Tuesday, December 21, 2010

December 18 and 19, 2010

Luke Yates wins the Saturday races and Rob Krentel wins the weekend. Lasers sail both days in the rain with 4 races on Saturday in a morning shortened to wait for the wind to fill in and seven races on Sunday with only three of our regulars sailing. The other guys didn’t do any better. Wayfarers went out on Sunday, but came back in without starting a race. Combination of cold and windy, I think. The Scots only had three out Sunday. The MCs had a little group out for two races and Bob Newland, the J24 sailor from Puerto Rico, won both with our visitor from Texas in second.

Rob Krentel 2-1-3-3+2-1-2-1-2-1-1 = 19
Sam Chapin 1-6.5-1-2+1-2-1-2-1-2-2= 21.5
Marc Solal 4-3-4-4+3-3-3-3-3-3-3= 36
Luke Yates 3-2-2-1+ dc = 64
Glenda Libby Rebel ds-6.5-5-ds+dc= 83.5
Craig Yates 420 ds-4-ds-ds+dc = 84
Bailey Verkaik 4.7 ds-5-ds-ds+dc = 85

So on Saturday we fleshed out the Laser fleet with Glenda in Rebel and Craig’s morning class. The “big boat sailors” watched the rain and drank beer.

Coming soon will be several pages about how to sail the Laser in higher winds.
Next racing is New Years Day at 10 AM and Club Racing the week after.
.

Monday, December 6, 2010

Our first December races were a great mix with 60 degree temp and light winds on Saturday and brisk on Sunday. Winter has started. December 4-5, 2010

Craig Yates won the Saturday races with a 2-4-1 for a seven. Note that win in the last race. Sam had a 1-5-2 for 8 and Rob Krentel got caught in too many holes and ended up with 4-3-3 for ten, but Rob made up for it on Sunday with seven bullets in the seven races in the brisk winds.

We expect Alejandro back this week, so Rob will have a little more interesting time.

The finishes with Saturday first:

Rob Krentel 4-3-3+ 1-1-1-1-1-1-1 = 17
Tom Rhodes 6-6-6+ 4-3-3-2-2-2-2 = 36
Marc Solal 7-7-nf+3-2-2-3-nf-3-3= 45
Sam Chapin 1-5-2+2-ns------- =58
Craig Yates 2-4-1+ 56 (ns Sun.) =63
Seth Bahr 3-1-5+ 56 =65
Cameron Smith 5-2-4+56 =67

Tom Rhodes moved into second place by hanging in there on Sunday. Marc Solal beat him in the first three races and then Tom beat him in the last four.

Marc and Tom have been entertaining each other over the past several months and both are getting closer to the top of the fleet. They were working with Rob on Sunday to be sailing better in the higher winds and getting the starts better. They all had a good time on Sunday. Laughing and smiling when they got in.

Seth Bahr was back to sail with us and won the second race on Saturday and came in third for the Saturday races. (We are having a separate Saturday Series now.)

Cameron Smith had a second in the second race and was in the middle of the fleet the rest of the time, but ended up 5th out of the seven. Just one point behind Rob –not bad company.

Then Saturday afternoon Rob, Tom and Sam sailed with the high school students with starting and race practice. We had eleven Lasers out. Good afternoon.

We will have a cold week and then a little warmer on the weekend.

Monday, November 22, 2010

We really had good winds on Saturday and Sunday. On Sunday we managed to get in a triangle course – Marc Solal was tired of just all the up wind and downwind stuff. After the third race on Sunday, I asked Rob if he was going to send us on the triangle and his reply was that we didn’t have enough wind yet. Sam thought plenty of wind and he checked out with the Race Committee and headed in. Young America sailed three more races and had a good time and got the triangle.

The Yates family took advantage of the wind and Alejandro’s absence to rake up the most wins on Saturday with one for Craig and two for Luke while Rob only was able to win the last two.

Finishes corrected time – Luke Yates was sailing a radial both days.

Rob Krentel 3-2-2-1-1 + 1-2-1-1-1-1 = 16
Luke Yates 5-1-1-6-4 + 2-3-2-3-4-3 = 34
Marc Solal 4-6-3-5-3 + 5-4-3-4-2-2= 39
Sam Chapin 2-3-6-2-2 + 3-1-4-ns ns ns= 47
Tom Rhodes 6-5-5-4-5 + 4-5-5-2-3-4 = 48
Craig Yates 1-4-4-3-6 + ns = 64
Claire Epaillard 7-7-7-7-ns+ns = 84

Well Rob set our courses and lead most of the races. The two seconds on Saturday were converted from first place finishes because Luke in the Radial was close behind.

Luke Yates sailed the races on both days and handled the radial well. It was the right sized sail for him on that day. He almost got a win on Sunday, but not quite. On Saturday his total score was one point ahead of Craig.

Marc Solal had his weekend. He was working the starts better and close at the windward mark. On Sunday he had two seconds and is third for the weekend. This is Marc’s best finishes of the year. He and Tom Rhodes have been trading places.

Tom Rhodes was our winner for the weekend last week and I was hoping to get it in the newspaper article – but it didn’t get printed. Somehow Marc sailed over him this weekend, but Tom had a second in the fourth race on Sunday.

Craig Yates is our “Saturday sailor” otherwise he will be finishing ahead of most.

Claire Epaillard was sailing a 4.7 and getting a lot of experience getting around the course, but we need to get some other 4.7 ‘s out with her. It is hard to know if you are doing everything right when you are out there all by yourself..

Craig Yates’ class has a group just ready to join in with us. Craig has asked us to join with them on Saturday afternoon of December 4th (the next club racing). They had 7 Lasers sailing this past Saturday afternoon.

Monday, November 8, 2010

Winter came on Friday night and we struggling to figure out what to wear when the temp is 55 and wind up to 10 or 12..

Alejandro Illera has taken a few day off for car racing and family activities, but we still had a good group (seven) on Saturday. Scots had seven out also. The Wayfarers were playing safety boat duty. MCs were about ten. Bianca Mesa sailed her radial and Rob Krentel had family stuff on Sunday. So we lost four of our seven sailors on Sunday. We may think again about separate series for Saturday and Sunday. I scored it that way a few years ago and the same people won both ways, so we haven’t done it since.

Scores:

Tom Rhodes 4-6-6-5-2-4 + 1-2-1-1 = 32
Sam Chapin 3-2-1-1-5-ns +2-1-nf-ns = 39
Rob Krentel 1-1-1-2-3-1 + 32 =41
Craig Yates 5-3-3-4-3-3 + 32 =53
Bianca Mesa 6-4-4-2-4-2 + 32 =54
Marc Solal 7-7-ns +3-3-2-2 = 56
Patrick Daniel 2-5-5-6-6-ns+32 =64

Now we have Tom Rhodes coming out on top. Great and a Thank You to Alejandro and Rob for missing and letting the rest of us in. Tom has been our Iron Man with the most days sailing this Summer and on Saturday he and Rob sailed with the “big boats” long second race after they got finished with our six races.

Sam thought he might have won the weekend, but you can’t chicken out on races and still have a victory. Yes, some of the big gusts in the third race Saturday sent him in. Chickened out both days.

Rob Krentel collected the most first places and complained he had trouble hearing the starters horn. The LESC race committee has extra power horns, and we have one now. We will see how it works.

Craig Yates collected the most third places and sailed over to start the long race with the “big boats”, but couldn’t sail the whole race as he had the high school sailing classes in the afternoon. Luke’s arm continues to improve and we hope to have him back with us soon.

Bianca Mesa sailed well with her radial. She had the most second places. When I checked her corrected times she came closer to all those ahead of her, but didn’t pass anyone. She was our first woman and first youth. Sorry I forgot to get that in the news release.

Marc Solal had a good time on Sunday. He and Tom were laughing about all the swimming and sailing on Sunday. Sunday was his sort of day and he was leading in the first race, until he turned over in one of the wicked header gusts that we were having.

Patrick Daniel sailed well on Saturday with a second place but he got almost wiped out on that really fast run in the 5 th race that convinced Sam and Patrick that we needed more windy day practice, but maybe on a warmer day.

Next Laser racing in 2 weeks.
.

Monday, October 18, 2010

October 16 and 17, 2010 Lasers hang in there at Lake Eustis. We had six boats out both Starturday and Sunday with a total of 8 sailors and then 3 more practicing with Lasers after the races on Sunday. The MC fleet has dropped off with only six sailing on Saturday and four on Sunday. The Scot group has sort of taken over top spot with nine on Saturday and dropping off to 5 on Sunday. Several of the Scots are sailing single handed. Sort of to bad for building fleet from the group of crews. Not sure if those skippers just prefer sailing alone when the wind is light or if no one will crew for them twice. The Wayfarers had 6 boats out Saturday and four on Sunday. That is good for them.

