All posts by Nabeel

Lightning & Laser sailor/racer.

2021 Lightning Fall Series 4

It was a cloudy day with nice winds were from the NE.  Our course was from near the airport shore to the mouth of the Anacostia, twice around.   The finish line was an obstruction that could not be sailed through which created a strategic question about which way to sail around it.

Frank started off slow but ticked off three bullets after the first race.  He banged the right each time and even though we thought there were some shift worth taking to the left his strategy prevailed.

Lightning_FS4

(October 10th and races 60-63 in the championship series.)

2021 Fall Series 4

The Albacore had their North American Championships Saturday – Monday and PRSA raced on the same course on Sunday.  Nelson Pemberton ran the races from the bridge of a large cabin cruiser.  The wind was from the NE, so Nelson set up the start line fairly near the airport and the windward mark was almost in the Anacostia.

The finish line was an obstruction that could not be sailed through which created a strategic problem of which way to go around it.  And occasionally someone simply forgot about it and was disqualified.

It was cloudy with a nice breeze.

Results:

Buccaneer_SS4

I20_FS4

Lightning_FS4

(October 10th, races 47 to 50 of the Spring and Fall series.)

2021 Laser Masters at Fishing Bay

51 boats registered for the 40th Annual Laser Masters at Fishing Bay Yacht Club.    Just like on the Potomac the weather was beautiful and the winds were fine if not a bit on the light side for my tastes.

James Jacob was third beating out three whipper-snappers who had to take extra points for being young.  (James apologized to them.)

Jim Graham took second place in the Legend Division.  Yes, for the first time this year there was a division for those aged 75+ .

Lloyd Leonard Steen Byskof had a great last race finishing 5th and 6th, respectively.    I was crushed on day 1 but pulled myself up by my bootstraps and managed a respectable 15th in the last race.

Next year, this event will again be the first weekend in October — put it on your calendar.   BTW, the US Laser Masters will be in Norfolk  in September and the Laser Words in Mexico (Puerto Villarta) in August.

More winners

Pictures

Results

 

 

2021 Falls Series 2

Will Phillipe & team ran RC.

It was a beautiful day to sail today with sunny skies mid 70s and wind to sail in. As PRO I was certainly challenged today with our NNW winds moving to WNW. I made use of the Postpone before Race 1 because we needed a few extra minutes to get setup (remember as PRO the postpone is your friend). The forecast of NW winds with a later shift to WNW came earlier than I expected so race 1 the windward mark was off. We moved it closer to Gravelly Point to be more NW but it continued to move WNW and the gusts putting it closer to West. I was torn about trying to adjust the course and to get races off but with it shifting back and forth I opted to leave and keep running races.

Results:

Albacore_FS2

Flying Scot_FS2

I20_FS2

Laser_FS2

Lightning_FS2

2021 Fall Series 2 & Frigid Digit

Three – John Van Voorhis, Piercarlo Brunino, and Lindsay Bach — sailed on the Potomac.

Fall Series 2

Championship Cumulative

Three – Tim O’Brien,  Lisa-Marie Lane, and Jeff Witten – sailed on the Bay in the Frigid Digit.

Frigid Digit Results

I see new first names with familiar last names.  I expect the younger generation took over.  I see only 4 completed races on the Bay.  Was it too windy?

From Will Phillipe,  PRO on the River:

It was a beautiful day to sail today with sunny skies mid 70s and wind to sail in. As PRO I was certainly challenged today with our NNW winds moving to WNW. I made use of the Postpone before Race 1 because we needed a few extra minutes to get setup (remember as PRO the postpone is your friend). The forecast of NW winds with a later shift to WNW came earlier than I expected so race 1 the windward mark was off. We moved it closer to Gravelly Point to be more NW but it continued to move WNW and the gusts putting it closer to West. I was torn about trying to adjust the course and to get races off but with it shifting back and forth I opted to leave and keep running races.   —

 

2021 Frigid Digit and PA Cup Cup

The Frigid Digit is coming the weekend September 25th and 26th at  SSA and the PA Gov Cup is the following weekend October 2nd and 3rd at SYC.  Tim O’Brien and Jeff Witten will each be going to  the Frigid Digit. Registration for Frigid Digit will close this Friday September 24th, so please consider coming if you are on the fence! But as Bobby Astrove says, if you aren’t going to travel to Frigid Digit you can sail in the PRSA Fall Series race on Sunday.

Frigid Digit

PA Gov Cup

2021 President’s Cup

The winds were interesting.

On Saturday we started with no wind and an hour postponement on shore.  Light north north easterlies were forecast and when they came in we launched and sailed.   But then – surprise – the winds came up from the south.  Despite the delay, Aaron Boesenecker and his RC team gave us three races on Olympic courses.

Steen Bryskov organized a great cookout for us.  I can personally attest to how delicious the grilled portobello mushrooms were.  They were topped with diced red onion and marinated in balsamic vinegar by Jim Graham.  Plus Steen brought his espresso maker and treated groggy competitors to a great cup of coffee each morning.

On Sunday the winds did come in from the north northeast.   The challenge was that they sometimes came down the Potomac on the left side of the course and sometimes down the Anacostia on the right side of the course.   Whoever solved that puzzle won.

Kudos to the Albacore and Flying Scot fleets that each brought out 15 boats.

The Norman Schaller award went to Dave Beckett in the Flying Scot fleet who dominated his competitors in the Scot fleet just a bit more than Barney Harris dominated his in the Albacore fleet.

Hats off to Kaitlyn Lucey our regatta chair for a very successful 90th  annual (?) President’s  Cup.

The results are here.