2013 Heald Bank Race

[DwightB]

The Notice Of Race for the 2013 Heald Bank Offshore Race (April 20-21) has been posted on Regatta Network.

NOR: https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/regatta_uploads/6591/CHealdBankNOR2013.pdf

Register here: https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_registration_form.php?regatta_id=6591

View Registrants: http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_registrant_list.php?regatta_id=6591&custom_report_id=2

Online Crew Waivers: https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_registration_form.php?regatta_id=6590

View Crew Waivers: http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_registrant_list.php?regatta_id=6590&custom_report_id=70

[gwittich]

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

[Bee]

This is the mark that Stinger almost went to last year.  We kept heading up to it until we figure out that we were 90 off the old Sechi.  If I remember right it looks very similar to the old Sechi.  Its also yellow but a bit larger.  I did not take a real close look but I think its a production platform and not a tie back.  Wish I had taken a picture.

[gwittich]

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

[Bee]

I set up a Kattack feed for this race.  I will give out the feed name and password at the skippers meeting on Friday 19th.  To use this you will need either an iPhone or an Android smartphone with the Kattack app.  You will also need to find a way to put the phone on a charger to keep it running for the entire race.  I have experimented with my iPhone and find that on the 105 it works fine in the slot above the chart table.  We use a cigarette lighter type charger to keep it going.  For this race, I will be using my iPad instead of the iPhone.  From my experience the iPad works better then the phone. If you decide to do this, remember to run the app (I am very guilty of forgetting this crucial step) at the start.

The difference between this and SPOT (which I will also be using) is that the Kattack app as set up samples data at 50 seconds instead of 10 minutes.  After the race I will publish it online so all can see who did what.

[Andrea]

As Gerhard promised, there is a picture of the new rig in the Sailing Instructions
https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/regatta_uploads/6591/healdbankSI2013FINAL.pdf

[ChrisK]

Looks like a nice weekend for offshore. Plus a meteor show...

http://earthsky.org/tonight/lyrid-meteors-increase-while-moon-waxes-throughout-weekend

[gwittich]

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

[gwittich]

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

[Andrea]

A Seabrook woman is embroidering TORC 50th Anniversary apparel for us and we are selling it at our cost.  She has a variety of nice polos, jackets, and fleece items to choose from for custom embroidery.  If you are doing any of the three TORC events (including the HYC Offshore and GBCA Race Week) you can get these items direct from her.  She can add your boat name if you want to make it a crew shirt.  If any one is interested, and if it does not violate posting rules, I can post a link to her website, and you can get a quote direct from her.  Otherwise, send me a message and I can put you in touch with her. 

[Bee]

Kattack did not work.  A few of you showed up for a lttle while and then dropped out.  Nothing for anyone after about 3 PM.  Did not get much out of the jetties as well. 

Sorry but this kind of kills the Kattack idea as far as I am concerned.  The iPhone and iPad app are just too unstable for this kind of use.  One would need a phone directly hooked to a GPS to make this stable.

Sorry.

[Bee]

I have been running my Kattack off and on most of the day.  I am getting some really weird stuff.

I get something that says bad time stamp, something that says weak signal, and then no location information
as all.  Do we have a satellite problem?  I have actually never seen anything like this on my iPhone.

[Christopher]

I have been running my Kattack off and on most of the day.  I am getting some really weird stuff.

I get something that says bad time stamp, something that says weak signal, and then no location information
as all.  Do we have a satellite problem?  I have actually never seen anything like this on my iPhone.

I was seeing the same on my iPhone when we did the setup at LYC Heald Bank skippers meeting.  And again through out the race, even though it did give me a track plot of our course.  Am still seeing it now.

But when I switch boats, which is on a different race feed (J105 from the rum races last year), Status is OK.  None of the above mentioned error messages.

Is it something in the race feed setup?

[Bee]

I got it on the J105 Feed as well.

[Bee]

I should point out that my iPad, with a couple exceptions, took us around the course without much difficulty.  Could not have been a GPS issue.
The iPad was also running the Kattack app so I have no explanation for why this took place.