The Houston Yacht Club Ladies Association Presents Holiday Market on the Bay
The Houston Yacht Club Ladies Association
The Houston Yacht Club Ladies Association will hold a Holiday Market on the Bay Tuesday evening, Nov. 1 from 6 to 9 p.m. and again on Wednesday, Nov. 2 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Houston Yacht Club is located at 3620 Miramar Drive in Shoreacres. The event is open to the public and admission and parking are both free. There will be a buffet lunch available for $15 per person.
Bring your friends and family to enjoy the festive atmosphere and get your Christmas shopping done early. The annual Holiday Market on the Bay is the best way to kick-off the holiday season, spend time with friends and find some unique treasures.
More than 40 vendors are participating in this annual Holiday Market on the Bay.
Some of the items available to purchase include Holiday items, baked goods, jewelry, clothing and more. Please visit us online at www.houstonyachtclub.com for a map with directions.
Orion: David Popken’s Sabre 38
Interview by Charles Milby
What factors influenced your decision to purchase a Sabre Yacht?
When researching boats prior to our purchase, I had several criteria that would ultimately put the Sabre 38 Centerboard Sloop at the top of the list.Primarily, I felt that a boat in the 38-foot range would give me and my wife Kris a comfortable, affordable, solid platform for mid to long distance cruising.
As boats get longer, they get exponentially more expensive to maintain, not to mention more cumbersome and physically demanding for a husband and wife to handle together.One of our other considerations, was the ability to go shallow, since many parts of Florida, the Keys, the Bahamas and the Caribbean have skinny water.
And, we wanted a solidly built boat, one that could handle a bluewater passage without reservations with regard to safety, seaworthiness and robust components.The Sabre 38 centerboarder met all of those criteria.Sabre Yachts is still in business in Casco, Maine and that also heavily influenced our decision. They have our boat, hull #99 in their database and have stepped up numerous times to assist in the refit, with vendor phone numbers, design details not found in the Owner’s Manual and fixes for recurring problems.
Once you made the purchase, what were your expectations regarding time and money needed to refit the boat?
Orion is a 1987 build, and was a lovingly maintained one owner boat prior to our purchase.But, the reality is she was 25 years old, which is relatively ancient for a plastic boat.The electronics were all outdated, the standing rigging was original, the running rigging and sails were serviceable, but in need of replacing, there were the usual bits of other hardware that had seen better days, as well as numerous water entry points that needed to be addressed.
To turn the boat into a true long distance cruiser, various equipment additions and upgrades would also be necessary.There was also one “Achilles Heel” with Sabres, something lovingly called “Sabre Rot”, where the mast base collected water and allowed it to migrate into the surrounding cabin sole and underlayment, rotting out the sole in the process.The limber hole in the mast base was inadequate for the task and the root cause of the problem.
Fortunately, the factory was aware of the problem and had produced a “fix.”Our boat had a relatively minor case, but it still needed to be addressed.I wish I could honestly say that I anticipated every one of the repairs and upgrades, but that would be a total fabrication!I will say that once complete, the purchase price and the cost of the refit will be about a quarter of the cost of a new boat of similar dimensions and quality.There is no question that finding a sound used boat is the most cost conscious route to take.
What was the single largest upgrade cost-wise?
Without question, it was the standing rigging.Sabres came from the factory with rod rigging, a great option for both strength and performance, but also more expensive to replace than wire.You may be familiar with a term called “scope creep”, where an ongoing project creates opportunities to make improvements to corollary systems.In the case of the standing rigging, we had to pull the mast, so while it was horizontal in the yard, it was a no-brainer to go ahead with a complete re-wire, including LED lighting for anchor, tri-color, steaming and spreader lights, new VHF antenna and coaxial cable, new halyard sheaves and halyards.The mast and boom were re-painted with Awl Grip.The chainplates were cleaned, inspected and re-bedded, prior to the mast being re-stepped.This of course, was not the only area where scope creep has come into play.When deciding to redo the entire plumbing system, it made sense to replace the galley sink, pressure water pump and water filter, while also adding a cockpit shower where an old LORAN unit had been cut into the cockpit bulkhead.And once the “Sabre Rot” was repaired, I went ahead and stripped the entire cabin sole of varnish, then sanded and refinished it.I am fortunate that my career path involves home repairs and woodworking, I’m a general contractor, so I have the confidence to do many things myself.
You sailed the boat from New Jersey back to Texas.What are your thoughts regarding Orion’s sailing qualities?
It’s hard not to get overly effusive about this boat’s performance on the water.Despite being a centerboard boat, she sails very well with the board up and when needed, even better with the board down.She’s very stable, not tender, points well and is easy to balance on nearly every point of sail.On our crossing from Clearwater to Pensacola, FL, we were close reaching and there was a period of nearly 3 hours where she maintained course without so much as a touch of the helm.It was like she was on a rail.And surprisingly fast for a cruiser.I could go on and on, sea kindly, comfortable cockpit, generous side decks, ample foredeck and gorgeous classic lines to boot.I feel blessed to own and to sail this boat.
You’ve worked hard getting the boat ready to cruise.Do you have any definitive plans going forward?
Yes, my wife Kris is retiring in October.I will have most of my work obligations wrapped up shortly thereafter.Our loose plan is to sail back to SW Florida and find a semi-permanent slip, most likely in the Ft. Myers area, which gives us the opportunity to sail south to the Keys, Cuba and the Caribbean, or head east through Lake Okeechobee to the Atlantic and either the Bahamas or up the Eastern Seaboard, depending upon the season.Before we leave the western Gulf though, we plan a stopover in New Orleans to enjoy that great city for a while.From there, we want to explore the barrier islands in Mississippi Sound and then spend some time in the Apalachicola area before turning towards Ft. Myers.
What advice would you give to someone looking to buy a sailboat for cruising?
To borrow and modify a phrase from Lance Armstrong, it’s not about the boat.Too many people get hung up on trying to find and prepare the perfect boat for their perceived needs and lose sight of the prize.The list of boats that have successfully crossed oceans is long and runs the gamut in size and price from humble skiffs to 100 ft maxis.If cruising is truly your dream, don’t wait until you can afford the perfect boat.Mark Twain puts it so well:“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
David Popken was born in Grants Pass, OR in 1948.After high school and the US Army, where he served in the Vietnam War, he graduated from Washington State University and pursued a short career in cinematography and film. Changing careers, he moved to Houston in 1980 to work in real estate.He started his own residential building/remodeling company in 1983 and is still in business, but is planning to retire soon to go out and experience the cruising lifestyle.David and his wife Kris bought their first sailboat, a 1978 Hunter 30 in 2002.They have been avid sailors ever since, daysailing, racing and cruising whenever possible.David has recently turned his attention towards writing about sailing and sailboat maintenance.His stories have been published in Sail Magazine, Telltales and GCM.
Sea Scout Base Galveston Short-course Fleet Racing Regatta
Sea Scout Base Galveston Short-course Fleet Racing Regatta Notice of Regattas 2016 September 17-18 October 22-23 November 12-13
Host
The Texas OPEN Short-Course Fleet Racing Regattas will be hosted by Sea Scout Base Galveston at Sea Base Galveston, 7509 Broadway, Galveston Texas 77554.
Schedule
Saturday
0800 Breakfast
0900 Competitors meeting
1000 First Race
Last Race of the day NLT 1700
Pizza and beverages after racing
Sunday
0800 Breakfast
0900 Competitors meeting
1000 First Race
Last Race of the day NLT 1400
Boats
Racing will be in 18+ Collegiate FJs provided by Sea Base Galveston
Format
The regatta will be OPEN short-course fleet racing (10-15 minutes per race), available to high school, college and seasoned dinghy sailors. If more than 18 teams (i.e., skipper and crew) register, two fleets may be designated. Boats will be assigned to competitors, and there will be no rotation of boats. The regatta will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing 2013-2016. Everyone is encouraged to bring a refillable water bottle.
Housing
Housing will be available at Sea Scout Base Galveston, the site of the regatta. Reservations should be made directly with Eva LaFour (409-572-2560 x1002). Sea Base is offering accommodations for $50/night/person. These are apartment suites with shared bathroom; rooms can accommodate males and females). Housing reservations with Sea Base should be arranged at least one week in advance.
Berths and Entries
Berths will be available to the first 18 teams registered (see below). Additional teams will be added if a second division is created. Below is the link for the regatta network form. Entry requires $60 fee and $100 damage deposit (damage deposit to “Sea Scout Base Galveston.”)
Dave Perry grew up sailing on Long Island Sound at the Pequot Yacht Club. If you’re familiar with this part of the country then you know they have some great sailing clubs. Larchmont Yacht Club and Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club are just a couple of places people gather to race sailboats on the weekends all summer long. In this competitive environment Dave Perry honed his sailing skills and got the reputation as a darn good junior sailor. His next stop was Yale University where he was an All American for two years, 1975 and 1977.
