Harbor 20 Class Association

As of January 1, the Racing Rules of Sailing for 2013-2016 are in effect. (The NHYC Winter Series and the BYC Sunkist Series which started in 2012 will be completed under the 2009-2012 rules). You can buy a copy of the Racing Rules of Sailing for 2013-2016 from US Sailing by clicking here.

A number of definitions have changed, including Finish, Keep Clear, Mark-Room, and Room. In Part 2, “WHEN BOATS MEET”, the following rules have changed: 14 “Avoiding Contact”,  18.2 “Giving Mark-Room”, 18.3  “Tacking in the Zone”, and 20 “Room to Tack at an Obstruction”. Rules from other parts of the RRS which have changed include 28 “Sailing the Course”, 44.1 “Taking a Penalty”, and 64 “Penalites and Exoneration”.

Rule changes which occur every four years in cadence with the Olympics provide each of us an exellent opportunity to improve our rules knowledge, whether new to the game, sailing with an outdated understanding, or expert in need of becoming current.

The next “Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing” seminar is scheduled for Sunday, January 27, at BCYC. So, save the date, and I hope to see you there!

Course Description / Testimonials

Register

The 2012 Harbor 20 Awards Dinner on December 2 at Lido Isle Yacht Club is shaping up to be the best ever! We were able to book the Fabulous Nomads band for the event, and if you were at the East/West Challenge Regatta Dinner, you know just how great these guys are! In fact, we would like to rename them “The Harbor 20’s”…

Fleet 1 has also stepped up to sponsor this premier event, so the price will be a low $45.00 per person if postmarked by November 26. If postmarked after, the price will be $55.00. PLEASE register early. This is a catered event, so the food must be ordered in advance, and the last thing we would want to happen would be to run out of food (it has happened before).

Click this link for the Awards Dinner Flyer & Registration Form.

Guests welcome, but please no children.

We hope to see you there!

The 2012-2013 racing season begins this weekend with the first races of BYC’s Sunkist Series on Saturday and NHYC’s Winter Series on Sunday. Links to the NORs and online entry forms for both regattas can be found on the Fleet 1 web site calendar or by clicking on the event on the left side bar under “Upcoming Events”

 

The Children’s Hospital of Orange County (CHOC) Regatta is also happening at BYC this weekend. The CHOC Regatta is a fundraising event that uses the November Sunkist Series races to provide an opportunity to compete for additional awards and contribute to CHOC. It has a separate entry form and is scored separately from the Sunkist Series. Please support BYC’s efforts to raise money for CHOC by entering your boat in the CHOC regatta and purchasing raffle tickets at the event this weekend. Also, there will be an award given to the boat that generates the greatest dollar amount contribution to CHOC. Details can be found in the Notice of Race on BYC’s web site.

 

Note that the BYC races this Saturday count towards Fleet 1’s High Point Series and you must sign up for the CHOC Regatta and the Sunkist Series using the separate entry forms.

 

The Fleet 1 approved sail purchase window is October 1st to November 30th, 2012. This is your only opportunity to buy new sails until after the 2013 Championships.

According to the Class bylaws:

III.H.8. For a Class Yacht, the Owner may purchase one jib sail in each calendar year and one main sail in every second calendar year.

After purchase, the Fleet 1 Measurer will inspect, measure and sign the sail before it may be used.

According to the Fleet 1 bylaws:

III.C.7. The Fleet has appointed Elliott/Pattison Sailmakers as its sole permitted sail maker for new mainsails, and Ullman Sails as its sole permitted sail maker for new jibs. No other sail/sail maker combinations will be allowed.

Ullman Sails is offering the jib sail at $774 with 5% and 10% discounts available for 50% and 100% deposits. Download their flyer here. They can be reached at 714-432-1860

The cost of a new mail sail from Elliott/Pattison Sailmakers is $1,594.  They are offering a 15% discount to Fleet 1 members.  If 15 or more sails are ordered, the discount will be 20%. They can be reached at 949 645-6697. (if you intend on purchasing a main sail, post a comment so others can see if the Fleet will reach the 15 sail threshold).

If you are buying a new Mainsail, consider donating your old one to NHYC for possible use in the Baldwin Cup team races.

 

The dust has settled on another competitive year of sailing Harbor 20s with the conclusion of the Fleet 1 & Class Championships held at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club in Newport Beach on Saturday & Sunday, September 29th and 30th.

 

With 18 boats in both Class A and and 16 in Class B, we can give thanks to our Class officers who have devised a way of dividing our class in a very even handed way. This was the best turnout in a championship ever, and the racing was great with sunny skies and a variety of conditions. Unique this year was the absence of the mooring field off the dock of NHYC due to dredging of the bay. This provided for a bigger sailing course and less obstacles and better viewing from the club.

