GBCA Discussion Forum

  With the Judge Smails regatta three weeks away, could someone, put a link to Regatta Network Registration. I would hate to be the only one racing that week.
Thank You.

  I checked the GBCA calendar and found the fallowing.
10/29 Fall series #1
11/12 Fall series #2
12/03 Fall series #3/ Chili Chase
  I went to Regatta Network and could not find them listed. It may be time to start thinking about the NOR's.

  While standing around finishing our beers/rum drinks and discussing how to save the world from Mars invaders, we also talked about what we liked and disliked about WNR's.
1. Everyone liked to simple format of down the lake and back.
2. The final fleet groupings seemed to work the best.
3. Going to GMT corrected start time made the most since.
4. Everyone thought the Markbot was a good idea but was ahead of it's time and needed tweaking.
5. Some thought that some boats from other fleets/starts may have interfered with their race strategy.
6. To a person everyone said they had FUN and enjoyed the simplicity of how the races were run.

Thank you WNR's race committee for a great job.     

  One more time. I know ambulance chasers run the yacht clubs and they think waivers are a way to protect their assets. But they may be causing another problem!
  I have been approached by others about how can we get more boats out to race. I know cost of sail boat ownership plays a part of it. But we are seeing fewer boats out that use to race, and are still in the area. (It is interesting at the number of boats that turn out for the Rum Races) Maybe it's the fight to get the waivers filled out and filed. I have had to have my crew fill out as many as four(4) Regatta Network waivers before they were excepted. And the Yacht Scoring waiver is even more convoluted.   
  This may not be the biggest reason owners aren't coming out, but it's one of the reasons I am not doing some races. I have heard other owners complain about getting waivers in, and the pain in the ass it is.
  It may be time to ask are these waivers helping or hurting, sail boat racing? 

  Because of lightning in the approaching storm last night, the J22 fleet decided to bale and head back to the safety of the marina. That became a race in its own right, with crossing and lead changes. So in the interest of finish scoring, this is the results at the crane.
1. 368 Allie Cribbs
2. 578 Gary Thies
3. 35   Brant Koepke
4. 892 Walter Caldwell
5. 878 Tom Meeh ### In a sling therefore scored last for unfair advantage.   

  Many times this season "Markus" time has not corresponded with corrected GMT time. It has been off by as much as 10 minutes or as the past 2 weeks 35 seconds and 20 seconds. Many of us ether have GPS synchronized watches or insures there timing is synced with GMT. This has caused crowding around the mark-bot to adjust our start clocks. Maybe for the last series or next season, we use GPS time, where "Markus" just gives us the start order. and is the end of the start line.
  We, start the sequence at 1815 per SI's and each start is 3 minutes apart only without "Markus" doing a time check. First start 1818, Second start 1821, Third start 1824, and Fourth start 1827.
  This could lead to less crowding around Markus before the start and simplify programing "Markus".
ANYWAY, thank you to the race committee for doing a great job, and keeping everything sorted out.     

  It's nice to have a place to find the results without having to go through the enter results website, BUT some of the boats are not listed on the link for 2022 RR.

Thank you.

  The front page of the website needs to be updated to reflect the current SI's, a link to the fleets/classes, and results. Just a suggestion.

  Got my email copy of the Cannon this morning. It states that the first race is May 21st. With this being 13 days from this posting, the big question is where is the SI's?   We need time to find something to complain about.
  Also, good to see the new "J" Mark. Looking forward to going back to the original course.      Tongue in Cheek,, can we have a pool on who will be the first to snag it with there keel or rudder?       

  During May 4th off week get together, Darin, said there would be a fourth start and third course added to the SI's. Will that be for this upcoming series or for the later series? 

  After a VERY (less then 4ft.) close call with a power boat last year, near the committee boat, I started watching power boats a little closer. I noticed that around 9 out of 10 power boats head south of the Clear Creek Channel once they clear markers 7/8, this includes the Boardwalk Beast. This puts most of the boats that come out to race in direct line with power boaters.
   I know it would require redrawing a few race courses, that have been used for a couple of years, ei. The J.Kevin Box Conundrum, this years Bay Cup I, and a few other distance races.
   But, with all the extra wording that has been added to the SI's in the past few years, ( insurance, life jacket, waivers etc) this would be a simple fix for a little more safety of separating racers from a majority of power boats.       

  With the WNR kick off party less then a week away and GBCA being the sponsoring organization, shouldn't there be a more formal notice on the main page, other then a side-bar notice. As of this posting there are only 16 boats registered, were as that would be one fleet/start.
  I don't want to take away from the other race notices, but there are several boats that only race WNR, and this could be a club builder.   

Darin, One question and one comment.
  Will there be a system for more then one lap around a given course?
  Do you mean Clear Creek Channel buoy #14 when you refer to Kemah Cut Red Nun?

  Thank you.