After college Dave kept up his now famous working and racing schedule. He is a five time U.S. Matching Racing Champion, and two time Congressional Cup winner. In 1992 Dave was voted into the Sailing World Hall of Fame. He doesn’t seem be slowing down at all unless he is setting a mark trap for you, so be ready.
Dave is a husband, author, and a good teacher. He wrote the North U Rules and Tactics Seminar Workbook, Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing through 2016, and Winning in One Designs, which I just finished and highly recommend.
Dave, along with his wife Betsy, recently made a trip to Texas to run a team racing seminar at the Texas Corinthian Yacht Club. They both were so friendly and fun that we hated to see them go. If Gary Jobson is the heart and voice of US Sailing then Dave is the soul of US Sailing. He has that unique ability to break down complicated sailing rules into a language that the rest of us can understand. Dave is busy these days and hard to pin down but he was kind enough to answer a few questions on the sport of competitive sailing, we hope you like them.
Where did you grow up and how did you get started racing sailboats?
I grew up in Southport, Conn., where sailing and racing is very popular. My dad was a big sailor, and I was heavily involved with the Pequot Yacht Club junior program.
I know you’re a big fan of Buddy Melges; who else was a big influence on your early sailing career?
As a kid it was my Dad and my sailing instructors. In college I became aware of Paul Elvstrom, whose books I love. And then my sailing peers were big influences, such as Peter Isler and Peter Commette.
You’re a big man; You must have played a lot of sports growing up. What was it about racing sailboats that turned you on?
I love sailing. I love being on the water. I love the challenge and feel of making a boat go fast. I love games, and sailboat racing combines my love of sailing and my love of games.
I really enjoyed attending the Team Race seminar you did at the Texas Corinthian Yacht Club. While you were lecturing you mentioned the 3 P’s, what are they and why are they important in racing sailboats?
Patience – Frustration shuts down the objective thinking in our brain. Frustration and blame are unpleasant emotions to be around in others. It takes a long time to prepare a feast. Sailing is difficult, and there are many variables, many of which are out of our control. You need to be able to stay objective and focused despite distractions and set-backs.
Perseverance – Hang in there….races are long, series are long, it’s a sport for a lifetime.
Positive – It is just better and more pleasant to be positive, and to be around – and do things with – people who are positive.
The US Olympic sailing team will be heading off to Brazil soon. How do you like our teams chances of winning a few medals?
I like them. We have some strong 470 teams (men and women), and some strong singlehanded sailors (Laser men and women, and Finn). We also have some strong 49er and Nacra teams. It will be exciting to see if they can put together the regattas of their lives.
Why is it so hard to stay focused when you’re driving a sailboat in a race and how do you accomplish it?
I don’t think it’s hard at all. I think some drivers lose their focus because they try to tell everyone on the boat how to do their job. I try to sail with people who know how to do their job. Some get distracted by adversities (wrong side of the beat, etc.). I try to pass boats wherever I am in the race…for the fun of it.
What do you do with a drunken sailor?
I can’t remember…
High School Sailing Team Makes Texas History
The first ever Texas team has captured the Mallory Trophy in a 1st place win for their area district, SEISA, at the National Championship at the College of Charleston in South Carolina this month. Trained by Bay Access in cooperation with Lakewood Yacht Club, the winning team from Clear Falls High School qualified in April in a two day qualifier in Mississippi to represent the state of Texas at the High School Doublehanded Championship for the Mallory Cup as well as the High School Team Racing Championship for the Baker Cup in Ana Cortes, WA.
The co-ed racing fleet for Division-A was made up of 17-year-old Wiley Rogers and his 18-year-old crewmate Hunter Skinner who dominated both days to pull in a victory overall. Dane Byerly and Laura Masterson partnered with Julia Sheaffer and Bailey Spatz to pull ahead to the finish in Division-B.
While the first day of racing brought on a light, westerly breeze, sailing conditions became shifty. As the day progressed, the wind picked up to 15 knots, slowing down most of the teams. But by the end of the day, the Clear Falls team had pushed themselves to a significant lead.
Day two saw some of the most difficult conditions with light winds out of the North. The team fought hard to come out on top for the duration of 20 races. After two days of intense sailing, the Clear Falls team finished with a 38-point lead.
Training with fellow high school and college sailors in the Houston area, the Clear Lake Knights have worked hard to prepare for the championships.
Leaving behind a rich legacy of sailing, Byerly, Masterson, and Skinner will graduate this year and pursue college sailing at Saint Mary’s College of Maryland, the College of Charleston, and Jacksonville University. The graduates look forward to their second national championship for the Baker Cup in Anacortes, WA at the end of May.
Bay Access is a nonprofit charitable organization that promotes amateur sailing for kids and adults alike. Camp fees include professional instruction, sailboat, and life jacket for those who can’t bring their own. Classes will begin on June 20 and continue on week days through early August. To learn more about the classes and how to register, please go to www.bay-access.org.
About Lakewood Yacht Club:Lakewood Yacht Club is a private, member-owned club reinventing the standard for a vibrant social life, exclusive yachting lifestyle, and premier youth sailing. One of the top ten yacht clubs in the nation, Lakewood beckons to those who love the water and live life to the fullest.
Torqueedo J/70 North American Championship Results
J/70 Series Standing – 7 races scored
Division: CorinthianPos,Bow/Sail, Boat, Skipper, Yacht Club, Results, Total Points 1. 26 / 3, 3 Ball JT, Jack Franco[Corinthian][Open], LIYC, 3-2-[26]-6-19-25-16- ; 71 2. 33 / 51, Black River Racing, doug strebel[Open][Corinthian], LYC, 25-[30]-27-14-14-15-21- ; 116 3. 12 / 850, Mojito, Forbes Durdin[Open][Corinthian], LYC, 29-[34]-30-4-30-21-11- ; 125 4. 37 / 898, Christine Robin, Tracy Usher[Open][Corinthian], St Francis Yacht Club, 12-25-20-23-21-29-[35]- ; 130 5. 06 / USA 55, JOUST, Tim Molony[Open][Corinthian], Southern Yacht Club, [32]-13-24-28-12-26-28- ; 131 6. 21 / 159, Torqeedo, Brandon Flack[Open][Corinthian], Mudheads, 28-28-17-34-28-34-[37]- ; 169T 7. 13 / 818, Rascal, Henry Brauer[Corinthian][Open], Eastern Yacht Club, 31-24-19-[38]-29-33-33- ; 169T 8. 03 / 382, Zombie, Kristen Robinson[Open][Corinthian], Annapolis Yacht Club, [37]-37-35-29-20-36-26- ; 183 9. 07 / USA 529, Bazinga, Robert McMahan[Open][Corinthian], Lakewood Yacht Club, [42/OCS]-38-36-36-36-39-32- ; 217 10. 02 / 98, usa98, Alfred Poindexter[Open][Corinthian], lakewood y c, 38-[39]-34-33-39-37-38- ; 219
