31: It was a windy day in Essex. Wind was about 20 knots out of the NW with larger puffs. I only sailed four races before I got too cold. I guess getting dressed correctly was the critical tactic of the day for me. I finished 2,1,2,3. Gusty sailed her first frostbite day and did great.

30: Another nice day of Laser sailing. Wind was out of the South East and kind of light. I won the day I think. Couldn't stay for results, needed to study for an exam on Monday.

29: FBYC
Nice day of Laser sailing, sunny, warm, good wind and one knot of current helping us to the windward mark. I flipped once and had a bad race but got top two's for the rest of the day. I think I won the day but not sure. Lot's of new guys and girls on the water and that's good to see.

Getting ready for the post season. Laser Sunday starts tomorrow.

28: It was a good weekend for us. We finally had a little wind to lean into. Both days started out light but got up to about 18 by the end of the day. We managed to take four bullets to Trip and Mikes five which means we are getting better and finally pushing the young boys a little. The high light of the weekend for me was good starts, my tacks are still terrible.

HPDO Results

Pictures

26: Newport Unlimited Regatta
We only sailed one race on Saturday. On Sunday we didn't leave the beach.
The one race we had was extremely light. We won the heavily favored boat end with Mike and Tripp to leeward. We lost a bit on them but held our lane until we could tack to the middle to stay in the breeze. We got some good pressure and rounded the first mark in second. The brothers caught us on the run sailing a little deeper. The next beat was tough. We got out left of the fleet and had the best pressure until the wind shut off everywhere. The current was setting us over the layline and we ended up setting spinnakers in the last 100 yards to the windward mark. Sandra got around us at the mark. We hit the mark but were able to do our circle going with the current so we didn't loose anyone. We finished fourth. Mike and Tripp won.

Sailing in the Newport Unlimmited Regatta this weekend in a retro Nacra F18 with Cosomo. Should be fun to be out there with the C class catamarans.

25: Merrick family picnic at the Fort Adams beach. Mom rented a J/22 to take everyone out sailing. I also got to check out the C Class Catamarans getting ready for the Little Americas Cup starting on Monday. The F18's were out racing around Block Island in light air. The first boats made it home around 6:30. Some will be arriving home in the dark.

Rigging tips from Racine


Ring on the spinn clew sucks the sheets into the bag so they don't drag in the water.



Easy adjust clew plate.



Cunningham lead out to crew so skipper can adjust easily.



Adjustable forestay for on the water rake adjustment.

F18 NA's



Our house for the week was perfect for the long on-shore-postponements. We could see the club from the porch.

24: We drifted around for a while today but no racing.

23: No racing on Thursday but we did do some night sailing on Open Bic's.

22: F18 North Americans
We had an up and down day today but not so good on balance. First race we had a decent start in light air and did an ok job connecting the puffs upwind. We were in the top five for a while but missed a few puffs on the runs and finished 13 th.
The next race we got fouled at the start and forced to the wrong side. We jibed at the top mark and sailed too high to the wrong side on the first run. I think we were in last or close to it at the leased mark. We got a few back but not many.
The third race we had a great start at the pin and were out in the top group going towards pressure on the left. The wind was picking up and we were actually double trapping. We were in second for three legs but missed a puff on the second run to loose a few boats. We got into some left pressure and hit a few shifts and got back a few to finish fourth.
The last race we had an ok start but got squeezed after a few minutes. We made two tacks and were looking ok. We got a heading puff and tacked on it but we should have continued left to more pressure. Instead we sailed out of breeze on the right and were deep at the first mark. We steadily gained boats the whole race to finish twenty something.

21: F18 North Americans
Only one light air race today. We pulled the trigger a bit late at the start and had to make a few clearing tacks. We got forced right and were deal at the windward mark. We had decent speed on the run and steadily gained boats but could only get back to about mid fleet.

