On Saturday October 15th, WORSA and ALYC held “Sailing for the Visually Impaired” where our Military Veterans and guest from the Braille Institute come down to the American Legion Yacht Club and got the chance to go sailing with volunteers on their sailboats.

This year the Harbor 20 Fleet 1 was well represented. There was Ed Kimball (Dragon Lady) and Michael Volk (Lighting) taking folks out in their boats, as well as Andy and Lori Everson crewing on a larger vessel allowing even more guest to enjoy a great day on the Bay.  As always, Peter Haynes was helping coordinate between LIYC and ALYC making it possible to open up slips at ALYC to facilitate loading our guest on their vessels.

They all did a great job and allowed 200 guest enjoy a sunny day out on the water.  Thank you to Ed, Michael, Lori, Andy and Peter and Harbor 20 Fleet 1.

With the continuing growth of the Harbor 20 A and B Fleets in Newport Harbor, the time has come to introduce a C Fleet.     

I am very happy to announce that Fleet 1 now has a C Fleet! Tom Schock tells me this may very well be the first time a one-design keelboat fleet has had the depth and diversity to divide into three fleets.  

Another achievement for the Harbor 20 Class! 

The Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club is the first yacht club to agree to offer C Fleet starts for their races. The C sailors will be invited to the Midwinter Regatta in February, the multi-month Lorin Weiss Memorial Series this winter, and the summertime Taco Tuesday Twilight Series. Many thanks to Sailing Director Paul DeCapua, and everyone at BCYC, for stepping up to the plate and being the first to support us in this new, and exciting endeavor!

We have over 100 members in Newport Harbor’s Fleet 1. 30 to 40 of these members race their boats on a regular basis. 

 It is obvious there are a lot of Harbor 20 sailors in our harbor who don’t use their boats for racing. This is perfectly okay, of course – there is nothing better than kicking back and daysailing a Harbor 20 – but I bet there are lots of people who are itching to race. I have even had calls from folks who indicated that they had been “shadowing” our evening fun races, but didn’t know how to get involved. And even if they did, the B Fleet has grown to a size where starts can be pretty intimidating.      

What was needed was a way for folks to be able to try their hand at racing their Harbor 20s in a more relaxed, less overwhelming fashion. So, a “trial balloon” was floated at this year’s Summer Party at Lido Isle Yacht Club. We added C Fleet racing and a basic racing clinic to the agenda, and anyone interested in the “Harbor 20 Scene” was invited to participate.  

To our delight, twelve new boats showed up for the C Fleet race!  

The new C sailors sailing their first race

After an introductory chalk-talk, experienced sailors were paired up to sail with the new folks; and the twelve new boats were divided into C1s and C2s, with six boats each. After watching from the safety and comfort of the dock as the A and B Fleets started their first race, the new C sailors, with designated “mentors” onboard, headed out for their start. With the more experienced A and B sailors out of the area, our new C sailors enjoyed two races; and a fun, and safe time was had by all! For more photos of this terrific event click Harbor 20 Class Summer Party 

Class President Peter Haynes explains the basic racing rules

Ever since this exciting Summer Party, people keep asking, “So, what’s going on with the C Fleet?”

Given the success of the event, the next step was to approach the yacht clubs to see if there would be interest in starting a C Fleet following the starts of the As and Bs, at their events. The logistical challenges are obvious, as race committees typically finish all of the fleets before starting the next round of races.

Adding a third fleet would burn up additional time and might reduce the number of races the committee could run for the A and B sailors.

To make the racing perfect for everyone, the idea was proposed that during the time the A and B fleets run multiple races, the C Fleet would be sent on one longer course. This would allow the beginning racers to experience a start, and get accustomed to handling their boats in the company of others but away from the maddening crowd. Meanwhile, the A and B sailors could have as many starts and finishes as time and conditions would allow. The C Fleet races would be open to all Harbor 20 sailors, whether they are new to racing altogether, or perhaps have been struggling in the B Fleet.   

The formation of this brand new C Fleet offers Harbor 20 owners the perfect opportunity to ease into racing. I will be really excited to see them on the racecourse!

The C Fleet will now be a venue for those Harbor 20 owners who always wanted to race but were uncomfortable being thrown into the fiercely competitive A and B Fleets. The C sailors will have plenty of opportunity to compete at the various races held by the BCYC. Be sure to check out the C Fleet sailors race at the Midwinter Regatta, the Lorin Weiss Memorial Series, and at the Taco Tuesday Twilight Series.  