Division: OpenPos,Bow/Sail, Boat, Skipper, Yacht Club, Results, Total Points 1. 24 / 384, Flojito y Cooperando, Julian Fernandez Neckelmann[Open], Club Nautico Valle de Bravo, 1-3-1-11-[13]-1-3- ; 20 2. 19 / 852, Hoss, Glenn Darden[Open], Fort Worth Boat Club, [23]-4-3-3-10-9-1- ; 30 3. 44 / US 49, Relative Obscurity, Peter DUNCAN[Open], American Yacht Club, 14-7-2-[22]-2-5-2- ; 32 4. 32 / USA 353, Heartbreaker, Robert Hughes[Open], Macatawa Bay, 4-9-[22]-7-3-7-4- ; 34 5. 43 / USA 26, Midlife Crisis, Bruce Golison[Open], ABYC, 2-1-5-16-5-8-[17]- ; 37T 6. 09 / 86, STAMPEDE, bruno pasquinelli[Open], fwbc, 10-8-4-5-1-[13]-9- ; 37T 7. 10 / USA 248, Scamp, Will Welles[Open], MDICSC, [19]-16-10-2-9-6-6- ; 49 8. 36 / BRA-650, Cloud Nine, Phil Haegler[Open], Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club, 5-10-[25]-1-7-20-13- ; 56 9. 42 / 96, Savasana, Brian Keane[Open], Beverly Yacht Club, 16-[18]-15-9-4-3-18- ; 65 10. 40 / 389, Hooligan Flat Stanley Racing, Trey Sheehan[Open], Put-in-Bay YC, 9-5-14-[25]-17-11-14- ; 70 11. 26 / 3, 3 Ball JT, Jack Franco[Corinthian][Open], LIYC, 3-2-[26]-6-19-25-16- ; 71 12. 34 / 602, Building A, Josh Goldman[Open], Cedat Point YC, 20-21-7-10-6-[31]-10- ; 74 13. 11 / USA 839, Reach Around, Thomas Bowen[Open], Annapolis YC, 22-12-[31]-17-24-4-7- ; 86T 14. 41 / BRA641, OceanPact, haroldo solberg[Open], ICRJ, 11-17-8-26-[33]-12-12- ; 86T 15. 25 / 230, Izula, Robert Willis[Open], Columbia Yacht Club, 6-[35]-13-12-8-35-23- ; 97T 16. 08 / 419, Joint Custody, Jennifer Wulff[Open], Annapolis Yacht Club, 18-15-12-[35]-26-18-8- ; 97T 17. 38 / USA364, USA364, David Kerr[Open], Edgewater Yacht Club, [33]-23-16-21-15-19-5- ; 99T 18. 27 / 187, Catapult, Joel Ronning[Open], Wayzata Yacht Club, 7-31-[35/ARB]-8-23-10-20- ; 99T 19. 15 / 157, Spring, Dave Franzel[Open], Boston Sailing Center, 27-6-6-13-34-17-[42/DNF]- ; 103 20. 18 / 820, Nasty Baby, Rick Schaffer[Open], FWBC, 8-22-[33]-15-18-28-19- ; 110 21. 01 / 181, GB, Chris Lewis[Open], LYC, 24-[27]-9-19-22-27-15- ; 116T 22. 33 / 51, Black River Racing, doug strebel[Open][Corinthian], LYC, 25-[30]-27-14-14-15-21- ; 116T 23. 12 / 850, Mojito, Forbes Durdin[Open][Corinthian], LYC, 29-[34]-30-4-30-21-11- ; 125T 24. 29 / USA 171, Running Wild, Peter Vessella[Open], St Francis YC, 21-[29]-21-24-16-14-29- ; 125T 25. 05 / 546, Zounds powered by Nautalytics, Jay Lutz[Open], Lakewood YC, [35]-26-11-18-11-30-31- ; 127 26. 37 / 898, Christine Robin, Tracy Usher[Open][Corinthian], St Francis Yacht Club, 12-25-20-23-21-29-[35]- ; 130 27. 06 / USA 55, JOUST, Tim Molony[Open][Corinthian], Southern Yacht Club, [32]-13-24-28-12-26-28- ; 131 28. 35 / #34, Parseverance, Bennet Greenwald[Open], San Diego Yacht Club, 15-11-29-[31]-31-22-25- ; 133 29. 14 / USA 497, Chinook, Frank McNamara[Open], Eastern Yacht Club, 13-[33]-18-27-32-24-22- ; 136 30. 23 / USA 380, Pied Piper, Gannon Troutman[Open], Fishing Bay YC, 30-32-32-23/RDG-25-2-[34]- ; 144 31. 17 / 175, , Matthew Romberg[Open], Austin Yacht Club, 26-19-28-[30]-27-16-30- ; 146 32. 39 / USA167, USA167, James Prendergast[Open], Chicago Yacht Club, 34-14-[42/DSQ]-20-37-23-24- ; 152 33. 30 / JPN 809, Esmeralda, Makoto Uematsu[Open], JSAF, 17-20-[38]-32-35-32-27- ; 163 34. 21 / 159, Torqeedo, Brandon Flack[Open][Corinthian], Mudheads, 28-28-17-34-28-34-[37]- ; 169T 35. 13 / 818, Rascal, Henry Brauer[Corinthian][Open], Eastern Yacht Club, 31-24-19-[38]-29-33-33- ; 169T 36. 03 / 382, Zombie, Kristen Robinson[Open][Corinthian], Annapolis Yacht Club, [37]-37-35-29-20-36-26- ; 183 37. 07 / USA 529, Bazinga, Robert McMahan[Open][Corinthian], Lakewood Yacht Club, [42/OCS]-38-36-36-36-39-32- ; 217 38. 02 / 98, usa98, Alfred Poindexter[Open][Corinthian], lakewood y c, 38-[39]-34-33-39-37-38- ; 219 39. 04 / 530, ApolloJ, bruno vibert[Open], HYC, 36-36-37-37-[38]-38-36- ; 220 40. 28 / 50, Rogue Warrior, Bruce McDonald[Open], AYC, [42/DNS]-42/DNS-42/DNS-42/DNS-42/DNS-42/DNS-42/DNS- ; 252T 41. 20 / USA, Baby Doll, Wiley ROGERS[Open], Lakewood Yacht Club, [42/DNS]-42/DNS-42/DNS-42/DNS-42/DNS-42/DNS-42/DNS- ; 252T
Notes
– Scoring System is RRS Low Point 2013-2016
– Finishes in [brackets] denote throwouts
– Click on race number to view detailed race information.
Information is provisional and subject to modification
World-Renowned Sailor Ken Read Serves as Master of Ceremonies
The Sailing Foundation of New York (SFNY) held its biennial Golden Spinnaker Gala on Wednesday, May 4 at the New York Yacht Club in Manhattan, benefiting the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Team athletes representing the United States at the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Games this summer in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
The Gala raised $252,000 for the athletes’ Olympic and Paralympic campaigns, which includes travel, shipping and accommodations expenses, as they embark on the final stretch of their Olympic and Paralympic campaigns in order to reach their medal goals. The SFNY has raised more than $500,000 in the last four years for the teams, and $1.2 million since the foundation was launched.
“The Sailing Foundation of New York is so proud to support so many amazing young athletes on the Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. We believe these athletes should be training and preparing for the Games every waking moment and not worrying about raising money,” said Dean Brenner, the SFNY president. “So we are committed to giving them as much support as we can. We are grateful for all the guests’ generosity at the Golden Spinnaker Gala – and for those paddles raised high during the auction.”
While other countries’ sailing teams are funded by their respective governments and lotteries, the U.S. teams relies on generous philanthropists and corporate sponsors to stay competitive. Nearly 200 people attended the Golden Spinnaker Gala, which included cocktails, dinner and a live auction led by renowned Christie’s auctioneer Lydia Fenet. Established in 2004, the Gala is held every other year at the New York Yacht Club in New York City and Newport, R.I.
Two-time U.S. Rolex Yachtsman of the Year and America’s Cup skipper Ken Read (Newport, R.I.) served as the evening’s Master of Ceremonies and interviews several athletes on stage during the program about what it takes to be Olympic-class sailors. He stressed the time they spend traveling and training – and noted the sacrifices they make to be the best at their sport.
The Galas was sponsored by US Sailing Team Sperry, Sunbrella, Chubb Personal Insurance, Gowrie Group, Sunsail, The Hinckley Company, Arader Galleries, The Heritage Flag Company, Soundview Millworks, Team One Newport and Serendipity Magazine.
Founded in 2004 by New York Yacht Club Commodore George Isdale, Jr., the Sailing Foundation of New York supports individuals who demonstrate the commitment and the potential to represent the United States at the highest possible levels in the sport of sailing, and the organizations and programs that are committed to growing the sport. One hundred percent of all donations go directly to the athletes. During the last decade, the Foundation has raised more than $4 million for sailing athletes.
About the U.S. Olympic Sailing Team
The U.S. Olympic Sailing Team and U.S. Paralympic Sailing Team are managed by the United States Sailing Association (US Sailing), the national governing body for the sport of sailing and sailboat racing. The top boats in each of the 10 Olympic and three Paralympic classes will be named tot he US Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Teams. US Sailing helps these elite athletes with financial, logistical, coaching, technical, fitness, marketing and communications support.