On The Water Anarchy Coverage
http://forums.sailinganarchy.com/index.php?showtopic=111705&st=0&gopid=2946383&#entry2946383

F18 North Americans
We have the boat all set up but it looks like it will be too stormy to sail today. No one is on the water and the weekend event was canceled for today.


http://m.journaltimes.com/mobile-touch/?disableTNStatsTracker=1

19: Hyannis Regatta
Farrar and I finally sailed a regatta together.
We had two light air races on Friday. The first race we were doing well in second behind Tripp and Mike until we sailed into a header on the last beat while the fleet got lifted inside us. We finished with a 4.
In the second race we were not doing so well after a bad start but found a nice puff on the last run to move into third at the finish.
Saturday started off light again. We were over early in the first race and went back but the course was windward finish. We got in touch with the top group but couldn’t get past them before the finish. We were 8th. The next race had a bit more wind and building. We got a good start, had good speed and finished second. Unfortunately the RC then sent us in for the day.
Going into Sunday we were in second by one point. We hit a rock on the way out to the course and destroyed our starboard centerboard. We had the option to go in and get another board from our dealer but this regatta does not have any throwouts so that would have set us back a bunch. Instead John used his leatherman to saw off the bottom ten inches of the centerboard. It was a smooth cut so it wasn’t too slow. We were back and forth with Garth and Tyler throughout the day and ended up tied going into the last race. They sailed well to win and we finished the race in fourth to finish third overall. Mike and Tripp won again.

Results

16: Newport Regatta
The Giuliano brothers were smoking fast in the light stuff this weekend and won the regatta. Feeny and I were second with Krantz making the trip from GA to take third.
We had a great start in the first race and got out in front early and lead at eveny mark in single trapping conditions. In the second race we had a terrible start and got bounced around on the first beat. We were in third and jibed into a hole downwind droping us to 5 or six. We salvaged a 4 when some of the leaders sailed the wrong course. In the thirdd race on Saturday we wanted to go right but got pinned out left a bit too long after the start. We made some good moves on the run and salvaged a third.
After Saturday we were three points behind the Giuliano brothers. We were winning the first race on Sunday with the brothers in second but that race was abandoned. The one race that counted on Sunday was an up and back drifter. We rounded the first mark in second behind Todd and Brendan. Sandra was behind us and ground us down in about three knots. We finished the race in third and the brothers finished in fifth to win by a point. Nice work guys.

Results

Video of Feeny and I making a nice move to the inside of the brothers in race 3. Unfortunately they passed us back on the beat.

14: Statue Race
Chris and I had a great start but were slow off the line and didn't really recover. I think we must have had a bag on our rudder or something. We did have fun in mostly two sail reaching conditions that were puffy and shifty.
Unfortunately Liza broke her leg the day before so I was in the hospital all night and didn't get much sleep. She's recovering as we speak.

Results

Pictures

13: Hampton Beach
Eric Witte and I sailed the regatta together. We had six races on Saturday in a building breeze maxing out at 18 to 20. We got dsq'd for sailing through the start/finish line in the first race. Sunday was light and we got three races in. We had our moments and didn't always capitalize on them, including a pitch pole in a race we were winning. Our finished were up and down but we ended up in second. We had ten F18's in the fleet. Tripp and Mike won the event by quite a bit.










All The Pictures

11: Not such a great day today. The wind started out light and built to about ten knots. We were having trouble powering up the boat. I don’t like this main sail at all. It just has too much roach without any depth to support it. This makes it just about impossible to get any leach return up high. We also blew out the tack line cleat in the second to last race.

We didn’t have a great day and finished up in third after going ito the day a few points in first. An OCS in the last race didn’t help.

Lot's of things to sort out. Typical new class stuff.

all the pictures

11: We had 17 F18's on the line at Sakonnet today. The winds started out light out of the south then picked up to about ten with puffs. It shifted to the right and got light for the last two races. We had five races in all. Chad and I finished 4,1,1,2,1.

10: Sakonnet Regatta
We managed to get the boat rigged more or less correctly and got out for a short sail. The sail was good because we had to re-rig a few things. I can't quite get the sails to look right but we have some ideas about what to do. We'll see tomorrow.
There where 12 F18's on the beach when I left so it looks like a good turnout.

My first F18 regatta in the new boat is next weekend in Rhode Island. Jonathan is off sailing big boats but I'm lucky to be sailing with local A cat sailor, boatwright and new dad Chad Atkins. It should be fun.

