Arizona Sailing Foundation

ASF Schedule Open for Registration Sat Jul 26th - 8:00am

2008-07-24T17:00:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone!

I'm pleased to announce that our schedule has been coordinated and we are ready to accept your registrations for the fall. Registration will open at 8:00am on Sat Morning the 26th of July. You can go directly to the system by clicking this link:
https://thriva.activenetwork.com/Reg4/(S(w3qy1jriwwbm4mykulgjxa55))/Form.aspx?regkey=RpYOYPxE37%2ff2B%2fRFzqZoaUI%2fcGQAgWuHO%2b0zLn7HVc%3d

To get a look at the schedule, please go to our calendar at:
http://www.arizonayachtclub.org/TheCalendar/calendar_asf.shtml

The classes being offered this season are:

For Adults:
Introduction to Racing (two Sundays)
Start Sailing Right (All Day Saturdays - 2 different offerings A & B)
Sailing Skills Development (one offering later in the fall Sat morning from 8-12)

For Juniors:
Opti 1 & Opti 2 (6 Sunday Afternoons)
High School Sailboat Racing (Tuesday Afternoons after school)
Team DUST - Opti Racing (Sunday Raceday Afternoons)
Team DUST - 420 Racing (Practice Saturdays before Sunday Racedays - also sign up for fall race series)

I appreciate everyone's patience while we coordinated everything. I'm looking forward to a GREAT fall season!

Capt Rob

ISAF : Sixty Nations Prepare To Do Battle In The Bay Of Århus

2008-07-08T08:44:00.000-07:00

This is a great story about the top end of youth Sailing...the 2008 Volvo Youth Sailing ISAF World Championship.

ISAF : Sixty Nations Prepare To Do Battle In The Bay Of Århus

Serious Opti Competitors...

2008-07-03T08:22:00.001-07:00

These Junior Sailors must have been born with saltwater in their veins...great photos of the Opti North American Championships!

SAILKARMA.COM - Sailing News, Videos and Photos!: Optimist North Americas 204 competitors!

ISAF : ISAF Sailing World Cup Set To Launch For 2008-2009

2008-07-01T08:20:00.000-07:00

Ever want to see people that have a "sailing problem"? These folks are it...The International Sailing Federation is the body that governs international racing rules. These athletes are the best of the best..

ISAF : ISAF Sailing World Cup Set To Launch For 2008-2009

Figuring out what sailors already knew...

2008-06-26T13:45:00.001-07:00

So,

The WSJ Online is reporting that more people are turning to sailing because of soaring fuel costs...hmmm...took 'em long enough!

Help Keep Quagga Muscle Out of Tempe Town Lake

2008-06-14T09:30:00.000-07:00

If you aren't familiar, the Quagga Muscle is similar to the Zebra Muscle. It is about as big as an average person's thumbnail, and that is the problem. At maturity, they get into machinery and clog things like water intake valves, engine cooling water intake grates and other devices. Not to mention that if your boat is moored in a Quagga positive lake, they can adhere to the hull and decrease your fuel efficiency and slow your boat down. To make matters worse, Quagga larvae are microscopic, making a visual inspection for them insufficient. There is now concern that this invasive species will be transferred to Tempe Town Lake through portage of boats from Lake Pleasant.

If you are a boater that trailers your boat to the different lakes available to us here in the greater Phoenix metro area, please take some precautions to ensure that you don't have any unwanted passengers on board.

Clean your hull - spray it down at the lakeside before leaving if possible, or at a self serve high powered car wash on the way home.

Drain the water - Drain all the water from bilges, live-wells and between hull spaces.

Dry everything - Dry the hull and all you gear.

Wait 5 days - If possible, wait 5 dry days before launching your boat in another waterway.

Tempe Town Lake is a confined body of water and introduction of the Quagga Muscle could be disastrous to the water recirculation systems, dams and docks that make the lake fun and enjoyable for all of us. For more information, please visit the Arizona Game and Fish website at www.azgfd.gov. Please do your part!

Live Sail Die » When it all goes wrong

2008-06-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

Got this from a great blog called - Live, Sail, Die. There are some pretty telling statistics about boat accidents. Moral of this story is, stay sober, stay alert!

Live Sail Die » When it all goes wrong

See you on the water!
Capt Rob

Quagga Muscle found in Lake Pleasant

2008-06-09T12:52:00.000-07:00

Hi All,
The Quagga Muscle is invading the waterways of Arizona and has recently been found in Lake Pleasant and the CAP canal system. If you are using your boat in other waterways besides Town Lake please check this web site for pre-cautions when transferring your boat from one body of water to another:
http://www.azgfd.gov/h_f/zebra_mussels.shtml
This invasive muscle has caused extensive damage in the Great Lakes water system, so it would do us well to follow the listed precautions if you use your boat in other local waterways. Thank you for making the extra effort to keep Town Lake quagga muscle free.

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