34th Annual Shoe Regatta Results
J/22 Series Standing – 7 races scored
Pos,Sail, Boat, Skipper, Yacht Club, Results, Total Points 1. 53, Southern Belle, Stuart Lindow, None, 2-3-3-3-4-1-3- ; 19 2. 388, USA 388, Michael McGagh, GBCA, 3-5-4-4-2-2-2- ; 22 3. 365, , Vincent Ruder, None, 4-1-1-12/OCS-3-4-1- ; 26T 4. 498, Classy with k, Robert Allen, None, 7-2-2-2-1-6-6- ; 26T 5. 1531, Parrot Tales Light, Larry Blankenhagen, LYC, 5-4-5-5-5-7-7- ; 38 6. 918, TILT, Christopher Morlan, Grosse Pointe Sail Club, 1-8-7-6-8-5-4- ; 39 7. 951, , Dov Kivlovitz, none, 6-7-12/DNS-1-6-3-5- ; 40 8. 732, Helms a Lee, Anne Lee, HYC, 8-6-6-9-9-8-9- ; 55 9. 973, WooHoo, Andrea Zaite, HYC, 11-10-9-8-7-9-8- ; 62 10. 392, Loose Cannon, Rick Duste, GBAC, 9-12/DNF-8-7-10-10-10- ; 66 11. 1271, Razzmatazz, Jaime Balzac, PUR, 10-9-10-10-11-11-12/DNS- ; 73
J/70 Series Standing – 7 races scored
Pos,Sail, Boat, Skipper, Yacht Club, Results, Total Points 1. 34, perseverance, bennet greenwald, san diego yacht club, 5-1-5-2-6-6-2- ; 27 2. 175, , Matthew Romberg, Austin Yacht Club, 1-8-4-1-1-7-7- ; 29T 3. 51, Black River Racing, Doug Strebel, Lakewood Yacht Club, 6-5-1-4-2-1-10- ; 29T 4. 181, GB, Chris Lewis, LYC, 7-2-3-3-5-2-9- ; 31 5. 852, Hoss, Glenn Darden, Fort Worth Boat Club, 3-3-9-6-3-5-5- ; 34 6. 820, Nasty Baby, Rick Schaffer, Fort Worth Boat Club, 2-7-6-8-9-3-1- ; 36 7. 3, 3 Ball JT, Jack Franco, LIYC, 4-10-7-11-4-4-3- ; 43 8. 167, USA167, James Prendergast, Chicago Yacht Club, 9-4-2-7-8-9-6- ; 45 9. 497, Chinook, Frank McNamara, Eastern Yacht Club, 8-9-8-10-11-8-4- ; 58T 10. 850, Mojito, Forbes Durdin, LYC, 11-6-10-5-7-11-8- ; 58T 11. 98, usa98, Al Poindexter, lyc, 12-11-11-9-13-13-12- ; 81 12. 529, Bazinga, Robert Mcmahan, Lakewood YC, 10-12-12-15/DNS-12-10-11- ; 82 13. 530, ApolloJ, Bruno Vibert, HYC, 13-13-15/DNS-15/DNS-10-12-13- ; 91 14. 50, , Bruce McDonald, AYC, 15/DNC-15/DNC-15/DNC-15/DNC-15/DNC-15/DNC-15/DNC- ; 105
PHRF Spinnaker Distance B Series Standing – 2 races scored
Pos,Sail, Boat, Skipper, Yacht Club, Results, Total Points 1. 398, Flyer, Ben Miller, GBAC, 1-1- ; 2 2. 83076, FarFigNewton, David Nielsen, GBCA, 2-2- ; 4 3. 110, Restless, Robin Rice, Waterford, 4-3- ; 7T 4. 40645, Texas Ranger II, Chuck Wielchowsky, HYC, 3-4- ; 7T 5. 2342, Rodeo Clown, Jason Seibert, Seabrook, 5-5- ; 10
PHRF Spinnaker W/L Series Standing – 6 races scored
Pos,Sail, Boat, Skipper, Yacht Club, Results, Total Points 1. USA74, Second Star, J.D. Hill, LYC, 3-1-1-1-1-1- ; 8 2. US-51, Water Nymph lll, Brian Tulloch, HYC, 1-2-2-4-3-4- ; 16 3. 77, 77, George Cushing, GBCA, 2-3.5/TIE-3-5-2-5- ; 20.5 4. 5101, Pingo, Pedro Gianotti, GBCA, 4-3.5/TIE-5-2-5-2- ; 21.5 5. 31, Little Joe, Dan Sullivan, Southern Yacht Club, 5-6/DNS-4-3-4-3- ; 25
Photo by Jimmie Rogers
Photo by Jimmie Rogers
National Hospice Regatta Alliance
The National Hospice Regatta Alliance held April 29 through May 1 st at Sea Scout Base Galveston was a big success. This annual championship helped raise much needed finds for hospice care throughout the United States. The Championship is an invitational regatta for sailors representing hospice regattas that are held in 25 U.S. communities and Toronto each year. This year’s event brought 12 teams to the island to compete in the Sonar class event. After 3 days of intense racing, a tie breaker decided the winner. The team from Haute de Grace, Yacht Club, Maryland, brought home the coveted “Virginia Brown Trophy”. The team from Nashville, Tennessee came in second, followed by Lake Norman, N.C. “We were delighted to bring the only national hospice charity sailing regatta to such a great facility in such a great sailing community,” said Tom Tomlinson, president of the National Hospice Regatta Alliance. That was surely evident as Galveston Community Sailing Center partnered up with HYC’s Jack Yoes and team who handled the R.C. and TCYC’s fleet captain, Pierce Owens who help arrange the loan of 6 additional Sonars.
“I am truly humbled by the amount of support we received from these two outstanding yacht clubs. They (HYC & TCYC) responded without hesitation to our every request. This speaks volumes to the spirit of these two clubs and makes us proud to be associated with them.” said Mike Janota, director of Galveston Community Sailing Center at SSBG.
Farley Fontenot – Quantum Sails
The boats on a reach at the 2015 Audi Melges 32 World Championships.
Farley Fontenot
Farley lives in La Porte, runs a business in Seabrook and races sailboats all over the world. A family man, he still finds the time to sail with his kids. By the time you read this article, Farley will be back home from the 2015 Audi Melges 32 World Championships held in Trapani on Sicily Island in Italy, where he acted as coach for the Quantum Racing Team. The guy has a pretty nice gig.How did he get so lucky?
When did you first come to this area and how did you get started in the sail making business?
I grew up in Port Arthur, and at that time there were no sailmakers in that area, so my father decided that we would take sail making up as a hobby and to help support the local sailmaking market. So by the seventh grade, I could use a sewing machine and do the service work that came into his little business. We were working out of our living room, which was 25’ x 15.’After college, in 1977, I wanted to continue sailing, and my only avenue was sailmaking. So I promised my parents that I would do it for a couple years and then get a real job. I worked for John Cameron for maybe six months, before I ran into John Kolius, who was running the Ulmer Sails loft here in Seabrook, and I have been here ever since.
What is the biggest change you have witnessed in the sail making business in the last 20 years?
Two things come to mind. The first is technology in both design and materials. Just as in every other surviving business in the world, we continue to move the boundaries forward on where we are going with design and material. In design, with the development of our own proprietary design software and the use of programs such as V Spars, we can exact the loads generated on each sail and then design that sail specifically to that load. This enables the sail to be as light in weight as possible and yet still yield to loads generated.
The second thing is how the sailmaking business has transformed from a small cottage business to a international, technology driven business, where we know every sail built around the world, who the customers is, what sails he owns, and what work has been done to those sails.To be a leader in the service industry, you have to know your client’s needs.
The Melges 32 is a pretty physical boat in a blow — how many guys do you carry as a crew and who does what on the boat?
The Melges 32 is definitely a lesson in “Team Sports.” On the Delta Volpe teams we have playbooks, we have game films, we have team meetings to go over the game films, and we have a game plan every morning when we leave the dock. All teams are led by the “Owner Driver.” The Melges 32 is one class that has zero tolerance for anyone other than the owner to drive the boats. All of teams have “Pro Tacticians.” Our teams have Pro Mainsail and Jib/Spinnaker Trimmers. We then have a bowman, a tall, strong Mast Man, a pit person and a very athletic floater, who is a little of everything.
If you could start your business all over again what would you do differently?
That is an easy one, I would have saved all of the money we were making in the early 80s before that oil crash. That was a hard lesson for a couple young kids to learn, trying to make our business work in a down turned economy. We had done so well, that we thought it would never end, but it did. And I bet if you ask Kolius, he would say the same thing.
In your opinion why is the U.S. Olympic team so far behind some of the dominating sailing teams in the world?
Without looking deep into it, I would say that there are two Olympic sports that you have spend so much money on your equipment: Sailing and Equestrian (The rich man’s sports). And because of that, there are many times that our best sailing talent does not have the funds to fully develop their talents and skill sets.Other countries such as England and New Zealand have large funds set aside just for the development of the best sailors in their countries. The U.S. is going to have a tough time competing with those types of programs. Although Josh Adams, Charlie McKee and even Houston’s Luther Carpenter are doing great jobs with what they have to work with, it just might not be enough. And if the sport is not careful, we could lose sailing altogether in the games.
Buddy Melges used to say “Win the start and then increase your lead.” Is that what you say to your guys when you’re coaching them?
For long regattas, such as World Championships, where we will have 12 races, we try and manage the peaks and valleys.We love winning races, but we try and manage the starts and first legs, and then have a positive pass number throughout the race.Let’s say we get to the first mark 11th, pass a boat here and there, take a couple with a good marker rounding and pass one more on the last beat and come in 5th.That is a strong race in that fleet. That’s how you win regattas, staying consistent. We try and not let a bad race bring us down, we recover and get ready to race another race.
