It’s May already! Flowers are blooming, birds are singing, and PRSA one design sailboats are racing. Check your calendars, call your crew, get your yard work affairs all in order, and make plans to sail in the 2011 PRSA Spring Regatta on Saturday May 28 and Sunday May 29. Check out the recently posted NOR for details.
Tag Archives: Albacore Sailing
Fall Series #6 10/24/2010 Results
What a beautiful day to be on the water. Temps were in the 70’s, winds from the south @ 8-12. They just don’t get any better than that. Rick Welch was the PRO for the day and he and his able crew of Lightning and Buccaneer RC did an outstanding job. they set up a really nice windward/leeward course off of Haines Point, and snapped out 4 nice races with little to no down time in between them. Well done guys (and gals). The most notable thing on the day was the awesome turnout of Albacores. 9! count ’em 9 Albs came out to play. The Stim-you-later certainly did his job. Also in attendance were 2 Cats and 5 Lightnings for this great day of sailing. Scores after the break:
Falls Series #4 10/10/2010 Results
The water was looking pretty glassy when we got to the marina on Sunday. “Oh say it isn’t so” I thought to myself, the weather was beautiful, but there was not a breath of air to be found. Ever the optimists we all got our boats ready and splashed in anticipation of a little breeze. Yates, our intrepid PRO, decided to postpone on land and see what developed. 8 Lightnings and 1 Albacore sat bobbing around tied up to the dock while we waited. Around 11:15 or so we noticed a little southerly coming up. The RC (Ably manned by the Hobie fleet) went out to the river to investigate. Yes, a southerly was indeed making its way up the river, so in high hopes we set off for the race course. Most of the boats took the tow that the RC was offering. Team Ariel and a couple other boats, however, decided to sail up. Interestingly we all got to the race course at about the same time. RC wasted no time setting up a nice WL course and got us going. The breeze steadily built, and by the time we were finished for the day got up to 13kts or so. Wow, what a great day. We ended up getting 4 races in, with some of the best conditions of the year. Just proves the old adage: Good things come to those that wait. Special kudos go to Yates and the Hobie fleet for a job well done. Scores after the break:
Fall Series #3 – 10/03/2010 Results
We had a great day on the water October 3. Winds were from the ENE and ranged from 8-13 or so. Albacores, Bucc’s, Hobies, and Lightnings all came out to play on this beautiful, if cloudy, Fall day. PRO Robert Bennet set up a great course in the mouth of the Anacostia and got 4 nice races in before calling it quits. Scores after the break:
Fall Series #2 – 09/26/2010 Results
OK, I know these have been a long time coming, so I thought I should explain how the scoring works and why it is taking a long time to post them this Fall. The PRO is supposed to pass them off to me each week. that is fine except when I am not there, as I was not on September 26. I emailed the PRO looking for scores, but did not get them until the following weekend. I then had to track down several instances of people sailing who are not registered. The PRO’s have been getting sloppy about signing competitors in and getting skipper names for me. This week for the Albacores, it was Bob Wilbur sailing Saaskia Mooneys boat, and the Bucs who have been swapping sail #’s and having guest skippers who caused the problems, and the Cats who have about 4 different people who will sometimes sail with the same sail #. I also have the issue of needing to know when a Lightning is sailing short crew, something that happens regularly and affects their scoring. All in all, it is very confusing for your humble scorer. So, long story short, it took far too long to sort out who was who, and to get the scores to come out correctly. I have finally got something I feel confident in and can post, so without further ado, here are week 2’s scores:
Fall Series #1, 09/19/2010 Results
It just goes to show you, never believe the weather man! Sunday morning the forecast was dismal: Sunny, Hot, winds from nowhere @ 0-2. Sheesh! Its no wonder a lot of people voted with their feet and stayed home. What a mistake that turned out to be. The reality? Sunny, Warm, winds South @ 8-11!! It just doesn’t get much better than that. 5 Lightnings, 3 Albacores, and 3 Cats came out to play and got the best racing of the fall so far. Jeff Storck (PRO), aided by Bruce Heida, Becky Mach, Maryann Gallagher, Will Philippe, Chris McGraw and Judy Schramm set up a nice Windward Leeward course off the airport that they slowly lengthened as the breeze strengthened. While the Albs, and Cats went home after 3 races, the Lightnings stayed out for a fourth. That fourth race proved to be a challenge in the strong current and fading breeze. Jeff shortened it to 3 legs, and sent them home from the windward mark. A great day! Scores after the break:
Sunday, July 4 at Washington Sailing Marina!
