Summer Sailing June 20 and 21, 2009.
Lasers had nine sailors and 15 races over the two days with 6 racing on Saturday for 8 races and 8 sailors on Sunday for seven races. Great winds both days with everyone in full rigs, but wind on Sunday building to make it hard for the light weights, but great learning for them.
Ben Getchell 1-1-5-3-1-2-2-4 + 1-3-1-1-1-2-2 30 1
Rob Krentel 3-4-2-2-3-1-1-2+ 2-1-4-2-2-1-1 31 2
Sam Chapin 2-3-1-1-2-3-3-1+ 3-2-3-3-3-3-3 47 3
Luke Yates 6-2-3-5-4-4-5-5 + 4-4-2-5-4-nf-5 66 4
Marc Solal 5-6-6-4-6-5-6-6 + 7-ns-6-6-5-6-4 87 5
Craig Yates 4-5-4-6-5-6-4-3 + 80 107 6
Jennifer Burno 70 + 5-5-5-4-nf-4-ns 121 7
Tim Arnold 70 + 6-7-7-8-6-5-6 125 8
Aaron Arnold 70+ 8-6-7-8-nf-nf-7 134 9

Ben getchell was our big hero. He was third on Saturday, but one point behind Rob and Rob one point behind Sam. Ben had four bullets out of seven races on Sunday and worst race a third. He pulled ahead of everyone. Rob had to eat a 4 on Sunday and that was the difference.

So after 15 races Rob was one point out. If we would have had another high wind race on Sunday he would have been ahead. He won both of those last two races.

Sam was unusually good on Saturday and ended up one point ahead. With the wind increase on Sunday he realized that when tacking he should be getting in the hiked out position sooner in the higher winds. When Kurt Taulbee gets here next month he will probably be getting everyone jumping from side to side.

We had some of our 18 inch waves that we could get a little push from especially if you are sailing in transition. Broad reach to the right and then roll to the right and transition to by the lee when going down a wave for a little extra push and not staying in the dead down wind slow mode. We get to roll the boat to help steering, if you are worried about rule 42.
With the little chop that we had going up wind it is probably best to just sail a little full and power through the waves. In the bigger waves that we either don’t get or not often, it is general up the up side of the wave and down the down side with a move your weight back to push the tiller to leeward going up the wave and a move forward with the pull on the tiller to turn down the wave. One of those things that takes a lot of practice to get the rhythm right.

Four of the five youth foundation boasts boats have the old vang system and are without the supper vang ability. The old system to set up the vang was to stand up when head to wind with the hiking stick hand on top and the boom. Lean on the boom hard while you set up the vang with the sheet hand. It wasn’t easy to get off again either. I don’t recommend that to anyone now. If you get caught with too much wind just go from block to block to ease more sheet, keep the boat near flat and keep sailing fast. Sail fast is better than pinching up to keep the boat flat. Pinching up into the wind makes you just go slower. The waves will stop you especially when you try to tack and don’t have much boat speed and hit a wave.

Luke Yates beat his dad on Saturday (It wasn’t Fathers Day) and was back on Sunday which managed pretty well with a full rig and the wind increasing. A second place in the third race on Sunday and hung in there all day.

Marc Solal ended up 5th and was never LAST on Sunday. He was first to the weather mark in one race. Marc, just a little better boat handling and you will be there.

Craig Yates sailed with us Saturday but missed Sunday and got himself down to 6th place. He was our entry in the Poker run but drew a poor hand of cards.

Jennifer Burno, our first woman and only woman, she came late and got the old yellow boat. That boat is super soft, fast in light wind, but not in a little chop. She did the full rig and really did well with several 4ths as well and some turn overs. Skipped that last race to show she is not that dumb.

Tim and Aaron Arnold were 8 and 9. They were are most important sailors. Don’t forget that the people at the bottom of the fleet are the ones that make the group grow and maybe beat up on the others later depending on how hard they work at it. The first races that they have sailed in! The most wind thy have sailed it! Great work fellows! Now we have to figure out how to fit Mrs. Patricia Arnold in.

Kim Kelly, big boat and cruising sailor, big boat sailing instructor and Mt. Dora resident, will be sailing Laser with us and helping Leah Ladley with the Whirlwind group. She away on the RC boat and enjoyed the action.

Thanks again to Joan Bryant and Marjorie Chapin for the great RC work.

Next Summer racing in 2 weeks both Saturday and Sunday.

Wednesday evening sailing continues 5 to 7 with Pizza and North U 7 to 8.

Next week end is free from organizational sailing. We could so some coaching. If interested contact Sam.