GBCA Discussion Forum

I thought since Selah keeps posting links to videos using photos taken from "Sunspot Baby", I would share the link to a YouTube I made with clips and photos taken from "Sunspot Baby" during the Chili Chase Regatta. Lots of close action with "Bad Girl".https://youtu.be/znvmaahSflQ

There isn't separate spinnaker and non spinnaker club classes in the registration. Will Cruising Club class be able to use spinnakers?

Need crew for the Sailing Angels Regatta this Saturday and for the Icicle Races coming up in January. Club spinnaker class, Hunter 340. Also race in the WYC Peanut Regattas when there's not a GBCA race. Send me an email if interested btnick34@gmail.com.

Quote from: STuma on May 16, 2019, 05:09:03 PM
Boats that are going to race in the Club Handicap Spinnaker class will restart their rating with an assumed PHRF rating.

If we decide to race in the Club Handicap Spinnaker class, how do we get this assumed PHRF rating so we know what our start time on Saturday will be?

A couple more items for the discussion:
I know of at least one boat in the cruising class that races with both a poled symmetrical and a sprit asymm, might think about calling it cruising class spin and let them use either or both.
Aftermarket sprit seems like a good way to distinguish the class, might need to limit length, and maybe put a bottom rating on the class like 120 or so.
We'll have to get rated to our largest spinnaker and maintain a certificate.
Cruising club is not just a learning class, it's also for sailors who may not have the means or time to have newer sails, bottom cleaning, and other things that go into consistantly winning races, or they're just a little more casual about it. There may be a lot more of these casual racers wanting to stay in the class, than learners ready to take off the "training wheels". I would hate to dilute a fun class that has great turnout and add another class that can only turn out three or four boats. Maybe we need to take a poll to see how many would race in the new class?

Bill T.

For me, it's not about "training wheels" coming off. I have a 20 year old production sailboat. I found the GBCA a few years ago and really enjoy the races. But, a lot of the fun is in racing against other Hunters, Catalinas, Beneteaus and boats like mine, and those boats are all in the cruising class. Marty and I and others in the class have a-sails and symmetricals that are a lot of fun to race with when we can fly them. If I switched to the sprit class, my boat would be racing against J-109's and J-120's and such. If I switched to the bow class, I would hardly ever get to fly my a-sail being limited to very narrow range with a small foretriangle and large main on my boat that blankets an a-sail without a sprit.
We can't create a class for every boat's situation. Maybe two a-sail classes based on sprit length and sa/d, instead of a-sail sprit and bow classes, but math and rum might not mix well. I hope y'all can figure something out. In the mean time, I'm having a great time racing against the other Hunters and Catalinas in the cruising class.

Bill T

More race 5 video:
https://youtu.be/nEO44gQYlhQ

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133077067@N03/albums/72157701900239635

More photos of RR8:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/133077067@N03/albums/72157699808178381

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133077067@N03/albums/72157672698910798

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133077067@N03/albums/72157696928498162

https://www.flickr.com/photos/133077067@N03/albums/72157699588563725

Link to photos taken from our boat during Rum Race 4. Great work by Bridget taking photos during the race.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/133077067@N03/albums/72157699084621305

Link to photos taken from our boat during Rum Race 1:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/133077067@N03/albums/72157696996107354
Thanks to Scott for running the camera during the race.

Great photos John, thanks for posting. Is there a way to get copies?