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?
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..."
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.
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 (http://hycoffshoreregatta-com.webs.com/2012%20HYC%20Offshore%20Regatta%20FAQ%27s.html)
Questions please e-mail me at hycraceandregatta@mindspring.com
Thanks!
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.
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 (http://www.hycoffshoreregatta.com)
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.
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?
What does the Notice of Race say with respect to your Cat 3 question Bee?
I don't read those. Too dumb to figure that out.
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
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...
Thanks for the insult Brian.
Anytime Bee ;D You might find some interesting things in the documentation. NORs and SIs contain some important stufff.
Quote from: Bee on April 06, 2012, 07:54:42 PM
I don't read those. Too dumb to figure that out.
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.
From G Wittich
Lakewood will host a one day Offshore Safety and Navigation Seminar this Saturday, April 14, 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM.
It is primarily intended for racers entering the Galveston to Gulfport Race.
However, racers planning to participate in the upcoming Heald Bank and Harvest Moon Regattas or other offshore races are also welcome.
Attendance is free.
Your should attend Brain.
Well said, Bee.
Never having gone to Galveston for the night, can anyone recommend a place to get a slip? I just called the Harbor House and they said I can only stay there if I also book a night in their hotel - I plan to stay aboard that night.
You can try Galveston Yacht Basin:
Talk to Rita Higgins: 409-762-9689
Another option would be Pelican Rest Marina pelicanrestmarina.com (http://pelicanrestmarina.com) . We went there for Easter and the marina had depths in the 10+ foot range. Pelican Rest is in Offats Bayou so you must enter the ICW to get there. You would most likely have to leave the marina in the morning of the race before sunrise and go thru the Pelican Island Bridge ( short cut thru Galveston Harbor). The ICW in the dark can be daunting. Pelican Island bridge does have some times they are not open.
Pelican Island Bridge (Galveston Harbor)
phone: 409-744-2908
VHF channel 16
Due to rush hour traffic on the bridge, there are no openings during the following weekday hours:
6:45am - 8:10am
12:00noon - 1:00pm
4:15pm - 5:15pm
(There are no opening restrictions on weekends and holidays.)
You must also go under the Galveston Causway Lifting Bridge. The new bridge has a height restriction of I believe 65 feet. Not sure this is good idea if you have never been to Offats, but something to think about.
Scott Lacy
FYI, It's only about 1/4 mile farther to go around the north end of Pelican Island rather than through the Galveston Channel.
That new marina looks like it might be a place for future TRW's
It is a real nice marina with all floating docks. They are trying to cater to large sportfish boats but were very accommodating to Tramp and a smaller sailboat with us. No facilities but one restroom with no shower, but should have restaurant and heads by the end of the year. The fuel dock may be open by now but was not when we were there. Parrot Tales came into the marina while we were there ( waiting on the Galveston Causway Lifting Bridge to open) and did not have a problem with depth. On the facebook page are some photos of a bunny (easter) that is allegedly me ;D
Thanks, everyone - we'll be staying at the Galveston Yacht Basin.
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=277612382319848&set=a.277606658987087.65113.182345845179836&type=1&theater (http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=277612382319848&set=a.277606658987087.65113.182345845179836&type=1&theater)
Quote from: Deckhand on April 25, 2012, 07:40:55 AM
It is a real nice marina with all floating docks. They are trying to cater to large sportfish boats but were very accommodating to Tramp and a smaller sailboat with us. No facilities but one restroom with no shower, but should have restaurant and heads by the end of the year. The fuel dock may be open by now but was not when we were there. Parrot Tales came into the marina while we were there ( waiting on the Galveston Causway Lifting Bridge to open) and did not have a problem with depth. On the facebook page are some photos of a bunny (easter) that is allegedly me ;D
It was early, so no champagne!
Hi y'all, FYI we've posted some final updates on our Regatta notice board at www.hycoffshoreregatta.com (http://www.hycoffshoreregatta.com). We've got 16 entrants (one withdrawal due to work conflict) and the makings of a pretty good time in Freeport. Now all we need is some wind...
The moon looks great tonight. How was day one?
From Stinger's perspective this regatta was great. Winds on Saturday (~ 150 degrees, 10-15) did not let us hoist our kites but the spinnaker fleet made it down to Freeport 8 around 4 PM. This was a pursuit style so not to surprisingly we all got there at just about the same time.
The run up to the marina is a bit long (about an hour) but pretty straight forward. Barge/Commercial traffic was pretty light so no problems there. Water depth is not an issue and the Freeport Marina is brand spanking new with lots of slips. Was surprised to see so many sailboats there. Some were older designs but in really great condition. This should be a really nice place to hold TRW.
Winds on Saturday started out int the 15-20 range but dropped back as we neared the jetties. The entire 5-boat spin fleet manged to hoist their kites and flew them all the way back to G11. Stinger was in a slip at HYC aroun 5:00PM.