In long regattas, the first three races are very important, in that you don’t let the regatta get away from you. The middle races are fine tuning what the course and fleet give you, and you take as much as you can each race from both the fleet and the course. The next to last day you have to keep yourself in contention.And on the last day, you want to leave the dock knowing you have a mathematical shot to win the regatta.
When is John Kolius going to be inducted into the U.S. Sailing Hall of Fame?
If there is anyone out there who deserves to be in the Hall of Fame, it has to be JK. I have nominated him twice with no luck. I will continue the nomination process until we get him there.He was arguably one of the best boat drivers in the world from 1977 to 1995, and I believe that he has earned the right to be inducted into the Sailing Hall of Fame.
Lakewood Yacht Club Team Wins US Sailing’s Prestigious Sears Cup
Lakewood Yacht Club’s youth team has brought home the highly coveted Sears Cup. The United States Sailing Association’s 94th U.S. Junior Championships Regatta, one of the country’s most prestigious events for sailors ages 13-18, was held at Wianno Yacht Club in Osterville, MA August 2nd– 6th 2015 and Lakewood Yacht Club was represented as home to the best of the best for youth sailors
The team of Dane Byerly, Howdy Hughes, Collin Scoville and Carson Shields has won US Sailing’s Jr. Quadruple Handed Championship for the Sears Cup. The event was part of the Chubb US Sailing Jr. Championships and sailing took place in Wianno Seniors, a 25 ft. Gaff Rigged Sloop, originally designed in 1914. Eleven teams from around the United States qualified to compete in this year’s Sears Cup through area eliminations in their region. Racing took place in a variety of conditions on Nantucket sound, with a great sea breeze being the norm late in the day. The Lakewood team was strong in all conditions, effectively winning the event even before the last race. On the final day the team sailed to their 6th race win in 11 races while flying the Texas flag from the mast. They ended up winning the event with 18 points in 11 races with second place 24 points behind them. The Sears Cup is the oldest youth trophy in sailing and has been awarded since 1921. This is the first time that Lakewood has ever won this prestigious award.
In addition to Lakewood Yacht Club team winning the Sears Cup, Dylan Ascencios and Hunter Skinner, also represented Lakewood in the 420 class sailing for the Bemis trophy. Coming off several impressive events this summer, Dylan and Hunter looked to keep their momentum going. The two sailed most of the event in the top ten, but a tough final race saw them finish up at a still impressive 13th place overall.
In recognizing the success of the team, it’s important to also recognize Lakewood Yacht Club’s Sailing Director, Marek Valasek, who joined the Lakewood staff in May 2012 and has grown the club’s youth program into one that is recognized as stellar around the world. Due to his success, Marek has been picked to judge the 2015 Opti Worlds to be held in Dziwon, Poland from Aug. 25th – Sept. 5th.
Racing the Little Boat: Dean Snider
Dean and Kay Snider at left with Dave Curtin. Photo: Monica Kressman Photography
Houston Yacht Club member Dean Snider is a four-time Ensign National Champion. What makes him so good?
Where were you born, and what was your childhood like?
I was born near Somerset, Ohio a small town in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains. I was one of nine siblings that provided the work force for the operation on the Sniders Family Dairy. Being one of the youngest siblings, I was not involved in the major jobs on the farm, but was kept busy with appropriate farm activity. The farm was sold when I was eight years old so I had a major change in my life when we moved to Celina, Ohio.
The home in Celina was very close to the water front on Grand Lake. The lake originally was built to provide a water supply for the Miami/Erie canal and was five miles wide and ten miles long.
My father owned a small boat with a 3.5 HP Scott Atwater motor for fishing. Since my father was now traveling the State of Ohio selling dairy equipment, I had access to the boat and spent a lot of time on the water (not fishing). This evolved into a love of the water
How did you get started racing sailboats on Galveston Bay?
Racing Sailboats did not enter my life until I graduated from College. I went to work in New Jersey at an EXXON refinery. In the next year, my bride to be graduated from College and we were married. She worked for UNION CARBIDE in New York. One of our early trips was to Cape Cod. To entertain my new wife (Kay) I rented a sailboat and we had a pleasant sail. She was a quick learner and liked the activity.
A month after we were married, the EXXON refinery where I worked had a major strike by the union workers. The strike lasted about a hundred days. The first thirty days I spent in the refinery running one of the units. The fallout of this activity resulted in a bonus that we had to spend. We wanted to join a Golf Country Club but that was too expensive and public courses took too long to play. So we bought a sailboat and raced it at the Nyack Boat Club on the Hudson River.
The sailboat was a Lightning and the prior owner volunteered to teach how to sail the boat. He was a racer and since there was a race the day he took us out, we entered it and finished mid fleet. We thought it was so easy and if we could get another engineer from the refinery and with a three engineer crew, we would be winning races. As it worked out the only race we won was four years later. The race was at the end of the season that year and it was only open to the fleet members that had not won a race that year. It was a long four years, but we learned a lot!
After the “win” we had to sell the Lightning because of a transfer to Houston. The second day in my office a gentleman walked in and identified himself as Hank Arnold. He did not want to talk about business. He was a sailor, a member of Houston Yacht Club and raced his Ensign. During the next two weeks, Hank became the sponsor on our HYC application and we bought an Ensign. This was in 1967 and we have actively raced it since then.
What is some good advice about starting in big fleets?
One of the things we had to learn early in our racing career was how to start in large fleets. Both the Lightning Fleet and the Ensign Fleet routinely had 15-20 boats on the starting line. We have found that a lot of homework is required on the water before the start of the race. Information that is helpful to getting a good start include, the favored end of the line, the time it takes to travel the length of the line, which tack is likely to be favored at the start, the frequency of wind shifts and which end of the line you want to start at. The Lightning and the Ensign that we raced are not dinghies. Unlike dinghies that can sit on the line and trim in the sails at the gun and accelerate quickly, the Ensign at 3000 pounds does not do that. Since it is important to get to the starting line close hauled and at full speed it is important to know how far in various wind conditions that you need to be from the starting so that when you harden up, you hit the line at the starting gun.
Ensign National Events with 40 plus boats on the line required a starting line that is in excess of a thousand feet long. It requires more planning and picking your “spot” to start well and be there at the gun. The favored end is usually crowded so you have to decide whether to “duke” it out there or go for a start in a “hole.” I have had success and failures in both situations. In the failures, it is important to get to clean air as soon as possible and get in phase with the wind shifts and current at those sites that have significant current. It is important to find a clear lane to sail in after the start to minimize the number of tacks. This is hard to do since you don’t know when somebody is going to tack and give you dirty air. Sometimes if the penalty to tack and get out of dirty is large if may be best to ride out the dirty air. Lots of judgment decisions are required on the race course!
Since we are now racing in a much smaller fleet, the starting line is generally only 30 seconds long. Position in the last two minutes of the starting sequence is critical. Based on the other boats position, you have to evaluate who is going to be late, early, and position yourself to take advantage of the information obtained on the water prior to the start.
What do you look for in a good crew?
The most important element in racing an Ensign is having a good crew. The best situation is having a good crew that is compatible and can race with you all the time. It is most important that the crew really enjoys being on the water. The rest of the stuff falls into place. The ability to recognize headers and lifts on the weather leg, agility and strength to hike, understanding sail trim, and stamina to make it around the course all comes with experience. This experience can be gained on other boats, but is easily transferred to the Ensign.
As with all boats requiring crew, the crew expects certain things from the skipper. They need to know what the next move is going to be so that they can be in position to carry it out, especially a warning that you are about to tack. A smooth tack requires timely action by the crew and skipper to maintain boat speed. This is especially important if the wind is fresh since it takes time to get off the rail on one side and be in position on the rail of the other side. Another situation that requires lead time is when you are approaching the weather mark and you need to move the spinnaker from one side to the other side before you reach the weather mark. It helps if the skipper keeps a dialog going regarding all upcoming action on the boat. For new crew this is necessary and is also educational. The more they learn about you and the boat, the faster you will go! One thing that is not conducive to team work (and boat speed) is an abrasive skipper
I had the pleasant experience of racing with the same crew for 35 plus years. It included Frank and Sandy Kelley (we purchased their Ensign in 1967) and my wife (Kay). Frank and Sandy seemed like nice people, and since we did not know anybody else in Houston, we invited them to crew for us. Five years later, the Kelley’s bought a Catalina 25 and later switched to a Morgan 27. As long as the Kelley’s owned a boat we crewed for them in GBCA races and they crewed for us on the Ensign. This was intense racing for the four of us, but it was also great training for the crew. We all learned all the positions on the boats and became a stronger team. Several people made the comment that when Frank injured himself, I felt it!! It was a wonderful experience to know and race with the Kelley’s. They crewed for us in most of the National and Regional events that we attended, including three of our four National Championships. It was a challenge when we had to train new crew. We had not talked about the crew functions for 25 plus years and it was hard to figure out what the Kelley’s did. Whatever is was, it was good!!
