Arizona Sailing Foundation

AYC Crowns Champions!!

2008-05-13T08:31:00.003-07:00

By Mike Ferring

Mike Hester and crew John Mayall repeated as AYC Club Champions Saturday at Lake Pleasant. Mike was ahead by seven points after 8races and, in a gesture of sportsmanship, second place finisher Skip Kempff (seven-time club champ) chose to concede and let everyone head home.

Even though in the Championship Race there's only one prize--first--here are the other finishers: Rick Johnson, third; Jim Douglas, fourth; Dennis Martinelli/Pat Blumm, fifth; Steve Brown,sixth; Stacey Loula, seventh; Will Zornick, 8th; and Joe Motil 9th.

Fleet Captain David Rawstrom was the PRO and organizer for the event and C22 fleet captain Steve Brown turned out 9 C22s for the day of racing that began with rigging and skipper's meeting at 8 am and ended after 7 pm as the C22 owners finished getting their boats ready to tow back home.Racing got underway with just one shot to the north before the wind slacked and the competitors were left drifting until about 1pm,waiting for the wind to fill in from the south. From then on the breeze varied from a low of 3mph to a more typical 8, making for some close, hard-fought races. Rick Johnson took an early lead, but then fell back, as Skip and Mike kept it very close until the very end. Many thanks to the C22 fleet, to the large RC, and to the competitors for a great day on the water.

Sailing Tips for Everyone

2008-04-03T11:38:00.002-07:00

Single Handed Docking and Sail Trim with Captain Jack Klang

This sounds like a great book...I couldn't get it on our recommended reading list so here is the link!

Capt Rob

Volvo Ocean Racing

2008-04-01T09:38:00.003-07:00

Hey everyone,
Sorry I haven't been on here for a while, but I ran across this article with some great stats from the Volvo Around the World Ocean Race.

Here are just a few:

The Racetrack

Race route covers a total of 37,000nm (Equivalent of travelling from London to Melbourne, four times)
Longest Leg – Qingdao to Rio – 12,300nm
Shortest Leg – Stockholm to St Petersburg – 400nm (Equivalent to 153,846 XC90’s end to end)

The Boat – Volvo Open 70

Seven boats racing
Height of the mast: 31.5m or 103.3ft (above water)
Overall boat length: 21.5m or 70.5ft
Placed upright, the boat would be 1m taller than the height of the Sistine Chapel or two double decker buses

The Crew

11 crew (Each day, a crew member climbs the mast to check for damage – 9 storeys up)
One media specialist (Onboard to capture all of the action and drama)

Enjoy!
Capt Rob

Pictures from the Olympic Classes Regatta

2008-02-12T09:47:00.000-07:00

Check out these photos from the Rolex Olympic Classes Regatta, held in Miami, FL (sorry no embed link!)
Capt Rob

Extreme Sailing on a Laser in Ireland

2008-02-12T09:43:00.001-07:00

This was too cool not to post!
Capt Rob

Tempe Town Lake OPEN! Classes Resume!

2008-02-02T08:23:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!
Much to everyone's suprise, SRP and the City of Tempe worked together to minimize the impact of the lake closure last week. As of this morning, TTL is OPEN again! There are restrictions related to the Super Bowl Party on Sat, so see the Tempe Town Lake Website for more info.

Happy Sailing!
Capt Rob

Tempe Town Lake Flows - Classes Postponed

2008-01-28T15:13:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone,

Well, it has happened again. Due to the heavy rainfall this fall and winter, the upstream reservoirs have been unable to contain the amount of water mother nature has chosen to bestow on us. As of Sunday evening, 27 Jan, Tempe Town Lake is closed. There is no good indication of when it might open, but I am led to believe it is in terms of weeks, not days.

This picture was taken on the 28th of Jan as I was standing on top of the bridge that crosses the Salt River bed at Gilbert road. I am facing West and you can see that there is quite a large amount of water that is being discharged (20,000cfs according to SRP).

I will do my best to keep you up to date on what is going on and how this will affect our class schedule.

Best regards for smooth sailing,
Capt Rob

What's Going On....

2008-01-25T07:44:00.000-07:00

The Arizona Yacht Club sails almost every weekend. Here is an updated calendar!

Arizona Yacht Club's Birthday Regatta

2008-01-22T08:44:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone...