Randy Rea came over to sail with the Lasers us on Saturday. He suffered from the light wind and should have been with us on Sunday. Here are combined finishes

Alejandro Illera 1-1-1-1+1-3-1-2-2-1 =10
Sam Chapin 3-3-3-4+3-1-2-3-3-5=30
Rob Krentel 28+2-2-3-1-1-2=39
Randy Rea 2-2-2-2+42 =50
Patrick Daniel 5-6-6-6+4-5-5-6-4-3 =50
Marc Solal 6-5-5-5+6-6-6-5-5-4= 54
Bianca Mesa 4-4-4-3+42 =57
Charlie Jensen 28+5-4-4-4-ns-ns =59

We didn’t use any of the Youth Foundation boats. Bianca was the only youth and the only woman sailing with us. Somehow we need to do better on both things.

Bianca sailed her radial rig and I calculated the corrected times for her and the boats ahead of her. She got close, but her finishes stayed the same. Fourth for the day. We have promised her the loan of a full rig anytime she wants.

The news on Alejandro is that we got to him a little Sunday when the wind was up a little. He got hit with a third in the second race and after five races he and Rob were tied for the day. Then we had a short reaching race in light wind—Alejandro on top.

Sam had a better day on Sunday with a 1 and 2.

Rob got a lot of important work done at home and in the neighborhood Saturday. We were glad to have him back setting marks and stuff on Sunday and keeping Alejandro entertained.

Randy Rea missed Sunday. I am sorry we didn’t see how he could handle our strange winds.

Patrick Daniel sailed both days with us and a good bit of the time was dueling with Marc. Marc, our heavy weight, beat him on the light day and then lost it with the better wind. Hard to figure these things. Patrick worked his way up to third in the last race.,

I asked Marc what Patrick was missing on Saturday and he thinks Patrick should pay more attention to sailing to the “pressure”– sail to the dark water.

Charlie Jensen was back with us on Sunday. Mary had another 39th Birthday party on Saturday and it was a big success. We should have another Birthday Party for Mary when we sail again in November. Charlie had a string of 4th places and then went over to the big course and sailed with the Wayfarers where he finished in the middle. That is an option that any of us have. Our RC should be able to check on the radio when they start there second race. That will give you a extra hour of racing on a long course.

Come and help and watch all the youth sailing the next two weekends.

Tom Rhodes should be back with us the first weekend in November and if we get the high school group with us we will be back up to ten boats starting which will help us with boat to boat tactics.
..

Monday, October 11, 2010

Laser stuff for October 9 and 10, 2010.

We struggled with light wind and progressive left shift on Saturday. The wind shifted left after Rob set the marks and we had a light wind reach to windward mark and then a broad reach back to the leeward mark. We did it one more time hoping that the wind would shift back. Then Joan drove the RC boat up and changed the windward mark while Rob moved the leeward. Then the wind went more left the mess it up again but not as bad. Ended up with only three light air races.

Alejandro Illera 1-1-1 3
Rob Krentel 2-2-2 6
Sam Chapin 3-3-4 10
Marc Solal 5-6-3 14
Cameron Smith 4-4-6 14
Mike Caputo 7-5-5 17
Claire Epaillard 6-7-7 20

The big news is that Rob passed Alejandro on one of the runs. Well, then Alejandro still beat him to the finish. Maybe it helps to have your wife and daughter on the RC. Yes, Thank you Maribel and Genesis for helping out with RC while Marjorie was playing with the Master Gardeners.

Light wind and our big and heavy weather guy, Marc, was never last and even sailed into 3rd once. Second place in one of the races coming up.

Cameron Smith sailed with us before and handles the boat really well. He was tied with Marc, but Marc had that three, so he slips ahead for the day. Cameron is a good friend of Luke Yates and they have been sailing Lasers together. Luke broke his arm playing football and we are trying to get him into the band. It should be a safer sport.

Mike Caputo came and sailed Patrick Daniel's boat. Mike has sailed with us several years ago, and has an invitation to come and do it again. He claimed he had a good time and learned a lot. He made Claire happy in the first race and then sailed a little better.

Claire Epaillard sailed with us for the first time ahe has been sailing the Laser with the high school group, but not this crazy kind of race and day. She was the winner of our woman's trophy, but we didn't have one.

I really messed up on the race report that I sent to the newspaper. Cameron should have been listed as the first youth and Clarie as the first Woman and second youth.

Now, the part that you are waiting for..to find out how Sam got into second place. That was Sunday and the Lake looked flatter than we had ever seen it. Sam, Alejandro and Rob were the only ones that showed up. Marc was off on his trip to Africa and our Iron-man, Tom Rhodes, was nursing his cold or pneumonia.
Rob and Alejandro looked at each other and said "why not just sail next week when there will be more wind." So they went home to get some of the "home work" done so they would be free for next weekend. Sam excused the RC and sat around talking to what was left of the MC group until a little wind filled in and Dave Williams called for 12 o'clock start for the "big boats". So Sam went out with the Laser to race against Wayfarers but Williams started everyone in one start--- fine, but a 14 foot boat starting with 19 footers and 16 footers is not a very happy camper. A forty minute race and Dave Hepting in a Wayfarer and all the MCs and a couple of Scots beat the Laser. But Sam was the first Laser so when I added that to my 10 from Saturday and Alejandro got a 8 for a DNS on Sunday--- Sam is tied for first for the weekend, but Alejandro has more firsts and so Sam is second. It pays to be the score keeper.

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Laser racing for September 25 and 26, 2010.

Lots of ups and downs. Alejandro sailed away from all of us on Saturday and then Ron Baerwitz joined us on Saturday to win the first two races. Rob Krentel won the day by one point leaving Ron and Alejandro tied. The break would go to Ron with the two wins and Alejandro only had one.

The list...
Alejandro Illera2-1-1-1-1+4-2-1-2 =15
Rob Krentel 1-2-2-2-2+2-3-2-1 = 20
Bianca Mesa 4-5-3-3-2+28 ns =45
Sam Chapin 7-7-9-4-4+3-4-4-3 =45
Craig Yates 3-3-5-5-6+28 ns = 50
Ron Baerwitz ns 45 +1-1-3-4= 54
Jerry Beck 6-4-7-7-3+ 28 ns = 55
Tom Rhodes 8-9-4-8-9+5-6-6-6=57
Marc Solal 9-6-8-6-8+6-5-5-5=58

So in spite of taking a hit on Sunday, Alejandro comes out on top by 5 points. What a great Fleet Captain!

Rob had more seconds than anyone around with a bullet on each end of the scoring. Rob sets are marks and calls the races which helps everyone. Thanks Rob!

Bianca Mesa is not allowed to sail on Sunday so she can have her homework done and early for School on Monday, but she got a second place on Saturday (wait, that is supposed to be reserved for Rob) and she was our only woman and youth.

Sam got a 9 on Saturday. I was going around that weather mark – looked around and “gosh” there is no one behind me. But that is alright, I won one of those races on Sunday, except you guys kept going for a seocnd lap.

Coach Craig Yates is really sailing well. He sailed with Sam on Wednesday evening (you are all invited to come also) He got two 3s on Saturday. Moving up.

Ron Baerwitz has been invited to come and sail with us anytime. He is between houses and boats. Recent sale of his Scot to Dean Grimes and Joe Lobato. Interesting idea of co- ownership. We could do that with Laser. One race on Sunday and another on Saturday at half cost.

Jerry Beck is really sailing fast now. 4 and 3 on Saturday and always looking good. He is one of the fellows that can’t come all the time, but adds to the numbers and is working his way up.

Tom Rhodes topped Marc for the weekend, but really took it on the chin on the windy Sunday when Marc beat him three out of four races. We have a plan to overcome that windy handicap.

Marc Solal really climbed out of the cellar on Sunday. He is starting better and doing well up wind. He would have beat me in one of those races, except it was one of the two lappers and I was able to grind him down. He and Tom were one point apart after 9 races.

Catamaran regatta next weekend and then Club racing two weeks in a row. Try to help us keep the numbers up. The more boats on the line the more fun for everybody.

.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

The Laser fleet had a busy Labor Day weekend. Trophies for the Summer series went out to everyone except the three not present. Chris Nagy for third Youth, Ben Getchell for second Youth and Alejandro Illera for first. Alejandro was tied with Rob Krentel for the lead, but Alejandro got the nod because of more first places. The Summer Series of 52 races and 23 sailors is posted on the Bulletin board at the club.

Saturday we has five races with good wind at the beginning fading off to poor by noon. The “big boats” only got one race in.

On Saturday we were all ready to take Rob Krentel’s first place away from him as he was off with his family doing something else. We waited and waited, but no wind and the Official Labor Day series went to the Saturday winners. Well Rob and Bianca were not here to celebrate the win, but Luke Yates got his trophy and some prize and had his picture taken with the rest of the winners.

Then on Monday we did it again with eight boats and a light crazy wind. More Trophies and another win by Rob, but let me put down the scores before more comments.