Tell us about racing with your wife.
Racing with my wife Kay is one of delights of my life. Over time, she became the “crew steward” (protecting the crew’s union rights), still is a great crew and loves to sail and race. She keeps the boat gear organized during the race, can jibe the pole if necessary, trim the jibe and make on the spot repairs if needed and points out items in need of repair. If there is rigging problem during the race she can isolate the cause and correct it without the Skipper needing to take his attention off sailing the boat. Once in a while we have a disagreement on the boat, but have learned it is best to wait until the next day to resolve the issue. This is working better and better as the years go on. My memory is getting worse with time so most of the time I don’t remember the problem.
Little Oil in action.
Your boat is named Little Oil, how did you come up with that name?
We purchased a new Ensign in 1980. It became a problem because there were so many naming options. Our prior boat was named Striker II and the origin of this name was because the boat was bought with a bonus from a union strike at the Exxon Refinery where I was employed. We ended up using a link to our life as a basis for the name. In 1980, I moved from a large oil company to a small oil trading company. Kay still worked with Exxon so we played with the idea of naming Big Oil on one side and Little Oil on the other side. Little Oil finally won since the Ensign is a “little” boat. I am happy to report that our prior Ensign (517) is still active and competitive when raced!
2015 Leukemia Cup Regatta Results
By Charles Milby
This year’s Leukemia Cup regatta was a smashing success. Five races in two days, sailed in a variety of conditions, left no doubt who the winning teams were. Congratulations go out to all of the competitors; you are the ones who made this a great regatta.
Gulf Coast Mariner Magazine would like to thank the Houston Yacht Club for all of their hard work. Commodore Robert Williams and the staff of the club did a great job along with the volunteers on the race committee. It’s not easy getting races started when the breeze is shifting around.
My special thanks go out to the skipper and crew of Pole Dancer, a J-109. Not only did they win their class, they made a new friend.When I lost my hat overboard they were kind enough to give me a spare. Now I keep a throw down hat on board at all times. Thanks again Pole Dancer.
LEUKEMIA CUP REGATTA RESULTS: 1st, 2nd, 3rd, Yacht Club and Points Scored
I need to replace my J-80 mast. How much will a new one cost me?
If you are replacing your J80 mast, there are a lot of variables that you have to consider. The reason most change between the Hall section and the Sparcraft section is the lighter weight and more streamlined section.
There is a ton of stuff to do to switch it over. None of the rigging switches over to the new mast; the mast step has to be modified for the shorter section, the furling unit has to be changed for the longer headstay and the spin halyard is longer on the Sparcraft section than the Hall section.
We have done three of these conversions, and the price of the section has increased every year. It was up by 20 percent in February. So if you are budgeting, beware of the price increase. A mast with no rigging and no shipping is an estimated $5,800. Delivery is around another $900 to $1,300. If we piggy back multiple masts on our mast trailer, you can get delivery as low as $500. Depending on what is needed and upgrades to increase stiffness and performance, the price starts as low as $8,000 using minimal labor, the old furling unit, standard rigging and old halyards.
It is an estimated $15,000 using maximum labor, a new furling unit, rod headstay, compact strand rigging, and new-performance type running rigging. You can always save money if you do the leg work on any job. We have all the dimensions for ordering the conversion for a plug and play installation.
I’m going to order a new mainsail for my 35 ft cruising boat. When I place the order should I go with two reefs or three?
I try to talk my customers out of three reefs 50’ and under. Installing the third reef adds a lot of line that you have to deal with every time you go sailing. Most sail makers go with what they call a “slab” reef. It is a much larger reef that reduces sail quicker and ends up with the same result of the third reef.
Just remember to tie the loose cloth with something that will give way if your reef breaks. Something to substantial could tear the sail in half if it lets loose.
Self-steering systems have come a long way in the past 10 years, in your opinion what is the best system on the market?
There are multiple electronic auto-pilot systems out there. What is the best is an argument I rather not get into; but, what we have found on all systems is that you want to install the larger system, not just the minimal system that fits your boat.
Also have plenty of power to run it, even if you go as far as to add an extra battery or two. Too many times I hear stories of people on delivery and the auto pilot runs the battery down and goes offline. In strong conditions people lose sight of how hard the unit is working; it can consume tons of power if the boat is trimmed wrong. Make sure you take the unit offline from time to time and trim or reduce sails yourself to help the auto pilot.
Our long-range and long-time cruisers prefer the wind-driven auto pilots, but that is a story for another time.
I’m a cruiser. I do not need a racing compass. Who makes a good compass and how much does it cost to install?
All cruising boats should have a magnetic compass somewhere on the boat. I want to say it is a requirement for all boats from the factory. If your boat is not equipped with one, the bulkhead-mount compass is the easiest one to install.
We install the Plastimo Contest most of the time. They cost between $260 to $350 depending on what you want on it. There are others on the market, but this is the one most readily available. What I look for is self-leveling with level marks, magnified-heading numbers with reciprocal numbers, and a light for night time.
Installation varies between the type of boat; around two hours for a basic install and five hours if you are installing wiring for lights. Cabinet modification is not included in these estimated times. That becomes a time and material type of job.
Stack pack or in-the-mast furling systems?
We always recommend “stack packs” or in-boom furling before in-mast furling.
With in-mast furling, you have a chance of the furling unit failing and the sail being stuck at full hoist, in or out of the mast at the worst possible time. It is tough to drop or raise an in-mast sail at the dock in perfect conditions, imagine what it would be like in the middle of the ocean. We actually repair an in-mast furling once a week in peak season.
With a “stack pack” or in-boom furling, you have the option to drop the main if you have trouble and deal with it on the deck. The in-mast adds a lot of weight aloft that hurts performance and makes the boats riding moment higher. The last thing is the in-mast sail has a lot less sail area then the standard sail. Standard battens project the leach of the main out adding sail area andhelps the way the boat sails. Consider this when purchasing a new boat.
By the way, if you get a standard mast you can add a roller boom for the same price as an in-mast furling. If you add it after market you can save more.
After a hard day of racing on the bay my headsails are covered with salt. Does it make sense to hose them down with fresh water?
You should absolutely hose down your sails and gear with fresh water after a hard sail. Even if you go out for a day sail around the bay you should give her a good rinse.
Salt accumulation in the bearings or on the thread of sails will eventually break these parts down. The stitching on the sail will start to deteriorate, causing weakening and patches.
If you look at furling sails, the threads rot faster at the bottom where it has been wet than up top where it stayed dry. All of the gear on your boat is expensive, so a fresh water rinse will save you thousands in the future and add time between replacement.
How to be a Good Skipper
By Jon and Lori Jones
For those of us who routinely take on crew, either for racing or cruising, it is important to have a reputation as a good skipper. People who crew on other people’s boats talk, and if you get a reputation for not being a good skipper, you will soon find yourself honing your solo sailing skills.
On the other hand, if you obtain a reputation as a good skipper, folks will seek you out. But what makes a good skipper? What are crew looking for when they step on your boat? How are they judging you?
Who better to consult on what makes a good skipper than the crew? We maintain a crew list of 30 to 40 folks. Most of them sail on other boats and some of them even own boats of their own. So, we asked our crew what they thought makes a good skipper. Here is what they had to say.
Not surprisingly, being a good sailor was the most cited desirable trait for a skipper. Most of our crew associated sailing proficiency with other desirable characteristics such as being a good teacher, being confident, and being safe – all traits that have their basis in knowing what you’re doing. For instance, Tammy said, “When I’m on a boat…even when I’m scared due my own inexperience, I am truly reassured when I can 100 percent trust the experience of the skipper that he will not put the crew or the boat at risk.” Anton said, “For sure, a good skipper needs knowledge to teach, tell stories, and sing sea-shanties.” Josh, an experienced crewmember “prefers a skipper that is a better sailor than I am, since I look at each outing as a chance to learn.” Hmmm…this might explain why Josh hasn’t sailed with us much lately.
Right after sailing ability, our crew equally cited both “no yelling” and patience as desirable traits, often linking them to remaining calm. As Nancy put it, “I do not like skippers that scream or yell or demean their crew. Remaining calm is a great trait in a skipper.” Ellen said, “I especially like the non-yelling, non-condescending skipper, which probably stems from their patience and skill.” Several of our lady crew spoke in terms of yelling, screaming, being condescending, etc. This appears to be a sore point and a common one at that. The men of the crew (along with the less traumatized ladies) used the term “patience” as a desirable trait in their skippers, which seems to us about the same thing.
