[Public-List] Raced again last night...

Mon Jun 12 06:57:45 PDT 2017

I have always found it is better to *not* inform visitors that they are
breaking local etiquette - unless there is a real chance of harm or outcry.

It is not because things are difficult that we dare not venture. It is
because we dare not venture that they are difficult - Seneca.

Dominic Amann
M 416-270-4587

On 8 June 2017 at 12:23, Gordon Laco via Public-List <
public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

> Yes, it's an international class.  We've got French and German sailors
> arriving.
>
> I did hear what comment our guy took exception to; but he played his part
> in this by taking offence.  He's normally a pretty level headed fellow.
>
> I'll know more tonight.  The whole thing is very unfortunate.
>
> G
>
> On 2017-06-08, at 11:03 AM, Michael Connolly <crufone at comcast.net> wrote:
>
> > Oh Gosh,
> > So the ugly American raises it's nasty head.  5.5 is an International
> class, yes?  Shame on those who would snub their hosts at a Regatta. As
> guests they might better eat some humble pie.
> > Michael
> >
> >
> > From: "Gordon Laco via Public-List" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
> > To: "George Dinwiddie via Public-List" <public-list at lists.alberg30.org>
> > Sent: Thursday, June 8, 2017 10:48:21 AM
> > Subject: [Public-List] Raced again last night...
> >
> > Hello Gang…
> >
> >
> >
> > Surprise was out last night… for a while it was iffy due to crew issues…
> Steve had the effrontery to put a family obligation ahead of yacht racing,
> and Clint managed to injure himself (his wife pointed out ‘if you can’t go
> to work, you certainly can’t go sailing!’).   Both my sons live out of town
> now, so it looked like I’d wash out due to lack of hands on board.
>  Luckily my elder son Pete stepped up and out we went double handed.
> >
> >
> >
> > Wolfing down our submarine sandwiches (do you folks have those in the
> States?) we shot out of the club doing a cool 8.4 knots making hardly a
> ripple on the water (the knotmeter head is not replaced yet)   Out on the
> course we saw 21 boats, including a couple new B Fleet competitors for us
> to race with in addition to the usual Shark vermin and MAID MARION our arch
> rival… wonderful.
> >
> >
> >
> > To let Pete finish his supper, we jogged along under the main before the
> start.  I commented to Pete that single sail sailing was very nice and
> relaxing… and best of all, I didn’t really need any crew at all… only one
> string to pull… no crew issues….  He snorted “OK, I’ll leave.”
> >
> >
> >
> > Ten minutes before the start we uncorked the genny and started paying
> attention.  The line was rather short, which always makes for tension, and
> the air was a nice steady north westerly 8-10 knots.  Oh if only it had
> kept blowing!
> >
> >
> >
> > SURPRISE made a perfect start – clear air, not barging anyone for a
> change, nobody near us… hey… we’re EARLY!  DAMN.  So there we were 15
> seconds early… we ended up running the line then shooting up on the horn…
> still clear air but no longer on the favoured end of the line.
> >
> >
> >
> > We tacked onto port and crossed through the middle of the fleet (quite
> exciting) getting over some, ducking sterns of others…  tacked on the lay
> line and made our shot for the pin.   No dice… headed badly and ended up
> tacking again but got around right on MAID MARION’s tail, and with
> jabbering jostling Sharks all around.  The new boat whose name I forget was
> close behind us, and the other, same type of MAID MARION, didn’t make it to
> the start.  Instead, they chose to cross the starting fleet on the course
> side of the start line, on port tack, fender down on one side, while the
> fleet shouted and dodged around them.   Something tells me they’re not
> experienced racers…
> >
> >
> >
> > So, now we’re around the mark on the first run back down… this time the
> committee gave us the much despised ‘sausage’ course… start/finish sort of
> in the middle with turning marks directly to windward and to leeward.  Why
> can’t we just use the proper triangle?
> >
> >
> >
> > Because there were just two of us, we didn’t pop the chute… we could
> have but didn’t.  It was too relaxed an evening a guess, and we were well
> up so didn’t have any impetus to bestire ourselves I guess.
> >
> >
> >
> > Round the leeward pin… up we come climbing on the second beat.  Hurray
> we’re gaining on MAID MARION nicely… but the new boat is coming up astern.
> Hmmm.  Got headed again near the pin and while in the process of making our
> short tack up to the lay line, we were nicely on Starboard tack and here
> comes the leaders of A fleet, who had started five minutes behind us and
> were just catching up.  EXPRESSION is coming on port, we hollered
> ‘starboard’ but they didn’t tack till they were in position to savagely
> lee-bow us…  damn.  Then, here comes the new boat in our fleet, which for
> no known reason decides to tack onto port right in the way of one of the
> 5.5mtr class yachts that joined A Fleet as a warm up for the big North
> Americans our club is hosting on the weekend (more about that later).
> >
> >
> >
> > To make a long story short, picture five boats including us all jostling
> and luffing up trying to avoid each other and get around the mark which is
> now only a few boat lengths away…  we had to do three tacks we hadn’t
> counted on but got around at last.  And Maid Marion?  She got away ahead of
> the shmozzle and we were never hear her again.
> >
> >
> >
> > Away on the run… the air extremely light now and much to my satisfaction
> we kept right up with a pair of 5.5’s.  I think our great weight was
> helping us glide when there was no apparent wind.  Anyway, we rounded the
> leeward pin in close company with them.
> >
> >
> >
> > The air came back 180 degrees from what carried us down, and we found
> ourselves reaching up to the finish, which should have been a beat, at over
> 7 knots (well that’s what the knotmeter said, more like 3 I’d say)
> >
> >
> >
> > Back at the club we had the usual beer in the cockpit, and were treated
> to a visit from the huge beaver that is living in the harbour this summer.
> It’s certainly the largest beaver I’ve ever seen… looks like a wet brown
> carpet sliding through the water.
> >
> >
> >
> > That was the end of the fun.   An incident developed.  Here’s what
> happened.
> >
> >
> >
> > There are a couple of American 5.5’s here for the Regatta, and they have
> US stars and stripe flags on their sterns.   One of our members, in the
> course of chatting with one of the visitors, suggested that if they’re
> flying their national flag, as visitors they should fly Canadian courtesy
> flags.  This is true of course, but 5.5’s being racing boats don’t have
> such halyards…it’s not easy for such a boat to fly a courtesy flag…and  all
> would have been well but the visitor made a retort about Canada which our
> member took exception to.   He responded saying “if you’re not going to fly
> a courtesy flag, take that Trump flag down now’.   You can imagine that
> wasn’t received well.
> >
> >
> >
> > So now, the next morning, there are hurried conversations happening to
> make peace between the visitors and our members.  I’ll tell you how it
> turns out.
> >
> >
> >
> > Gord #426 Surprise
> >
> >
> >
> >
> >
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