ATKINS” HOSPITALITY REGATTA TOMORROW

IMG_2829Last year’s winner (Jonathan Gorbold) will be racing to defend his title as Across the Lake Champion for the third straight year tomorrow ( Saturday July 6th). Entries need not register but do need to be at the starting line precisely at 1:30 PM.  As it stands right now the weather is for winds out of the west at 5 to 6 knots by 2pm and a slight chance of thunder storms late in the afternoon.  We will take the advise of our race committee if it looks like storms could erupt during our race and if cancelled we will simply move all racing to Maggie’s home for elimination portion of the regatta.

Bring a fast boat and extra batteries if you feel you will need them.  Awards will be handed out at the completion of the regatta and before the wonderful hospitality of the Atkins is spread amongst us.

See you on the water!!!!!!!!!

Posted in RC Laser Fleet 14 | Comments Off on ATKINS” HOSPITALITY REGATTA TOMORROW

1 WEEK TILL ATKIN’S HOSPITALITY REGATTA

Admiral Nelson's chase boat

Admiral Nelson’s chase boat

Final plans are being made for the Atkins’ Hospitality Regatta which will be held Saturday July 6th.

Rain or shine whether there is racing or not the Atkins’ are committed to hosting us.

If conditions are right for racing, the start line will be the south dock at CYC and the finish line will be 2.5 miles south east  at 4314 Deep Run Canandaigua, NY 14424 (Maggie & Neil’s home).  This is just off of East Lake Rd.

The race will begin promptly at 1:30 PM off the south dock at CYC.  A starting line will be set and the start may be upwind or down depending on the wind direction that day.  I will make every effort to acquire a chase boat if you are planning on racing across the lake.  I will also arrange transportation before or after racing to pick up our vehicles.  I suggest that you either leave your vehicle at CYC or at Deep Run park before racing begins.

If you do not race across you can still enter the elimination rounds of racing at Maggie and Neil’s home.  As long as you win in the elimination rounds you keep racing to improve your position.  Once you are eliminated or declared the winner it will be time to sit back and enjoy the hospitality of Maggie and Neil.  They always do a superb job at entertaining and feeding this group.

I do ask that you please  RSVP (Yes or No) Maggie at matkins@frontiernet.net or Admiral Nelson at eal@onecommail.com (cell phone 585-201-0515)so that we may know how many to expect.

If you are planning on attending and would like to contribute by bringing an appetizer or desert please inform Maggie at (585) 396-9973 or matkins@frontiernet.net to help coordinate her efforts.

“OTHER NEWS”   I have adjusted and updated our calendar for racing times on Sunday afternoons by 30 minutes to allow for the afternoon Sharks, cruisers, and J boats to get off the water.  The new time will be 4:30PM – 6:30PM thru October 6th.  I hope that this change does not cause any problems for anyone.

 

Posted in RC Laser Fleet 14 | Comments Off on 1 WEEK TILL ATKIN’S HOSPITALITY REGATTA

The Atkins Hospitality Elimination Regatta And Party

Saturday, July 6th, Maggie & Neil Atkins will be hosting their annual Hospitality Elimination Regatta which will include a great meal and drinks for all.  The address is 4314 Deep Run Canandaigua, NY 14424.  This is just off of East Lake Rd.

The race will begin promptly at 1:30 off the south dock at CYC.  A starting line will be set and the start may be upwind or down depending on the wind direction that day.

There is no participation fee for this regatta, but please RSVP Maggie at matkins@frontiernet.net or

Admiral Nelson at eal@onecommail.com so that we may know how many to expect.

 

 

If you are planning on attending and would like to contribute by bringing an appetizer or desert please inform Maggie at (585) 396-9973 or matkins@frontiernet.net to help coordinate her efforts.