On the third tier of desired traits were be a good teacher, be organized, and clearly communicate. I was surprised at how many of our crew want their skippers to be a good teachers. Apparently telling them what to do is not enough. They also want to understand what is going on. Many cited being organized and being able to clearly communicate as important so that crew can be more sure of their role and what is expected of them. As Lauren puts it, “Every good crew member expects to be flexible- to wind, weather, whims of the group, whatever. A basic sail plan with simple crew instructions and an overview of the boat’s features maximize chances that everyone will show up similar expectations and appropriate gear.”
The next most cited group of traits had to do with enjoying the sail. Cited equally often were allowing the crew to participate,creating a relaxing environment, and fostering fun. The only surprise here is how far down on the list these traits were. Having fun is certainly essential for the crew, but it was not cited by most of the crew and others cited it only after pointing our other desired traits. Perhaps having fun went without saying, so they didn’t say it.
Rounding out the list were being safety conscience,being of responsible character, looking like a sailor, having sufficient beer and rum on the boat, and knowing sea-shanties.
Other noteworthy observations: Ben said the most important quality is leadership, but he was the only one to use that word. Erik says he tends to stay clear of skippers who use terms like “avast” and “ye matey.” Cynthia wants skippers to know she isn’t looking for a date. And finally, Katherine responded to my inquiry as to what she is looking for in a skipper with just two words: cold beer.
Taking into account our crew’s input, here is our assessment of what it takes to be a good skipper.
Be technically proficient
Know navigation, good seamanship, and how to sail your boat. Know your boat’s capabilities and limitations. Know what you need to do if you get into trouble, and better yet, know enough to stay out of trouble in the first place. Your crew doesn’t need you to be an expert, but they will expect you to be competent.
Be a good leader
A good leader looks and acts the part. He or she displays confidence and instills confidence in the crew. A good leader knows what she and her crew are capable of. A good leader is a good teacher/coach, and communicates effectively. A good leader explains how things are done with patience and keeps calm in the face of adversity. A good leader does not need to yell, scream, or demean her crew. Your crew looks to you to be the leader.
Be organized
An organized skipper is likely to have an organized boat, which in turn will likely be well-maintained, safe, and will instill confidence in the crew. The organized skipper will have sufficient stores on board for the crew and will make sure the crew knows what they need to know. Standing orders and standard procedures will be consistent and understood by all. The organized skipper helps alleviate anxiety and confusion in the crew without driving them crazy with his borderline obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Foster a relaxed and fun environment
Your crew is not signing up to hunt whales in the Arctic or to exchange broadsides with privateers in the Caribbean. They sail for pleasure. Good skippers ensure the crew enjoy themselves, feel relaxed on the boat, and allow them to participate in handling the boat. So relax and sing a sea-shanty or two. Cold beer can help, too.
Be safe
The good skipper understands the overriding importance of keeping the crew safe. Your crew is expecting you to watch out for them and keep them from endangering themselves through ignorance or inattention.
If you are crew, look for these characteristics before signing on to someone’s boat. Few skippers will have an abundance of all of these characteristics, but most should have at least some of each. If you are a skipper looking to better your reputation, focus on these five characteristics, especially the first one. Once you have a reputation for being a good skipper, obtaining and keeping a good crew will be a snap.
Hanse 415 Review
German built Hanse 415 features sleek, streamlined styling
By Jon N. Jones
Last summer I had a chance to sail a new Hanse 415 on Galveston Bay. I’d heard of Hanse, a German production sailboat company very popular in Europe, but had not sailed one, so, of course, I jumped at the chance.
My first impression was of a sleek, modern-looking sailing machine with uncluttered deck and European styling.It looked much bigger than her 39’4” would suggest due to the ample freeboard, plumb bow and flat transom.
According to Hanse, most owners opt for the fully battened mainsail instead of the increasingly popular in-mast furling.This boat was no exception and it was clear most of the horsepower comes from the main.The mast is noticeably forward of center and the boom comes all the way back to the transom, allowing for a large (565 sf) and powerful mainsail.The jib is a single-sheet, self-tacker, unique to Hanse.The jib sheet connects to a traveler-like arrangement forward of the mast replacing the need for a jib-boom on other self-tacking rigs I’ve encountered.
My first impression of uncluttered decks was confirmed.Other than a tank fill cap, I found not a single fitting on the deck itself.The cockpit was similarly uncluttered with all lines being led aft underneath molded runners on deck and then into molded cockpit lockers.The entire boat is noticeably lacking in trip hazards and toe-stubbers.
The transom itself drops down “tailgate” fashion, which is becoming the norm for swim platforms.Twin helms are also becoming the norm, but unlike most production boats, Hanse’s rack and pinion steering allows each wheel to be independent.If one steering mechanism fails, the other can compensate.There is no emergency tiller on board – the other helm is the emergency tiller.
Down below, the Hanse 415 does not disappoint.Straight lines and 90 degree angles on the interior cabinetry gives the perception of more space and makes the boat feel more home-y, and less boat-y.Interior woods come in a variety of types and shades.The model I saw was outfitted in American cherry.Interior doors were substantial including hardware more like what you find in a home than on the typical boat.
As nice as it was below, I came out to sail the boat.On our test sail, we had steady 10-12 knot winds from the SSE and calm seas.We motored easily past the Kemah boardwalk with the boat’s Volvo-saildrive and two-blade folding propeller.Steering was easy, two fingers being more than enough to steer the boat under engine.
This Hanse 415 was equipped with an electric main halyard winch, so raising sail consisted of turning into the wind, unzipping the lazy bag and pushing the button.Falling off a bit, we unfurled the jib and the boat quickly achieved 5.5 knots close hauled.Falling off the wind, we picked up to just under 7.5 knots with only a slight adjustment of the jib sheet.
Tacking the boat was ridiculously easy.From the helm, I announced “tacking,” and turned the boat through the wind with just one hand.The self-tacking jib slid across the deck and settled in on the new tack.Nothing touched, no sheets to let fly, no need to trim the sheet.And just like that, we were back up to speed.
The Hanse 415 is a cruising boat, no doubt.It is roomy and well appointed.She was quite impressive under sail with a powerful sail plan and performance-minded rudder and keel.Not only will this boat be very comfortable at the anchorage, she can get there quickly, too.
A Little Trouble at Sea
A Harvest Moon Regatta Story
By David Popkin
The smoke from the 3:15 p.m. starting gun in the 2014 Harvest Moon Regatta was still visible, drifting to leeward of the line as Ground Effect, Martin Hamilton’s Condor 40 trimaran crossed the line and began reeling in the fleet. The multihull class is traditionally the last class to start and this year was no exception. Our start was one hour and fifteen minutes after the first of five consecutive monohull class starts, the first at 2 p.m. There is no challenge in sending the fastest boats out first, since a big part of the race is managing the inherent risks of passing or being passed by other boats. Being one of the dozen or so fastest boats in the regatta meant we would overtake more than 150 boats in the course of the race, and if all worked as planned, Ground Effect would be one of the first three or four boats to finish the 150 nautical mile race in Port Aransas early Friday morning.
Onboard were six very experienced sailors. Four were veteran multihull sailors; the owner Martin Hamilton, Joe Peine, Roy Shaw, and Jeff Linn. Terry Hudson and I both had extensive offshore experience on various monohulls, but limited experience on multihulls.
Tactically, our plan was to work to windward of the rhumb line, that line being the most direct course to the sea buoy in Port Aransas. The winds were predicted to be relatively light at the start, then building to 18-20 knots true, around 1 a.m. Friday morning. There was also a predicted shift from SE to S or possibly even SSW by early morning Friday. Hence our desire to “put some in the bank,” meaning we would keep to windward of the rhumb line and if the wind did indeed shift, we would not then need to be close hauled, or possibly struggling to make our mark without tacking.
Based upon our assumed speed, we set up a furthest offshore waypoint on our chartplotters, which by coincidence, was directly offshore from the Matagorda Ship Channel, approximately 50 nautical miles from Port Aransas. We were hoping to reach it as the winds freshened and possibly shifted. From that waypoint, we would crack off and have a comfortable and speedy reach straight to the sea buoy and then on to the finish line inside the Port Aransas channel.
Right on schedule, we reached our tactical waypoint around 2:45 a.m. The boat was really in a groove, handling the jumbled 4-6 ft seas with ease and making near 10 knots in building pressure. We eased our sheets, cracking off and immediately picked up 2 knots of boat speed. It was an amazing ride! At around 3:30 a.m. there was a loud noise at the transom. Suddenly, the boat lost all momentum and rounded up into the wind and seas, sails flogging. Terry Hudson was at the helm and yelled that there was no response. We were all dumbstruck. Roy made his way back to the rudder cage and felt below the waterline. “It’s gone! Sheared completely off! Let’s get the sails down, we’re done.”
