A pesky low pressure system fouled our wind and weather for our Oct 15 pond sailing fleets! Despite threatening sky’s and extremely variable conditions, determined skippers tested their skills and luck.
Our robust DF95 fleet sailed their series of 6 races first. Medium course was generally the rule until late in the series when things were shortened up due to a waning breeze.
The IOM fleet had their turn in the pool just in time for the gentle breeze to turn into barely a breath. Race one, the short course, was just about an all day sucker! IOM race two, a medium course, began in true ghosting conditions. With the lifeless fleet spread out and drifting the rain and thunder eventually finalized this race day. Most made it through the finish line and the IOM’s retired after two drifters.
This is Ghosting.. Appropriate for Halloween?
A Special recognition to our RD’s: Craig Mackey and John Roger’s. Also thank you Jason Brooks and Kim Robinson for mark setting and retrieval. Your help is appreciated by all!
Bob Williams fired up the grill and served up yummy hot dogs for deserving participants. Several skippers commented the BBQ was the highlight of the day.
We had a nice turnout of sailors even though the weather service was threatening us with wind and rain, remnants of Hurricane Kay. Needless to say Kay was mostly a bust when it came to the velocities of wind that was predicted. I think we were all agreeable with the cooler temperatures and light rains the tropical system delivered to the pond.
Kay-Renant Low
Ben Reeve and Scott Harris did an outstanding job managing one of the more challenging days on the pond to be the Race Directors! The light early onshore flow clocked to south east and south with very low flow. DF95 skippers went first and drifted through the difficult conditions. The course became rather interesting when starting was reversed (west to east) with starboard gate rounding and long reaching legs. A wind delay held the series to 5 races.
Our IOM fleet seems to be growing slowly and it is was great to see John Castilli back on our local waters. Dennis Rogers tried out his new BritPop and he seems to be very happy! It’s a beautiful rig! When it was time for the IOM fleet to begin their series the wind spiked out of the south and south east. Reverse starting on a beam reach was the name of the game and it was fast action to the first starboard rounding gate. This was pretty much the theme for the six race series. Nice Sailing!
The drone did not launch last weekend due to missing software updates. So recordings were brief and from the sidelines. Thank you Kerim & Sean for the 3rd video.
We had a nice turnout for both fleets. Eddy winds, everyones favorite (just kidding), was the theme for this Saturday’s DF95 & IOM points racing. Wind pulses, lulls and holes presented a veritable obstacle course that enabled all skippers opportunities and disappointments during their 6 race series. Thanks to all that participated!
DF95 Race Director- Greg Williams
IOM Race Director- Scott Harris
Prior to our racing schedule Ken Campbell offered up some useful tips on Windward Leeward Rights at the starting line and Proper Course at the weather mark, during his Racing Rules Seminar. Several followup questions on finish line right of way issues were also discussed. Thank you Ken.
Footage from this past weekend’s IOM Point Races captured in a series of 5 videos. Races 1,2, 4, 5, 6 were recorded. Race 4 was recorded partially (second upwind leg and beyond). Race 5 had some technical difficulties at the end. Thank You Karim for the extraordinary drone perspective!
The day ended with a fine Hot Dog BBQ prepared by, VC of Sail / Chef, Bob Williams. We all thank Bob for his ongoing support and enthusiasm for our passion of RC Sailing!
Eddy wind conditions seemed to tease an apparent disagreement with our weak onshore flow. So-back and forth the argument went, most of the day!
Conditions were described as some of the most challenging winds we have experienced on our pond for quite some time. Ken Campbell described it like this – “There were a lot of opportunities out there today”.
No matter what your position on the water happened to be, there was no denying the variable wind angles and velocities we all experienced! Nice sailing to all skippers that participated!
Todays Race Directors:
IOM-RD Scott Harris
DF95 RD- Kim Robbins
A special thanks to any extra hands that helped make our racing day possible.
Thank You Ken Campbell for July scores and cumulative points for the 2022 Sailing Season. There are five more months of challenging racing for skippers waiting to jump into the pond!! Please join the fun.
VC Bob Williams. You can’t keep this man down!! Bob deserves a standing ovation and full round of applause for his efforts in keeping our club moving forward and in fresh cooked hot dogs after each Saturday of points racing.
THANK YOU BOB!
If you have not experienced the post racing BBQ. Well why??
Cool weather, thick stratus and spring time eddy breezes were the dominant forces at our sailing pond today with IOM and DF 95 skippers navigating the highly variable aquatic landscape!
VC Bob Williams motivated todays enthusiastic team of RD’s and support team. Our group expresses genuine appreciation to Kerim Baran, Ken Wild and Steve Delva for RD duties and course setting. Ken Campbell’s Racing Rules Clinic/Score keeper and Bill Bridge and numerous other hands assisted with clean up!
We had a respectable showing of eight IOM skippers. Plus a generous showing in the DF 95 fleet, with twenty boats challenging the starting line. Thank you to all that participated!
Sailing Rules Clinic – Starboard vs. Port & Tacking
IOM Races 1 to 6 (#1,2,3,6 from the start/finish line, #3,4,5,6 from drone)
DF 95 Starting Action
After a strenuous day of sailing skippers were treated to another great hotdog bbq at the boat shed. Thank you Bob Williams for another fun day at the pond!
