Is it too early to put in?

shnool

shnool

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Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
I've been chomping at the bit to put the boat in (who doesn't for those of us that actually have more than 2 seasons)...

Boat is ready (at least below the waterline), everything else is fully functional. All the work I wanted to do (move the electrical panel, install VHF antenna to top of the mast, fix scuppers) are done. I also got the trailer bearings repacked, and think I have a solid way to launch my fin keel boat (like I did last year) at the ramp.

I've gone up and verified my dock is in (the docks are removed for the winter as the lake freezes). I also checked with the dockmaster and he's OK with me bringing my boat up approximately 1 week early (if not 2).

Conditions for the weekend (my only free weekend for 3 more)... are 67 degrees and 40% chance of showers Saturday (likely day to put in) winds 14-16mph, and 57 Sunday and sunny, 10-12mph winds Sunday.
There won't be anyone there but the dockmaster and his family (all sailors), so I am not sure if I should just go for it or not... I won't shakedown the boat in 14-16 sailing solo, I have to work my way up to that. But if I put in Saturday, I'll tune the rig (static tune) and take my time making sure the boat is ready to sail for Sunday... then I'd likely take the boat out all day Sunday.

Water temp is probably 45-50 degrees yet.
 
jerrymlewis

jerrymlewis

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Jul 9, 2013
162
155
We had our first club race of the the year the Saturday before Easter. 8 boats came out to play. The picture is of Kudzu (1985 Capri 22 fin keel/std rig) just holding off a new J70 on our lake at the finish line of a two mile w/l course.
 

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jerrymlewis

jerrymlewis

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Jul 9, 2013
162
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The new J70 owner upgraded from a few year old J22 thinking a faster boat would get him by my Capri. Three races so far, I've still physically finished in front of his 114 PHRF rated boat (compared to Kudzu's 210). It's not always about the boat...
 
jepomer

jepomer

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Jan 22, 2008
507
Catalina 310 278 Lyndeborough NH
Saturday is Marina Weekend - time to get our club's docks and stuff ready. I will check to see if my mooring ball has been set.

But the real delay is getting this year's projects done. The big project remaining is to remove the 100 watt rigid solar panel that is hanging off the stern and mounting Ganz flexible solar panels on the foredeck and cabin top.

The original solar panel proved the functionality of having solar panels recharge the batteries used to power the Torqeedo electric outboard while on a mooring. The batteries have always been recharged without needing any shore power for two seasons. Now I am willing to pay the extra money for the low profile, lighter, and flexible solar panels that will take the punishment of walking on them. I am not a hard-core racer so the foredeck surface can be used for the panels.

The stern mounting has been quite good. But it did add about 50 lbs on that end. Curious to see the performance difference.

I already added a Boomkicker and will remove the topping lift. The easy jacks will remain for this year.

The biggest problem so far is that the day job keeps me too busy...
 
shnool

shnool

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Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
Um, Jerry, no offense... but yeah, the J/70 owner might need a refresher... the difference in speed should be night and day.
but upwind, and as the winds pick up, it should be a more even fight.

If he's not tossing the asym for half the course, there is your rating difference. Upwind it's waterline when your are near hull speed, but then you know that.

What's a J/70 rate JAM? That should answer some questions... Also looks like he's running a blade, and you have at least a 140..

Just looked at the winds forecast... 14-17 Saturday, and 15 steady Sunday, OK I'll take that to shake down.
 
S

SailSmith

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Mar 16, 2014
23
919
Maybe for you, the boat is always ready. I live in northern maine and put in the first week of April. Had to knock some ice and snow off some mornings so far but as long as you bundle up go for it.
 
jerrymlewis

jerrymlewis

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Jul 9, 2013
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The J70 is faster on all points of sail until the winds got over 10-12 knots. I still had my 150% genoa running/feathered and he was barely creeping toward me on that last long tack to the finish pictured. We point about the same upwind and I can sail much lower downwind with my symmetrical spinnaker while he blasts at twice/thrice my speed back and forth across the lake but maintained our distance from windward to leeward mark - me going about 6.2 knots gybing between the tabs on my Windex and he gybing nearly 150 degrees or so and probably hitting 12 or 15. I beat him off the line and held inside room at the windward mark, pinwheeling him to the outside around that mark. Then got our spinnaker flying 30-40 seconds sooner than they could unfurl their asymmetrical. Then he zoomed our stern at two to three times our speed, back and forth across the lake, but never catching/passing us. I fear once he figures out how to sail the boat better, he'll be more competitive - but he owes my a lot of time, over three minutes on our two mile windward/leeward course (210-114=96 sec/mile x 2 miles = 192 seconds = 3:12).
 
shnool

shnool

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Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
Ok, your sailing a traditional W/L, in a mixed fleet (that's unusual)... also sounds like he's not quite figured out how to sail that lower. The newer Asyms can sail much lower than years ago.

But Yeah, I can see it. The guys in our club are JUST NOW starting to see where my boat excels. My masthead symmetric is a solid 2 times bigger than my 155, and in light air downwind, makes us the fastest monohull downwind on the lake. In 8 knots true, we're at hull speed, anything more we surf. So I don't doubt what you are saying.

We have a guy (good sailor) that bought a B25 last year. He's effectively significantly faster than every boat in our club (on paper). Problem is, he's got a learning curve, also the B25 likes wind, but needs crew to keep it flat. When the winds come up, he walks away from the club, in light air, the S2s and myself can smack him around.

He's a bright guy, and a great sailor, he won't be down long! Always fun to watch people progress with their boats.