 

 

Peter Haynes’ years long effort promoting fair sailing with his regular Rules Seminars, culminated in an “ask the Judges” session two nights before this year’s event. The result was great racing with adherence to the Racing Rules of Sailing, protests when appropriate, and plenty of penalty turns taken on the water to settle protests.

The race committee introduced new courses to keep the boats spread out a bit more with an offset windward mark and leeward gates. A couple of courses included “L” reaching finishes after rounding a leeward gate. This introduced new strategies and added more excitement to the regatta.

The winds were generally Westerly at about 5-9 knots both days of sailing. A total of 9 races were completed for each fleet (18 total races). The A Fleet had some new sailors like Tim Hogan, Walter Johnson and Scott Ramser which increased the already competitive fleet. The B Fleet had many first time participants in the championship, and even saw a C Fleet sailor vying for first place right down to the wire!

Saturday night NHYC hosted an open bar followed by a sit-down dinner for the competitors.

In the end, Bill & Diane Menninger won their 4th Class Championship and their 3rd consecutive 1st place. When asked what he learned from the event, Bill stated:

Everyone is now sufficiently fast to make it frustratingly tough to pass boats upwind and down….
I learned that loose rig tension is fast for tacking and accelerating, but not faster for straight line speed. I learned that maybe I should start using the vang earlier to flatten the main. And I learned that once the bottom of your boat needs new paint, its probably not that fast!

Here are the results:

A Fleet

1. Bill & Diane Menninger
2. Tom Schock & Tom Patrick
3. Guy Doran & Bob McClaire
4. Scott & Phil Ramser
5. Gary & Karen Thorne

B Fleet

1. Jeff Gordon with C.Underwood/R.Vitarelli
2. Tucker Cheadle and Max Mooseman
3. Greg & Jessica Newman
4. Richard Blatterman & John Cazier
5. Win & Carlita Fuller

 

Complete race results are available here.

 

As a result of this High Point Race, Jeff Gordon has moved to the A Fleet.

The Championships signify the end of the H20 Fleet 1 racing year, resulting in the following Awards:

Fleet A High Point

1. Gary Thorne
2. Kurt Wiese
3. Guy Doran

Fleet B High Point

1. Tom Corkett
2. John Whitney
3. Nik Froehlich

Note: Sailors must participate in at least 75% of all High Point races to qualify for the High Point Award

The Rain or Shine Award is awarded to Peter Haynes for the 5th consecutive year in a row! The final results are:

1. Peter Haynes (82 races)
2. Steve Horton (81 races)
3. Rolly Pulaski (76 races)

Full Rain or Shine Results can be viewed here.

The Fleet 1 First Mate Awards go to the highest placing husband and wife teams in the A and B Fleets at the Fleet 1 Championship Series. This year:

• Fleet A: Bill & Diane Menninger
• Fleet B: Win & Carlita Fuller

The history of this award can be viewed here.

The Grand Masters trophy is awarded to the highest placing skippers over the age of 65 in the A and B fleets at the Fleet 1 championships. This year:

• Fleet A: Tom Schock
• Fleet B: Richard Blatterman

All the above awards, plus the Arthur B Strock Service Award (awarded to members who have performed outstanding service for the Harbor 20, Fleet One organization) and the Broken Rudder Award (awarded to the skipper who’s boat sustained to most damage in the heat of battle) will be presented during the annual H20 Awards Dinner on December 2, 2012 at LIYC .

More pictures of the championship below, and here.

 

Photo Album with more Pictures here.

The  East / West Challenge Perpetual Trophy traveled from the East Coast to NHYC earlier this week, and now, it is headed back to the East Coast again. On day two of the Harbor 20 East/ West challenge, the weather was perfect, the wind was steady out of the South East at about 7-9 knots, the mooring field was clear of boats and moorings, and the dredger was no where to be seen. A very unique situation and one not seen at NHYC in decades. Heading into the day, the East Coast team of Fleet 3 (Hilton Head) and Fleet 5 (Annapolis) had an 8 point lead over the West Coast team of Fleet 1 (Newport Beach) and Fleet 4 (Santa Barbara).  But after 4 races on Sunday, and a total of 8 races, the East Coast team widened their lead and took the prize. Individual Winners

1. Tom Schock (Fleet 1, sailing for Fleet 5)
2. Scott Deardorff (Fleet 4)
3. Karl Pomeroy (Fleet 1, sailing for Fleet 5)
4. Lee Sutherland (Fleet 1)
5. Ed Kimball (Fleet 1, sailing for Fleet 5)

East Coast Team

Fleet 3 – Hilton Head

Fleet 5 – Annapolis

West Coast Team

Fleet 1 – Newport Beach

Fleet 4 – Santa Barbara

Full results can be downloaded here.

 

 

Complete online photo albums will be posted to this website once the photos become available.