Kick off August with the RC Laser fleet by coming out to sail in the 5th Annual Squaw Island Offshore Race Saturday August 1st.

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 in past 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, 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  be crossing the start line  in the opposite direction from the start.

• Notice of Race
• Sailing Instructions
• Online Registration
• 2013 Results
• 2013 Squaw Island Pictures
• (2014 cancelled due to lake power boat restrictions)

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.

Prizes for this year’s race will be:

1st Place: Celebration for 4

2nd Place: Celebration for 2

3rd Place: celebration for 1

There will also be an award for the first team boats that finish. (If you share a chase boat with another racer and both finish the race before any other shared case boat, that team will be awarded a medallion and a BIG $$$$$$$ prizes.)

Great summer day at the races for RCs.

We had warm breezes mostly from the west which forced us to have downwind starts and huge wind holes at the windward mark for most of the races.  The race course was what I would call an inverted modified Olympic course.  Downwind to the leeward mark, up to the windward mark, out to the jibe mark, down to the leeward mark and back to the starting line finish.  After 6 very competitive races the scores were tallied and the results were:

• Anne Lambert 3 bullets
• Bill Schmidt 2 bullets
• Mary Schmidt 1 bullet

Complete “RESULTS”

Next Sunday will be week 7 of the 8 week series and the following Saturday we will hold our annual Squaw Island Regatta. Please check our  web site www.rcsailors.com for details.

See you on the water

The Admiral

The weather forecast called for 6 knot winds from 4-6 pm , but what we got was a great deal of powerboat chop.  Waves with no wind makes for very focused sailing.  After 2 brutal races (The first won by Gary Schmidt and the second won by Terry Schmidt) we postponed to see if better wind was on its way.

Anne Lambert, while currently enjoying first place in the Summer Series, decided it would be refreshing to take Dave Kaye for a ride on his jet ski while we wait.   “Results”

Anne Lambert with Dave Kaye

Anne Lambert dumping Dave Kaye

Anne Lambert without Dave Kaye

After a few rooster tails she did come back to see if he was ok.  “Yep still breathing”  At that point it was decided that we would wait until next week for wind.

Our next attempt will be Sunday July 19th south dock CYC 4pm.

See you on the water.

The Admiral

June seems to be the month that is a crap shoot as to whether we can race or not.  Twice this month we have found ourselves sitting under an umbrella or under the hatchback of a truck waiting for the wind to usher away the persistent rain.    Eight racers showed up yesterday in hopes of wind, but after a one hour postponement (held at the club bar) it was obvious that the weather was not going to improve.  Racing was cancelled and dinner was ordered.

We have managed to get in 13 races over the two Sundays in June that we did have wind which was an improvement over last year.  July things start getting a little hotter which helps bring that late day runoff of wind that lasts till the sun goes down.

There is no racing the 4th of July weekend so that most of us can play longer with our bigger boats, but then we will race the next four Sundays to complete our Summer Series on August 2nd.

Saturday August 1st the RC Fleet is having its 5th annual Squaw Island Regatta and cookout.  Notice of race and sailing instructions can be found on our web site blog at www.rcsailors.com .  We welcome anyone who has a powerboat or jet ski to join us by being a chauffer for one of our racers. If you are interested please contact me (Nelson Habecker at 585-201-0514) to pair you up.

Canandaigua, New York RC Laser Fleet 14

5th Annual Squaw Island Race

August 01, 2015

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 August 1,2015 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 in front of Squaw Island and RC Lasers will keep the mark 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 starting line  and finishing 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 crosses the start line in the opposite direction from the start.

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 .

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 may or may not 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.

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. (There also is a wine tasting at the club that Saturday night.)

Our Race Director and PRO for the 2015 Squaw Island Race will be Keith Calkins.

NOTICE OF RACE

Canandaigua, New York RC Laser Fleet 14

5th Annual Squaw Island Race

August 01, 2015

Rules: The regatta shall be governed by the rules as defined in The 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 (Keith Calkins) 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.

Race Director: TBD

Race Summary:

• Boats will be out of the water during the Skippers Meeting.
• The starting line will be set between two markers just offshore from the concrete dock at the south end of the waterfront at the Canandaigua Yacht Club.
• The south concrete dock is also designated as the finish dock.
• At the start, skippers will sail their RC Lasers across the starting line in the proper direction and then sail a course that is roughly north on Canandaigua Lake towards Squaw Island, about 1 mile away.
• Skippers in chase boats will follow their RC Laser and navigate their racing boats to a turn mark south of Squaw Island, located at approximately Lat/Long N42.869918, W077.275702, keeping the turn mark to port as the boats round and then sail back to the yacht club.
• Boats will finish when the skipper has successfully crossed the starting line in the opposite direction from the start.

Schedule:

• Online Registration
• 1:00 – 1:45          Boat set-up and practice sailing
• 1:45                      Skippers Meeting (All boats must be out of the water.)
• 1:58 PM               Two-minute audible countdown timer begins
• 2:00 PM              Start
• ~ 5:00 PM          Dock party begins with first finishing boat
• ~ 6:00 PM          Awards presented after all boats return

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

Entry: Eligible boats may be entered by submitting the registration form online and paying an entry fee of $15.00 boat.

