GBCA Cruising Class

[ShakenNotStirred]

Thought I would start this thread for topics of interest for the Cruising Class.
(Bee, please stay out. Thanks.  )

[ShakenNotStirred]

Texas Race Week. 
This is a great opportunity for you to sail your cruising boat on the ocean, where she was designed to be! If you've ever done the Harvest Moon Regatta you know how fun it is, and how good that sense of accomplishment feels. And I guarantee the party will rival the HM party. Twice.
There is already one cruising boat signed up, so just two more and the Class will be made.  That boat won the regatta last year, but they are vulnerable.  (And if you sign up soon I will let you in on a simple secret to do well!)

So sign up for Texas Race Week, sail in the next two rum races to establish your handicap and get your crew work down.

If you need to borrow any safety equipment, let me know.

[Stellar of Course]

I am checking on work schedues and crew schedules to see if we can make this happen. I will keep you informed.

S/V Stellar of Course
Ron E

[Terry Young]

Sorry Walter, leaving to Saudi, for work on July 15, will be there for a week or two. Best of luck to all the cruising class that enters. "KATANA"

[Stellar of Course]

Well so far none of my normal crew is available for this race. If anyone is intersted in crewing on Stellar of Course we may be able to enter the race. I will be leaving town on business this Sunday and return July 18th. So I will need to register by Saturday night and then work to get the boat ready for this great offshore race.

I have raced Stellar of Course in the past 11 Harvest Moon Regatta's and even won a few of these races in the cruising class.

If you are interested give me a call or reply on the list.

Ron Eddleman
s/v Stellar of Course

[ShakenNotStirred]

Hey guys.  We'll be selling new GBCA caps at the TRW skippers meeting and at the Rum Race party.
And..... there will be some special limited edition "Cruising Class" caps as well!  Bring your $$.  Very cool.

[Eric713]

We were contemplating transferring to the PHRF Non-spin class for a change.  Since we just purchased 40.00 bucks worth of Cruising Class orange caps, we've decided to stay where we are.  Thanks Walter!

[ShakenNotStirred]

GBCA Performance Cup this weekend.

Where are you guys? Why haven't you signed up yet?

Waiting to see what the weather is?  It will be perfect.

Is it the cost?  Is it the courses? Are you waiting to see who else signs up?
Planning these things is alot easier for the organizers and better for the class if you sign up earlier.
The racing and the party will be even better than the rum races.

I thought the Cruising/Club Handicap class was getting stronger, but now I'm not so sure.
Let me know why you show up in droves for the rum races, but not the other GBCA regattas.

[kentwm]

I am going to resurrect this old thread...

I have raced the Icicle Series in the cruising class since 2010 on 4 different boats. Here are a few observations from my perspective(mainly as a small boat owner/sailer):

#1 - in 2010 very few of the boats in the class flew spinnakers. Now it seams that about 1/3 do. Which is great except when your a non-spin boat and the winds allow flying the chute on 2 of 3 legs. Might consider splitting into a spin and non-spin cruising class for Icicles and Rum Races.

#2 - I sail smaller boats, Catalina 25 "Wind Bandit" and now O'Day 28 "High Cotton". I wonder why we don't see very many of the sub 30 ft boats sailing? Are people with smaller boats(say 31 ft and less) not wanting to race against the bigger boats even with the handicaps? I saw how well Yankee Lip (Catalina 22) did in the spin fleet.

I had no comment on the Rum Races since I have never sailed one so things may be different in the summer.

Now that I have opened my mouth, I will take another step down the path to the dark side and join GBCA this year and volunteer to help with the cruising class.

Kent
"High Cotton"

[jwells]

Welcome, Kent and thanks for your offer of help in the Cruising Class.
It's not my place to address your concerns regading spin/non-spin issues in the Cruising Class, but I will see that the question is raised.
It's probably been discussed before, but for those of us new to the Icicle and/or Rum Races we'll try to clarify the rules.

Thanks for your offer to volunteer; stand by for calls for help.

Thanks, again.

[hayesrigging]

I know the cruising class uses totally different parameters for establishing ratings but under PHRF-GB the non spin formula used is in no way meant to rate a spin boat vs a non spin boat.   The non spin factor is formula based and it's only to be used for racing non spin boats vs other non spin boats.

[BJSailor]

Based on the moving handicap rules of this class, won't it all come out in the wash eventually?  I think that was what Kevin Box had in mind when this was set up - everyone has their number adjusted after every race to pull all competitors together regardless of boat length, sail plan,or initial handicap number. 

[Bee]

The Super Chicken knows all, computes all, and makes all good.

[BJSailor]

Go Chicken!

[Christopher]

.... under PHRF-GB the non spin formula used is in no way meant to rate a spin boat vs a non spin boat.   The non spin factor is formula based and it's only to be used for racing non spin boats vs other non spin boats.

By analogy, does the PHRF-GB ratings formula differentiate between an asymmetrical and symmetrical  spinnaker?  Should  the spinnaker class be split into separate classes for non W/L races?

The chicken computer (Kevin) has a good thing going for club handicap.  Unlike the customary asymmetrical J-Boat spin class in the icicle and rum races of late.

Ken Read seems to support what Kevin (the chicken computer) is doing, albeit behind the times.
http://www.sailingworld.com/racing/getting-handicap-racing-on-par