Saturday September

Rob Krentel 1-2-3-1-1 = 8
Luke Yates 5-1-4-2-4 =15
Bianca Mesa 4-4-1-3-3 =15
Sam Chapin 3-3-2-6-6 =20
Jerry Beck 2-5-5-5-5= 22
Charlie Jensen 7-6-6-4-2= 25
Tom Rhodes 6-7-8-7-7 = 35
Marc Solal 8-8-10-nf-ns=44

420s Max and Claire Epaillard 9-7-8-8
Gabriel Mesa and Evan Anthony 10-9-9-9

Rob was kind enough to share his wins with Luke and Bianca. That is really nice to see the first place moving around the fleet. But look out, because Alejandro will be back soon.

Luke and Bianca were tied on score and Luke got the nod because he had a second place.

Jerry Beck got his second place in there at the start and then a string of 5s. I had trouble those last couple of races. When Jerry had 5s I had 6s.

Charlie Jensen was back with us and after practicing in the first few races got a second in the last race. Good work Charles.

Tom Rhodes is moving up in the fleet and bouncing around with Charlie and Marc.

Marc Solal lost his wind indicator and headed in. We lost him in the miserable weather on Monday, but he was smart enough not to come on Saturday. Good thinking Mac.

We were glad to have the 420 come and sail with us, but my the 420 sailor are getting smaller and smaller.. The Epaillard kids were leading at the finish and even beat a Laser in one race.

Gabriel Mesa his first time sailing in the 420 with Evan Anthony. Not bad. They were right with them.



SUNDAY = no wind =no races. You folks that didn’t come were smart, but missed a lot of “visiting”.


MONDAY September 6, 2010 The Laser Invitational. The only visitors were the Scot sailors Dave and Caroline Chapin. Well, they did sail a Scot on Saturday.

Rob Krentel 2-2-2 = 6
Craig Yates 1-3-4 = 8
Dave Chapin ns-1-1= 11
Tom Rhodes 4-6-3 = 13
Sam Chapin 3-5-5 = 13
Caroline Chapin ns-5-6 =20
Luke Yates Nf-4-ns = 22
Marc Solal 5-nf-ns = 23

Well we were sort of waiting for Dave and Caroline to get started, but then they were switching boats because of the resident spider in the “green machine”. Caroline is not sailing with spiders. So they missed the first start. That let Rob win with a full string of seconds on a day when everything seemed tops turvy.

Craig Yates, who coaches on Saturday, showed us how to get way ahead in the first race.. (I think it was the go left thing.) Anyway he was way ahead in the first race and was always up front in the others.

Dave Chapin did his usual “well sailed thing” often making up in boat speed for not getting the last shift. He even was able to get to the pin end in the start of the last race when the wind went really far left. The key here is not to be sailing far from the line in light air and keep looking for the shifts.

Tom Rhodes climbed the ladder a little more with a tie with Sam, which we broke in his favor. So now he is fourth in the field of eight.

But wait if you look at the scores carefully you see two 5s for the second race. That is when Caroline was sailing fast to the finish line just a little ahead of Sam. The sweet little girl trying to burn her grandfather. Nice old grandpa is leeward boat, but has a little room to windward so he heads up just before he thinks he is almost on the line so he can beat that little girl. Grandma calls it a tie, what ever that means. Now the hard part, is there is also a 6 scored for Tom. But if we have two 5s then the next score is 7. Sorry Tom, that drops you down to 5th for the day. Still climbing the Ladder.

Caroline managed to be the first Youth and the First Woman. Carrying off more trophies.

Luke Yates fell in a hole in the wind and didn’t bother to finish the first race. He was way ahead in the second and then the wind turned around and he ended up with 4 and skipped the last race.

Marc Solal does better when there is a little wind. Why do this sailing when it is so miserable? Marc is probably right, but we missed him after the sailing was over.

We had 8 boats Saturday and 8 boats Monday. Bianca Mesa, Charlie Jensen, and Jerry Beck had other business on Monday but Caroline Chapin, David Chapin and Craig Yates joined the sable five. In case you are interested– on Saturday, the MC fleet had eleven boats, Scots nine (really good for them) and Wayfarers two (they are usually up to 3 or four until the snow birds arrive.) We had 8 boats at any start with 12 sailors over the weekend with 8 races. So who has the most action. Well OK, we couldn’t do it with out the support of all the fleets and we are particularly happy to see the Scots doing well. They are the only true crewed class we have and a path for new sailing racers.

Next week Club Racing again and we start the first Fall Series. The wind will be better— a promise.

Monday, August 23, 2010

Laser racing Saturday and Sunday, August 21 and 22, 2010, had nine sailors all together, but only four of us that sailed both days. We had great wind on Saturday as we welcomed Tom McNally and Bianca Mesa to the fleet. Tom lives in Orlando and is a long time laser sailor, but doing other things for the past five years. Bianca and her family have moved to this region from Miami and she was sailing a radial. Tom McNally dominated the racing on Saturday, but was over the line early at the pin end in the first race and didn’t hear the call back. That let Rob Krentel comes out ahead on Saturday. Then Rob and Tom Mc (We have two Toms now) didn’t come back on Sunday. Bianca is starting school Monday so she missed also. That put Sam up on top for the weekend list. Bianca sailed a radial and I corrected her times. She moved ahead of Sam in the fourth race and was unchanged in the others.

Sam Chapin 3-3-4-4-3+3-2-1-1 24
Rob Krentel 1-2-2-1-5+28 39
Patrick Daniel 4-6-5-5-4+1-3-5-6 39
Tom McNally Ns-1-1-2-1+28 41
Bianca Mesa 2-5-3-3-2+ 28 43
Dean Grimes 40+2-1-3-3 49
Marc Solal 5-7-6-6-ns+6-5-4-4 51
Jerry Beck 40+4-4-2-2 52
Tom Rhodes 6-4-7-7-6+5-6-6-5 52

We missed our regular Alejandro Illera who didn’t make either days. Maybe car racing – but Ok the regular racing starts in two weeks.

Patrick Daniel has been sailing up to the top of the fleet, but dropped back Saturday and then I thought he back up on Sunday with 1-3 but then had a couple of bad starts when the wind came up.

Dean Grimes currently owns ½ a Flying Scot but we are glad to have him come back and sail with us. He was second overall on Sunday without flying the spinnaker.

The wind came up for the last two races on Sunday and look at the two fourth places for Marc Solal. We know the French are the best sailors.

Jerry Beck got lose to come and sail and scored two second places. Keep coming Jerry.

Tom Rhodes is starting to work his way up the ladder. He was last a couple of times but moved up a notch a couple of times. A little more practice and then some work on the starts. Remember the four things to check at the start. !) Go head to wind to see which end of the line is favored. 2) Get a range on the line so you can see better where it is if you are in the middle. 3) Time the line so you have some idea about how long it will take to get to the other end. You will want that if you have a big wind shift and it also helps you judge how long it takes to get a few boat lengths. 4) Check for current if you at another locations. No current to speak of at LESC.

Our Labor Day races will be the usual time 10 to 12 with our regular RC. The Saturday pot luck and Sunday trophy stuff will conform to the general time schedule (after the MCs, FS and Wayfarers get done). Then Monday, if you are not sick of racing by then, is the “Laser invitational” with lunch (bring your own) trophies and stuff after.

Monday, August 9, 2010

Laser report for the weekend– August 7 and 8, 2010 – four races on Saturday and three on Sunday. See if you can figure out the scores from this next paragraph.

Alejandro Illera 1-1-1-3+1-1-1 = 9
Rob Krentel 2-4-3-1+2-4-2 =18
Patrick Daniel 3-2-2-2+3-7-nf =26
Sam Chapin 4-3-4-5+6-6-3 =31
Tom Rhodes 6-5-6-4+4-3-6 =34
Marc Solal 5-7-5-ns+7-2-4 =38
Dean Grimes Ns+5-5-5 =51
Ray Laguna Ns-6-ns-ns+ns = 54

Alejandro showed that he could sail in the big winds of Saturday and the light to no wind of Sunday. He stole the first race on Saturday from Rob, but then in the 2nd and third races he was just way ahead.
A really bad start in the fourth race Saturday got him the third.

Rob had a big lead in the third race on Sunday and then in all the wind changes on the first beat Alejandro managed to get by him. Rob is still our #2 guy by a long shot.

Patrick Daniel has stepped up now. He won second place on just the Saturday scoring, one point ahead of Rob, but on the second Sunday race he had a good position, went left on the final beat to finish. The pressure can in from the right and left him sitting out there trying to get back to the finish while the rest of us sailed up to the line. Then in the last no wind race, he just went to shore. I kept thinking that was a smart move as this was not fun until the big wind came in the finish and everyone was planing into shore.

Tom Rhodes has all the parts to a good boat now, and found a third place in the races on Sunday. His best finishes.

Marc Solal our heavy weather guy — look at that second place on light wind Sunday... Good things happen on strange days.

Dean Grimes came to sail with us on Sunday. He brought Nancy to help with the RC and tied with Sam for fifth place on Sunday. Dean is one of the two that just sailed one day.

