SHIELDS Class races November 14th

“Terrible Conditions!” yelled the RD.

“Pull the plug and refill the Blake Sea!” shouted one of the racers.

And yes, both were right of course. The RD being me, covering for Gemma, but also having had raced yesterday during the Bandit 22 races at NYC with similar bad conditions already. However, the lag even crept up to hover-board altitudes. And as much I would have loved to pull the plug, I simply couldn’t find it.
Though, we wouldn’t be the bravest sailing racers on the grid if we hadn’t kicked it anyway!! (Yes!! TWO exclamation marks!! Plus another kick just because!!)
Heather was at the Committee Boat for a short visit, but currently being in Europe on a business trip meant that it was too late for her to stay and watch. The ones who came to stay and race were Emilio, Freeman, Gin, Justin, Moon and Pitr.
Pitr I already had met earlier this day at the Clubhouse, studying the Race Calendar there, and although he was so busy that he did not respond to me, he did show up later (which yesterday was ‘now’), letting us know that this would be his very first sailing race ever.
After a friendly welcome from all of us and quickly setting him up to have race wind, we started the event with wind from 200° at brisk 21 knots.

Image 1: Close together on the second leg of 311;

NYC Course Chart 311

Great starts for 311 by everyone except Pitr, who did not finish the first race. He agreed in IM that he will have to practice the handling of the boat until next week, and I really hope that he will come again.
The rest of the fleet stayed close together up to the second mark (Image 1). There they showed some great skills around it … Emilio even had to put in an additional pair of tacks to get there. Yet it all was clean like a freshly swaddled baby. (Don’t ask where connotations like these come from at times. I have no idea! But yes, that’s what Image 2 is about – the red marker pointing at Mark3.)
As it often is the case with the Shields boats – and partially due to the mean wind direction that offered a lot of wind shadow options on the next legs – there were a couple of switching positions. Freeman passed the second last mark on the wrong side and Justin unfortunately got affected by this. Until he could get around Freeman’s boat in his way, Emilio, who had been last until then, sailed past both. Freeman then sailed sort of a 360 although there was no need to call a penalty since he was last anyway after this, but that turn was needed to sail around the mark in the correct way.

Image 2: Gin ‘carrying’ her boat around the mark, Emilio in need to tack two more times;

311

Race Results:
1: Moon – Race Time: 0:14:16
2: Gin – Race Time: 0:14:53
3: Emilio – Race Time: 0:15:00
4: Justin – Race Time: 0:15:11
5: Freeman – Race Time: 0:15:58
6: Pitr – DNF

Lap Times:
moonglownight Resident moon – Start: 0:00:20 – Last lap: 0:13:56
GinPhx Resident 18AI – Start: 0:00:07 – Last lap: 0:14:46
emiliopc7 Resident EM69 – Start: 0:00:10 – Last lap: 0:14:50
SteveLL Resident JB08 – Start: 0:00:10 – Last lap: 0:15:01
Freeman Gopheller FG29 – Start: 0:00:06 – Last lap: 0:15:52
Pitr Juran PITR – Start: 0:00:56 – Last lap: Not Finished

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NYC Course Chart 312-A

After a slightly longer break we went on with 312-A. Freeman got eaten by the lag monster during the countdown right on the first crossing from Atlantic into Bow Sprit. Three of the other four racers arrived a bit early by the start line and crossed it neatly shifted to each other. Gin in the middle of the long line, Emilio a bit right of her, then Moon close by the Committee Boat and finally Justin, only a few seconds later. Pay attention to the almost same start times.
Justin was soon overlapped to Moon’s windward side and at the end only could keep clear by tacking away to port. Some time later – after a couple of tacks – Gin arrived first at Mark 1. She already had a pretty nice margin which she could extend on the way to the second mark because Moon and Emilio sailed higher above the straight line. Wind from behind on that leg made this necessary to defend the windward side. Justin could catch up because of this action.
Gin meanwhile was far ahead and carried it home without having to look back anymore.
After Mark 3 Justin gained a rank, so it then was Moon second and Emilio fourth around Mark 4. Justin had even managed to get very close to Moon – so close and overlapped to Moon’s windward side that a fierce defence started. Moon forced Justin very far off the straight course to the finish line, even east around the Fastnet Island on Crows Nest. At the end, because of this, Emilio almost came in second, but Moon crossed the line a few moments before him.

312-A

1: Gin – Race Time: 0:19:00
2: Moon – Race Time: 0:20:19
3: Emilio – Race Time: 0:20:22
4: Justin – Race Time: 0:20:27

Lap Times:
GinPhx Resident 18AI – Start: 0:00:02 – Last lap: 0:18:58
moonglownight Resident moon – Start: 0:00:02 – Last lap: 0:20:17
emiliopc7 Resident EM69 – Start: 0:00:01 – Last lap: 0:20:21
SteveLL Resident JB08 – Start: 0:00:05 – Last lap: 0:20:22

Congratulations to Moon and Gin for their wins, and to everyone else for kicking the bad conditions. Once again it was a thrilling event with a lot of action and proof of skills. Thank you all for coming!

