HYC Offshore

[Bee]

Interesting start times for the HYC Offshore.  0700 both days would appear to limit any kind of leaving the Bay on Saturday unless one wants to depart around 0330.

Any early news on courses?

[ChrisK]

From Bill over at HYC (this info is a few weeks old so the details might have changed):

"THE HYC OFFSHORE REGATTA: More changes!  We have altered the format of this traditional regatta.  This year it's on our calendar May 4 - 6.  Our plan is to meet in Galveston Thursday night for dinner at Willie G's (optional).  Our first race will start early Friday morning just inside the Galveston jetties.  Racers will self-start, HYC Pursuit-style and race to ... Freeport!  We assemble at Freeport in the new City Marina where we have arranged for a dock (cost = $1.50/foot).  We'll have a party down there Friday night with awards for the HYC Pursuit feeder race.  Then Saturday morning we have a formal racing start with 5-minute sequence for the race back to Galveston.  We'll finish just inside the jetties, motor-sail up to HYC and join the HYC Derby Day party which will be in full swing.  Awards for the second race will be presented at the Derby Day party.  Competitors can participate in as much or as little as they care to.  The NOR will be posted on our club web site..."

[Christopher]

Are racers going to leave the Clear Lake area prior to 0300 to get to the race area?  Or have arrangements been made for slips in Galveston for Thursday night?  Last I heard, GYB didn't have any slips available this year.

[billvanrav]

Hi Bee, actually we've moved the start time to FRIDAY morning.  The start time will be figured on the average speed of the slowest boat on a beam reach in 10 - 15 knots of wind. Obviously, that's a guess - but it's a starting point.  We will base the calculations on a 4:30 p.m. landfall in Freeport.  I've put together an FAQ you can see at http://hycoffshoreregatta-com.webs.com/2012%20HYC%20Offshore%20Regatta%20FAQ%27s.html

Questions please e-mail me at hycraceandregatta@mindspring.com

Thanks!

[Bee]

Of course what I would like is a just off the beam reach at 17 knots.

Whether its Friday or not, the 7:00 start time will make it difficult to get there from the Bay on the day of the race.

[billvanrav]

Yes, that would be brutal - but I'm hoping it won't be so extreme for everyone.  My reasoning is as follows:  The slowest boat registered thus far estimates that he can make at LEAST 5.8 knots under ideal conditions.  We won't have ideal conditions so I'll discount that estimate to 4.6 knots VMG.  The course is 43.5 nm. For him to make it to Freeport by the target time of 4:30 he needs to be the first boat to start in Galveston at 7:00 am.  So, if another boat has a handicap of 78 - doing the math I can see that his start time should be 9:40:55 am.  Not quite so bad as 7:00, but still very early...

We'll know all these numbers after registration closes and we can see what the fleet looks like.  We'll select an appropriate start time for the first boat, calculate the rest and distribute that information at the Competitors Briefing.

FYI I put up a simple website this morning and I'll start posting information on it as it becomes available.  We're at www.hycoffshoreregatta.com

[Bee]

I spoke to Rita Higgins at the Yacht Basin today.  They do not do reservations at this time and have only 3 available slips on E.  So, reserved 103 at the Harbor House.  Still not sure I am going to participate but 9:40:55 doesn't sound too bad.  We could leave at 6 for that.

[Bee]

Since this is going to be a max of 7 nm off shore during the day, I would assume that there will be no cat 3 offshore regs.  Right?

[BJSailor]

What does the Notice of Race say with respect to your Cat 3 question Bee?

[Bee]

I don't read those.  Too dumb to figure that out.

[BJSailor]

Don't read the NOR?  Hmmmm....  Funny, everyone else does since that't the one piece of documentation that serves to provide the competitors all the information necessary to decide to race.  Maybe you should at least scan the documentation.

Here, let me help...

http://www.houstonyachtclub.com/documents/NOR_Offshore.pdf

[edthemainsailguy]

Each yacht shall conform to the US Edition 2010 - 2011 ISAF Special Regulations Governing Offshore Racing for Monohulls
& Multihulls, US SAILING Prescriptions for Category 4.


there ya go Bee.....although i have no doubt you knew by now...

[Bee]

Thanks for the insult Brian.

[BJSailor]

Anytime Bee  You might find some interesting things in the documentation.  NORs and SIs contain some important stufff.

I don't read those.  Too dumb to figure that out.

[Bee]

Its apparent that Brain has issues with safety, but whatever you do, do not take safety lightly.  Masts come down, through hulls leak, rudder bearings fail, engines refuse to start, keels and rudders fall off and things that go bump in the night poke holes where holes should not be.  Whether your 7  or 150 nm offshore or sailing in the Bay, things can and do go wrong.  Its one thing to joke and insult, its another altogether to loose a life. I am very animated about making sure that Stinger has what she needs to make my crew as safe as possible.  I just could not handle having someone on board injured or killed because I did not do everything possible to assure their safety.

When offshore, it behooves one to have something on board to plug through holes, something to cut off a mast, something to stuff in rudder bearings and lots of mechanical knowledge to get that engine running.  Generally you can't do much about keels falling off, but you can make sure everyone has a PFD and knows how to wear and use it.  Strobe lights are wonderful devices, but the crew of the Cynthia Woods (except for Roger) was saved by a $10 flashlight. Jack lines are good, particularly at night but only if the skipper requires the crew to use them. As witnessed by the last MOB during the J105 Midwinters, Life Slings are more useful then horseshoes, but in those wind conditions getting the MOB on board required using a spare halyard to crank him out of the water.   Amazing but when the wind blows, boats move and none of us have the strength to simply pull someone out of the water.

I realize that a day race from Galveston to Freeport, at least on the surface, appears to be a pretty docile. Unfortunately, docile can change to disaster very very quickly.  The first time we did the TRW on Stinger, we got hit by 44 knots of wind just 2 miles off Galveston Island.  The Shock 35 just to our South got hit by lightening.  Lost all her instruments, but manage to not get anyone hurt.  I would recommend that if your going to do this race you consider doing it as a CAT 3 and not, as indicated in the NOR, a CAT 4.  Get those plugs, Life Slings, Horse Shoes, MOB poles, jack lines and PFD's on board before and not after things go South for the Winter.  Just because you start at 7:00 AM does not mean your going to have smooth sailing.  In one of the Heald Bank races we hit 18.75 knots in 28 knots of breeze.  Hell of a ride but there is no doubt that had things gone wrong, Stinger might still be on the bottom.

In the words of a friend of mine, you start losing points at the dock.  Try to minimize the loss.