Ray Laguna came a little late on Saturday and missed the first race. When we could see the storms coming was smart enough to get back to shore. When the wind is really up and when it is really light, sailing the Laser changes a lot. We had them both conditions over the weekend. Sunday Ray went to his pistol shooting exercises, and this next week it will be the boat buying extravaganza.

Caroline and Dave Chapin went to the Treasure Coast series at Palm Beach Sailing Club. We don’t have a complete report on that yet, except that they got two races in before the storm canceled things, Caroline was the second Radial and they had big time current.

A group went to Halifax River on Saturday. Maybe we will get a more complete report on that.

Next Laser sail Wednesday evening at 6 PM and then the weekend racing in two weeks. The MC scows will be racing in two weeks also.

Monday, July 26, 2010

We had thirteen racing with us over the weekend– July 24 and 25, 2010. Six races on Saturday and struggled to get the three in Sunday. Finishes here with corrected times for Chris Nagy who sailed the 4.7 on Saturday.


Sam Chapin 2-3-2-3-3-3+4-1-7= 28
Patrick Daniel 6-2-3-2-1-7+3-5-2= 31
Randy Rea 1-1-1-1-2-1+33 = 40
Ray Laguna 3-8-4-4-6-6+2-6-3= 42
Jerry Beck 7-4-5-7-8-2+6-3-4= 45
Luke Yates 4-6-6-5-7-4+33 = 65
Marc Solal 5-5-8-6-4-5+33 = 66
Rob Krentel 66+1-2-1= 70
Tom Rhodes 10-10-9-10-9-8+5-4-5= 70
Chris Nagy 8-7-7-8-10-10+33 = 83
Jim McIntyre 9-7-ns-9-5-9+ 33 = 86
Trevor Chapin 66+ns-7-6 = 87
David Chapin 66+nf-ns-ns= 90

What a strange scoring? Alejandro was off racing cars?? We will have to find out about that. Dave Chapin and Caroline went sown to Jensen Beach to the Treasure coast Regatta. Big wind and long courses for 6 races. Everybody stiff and sore. Caroline stayed in bed Sunday. Dave was late for first race and then turned his boat over to Trevor Chapin, who sailed the last two races and bet his grandfather in the last race– my, my.

Better sailing on Saturday and people taking a day off, turned the weekend over to Sam, just a couple of points ahead of Patrick Daniel.

Patrick was the only one to beat Randy Rea on Saturday. We don’t have to worry any more if he will be able to be happy sailing a Laser.

Randy Rea came on Saturday and we always are glad to have him come and nicely timed with Rob, Alejandro and David out of town on Saturday, it gave us something to shoot at. Of course if they would all come at once, it would soup up the front of the fleet.

Ray Laguna came back again– actually he has sold his Flying Scot, so maybe we have him all to ourselves till he makes a deal to get another Scot. I thought Ray won that first race on Sunday. That was going to be nice, with us all sharing the bullets, but Rob nipped him at the line, so it was just a second place. Still nice sailing Ray.

Jerry Beck had a second place in the last race on Saturday and a 3 on Sunday. He was always sailing fast when I saw him on the course. We have to work a little to get over the three bad races on Saturday and one tank on Sunday. Jerry and I are working out the hydration on race days. You have to start drinking water at least an hour before going out.

Luke Yates came back from Laser sailing with Cameron Smith in Clermont and 420 sailing in LESC. Luke had a full rig and sailed it to a couple of fourth places, and then missed Sunday.

Marc Solal sailing better than ever. Marc is maybe our most regular member, but Sunday he went on a cruise to the the strange countries in the Caribbean, like Key West etc. Smart move–Sunday was really painful.

Rob Krentel was down here in 8th place with a 1-2-1. Probably we should so something about our scoring system? But he stole that first place from Ray in the first race Sunday, so we will just leave him down here in 8th.

Tom Rhodes is gradually putting his new boat together and tied with Rob. Not bad. We had to put Rob ahead because he had a couple of bullets. Tom when you get the bullets, we will put you ahead.

Chris Nagy sailed to 4.7 on Saturday. When we did the times, he moved up a couple of places in the first four races, but as the wind died he stayed in 10 for the last two. Sorry about the wind Chris. We probably should have you try the radial unless we have several people sailing 4.7s.

Jim McIntyre sailed the Kelly boat without the new systems. Probably OK for someone just sailing Laser for the first time. He did and good job –only turned over once. He got a 5 in one race on Saturday. (Beat Ray L. In that race!)

I already told you about Trevor and Dave Chapin.

Above under Marc, I had said it was painful Sunday. Hot and light shifty wind, but good practice changing gears and sailing to pressure. The lighter the wind, sit further forward in the boat and heal to leeward to reduce wetted surface. A little vang so you can sail with boom out past the transom to keep the boat moving. Good practice for the old guy to try and fold up and do all that.

Mary Anne Ward, who is always talking about coming Laser sailing, missed it again. She came after all the sailing was done and wind was gone. She brought Bill Ward (husband ), Great grandmother Erban with her walker, a bunch of tall good looking sons, daughters, daughter in laws and the grandchildren who were fighting to see who gets to go out in the sailboat first. So she sailed an MC scow up and down the pressure steaks into the afternoon with small groups of fascinated people.

Now those people that worry about “saving sailing” relax, because Marry Anne is bringing her family.

Monday, July 12, 2010

LASER RACES – JULY 10 AND 11, 2010

Alejandro Illera 1-2-3-3-2+1-1-2-2-3 20
Dave Chapin 2-1-2-1-1+ns-ns1-1-2 31
Jerry Beck 6-9-7-7-6+2-4-5-3-1 50
Sam Chapin 3-5-6-4-5+4-2-ns 59
Rob Krentel 4-3-1-2-3+ns 63
Marc Solal 7-7-8-8-9+6-6-7-7-6 71
Charlie Jensen Ns-ns-4-6-8+ns-7-6-4-7 72
Caroline Chapin 8-6-9-9-4+ns-ns-4-8-5 73
Ray Laguna 5-4-5-5-7+ ns 76
Dean Grimes Ns+3-3-nf-9-9 78
Tom Rhodes 9-8-10-10-10+5-5-8-5-nf 79
Jennifer Jones Ns+ns-ns-3-6-9 88

What a great weekend we had! Saturday a great west wind with a few holes early and then strengthening during the morning. On Saturday it was cloudy with better wind and after two races, thunder and lightning. We called the races, but in a half hour it had blown over. The wind settled down again. So back to racing. Caroline even talked her grandmother (the PRO) into a two lap races sometime after 12 o’clock. Previously, never heard of.

The scores above are corrected for times, as Caroline sailed her radial rig in the Sunday races. She picked up two places in the third race and one place in the two lap race.

The score sheet is riddled with ns and nf’s. Dave and Caroline came late on Sunday. Sam didn’t go out after the thunder storm on Sunday. Rob had family business on Sunday. Ray Laguna went shooting on Sunday. Charlie is laying tile at home early in morning when it is cool. Dean Grimes had traveler break in the third race Sunday. Sam should have replaced it before. Jennifer Jones has her hands full with the job at the YMCA. She also got in the only capsize .Sunday. Caroline was the only capsize on Saturday.

Now a quick look up the list with Jennifer first. She is at the bottom of the list, but only because she sailed in the fewest races. Note the third place in third race Sunday and she was sailing a full rig.

Tom Rhodes has his own boat now. A string of 10s on Saturday, but now is beating people on Sunday. The nf was a clew hook that came undone. We will tighten that up for him.

Dean Grimes had two thirds on Sunday. Not bad. Chasing the leaders.

Ray Laguna sailed with us on Saturday and perhaps was the most consistent with 4 and 5s. Just above the middle of the fleet and he has not been a regular Laser sailor.

Caroline Chapin had two fourth’s. Not bad for a gal that doesn’t want any advice. She would have had another 4th if she hadn’t been trying to show off the upside down hiking for her grandmother at the finish line. Capsized just before crossing and went from 4 to 9.

Charlie Jensen is getting the tiling done and had a couple of fourth places.

Marc Solal continues to improve. Better finishes with more wind on Sunday, but look out Marc because Tom is sailing faster.

Rob we missed you on Sunday. It was your sort of wind and we need to keep Alejandro boxed in. Rob is one of the four that shared bullets for the weekend.

Jerry Beck has finished polishing his boat and now has come to race it A 1-2-3-4 and 5 on Sunday. Way to go Jerry!

Dave Chapin continues to get most of the bullets, but had regular duels with Alejandro. Dave and Caroline were late coming on Sunday. Dave won the Saturday racing and the racing after the T-storm on Sunay.

Alejandro Illera continues at the top of the page and he is getting better. So are the rest of us. The group is coming together better at the start and at the first mark. The runs and mark rounding are improving with less stragglers at the end of the races.

Close sailing in the middle of the fleet on Sunday’s first two races– Jerry 2-4, Sam 4-2 and Dean 3-3.