The J/70 isn't my bag, but the j/80 or better j/88... I'm sold!
 
shnool

shnool

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Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
bummed... no splash this weekend, and likely not this week. They aren't ready for us yet.
 
sinnettc

sinnettc

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May 23, 2007
1,306
Catalina Capri 22 Albany, Oregon
shnool said:
We have a guy (good sailor) that bought a B25 last year. He's effectively significantly faster than every boat in our club (on paper). Problem is, he's got a learning curve, also the B25 likes wind, but needs crew to keep it flat. When the winds come up, he walks away from the club, in light air, the S2s and myself can smack him around.

He's a bright guy, and a great sailor, he won't be down long! Always fun to watch people progress with their boats.
Click to expand
B25 is what the Left Coast Dart is based off of. It should kick butt around your fleet. :D
 
shnool

shnool

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Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
Chris the B25 is a symmetrical spinnaker version with a lower aspect main than the Dart. Otherwise it's pretty similar. I'd be lying if I said that the B25 isn't one of the prettiest race boats I've ever seen. The lift keel is also slick. In a blow with a blade and a full main, with 4 crew, that boat is a surfing/planing fool!

It's a ULDB boat, actually the first sportboat, it goes to windward like an arrow, but the fractional kite isn't big enough.
Boat for boat you can't beat him.. But I can smoke him downwind, DDW... Upwind he walks away from us all like we're standing still. If I had a B25, I'd be scrambling to get a masthead kite to match the downwind performance to the upwind.

Also the B25 has an achillies heel, that I'll keep close to the vest.. but I'll give you a hint... its a true ULDB, with a squarish bow, and a flat transom. A good driver might be able to overcome this limitation, but he'd have to practice practice practice.
 
jerrymlewis

jerrymlewis

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Jul 9, 2013
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School,

Yes, we have a VERY VARIED mixed fleet at our club. In the past, we've had a dozen or more Catalina 22 swing keels in the club for racing, the random Ultimate 20, Moore 24, Catalina 250, Venture 21, MacGregor 25/26/26X and had 5 Capri 22 fin keels at one point. But change is constant and last year we had more dinghies (Lido 14, Coronado 15) and smaller keel boats (Capri 16 and 18). This year we added an F-24 tri and a J-70 (replacing a J-22). Trying to pick courses and lengths of races to make everything as equal as possible - for 14 foot center-boarders to 26 foot water-ballasts to hi-tech tris - makes my job as Race Chair difficult (if not impossible).

We use the SoCal PHRF numbers for boats with ratings (we have light winds, flat water on our lake) and convert Portsmouth to PHRF and race Time-on-distance PHRF on 1.0, 2.0 and 2.4 mile courses. The Capri 16s don't have a national number, but we found a starting point (288 w/spinnaker), and so far they are happy with the rating but hoping for higher than the 300 non-spinnaker currently used.

Fortunately, our lake (Scotts Flat Lake near Nevada City, CA in the foothills at 4,000' elevation) has reached half-full during this third year of drought in California. Unfortunately, some regattas I normally attend have already announced their cancellations due to low or no water level! We are hoping to complete our season that ends in mid-August.

To get more boats out on the water and not require RC duties, we started using the college three minute audible count-down a few years ago and everyone is getting used to this way of starting.
 
jerrymlewis

jerrymlewis

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Jul 9, 2013
162
155
Our club has posted some pics of our first race date (4/19) on our website.

8 boats: Two Capri 16, a Capri 22, a J-70, a Santana 20, a Venture 21, and two Catalina 22; rangin in PHRF from 114 to 300!

http://www.nccn.net/~gcyc/gcyc-pictures02.html

"New" this season are the new set of sails on the Venture 21, the second Capri 16 (former Lido 14 racer) and the J-70 (former J-22 that wants more speed).
 
shnool

shnool

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Aug 10, 2012
556
WD Schock Wavelength 24 Wallenpaupack
I hear the Venture 21 outfitted correctly can be a VERY good contender. Talk about MIXED fleet, geesh.

I am STILL not in... can't blame it on anything but the weather. Now that the lake isn't solid anymore, the winds (ironically) have been high, and the temps cool. So the dockmaster (we have all floating docks) puts docks in for lots of private homeowners on the lake... and he's busier than a one armed paper hanger, trying to get everything ready.

OFFICIALLY our first put in date is this weekend. We can typically push the date though as he's a hard working guy. NOT THIS YEAR. I feel for him, not sure its really under his control.

Anyway.. I'll either be in this Thursday, or not until next week sometime. Racing in April would be a huge BONUS!

Yes I've heard the droughts have killed sailing all over the west. We've actually got the opposite problem. PP&L has been dumping water excess for 2 years in a row, to keep lake levels from going up up up. In fact another delay to the docks going in, is we are looking at 2-4 inches of rain in the next 48 hours.
 
jerrymlewis

jerrymlewis

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Jul 9, 2013
162
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Folsom Lake rose 15' in one weekend storm last month! In fact, they just held the Camellia Cup this past weekend and had 50 boats, many of the keel variety so the launch ramps were wet enough for deep keels to launch. It has continued to rise even in April (check first table here: http://cdec.water.ca.gov/cgi-progs/plot ... 2014+11:03 ).

I didn't make it down there as we had a club race of our own and it was "No Motor Day" where we give sailboat rides to anyone interested. And the local kayak/canoe/SUP dealer gives free trials. No skiers or fisherman, just quiet sailing and paddling. But it was cool (47 degrees), cloudy and spitting rain so there were very few sailboat rides given.

But we did have 6 boats race in the afternoon on Scotts Flat Lake (our club's home lake) that is about 10' - 12' below max, about where it would be mid-season of our 6 month lake season (April through September). We have a "lake level" tab on our website courtesy of the CA water folks: http://www.nccn.net/~gcyc/gcyc-sflLevel.html


FYI,
Jerry
 
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