Here are some pictures from the Birthday Regatta held last weekend. The sailing was not the best we have ever seen but the party (as always) was great!

Happy Sailing!
Capt Rob

Book Review - "Seamanship" by Adam Nicholson

2008-01-08T18:27:00.000-07:00

This book is a great read! It is Adam's story of sailing around the British isles. He does a fantastic job of not only telling you sailing stories, but relaying the entire experience of the journey to the reader. One great aspect that every sailor could learn from is the relationship between the skipper and the crew and how it changes through the course of the journey. The other thing I really enjoyed about the book is how the author takes you to the places he goes. His writing style was very concise but very descriptive. I highly recommend this book! You can pick this book up on the recomended reading list on the right side of the page and the proceeds benifit the Arizona Sailing Foundation.

Thanks
Capt Rob

Buccaneer 18's for Sale

2007-12-19T11:34:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone!

I got an update from the Buccaneer Western Region Viceroy (he he) on what Buccaneers might be for sale here locally. Included below are pics of Buccaneers on the water. What you should notice is that the older boats, when well maintained do just fine against the newer boats. This is one of the great advantages of one design racing.

This picture is of hull # 2950 (older Chrysler Bucc) at the SD NOOD regatta in direct competition with a newer Bucc, Hull # 5239. As you can see, they are neck and neck at this crossing!

This Bucc is #5060 under spinnaker. Currently named "Swiper," she is available for sale.

This is a closer shot of #5060.

So here is the low down about the Buccs for sale here in the valley (read that "No Shipping Charges!")

2006 Nickels Bucc - Van Ribbinks - $13,000 Perfect, rarely used condition (less than 10 times), all new sails m, j, spin.

1987 Gloucester Bucc - Capehart - $4100 Very sound boat, race ready with like new main and jib, older spin

1977 Chrysler Bucc - Rands - $1500 project boat, small amount of work to be sailable, more work and sails to be competitive, but it's fast when new sails are on her - 4th in 2005 BD Regatta

If you would like more information, please email me at Education@ArizonaSailingFoundation.org .

See you on the water!
ARRRRRRR
Capt Rob

AYC Events for January

2007-12-16T16:34:00.000-07:00

Here is a live calendar of Club Events, including Racing and membership meetings. January is our biggest regatta of the year - the Birthday Regatta / Leukemia Cup.

Come out and enjoy the fun!
ARRRRRR!
Capt Rob

Sailing Classes are posted!

2007-12-16T16:24:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone!
Sailing classes for spring are posted and availalbe at http://www.arizonayachtclub.org/Education . Below is a calendar of events (you may have to scroll through to follow along through the months.)

I look forward to seeing everyone in class!
Capt Rob!

Renaming Your Vessel

2007-11-15T20:28:00.001-07:00

Many of you have asked about "Re-naming" a boat...actually it is "Un-naming" and "Naming" but anyway...here is a link to BoatSafe.com that will show you how. Be sure to bring enough libations to go around!

See you on the water!
Capt Rob

Start Sailing Right - Right of Way

2007-10-04T14:44:00.000-07:00

So there are no lines painted on the water or traffic signals out there to tell you what the priorities are when two boats meet...here are the basics of when two SAILBOATS meet.

Rule 1) No one has the "Right of Way." We stopped using that term in these discussions because the first and foremost rule is DON'T HIT ANYONE ELSE! Regardless of what the priorities might be...if the oncoming boat is not paying attention or just doesn't know what is going on, don't hit them just because you think you had the "right of way."

Rule 2) Starboard Tack over Port Tack - A boat on Starboard Tack is the Stand-on Vessel while the boat on Port Tack is the Give Way Vessel. This means that when two boats meet, if you are on Port and he is on Starboard, you must stay clear of the other boat. (If you don't remember what tack you are on, see this discussion on Points of Sail.)

Rule 3) Leeward over Windward - When two boats on the same tack meet, the boat that is further downwind is the Stand-on Vessel and the boat further upwind is the Give Way Vessel.

Rule 4) Overtaken over Overtaking (Being Passed over Passing) - A boat that is passing from clear astern is the Give Way vessel and the boat being passed is the Stand-on Vessel.

Every situation that you encounter, apply these rules in that order, and you'll be a courteous and responsible sailor.