We appreciate the loan from the Flying Scot fleet of Ray Laguna and Dean Grimes. Thank you folks.
.

Monday, June 14, 2010

What a great weekend we had racing! Ten sailors out, including Randy Rea from Crystal River and he was able to bring Eric Jr. along with him. Dave Chapin was present and we hope to see him more this Summer. Alejandro was one point ahead of Rob on Saturday and Rob got him by one point on Sunday so our two regular top guys were tied. Rob gets the nod because he had one bullet. Two days of racing an no bullets for Alejandro, but no bad races. We sailed in close to the club and that made it possible for Richard Kinnie to take some great pictures of the racing.

Dave Chapin ns-1-1-2-1+3-1-1-1-1=22
Rob Krentel 4-4-4-3-4+1-2-3-3-2=30
Alejandro Illera 3-5-3-4-3+2-3-2-2-3=30
Randy Rea 1-2-2-1-2+50 =58
Patrick Daniel 5-8-9-8-6+5-4-4-5-5=59
Marc Solal 7-10-6-5-7+4-5-6-6-4=60
Tom Rhodes 8-9-10-10-10+6-6-5-4-6=74
Jerry Beck 6-3-8-6-5+50 =78
Craig Yates 2-7-5-7-8+ 50 =79
Eric Jr. 9-6-7-9-9+50 =90

Eric Jr has sailed with us before. Randy has brought both Eric Sr and Eric Jr in the past. Eric’s best race was a 6 and he was never last. He was in that good mix in the back end of the fleet. And a bunch of photo finishes.

Craig Yates took the Kelly boat that doesn’t have any of the new controls and took a second in the first race. Way to go chief sailing instructor.

Jerry Beck was one of the first ones out on Saturday and the heat really got to him, but don’t feel too sorry for him. Look at that three in the seocnd race. Not may of us that beat both Rob and Alejandro in the same race.

Tom Rhodes has been sailing Chutzpah, who is leaking again. We almost have Orion Taylor’s old boat lined up for him. He sailed Sam’s boat on Sunday and we think did a little better. He is a windy day sailor and this weekend was a tricky one.

Marc Solal continues to improve. He is showing up in the top group more and more. He was just one point behind Patrick for the weekend.

Patrick Daniel was back with us from his big boat sailing. We are pleased to see him back. He is suffering from the light wind and the holes with no wind..

Randy Rea won the Saturday series and takes a big hit of 50 points for not coming on Sunday. We love Randy anyway–he has taught us so much about Laser sailing.

Poor Alejandro Illera without any first place finishes. Our Fleet Captain or board representative or something. It was that last race on Sunday that Rob beat him and to tie the weekend, so those two start the Summer tied.

Rob Krentel sailing with his old striped sail and picking out the zones of pressure better than most of the others. So we had a great mix at the top and the bottom.

The RC was glad to see Dave Chapin back sailing with us. Hope he can continue to show up and bring Caroline C along with him. If you other folks worry about all the first places, you have to pay your dues in this business (sport) and a lot of it is time in the boat.

Thanks to Maribel Illera who offered to be on RC for Saturday, but couldn’t make it. We appreciate the attempt. It fitted in well, because Sam was in no shape to go sailing. And then we appreciate Joan Bryant’s regular service. Especially when she doesn’t come, we really miss her. And then Marjorie– well that is just the “Head Nurse” thing. She likes giving the orders to everyone.

Treasure coast thing next Saturday at Melbourne and Sailstice at LESC Saturday and Sunday. Laser racing again the following weekend. It never seems to stop.

.

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

MEMORIAL DAY RACES 2010

Monday, May 31, 2010 was a good day for the Lake Eustis Laser Fleet. We had 14 boats out on the course. We had 14 once before, but that was our record number. Our regular RC. Rob set the marks. Scott Tellima was the observation boat. 5 of our regular adults, 4 youth with full rigs, 2 Flying Scot guest and 2 MC scow guests, and the fourteenth was Kevin Ratigan. Kevin sails with us occasionally and Andy Fox encourage to come over Monday and sail with us. Actually Ray Laguna and Andy Fox of the Flying Scot folks have had a lot of time in Lasers. Ray was given the soft yellow boat that he gave to the YF. That is (Laguna I) but we just call it the yellow boat. He bought another Laser that Martin bought for the YF, that is Laguna II. Then he bought the 190,000 red striped boat, sailed it a little and sold that to Aaron Arnold.. I don’t know how many Lasers Andy has had, but he sailed Lasers for a number of years.

Scores:
Alejandro Illera 3-3-2-4-3-3 18
Andy Fox 1-2-nf-1-2-1 19
Ben Getchell 6-4-1-2-4-4 21
Kevin Ratigan 4-1-6-3-8-5 27
Rob Krentel 8-6-3-5-5-2 29
Jerry Beck 10-5-5-7-1-6 34
Ray Laguna 2-11-4-8-12-nf 53
Luke Yates 11-10-9-6-10-8 54
Seth Bahr 12-7-13-11-6-7 56
John Houck 7-9-8-10-7-ns 56
Cameron Smith 9-13-11-9-9-9 60
Robert Newlin 5-12-7-nf-ns-ns 69
Tom Rhodes 14-14-12-12-11-10 73
Sam Chapin 13-8-10-ns-ns-ns 76

Tom Rhodes has been one of our regulars and we are planning to get him a better boat this week, so expect him to be climbing up the ladder.

Robert Newlin came up from Puerto Rico about the same time Marjorie and I joined the club. He had been sailing J24, I think, down there. He did Scots here for a year or two and is charging to the front of the MC scows now. He had my old red boat. He had to the “set it and sail it” controls. Did a 5th in the first race and then things began coming apart on the old boat. We are glad to know what needs fixing, so thank you, Robert.

Cameron Smith has been one of our regular youth sailors and bouncing around with different rigs. Today he hung in there with the full rig. It looks like he had that 9th place cornered.

John Houck just wanted to try a Laser, when no one was watching, and here we are reporting it. He had the Kelly boat of the YF with the old “set and sail” controls. He was right in the middle of the fleet and did well. Usually we give people just trying out the boat one of the 4.7 sails first so they can get used to moving from side to side, without too much swimming. Full rig and he did fine. Next time we will find him a boat with controls he can set and fine tune.

Seth Bahr was tied with John on points, but moved ahead of Mr. MC with that 6th place. Seth is another that may have suffered a little with the full rig because of being lighter on a windy day. If they have the controls, vang sheeting is good practice because no mater which sail you use some of the time you will be overpowered and can use the practice.

Luke Yates with his own Laser and now the M17 youth skipper– another of the light guys working hard. He was our second place Youth. Sorry we didn’t have separate youth trophies.

Ray Laguna was sailing the red strip boat. Ray had a 2 in the first race and a 4 in the third. That was a good as Alejandro could do. Ray is the current Flying Scot champ. He was sailing MCs when Sam was. He is off with the Catalina 22 group when ever they have a big show and a few years ago was mixing it up with the Melges 24.

Jerry Beck is our favorite boat polisher, and then we caught him out practicing on Sunday with a win in the team racing. Now look out— he got his first first place. On a day when Alejandro didn’t win a race.

Rob Krentel was distracted by the water skiing. He had a 3 and a 2, but got hit with a 8 and 6. If you didn’t like the course, it is Rob’s fault.

Kevin Ratigan often comes over and dusts us off with his radial rig, but he did the full rig today. He got one of the bullets, but got caught in traffic a couple of time. On the short course stuff you need the start and clear some of the traffic on that first beat.

Ben Getchell has been on the racing motor boat construction thing and we are glad to see him back. He got one of the other first places and had a 2 to go with it. He was bit by that 6 in the first race.

Andy Fox got three firsts , two seconds and a DNF.. Fortunately Sam gave him a boat that the rachet block would pullout of, otherwise he would have won our gorgeous first place trophy. He says he hasn’t sailed a Laser for a lot of years, but that it still feels the same.

Alejandro for the first time in ages didn’t win a race. Averaged 3rd place to win, one point ahead of Andy. The first three boats were three points apart. Considering it was a borrowed boat that came apart on Andy (actually it was the hiking strap that tore out from under the rachet block) we could have given him redress. Well, no, we don’t give him any. After all Alejandro is our guy.

Andy did use the extra piece of line that I have tied into the back of the hiking strap to tie the front of it back in. Thank you, Randy Rea.
.

Monday, May 17, 2010

May 15 and 16, 2010.. Lasers had six boat out on Saturday for five races and seven boat out of Sunday for five races with a total of 9 sailors.

