Tag Archives: Laser Sailboat

PRSA Hangover Regatta – January 1, 2011

What a day! We had our biggest Laser regatta ever today, 33 boats. Thanks to all that traveled to join us to help us push over the 30 boats mark. The weather could not have been better with temps in the 50’s and a south breeze 7-12 mph. We sailed in the river with the current coming in throughout the racing. There were 5 races.

Tim Zimmerman was untouchable with four firsts in five races and won the regatta handily.

Special thanks to our RC for the day Nabeel Alsalam, Rob Young, Collette Bolton, Mike Heinsdorf & Tom Berlin. Thanks also to Adam Dolezal who provided hot dogs for those who stuck around after racing.

— Erich (Laser Fleet Captain)

Some of the 2011 Hangover Regatta Sailors

Continue reading PRSA Hangover Regatta – January 1, 2011

Presidents / Leukemia Cup Results

There is an old Arab curse that goes something like: “May you live in interesting times”. That said, we certainly had an “interesting” weekend for this years Presidents Cup. Saturday, was sunny and beautiful. Perfect in every way except the most important: There was no wind. Rolf Zeisler, our able PRO, managed to get 2 races off in drifty conditions with little more than thermals coming from various directions. The Lightnings were almost time limited out in the first race when the Rc quickly set up a finish line at the Reach? Windward? Leeward? Mark, and finished us with no time to spare. Race #2 was even worse. Oh well. There is always tomorrow, and with rain in the forecast there was bound to be some breeze. Sunday morning brought the rain, but not much in the way of breeze. We got 3 races in before calling it a day. The first 2 races were much like Saturdays efforts. The 3rd race, however, was a fun one. A nice north westerly finally came in and made all of us who had suffered through 2 days of mostly painful drifting glad we had stuck it out. This was the best sailing of the weekend and a good time was finally had by all. Lets all pray that we don’t get any more “interesting” days like the bulk of this past weekend. Scores after the break:

Continue reading Presidents / Leukemia Cup Results

PRSA Spring Regatta 2010 Saturday and Sunday, May 29 – 30

Updated 5/31/10 — The PRSA Spring regatta, our Memorial Day Weekend major event, has come and gone!  Saturday brought us an overcast morning that slowly cleared, temperatures in the mid 70s, and calm winds until Noon.  PRO Nabeel Alsalam wisely postponed, from the docks, the departure until 11:45, and by the time we got to the race course we had a very nice southerly, blowing 7 – 10 MPH.  Nabeel got off 3 great Olympic course races for the 7 Lightings, 4 Buccs, 17 Albacores, 4 Hobies and a Thistle who came out. On the Lower Course we had 3 Optis and 2 Penguins.  Sunday brought us a promising start with sunny skies, northerly winds at 5 – 10 MPH that unfortunately went light and variable as the day went on, and we gave up on the day at 3 PM at the end of the second race (which not everybody finished, due to a time limit expiration).  Upper Course Results hereLower Course Results here.

Our sincere thanks to the regatta organizing committee and to the PRSA members who worked this regatta.  They include: PROs Nabeel Alsalam (upper course) and Jennifer Parrow (lower course); Race Committee drivers and helpers  Ryan Vear, Stefano de Leo, Red Fehrle, Craig Huzway, Anna Lindel, Elaine Duffe, Inga Barkane, Linda Pacelli, John Hart, Annie Cross, Bill Swanson, Kate Dixon, Steve Parsons, and Thomas Jagodits; Registration workers Will Phillippe, Jeff Neurauter, Happy Olmstead, Wilda Heiss, Steve Parsons, and Barb Thompson;  Planning the post-race barbeque and bringing food and beer: Pat McGee and Scott Snyder; producing the NOR and SIs, and acquiring trophies, scorekeeping, recruiting RC, and Boat Duty, Nabeel Alsalam.  Well done!