There was a hell of a lot of grass out there and almost all the boats had to back down. If you decide to do the TRW and the grass is back be prepared to execute this maneuver.
Met some interesting people on the cruising side, one group of which were older then me. Yeah I know that's hard to believe, but these ladies and gentlemen had sailed to many places around the world and looked to me to be able to continue it for some time to come. Made me think I should stop bitching about getting old and just get after it. Yeah, that's the proper response!
One of the more interesting things was to race against a MacGregor 65. What a sled. The fella that owns and sails it is a very interesting and friendly guy but that 39 handicap was just a bit to low.
I think this race should be continued in the foreseeable future.
One more thing. The Freeport Motel is right by the marina, but its a bit on the tired and worn out side. Nevertheless, the AC worked, the rooms appeared to be clean, but there is basically not much in the way of eateries close by.
I thought it was a great race, good people and well-run. Being tired, short-handed and fighting for every inch we got, both events got a bit tedious towards the ends, but we'll definitely be in it next year.
The Thursday night social at Willie G's in Galveston was highly civilized and we got to meet some of the competitors before the race. We got very lucky with the weather, almost perfect (could have used a bit more wind from our perspective). The full moon was an excellent feature at the party, and we saw some great sailing. I'll put some more detail out after the dust settles (I'm still collecting IOU's for dinners in Freeport...). As a regatta organizer I highly recommend Scottie's Lounge to any of you all planning to do an event down there. They kept ALL their promises, the food was superior and they kept it coming until everyone was full. Their young DJ did a great job of getting people dancing and having fun. They decorated their back patio area with lights and palm trees to create a festive atmosphere. The folks at the Brazosport Yacht Club set a new standard for hospitality providing rum punch at the marina, a burgee exchange, and then cooking us all breakfast taco's Saturday morning. Their members want to race and they want us to race with them. Anyone planning an event in Freeport should contact them.
I've posted Friday race results on our notice board (www.hycoffshoreregatta.com (http://www.hycoffshoreregatta.com); Look for the button at the bottom of the home page. Saturday's race results can be seen on Regatta Network.
THANK YOU ALL FOR RACING WITH US!!!
This is GREAT information for Texas Race Week in Freeport this year!! Dates are July 19 - 21 and we will be racing down to Brazosport Yacht Club! Glad to hear it went so well and we look forward to everyone participating in TRW at the end of July!
Quote from: Bee on May 06, 2012, 08:32:55 AM
From Stinger's perspective this regatta was great. Winds on Saturday (~ 150 degrees, 10-15) did not let us hoist our kites but the spinnaker fleet made it down to Freeport 8 around 4 PM. This was a pursuit style so not to surprisingly we all got there at just about the same time.
The run up to the marina is a bit long (about an hour) but pretty straight forward. Barge/Commercial traffic was pretty light so no problems there. Water depth is not an issue and the Freeport Marina is brand spanking new with lots of slips. Was surprised to see so many sailboats there. Some were older designs but in really great condition. This should be a really nice place to hold TRW.
Winds on Saturday started out int the 15-20 range but dropped back as we neared the jetties. The entire 5-boat spin fleet manged to hoist their kites and flew them all the way back to G11. Stinger was in a slip at HYC aroun 5:00PM.
There was a hell of a lot of grass out there and almost all the boats had to back down. If you decide to do the TRW and the grass is back be prepared to execute this maneuver.
Met some interesting people on the cruising side, one group of which were older then me. Yeah I know that's hard to believe, but these ladies and gentlemen had sailed to many places around the world and looked to me to be able to continue it for some time to come. Made me think I should stop bitching about getting old and just get after it. Yeah, that's the proper response!
One of the more interesting things was to race against a MacGregor 65. What a sled. The fella that owns and sails it is a very interesting and friendly guy but that 39 handicap was just a bit to low.
I think this race should be continued in the foreseeable future.
Sounds like fun. Walter who owns the M65 is a great guy and will soon have a new Aysm. Spinnaker to tear down the coast in. Looking forward to coming sailing with him on the Texas coast this year.
I agree, Walter is a very nice man. Was fun to talk to him at HYC's skipper's meeting.
What surprised us was that we could see that the boat was crabbing. It was pointed up but going about as fast sideways as we were going forward. Kinda hard to visualize, but I think he just has the shoal keel. Suspect none of us would have seen him if he had the 8 foot keel.
I really liked all the cruisers I met. Some were really experienced sailors who just absolutely loved to sail. What was really great for me was to be able to talk to folks close to my age.
We need to encourage all of the BrazosPort Yacht Club sailors to join TRW this year. Would be a really interesting array of boats.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
A word of thanks to Bill for putting together a beautiful regatta and so masterfully he did it.
HYC was gracious enough to race to Freeport, the least we could do was to participate.