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.

Prizes: A prize will be awarded to the skipper who completes the course in the fastest time, and to the fastest Team that completes the course.  A dock party will follow racing for all skippers and crew.

Contact: Nelson Habecker at rcsailors@gmail.com or 585-201-0514 if you need us to find a chase boat and driver or for any other information.

Although it was Father’s Day (June 21st) it did not seem to mean much to Anne Lambert (4 wins) and Mary Schmidt (3 wins) who shut out the guys in all 7 of the races held.  Gary Schmidt was able to finish with a couple of seconds and thirds but other than that —Lady’s RULED on Father’s Day!!!

As you might suspect—  There were plenty of excuses ~~AND~~a GREAT deal of boat swapping as the challenged tried to get back on the FAST TRACK!!

To ensure integrity of scoring we called out names rather than numbers as boats crossed the finish line!

The string and Shifty Wind-also shifted the Standings.  

Current standings for the Summer Series are Anne Lambert followed by Gary Schmidt, then Terry Schmidt and Mary Schmidt who holds fourth place.—– Complete “Results“——-

Jay Niggli at the starting line with all his ducks in a row.

I believe that the guys could have done much better if there were not so many baby ducks on the course.  They were, of course, trying to be protective of them  and it was Father’s Day.

We have one more Sunday in June to race which will take us to the midpoint of our Summer Series. Our intent is to take the 4th of July weekend off then resume each Sunday after (4-6pm south dock) in July to complete the series.

“GREAT TIME” “GREAT FRIENDS””GREAT RACING”

See you on the water!!!!!!

The Admiral

Sunday June 7th, 2015.

It was a great day for racing.  From morning till dusk there was a 10 knot breeze that came in from the south.  There was a short delay in getting started due to all the big boat sailors to get back to shore.  Neil was so excited to get started that he never saw the brick someone had placed in front of him and (you guessed it) over he went.  I am not showing the photo due to its graphic depiction of him but lets say that he looks like he did 5 rounds in the ring with Rocky Balboa.  I am certain that everyone joins me in wishing him a quick recovery.

After getting in 6 races without Neil and Maggie (who whisked Neil off for medical attention) the leader is Gary Schmidt followed by Anne Lambert and Terry Schmidt. “RESULTS”

Sunday June 14th will be our next race date starting at 4PM south dock CYC.

See you on the water!!!!!!

The Admiral

It was the final day for the Spring Series.  The rain came down all morning and most of the afternoon, but the  RC Lasers were determined not to cancel do to a little rain and temps in the 40s.  All those in attendance came with foul weather gear and “THE MITT” for their transmitters.  To help us on this journey was Anne’s hot coffee, Glennis’ banana bread & cookies, and some of The Admiral’s finest wine. At 4pm there was a little drizzle but within minutes (as predicted by the Admiral) the rain halted and it was on to meet the challenge.  There was a great deal of sail switching throughout the afternoon between the A & B sails.  The course was square and we would have windy lews twice around with a windward finish.  In the first five races there were 5 different winners, but it was the sixth race that carried the “POT of GOLD” for Terry Schmidt.

In attendance: A. Lambert, T. & G. Schmidt,
J. Bennett, N. Atkins, G, Nicks, K. Calkins ,N. Habecker

After racing well in all her races for the day it was the victory in the last race of the spring meet that put her 2 boats in front. CONGRATULATIONS TERRY!!!!!!!  “RESULTS”   (There was some talk about someone else tuning her boat before racing but unless there is a formal protest it will not be pursued.) On the down side though, 30 seconds comes off her start time.

Next Sunday we will begin our 8 week Summer Series off the south dock CYC from 4-6PM.

See you on the water!!!

The Admiral

It seems not so long ago there was a cover of white over the lake.  Now we put up the umbrellas on the south dock and wait for the wind to fill in for RC racing.  Here it is Sunday afternoon at 4pm and barely enough wind to get off one race for the eleven boats competing. But due to the due diligence of the fleet captain reading the clouds and the smoke atop the hill every one is advised to be prepared to have the wind fill in and racing to resume.  It doesn’t take long for the prediction to come true.  As if by some sixth sense the wind can be seen starting in the northeast corner and closing fast.  Everyone scrambles to locate their transmitters and launching sticks fearing they my miss the start.  Six more races are reeled off before the dinner hour approaches.  Yes where does the time go?

We have completed 31 races in the Spring Series and with one more week to go it is still up for grabs.  “RESULTS” WE won’t race on Memorial Day Weekend but will conclude our series on Sunday May 31st 4pm south dock. If there is anyone waiting for better weather , the time is passing you by.  The prediction from the fleet captain is great weather the rest of the year.

Jack Bennett was kind enough to give a young spectator coaching at the art of racing his RC for one race.

Anna & Jonathan Gorbold put together a slide show of photos taken by Howard Brayman of Sunday’s races.  It is a great slide show and well worth viewing.  Follow the link:

http://www.sailcyc.com/Sailing.cfm?subpage=1215922

UP COMING EVENTS:

August 1st      Squaw Island Regatta

August 22nd  The Atkins’ Hospitality Elimination Regatta

October TBD      Erie Canal Distance Races

See you on the water!!!!

The Admiral