There are a few other rules that are important and deal with when different kinds of boats meet. The rule of tonnage - when a large vessel is restricted by a channel, you must keep clear. Powerboats must keep clear of sailboats under sail. Man-powered craft (Kayaks, Canoes or Rowing Shells) have the right of way over sailboats and powerboats (not withstanding the rule of tonnage). You must keep clear of commercial fishing vessels engaged in fishing operations.

Basically all of these rules are based on how maneuverable a craft is. If you remember Rule 1, you'll be fine!

See you on the water!
Capt Rob

Start Sailing Right - Overboard Recovery

2007-10-04T14:32:00.000-07:00

One of the worst things that can happen while sailing is having a person fall overboard. At sea, the statistics for recovery are miserable...even with newer, open transom designs, recovery percentages are in the low teens...worse if you aren't wearing a PFD.

Dinghy sailing is a little different. Usually we're sailing in protected waters and recovery is is easier. It is a lot like docking, but without the visual reference to the dock. Here are the steps...

1) Shout "Crew Overboard!" and throw the person a PFD.
2) Turn onto a beam reach.
3) Tack back onto a beam reach.
4) Luff your Jib (if you have one). Approach the victim SLOWLY as if approaching a dock.
5) Come below your victim and turn into the wind, luffing your main.
6) Attache the victim to the boat with a line and then get them back on board.

If you think of it like docking it will help when you are approaching your victim. We'll see a video in class and then we will practice this with dummies on the lake.

See you on the water!
Capt Rob

Start Sailing Right - Sailing Downwind

2007-09-20T12:03:00.000-07:00

Possibly the most comfortable point of sail is sailing downwind. The boat is (or should be) flatter on the water, so you don't have to hike out and the sails are all the way out so you aren't ducking under the boom.

In order to sail downwind, pull the tiller away from the mainsail until the wind is behind you. Keep the wind coming from somewhere between dead behind you to off the quarter opposite the sail (there are two quarters on a boat, it refers to the Port or Starboard side of the rear of the boat). This will help you avoid "sailing by the lee" or sailing downwind with the wind coming over the same side of the boat that the boom is on (this is BAD!) Sailing by the lee can result in an accidental jibe, which is when the wind gets around the leech of the main and forces the boom across to the other side. This can result in serious injury!

One way to avoid sailing by the lee is to always keep wind in the jib. If you are sailing dead downwind with the main all the way out, the main will blanket (or cover) the jib and block wind from it. It will luff and fall. If you turn into the wind slightly (by moving the tiller towards the sail some) and keep the wind off the quarter of the boat it will keep wind in the jib, you will go faster and it will help you avoid the accidental jibe.

So, now you want to change directions but instead of tacking you want to jibe (or put the stern of the boat through the eye of the wind). Jibing smoothly is an important skill. One thing to remember is that, unlike tacking, the mainsail never fully de-powers as you move through the wind. This puts a lot of force on the sails and the rigging. It is best not to jibe "wire to wire" with the main sheet all the way out on one side to all the way out on the other. Bring the sail in about 1/3 to 1/2 way in, move your tiller away from the sail, then as the boom moves across the boat, let the sail out on the opposite side. Here is a video from US Sailing that demonstrates jibing.

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Saling Right - Sailing Upwind

2007-09-14T09:15:00.000-07:00

Ahoy Mates....

So now you have a good handle on how sails work and trim. You know you cannot sail in the "no go zone" (see Wind Awareness and Points of Sail.) Now let's try and go somewhere specific. What do you do if the place you want to get to is in the no-go zone?

Well, basically you have to sail Upwind going back and forth (zig-zagging) always making progress in the general direction of your target. We call this "beating to windward" or sailing upwind.

The act of turning the bow of the boat through the eye of the wind (the "no go zone") is called "Tacking." To effectively perform a tack, you must do a couple of things.

First - communicate to your crew that you, the skipper, are about to perform a tack. This is important! Remember that the boom will be swinging across the boat when you are tacking and we call it a "boom" because that is the sound it makes when it hits you in the head! The command is "Ready to Tack." Your crew should respond "Ready" when they are prepared to tack (which should be pretty quick.)

Once your crew has indicated they are prepared, push the tiller towards the sail about 45 degrees and say "Helms to Lee" or "Tacking." This indicates to your crew that you have begun to tack.