SHIELDS Class races October 31st

Honey, cookies and jelly rolls …
… a perfectly nice and relaxed Halloween Regatta.

It’s been Freeman, Gin, Jo and Justin (in alphabetical order) coming to sail and compete, or Gin, Justin, Freeman and Jo (in order of appearance). Though, if we speak about order of appearance, I have been first with setting wind one hour before the starts already – and it was from 195° with 21 knots.
Wearing a costume with bat wings and an almost kinky outfit, a bald head and horns, pale skin covered with blood splatter I told the racers that it was the blood from sailors who had been barging. None of the gathered ones laughed, so either the joke was not good, or it worked just too well. Anyway, all three starts were totally clean!

Your friendly RD;

NYC Course 310

Gin crossed the line first, followed by Freeman, then Jo and finally Justin. Only Freeman chose the tack-soon-after-the-start-and-approach-the-first-mark-on-starboard-tack tactic, while the other three tacked later and then again close to the mark. At the end they all arrived at the second mark in the same order like they had started, and it also was the order how they finished. Nevertheless there were some thrilling moments with Freeman getting close to Gin at times before she sailed up and away on the downwind legs … and Justin almost caught Freeman before the last mark, where he eventually had to give room to the overlapped inside boat. Beautiful sailing overall.

Gin about to pass the fourth mark, followed by Freeman, Justin and Jo;

310

Race Results:
1: Gin – Race Time: 0:12:16
2: Freeman – Race Time: 0:13:08
3: Justin – Race Time: 0:13:09
4: Jo – Race Time: 0:13:16

Lap Times:
GinPhx Resident 18AI – Start: 0:00:02 – Last lap: 0:12:14
Freeman Gopheller FG29 – Start: 0:00:05 – Last lap: 0:13:03
SteveLL Resident JB08 – Start: 0:00:12 – Last lap: 0:12:57
Joanna Gackt 925 Jo – Start: 0:00:09 – Last lap: 0:13:07

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NYC Course 313

Gin took the lead right away and kept it until the finish. Freeman started last but was the profiteer of a bit of a (clean) duel between Justin and Jo around and after the first mark. Freeman took the chance and passed both leeward. He kept his second rank until the last mark, where Justin sailed past him windward. Freeman had tacked immediately around the second last mark, and that had brought him on a tight close-hauled course with low speed, while Justin had waited a bit with his tack, and therefore arrived with a ‘flatter’ angle and enough momentum to overtake. Once again some beautiful sailing action overall.

Gin, Freeman, Justin and Jo on the second leg;

On their way to Waypoint 4;

313

Race Results:
1: Gin – Race Time: 0:14:48
2: Justin – Race Time: 0:15:19
3: Freeman – Race Time: 0:15:22
4: Jo – Race Time: 0:15:45

Lap Times:
GinPhx Resident 18AI – Start: 0:00:03 – Last lap: 0:14:45
SteveLL Resident JB08 – Start: 0:00:05 – Last lap: 0:15:14
Freeman Gopheller FG29 – Start: 0:00:18 – Last lap: 0:15:04
Joanna Gackt 925 Jo – Start: 0:00:07 – Last lap: 0:15:38

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NYC Course 314

During the countdown for the start of today’s last race, Freeman’s cat had spilled his tea (in RL). He had to clean up and started very late. A nice-to-watch first upwind leg followed the starts. Especially Justin’s and Gin’s boats got close to each other over time, when Justin had to work hard to defend his windward side. He succeeded with this but could not manage to be clear ahead when his boat entered the zone of Mark 1 and therefore had to give mark-room to Gin. This was the moment when she took the lead. A promising close pursuit seemed to establish on the long downwind leg to the next mark, but, alas, Justin hit a corner into Crows Nest and had to give up.
Freeman meanwhile had shown an amazing comeback. He had closed the lines to the other three racers already by the first mark, after he had chosen a different route towards it, and of course could sail freely without the other boats around. On the long downwind leg to the second mark he established an overlap to Jo who then had to give mark-room.
What else to say other than: Beautiful sailing overall!

314

Race Results:
1: Gin – Race Time: 0:15:13
2: Freeman – Race Time: 0:15:40
3: Jo – Race Time: 0:15:46
4: Justin – DNF

Lap Times:
GinPhx Resident 18AI – Start: 0:00:10 – Last lap: 0:15:03
Freeman Gopheller FG29 – Start: 0:00:49 – Last lap: 0:14:51
Joanna Gackt 925 Jo – Start: 0:00:07 – Last lap: 0:15:39
SteveLL Resident JB08 – Start: 0:00:01 – Last lap: Not Finished

Congratulations to Gin for a clean sweep, but also to everyone for a lot of skilled sailing action. Thank you all for coming out and showing such great handling!

SHIELDS Class races December 13th

Flag I situation

First the work and then the pleasure.

