1. I am in the process of listing on the web everyone racing with SSSS who won something this summer. That led me to question what we are doing with the Stars. I seem to be turning out volumes of paper that no one wants. Maybe I miss something, but I see Bill has to find the people to give them their awards; they do not seem to want it enough to stop by his truck, let alone ask after it. So why are we doing it? Should we stop handing out certificates? Should we do something else? Should we even worry about awards? I do not have answers. But we should find some. At present it seems like the awards are a waste of time.
2. Our “gate course,” is not working as planned. The starting line makes a gate way too long. It does not function like a gate one would experience at a well run regatta. It is not good practice for sailing a gate at, say the Worlds. I was one who said the start/finish would work; I was wrong.
A gate is suppose to cut down on crowding at the leeward mark by offering an alternative way to round. Our course does not succeed in doing so. The marks are so far apart that the difference in course sailed to round the other mark is too far to count on getting it back with a clear rounding. So most everyone goes the same way and the mark is crowded.
Your choice as to which side of the gate to round should be more tactical, made closer to the time you want to round. Our marks are far enough apart the decision is more strategic: you often choose your side as you round the windward mark. That changes the game and does not give us experience with a gate as one will see it else where.
Again I am better at raising questions than at supplying solutions. A gate set mid line, downwind of the line? Would it get in the way of the start?
3. I think we talked about this already and agree, the offset mark at the regattas was too far from the windward mark. The courses became triangles; not Olympic triangles, but triangles still. This time the answer is obvious.
Steve
Virtual trophy case for series stuff. Awards for regattas.
ReplyDeleteif the line and course is square, the gate works. if it's favored one way or the other after the start, good for those who figured it out. If some are just following because they don't have a strategy of their own, too bad for them, they are sitting in bad air without a lane and likely would have been better served at the other gate. leave the gate with the RC and Pin, if you ad a 2 bouy gate upwind of the s/f line, a windshift will mean 3 marks need to be moved as opposed to just the pin and the boat or just the boat. Emphasize to all RC's that the s/f line is to be squared before each sequence. Nothing worse than to watch the anchor stay put the whole night while the breeze clocks and the course becomes an increasingly favored on one tack.
ReplyDeleteOne concept could be that the gate gets set a few minutes after the boats are away from the start by the RC moving into a shorter line configuration towards the pin. This shortens the distance between gates and makes the finsh line smaller (easier to see bow numbers, etc...) Also, it hopefully makes the start line square more often as the line is reset each race. Is this more work? yes. Is is worth it? It's up to you.
Steve,
ReplyDeleteAre we giving paper for every race win? That doesn't make sense. If that is what we are doing, how about only giving paper certificates for winners of each night? But, if that is what we are doing now, and people aren't picking them up, bag it.
On your point 3, the rules say that, if an offset make is used, it should be 90 degrees from the windward mark and at a distance of 75-100 meters. I think that is the distance which has been used.
Point 2. Although I like the idea of less congestion at the leeward mark, I agree that a gate was rarely used this year. I don't think that setting it after the start would work, as we have 3-4 races a night, and it would have to be pulled after each race and then reset after the next start.
Certificates: I think mine are buried in a drawer somewhere never to be seen again. Bag it. The winners should be announced on the web site. I think that's all we need.
ReplyDeleteGate course: I actually used the non-favored gate to advantage a couple of time last year and the year before. There was such congestion at the favored pin end that I came out way ahead by rounding the committee boat with clear air. Joe followed me once and agreed that it was the rignt thing to do. Lets leave the course as is.
John
I agree that the gate should stay. I also agree that the RC should just shorten the line after the start and the gate and finish would be better. The RC doesn't have to set a gate bouy, they just have to set themself close to the pin and viola... there is a better gate and finish line. After the finish they could just move back and set the boat end which would square up the line again nicely.
ReplyDeleteFor the certificates..... I like the posting of results and winners to the web and just having the major regattas have trophies.
Offset mark should be about 6-7 boatlenghts from the windward mark
Why don't we by a round for the winner and loser for the night and forget about the paper. Everyone knows the real award is the Mangled Mast Award!
ReplyDeleteaf1
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