Lightnings

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.   —

 

Lightnings

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

News

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.

News

2021 Fall Series 1

A beautiful day for sailing.  SSW breezes at about 10-12 with higher gusts to later in the day to challenge the sailors.

Pictures!  Steen and Andres on the mark boat came in close to take those high resolution pictures. Selected ones are posted on the PRSA Facebook group.

Farley Will and team took advantage of our southerly and gave us 4 LONG windward-leeward races.   Thanks, Farley!

Those of you who have new sail numbers, I added it as an alternate sail number under your Spring Series registration.  The results below will show your Spring Series sail number.

Albacore_FS1

Buccaneer_FS1

I20_FS1

Laser_FS1

Lightning_FS1

 

Announcements, News

PRSA President’s Cup: September 18-19

Join the Potomac River Sailing Association to race in the largest one-design regatta on the Potomac with the National Capitol and monuments as a backdrop, and to carry on the tradition of competitive one-design racing that started with the 1934 President’s Cup!  The 2021 PRSA President’s Cup Regatta will be held on September 18 & 19 at Washington Sailing Marina.  Please visit the Regatta Website – https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/23128 – to view the NOR and register.  All one-design classes 20 feet or under are invited.

This year we have a flat fee registration for each boat ($40 for regatta participation only).  Please note that tickets for Saturday ‘s post-race BBQ are not included in the registration fee.  BBQ tickets for Saturday evening for each person (skipper and crew, as well as any friends/family that might join you) must be purchased separately as part of your registration or via the “Online Storefront” area on the Regatta Network website.   Please make sure to purchase BBQ tickets for your entire boat — skipper and crew — as well as any family/friends/visitors in advance so we can be sure to have sufficient food on hand!
Early registration ends on September 1, so register now to take advantage of the early registration discount and to let us know that you’ll be coming!
2021

DISC “Three Bridges Fiasco Race” (June 26)

On June 26 DISC will be holding a “Three Bridges Fiasco” race on the Potomac & Anacostia.  All PRSA boats/classes are invited.  The race will take you to government marks near each of the 3 bridges that we can sail to, in any order of your choosing, after starting at Red N6 (in the river just north of Old Town Alexandria).  The race will be scored using Portsmouth Yardstick Scoring.

Per the NOR and SIs, please contact DISC Officers via officers@discsailing.org with any questions about DISC racing or these Race Instructions.

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.