Category Archives: News

News

2021 PRSA Spring Regatta

It’s memorial day weekend.   And it only 50 degrees and raining.  No fair.

The NE winds weren’t that bad, though there were some big shift and occasionally the winds would pick up.  On the RC boat we could feel waves of warmer and calmer winds coming through.  Also, the winds were stronger than predicted by the NWS.

7 of 34 registered boats went out to race: Two each of Albacores, Buccs, and Lasers, and a sole Lightning.

We setup the course with the leeward mark near the powerplant the windward mark pretty far up river next to the channel.  We had 8 to 10 feet of water and no debris.   All classes started together on a single line.

“The picnic occurred. Lee cooked bbq. MoMo brought beans. We hung out till after 1700. it was cold and rainy.” – Barney

Interim results

Day 2 should be friendlier.

Thanks to my RC team of Jeff Witten, Ed Ryan, Bob Astrove, and Peter Pietra.  We had to deal with motor problems (fuel line became detached and then took on air and moisture).  Bob brought water proof paper that was really useful for recording the finishes.

2021, Announcements, News

PRSA Spring Series Racing Underway!

Our PRSA Spring Series starts on Sunday, April 11!  Please make sure you’ve read through the following information and completed the necessary steps so that you are ready to get out on the water as our PRSA Spring Series starts.

  • Sign the 2021 PRSA COVID-19 Acknowledgement of Risk & Waiver: https://forms.gle/xKAAkXm7gh7xZanB6.  Although things are looking better, we are still in the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic and some areas (including some places in our own area) are seeing upticks in cases and community spread.  All participance’s — competitors and RC members — are required to sign this waiver in order to participate in PRSA Activities.  You must sign the new 2021 waiver (the prior waiver for fall 2020 and 2020-2021 frostbite racing is no longer applicable).
  • Take note of a new federal requirement: effective April 1 a new federal law passed as part of the National Defense Authorization Act (which included a U.S. Coast Guard Reauthorization) requires a vessel operator to use either a helm or outboard lanyard or wireless engine cutoff switches (ECOS) when operating power boats under 26 feet in length.  Please make sure to clip the cutoff lanyard to your life jacket when operating our skiffs.

As always, please feel free to reach out to your PRSA Executive Committee if you have any questions.

News

2020-2021 Laser Frostbite Series #13

This week Tom got 3rd place.  But since he volunteered to head in early and get the 19 to tow in the 17 (due to engine issues), I decided that I would do a 1st place write up to mix it up.

First off thanks to Bob and Mike for doing RC this past weekend.  We almost had to cancel due to not having RC!  Also thanks to Laura for helping reset marks between races.  And a bigger thanks to Jim Graham for moving the pin between races.  That is a beast of a mark to pull out and sail around with.  In total, we reset the course 3 times I think.
The Lighter Races
The day started out with some tough and frustrating light wind.  The first race was a mostly north west breeze when it was there.  The second race was very similar but with the wind mostly out of the east.  And even the third race where it looked like the breeze would end up picking up still was light but out of the south more.  The keys for me in these three races were being patient and still and not making any brash decisions.  Additionally in the light air, I was sitting pretty far forward in the boat, more or less on top of the dagger board.  This was both upwind and downwind.  The downwinds were not quite true down winds where you might try sailing be the lee.  While sailing both up and downwind, I kept a bit of leeward heel on the boat to try and keep the sail more full looking.  Other than that, it was the typical stuff.  Start on the line with some speed, look for the breeze, and stay patient.
The “Windy” Races
After the 3rd race, the wind finally filled in out of the south and we were able to get in two short races with some breeze.  These mostly continued to follow the same rules as the previous races but I kept my body in the more normal positioning on the Laser and keeping the boat flatter.  Clean starts and clear air downwind are what I found helping the most to keep the speed up.
Look forward to seeing everyone out on the water again next weekend.
Farley
Announcements, News

AGM Announcement

The AGM will be Saturday November 14th, 3:00 pm at the Washington Sailing Marina.
We chose to hold the event outside so we can social distance. The 3PM “happy hour” start time allows 2 hours before sunset (approximately 5 PM); we’ll have the AGM first, then a general socially-distant hang out.
There is no ticket cost for the event. We’ll provide single-serving snacks, please bring your own beverage(s). Please wear a mask when you’re within 6 feet of others and be generally respectful of distancing requirements.
Given that the event is weather-dependent, we’ve scheduled a backup date of November 21.
We’re hoping you’ll join us for some safe, socially-distant socializing.
Finally, head over to the results page to see the fall series season winners!