With the sails put away, we began slowly drifting northward at just over one knot. The disappointment was palpable. We were in no immediate danger, but clearly would need assistance. We tried hailing the HMR fleet and got no response. That was due, I can only assume, to our distance offshore and being in front of most of the fleet. Finally, the US Coast Guard responded. We gave them our position and the condition of boat and crew and asked them to try and reach BoatUS to arrange a tow to the nearest port. Our communication with the Coast Guard was ongoing for nearly two hours before they decided it would be in everyone’s best interests to send a vessel out to tow us into Port O’Connor. They had made contact with the BoatUS main office on the East Coast, but efforts to reach an associate on the Texas coast were unsuccessful.
Around 6:30 a.m. Friday morning, the Coast Guard vessel arrived and came close enough alongside so we could discuss towing procedures. Once their main line was passed to our boat, it was made fast with a bridle and the last wild ride began. Despite cleats ripped from the deck, bowsprits broken, and toe rails splintered, all from the tow line, we were delivered safely to the bulkhead in front of the US Coast Guard Station, in Port O’Connor by 9:30. Subdued but in good spirits, in the end, no one got hurt, and with time and money, the boat could be made whole again. Despite his declaration minutes after the rudder failure that this was his last offshore race, Martin was already talking about next year’s race and what it would take to build a new improved rudder. To paraphrase Lance Armstrong, it’s not about the boat. Those of us who do this do it because we welcome the challenges, the possibility of facing unknown events or improbable outcomes, be it failures or triumphs. To be sure, we all take risks in our everyday lives, but that world is ultimately predictable and pretty tame. The ocean is our last, greatest and most beguiling wilderness. We have no more control over its whims today than Columbus did in 1492. And that’s exactly why we choose to go.
Ask the Rigger
I own an older boat and I’m thinking of replacing some of the running rigging. What are your thoughts on the best type of line to use?
It all depends on what kind of sailing you are doing. You need to ask yourself, “Am I cruising around the bay, club racing and long-range cruising, or just racing full time?”
If you are cruising around the bay, you can get away with the lesser performance lines and go for price and durability. If you are club racing or long range cruising, you should go to a blended core to a full performance line for things like the main and genoa halyards. With control lines, you can get away with the lesser performance lines. If you are pushing the boat around the race course, the less stretch, the faster.
You should be using full performance lines with a low stretch core; the less stretch in lines transfer to the mast and boat turning energy into speed.
What’s the difference between mast rake and mast bend?
Mast rake is the angle of the mast fore and aft on the boat. It controls the center of effort of the boat, helping it point higher. Too much forward rake, the boat will turn down causing a negative steering moment. With too much aft rake, you will have to fight the rudder causing drag, which slows the boat down.
In a perfect world, you should have a couple of pounds of weather helm and rudder angle should not exceed three to seven degrees, unless steering wind shifts. You should tell your rigger during a mast tuning how the boat is performing. Mast bend is set to help your mainsail.
As a sail gets older you can increase the bend to get more performance out of the sail. When you order a new sail, the sail maker may ask to have you decrease the bend since the sail is new. The other thing bend does for you, is it flattens the mainsail in windy conditions helping you keep control and not getting over powered. Tell your rigger what you feel are the wind conditions you find yourself in the most. They will set the bend to fit the way you sail.
I’m looking for some new spinnaker sheets for my J-105, what brand do you recommend and why?
The J-105, just like most asymmetrical boats, uses a high heat covered line with a performance core. We taper the sheets, which reduces weight and leaves the core exposed. All line companies have equivalent line types. Color and feel is the only difference between most lines.
My anchor is always slipping, how much chain do I need and who makes the best anchor on the market today?
The anchor is probably the most argued boating topic ever. I feel that every type anchor has its purpose. We used to cruise with a CQR and a Danforth. The CQR was our workhorse. After getting a lot of education we switched to Mantis anchors. They use technology and NASA engineers to design their product. They added a roll bar that I know I could have used it in the past for more reasons than it was designed for.
When it comes to chain, we always carried 100’ on one anchor and 25 to 40’ on the secondary. That is all the boat could fit. Both anchors had 150’ of three-strand line; the more chain, in my opinion, the better. For storms we carried a bridal and another 300’ of three-strand that we could add in line to the scope. That worked for us. You will have to find what works for your boat. How can I keep my roller furling from overriding, it works for a while and then it gets hard to pull in.
You should control your furling line when you unfurl your sail. If you just untie it and unfurl, more than likely, it will get some loose rolls and possibly override. The other thing to look out for is the lead block into the drum needs to be at 90 degrees in the center of the drum guide. The last thing, is to make sure when the unit is furled, it has two wraps on the jib sheets and you should have at least five wraps on the drum.
Do you recommend buying a used roller furler?
We are against buying old furling units. Technology is so much better today than 10 to 20 years ago. Always remember there is a reason the furling unit was replaced in the first place. The foil connectors and bearings wear down over time. We end up having more time fixing the used unit than what a new one would have cost with installation.
Also, when fixing old units you don’t get a warranty, so even if you patch it, you will have to pay to repair it every time you have a problem. Most new units have a two to seven year warranty and rigging companies should back their work.
Alex Crowell is the owner of Bahama Rigging in Kemah, a full service shop for all sailboat rigging needs.
Boating With Cats
And no, we don’t mean catamarans
As rare as it may seem, more and more boat owners are bringing their feline friends onboard. Having dogs on a boat is quite common. But unlike their canine counterparts, cats do not have a natural ability to adapt to a water environment.
Generally, domestic cats have not been bred to be on the water so they do not typically swim and or enjoy being near water. Yet, avid boaters – who also happen to be avid cat lovers – may still wish to overcome these laws of nature, and take their cat along with them.
Preparing Cats for Boat Time
It is best to slowly introduce your cat or cats to the water environment, and your boat. Some cats have an innate fear of water and will tremble at the mere sight of it. In more difficult cases, such as with older cats, adapting could prove more challenging than with younger ones.
Once on the boat, it is best to help cats become familiar with the vessel while docked. Loud boat engines on powerboats may be startling or hurt your cat’s sensitive ears. The speed and wind produced by powerboats might also be hard for cats to handle. These may be reasons why cats are most often seen on sailboats.
Keeping Cats Safe on Boats
Cats are known to be very well-balanced and good on their feet. Many boaters that observe cats on boats are surprised to see how nimble they are walking around the edges of boat decks and marina docks. Despite their ability to gracefully walk boat decks, BoatSafe.com suggests you have your cat fitted with a special pet life jacket for water safety. A slip into the water could be disastrous for cats that do not know how to swim.
When packing provisions for weekend or long distance cruising, be sure to include plenty of fresh water and food for kitty.
Keeping your cat cool in hot weather and protecting delicate paws on hot boat decks is important to ensure their health and well-being. And don’t forget the kitty litter!
With the right preparation and careful attention to special accommodations, your fluffy ball of fur will purr with pleasure at not being left behind when you spend time onboard.
Houston Yacht Club Sailor Wins the 2014 A-Class Catamaran North American Championship
Bob Webbon
A large group of international A-Class Catamaran sailors came together for a couple of days of great racing on Croatan Sound in Manteo, North Carolina. The racing was very competitive with the championship being won in the last race of the six race series.
Bruce Mahoney, the winner, has been training hard. It showed in his performance, he never finished worse than a third. Bob Webbon, a long time Galveston Bay catamaran sailor, cracked the top ten with a 7th place finish and Martin Hamilton showed the young guys that he can still bring it with 13th in the overall standings.
Two other sailors from the Houston Yacht Club sailing in the championship were Luke McAllum who finished 21st and Kevin Grice who finished 38th out of 45 boats.
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The transom itself drops down “tailgate” fashion, which is becoming the norm for swim platforms.
A Harvest Moon Regatta Story
Right on schedule, we reached our tactical waypoint around 2:45 a.m. The boat was really in a groove, handling the jumbled 4-6 ft seas with ease and making near 10 knots in building pressure. We eased our sheets, cracking off and immediately picked up 2 knots of boat speed. It was an amazing ride! At around 3:30 a.m. there was a loud noise at the transom. Suddenly, the boat lost all momentum and rounded up into the wind and seas, sails flogging. Terry Hudson was at the helm and yelled that there was no response. We were all dumbstruck. Roy made his way back to the rudder cage and felt below the waterline. “It’s gone! Sheared completely off! Let’s get the sails down, we’re done.”
I own an older boat and I’m thinking of replacing some of the running rigging. What are your thoughts on the best type of line to use?
And no, we don’t mean catamarans