This year’s format has been changed from previous years to an elimination series format.  Here’s how it works:

 

Rules:

  • You are required to have a chase boat to follow your RC across the lake.  If you do not have one we will make every effort to find one or ask that you team up with another chase boat.
  • A finish line will be set somewhere close to the Atkin’s dock which you will be required to pass through in order to finish the race across the lake.
  • Racing from CYC to Maggie & Neils home will determine your seeding  ( 1,2,3,4,etc) .  If you do not race across, but bring your boat by car to their home, you will be seeded at the bottom and will have to earn your way to the top.  Those that do not race across the lake will be grouped in the lowest seed and will race with 50% moving on to the next elimination round.  This will continue until only one remains who will then race against the lowest seed of those that did race across the lake. The winner will progress to the next seed until a winner is determined.
  • A course will be set to the approval of this year’s race  committee ( Keith Calkins and Sue Bennett ) and a race will consist of a minimum of 4 legs (2 laps).
  • If you have been awarded a handicap in our regular series racing you may continue to use it.  If you have not been awarded a handicap you may not petition for one.
  • Racing will end by completing the elimination races or when the hosts ( Maggie & Neil ) determine it is time for all of us to leave.  If all the elimination races have not been completed at that time the order of finish will be whatever your seeding was at the time races were cancelled.
  • The very coveted 1st, 2nd, and 3rd (gold, silver, Bronze)place awards will be presented to those who will have earned their place in history.
  • 1st 2nd 3rd

    1st 2nd 3rd

    These races will not be included in the overall high point series but it would be a shame not to participate…

    THAT'S ALL FOLKS

    THAT’S ALL FOLKS

     

Posted in RC Laser Fleet 14 | Comments Off on The Atkins Hospitality Elimination Regatta And Party

Summer Series Starts This Sunday

Last week concluded our spring series of racing .  The order of finish for Jefferson Cups was:

  • First: Jonathan Gorbold
  • Second: Jay Niggli
  • Third: Nelson Habecker

Awards for the Spring Series will be handed out on October 19th (Sailors Night) at CYC.

For the complete order of finish and scores – click on  Results.

Sunday, June 9th, we will begin an 8 week summer series which will take place at CYC south dock.  Starting time is scheduled to be 4PM rain or shine.

“The way I see it is that everyone is now tied for first and you are going to have to sail well to take that spot away from me.” The Admiral!!!!crystalheadaward

 

Posted in RC Laser Fleet 14 | Comments Off on Summer Series Starts This Sunday

SQUAW ISLAND RACE NECCESITATES RULE CHANGE

IMG_1667Winds were out of the north at 18 to 23 knots, it was chilly and cloudy most of the day. Once out on the lake there were white caps and puffs you could see coming 500 yards away. Just perfect for a 2 mile RC race.  We cancelled the idea of Jay using his canoe and Anne refused to kayak me behind her so it was decided that pairing up would be the best solution. I could hear the girls whispering on the other side of a J-24 that the winds were strong and they thought they would do better if the girls were all in one boat. (Something about not having to “put up with the guys”). And so the stage was set:

Girls would use Jack’s boat driven by Leslie Bennett. On board would be Maggie and Terry sailing with Anne on board to coach.

The guys would be Jonathan and Jay driven by Anna in Sue Raymond’s boat, Dick Hallagan in one of our club crash boats driven by John Wright, and Neil and myself in the other crash boat driven by Mike Weber.

Girls were off to a fast start and maintained their lead- Halfway through the race Coach Anne called for Female “F-O-C-U-S” as the men were in sight.

 

IMG_1665Maggie rounded the island mark first–which was no easy task– Wind Conditions were strong and swirling– forcing more jibes than tacks.

Jay was next to the mark-but he got hung up with the winds.

IMG_1666Terry managed to edge out Jay and round the mark 2nd.

Maggie was way ahead down the stretch-so far ahead of her crash boat it was hard to tell her point of sail–but she kept sailing!

Next sighting was Jay on the west coast — enjoying a more controlled and fast  inland sail- So It was Maggie & Jay and then Jay & Maggie  as they approached the south dock around the mooring field. Other boats were quickly catching up as they approached the finish of the race.

