GBCA Discussion Forum

If you bring Rum, Mike will probably find room for you.
Please give him a call.
GW

This year's Texas Challenge Cup is scheduled for this Saturday (September 28).
First gun 1000, up to five races; race area between Seabrook/Red Bluff, HSC and extension of Clear Creek Channel.
GBCA (defending champion) versus LYC; racing J/80's and J/22's.

Signal Boat: Tramp
GBCA team captain: Chris Dees
LYC team captain: Dave Christensen
Spectators are welcome.
Figaro can take a limited number of spectators on board.
If interested, please contact skipper Mike Lecompte - (281) 235-5088
GW

During our initial scoring we failed to subtract the distance of the "Safety Leg", i.e. channel crossing, from the overall race distance.
The corrected results have been posted on Regatta Network.

With regard to final positions and trophies only two boats were affected:

"Leading Edge" takes third place in PHRF Spin A and "Duck 'N Dive" takes fourth.

My apologies,

Gerhard Wittich

Here are a few key features of the upcoming Bay Cup Race:

1) Start in Trinity Bay, near the east end of the South Boater's Cut, east of HSC marker 60.
2) 8.5 NM quadrangle in TB, followed by a managed crossing of the Ship Channel in non-racing mode (less than 1 NM), then two more legs in GB, finishing near Kemah; total length between 15 and 17 NM.
3) Start time not before 1:00 PM; thereby we will take advantage of high tide and hope to catch the sea breeze.
This should also provide ample time for smaller boats to make it to the start.
We believe that the center part of South Boater's cut - at or near high tide - will provide enough depth for most deep keel boats to safely cross over into TB and later back into GB.
4) Plan B is a 13 NM course in GB (west of the Ship Channel) - same as for the Shoe Regatta. This will come into play only in adverse conditions.
Early sign-up would be greatly appreciated.
GW

I believe there is still a PVC pipe within two boat lengths (east) of marker 8.
South cut marker 5 is clear and will be used for Bay Cup.
GW

Shaken finished after Baltic and before Figaro.
If Shaken sailed in the orange class she was fifth, otherwise Figaro was fifth.
Figaro finished at 7:54:17

Figaro can take one crew.

LYC, slip N-18

Boat Time 4:00 PM

GW

Maarten, results have been posted on regattanetwork.com (Results Archive).

Additional photos will be posted on Picasa. Andrea will notify skippers when they will be uploaded.
GW

LYC greatly appreciates the significant contribution by GBCA members to a successful race:
Thanks to John and Scott Lacy for bringing out tramp, for spectacular pictures, excellent line siting (Scott nailed the few over early's) and for anchor yanking.
Thanks to Chris Dees for running the large boat W/L in flawless fashion.
Thanks to Kelly Dees for signaling 28 starts.
Thanks to Keith and Amy Gray for running mark set and scoring the upwind finishes.
Thanks to Mike Lecompte for timing on the distance line.
Thanks to Linda Hill - photography.
I owe y'all a trip to the Biergarten!
Gerhard

After a very successful Conundrum it is time to focus on the next event in the bay:
We will run three lines during the Shoe Regatta.

1) Distance Course:
12 mile quadrangle west of the ship channel - same as for Bay Cup I.
If conditions permit, we plan to run two races on Saturday and one on Sunday.
(Backup is a 9 mile quadrangle.)
Classic Canvas, PHRF non-spin and poleless cruising spin classes may form.
PRO: Bob Hunkins

2) Large Boat One Design:
J/105, J/109, PHRF Spin and possibly PHRF Non-Spin W/L, maybe J/80;
PRO: Chris Dees

3) Small Boat One Design:
J/22; J/70, Viper 640 and J/80 (unless they race on the large boat course);
This will be a circuit stop for the J/22's and J/70's.
PRO: Gerhard Wittich

The one design lines will be about equal distance from HYC and the Clear Lake Marinas.
Following tradition, skippers and crew of the winning boat in each class will receive vouchers for shoes (provided they all submitted their waivers).
As usual, trophy organizers greatly appreciate early registration.
Thanks for signing up,
GW

Provisional results are posted; congratulations to the winners and thanks to all skippers and crew participating in an exciting and challenging offshore race!

http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=6591

GW

I assume all racers (in particular the spin crews) have by now recovered from a demanding overnight race.
Reminder: Social event with steak dinner, baked potato and salad tomorrow (Monday) evening, 6:00 PM at Lakewood.
Hopefully, we can see some kattack action on the screen.
50 th Anniversary TORC gear will be available for custom orders.
GW

Pictures of this rig and of the Buccaneer rig will be attached to the SI.

This year's Heald Bank race will follow the traditional design of a 90 NM equilateral triangle for spinnaker boats and a 60 NM course around a single offshore mark (rig) for non-spin boats.
However, there will be a few modifications:
1. Off shore marks:
Sechi - a rig, which we had used for several years went awol last year. I found a large rig nearby on the Heald Bank last September with the following approximate coordinates: N 29 08.030; W 94 11.725;
We will use this rig (or its coordinates) as one of our two offshore marks.
The second mark remains the Buccaneer rig at N 28 53.621; W 94 42.227;
As usual, the SI will state that these coordinates shall be rounded in case of a missing mark.
2. Start time:
In order to increase the chance to round the first offshore mark in day light, we will move up the start time to 13:00 hrs for spin boats and to 13:30 for non spin boats.
3. Trophies:
As usual, there will be take home trophies awarded at the Shoe Regatta ceremony.
Also, the perpetual "Old Winch Trophy" will be awarded to the fastest Spin Boat and the perpetual "Navigator's Trophy" will be handed to the fastest Non-Spin Boat.
PHRF Spin Boats, who enter the Heald BankRegatta as well as the HYC Offshore Race and GBCA Texas Race Week, will be eligible to win the TORC Texas Navy Cup. (Please see Walter Caldwell's post regarding scoring for this prestigious award.)
Boats entering all three regattas in the PHRF Non-Spin class will be eligible to compete for the Samuel Rhoads Fisher Trophy, sponsored by HYC. (Please read Bill van Ravenswaay's post.)
4. Social events:
There will be the opportunity to tell lies - sorry, to exchange factual offshore race experiences - during the traditional LYC Monday Night Grill on the Monday, following the race, i.e April 22. The Skipper's wrist band can be traded in for a strip steak with baked potato and salad. Additional dinner tickets and drink tickets will be available for crew. (We will ask skippers at the skippers' meeting to give us a head count to facilitate planning for our kitchen staff.) Alternatively, the wrist bands can be traded in at the Shoe party.
Thanks to everybody, who has already signed up and to those who will do so shortly.
GW

Pioneering work, Jody and excellent race organization, Chris!
A few observations from the finish line:
Kite boarding gentlemen (and ladies) don't go to weather, however, they may cross the finish line airborne.
They may crash shortly before the finish and the kite may finish three minutes before the rest of the assembly, i.e. board and rider.
In 20 knots of wind good riders will complete a two mile downwind slalom course in about six minutes - doing 20 knots through water and air.
However, if a rider looses his board and approaches the finish with kite only, he is making about 0.2 knots through the water and the race may last about as long as an icicle race.
Racers wore number tags, which were mostly washed off in 20 to 25 knots of wind.
Here's how Kevin and I scored them:
First finisher: "Green Pants"
Second: "Grey Suit"
Third: "Orange Kite" etc.
Special thanks to Kevin for heavy duty anchor yanking and for spotting and retrieving a lost kite board.
Gerhard Wittich