Rob Krentel 1-1-1-1-1+ 2-2-2-2-2=15
Sam Chapin 2-2-2-3-2+4-3-3-3-4= 28
Tom Rhodes 3-4-4-4-3+5-5-5-5-6=44
Marc Solal 5-5-5-5-ns+3-6-6-6-3=51
Alejandro Illera 50+1-1-1-1-1=55
Cameron Smith 4-3-3-6-ns+50 =73
Jack Delaney 50+6-4-4-4-5=73
Luke Yates Ns-ns-ns-2-ns+50 =80
Alan Edelberg 50+50 =100

Alan Eldelberg, the fancy tiller guy, has not sailed with us for a while and then the wind was up on Sunday and that combination sent him home early. Thanks to Scott Tillema and another MC guy that came out in motor boat and helped him get his act together.

Jack Delaney, our Cleveland snow bird friend, sailed with us again and was changing places regularly with Marc and Tom. He may be back Memorial weekend, but is about ready to head back North.

Cameron Smith was our first youth, sailed the full rig on Saturday and did a great job. When he gets the super vang stuff down better, he will be a real terror to us older folks.

Luke Yates came out at 11 o’clock on Saturday with the radial rig. Our super race committee took time and he corrected out to second place 0.05 minutes ( that is about 2 seconds) ahead of Sam. Good work Luke.

Marc Solal got a bailer put in his boat on Saturday afternoon. The bailer has been changed just a little– it is harder to put in now. Marc is one of our most regular coming sailors and often is the last one at the finish. So be sure to tell him how much he means to rest of us, and what a good fellow he is. OUR FAVORITE SAILOR. Now he really is sailing better, with a third place twice on Sunday and in the mix at the windward mark.

Rob Krentel won all the races on Saturday by starting better, better upwind, better mark rounding, and better down winds. He is our regular mark setter. If you don’t like the course, tell him about it.

When Alejandro Illera came back on Sunday , he and Rob did the twins thing again. Always right together. Rob had him beat a couple of times, but let him slip by at the last minute.

It was a great weekend to finish off the official 2009-2010 season. Trophies and stuff on Memorial Day weekend in two weeks.
.

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Laser sailing the first of May. Eight races on Saturday and seen races on Sunday.

Finishes below have been corrected for “time”.
Alejandro Illera 1-1-1-1-2-1-1-2+2–1-1-1-1-1-1 18
Rob Krentel ns-2-3-2-1-2-2-1+1-2-2-2-2-2-3 33
Marc Solal 2-ns-ns-3-5-3-3-3+4-4-3-4-4-4-4 58
Sam Chapin 3-3-2-4-3-ns-ns-ns+3-3-5-3-3-3-2 61
Cameron Smith 4-ns-ns- ns-4-4-3-4+ns 93
Jack Delaney ns+6-6-4-5-5-5-5 100
Charlie Jensen ns+5-5-6-ns-ns-ns-ns 111

Cameron Smith and Sam both worked out in 4.7 rigs. Alejandro cleaned up as usual, but Rob was always right with him and always managed to win some of the races.

Cameron sailed on Saturday and started out with the Radial rig which was the right choice, but came in after the first race and changed to 4.7 making it back out for the last four races. On corrected time he jumped from 5 to 4 in race 5, stayed 4 in R6, jumped to 3 in R7, and held onto 4 in R8. We will try to get Cameron to share a little of how it feels to shift from radial to 4.7.

Jack Delaney, lawyer from Cleveland, Ohio, that winters in Edgewater came and sailed with us on Sunday. He visited us last year and sailed this year at Mt Dora Regatta. Jack likes our club, sailing the full rig and is really good at righting the boat. We hope he hangs out in Florida a little longer this year.

Charles Jensen, the very first LESC Laser sailor, came to sail with us again Sunday. He and Mary have a bigger boat, grandchildren and all those interruptions. We hope we can see him more this Summer. He broke something and missed the last four races.

Now we are down to our four regulars. Marc, Sam, Rob and Alejandro. Marc had a second place in Saturdays’s first race. Then he missed a couple of races Saturday to fix some rigging problems. He scored out third on Saturday and for the week end. Good work Marc. We hope to get you name in the sports section of the paper.

Sam chickened out on you folks. On Saturday with the full rig after the first hour he was just tired and figured it was time to go home. On Sunday he was putting up the full rig and looked up the lake and saw all the white caps forming– and went looking for the 4.7 rig. I think that was my first time sailing the 4.7 in races. Of course the boom is much lower and really low with super vang, so I left the vang off going up wind to make it a little easier getting under the boom. The tacking angle seems to be much greater in that kind of wind and I tacked too early several times closing on the windward mark. I tried to sail my own race, planning to just be close at the finish and hope that the time correction would let me in from of some. Actually I was beating people boat for boat, probably because we just need more practice when the wind is up like that. Down wind is when the smaller sail made it tough to keep up. Maybe the hardest thing for me was to power up the sail and not be stalled out, when I hit some of the soft spots.

With the time correction Sam jumped to 3rd in the first two races, stayed at 5 in the first triangle and finished in third in the rest of the races except in the last race he corrected to second.

Rob Krentel continues to push Alejandro and the two are together usually all the way around the course. Rob had set up the Arlen Bensen Triangular course and we sailed it twice.

Alejandro Illera continues to dominate even in the higher winds. He is super vanging, keeping the boat flat in spite of giving height and weight to Rob. Keep it going you two, and we will try to get Ben Getchell and Dave Chapin back to sail with you this Summer.

Don’t forget one more weekend racing in this last series before the Memorial Day Series. We will try to continue racing every other weekend during the Summer so stay tuned.
.

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

Youth sailors come through for the “without Alejandro and Rob” sailing day.
Cameron Smith won three of the five races on Saturday and took home three of the “daily first” trophies and the Youth Second Place for the Norton Series.

This was the day that Alejandro and Rob did safety boat for the “big boats” so all the Wayfarers could sail. The Wayfarers did have four boats out, which is not bad for that small group.

Saturday was a hard day for Sam, because he wanted the first places to be spread around, but then when he is sailing he is just trying to do the best he can. Marc Solal had at least two really good beats and we almost had a winner for him. In the last three races Cameron got a good start and didn’t make any mistakes. Tom Rhodes got a second place in the fourth race, when Cameron wouldn’t let him win.

The other Norton Series winners were Caroline Chapin for First Woman, Max Barton for 3rd place Youth (sent off with his Uncle Othon Dominguez, rising C scow sailor), Cameron Smith for 2nd Youth, and Luke Yates for 1st Place Youth (awarded early so he could go off with the high school sailors). Sam Chapin was 5th overall, Tom Rhodes 4th, Marc Solal 3rd, Rob Krentel second and Alejandro Illera first again.

Sunday was a clinic is light air sailing by Alejandro on his return from safety boat duty. We had a light but regular west wind when Sam put the marks out at 9:15. By 9:30 it was glassy again and when the Lasers left the beach it was mostly South, but very light.

Alejandro was sailing fast on close reach and not close hauled. Boom out about 2 to 3 feet from transom with some vang on to keep the boom lower. He was crowding forward on the leeward side of the cockpit with extreme heel to leeward with one or two inches of deck under water. This is similar to the position that Randy Rhea uses in light air.

Usually we sail Lasers flat, but when moving slowly “wetted surface” becomes the most important drag (no wave making). Heeling the boat to get some of the bottom out of the water and submerge the side helps. It is hard for me to believe that putting the reversed curved rail in the water and pulling it along is faster, but it usually is, like on Sunday and when healing the boat downwind.

Sam and other older Laser sailors try to sit up on the centerboard, but tacking from that position is difficult, particularly if you are older with a body that won’t fold up very well. Alejandro manages his tacks from there fairly well and with some roll. Roll tacks work better with a little more wind in the sail.

Tom Rhodes, who has been one of our heavy air sailors, moves into the light air category with a second place on both Saturday and Sunday.

Marc Solal did pretty well on Saturday, but he can tell when conditions are just miserable and headed home on Sunday after the second race.

John (Jack) Delaney from Edgewater, fl and Cleveland, Ohio brought his Laser over and to test the light air and plans to visit again. Maybe he will do a Wednesday evening. Jack sailed at least once with us last year.

Jennifer Jones had a winning weekend. She crewed for Ray Laguna in the winning ( and tied for first) Flying Scot on Saturday and won the last light air race in Lasers on Sunday. – Beat Alejandro– Welcome to that small club, Jennifer.

WEEKEND SCORES...

Alejandro Illera Ns-ns-ns-ns-ns+1-1-1-2 12.5 (near average points for Safety boat duty)
Sam Chapin 1-1-2-3-2+3-2-3-4 22
Tom Rhodes 3-4-4-2-4+2-5-5-5 34
Cameron Smith 2-2-1-1-1+ns 35
Jennifer Jones Ns- +ns-4-2-1 39
Jack Delaney Ns- +4-3-4-3 39
Marc Solal 4-3-3-4-3+5-6-ns-ns 42

Rob Krentel excused for Safety boat and horse duty.
.

Monday, March 8, 2010

One of the advantages of sailing in the mornings and having short races is that we got in seven races on Saturday and five races in on Sunday while the 11 to 1 group struggled to get in one race on Saturday and sort of the same thing on Sunday with one race for Scots, Cs, Wayfarers and a shortened second race for the MCs.

