At the Marina Towers (same place as last year). Details to be posted soon. RSVP Here. See who is coming.
UPDATED! PRSA Fall Series # 5, Sunday October 18!
(As of Sunday, 10/18) Bill Kleysteuber is PRO, with RC provided by Albacores. Today’s AccuWeather forecast (always subject to change) calls for mostly cloudy, breezy, and cold conditions with rain possible, a high of 43 degrees, and northerly winds 21 – 22 MPH, with higher gusts. High tide will be at 8:51 AM and low tide at 3:23 PM. The river flow is currently above normal for this time of year, at 4,290 CFS (gage height 3.1 ft), and is headed up. The river temperature is on a downward trend, currently at 48 degrees.
Fall Series #4 10/11/2009 Scores – and Photos!
What a simply beautiful day on the river yesterday. 7 Lightnings and 8 Hobies came out to play (The Albacores were away at their National Championship) on a gorgeous fall day with temps near 70 and light breezes out of the North. Rick Welch dominated the Lightnings with 4 (count ’em) 4 bullets. Wow. On the Hobie side Bob Etheridge won the day. It was really nice to see such a great turnout from the Hobie class this week. Photos by John Butler here (thanks, John!) Scores are after the break:
Continue reading Fall Series #4 10/11/2009 Scores – and Photos!
PRSA Fall Series # 4, Sunday October 11!
Eight Hobies outnumbered the seven Lightnings on the race course on a beautiful fall 69-degree sunny day! Not only that, five of the 7 Lightnings were short crew! PRO Nabeel Alsalam set a long leeward – windward course with the windward mark near the entrance to Roaches Run, and the leeward mark near the entrance to the Anacostia, and got off four races in quick succession. The winds were in the range predicted (7 MPH) but were up and down, with some serious shifts. One gust knocked over a Hobie in the second race, but other than that the winds were gentle enough to allow double-handed spinnaker flying, some successful. Low tide was at 9:14 AM and high tide at 2:32 PM. The river flow was well below normal for this time of year, at 1,410 CFS (gage height 2.7 ft) and the water was a seasonal 64 degrees. Results and stories to be posted soon
Fall Series #3 10/04/2009 Scores
8 Lightnings and 8 Albacores came out to play on a beautiful gusty day. The RC set up a nice long 3 lap Olympic course with the windward mark all the way up by Roaches Run. Because the wind was out of the NW with frequent shifts west, the “Triangle” portion of the course was not much of an angle. It was more like a very long offset. At the start, winds were in the 10-15 range with gusts to 25. This faded as the day progressed, and actually got quite light by the time everyone came in. Rick Welch won the day for the Lightnings, while Barney Harris took top honors for the Albacores. Special thanks for Special Olympians Frank Altrichter, Rod Sellers, and Isaac Sellers for help on RC. Scores after the break:
PRSA Fall Series # 4 Sunday, Oct 11!
(This post is superseded by one posted October 7) Nabeel Alsalam is PRO, with RC provided by the Lightnings and others. Today’s long-range AccuWeather forecast for Sunday calls for times of clouds and sun, a high temperature of 67 degrees, and northeasterly winds at 8 MPH. Low tide will be at 9:14 AM and high tide at 2:32 PM. The river flow is below normal for this time of year, at 1770 CFS (gage height 2.8 ft) and the water is a seasonal 64 degrees. Round up crew, and come on down!
How to recover a Lightning from a Capsize!
Jeff Storck had the unfortunate experience on October 4 of catching a strong gust as he was tacking, with his centerboard temporarily on the river bottom, and quickly found his boat capsized and his crew in the water. He was asked how he recovered; his story is listed below, along with the subsequent comments that were exchanged in the email dialog.
One point not made in the dialog is that if there is ever any possibility of a capsize, you must put on your PFDs before you leave the dock, and keep them on until after your return. Also, pay attention to the water temperature and be aware of the effects of hypothermia and how quickly it can slow down your mental processes — which is why it is very important, when the water is 64 degrees, as it was yesterday, to have crash boats on the race course when capsizes are possible — to rescue CREW — not boats.
PRSA Fall Series # 3, Sunday, October 4!
(As of Monday, 10/5/09) Yates Dowell was PRO, with RC provided by the Cats. The brisk, refreshing days of October have arrived, promising dry sunny days and good winds. The AccuWeather forecast (always subject to change) called for mostly sunny skies, winds from the NW at 8 – 14 MPH, and a high temperature of 74 degrees. The river flow was slightly below normal for this time of year, at 2,070 CFS (gage height 2.8 ft), and the water had cooled to 64 degrees. High tide was at 8:59 AM and low tide at 3:23 PM. Gusts to 25 from 10 AM to 1 PM made for challenging conditions, causing multiple boats to capsize, and sending some competitors back to the dock early.
Fall Series #2 09/27/2009 Scores
What a beautiful day it turned out to be last Sunday, although as my crew will tell you “I hate Westy’s!” 🙂 The RC set up a long (or maybe I should say wide) Triangle course that made it a real tactical choice for the Lightnings on whether to try and carry the kite on the very tight reach legs. It also made for some interesting reach-to-reach jibes at the jibe mark. As usual when we get a westy (Did I mention I hate Westy’s!) crew work was at a premium. Frank Gallagher was very consistant in winning the day for the Lightnings, while Steve Parsons took the honors for the Albacores. On a side note, it was great to see Khin & Thant on their beautiful new Albacore fresh in from England. Click the “Read More” to see the scores:
PRSA Fall Series # 3, Sunday October 4!
(This post is superseded by one added on October 1) Yates Dowell is PRO, with RC provided by the Cats. The brisk, refreshing days of October are around the corner, promising dry sunny days and good winds. Today’s AccuWeather long-range forecast (always subject to change) for Sunday calls for partly sunny skies, winds from the northwest at 10 MPH, and a high temperature of 73 degrees. The river flow is near normal for this time of year, at 1,850 CFS (gage height 2.8 ft). High tide will be at 8:59 AM and low tide at 3:23 PM. Round up crew, and come on down!