Hope to have some fun with this question.... Is there anyone out there who has raced his or her O'Day 25 C/B. PHRF rating does not put the boat in the "speed demon" catagory. Just recently entered a local weekend regatta, and didn't do half bad!!!!! It was a blast, and my wife and I were still talking after the race. Does anyone have successful experience at racing this boat? What can be done to improve her performance?
- Status
some thoughts in general
Dennis...I have raced my O'DAy 22 and now I race (beer can) my O'Day 28. They are not J Boats by ANY stretch of the imagination , however they can sail to their phrf number if well sailed and equipted with good sails. The biggest thing to remember is that is was fun , as you stated. If everyone felt this way, we'd have more people out there on Sunday's or Wednesday night's giving it a try. If your boat has an outboard, make sure it is OUT OF THE WATER while sailing. raise the centerboard on the downwind runs, keep the crew weight close to the cockpit bulkhead as much as possible, saail the boat with no more than 10-12 degrees of heel (they like to be sailed flat as they are fat boats), as they are cruising boats , when you race her in the big regatta, remove as much of the cruising crap that you can for the race ( get rid of the second anchor, rail grill, the third cooler, etc.,etc.) no matter what, just remeber to have fun. Racing will make you a better sailor. Learing the nuances of sail trim, having a steady hand at the tiller (no big movements with the tiller. Best of luck
Dennis...I have raced my O'DAy 22 and now I race (beer can) my O'Day 28. They are not J Boats by ANY stretch of the imagination , however they can sail to their phrf number if well sailed and equipted with good sails. The biggest thing to remember is that is was fun , as you stated. If everyone felt this way, we'd have more people out there on Sunday's or Wednesday night's giving it a try. If your boat has an outboard, make sure it is OUT OF THE WATER while sailing. raise the centerboard on the downwind runs, keep the crew weight close to the cockpit bulkhead as much as possible, saail the boat with no more than 10-12 degrees of heel (they like to be sailed flat as they are fat boats), as they are cruising boats , when you race her in the big regatta, remove as much of the cruising crap that you can for the race ( get rid of the second anchor, rail grill, the third cooler, etc.,etc.) no matter what, just remeber to have fun. Racing will make you a better sailor. Learing the nuances of sail trim, having a steady hand at the tiller (no big movements with the tiller. Best of luck
Love the handicap
Dennis, The year-end results for the handicap fleet of the Brookville Lake Sailing Association will (hopefully) show an O'day 26 in first place and an O'day 23 (mine) in second. Third place, if I can hold him off, will go to an Etchels 22. If there's any wind at all my 23 will sail up to, and beyond, her handicap, especially with her new sails (see other post). In really light wind it can be an awfully loooooong afternoon. As Mike said, and as you already know, get out there and have fun. Then come back to the dock, open a cold one, and tell lies about why you were beaten. Remember - a good story lasts longer than a good time. Chris
Dennis, The year-end results for the handicap fleet of the Brookville Lake Sailing Association will (hopefully) show an O'day 26 in first place and an O'day 23 (mine) in second. Third place, if I can hold him off, will go to an Etchels 22. If there's any wind at all my 23 will sail up to, and beyond, her handicap, especially with her new sails (see other post). In really light wind it can be an awfully loooooong afternoon. As Mike said, and as you already know, get out there and have fun. Then come back to the dock, open a cold one, and tell lies about why you were beaten. Remember - a good story lasts longer than a good time. Chris
handicap for 23
Hi Chris, Glad to hear you've had a good summer with your Oday 23. I am even more motivated now to invest in a new mainsail before next year! I've been racing my Oday 23 on Rainy Lake this year and have become a little discouraged. We commonly have 6 to 10 boats, including a couple of Tanzer 22's, San Juan 24's, a Catalina 25, a Paceship 26, a J24 and an S2. We use the PHRF handicap system; my boat is rated 240 (same as the Tanzers). I am somewhat competitive with the Tanzers, but not the rest of the fleet. I seem to do okay when the wind blows, but in light air, the other boats just walk away from me. The only exception is when I fly my spinnaker. For me, racing is an excuse to go sailing; we have some interesting races through the many Islands of Rainy Lake. I logged 45 miles on our longest race this year (a long beat into a dying breeze at the end of the day). The J boat and S2 crossed the finish line more than 2 hours ahead of me. It would be nice to at least be able to keep up with the rest of the fleet, otherwise I might just as well go out cruising by myself. (I realize the J24 and S2 are racing boats, but it seems like I should be more competitive with the Catalina and the San Juans). I'd appreciate any suggestions you might have.
Hi Chris, Glad to hear you've had a good summer with your Oday 23. I am even more motivated now to invest in a new mainsail before next year! I've been racing my Oday 23 on Rainy Lake this year and have become a little discouraged. We commonly have 6 to 10 boats, including a couple of Tanzer 22's, San Juan 24's, a Catalina 25, a Paceship 26, a J24 and an S2. We use the PHRF handicap system; my boat is rated 240 (same as the Tanzers). I am somewhat competitive with the Tanzers, but not the rest of the fleet. I seem to do okay when the wind blows, but in light air, the other boats just walk away from me. The only exception is when I fly my spinnaker. For me, racing is an excuse to go sailing; we have some interesting races through the many Islands of Rainy Lake. I logged 45 miles on our longest race this year (a long beat into a dying breeze at the end of the day). The J boat and S2 crossed the finish line more than 2 hours ahead of me. It would be nice to at least be able to keep up with the rest of the fleet, otherwise I might just as well go out cruising by myself. (I realize the J24 and S2 are racing boats, but it seems like I should be more competitive with the Catalina and the San Juans). I'd appreciate any suggestions you might have.