Ed Kimball (center) with new C sailors Mike Murphy and his wife Marilyn Flint (pink shirt) and their friends Cleve and Gloria Crudgington

The 2011 Class / Fleet 1 Championships were held at NHYC last weekend, October 1st and 2nd, and represented the conclusion of the 2010-2011 Harbor 20 regatta season. The final two days of racing capped off a total of 20 Fleet 1 regattas for the season and determined not only the Fleet 1 & Class Champions, but also the winners of the season-long High Point Series, Rain or Shine Series and other perpetual trophies awarded by the fleet.

Excitement built early, as participants checked in, collected their caps and shirts and performed last minute bottom cleaning and tuned their boats. Fifteen A fleet skippers and fourteen B fleet skippers registered for the championships.

Day One started off very promising with steady 8-10 knot winds from the West. The first warning sounded about 12:45 and before the wind started dying off, the Race Committee got off a total of 4 races for both the A and B fleets. The Race Committee did a great job in setting perfect courses in both length and direction!

As required by Class rules, all skippers docked their boats at NHYC overnight. After the races, and after the boats had been tucked away, the festivities began. From 1700 until 1830, a cocktail party featuring a steel drum band and hosted bar got most skippers “loosened up”. Thanks to the Baldwin Cup Organizing Committee for hosting the hosted bar and appetizers. After the cocktail party, NHYC served up a delicious dinner, where everyone continued to recap the nuances of the races that day.  Not ready to head home, some even kept going after dinner in the Pirate’s Den for more stories and lively conversation.

Although the weather was warm, it didn’t look too promising the beginning of day two. With 3-5 knot winds out of the South-South-West. The race committee was all set up with the windward mark near the clubhouse and just about ready to sound the first warning when the wind turned West and started to kick up to 8 knots.  Day two of the Regatta was on!!  After setting a new course, and winds that eventually built up to 10-12 knots, the race committee was able to get five more races completed for both fleets.

A super thanks to a great job by the PRO, Kurt Wiese (one of our newest Harbor 20 Fleet 1 owners and skipper members (PING)) and his race committee team: Anne Wiese, Ed Kimball, Anne Costello, Mindy Froehlich, Alex Vucelic, Charlie, Jamie Johnson, Jeff Marshall, Will Shuman, Bill Crispin & Donna Griggs for photography.

And another big thanks to the NHYC for providing an unparalleled venue for the event, and especially Jenn and Charlie for making sure everything went smoothing and turned out to be truly a National Class Regatta event!  (Jenn, actually making sure wine glasses were full and plentiful during the award ceremony!!) And the NHYC staff for yummy appetizers!  Again, top notch!

Actual races can be viewed online via the Kattack tracking that tracked each boat for each race. Not only can you see the actual track, but you can see average speeds (relative to the fastest) and distance traveled (relative to the distance) but also actual time on the course. For example: On race one, #109 Wiggit (that is me) sailed 624 meters more than Bill Menninger! Did I have a different course????  I guess that explains why it took me about 6 minutes more to finish the race. Lesson learned??). You can see summaries for each race like:

• Average speed
• Average VGM upwind
• Average VGM downwind
• Average speed downwind, ect

Stats that will help all skippers improve their individual performance!  Not all stats for all races are available at the time of this article, but check back often for updates to the Kattack page.

So, who won?  Full results are available on this website here, (select any regatta from the drop menu and the fleet to see the results) however here are the top finishers:

A Fleet

B Fleet

Historical Champion Results can be viewed here.

All perpetual trophies will be award at the annual awards dinner scheduled for December 4th.

The Harbor 20 fleet & class would like to hear your stories, comments, praises, & complaints. We want to hear want made the Championship special for you. We want to hear from all participants what you experienced, what you liked, what was fun, and what frustrated you. Please, leave comments to this post for others to read and enjoy your perspective on this regatta. If you have people you want to thank…do it here.  If you have some special insight as to what “worked” or what didn’t, share with the fleet/class. We want to get as many comments as possible and prolong this great event though this website.

And, if anyone has additional pictures, or comments, please either email the Webmaster (link on the left) or leave a comment for everyone.

Finally, a super, super special thank you to the leadership (Board) and especially our Class President, Peter Haynes (for working so hard to make the H20 such corinthians in the sport where ALL disputes were handled on the course) and for John Whitney for keeping our fleet sound, tight, and organized. And of course, Warren Duncan, our Fleet Measurer, for making sure that all boat were equally configured to keep this truly a “one class event”.

Pictures of the event (courtesy of Donna Griggs) is available here:  Saturday and Sunday

 

 

 

The Harbor 20 Championship Weekend is finally here!  Read the Notice of Race and Amendment 1. Don’t be caught unaware. You’ll have no one to blame but yourself if you miss one of the important details!

