GBCA Discussion Forum

New GBCA clubhouse?

 

Quote from: Bee on August 08, 2016, 08:32:44 PM
That could be a deal.

I do have a couple of mains that are still in reasonable condition. One is a 2012 UK that got me a 3rd in one of this year's Rum Races.  The other is a 2013 that I used to win all the Offshore races and the Texas Navy Trophy.  I would want something for those.

Maybe you should donate those to a museum!

Quote from: USA74 on July 25, 2016, 11:39:27 AM
If this is true, I believe it's a poor (and unfair) decision, and I strongly urge it to be reconsidered. A pursuit race is based on the assumption that each boat has a representative and competitive rating, and if each boat (and its sails) were in equal condition and sailed a perfect and unobstructed race, they would all hit the finish line at the same time. Of course this is never the case, because no rating system is perfect and sailing conditions change over the course of a pursuit race, which might favor earlier starters over late starters one day and vice-versa another day.

All that being said, by removing the luffing restriction, than means that each and every slower boat has the opportunity to unfairly impede the fair competition of lower rated boats that may a) be in better condition, b) have made wiser strategic decisions, c) have better crew, or d) have "won the coin toss" and benefitted from preferable conditions on that particular race.

Further, luffing between dissimilar boats can be dangerous. What happens when an asymmetrical boat running a reaching kite decides to luff a boat carrying a symmetrical spinnaker? The symmetrical spinnaker boat broaches!

Was it unfair when a faster boat rolled a slower boat to weather (outside 2 boat lengths of course!), and the slower boat had to sail in dirty air or alter course while the faster boat sailed on unobstructed? 

In mixed fleets that start together (non-pursuit), rarely do the "slower" boats get to choose which way to go in order to sail in clear air. The faster boats influence the course of the slower boats shortly after the start.  Opposite is true for a pursuit race. Seems fair to me.

And I'm sure you are not suggesting that a faster rated boat is likely in better condition, makes better decisions, and has better crew than a slower rated boat. 

Videos of the June 8 races:
Race 1
Race 2
Race 3

Reminder that the J22s will be racing to Cabo again today!

Videos of last month's close and exciting action (well, close anyway), courtesy of Scott Lacy:
Race 1
Race 2
Race 3

No, it's not exactly a race to Cabo San Lucas or Mexico, but maybe just as fun.

J22 Fleet 6 (Galveston Bay) and Cabo Bar and Grill are hosting J/22 races on Clear Lake on the bye-weeks of the CLRA Wednesday Night races (May 4, June 8, July 13, August 17, and September 21). 
The plan is to do two or more windward/leeward races with the last leg of each race finishing just off the pier at Cabo.  The Wednesday specials at Cabo are $5 burgers and $3 you-call-its!  Race participants will be eligible for Cabo random prize gift certificates to be redeemed the same night.

So get on a J22, or come out to Cabo to watch!  Racing starts promptly at 6:15pm.

For the Sailing Instructions and more Fleet 6 info, visit j22fleet6texas.com.
See you there!

Get a Southwest ticket to Chicago, Oakland, or San Diego and take the U.S. Sailing Safety At Sea with the hands-on practice. Highly recommend.
http://www.ussailing.org/education/safety-at-sea/find-a-seminar-near-you/

Quote from: Charles on February 18, 2016, 09:01:33 PM
The GBCA board and Race Captain are just trying to do what we are hearing that the racers want.  We have been told that the aftermarket sprit boats  think they can't compete with a factory sprit boat, so we have been experimenting with the split fleet to see if participation increases.  Also, we have had better participation overall when we offer distance courses to everyone.  Maybe everyone is getting old.  If anyone has suggestions on how to make our races better, please come to a board meeting with your ideas.  We meet the third Tuesday of ever month ;at 7:00PM.
Charles
GBCA Vice Commodore

Where were those "aftermarket sprit" boats for the Icicle series? Maximum participation of 3 boats in ONE race out of five?  And I doubt any of those three would have minded at all if they were able to race in a class that included more boats.  I would say that experiment has run its course.

Jeff,
A lot of local regattas have been making use of the US Sailing prescriptions Appendix T for the last couple of years (but you probably know that!):

SECTION A
PENALTIES WHILE RACING
If Section A applies, rule T1 shall be included in the sailing
instructions.
T1 PENALTIES AT THE TIME OF THE INCIDENT
The first two sentences of rule 44.1 are changed to: 'A boat may take a
One-Turn Penalty when she may have broken a rule of Part 2 or rule 31
while racing. However, when she may have broken a rule of Part 2
while in the zone around a mark other than a starting mark, her penalty
shall be a Two-Turns Penalty.'

http://www.ussailing.org/wp-content/uploads/DARoot/Race%20Admin/Racing%20Rules/Documents/2013-2016.US.Sailing.Prescriptions.rev.06.24.14.pdf

Despite the "Cruising" in its name, GBCA is more about racing sailboats, and day racing at that.  Years ago the cruising interests split off and formed the Texas Mariners Cruising Association.  They do a lot of overnight excursions, etc.  Great folks.
Check them out  at http://www.texasmariners.com/

The perception from another boat can be deceiving. For example, as we were motoring in from H in race 4, it appeared to me that Stinger jibed and crossed between us and #2 after the race ended at 1500. But apparently she finished in time because she was scored as 5th place.

From the current SIs (bold added by me):

• Spinnaker Factory Sprit class – Any boat designed and built by the Original Manufacturer with a bowsprit (fixed or movable) and carries an asymmetrical spinnaker. This handicap will be assigned by PHRF-GB.
• Spinnaker Aftermarket Sprit class – Any boat not originally designed and built by the original manufacturer to have a bowsprit, but that has subsequently had a permanent bowsprit of any length affixed to the boat added to carry a spinnaker, either of symmetrical or asymmetrical cut. This handicap will be assigned by PHRF-GB.
• Spinnaker Non-Sprit class – Any boat that carries a symmetrical or an asymmetrical spinnaker, and that uses a spinnaker pole, and does not have a fixed sprit of any kind. This handicap will be assigned by PHRF-GB.

What about us boats that want to fly a spinnaker with neither sprit nor pole?  Do we need our own class too?   
Or boats with an aftermarket sprit that is not permanently affixed?

Andrea,
Maybe you should consider another class just for Bee, the Bacardi Ocho class.
According to Bacardi the Ocho rum is "...one of the oldest private rum blends in the world." 
And Bee is one of the oldest J105 skippers in the world.

Quote from: svShearwater on August 07, 2015, 11:30:00 AM
Walter, you registered for PHRF Spin.  Why that class and not PHRF Heavy?

Justin,
Per the NOR:
3.11 Sport Boats, as defined by PHRF-GB, shall compete in the Sport Boat "Bacardi Superior" division only. PHRF Spinnaker boats with displacement-to-length ratios over 325 shall compete in the Heavy Displacement "Bacardi Oak Heart" division only; other PHRF Spinnaker boats with displacement-to-length ratios between 300 and 325 may race in the Heavy Displacement division at the discretion of the Race Committee.

I didn't see the definition of "displacement-to-length ratio" in the NOR, but used the calculator link elsewhere on the website. The calculator uses the following:

Formula Disp/WL Ratio=(Disp/2240)/((LWL * 0.01)cubed)

Using that formula the calculator determines the J/40 is a "moderate cruiser" which sounds about right. The J105 would be a "performance cruiser".