John Van Voorhis, Bob Bear, and Steen Byskov and son ran the races – four of them.
(Races 15-18)
PRSA Spring Regatta May 27-28
Updated 29 May: we had a great weekend of racing, with all classes getting 9 or 10 races in a shifty and variable easterly. Results are posted here: https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/26050#_newsroom and we have some fantastic photos from Lindsay Bach (from the mark boat) posted here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/mS7iMjrp9u6yJ3to8
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Register now for the PRSA Spring Regatta (May 27-28) and enjoy two days of racing on the Potomac River with the monuments and Capitol as a backdrop. Head to the Regatta Network site – https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/26050 – to register and to view the NOR. Additional regatta information will be posted on the Regatta Network site.
2023 Spring Series #6 (May 14)
Jim Graham ran the races with Barney Harris running the mark boat. Natalie Rehberger, Mike Heinsdorf, and Eva Hogan assisted.
The Lightnings were finishing day 2 of the Doc Gilbert Memorial Potomac Cup.
The winds were from the NE with shots from the ENE. During the 3rd race, the winds died completely leaving the sailors helpless against the current pushing them up river. The wind finally came back in to allow them to finish.
Lightning Doc Gilbert Potomac Cup Results
(Races 12-14)
2023 Spring Series #5 (May 7)
Dana Howe, John Van Voorhis, David Roberts, Austin Bradham, and Walter Truluck ran the races.
Winds were very light and a number of boats were still working their way up to the starting area at 1125 prompting a postponement. About 25 or so minutes later the Southerly filled in enough that we could manage two starts but we sent them on a W1 for Race One. The breeze filled in a little more allowing us to post W2 courses for races two and three.
At best I’d say we saw 8 kts with moderate current all day. The wind was mostly from the south (strait upriver) and would drift easterly once in a while.
— Dana Howe
Here are the results:
(Race 9-11 in the series)
PRSA at the Annapolis and DC Boat Shows!
PRSA Sailors: I’m excited to share that PRSA has been invited to participate in the Annapolis Spring boat show, April 28-30, and the First Annual Washington DC Boat show May 5-7. Both shows are showcasing local sailing / boating clubs, which gives us a great opportunity to promote our club and fleets. Many thanks to our PRSA Secretary, Kyra, and to Melissa for all of the organizing work here! Please take a moment to read the details below and then let us know if you might have some time to volunteer to staff the booths at one or both shows. If you plan on stopping by just to visit the shows, let us know as well (and be sure to wear some PRSA gear!).
- The Annapolis Boat show — April 28-30 — is providing our members a discount code, “PRS23”. This will get you admission to the show for $12. Spinsheet has coordinated the club showcase, and will be taking photographs through the event, so wear your PRSA gear, especially if you are willing to volunteer at our PRSA booth.
- The DC Boat show (May 5-7) will be held at National Harbor. We will be there with other local clubs to promote sailing on the river and collaboration among our area clubs.
2023 Spring Sunday Series #3
What a crazy wind day! It started from the NW. Died. Came back from the east. Went west. Filled in from the south. To their credit, the RC led by Justin Harler and Stas Burgiel of the I-20 fleet held their noses and started races.
Below are the scores. Some sailors are falling through the cracks because they have not registered their intension to sail the series. The only skippers I have in the scoring program are those that have registered. So please register here.
2023 Spring Sunday Series #2
Stew Harris and I-20 team ran the races. The southerly was steady and the wind was easy to handle.
The scoring has changed this season. (And we are still figuring out the edge cases.)
1) boats must register their intension to sail in the series, Use this link to register: https://forms.gle/
2) all registered boats are scored in each race,
3) race committee is given a provisional score of number of finishers but eventually will get their average among non-DNC (doing RC will help your series score), and
4) showing up at the marina gives you a DNS ( = number of finishers + 2) which is better than DNC ( = number registered) even if you don’t splash your boat.
2023 Capital City Regatta Registration!
Join us for the 2023 Potomac River Sailing Association Capital City Laser Regatta on March 25 and 26.
Close out your winter Laser Season with this 2 day event. We will be sailing Saturday and Sunday and will be having dinner at the marina on Saturday after racing.
2022-2023 Laser Frostbite #16
First, I would like to thank Brian and his daughter, Thea, on Race Committee, as well all the other behind the scenes organizers to the fleet. It was a tough day to be RC, given the velocity and directional shifts of the day. We saw 0 to 13 knots, oscillating from S by W to South with races 5 and 6 going S by E 3 times from south in the heavier puffs. That’s about a 25-degree oscillation.
The boat end was favored for the first 4 races, races 3 and 4 very heavily boat end favored, in 5 and 6 as the breeze came up it shifted left to S by E, this made the line more square. Current was high around noon, we had a strong ebb or south flow all day, this meant extra space to leeward of the start line and not to set up with no hole at the boat since it would be closed, aka 2 nd row.
Some pre-race thoughts:
- Ebb current direction with a south breeze, I think about the adjusted apparent wind angle upwind. This will artificially make me think I am always headed since the current push is decreasing the apparent wind angle. This is on both tacks, yesterday more on the port tack.
