hot, sunny, and featured four to 16 knots of southeasterly. Last night, about 2 a.m., the anticipated cold front punched through and the rustle of palm fronds and hard drops of rain against the window woke us up.

Only about half of the 260-boat fleet went out practicing today, despite the fact that Opening Day’s forecast was for a similar 20 to 30 knots of gray northerly. We had two long and productive practice days under our belts so our goals for today's short session were straight forward.

- A clean set and a few “race mode” gybes under the big masthead kite.
- Takedown before Cuba (and the reef) and a heavy push upwind with the #4 jib.
- Set with the fractional kite, blast downwind with a few gybes.
- Takedown before Cuba (and the reef) and head ashore.
- Final check through of race sails and gear followed by analysis of the “crossover” windspeed between the frac and the masthead.
- Watch some football. 

We accomplished our goals but others were not as fortunate. A Farr 40 team based a few slips over from us at the marina apparently went through a massive wipeout drill early in their session under their masthead kite—including sheets sliced away, lifelines and stanchions broken, the sail set free into the water (retrieved by the chase boat), and a near man-overboard firedrill. Not the way a team wants to head into the week. Despite the damage to gear and psyche, I do think they are in a better spot than those who elected to stay ashore today. Perhaps the shore-sitters are betting that the event organizers will not send the fleet out tomorrow if it is heavy. A possibility to be certain. I was glad went went out as was our entire team. Even if we do not race tomorrow in the big breeze, today's breezy session aboard a well-prepared boat with an expert crew is a thing of joy for any sailor. That said, I think we are all hoping for some racing tomorrow.

For the record, the top wind speed I saw today was 34.5 and the top boatspeed was 19.5.

As a sore mastman / "embedded journalist" aboard a Farr 40 team, I will be working to post as the week unfolds. I am also sorting out some photos. Please stay tuned. Off to the football...

-DSG

Baltimore Boat Show Just a Week Away

It has been a fairly tough run for the mid-Atlantic, mid-winter sailboat show effort. This is a shame, really, because these shows offer the industry a valuable opportunity to connect with potential customers in an otherwise slow period, and they offer sailors unprecedented access to seminars and industry experts. After a decade or so of shows in Atlantic City, most of which seemed to coincide with major meteorological Winter Events, a pair of shows in Philadelphia filled the void in recent years. The Philadelphia shows were held in a very strong location but yet another ill-timed Winter Event gummed things up in 2005 and a show-less gap year followed in 2006. The momentum was slowed. The 2007 edition was decent but... a change is gonna come...

Baltimore, and the well-located Baltimore Convention Center, has long been viewed as a strong potential site of a mid-winter sailboat show and in recent months, industry leaders, led by the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and including regional marine industry leaders such as Dana Scott and Mary Ewenson from SpinSheet and PropTalk magazines, brainstormed a plan to piggyback a large “Sailfest” component to the existing Baltimore Boat Show. 

The big event is set for January 23-27 (specific hours listed below). An additional 50,000 square feet have been dedicated to the sailing component of the show. The Baltimore Boat Show as a whole has expanded to 300,000 feet occupying every exhibit hall in the convention center, and its nine-day run has been shortened to a more feasible five days. The intention is to produce a shorter and sweeter experience for exhibitors and visitors with more boats, more vendors, and a smaller window of opportunity to get those closeout and new model deals for which the show is famous.

With the extra space, the powerboat selection will expand to about 600, including everything from personal watercraft to fishing boats, to ski boats and muscle performance rides and all the way up to substantial luxury yachts. A new 3000-foot accessory pavilion with more than 150 exhibitors will add the sizzle to make the boating experience complete, including high-tech electronics, sound systems, fishing supplies, clothing, and who knows what.

2008 Baltimore Boat Show and SailFest at the Baltimore Convention Center

Wednesday, January 23, 6 - 9 p.m. 
$40 - Special Preview Event to benefit Living Classrooms.

Thursday, January 24, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Adults $10, Youth (13-15) $5 , 12 and under free

Friday, January 25, 11 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Adults $10, Youth (13-15) $5 , 12 and under free

Saturday, January 26, 10 a.m. - 9 p.m.
Adults $10, Youth (13-15) $5 , 12 and under free

Sunday, January 27, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
Adults $10, Youth (13-15) $5 , 12 and under free

www.baltimoreboatshow.com

Bay sailor is "Sailor of the Week"

Linda Edwards -- of Southern Maryland SA and Rhumb Punch fame -- was U.S. Sailing's Sailor of the Week a couple of weeks back. Check it out...

The February 2008 issue of PropTalk Magazine is on the docks!

The February 2008 issue of PropTalk Magazine has arrived. This is the Baltimore Boat Show issue but it is also chock-full of news and information for the Chesapeake Bay boater. From the Polar Bear Plunge to Bay-wide Tides and Current Tables there's something in the package for everyone!

Beyond the Boat Show package, the issue includes a detailed look at Winter Learning Options for Bay boaters, including courses, special events, and other programs to help you improve your skills and knowledge through the colder months. Bay cruiser Jody Reynolds checks in from the ICW. Bay boatbuilder Ken Spring contributes a "relationship story" about life with a boat and engine post "sinking in the slip."

The issue's featured Dreamboat is the Seaway 24. Kendall Osborne walks readers through winter sun/skin care realities. Bill Shellenberger checks in with a Destination Rock Hall feature.

Every issue of PropTalk includes the popular Boatshop Reports (sponsored by Interlux), Chesapeake Fish News and Forecasts, and a boatload of topical and geographically-applicable ads from some of the region's leading marine industry businesses.

Every issue of PropTalk can be found for FREE at one of 823 distribution spots throughout the mid-Atlantic.