Post by brianpickton on Jun 6, 2006 13:58:02 GMT -4
If we can start a new thread, here I just want to say that anyone who missed the DYC Helly Hansen Opening Regatta missed a fantastic 2 days on the water. Initially, as Curtis Bullock of DYC pointed out , it looked like a recipe for disaster: wet miserable foggy conditions and people going out racing in it.
Notwithstanding the rain on Saturday there was bags of breeze, some great competitive sailing in each class and by the end of two races we saw wet but happy sailors going ashore. Running a contemporaneous start finish line so we could start fleets off again on there next race with out having to wait for other fleets to finish helped to keep things moving for the faster classes while making sure the finish line was relatively uncluttered for those still finishing. Mind you it did startle a few finishing boats to here one class first place finishing gun going off only seconds before a starting gun for another fleet! We were mighty busy on the halyards on the Ralph Ainslie flag rack while watching the finish line and the start line at the same time. (Helps to be walleyed!)
Sunday started off with a torrential downpour that moderated to a mere drizzle by the start and lightened further to a mist by the middle of the race. Thanks to our new race course board made by Harvey Ainsley we were able to set 4 separate courses, with only a few overlapping marks in common. This allowed us to set a long windward leeward course for the Premier fleet with shorter modified Olympic courses for A and B and a separate equilateral triangle course for the C fleet.
The start was on the Halifax side of the basin near mark 16 but as soon as the last fleet started the committee upped anchor, grabbed the starting mark and headed for the DYC side where we set up the finish line off of the mouth of Wright's Cove. This allowed all of the boats to finish at the club and not have to sail back across the basin for the final ceremonies. It also gave the committee a great vantage point to watch the Premier class boats make or blow their spinnaker sets.
The timing on the finish worked out great, with the A, B and C fleets finishing nearly all boats before the first Premier fleet boats needed the line. At one point we had an A boat, 2 B boats and the first C fleet boat all racing for the finish line within 10 seconds of each other. Speaking from m
I want to thank the 35 boats who turned out for the start of the first race who made the racing such a great event. In particular though I have to thank the on the water race committee that made it all come together.
Although I have run regattas elsewhere, this is the first open regatta where I have been responsible for the on the water activities in Halifax. I need to thank Peter for kindly taking me aside to offer some well founded advice about wind conditions around the basin and for providing the committee boat with an adequate anchor for the conditions as well as other aids to our comfort.
For all or you who found the windward leeward course on Saturday was well set thanks have to go to Peter White who took responsibility for setting the windward mark square to the wind at his location relative to the start. Peter and I were in continuous communication via cell phone to keep the radio chatter down about wind conditions. If we had been setting the windward mark from the committee boat based on our wind it would have wound up well south of where Peter set it.
In addition I have to give kudos to Kim our score keeper for keeping us sharp on the finishing boats, to Glen for guns, horns and clocks and who kept me sharp on the flag halyards to Kristen for helping Peter on the chase boat and shooting the great video at the windward mark, and finally to the skipper of the chase boat who did such a great job of boat handling while laying the marks.
The great time on shore provided be the folks on the entertainment committee from breakfast through to the parties Saturday and Sunday night speak for themselves.
I would be remiss if I did not thank the Rear Commodore of the DYC, Nathan Reece, for his stalwart support and guidance from the outset, especially in the early stage of the regatta planning.
Lastly a kind work for Curtis Bullock, the club manager, who encouraged our efforts, warned us of pitfalls, and smart enough to chide me mildly for my procrastination.
I look forward to seeing even more of you out on the water next year.
Brian Pickton
Notwithstanding the rain on Saturday there was bags of breeze, some great competitive sailing in each class and by the end of two races we saw wet but happy sailors going ashore. Running a contemporaneous start finish line so we could start fleets off again on there next race with out having to wait for other fleets to finish helped to keep things moving for the faster classes while making sure the finish line was relatively uncluttered for those still finishing. Mind you it did startle a few finishing boats to here one class first place finishing gun going off only seconds before a starting gun for another fleet! We were mighty busy on the halyards on the Ralph Ainslie flag rack while watching the finish line and the start line at the same time. (Helps to be walleyed!)
Sunday started off with a torrential downpour that moderated to a mere drizzle by the start and lightened further to a mist by the middle of the race. Thanks to our new race course board made by Harvey Ainsley we were able to set 4 separate courses, with only a few overlapping marks in common. This allowed us to set a long windward leeward course for the Premier fleet with shorter modified Olympic courses for A and B and a separate equilateral triangle course for the C fleet.
The start was on the Halifax side of the basin near mark 16 but as soon as the last fleet started the committee upped anchor, grabbed the starting mark and headed for the DYC side where we set up the finish line off of the mouth of Wright's Cove. This allowed all of the boats to finish at the club and not have to sail back across the basin for the final ceremonies. It also gave the committee a great vantage point to watch the Premier class boats make or blow their spinnaker sets.
The timing on the finish worked out great, with the A, B and C fleets finishing nearly all boats before the first Premier fleet boats needed the line. At one point we had an A boat, 2 B boats and the first C fleet boat all racing for the finish line within 10 seconds of each other. Speaking from m
I want to thank the 35 boats who turned out for the start of the first race who made the racing such a great event. In particular though I have to thank the on the water race committee that made it all come together.
Although I have run regattas elsewhere, this is the first open regatta where I have been responsible for the on the water activities in Halifax. I need to thank Peter for kindly taking me aside to offer some well founded advice about wind conditions around the basin and for providing the committee boat with an adequate anchor for the conditions as well as other aids to our comfort.
For all or you who found the windward leeward course on Saturday was well set thanks have to go to Peter White who took responsibility for setting the windward mark square to the wind at his location relative to the start. Peter and I were in continuous communication via cell phone to keep the radio chatter down about wind conditions. If we had been setting the windward mark from the committee boat based on our wind it would have wound up well south of where Peter set it.
In addition I have to give kudos to Kim our score keeper for keeping us sharp on the finishing boats, to Glen for guns, horns and clocks and who kept me sharp on the flag halyards to Kristen for helping Peter on the chase boat and shooting the great video at the windward mark, and finally to the skipper of the chase boat who did such a great job of boat handling while laying the marks.
The great time on shore provided be the folks on the entertainment committee from breakfast through to the parties Saturday and Sunday night speak for themselves.
I would be remiss if I did not thank the Rear Commodore of the DYC, Nathan Reece, for his stalwart support and guidance from the outset, especially in the early stage of the regatta planning.
Lastly a kind work for Curtis Bullock, the club manager, who encouraged our efforts, warned us of pitfalls, and smart enough to chide me mildly for my procrastination.
I look forward to seeing even more of you out on the water next year.
Brian Pickton
Next year if the wind is in the same direction we are going to have to get even more rode so we can anchor in even deeper water further away 
