Laser racing this weekend at usual time. 10 to 12 on the water both Saturday and Sunday. Wind will probably stay on the light side so you need to figure a little extra time to get out to the course. Multiple races, but not as many as when wind is up so you want to be early and not late.
Anybody that wants afternoon racing or off weekend racing speak up– there is a case to made for both and it would not take much to do it.
Did you want to know what has been going on and why you have not been flooded with e-mails? I was waiting for my correspondents to let me know what was going on around the area..
Dean Grimes reports that Ray Laguna and the Cal 22 gang (four on the boat) ended up 10th in the Cal 22 big races at Indian River this pat weekend. The main problem was the jib halyard parted and disappeared down the mast and left them with not enough sail power to dust everyone off. Maybe a little like the old sheet I had been using for 5 years that came apart when the wind was up a month ago. When we had the high school sailors here for their regatta, as protest committee I gave one of the teams average points for the race when his tiller extension broke off before the start. The high school official that was helping us complained mildly because they instruct the sailors to check the tiller extension, ringdings, halyards etc when they exchange boats and that those sort of accidents should be noted ahead. Or if Ray had high school coaching he would have changed that halyard last month. Ray and Dean will be back in the Flying Scot this weekend. If we had some races on off weekends we might pick them up sailing Lasers.
The cool Saturday that is just past had all the high school 420s (7) out sailing with coach Chris and then he kept them out for a good long practice. I sail a Laser out to middle of the lake, saw that they were working pretty hard and then got out of the way. Bob Getchell had his big deep sea fishing motor boat out with Jeannette Getchell driving. That was worth the trip– imagine that big smile.
The mystery Alan showed up with a revised version of his rotating tiller for Laser sailors that don’t like the tiller extension. He is Allen Edelberg form Apopka and has sailed with us twice, but we had lost rack of who he was. We will try to keep him coming because we have some other big boat sailors that want to sit in the middle of the boat and steer with one stick or a wheel.
On Sunday Aggie and Carlton Brown had the San Juan 21 down to try and work out the problem of trimming their new jib, mast rake, and spinnaker work.. We gave them a lot of Laser advice and not sure that it helped any. A Compact 16 complete with anchor on the bow, engine on the stern, reefed main, tricolor and VHF antenna on the mast head stopped by on a visit from Buzzard Beach. Sherry Magno came to sail. Yes, a Laser sailed again.
This Wednesday with a very light wind Tom Doyle, one of the big boat (44')sailors, had his MX -ray out – he looked fast particularly as it looked like next to no wind. Sherry Magno was advanced to Laser radial and had a good "magic" sail— boat moving along and no sign of wind on the water while she was sitting on the lee side and boat just moves along like magic.
Mary Anne Ward planned, but missed sailing with us-- again. We will get her yet, but it is a little bit of a drive over from
Cocoa, but remember you don’t have to have a crew and if the wind is up instead of talking some spectator into become a combatant, we just move down to the next smaller sail.
Leah Ladley tried to get in an extra sail in her Laser. She and Caroline are planning to sail with us on Saturday and Sunday. Wait till you see their Christmas card. I will pin it up on the Bulletin board even if it is of a 420 boat.
Patrick Daniel is planning to come and race with us on the weekend. Be nice to him so he will come often.