9: Madcatter Sunday. We had two light air races today. Race one was a good one for us. We were passing boats the entire race and ended up around fourth. In race 2 we had a serious case of the slows and sailed our throwout. We finished the regatta in third.

Results

8: Madcatter. Wow what a day. It was about 70 deg and sunny with building breeze all day. Race one started out kind of light with some single trapping. We had a nice start with a heavy pin favored line. All boats tacked to port right away. We then got a big header so I started to tack then changed my mind and just got stuck in irons instead. We had an ok comeback but it was not a great race.
The second race
Race two we were kind of deep going down the first run but rounded the starbord gate and went right. The rest of the fleet mostly went left. We god a nice little right hand puff on the starbord layline and got into the top group. We jibed imediately after the weather mark and got into more of that puff and were in first for a while. We finished second.
Race three we had a bad start but it was windy by this point so we were at the back of the top group at the windward mark. We had good speed and got a few more boats to finish maybe 5th.
The last race we had another not so great start at the pin but it was windy enough to foot below a few b oats and not loose too much. We had an ok race and finished somewhere in the single digits again.
Not a bad day for our first race day of the year.

7: John Harmuth and I went out on the F18 for a light air cruise after work.

6: Farrar and I had a nice sail in the new boat with about 12 knots of wind.
I thought I had some sailing video but I think my camera batteries died.

We got the F18 together today. The plan is to go for a sail tomorrow.

Looks like we made the right call yesterday. No racing again at Rehoboth today.

We’re home early from Rehoboth. This morning the forecast was 25 to 30 with gale warnings in the afternoon. Sundays forecast was for windier conditions. When we got down to the club this morning it was windy and building. A few boats got out in the morning and the RC planned on running a race but the RC boat swamped and sank before they could get a race off.

Kenny's the first boat out

5: I spent the day in Newport doing 4 on 4 team racing in Sonars. We had a nice building breeze all day. I think our team won the day.

The 16 is all polished up and ready to go to Rehoboth next weekend. A little Sonar team racing in Newport on Sunday.

4: Light and rainy in Essex this Sunday. We had long slogs going down wind against the current. I think Dave won the day on a tiebreaker with me in second.

The 16’s out of the garage and all glued up. The F18 trailer is in the back and ready to go. I got the box bolted down today.

3: Winds started out light then at ten knots from the south. Half way through the first race it switched to the west and got real shifty. Everyone was up and down today. I only won one race today but managed to squeak out ahead of Hotch and T. Lee who tied for the day just two points behind after five races.

Results

Liza and I just glued the 16. Everything fit together nicely. Diagonals, bow to floor and stern to floor are all even. All that's left is for the glue to dry and then the tricky move getting out of the garage.

2: I finally got a reprieve from school work and was able to make it out sailing again. What a fantastic day. It was about 60 degrees out and the wind came in nicely at about ten knots. With all the rain the current was fierce and going up wind. Basically we were sailing down wind about 90% of the time today. I had a good day with good starts and good speed to win the day. Hotchkiss had a new sail (finally) and was right in there all day for a second overall. Dave was third. 17 boats on the line today.

Results

1: The first frostbite day for me was rainy and puffy but at least it was warm. I only sailed three races because I had homework to do. I won the first two races but then got a five in the third race, just got a bit out of phase after a bad start.

Diversification

Jonathan Farrar and I have been making plans to do some Formula 18 racing this summer. We just ordered a new boat and will take delivery in April some time. The schedule isn’t firm yet but I hope to do the North Americans in Wisconsin in addition to some local regattas. Over the last few years we have had a great F18 fleet spring up in the North East and we should have some good racing. I’m particularly excited about going back to regattas like BBR, Hyannis and the Newport Regatta. I grew up going to these events and they were always a high point in the summer.

Liza and I will also continue racing the Hobie 16 with a schedule that is basically the same as it has been for the last few years and we are looking forward to the North Americans in Fort Walton Beach. As always the Hobie 16 is the main focus and more specifically the Hobie 16 North Americans. Hopefully the F18 cross training will be a helpful addition.

Working on my 2010 sailing schedule.