The Championship Regatta was kicked off last night with possibly the best Ask the Judges session to date.  Moderated by our own rules expert, Peter Haynes, the panel of judges, comprised of Peter Wells and Adam Deermount, clarified all of the rules related to both common and uncommon situations we find ourselves in from the 3-minute warning to crossing the finish line. Besides being certified judges, Peter and Adam have very impressive racing and teaching resumes, including extensive Harbor 20 racing, allowing them to add heavy doses of tactical tips to make the most of each situation. Many thanks to Peter, Peter and Adam!

You’ll find the schedule of this weekend events in the NOR Amendment 1 . Read it, along with everything else on the Official Regatta Notice Board.

Saturday

11:00 Registration begins. You will receive the sailing instructions, your regatta hats and shirts, and a Kattack GPS tracker to put in your boat.

11:45 Mandatory skipper’s meeting

12:30 First warning.

5:00 Hosted Cocktails at NHYC

6:30 Championship Regatta Dinner at NHYC

Skippers MUST dock their boats at NHYC after racing on Saturday and keep the boats at NHYC overnight. This is mandatory. All or some boats may be inspected for compliance to Class and Fleet 1 rules. Read the Class Bylaws and Fleet 1 Bylaws to make sure your boat is compliant.

The NHYC locker room facilities are available to all that desire not to go home to clean up and change clothes prior to the Regatta Dinner.

 

Reminder to the Harbor 20 Fleet 1: Tomorrow (Wednesday, September 28th) is the last day to register for the Fleet 1 / Class Championships (without the late fee).

According to the NORs, registration is $60 per boat/skipper/crew and includes dinner for one Saturday night. Extra meals are available for $30 during registration.

Sign up online now here.

Late entries (after Wednesday) will be accepted until Saturday 10/01/11 (with a $15 late registration fee).

First warning for races on Saturday are at 12:30. The Championship Regatta dinner is going to be at 18:30 at NYHC.  First warning for races on Sunday are at 12:30.

All boats will be required to dock at NHYC during the event. The race committee will attempt to complete a total of nine (9) races; however it reserves the right to run fewer races depending on its judgment as to the weather and the best interest of the regatta.

Trophies will be awarded Sunday, October 2, 2011 as soon as possible after the last race.  The Arthur Strock Memorial Trophy for the H20 Class Championship will be awarded to the first place boat in the ‘A’ fleet. The Harbor 20 ‘A’ Fleet One Perpetual Trophy will be awarded to the highest finishing boat who is a member of the ‘A’ Fleet One. The Harbor 20 ‘B’ Fleet One Perpetual Trophy will be awarded to the highest finishing boat who is a member of the ‘B’ Fleet One.

Don’t miss this exciting event, the highlight of the Harbor 20 season, as well as the social activities surrounding the event (before, during and after).

The Harbor 20 Fleet 1 spend the the weekend on the water, tuning up, practicing and sizing up the competition in anticipation of the annual Class & Fleet 1 Championships to be held at NHYC next weekend.

On Saturday, the BCYC hosted the Harbor 20 Tune Up Regatta. Twenty-four Harbor 20s participated for a total of 5 races on an overcast, light/shifty wind day. Consistency was not the name of the game, with sailors ranging 1st places and 10th places in the same regatta. Carter Ford won for the A fleet while Lee Sutherland won for the B fleet. Results can be viewed here.

On Sunday, the NHYC hosted the Fall Schock Regatta. Thirty-two Harbor 20s participated on another overcast, light and shifty day of 4 races. The front of the A fleet had a very talented and competitive group of skippers, with Gary Thorne ending up with the 1st place for the A fleet. Kurt Wiese, a newcomer to the Harbor 20 fleet, easily took 1st place in the B fleet. The results are here.

Next weekend, NHYC will host the two-day Class & Fleet 1 Championships, which is the official end of the Harbor 20 season. Bill Menninger will be defending his 2010 A fleet victory while Karl Pomeroy, the 2010 B Fleet Champion – now in the A fleet, leaves the B Fleet Championship undefended.  Past A and B Fleet Champions can be seen here.

In addition to the Championship, next weekend will be the final races that count towards the coveted High Point Series Trophies. The High Point Trophies are awarded to the A and B Fleet skippers who have the best total score for the season in their respective fleets (requiring at least 75% participation in High Point events).  The current leader-board and previous winners can be viewed here and is current going into the championships.

Skippers that have not yet registered for the Championship are encouraged to sign up now, and online here. The current Entry List can be viewed here.