- Given the current direction there was no “lee bow “affect downwind, just long slow fight the current runs.
- Rounding the leeward mark needs extra room not to hit it, the lighter the air the more room needed.
- Windward mark layline can be short tacked since current will assist making the layline.
- Cross the current in the puffs and stem into current in the lulls, tough to do on the run.
- In super light air never be further than 3 boat lengths past either end of the start line.
Starting approach was to get off the line clean and fast, even if that meant not at the most favored end but free of traffic and with clear air, more of a conservative approach.
On one downwind legs approaching the leeward mark I had 2 boats inside and overlapped, and 3 boats overlapped to my right outside of me. All on port jibe. I set up to carry the 2 boats inside me up to just before entering the 3-boat length circle when I jibed to break overlap and as I entered the 3-boat length circle. First, when jibing or tacking outside the circle breaks the overlap, second, I had positioned the jibe so that I was clear ahead on starboard while the 2 inside boats were on port still, this occurred as I entered the circle. I communicated to the 2 inside boats, that they no longer had room. This is a textbook maneuver to be expected, I am hopeful the 2 boats inside take away this experience to anticipate next time.
I learned a rather large lesson that cost me a 1st to 5th place finish in Race 3. In race 3 I rounded the leeward mark in first place and proceeded up the right side to the weather mark, when I heard Farley get the horn, I unwound myself to finish 5th . I had lost track of the race legs and thought it was the second beat. I was focused on the breeze between myself and the windward mark. Perfect example of sailing with my head too much in the boat.
Dave Coughlin, Sail number # 116366
2022 Frostbite Series all as of 03/12/23 Totals
2022 Frostbite Series all as of 03/12/23
2023 Spring/Fall Series Registration, NOR, Sailing Instructions, and RC Duty
PRSA Sailors:
We are just 2 weeks away from the start of the PRSA Spring Series! We are writing now to provide information on some important changes that are going into effect this spring. Please make sure to read through these details carefully so that you’re prepared to race as our Spring Series kicks off on 30 March.
First, you will need to register for the series in advance. Use this link to register: https://forms.gle/9riR85toVRbdvZ976. When you register, you will be prompted to sign up for at least ½ of your required Race Committee (RC) slots. We have had a difficult time filling RC slots in recent seasons and this change will help to address the issue. We will be providing opportunities to help train RC and will look to pair individuals with less RC experience with those that can mentor.
In 2023 all skippers of multi-person boats are responsible for the same amount of RC duty: 4 slots over the Spring & Fall series. Skippers of single person boats are responsible for 2 slots over the Spring & Fall Series. Each skipper may serve your 4 slots all in the Spring, all in the Fall, or spread throughout the spring and the fall. If you bring your crew or friends to help you, make sure to enter the last name of the skipper receiving credit for these volunteers on the RC spreadsheet. You can find the link to the RC Service Signup Sheet here: http://potomacriversailing.org/dues-rc-duty/. And remember, serving as PRO for any race day or as Regatta Chair for one of our 2-day regattas counts as 2 slots.
Second, make sure to review the NOR and the Sailing Instructions for the 2023 Spring and Fall series racing (posted here: http://potomacriversailing.org/spring-fall-sunday-series/). We have made several important changes on scoring that should both bolster participation and enable sailors to travel to away regattas to still compete in, and be competitive for trophies, our Sunday Series races. In brief:
- The new scoring rules eliminate the minimum “races sailed requirement.” There have been many cases where skippers are only a race or two below 50% threshold and don’t qualify. Since days get canceled due to weather and/or due to lack of RC, it isn’t always in the skipper’s control that they end up not sailing in 50% of races. Adding DNC to bring those skippers up to 50% participation would have seen those skippers ranking higher than boats that qualified. We will still only calculate a boat’s series score based on their top 50% finishes in the series(effectively everyone gets to drop their worst half of their scores).
- We are also modifying how DNS, DNF, & DNC are scored and how races conducted while on RC are calculated so that all races can be scored. Our goal is to reward people on RC, incentivize people to race in the conditions that they feel comfortable and at least show up to the Marina before making a final decision.
These changes were discussed at the AGM and then refined through input provided to Tyler, our Rear Commodore, by members and at the 23 January Race Program Committee Meeting. On behalf of the PRSA Executive Committee, I want to thank Tyler in particular for all of the work that he has put in to update our NOR and SIs and to streamline the organization of our Spring and Fall series.
Summary of relevant links:
- Registration for 2023 Spring & Fall Series: https://forms.gle/9riR85toVRbdvZ976
- Spring & Fall Sunday Series NOR and SIs: http://potomacriversailing.org/spring-fall-sunday-series/
- PRSA RC Information (and link to RC signup): http://potomacriversailing.org/dues-rc-duty/
- Information on all PRSA Regattas and Series Races: http://potomacriversailing.org/nors-sis/
Please make sure to review the NOR and the SIs and to register so that you are all set to start racing when the 2023 Spring Series begins on 30 March! We look forward to seeing you on the water!