Per PRSA Commodore Pat McGee:  Starting Saturday morning many members just kicked in.  I was really pleased by the amount of general pitching in.  I could not move more than a few steps without someone offering to help.  It made me very pleased with our membership.  Maybe this is explained by our having shrunk into a core group (family). I owe all of you  all a big thank you. I can’t thank you guys enough for just picking things up and making it all happen.  Get’er done mentality.  Nabeel – RC — great decisions – sitting on the docks for 90 minutes Sat., I know you were getting some pressured commentary – Great work!

PRSA Spring Series # 6, Sunday, May 16!

Updated 5/19/10 —  Sunday was a day when the weatherman promised much and delivered so little.  The forecast was for partly sunny and pleasant conditions, a high of 76 degrees, and winds from the northeast at 8 – 10 MPH.   Seven Lightnings, six Albacores, and three Hobies splashed and made their way up to the race course, while  PRO Bob Astrove and RC crew set a windward-leeward course along an ENE axis, with the windward mark close to the deepwater channel and the leeward mark close to the airport shore.  But they only got off one race before the wind died.  At 2 PM the N flag went up and boats were towed back to the dock.  Results after the break:

Continue reading PRSA Spring Series # 6, Sunday, May 16!

PRSA Spring Series # 5 Sunday, May 9

UPDATED May 10!  Two days of strong northerly winds had pushed a lot of the tidal Potomac River water south, and that, coupled low tide around noon, made for the lowest water level we have ever seen on the river at the marina. The mud flats adjacent to the airport pier were actually above water; a windsurfer was seen walking his rig upstream in chest-high water in the middle of the channel; the ribs of the sunken wreck were two feet above the water surface.  The AccuWeather forecast had called for sunny skies, with winds from the NW at 15 – 20 MPH, and gusts to 25, and they got the sunny skies part right, but the wind turned out to be stronger and gustier than predicted.  Three Lightnings, four Albacores, and two Cats splashed, and RC did set out for Haines point to try to set up a long windward-leeward course as far upriver  as they could, but the strong gusty winds and low water made them change their mind, and racing was canceled at 11:30 AM. 

PRSA Spring Series # 4, Sunday, May 2

Good wind, good temperatures, good waves and good race committee work made for great sailing this Sunday.  We had 4 or 5 Bucs, 2 hobies, and 5 albs out on the race course sailing 4 windward leeward twice around races and 1 Triangle.  5 races total.  With the wind picking up later in the day only Heinsdorf, Harris and Hesse stayed for the final race.  Must be something about ‘Hs” The albs brought a ringer skipper from Toronto and a ringer crew from California. Harris, in his new state of age,  showed a little  mind slipping as he overstood the finish in race 2  and wanted to go around again.  Don’t know what that was all about.  Heinsdorf once again demonstrated his quick reactions as he dunked his brother crew while he scrambled to the rail for safety during a leeward mark rounding capsize.

Thanks to the race committee:  Bill Buck; Susan Graham, Nathan Marsh, and mystery girl (Heinsdorf’s brother’s friend).  And to the use of a GW crash boat.  After racing, Lee pulled out the leftovers including BEER from the monster party on Friday for everyone to feast on.  Thanks to everyone for the good time.  Results after the break:

Continue reading PRSA Spring Series # 4, Sunday, May 2

PRSA Spring Series # 3, Sunday, April 25!

Updated 4/26/10 — Seven Lightnings came out along with 4 Hobies, 3 Albacores, and a Laser on a day with a NOAA forecast of heavy weather arriving sometime after 2 PM (which it did, but north and west of DC).  Before 2 PM, the winds were predicted to be from the south at 8 – 9 MPH under cloudy skies, with a high temperature of 75 degrees, and that’s exactly what we got, except that the clouds dissipated by the end of the first race.  PRO David Thompson and RC set up a windward-leeward course and got off three races in quick succession, finishing the 3rd race at exactly 2:00 PM, then sending boats home to ensure a safe ride and retrieval at the cranes before the heavy weather hit (which never did here, except that winds increased to 20 MPH after 3 PM).   Results to be posted soon.