Did any of you guys do the Newport Beach to Ensenada BC race this year?
There were 217 boats entered in 2010, down a third from 09 which itself was down a third from 08. (The economy, passport requirements and fears of drug-gang violence all contributed) I raced in non-spinnaker A cruising class. There were 26 boats by one of my crew's count. I finished mid pack on handicap, 9th or 10th I think and third on elapsed and corrected before motoring penalty.
In the cruising class, you are permitted to motor from 2000 to 0800 with a correspondingly large penalty applied to your handicap result. This adds another tactical component that is a PITA in some respects. The deal is to get the cruising boats to the finish in some respectable time, and it works well to that end. The PITA is that you don't want to be doing .05 knots with the sails banging themselves to death and then lose out vs. motoring penalty to boot. It's basically something under 1.5 knots for me. However, the tough call is that in ultra light conditions in a current, it's hard to power off and get a feel of wind until the boat settles in which takes at least a half hour or more.
This year, we had a good start, maybe third across the line and worked our way up the fleets starting ahead. We were the last class started which makes life a bit easier in the start area. Anyhow I noticed there we a lot of brand-new sails and gear in the cruising class and some really well sailed boats which made it very interesting. The first six or eight hours was a beat and there were a lot of shifts, so it was a helmsman's battle. The crew had a break.
I think a couple of us who were among the class leaders had the same experience of sailing into a hole about 0300 and powering out while those behind had the benefit of reaching the same point and having it fill in, thereby avoiding motoring or less of it. Such is luck in a regatta.
We had a great time in Mexico altho my heart goes out to all the businesses who are really suffering. The exchange rate is as favorable to the dollar as it has been in years, making already good deals even better. We stuffed ourselves with great food for three days and may have had some liquid refreshment too. Our wives look forward to getting us out of town and plan their own projects and recreation.
So, I would encourage west coast sailors to give it a try if you have not already. The race is sponsored by the Newport Ocean Sailing Association at www.nosa.org There is some stuff you need to do first, such as belonging to an SCYA member club. The good news is that there are some very inexpensive clubs if you do not belong to a yacht club and don't want to. You need a PHRF certificate and sail number which is just a matter of a form and a couple of bucks. And, a US Customs sticker which can be had online. Feel free to send me a PM if you want some info.
This is a great experience and really tunes up you sailing and boat. I'd urge you come out and try it next April!
There were 217 boats entered in 2010, down a third from 09 which itself was down a third from 08. (The economy, passport requirements and fears of drug-gang violence all contributed) I raced in non-spinnaker A cruising class. There were 26 boats by one of my crew's count. I finished mid pack on handicap, 9th or 10th I think and third on elapsed and corrected before motoring penalty.
In the cruising class, you are permitted to motor from 2000 to 0800 with a correspondingly large penalty applied to your handicap result. This adds another tactical component that is a PITA in some respects. The deal is to get the cruising boats to the finish in some respectable time, and it works well to that end. The PITA is that you don't want to be doing .05 knots with the sails banging themselves to death and then lose out vs. motoring penalty to boot. It's basically something under 1.5 knots for me. However, the tough call is that in ultra light conditions in a current, it's hard to power off and get a feel of wind until the boat settles in which takes at least a half hour or more.
This year, we had a good start, maybe third across the line and worked our way up the fleets starting ahead. We were the last class started which makes life a bit easier in the start area. Anyhow I noticed there we a lot of brand-new sails and gear in the cruising class and some really well sailed boats which made it very interesting. The first six or eight hours was a beat and there were a lot of shifts, so it was a helmsman's battle. The crew had a break.
I think a couple of us who were among the class leaders had the same experience of sailing into a hole about 0300 and powering out while those behind had the benefit of reaching the same point and having it fill in, thereby avoiding motoring or less of it. Such is luck in a regatta.
We had a great time in Mexico altho my heart goes out to all the businesses who are really suffering. The exchange rate is as favorable to the dollar as it has been in years, making already good deals even better. We stuffed ourselves with great food for three days and may have had some liquid refreshment too. Our wives look forward to getting us out of town and plan their own projects and recreation.
So, I would encourage west coast sailors to give it a try if you have not already. The race is sponsored by the Newport Ocean Sailing Association at www.nosa.org There is some stuff you need to do first, such as belonging to an SCYA member club. The good news is that there are some very inexpensive clubs if you do not belong to a yacht club and don't want to. You need a PHRF certificate and sail number which is just a matter of a form and a couple of bucks. And, a US Customs sticker which can be had online. Feel free to send me a PM if you want some info.
This is a great experience and really tunes up you sailing and boat. I'd urge you come out and try it next April!
