So OK Newport YC ... July Wed. night spin races.
6 boats ... of which half the fleet did not complete a race in July.
week 1 cancelled heavy fog
week 2 abandoned 180 wind shift with 30 mph squall
week 3 abandoned heavy fog on long course, returned under 100% Gps guidance from windward mark 4.5 miles south.
week 4 DNF time expired. (two out of 5 racing that night DNF TE) Typical wind that dies after the fast boats finish.

Of course it would help if Vee Jay wasn't the slowest boat in the spin class. Which includes:
1. IMX 45 Temptress, phrf of 9
2. Bob Johnstone's J111 Fleetwing, phrf 42
3. Beneteau First 42, phrf 55
4. Beneteau First 40.7, phrf 87
5. Frers 40, phrf 99
6. Vee Jay ... with roller and 155, phrf 144

interestingly one week Vee Jay managed to nab 2 2nds during one of our first double night races of the season in June.

The big boys were waring with each other and did not realize how much time they owed me.

so ok ... NYC does a decent italian sausage sandwich and the beer is $3 a bottle. and the deck overlooks the harbor. and the crew needs training where the only pressure is at the start.

how's about you guys out there ...

I'm trying to talk Bill Rhapsody into a OD start on tues nights next year. I do committee boat on Tues nights this summer... nice to see the Vipers race. we would probably be the second start after the vipers but before the S Class.

That would be ideal.
Photos from the RC boat Tues night:
Newport YC Tues night on water.

In Chicago, as far as racing goes it depends on where you are. The J/30 Circus is up north at Montrose harbor and appears to be having a fine time at beer can racing. They consume some stuff in blue cans which is labeled "beer", but I'm not sure it would pass the Reinheitsgebot.

Down south the racing sucks, but we also have a good time. Only one race so far has been a dud because of lack of wind.

Fortunately, some wise ass complained about the Wednesday night awards and was tasked with improving them. Full bottles of Mount Gay gave us more incentive to do well. Since the change in trophies, the good yacht Planxty has not yet lost a race.

BTW, we win, beating much bigger/faster boats with a white main.

Down here in NJ we have a great PHRF "A2" division, ratings from 108 (Olson 30) to 138 (us)-we've been getting 13 boats on the line most Wednesday nights in our division. 5 J29's (4 masthead outboard), 2 J-30's (another 30 sails non-spinnaker), 1 Olson 911, 1 Olson 30, 1 Santana 3030, 1 S2 9.1, plus a Cal 40 and a Pearson 36.2. No races cancelled yet this season, although several very light air races (where we can't keep up with the 29's or the Olson 30). We are still in the mix though so far, and we won the division (and club) championship twice in the last three seasons. Starts are very aggressive-not for the faint of heart...

Overall participation across 4 divisions is about 40 boats on Wednesdays.

At the Squamish Yacht Club, the racing is as grassroots as it gets. Anywhere between 3-5 spinnaker boats and 2-3 non-spin. We race in heavy winds and heavy current.

Spin boats are:
Ericson 33 (144)
Santana 35 (125)
Natural High (136)
Martin 242 (168)
Mirage 33 (172)

Beer is $2 out of an old soda machine. Clubhouse may or may not finally give up and slide into the channel when you are in it post race; it keeps you guessing.

Western Lake Erie PHRF is alive and well.
Our club has 68 boats registered for Wednesday night racing split pretty even between Spin and JAM. Spin is divided into 3 classes. 15 races are competed in three series (each consisting of 5 races)
Season kicked off with the classic Mills Cup (140 boats competed); this coming weeked will be the Annual Interlake Yachting Association Regatta at Put-in-Bay (125 boats registered so far).

Wildcat does her best to respresent the virtures of the J/30. It's tough to represent the boat's OD benifits as we have been unsuccessful in putting any OD events in place. PHFR, on the other hand, is a different storry.

Last year Wildcat won Western Lake Erie PHRF Boat of the year including first in class and fist overall in the 2010 Mills Race and 1st in class at 2010 Bay week

This year we took 1st in class (which was our 3rd year in a row) and 3rd overall in the Mills. We have taken 1st in class in our Spring and our Summer Wednesday night series and we are one of 6 boats with a serious chance at winning the Wednesday night season overall. Boats in contention for season overall include an interesting mix; a Melges 32, J/35, Evelan 32, Santana 35, J/92 and our J/30.

To support Dennis' comment about sail material, we do have one "white" sail that we carry on board - our 25 year old #3 and even though it's not been out of the bag this year or last, I'm sure it's the reason we do so well. GO DACRON!!

Just to put things in context, we had the annual "crew rotation" race last night that is like musical chairs. On every leg everyone on the crew has to shift positions. Rhapsody raced this under jib and main since we didn't have many on-board who had spinnaker experience.

Below is my email to the crew....

Results aren't posted yet, but I saw Cheryl from the RC getting coffee this morning. We finished physically 2nd in class behind Duck Soup who rates 107 (we rate 155) but beat them on corrected time. However..... the Pearson Electra (Chairman Arafat) that rates 290 and finished way behind us corrected to 38 seconds ahead of us.

Did I mention that PHRF racing sucks and One Design is the only "real" way to race!!!

Actually we had a great time last night on the crew rotation race. Nice job by everyone.

PHRF Regatta Results - Lake Ontario
EYC Regatta
3 J/30's Blaze, Crusader, Velocity Girl sailing at 135 in 8 boat division from 129-141 with a C&C35,C&C33,Hughes 35, Santa Cruz 27
Long Distance Race 20 miles ligght air - Velocity Girl 1st, Blaze 2nd, Crusader 5th. Course racing - 2 days Blaze 1st, Crusader 2nd, Velocity Girl 4th. Overall 30 boats - Blaze 1st, Crusader 5th, Velocity Girl 10th.

Youngstown Level Regatta - 11 boats PHRF - CruSADER J/30 PHRF 135 - 11 boats 120-135 ( Tripp 26, J34, C&C38,J/27's (3), Laser28, Pearson Flyer, Santana 30/30 ) 2 days - 7 races - Crusader 2nd behind a J/27

LYRA Long Distance Night Race 74 miles - 17 boats
Crusader J/30 First Div and Overall - PHRF -18 to 19 ( Schock 40, J92, Dash 34, Olson 911, Beneatu 30E, Beneatu 36.7

LYRA Course Racing - Division PHRF 135 - 189 , Crusader J/30 (135) 2nd

SAIL Oswego - 3 J/30's in Div with C&C 33, Soverel 27 -
Blaze J/30 First, Velocity Girl 3rd