IMG_1663The Finish causes change in rules- The outcome may have been different if the boats didn’t have to come out of the water-

1. Surely Terry would have been Dry

2. Jack’s Boat would have fewer dings.

3. And Maggie with her competitive racing skills and being the lady she is would not have had to give way to anyone.

Therefore Next year’s rule change will be that boats must cross start line to finish-and need not come out of the water.

You just can’t put 2 chase boats in the same spot- and that was the closeness of this Race– It was a Splashy- Photo- Finish!

Squaw Island Video  This video is rated PG.  I can’t believe that there was no adult language.

The official order of finish was:

First Place All The Roses plus $20

First Place
All The Roses plus $20

1. Jay Niggli in 1 hour and 20 minutes

 

 

Second Place $10

Second Place $10

2. Jonathan Gorbold 1 hour and 21 minutes

 

 

Third Place $3 each

Third Place $3 each

3. Scored a tie between Maggie Atkins and Terry Schmidt 1 hour 21minutes and a little

IMG_1664After watching the video our race director determined that while both boats were at the dock together he was not sure if any rules were broken by Terry going into the water to retrieve her boat instead of retrieving boat in the expected manner ie: using a lifter.

5. Dick Hallagan

6. Neil Atkins

7. Nelson Habecker (myself ) The way I see it is that if I am in the top 7 there probably wasn’t 8 boats.

We then dried ourselves off and retired to the pavilion for an afternoon cookout.  Due to the speed of the race Jack Bennett who was to bring the potato salad to go with the Hots and Hamburgs arrived at 4:30 .  Just in time for the awards.

2013 Squaw Island Photo Gallery

 

Posted in RC Laser Fleet 14 | Comments Off on SQUAW ISLAND RACE NECCESITATES RULE CHANGE

SPIDER WEBS NOT AN ISSUE

spider webTracy Blevins wins (2) and Bill wins (1) after toting their RC’s up from Virginia and dusting off the spider webs.  It is obvious that neither of them have lost their touch. We got off (8) races in two hours with 14 RC’s participating and neither of them finished in double digits all day.  It just goes to show you we a courteous bunch and will give a little extra room at the start and the marks for visitors. (Maybe not)

There will be no RC Racing this coming Sunday.  Instead we will be hosting our annual Squaw Island Regatta at CYC.  The entry fee is $15 and can be paid at the dock after 1pm. Skippers meeting at 1:45 and a 2pm start.

Please check your batteries before you enter the water.  There is nothing worse than being miles from the nearest battery pack in a race.

Current Entries are:

  • Jonathan Gorbold (defending champion)
  • Jay Niggli (almost defending champion)
  • Nelson Habecker (yet to finish this damn race)
  • Neal Atkins
  • Maggie Atkins
  • Terry Schmidt
  • Anne Lambert

Don’t forget that Sunday June 2nd will be the final races of the spring meet.  As it stands right now Jonathan Gorbold has a 10 point lead over Jay Niggli for the 1st and 2nd spot but it is much closer for 3rd, and a Jefferson Cup award on sailors night, between Bill Schmidt who has a 2 point lead over Nelson Habecker who has just a 6 point lead over Terry Schmidt.  It should make for very good racing and strong language so don’t miss it.

See you this Saturday for the Squaw Island Regatta and Cookout which follows.

For complete racing results click here

Posted in RC Laser Fleet 14 | Comments Off on SPIDER WEBS NOT AN ISSUE

3rd Annual 2013 Squaw Island Offshore Race & Cookout

Why not kick off the Memorial Day weekend with the RC Laser fleet by coming out to sail in the 3rd Annual Squaw Island Offshore Race this weekend?

This 2-mile race requires skippers to sail their radio controlled sailboat up the lake to a mark at Squaw Island and then back to a finish line at the club. It was one of the more fun but challenging sailing events we have held the past two years.