We got to the big winner, Alejandro, over the weekend with Luke Yates winning 3 races (Yes, get used to the youth winning the Laser races.) Rob Krentel got a couple and so did Sam. Marc Solal is still hanging out in the middle of the fleet, but the RC tells me he is closer and closer. He is one of our most faithful. Caroline Chapin showed up and sailed her father’s boat because her grandfather was too lazy to rig all the strings on her green machine Laser. Max Barton returned from the Skate Board Championships, but got caught with a full rig in some gusty wind of Sunday. Max will be right with us when he catches up a little with his boat handling.

Caroline had her friend Madison out sailing with her and we hope she brings her back.

Alejandro Illera. 2-1-2-2-2-2-4+2-1-1-1-1 =21
Rob Krentel 1-2-1-3-3-3-3+3-3-3-2-2 = 29
Sam Chapin 3-5-4-4-5-1-2+1-2-2-3-3= 35
Marc Solal 4-4-5-5-4-4-5+4-4-4-4-4 = 51
Luke Yates Ns-3-3-1-1-5-1+ ns = 56
Caroline Chapin Nf-ns-ns-ns-ns-6-6+5-5-6-5-5=73
Max Barton Ns- x7 + 6-6-5-6-6 = 78

Lasers have two weeks off , but we will get some of our warm weather people out to warm up the water.
.

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

FEBRUARY 27 AND 28

It is the end of February and Winter in central Florida should be over by now, but Sam and Marjorie did RC honors while Alejandro Illera, Marc Solal , Tom Rhodes hung in there for races right through the cold and rain. At the last minute Dave Moring came running down looking for a boat after he found out that the “big boats” weren’t going to sail. So actually we has four boats sailing.

Moring was a great addition to the little group. (This was a weekend that Rob Krentel had duties at home.) Moring was able to be right with Alejandro on the starts and mark roundings. In the third race he lead around the windward mark by quite a bit and then lost ground on the run. He was still ahead at the leeward mark. On the short beat to the finish Alejandro got him by one boat length. So Moring had all second places until he did a death roll on the fourth run and retired for warm clothes. The chill must have lasted for a couple of days because he was way down in the pack of MCs sailing on Sunday instead of up at the front.

Alejandro had pressure on all week with Dave Moring sailing against him on Saturday and Rob Krentel came back on Sunday to give him a run for his money, but Illera got all first places both days.

Yes, Alejandro did get some outside help on Sunday when a “big boat” safety boat brought him out his hiking boots which Maribel had brought from home. Alejandro had been just wearing his rubber socks.

Incidentally Maribel was crewing for Ray Laguna – the Spanish speaking Flying Scot.

Marc Solal got a second place in the weekend ratings– he came both days and had a second place on both days. Continuing to move up. Cold and windy in Central Florida, but winter storms and hurricane winds in France. We are glad to have you here Marc.

Tom Rhodes is a regular now and moving up with Saturdays scores 4-4-4-3-2 and he beat Marc 2 x on Sunday.

Rob Krentel got back with us on Sunday to get the number of boats up to 5 for the first race. Rob usually gets Alejandro on these bigger wind days, but didn’t manage it Sunday. He suffered from the cold and will be back stronger with warmer weather.

Sam hadn’t sailed or exercised for 2 weeks following orders from his eye surgery. He sailed one race and would have been leading if everyone hadn’t gone around the other weather mark. He felt a little rusty and plans to get out to sail a little in warmer stuff with a little less wind. He went in before he did something really dumb.

We had a table at Ferran Park for George Fest. Set up Friday evening and handed out two sheets on “learn to sail programs” , the sun went down, the wind picked up and it started to get colder so we wrapped up everything in a tarp before it blew us away. Aggie and Carlton Brown were going to come down Saturday morning and man the station while people did the parade and sail races. With the rain in the morning, that got cancelled and things just left wrapped up.

Sam took the Laser Committee motor boat down in the afternoon because the Chamber of
Commerce had asked me to get a safety boat for the canoe races that were scheduled for 3 PM. The canoe races were cancelled (I think mainly because no one was really in charge of them). Sam watched the “pie eating contest” (no hands) and then when he was really sure that no one was going to start up the canoe races, he took the boat back to the Sailing Club. He just left the table and stuff wrapped up because he was still cold from the morning.

Pete Hylen was going to do the noon to 1 PM opening on Sunday, but Sam called that off because of the high wind blowing on our exposed spot. We just left it wrapped up and Sam went down Sunday at 5 PM and packed everything up and away to storage..

We really appreciate the Browns and Pete Hylen’s willingness to help even if the weather didn’t cooperate.

The Park thing didn’t help us much, but the High School Gang and the Opti bunch were in the parade and gave us some great exposure.

March is here and with just a little more warm weather, we will get the rest of our gang out sailing.
.

Monday, February 15, 2010

FEBRUARY 12 AND 13

Because this e-mail goes out to lot of non-laser sailors and we don’t want to set up any my boat -your boat kind of competition, I am not going to go into detail about the laser guys (our gals have been doing other things) or( more correctly our gals have been doing RC right through the cold and wind and stuff). The lasers have stepped up again and done more sailing this weekend with four boats out Saturday and Sunday for total of five races. The MCs did get four boats out for the one race on Sunday. Scots 3 boats. Wayfarers 3 boats with two finishing.

Then Saturday at the board meeting, Alejandro Illera committed the Laser fleet to help the Wayfarers out with the Safety boat detail – in spite of the fact that the Lasers expect to flip more often, they are also expected to self rescue, and that we have been in radio contact with the “big boat” RC from 11 to 12 and could abandon our racing and help out with a big disaster. From 12 to 1 the Laser committee boat is gassed up (we always try to have 3/4 tank of gas for the weekend so if we are needed to help we can run for several hours) and at the beach while the Laser folks are having lunch and watching the other races. Two or three years ago we did go out and help with rescues when there was an afternoon disaster.

Anyway we will be glad to help out with the safety thing and will probably doing a little more of “join in with the second race with the Wayfarers”. (Now that we are “safety buddies” with the Wayfarer folks.)

We really do like all the MC, Scot, and Wayfarer sailors no matter how misguided they are in the choice of boats and I will not to be sending this sort of stuff in the e-mails.

THE FIVE RACES OVER SATURDAY AND SUNDAY:

Alejandro Illera 1-1+1-1-1 = 5
Marc Solal 2-2+4-3-2 = 13
Rob Krentel nf-ns+2-2-3 = 15
Tom Rhodes 3-3+3-4-4= 17

First I have to apologize to Marc Solal for not doing the total weekend scoring before I sent the article in to the newspaper. Marc was in second place for the weekend!!!! I had Rob K. down for second, but that was only for the Saturday thing. Marc was the real second place with three seconds in five races.!!! I am so happy!!! The guy that has been plugging along and coming every week and usually the last guy, but moving closer. Practice makes perfect. And Marc gets better and better. He also understand how the split wing on the BMW Oracle works and why the big gap between the segments makes it more powerful.

Alejandro Illera with all the good warm cloths from Rooster Sailing nailed all the first places over the weekend. Warm and comfortable does help. And Maribel helped with the RC Saturday, our really cold day and had cookies for everyone. What an RC! Hey, MC guys, when did Joan Williams bring you cookies.

Rob Krentel has gloves and boots now so he will be grabbing some of those bullets from Alejandro again.

Tom Rhodes, our new Laser sailor from Michigan sailed past Alejandro in the first race Sunday and had Marjorie and Joan on the RC boat cheering for him, but Alejandro and Rob both snuck by him before the finish. Tom will sail in the George Washington thing next week and it looks like a good turn out for the Lasers. The Scots will be the big fleet then and Andy Fox will be back in a Scot.

Presentation of the trophies for the Hartge Series is postponed due to the cold weather and GWB action until March. Another set of exciting trophies are all prepared, but will be held in secret until then. We have been in regular communication with Jane Hartge and expect her to help with the whole deal.

Marjorie wanted be to thank Jane Houch for the Super delicious coffee cake that John brought on Sunday for Valentine Day and to warm the hearts of cold sailors and RC’s and PRO’s. Ray L wants to get some every week.
.

Monday, February 1, 2010

JANUARY 30 AND 31, 2010

January 30 and 31, 2010. The last days of the Hartge Series. The great weather mysteries.

First the Summary:
Dave Chapin 1-1-1-1-1+ns-3-2-1 = 18
Alejandro Illera 2-2-2-4-2+1-2-3-2 = 20
Rob Krentel 3-3-3-2-3+2-1-1-3 = 21
Marc Solal ns-5-5-5-5+3-6-ns-ns = 50
Sam Chapin nf-4-4-3-4+ns = 50
Seth Behr ns+ 4-4-4-4 = 51
Tom Rhodes ns-6-6-6-6+5-5-5-5 = 51

Some of us think that you guys that didn’t come were smart– then some others had a good time. The wind promised for Saturday didn’t come. Just the rain at noon. Scots and MCs were paddling back after the races. Sunday was colder and the promised more temperate winds never came. Just the winder ones. Big boat races cancelled before they got started, but not before Jim Lingeman turned his Wayfarer over.