The usual July 4th restrictions will be in place, as follows: there will be a police check point at the entrance to the marina beginning early morning on the 4th. Police will search and confiscate any alcohol, fireworks or firearms you may have. NO EXCEPTIONS for slipholders. Marina staff will set up a second checkpoint around 2 PM. They will be checking for valid parking passes. If you have not picked up your passes for this season please do so before the 4th. If you would like a guest pass please stop by the office. The office is open 9 – 6 seven days a week. Traffic on the Parkway will be a nightmare. If you want a hassle free holiday, show up as early as possible. As always grilling is prohibited on marina grounds as well as on boats docked at the marina. For questions, contact the marina at wsm@guestservices.com, 703-548-9027.
PRSA Spring Series # 8 Sunday, June 6 – Last One for Spring Series!
Updated June 7 —
Albacores did RC. The AccuWeather forecast called for mostly cloudy skies, a high of 91 degrees, and westerly winds at 19 – 22 MPH. A few thunderstorms were possible, some severe. The river flow was below normal for this time of year, at 6.310 CFS (gage height 3.5 ft) and the water had warmed to 82 degrees. Low tide was at 10:34 AM and high tide at 4:21 PM. Actual winds were from the SSW at 13 MPH up until 2:30 PM when a front came through, kicking up 29 MPH winds with gusts to 45. PRO Nathan Marsh and his crack Albacore RC set up an Olympic course with the leeward mark close to (but outside) the channel near the green channel mark off East Potomac Park, and got off four races in quick succession, for the 7 Lightings, 2 Buccs, one Albacore and one Hobie that sailed. All but 4 Lightnings had retired by the end of race 3 and were back at the docks before the front came through. For the four (Nabeel; Rick; Pat; and Peter Lallas) there was a wild ride home after race 4, but they all made it back without capsizing. Results to be posted soon.
PRSA Spring Regatta 2010 Saturday and Sunday, May 29 – 30
Updated 5/31/10 — The PRSA Spring regatta, our Memorial Day Weekend major event, has come and gone! Saturday brought us an overcast morning that slowly cleared, temperatures in the mid 70s, and calm winds until Noon. PRO Nabeel Alsalam wisely postponed, from the docks, the departure until 11:45, and by the time we got to the race course we had a very nice southerly, blowing 7 – 10 MPH. Nabeel got off 3 great Olympic course races for the 7 Lightings, 4 Buccs, 17 Albacores, 4 Hobies and a Thistle who came out. On the Lower Course we had 3 Optis and 2 Penguins. Sunday brought us a promising start with sunny skies, northerly winds at 5 – 10 MPH that unfortunately went light and variable as the day went on, and we gave up on the day at 3 PM at the end of the second race (which not everybody finished, due to a time limit expiration). Upper Course Results here. Lower Course Results here.
Our sincere thanks to the regatta organizing committee and to the PRSA members who worked this regatta. They include: PROs Nabeel Alsalam (upper course) and Jennifer Parrow (lower course); Race Committee drivers and helpers Ryan Vear, Stefano de Leo, Red Fehrle, Craig Huzway, Anna Lindel, Elaine Duffe, Inga Barkane, Linda Pacelli, John Hart, Annie Cross, Bill Swanson, Kate Dixon, Steve Parsons, and Thomas Jagodits; Registration workers Will Phillippe, Jeff Neurauter, Happy Olmstead, Wilda Heiss, Steve Parsons, and Barb Thompson; Planning the post-race barbeque and bringing food and beer: Pat McGee and Scott Snyder; producing the NOR and SIs, and acquiring trophies, scorekeeping, recruiting RC, and Boat Duty, Nabeel Alsalam. Well done!
Per PRSA Commodore Pat McGee: Starting Saturday morning many members just kicked in. I was really pleased by the amount of general pitching in. I could not move more than a few steps without someone offering to help. It made me very pleased with our membership. Maybe this is explained by our having shrunk into a core group (family). I owe all of you all a big thank you. I can’t thank you guys enough for just picking things up and making it all happen. Get’er done mentality. Nabeel – RC — great decisions – sitting on the docks for 90 minutes Sat., I know you were getting some pressured commentary – Great work!
Video Of The Week: Albacore 7124 in 30 knots
Check out the ruddercam as Mike Heinsdorf takes his alb out on the bay in winds of 25-27 with gusts well up in the thirties. Pretty cool stuff!