Registration can be done online or can be handled Saturday starting at 1pm at the concrete dock on the CYC waterfront. Skippers will need to figure out their mode of transportation on the water to follow their boats up the course and back. We are getting close to the event, so if you need a ride and don’t have one, please let us know asap and we’ll do our best to find you a chauffeur.

If you have a powerboat and would be willing to take spectators or skippers for a ride on Saturday afternoon, please show up at 1:30 to be paired with a sailor.

Our Race Director, Keith Calkins (who thought we were crazy last year but has learned we are actually crazy every year) will hold a skipper’s meeting at 1:45 pm.

Racing will begin shortly thereafter with an on-the-water start this year with a line set somewhere in the vicinity of the south end of the mooring field. We’ll attempt to have a start line set so that we have a windward start and so that onlookers from shore will get a good view. The finish line will again be at the concrete dock area.

We will have a cookout following the race. The fleet will provide meat and rolls but you can bring beverages, sides, salads or deserts to share. We should be finished in plenty of time to allow CYC members wishing to attend the wine tasting at the clubhouse later in the evening to make it there on time.

Prizes for this year’s race will be:

First Place:

Your Own Roses

Plustwenty dollar bill

Second Place:ten dollar bill

Third Place:five dollar bill

Big bucks are at stake       So don’t miss it

 

Posted in RC Laser Fleet 14 | Comments Off on 3rd Annual 2013 Squaw Island Offshore Race & Cookout

Sailing Instructions: 2013 Squaw Island Offshore Race

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Canandaigua, New York RC Laser Fleet 14

3rd Annual Squaw Island Race

May 25, 2013

Rules: The regatta shall be governed by the rules as defined in the current Racing Rules of Sailing, as amended by Appendix E for RC sailing, prescriptions of US Sailing, class rules of the RC Laser Class of North America and further Sailing Instructions as mandated by the Race Director (RD) who also has the authority during the course of the event to make changes which will be announced to the competitors.

Eligibility: The regatta is open to all RC Lasers conforming to RC Laser Class Rules.

Entry: Eligible boats may be entered by submitting the online Entry Form prior to the start on May 25, 2013, with an entry fee of $15.00 per boat.

Location: Canandaigua Yacht Club (CYC), 3524 West Lake Road, Canandaigua, NY 14424

Race Course: The RD will announce the course at the skippers meeting. The Turn Mark will be Squaw Island and RC Lasers will keep the island to port as they round. The race will be from CYC to Squaw Island, around the turn mark, leaving it to port, and then back to CYC.

Start: The south concrete dock will be designated as the finishing dock. The starting line will be two markers set just offshore from the south concrete dock and will be pointed out clearly at the Skipper’s Meeting. This changes Rule E3.7. A two-minute audible countdown sequence will be used and the goal is to begin the race promptly at 2 PM.

Finish: A boat is considered to have finished when the skipper retrieves it from the water from the finishing dock after successfully navigating the entire course.

Time Limit: The time limit will be 4 hours.  If the first boat has not finished within 4 hours of the start, the race will be abandoned and the party will begin. If a boat does finish within the time limit, all others will be allowed to finish but the party will still begin at 6 PM.

Shortened Course: After the starting signal the course may be shortened with 2 sounds or abandoned with 3 sounds without displaying flags. This changes Rule 32.

Sail Changes: Sails may not be changed during the race.

Outside Help: Rule E5.6 will not apply.

Launching and Re-launching: “Rule 45 is changed to (a) Boats scheduled to race in a heat may be launched, taken ashore or re-launched at any time during the race except between the preparatory and starting signals. (b) While ashore or at the water’s edge or on a chase boat, boats may be adjusted, drained of water or repaired; have entangled objects removed; or have batteries changed.” This changes E4.4. Also see “Chase Boat Rules” below.

Radio Communications: VHF radios are not required and will not be used to communicate changes to the sailing instructions. The RD will monitor VHF channel 9 as well as mobile phone number #585-729-6779.