Tom Rhodes that sailed with us for the first time and is down from Michigan thought it was great to be out of the cold in warm sunny Florida. So warm and cold are relative terms, we need to be reminded occasionaly. Tom is working for Northrop Grumman in Maitland. He is athletic and enjoyed the windy conditions.

Seth Behr is back with us and a sign that the rest of the high school group may not be far behind. He was smart enough to sail the radial on Sunday. I checked his times in all the races and he didn’t catch anyone on time, but did well hanging in there with wind and cold. He has all the good stuff to wear and really looked good.

Sam Chapin bailed out on Sunday. When as he approached the starting area a sustained gust came in and put him on a fast plane with white caps forming all about him. He made one pass by the Committee boat and headed back to shore. There will be a lot of pleasant fun days out sailing and the exciting day better for the younger.

Marc Solal back is better. He is sailing better. See that 3 on Sunday. He is climbing up there. One Saturday race he had Sam put away, but misjudged the leeward mark and let him get the finish. All steps forward. It does take some time.

Rob Krentel, our mark setter, set up a triangle course both days so we could use it when the wind was up. On Saturday as the wind faded, so we just has windward leeward courses. On Sunday we had triangle windward leeward courses. Eat your heart out Arlen. (Arlen always wanted triangles.) Rob managed to finish Sunday one point ahead of Alejandro. +++ good work, Rob.

Alejandro Illera was two points ahead of Rob on Saturday, so for the weekend he was still ahead.

Both Rob and Alejandro got to Dave Chapin on Sunday – Dave arrived late, missed the first race and took two more before he won the last race. He brought to the club Caroline’s “green machine” Laser with the professional looking mast step repair– so maybe Caroline will be back to kick start our women’s program. Dave’s five first places on Saturday puts him ahead for the weekend.

Next club races start a new series. And it will be regattas or club races every weekend for a while.

Tom Rhodes may need to see some of the CDs so when you other folks come back sailing with us bring back the Advanced Laser Sailing, the two copies of Rick Whites Sailing, and the Boat Whisperer stuff.

Tuesday, January 19, 2010

January 2 and 3, 2010

We are out of order here so for the two weeks after this, check below.
.
The January first Fun Sail was cold rained out and just turned into a Eat Out at the pot luck..

Then Saturday, January 2, our Committee boat stopped after Sam had three of the marks out. Bob Getchell towed him in while Sam threw out the fourth mark at maybe the right place. We had some Rabbit start Races and then joined the Wayfarer group in the long races.

We had six boats out with Alejandro Illera 1-1-1
Ben Getchell 2-2-2
Craig Yates 3-3-3
Jerry Beck 4-4-4
Marc Solal 4-4-4
Luke Yates 4-4-4
Actually Jerry, Marc, and Luke didn’t sail the long races, but it was cold and they showed up and I gave them all 4th. That might get changed later if I catch too much flack.

We have a new gas line, fuel bulb and tightening of the gas line attachment and all seems to be working well agin.

Sunday, January 3, 2010 found Joan Bryant and Marjorie Chapin out on our course again in one of the coldest days in ten years. What a RC! The big boat PROs were wrapped in blankets.

Rob put out the marks and we waited a couple of minutes for Jerry and then got off six races.
Rob Krentel 1-1-3-1-2-4 12
Alejandro Illera 2-4-1-2-1-2 12
Sam Chapin 3-2-2-4-3-1 15
Jerry Beck 4-3-4-3-4-3 21

We seemed to be always tight together at all the marks. Note that Rob and Alejandro were tied on points with Rob getting the nod for three bullets. Sam won the last race from being last around the leeward mark, but had his own wind into the finish.

A good look and you would think that Jerry was always last... look again, he beat everyone else in at least one race. Way to go Jerry!!

Then Rob and Sam came in at noon because it was cold cold. Alejandro and Jerry went over and had an hour race with the Flying Scots. Alejandro beat three Scots and Jerry got one. They were happy happy. Now they want to do that every month and we can talk about that a little.

Marc Solal who has never been cold before, was on Saturday– probably because he had been sick last week and so he took Sunday off to recover fully.

Luke is really happy with the new boat– which he calls his boat. Maybe it is. Looks good. Nice and stiff and I expect he will be a lot of trouble for the old folks.

Craig Yates was the other long course sailor on Saturday and soon we expect to see Sasha sailing with us. Soccer players always turn out to be great sailors. Did I forget anyone– Oh, yes Ben Getchell had Alejandro tied up in that last long race on Saturday. He lead Alejandro all the way around the course twice, up wind and down wind and then in the last bit he let Alejandro sail low and fast and get some “separation” going into a header. Alejandro was ahead at the finish. Now Ben knows to sail low and fast if he needs to the not let the separation happen if you are sailing a lift..If that is all a mystery to you, the reader, go to Lasers Climb the Ladder, November 19, on howtosailthelaser@blogspot.com-- read all about it.

Next racing is in two weeks and that is the end of this December - January Series. I will send you standing in a few days, but try and make it. It will have to warmer then.

When it warms up a little we will get our other Laser sailors going again.

Monday, January 18, 2010

Saturday and Sunday January 16-17, 2010

The Laser group turned a couple of corners this weekend. The Board of Directors of LESC gave the go ahead to Rob Krentel for the District 13 (Florida) Laser Championship here at Lake Eustis next December. Our advanced group of Laser sailors went for the second race of the long course folks at about noon. The higher winds didn’t discourage them any as they did it both Saturday and Sunday. That makes about 3 hours of racing sailing for them

All together we had 9 sailors over the weekend with Randy Rea, our old friend from Crystal River, and Kevin Ratigan, our radial rig friend from Orlando, visiting on Saturday.

But a look at the scores first..

Dave Chapin ns-1-2-1-1-3+1-2-1-1=22
Alejandro Illera 2-2-3-3-4-1+3-3-3-2= 26
Rob Krentel 3-3-4-4-2-2+2-1-2-4=27
Jerry Beck ns-5-6-6-5-ns+6-6-4-3=50
Luke Yates 32+4-4-6-6=52
Sam Chapin 4-6-5-5-6-4+5-5-5-nf= 53
Randy Rea 1-4-1-2-3-ocs+ 54 =75
Marc Solal ns-ns-7-ns-7-nf+7-7-7-5=76
Kevin Ratigan ns-ns-ns-ns-ns-5+54 =104

The score keeper will make a separate session for “long races”. Saturday= Dave Chapin, Randy Rea, Alejandro Illera, Kevin Ratigan(no time for his radial), Rob Krentel.
Sunday= Dave Chapin, Rob Krentel, Alejandro Illera, Marc Solal

So let us stat with number 9.. Kevin Ratigan with the radial rig. Our RC took time on the last race on Saturday which was the first he got into. His corrected time didn’t move him up on that race but on the long race he was just behind Alejandro. If we had done times he would have moved up there. OK, Kevin, you were the first Radial anyway.

Marc Solal, our international representative, repaired his broken hiking strap from Saturday and on Sunday sailing the short races was so much fun that he did the long race too. Good work Marc.

Randy Rea is down here in 7 because he takes big hits for not sailing on Sunday and he was over early on the last race Saturday. I changed the scores for that last race– we love Randy because he came over and taught us how to sail Lasers several years ago– but it is the Competitors job to start properly. The RC will try to tell you if you are over, but they can’t sail the boat for you. Dave loves having Randy because then he really has someone to spar with.

It is with mixed emotions that I find Sam down in 6th. I have score sheets from a few year ago when I was ahead of most of you–including David (but that was many many years ago and only when the wind was up). I hope it is because many of you are sailing better.

Luke Yates has his own boat and was sailing 4th places with the full rig. Wow. The youth are coming.

Jerry Beck beat Rob in the last and higher wind race on Sunday. That was the race that Sam decided there was too much wind and excitement for an old man and headed in.

Rob Krentel is in third place but only by one point. He would have beaten Alejandro if he had not turned over in that last race Sunday. In the long race on Saturday he got fourth, but told me he would do better next time. Sunday he did, with a second behind David in the long race.

Alejandro Illera continues his charge in front. He is always sailing flat and fast. He really works the downwinds. Being light helps downwind, but it hurts going upwind in a blow, so don’t complain.

Dave Chapin had some competition for a change but he was able to pile up enough first places to make up for the first race he missed on Saturday. Now if he lets his father fix the leaking rip in his cockpit floor, maybe he won’t be so slow..

Many thanks again to our regular RC Joan Bryant and Marjorie Chapin. Oh, and then on Sunday we had extra help from Jack Kern (Our Texas MC sailor) until he realized the MCs were really going to sail. And then thanks too, to the Fisherman in the passing by motorboat that brought him to shore.