30.1 I Flag Rule
If flag I has been displayed, and any part of a boat’s hull is on the
course side of the starting line or one of its extensions during the last
minute before her starting signal, she shall sail across an extension so
that her hull is completely on the pre-start side before she starts.

Basically this rule means, that boats are not allowed to be on the course side of the starting line during the last minute of the countdown. The image above shows two boats clearly on the course side of the extension of the starting line. I’ve seen this many times in the past already, and it’s time to have it mentioned once. Why? Because it is the prologue of barging.

So far about the work. Now lets talk about the pleasure, beginning with the first course of the day, 307, and the first part of the pleasure, welcoming the racers Emilio, Jo, Justin, Moon and Gemma. Gemma crewed for Emilio in the first two races and raced herself in the third one.
Wind came from 180° at 18 kts.

NYC Course Chart 307

Image 1: Start of 307

Justin had the earliest start, though pretty far on the “other” end of the line. This might not have been part of a world saving plan, but turned out to be a good decision as it kept him out of trouble – trouble that two of the three later following boats had. Emilio and Moon were soon involved in a Rule 10 incident, Moon protested, and Emilio did a 360 penalty turn. All good so far, except of course that Moon had lost his momentum. Justin sailed this course flawlessly and won deservedly.

Jo found out that she didn’t have the correct race wind and therefore sailed back to the Committee Boat to wait for the next race.

Race Results:
1: Justin – Race Time: 0:12:34
2: Moon – Race Time: 0:13:02
3: Emilio – Race Time: 0:14:34
4: Jo – DNF

Lap Times:
SteveLL Resident JB08 – Start: 0:00:01 – Last lap: 0:12:33
moonglownight Resident moon – Start: 0:00:10 – Last lap: 0:12:52
emiliopc7 Resident EM69 – Start: 0:00:10 – Last lap: 0:14:24
Joanna Gackt Joanna – Start: 0:00:22 – Last lap: Not Finished

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The second race lead over course 312:

NYC Course Chart 312

Image 2: Start of 312

Jo started on port tack, the others on starboard. Emilio and Justin were close to each other, Emilio on the leeward side. Actually Justin should have tacked to port at this point to avoid the risk of fouling Emilio, but at the same time had Moon on starboard tack not far behind him.
However, there was enough distance between the boats, Emilio had to let Justin pass, then tacked to port … not much later Moon and Justin did the same.

Image 3: Moon and Justin in their windward/leeward battle

The first leg then was a tough battle between Moon and Justin, and it took quite a while until Justin managed to get Moon into his wind-shadow and eventually pass his boat.
During the second leg Moon came back close enough to sail tactically beautiful around the second mark. Afterwards he was windward of Justin, shadowed him and until mark 3 had a lead that he did not give away anymore.

Race Results:
1: Moon – Race Time: 0:15:49
2: Justin – Race Time: 0:15:58
3: Emilio – Race Time: 0:16:36
4: Jo – Race Time: 0:17:50

Lap Times:
moonglownight Resident moon – Start: 0:00:07 – Last lap: 0:15:42
SteveLL Resident JB08 – Start: 0:00:04 – Last lap: 0:15:54
emiliopc7 Resident EM69 – Start: 0:00:04 – Last lap: 0:16:32
Joanna Gackt Joanna – Start: 0:00:13 – Last lap: 0:17:37

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Third and last course of the day was 325. Reylenne was watching from the docks by the Clubhouse, and Gemma decided to rez her own boat and join the racers as fifth participant.

NYC Course Chart 325

Image 4: Five Shield Class boats on the first leg

Image 5: Gemma with a clear lead, but …

Gemma took the best start, and in spite of tacking two times more, she had a pretty good lead when she reached the first mark, and kept it until the second last leg. On that leg towards the fourth and last mark, she might have taken the wrong decision to tack early and therefore had to tack one time more than Justin, who had waited long enough to fetch that last mark on port tack. Gemma – arriving at the mark on starboard tack – was still first to pass it, but because of the need to pass it with a tack, she afterwards had Justin next to her with his boat at full momentum.

The last leg was a thrilling one. A close battle between those two needed a bit directing from above (windward/leeward, then room for the inside boat near the rocks of Fastnet, and afterwards again windward/leeward) … Moon could take advantage of that battle to gain one place … and I was proud of them, that this all happened without a foul.

Race Results:
1: Justin – Race Time: 0:15:03
2: Moon – Race Time: 0:15:11
3: Gemma – Race Time: 0:15:26
4: Emilio – Race Time: 0:16:39
5: Jo – Race Time: 0:16:55

Lap Times:
SteveLL Resident JB08 – Start: 0:00:05 – Last lap: 0:14:58
moonglownight Resident moon – Start: 0:00:07 – Last lap: 0:15:04
Gemma Vuckovic GV78 – Start: 0:00:04 – Last lap: 0:15:22
emiliopc7 Resident EM69 – Start: 0:00:14 – Last lap: 0:16:25
Joanna Gackt Joanna – Start: 0:00:14 – Last lap: 0:16:41

Congratulations to Justin and Moon for the victories, and thank you all for coming and showing some excellent sailing!