Seeing that all our Freeport boats were on cruising class both on Spinnaker plus Genoa only, and the HYC and LYC "Royalty" were by themselves on Spinnaker PHRF, even though I did not have a good spinnaker on board I decided to get a PHRF rate for Sea Ya II with spinnaker and race them, out of courtesy. The PHRF rate was conveyed to me during that dinner party in Galveston the night before the start and I made the decision there and then, that despite the fact that GB PHRF did not account for the small spinnaker I own, we were given a PHRF of 30 to go up against the J Boats of HYC and LYC.
Wining is not everything, and we were very honored to be racing against them.
It was a great pleasure to meet some of the sailors who participated in this offshore event. The feeling was mutual.
The life lines of SEA YA II are always open to you all.
THE RACES SEEN FROM ABORD SEA YA II.
It was a good experience but we lacked a bit of luck.
It was a lot of fun though.
Race 1. Galveston to Freeport
We were the last boat to start, as it was a pursuit race.
The start line was inside the Galveston jetties, and we had a difficult angle that made us crossed the ship channel and we struggled to clear the North Jetty.
We tacked and went in pursuit of the J120, J109 and J105. Everyone was on beam reach so nobody used a spinnaker. We did not have enough speed.
Soon we found out why. With the Navtec on maximum pressure pulling the mast back and a lot of pressure on Vang as well, we still had about 4 foot of sag on the forestay.
We caught up with the fleet but just barely, and at the finish line. After corrected time we were 4th.
Alex Crowell our rigger had re-rigged the entire standing rig increased the forestay size, even though I asked him if he was sure. He said he was.
Well, it was too long on this race.
The J120 was docked next to us in Freeport and as as soon as I docked I asked Alex for his help. He came in immediately and shorted the forestay by 3 inches at least, inside the furler. That was the best we could do for the following day race.,
Race 2. Freeport to Galveston.
The spinnaker class started all together at 9:00 am and this was not a pursuit race.
We were second across the line and we took of to the lead almost instantly and opened a good gap between us and the J105 and the J109.
For the first two hours we opened that gap, even without a spinnaker. The heading was border line and we chose to use Genoa only. The forecast had the wind backing so we waited for that to happen. Had that happen we would never had to put the mini spinnaker up. Regrettably after two hours the wind started to die on us and those who had the spinnaker up had the advantage. It also started clocking right to help them and not us, so we had no option but to put the spinnaker up.
First time, a spinnaker nobody had seen, a brand new ATN sock that no one was familiar with, and was put together in the morning, spinsail inside the sock, inside the cabin that morning.
That operation costed us 13 minutes to hoist as the sail was twisted inside the sock and got stuck bad and we had to struggle before we could free the sail from the sock.
Finally it was flying but it was a very small sail for that boat and the speed we got was less than what we were getting with Genoa alone. We hoisted the staysail to help and we managed to almost get the speed we had with the Genoa.
Clearly, the J boats came closer as a result of those operations. Equating the removal of the spinnaker and hoisting the Genoa back would cost us a lot of time so we decided to bite the bullet.
We kept the J boats at large but we could not increase the lead.
We have arrived at the entrance of the Galveston jetties ahead of the fleet, but to get to the finish line we had to Jibe and sail another 2 or 3 miles, inside the jetty.
We jibed the spinnaker but the driver - at the time - somehow understood the finish line was the entrance of the jetties and did not turn to the jibe and the spinnaker started flogging and tangled itself. That lost us another 12 to 13 minutes to untangle and start sailing again.
We finished 2 seconds after the J105, right behind his transom. Those two operations had erased our chances of a good classification. We could never had a win with a PHRF of 30 and a handicapped mini-spinnaker probably no bigger the one of the J109. Shoal draft and the short mast do not help.
We could have done better but we didn't, and we finished 5th.
It was a great run with great fun though.
A final word of THANK YOU all who helped with the regatta.
Walter Gameiro
(A relative of Vasco da Gama ...)
Great post Walter. Thanks a bunch. We on the J105 really enjoyed watching that sled of yours fly. When you get the new kite and get the bugs ironed out See Yah will really go.
Be sure to join us for Texas Race Week.
Thank you Sir. I appreciate that.
Next time, I will try to make your victory less easy, and I will do my best to come up with a bigger fight.
It was a pleasure to sail against your great team; no mistakes, that I could see.
Walter
Your welcome, but next time I need a tour of See Yah II.
Any Time, J.B.
You are welcome any time.
Why don't you come to Freeport by car some weekend and we go sailing together.
We are only 30 min away from open water.
Bring whomever you want, the boat is plenty long.
Hoping you take the invitation seriously...
Walter
Excellent recon. Looking forward to a return to Freeport.
Alot of great memories from TRW years past.
I remember this particular J24...a crazy crew as it was...like the rest of the fleet, sailed through a pop up thunderstorm earlier that afternoon. That evening, I flew up the coast to see how they fared, and was able to spot them half way to Freeport, flying spinnaker...as determined as ever.
They didn't win that day, but I'm pretty sure they won the party that night.
Speaking of TRW, details should be coming soon... ;)