Protests: It is the responsibility of a right-of-way (ROW) skipper to call a protest against a fouling boat. Please solve your disputes on the water. If there is a remaining protest after the race, see the RD immediately upon finishing.

Marks: You may touch the Turn Mark at Squaw Island. This changes Rule 31. The Squaw Island Turn Mark must be rounded to port. There will be a large orange inflatable buoy placed at approximately half the distance between CYC and Squaw Island. It is not a mark of the course and is only to be used for reference purposes and can be passed on either side. You can even run into the orange mark if you wish. You may also hit the concrete finish dock, but do so at your own risk.

Retiring Boats: Boats retiring from the race shall notify the RD as soon as possible.

Scoring: The race will be scored under the Low Point System described in the Racing Rules of Sailing Appendix A and the event will consist of only one race.

Personal Flotation Devices: Rule E1.4 is changed to “When on board a rescue boat or chase boat, each competitor is responsible for wearing a personal flotation device adequate for the conditions.”

Chase Boat Rules:

  1. All racing sailboats have the right of way over chase boats.
  2. Chase boats shall not cause a wake that impedes or helps a racing boat.
  3. Chase boats shall not cause a wind shadow which affects any racing boat.
  4. Chase boats shall be completely stopped with the motor in neutral before hauling a race boat for any purpose and remain in that state until the sailboat is launched again.
  5. When chase boats stop to haul, they must do so in a position that does not interfere with other racing boats.

Prizes: A prize will be awarded to the skipper who completes the course in the fastest time. Other positions awarded as we find things to give away.

Party: A cookout on the waterfront will follow racing for all skippers and crew. (We think there also is a wine tasting at the club that Saturday night.)

Our Race Director and PRO for the 2013 Squaw Island Race will be Keith Calkins.

##

Posted in RC Laser Fleet 14 | Tagged , , , , | Comments Off on Sailing Instructions: 2013 Squaw Island Offshore Race

Neil Atkins Creates His Own Swirls – Wins Last Race Of The Day

neilOn a day when “C” sails were the choice of all  and the wind came and went from every direction Neil Atkins was able hold off a challenge from Anne Lambert to win the last race on Mother’s Day.  Our PRO (Anna) did her best to set a good course but it was the “Wind Gods” that determined who would fly and who would die all day.

 

Please note the following:

  • Racing next week will again be Sunday 4 – 6 pm at the south end of the docks  CYC.
  • Tracy and Bill Blevins have traveled up from Virginia for the weekend and have RCs’ in hand.
  • The Squaw Island Regatta and cookout will be held on Saturday May 25th.
  • There will be no racing Sunday May 26th.
  • Sunday June 2nd will be the last series of races for the Spring Meet 4-6pm at CYC.

See you on the docks.

 

Posted in RC Laser Fleet 14 | Comments Off on Neil Atkins Creates His Own Swirls – Wins Last Race Of The Day

Mother’s Day RC Racing CYC 4-5:45 PM

So ThoughtfulRC racing is planned for 4 – 5:45 pm Sunday afternoon this Mother’s Day at CYC. The club will be serving a Mother’s Day brunch from 11:30 – 7 pm. (No kitchen food will be available.) Therefor I am planning on shorting the racing by 15 minutes so that those who wish can enjoy the brunch.
Cost of the brunch is $22.95 per plus gratuity. It includes omelets, seafood newberg, smoked salmon, pasta, a carving station and desert.

If you would like to attend e-mail me back at rcsailors@gmail.com or call the club to be added to the RC laser table. It would be helpful for the kitchen to know how many of us are planning on to arrive at 6pm.

The weather calls for overcast skys and winds out of the west at 15 knots so we should be able to get plenty of races in.

See you on the water.

 

 

Posted in RC Laser Fleet 14 | Comments Off on Mother’s Day RC Racing CYC 4-5:45 PM