On Thursday, September 29, two days before the Championship, the H20 Association is sponsoring an evening called “ASK THE JUDGES” at 6:30 PM at NHYC. Certified judges will be present to answer any and all questions you might have about the Racing Rules of Sailing for 2009-2012. A whiteboard with magnetic boats will be used to help visualize on-the-water situations as they change over time.

Don’t go into the Championship with lingering questions about the rules. We will be entertaining questions such as:

1)     Can you have contact with another boat and not have broken a rule?

2)     If two overlapped, close hauled, starboard tack boats reach a windward mark to be left to port, does the leeward boat have to fall off at the mark, or can it continue to sail on, taking the windward boat with it?

3)     Can boats on opposite tacks be overlapped?

4)     If a boat running on port tack overlaps to leeward a boat running on starboard tack, and then jibes, does he (she) then have luffing rights?

5)     Does a boat which tacks from port to starboard inside the 3 boat length circle ever have rights to mark room?

6)     The committee boat is a mark and an obstruction. Is an inside boat, overlapped to windward, entitled to room at the obstruction before starting?

7)     Is a boat ever required to sail her proper course?

8)     Does a boat which is sailing above close hauled have to fall off to a close hauled course at the starting signal?

9)     Can you take a penalty turn anytime before the finish of a race to exonerate yourself of a rule infraction?

 

Answers:

1) No

2) Yes or no, depending on how the overlap was established

3) Yes , if both are sailing more than 90 degrees from the wind

4) Yes

5) Yes

6) Yes, unless approaching the starting line to start (barging)

7) No

8 ) Sometimes yes, sometimes no. It all depends on how overlaps with adjacent boats were established.

9) No. A penalty must be taken as soon as possible after the time of the incident.

 

What’s your question? Come and get the answer. Find out once and for whether you were right or wrong in past incidents. This should be a really interesting and fun evening!

We hope to see you there!

SAIL FOR THE VISUALLY IMPAIRED
Saturday, October 15, 2011
10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

The American Legion Yacht Club will be holding their annual “Sail for the Visually Impaired” on Saturday Oct 15th. The ALYC will have around 100 to 200 guest and their guides from the Veterans Administration and the National Braille institute.

The ALYC  is asking if any of the Harbor 20 owners would like to participate and take Vets and Impaired folks out sailing.

About the SVI Event:

In 1990, members of WORSA took 15 blind people sailing on a 40-foot sailboat. Each year, they took more people out and enlisted more skippers to assist. It began to grow so large that it is now sponsored by WORSA, hosted by the American Legion Post 291 and organized by ALYC. Over 240 blind or visually impaired adults and their escorts will spend the day sailing with volunteers from around Newport Harbor, WORSA and the American Legion Post 291 Family.

Approximately 45 skippers and boats from the community are needed to participate in this worthwhile event.

Contact  Geoffrey Boyce <gboyce@ssreng.com>

Boomarang #178

The Fleet 1 and Class Championships are soon upon us. NORs and Entry is available already on the Championship Regatta Page.

The Championship Regatta has some special rules in effect regarding participation. Those rules are outlined in the Class Bylaws. The participation requirements are as follows:

II.D.1. Championship races are special events for boat owners. For Class Championships and Fleet Championships, the Helmsman must be an Owner Member who has been a member for over 60 days. In the case of multiple Owner Members, the Helmsman is the one who signs the entry form.

II.D.2. Boats that are racing must have been kept in the water continuously for 60 days prior to Class Championships and Fleet Championships.

II.D.3. The crew for Class Championship and Fleet Championship Series must be a person who meets the basic principles and intent of these rules (Section II.A.4), and they must have sailed in at least twelve Class Races in the same boat during the time period between the last Class or Fleet Championship Series and the Class or Fleet Championship Series under consideration. Paid professional sailors and full-time sailing coaches must have been retired for at least three full years.

II.D.4. Only the Helmsman shall steer the boat during a race except for momentary relief in non-tactical situations.

II.D.5. Hiking is not permitted. All crew shall keep their torsos within the confines of the cockpit at all times, excepting in the need for immediate repair or for safety.

II.D.6. It is intended that strict adherence to the rules specified in this section be maintained. However, a member with special circumstances, may petition the Class or Fleet Board for a variance in these II.D Rules using the provisions of I.D.15. This should be done well in advance of the event.

II.D.7. The Class or Fleet Measurer may require the first five finishers be inspected at the finish of each race.

II.D.8. The Main Sail is to be manufactured by Elliot Pattison Sailmakers, and the Jib Sail is to be manufactured by Ullman Sailmakers.

See you at the Championships!