Hold the tiller over until the boat comes through at least 90 degrees of the turn. Remember that the no-go zone is about 90 degrees and you want to make sure you are all the way through before you stop turning. A good indication is that the Jib will fill on the other side of the boat. As it does, your crew should release the jib and let it come to the other side, then pull the sheet in on the new leeward side of the boat so that it begins to drive the boat forward again.

The finesse part of tacking is getting from one side of the boat to the other. As you turn the boat, your goal should be to keep it pretty flat, so move yourself across the boat smoothly as the boat is in the no-go zone.

Here is a video from US Sailing that shows the proper tacking procedure.

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Sailing Right - Knots and Lines

2007-09-10T10:16:00.000-07:00

There is no rope on a boat, only lines. So what kinds of line are there and what applications would they be good for?

Dock Lines - Used to secure your boat to the dock - are usually stranded or braided nylon which will stretch a bit when a load is put on them. This is ideal because as the boat bounces on the water and pulls against the line, if there was no give in the line then the line would snap tight and pull the cleat loose or break the line.

Halyards - to maintain sail shape, halyards are made of the least stretchy line possible - Braided Kevlar or spectra. These lines don't stretch and maintain the tension on the luff of the sail, which is an important aspect of sail shape.

Sheets - Sheets control sail shape also, but they are usually a medium stretch material like Braided Dacron. This allows some give when the boat gets hit with a heavy puff, but still does a good job maintaining sail shape.

There is a good resource for knots at the US Sailing Website (Click Here) that has videos of how to tie the basic sailing knots. If you are in the Start Sailing Right class, pay particular attention to the Bowline, Figure Eight and the Cleat Hitch. These are the knots we use to rig the 14.2.

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Sailing Right - Wind Awareness & Points of Sail

2007-09-10T10:06:00.000-07:00

One of the most important thing for a beginning sailor to develop is a sense of "wind awareness." You need to be able to feel the wind, see the wind and anticipate the wind. Let's worry about see and feel first. Look for things on shore (flags, trees, wind indicators) to help you determine the wind's direction and speed. Also, feel the wind on your arms, neck, face (I use my ears...weird, I know....) Once you can determine where the wind is coming from, you can trim your sails properly.

Okay, back to the business of "terms." If you are just starting out, be aware that there are terms, but don't worry if you can't remember them all. Here is a diagram of the Points of Sail in PDF format. Take a moment and look at it now. What you should be looking at is the relationship of the Wind to the Sail and the Sail to the Boat. When we are sailing close to the eye of the wind, the sail is all the way in. As we move the bow of the boat away from the wind, we let the sail out. We do this to keep the relationship of the sail to the wind roughly the same. Let me say that differently. We move the boat underneath the sail, keeping the angle of the sail to the wind the same, while pointing the boat in a new direction.

Confused? No problem. The point is that the closer your bow is to the eye of the wind, the further in you should pull the sail, and the further away from the eye of the wind the bow is are, the further out your sails should be.

So what about Downwind? Okay, the one exception to all of this is sailing Downwind. At this point of sail, you are catching the wind to push you along. In every other point of sail, you are using your sail like an airplane wing to create lift and pull you through the water.

Want some dry land practice? Check out this Ocean Racing Simulator. Try to set the sails at a position and drive the boat as fast as you can. Watch the knot meter to see how fast you are going. Now go downwind, then upwind and compare your speeds...which is faster?

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Sailing Right - Capsize Recovery

2007-09-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Most people are at least a little nervous about the prospect of a capsize recovery. This is completely understandable. Once you are out of the boat, your activity ceases to be "boating" and starts to be "swimming " which may or may not be what you thought you were getting into when you boarded the boat! Also, sailboats don't sail well with the mast in the water and if it seems a little unnatural, well...it is. But let me assure you that Capsizing is a NORMAL part of dinghy sailing, it just isn't the fastest way to sail. If you don't believe me...watch THIS VIDEO.

US Sailing has a great segment on Capsize Recovery...click on THIS LINK to see an overview and a Flash Video demonstrating a capsize recovery.

Also, if you have the Start Sailing Right book, there is a chapter that covers it both for mono-hulls and for multi-hulls (catamarans).

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Sailing Right - Preparing for Sailing

2007-09-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

Hello...