No big secret
Kevin, I don't have any brilliant words of wisdom. I'm no expert when it comes to sailing. Much of my success comes from staying in races instead of dropping out. You said "For me, racing is an excuse to go sailing" and I couldn't agree more. Getting out on the water is what the fun is really all about. If the racing becomes so serious that it's no longer fun then you should stop racing immediately. I believe that racing makes one a better sailor. If I just go out for a cruise I may not pay close attention to sail trim or wind direction. Racing makes me concentrate on those factors to the point that they become second nature. I can still cruise around the lake and not feel as if I must continually tweak. But I do, almost automatically, keep the boat moving efficiently. With respect to sailing against faster boats, I am right there with you. Yes, the J/24's and San Juans will do a pretty efficient horizon job on me but I have fun back there at the slow end of the fleet. I have an annual battle with a Catalina 22 and you'd think that the "Auld Mug" we fight for was the real America's Cup and not just a nice bottle of wine. Really, for me, I'm not racing against other boats but against my own standards. After this past Saturday's races I turned to my crew (my wife) and said "You know, we didn't make any mistakes today". That's a winning day on the water. Buy the best sails you can buy. I once knew a wise man who said "Buy the best you can afford and you will never be disappointed". Race the best race you can run. Be a good sport and think about what you can do better next time. Get out and enjoy sailing. It's your passion, not your job! All the best, Chris O'day 23 "Heron"
Kevin, I don't have any brilliant words of wisdom. I'm no expert when it comes to sailing. Much of my success comes from staying in races instead of dropping out. You said "For me, racing is an excuse to go sailing" and I couldn't agree more. Getting out on the water is what the fun is really all about. If the racing becomes so serious that it's no longer fun then you should stop racing immediately. I believe that racing makes one a better sailor. If I just go out for a cruise I may not pay close attention to sail trim or wind direction. Racing makes me concentrate on those factors to the point that they become second nature. I can still cruise around the lake and not feel as if I must continually tweak. But I do, almost automatically, keep the boat moving efficiently. With respect to sailing against faster boats, I am right there with you. Yes, the J/24's and San Juans will do a pretty efficient horizon job on me but I have fun back there at the slow end of the fleet. I have an annual battle with a Catalina 22 and you'd think that the "Auld Mug" we fight for was the real America's Cup and not just a nice bottle of wine. Really, for me, I'm not racing against other boats but against my own standards. After this past Saturday's races I turned to my crew (my wife) and said "You know, we didn't make any mistakes today". That's a winning day on the water. Buy the best sails you can buy. I once knew a wise man who said "Buy the best you can afford and you will never be disappointed". Race the best race you can run. Be a good sport and think about what you can do better next time. Get out and enjoy sailing. It's your passion, not your job! All the best, Chris O'day 23 "Heron"
Great Feedback!!!!!
Gentlemen, Thank you for the responses. This feedback is exactly what I wanted. In theory, our PRHF ratings make us all "equal". What I was concerned about was always being at the end of the fleet...even if a perfect race had been run. It sounds to me like my best bet is to find a fleet with similar size and caliber boats, and just throw myself in and have a good time. Then start paying attention to all the other tips you've pointed out, and start moving my way to the front...well maybe!!! Thanks for the encouragement. I knew racing would make me a better sailor. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't bring a old girl to a young girls dance.
Gentlemen, Thank you for the responses. This feedback is exactly what I wanted. In theory, our PRHF ratings make us all "equal". What I was concerned about was always being at the end of the fleet...even if a perfect race had been run. It sounds to me like my best bet is to find a fleet with similar size and caliber boats, and just throw myself in and have a good time. Then start paying attention to all the other tips you've pointed out, and start moving my way to the front...well maybe!!! Thanks for the encouragement. I knew racing would make me a better sailor. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't bring a old girl to a young girls dance.
me too
I race my 25CB too. Have been in the middle of my fleet, but don't win. I really enjoy it. The best is inviting an other couple along, have them grind and tail and serve wine to the Skipper. Wathc thier eyes bug out at the start. The start is the most important. A great start where you squeeze up 3-4 boats and make them turn out gives you a great advantage and really impresses the guests (besides making the wife's palms a sweaty). On our boat, if you cross the line at the back, that is where you will stay. In that case, break out another cold one and watch the battle up front. I now am the tactician on an Islander 36. We have great fun and do finish pretty well. It is a Tuesday nigh league, so the 25 races 2-3 Sundays a year. But, every time is fun. Ric
I race my 25CB too. Have been in the middle of my fleet, but don't win. I really enjoy it. The best is inviting an other couple along, have them grind and tail and serve wine to the Skipper. Wathc thier eyes bug out at the start. The start is the most important. A great start where you squeeze up 3-4 boats and make them turn out gives you a great advantage and really impresses the guests (besides making the wife's palms a sweaty). On our boat, if you cross the line at the back, that is where you will stay. In that case, break out another cold one and watch the battle up front. I now am the tactician on an Islander 36. We have great fun and do finish pretty well. It is a Tuesday nigh league, so the 25 races 2-3 Sundays a year. But, every time is fun. Ric
- Status