As with any sport, you need to be prepared for the event. In the case of sailing, you are going to be outdoors so you need to be prepared for the weather conditions. Appropriate clothing, light loose layers, close toed shoes, gloves if necessary (not just for cold...also for protection of your hands) are all things to consider. In Arizona, this also means sunscreen, hats and bringing water.

Another preparedness issue is proper personal floatation devices. While the skipper is most likely required to have enough life jackets on board for everyone, they are often the Type II Horse Collar jackets. These aren't very comfortable and therefore you are probably less likely to wear it. I always recommend if you intend to do any significant amount of water sports activities that you own your own vest that you have picked out, is sized right for you and that you are familiar with the operation of. This also increases the likelihood that you will wear it!

Before you leave the dock, and probably before you leave your house, and even several days in advance if possible, check the weather report! I have found that your sailing experience depends on the wind! Too much or too little and it is no fun (or too much fun :-) There are some great resources for weather information online: www.NOAA.gov ; www.WUnderground.com ; www.Weather.com ; www.Tempe.gov/wx (for Tempe Town Lake!)

While being prepared by knowing the weather in advance is important, once you get out on the water you need to be aware of the wind. Your sails are the engine and the wind is the fuel. Knowing where the wind is coming from, both where you are now and where you are headed, is key to knowing how to properly adjust your sails. Proper sail adjustment (also called "trim") is key to getting the most out of the wind that you have (more on this later). Be aware of the wind around you by looking at the water's surface. Dark water means more wind, glassy or lighter water means less wind. Look at the indicators on nearby land, things like flags and trees, to get a sense of where the wind is coming from. By the end of class you will be driving to the lake noticing these things looking to see what kind of wind we will have for the class!

I started this segment by referring to sailing as a sport. That implies that a degree of physical exertion will be required. You need to make sure that you are physically fit enough to sail the type of boat you will be on. The good news is that the level of fitness varies wildly from boat to boat. Smaller dinghies like Lasers and Buccaneers require a little more physically than a boat like a Catalina 22 or a Merit 25 (both boats with weighted keels). The important thing is to know your abilities and sail accordingly.

This segment covers chapters 1,2 & 4 in the Start Sailing Right book.

Beginning Sailing Tid Bit...

2007-07-21T10:24:00.001-07:00

Hi everyone,

This is my weekly post for beginning sailors. Remember that a blog is INTERACTIVE...so don't be afraid to post questions...I'll try to get to them as often as I can.

Today's tid bit...Points of Sail. All the terms can be pretty confusing - Close Hauled, Reaching, Deep Reaching...the important thing is to know how to trim the sails - not what to call it!

One of the most important thing for a beginning sailor to develop is a sense of "wind awareness." You need to be able to feel the wind, see the wind and anticipate the wind. Let's worry about see and feel first. Look for things on shore (flags, trees, wind indicators) to help you determine the wind's direction and speed. Also, feel the wind on your arms, neck, face (I use my ears...weird, I know....) Once you can determine where the wind is coming from, you can trim your sails properly.

Okay, back to the business of "terms." If you are just starting out, be aware that there are terms, but don't worry if you can't remember them all. Here is a diagram of the Points of Sail in PDF format. Take a moment and look at it now.

What you should be looking at is the relationship of the Wind to the Sail and the Sail to the Boat. When we are sailing close to the eye of the wind, the sail is all the way in. As we move the bow of the boat away from the wind, we let the sail out. We do this to keep the relationship of the sail to the wind roughly the same. Let me say that differently. We move the boat underneath the sail, keeping the angle of the sail to the wind the same, while pointing the boat in a new direction.

Confused? No problem. The point is that the closer your bow is to the eye of the wind, the further in you should pull the sail, and the further away from the eye of the wind the bow is are, the further out your sails should be.

So what about Downwind? Okay, the one exception to all of this is sailing Downwind. At this point of sail, you are catching the wind to push you along. In every other point of sail, you are using your sail like an airplane wing to pull you through the water, but how sails work is next week's lesson...

Until then, Sail Fast!
Captain Rob

New Classes Posted for Arizona Yacht Club!

2007-07-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

Hi everyone!
Just a quick note to let you know that the new class schedule is posted on the Airzona Yacht Club Website at www.ArizonaYachtClub.org/Education . Sign up now for our most popular class - Start Sailing Right - seats are going fast!

Thanks
Rob