Youth Sailing

Mallory Cup Last Weekend

Kurt Hoehne Dinghy Racing, High School Racing, Youth Sailing 0 Comment
Mallory Cup Last Weekend

There was a national championship in Seattle last weekend, the Mallory Cup. It was the doublehanded high school championship, and it was a big deal sailed from Sail Sand Point on Lake Washington. If we get more info or photos from the regatta, we’ll run ’em. In the meantime, here’s a scene setter and a brief recap courtesy of the Interscholastic Sailing Association.

We haven’t been able to locate any sailing photos yet, but this photo by Sandy Skeel of the mothership Maris Pearl tending to the fleet of 420s on Lake Washington.

Saturday, May 11:

The 2019 ISSA Fleet Race National Championship (Mallory Trophy) was hosted out of Sail Sand Point in Seattle, WA this weekend. Thank you to our PRO Jonathan McKee, regatta chair Nino Johnson, and the many other volunteers who donated their time to help run this regatta.

Saturday began with clear, sunny skies, warm temperatures, and a shifty ESE breeze 5 knot that averaged around 5 knots. Courses were adjusted to variable winds. Around 3pm the wind lightened considerably, causing a postponement of race 4B until a 8 knot SW wind filled in. Course was moved to account for new wind, then moved again for race 5B as the wind moved further south. Wind died around 5:45pm, at the end of race 5B, and the decision was made to postpone further races and then eventually call racing for the day. 10 races total were completed on Saturday, 5 in each division. Four protests were heard, 3 resulting in DSQs and 1 being dismissed.

After racing, sailors, coaches, and volunteers were treated to a banquet dinner and raffle that couldn’t be beat. Thanks to Seth Muir and Erin Timms for putting on the dinner, and to guest speaker Helena Scutt for providing an inspirational talk geared towards these top young athletes.

Sunday, May 12:

Sunday was the beginning of a new weather pattern, with overcast skies and cooler temperature. The wind was decidedly southerly, and at 8:30am the decision was made to have the course south, around Sand Point, and into better breeze. Coaches and substitute sailors were loaded onto the Maris Pearl, a tugboat that served as a rotation dock, and moved to the day’s new course location. Races were sailed in an 8-10 knot S breeze until around 1pm when the clouds began to lift and the wind died down. The course was moved back to the location of the previous day to take advantage of a shifting 5-7 knot ESE breeze. Around 3:40pm the wind lightened considerably and moved south, causing an abandonment of race 15A and the postponement of 15B. As per the SIs, no races were to be started after 4pm, so Sunday ended with a total of 18 completed races, 9 in each division. One redress hearing was heard, but was dismissed.

After a total of 28 races, 14 in A division and 14 in B division, Point Loma High School took home first place, followed by Severn School in second place, and Christchurch School in third. Congratulations to those sailors and to all of the sailors that made it to the 2019 ISSA Fleet Race National Championships! Thank you to our PRO, regatta chair, race committee, and judges, as well as all of the parents, coaches, sailors and volunteers who helped make this a great regatta!

West Coast Sailing Jumps Aboard

Kurt Hoehne sailish.com, Sponsors, Youth Sailing 0 Comment
West Coast Sailing Jumps Aboard

Sailish.com is totally proud and very grateful that West Coast Sailing has signed on as a sponsor. I know West Coast Sailing as a customer, sailor and supporter of Laser and all small-boat sailing in the region. And believe me, supporting Lasers is no small task these days. Their boundless energy and focus have put more butts in boats than can be counted. They know that what’s good for sailing is good for business. West Coast Sailing works closely with community sailing centers in the area to get kids (and adults) on the water.

You’ll see the West Coast Sailing logo proudly displayed on sailish.com, and that will of course be linked to their site. If you don’t know already, WCS deals in RS Sailing boats, Laser (or is it ILCA??) Hobie, Weta and others. They’re also experts in parts, clothing and assorted gear. Check them out.

This is good incentive for sailish to make sure we get the small boat scene covered properly. Any of you small boat sailors who want to contribute, please do! Racing, sailing, programs. Whatever will further our sport and make it accessible to more people.

With that said, alert reader Nate Creitz pointed out this video on the RS Feva (his son Dieter and crew Conrad Miller gave the British kids a good run for their money a couple years ago at Worlds). Alert reader Mike Johnson pointed out that the video creator was note cited – so we’ll take care of it. It’s Charles Dasher and his website is https://www.dasherfilms.com/.

Team Trials in Eagle Harbor

Kurt Hoehne High School Racing, Youth Sailing 1 Comment
Team Trials in Eagle Harbor

You probably get tired of hearing me say it, but youth and high school sailing in the Pacific Northwest is where it’s happening folks. Leave it to “kids these days” and their very supportive parents to remind us what a great sport we have.

Last weeked at Eagle Harbor on Bainbridge Island there was a highly competitive and full fleet of high school kids whipping their boats around, working as a three boat team and doing things with their boats most big boat sailors can’t even imagine.

Andrew Nelson, the NW Youth Sailing Director with The Sailing Director, reported the following: “Scores and a regatta summary can be found at the link below…
https://scores.hssailing.org/s19/2019-nwisa-team-race-championships/
It was a 3 on 3 team racing regatta, so any combo of 10 or less points wins. Olympia was a slight favorite going into the regatta, and after day one there was pretty much a four way tie between Olympia, Gig Harbor, Bainbridge, and Orcas.”

NOTE: I would love to have some dinghy boots on the ground reporting from youth events – so any of you young sailor-writers, coaches or parents who want to send something after big events, please email them to me and I’ll do my best to get them posted.

Photos by Jan Anderson. If you want to get excited about kids sailing, here’s the rest of them.


Dieter Measures In

Kurt Hoehne Dinghy Racing, PNW sailors around the world, Youth Sailing 0 Comment
Dieter Measures In

Dieter Creitz has arrived in Chile for the South American Optimist Championship and is enjoying the pre-race camaraderie that goes with an international regatta. You can see from the photos what this kind of event means to kids. You can also see how serious and competitive the teams are with the measuring in process and keeping the team focused. Here’s the report from Dieter’s dad Nate (who got to race on a Soto 40!):

We are having a great time In Chile. Team USA just headed out for their final practice. Dieter is truly enjoying himself and making new friends. It’s been great to see our friends from around the globe and his teammates from Bermuda who helped him get here. We haven’t spent much time with him as he is with his team and coaches staying together.

Racing begins tomorrow and opening ceremonies are tonight with a parade through town which will be quite a show. It’s very impressive how IODA operates and the infrastructure in place for this event. Big tents, food everywhere and lots of sponsors showcasing products. Lots of flags & banners blowing in the wind. The measurement process yesterday was long and grueling. The team sat down with the committee and were briefed on the process. Dieter’s sail numbers were incorrect and had to be redone and his daggerboard was too heavy and had to be sanded down. It was surprising the deviation of equipment manufactured here in South America and how many items did not measure correctly. Boats & foils we use back home are manufactured much more consistently.

Beginning tomorrow parents are not allowed into the sailors boatyard. Parents are also not allowed access to the cabins where our team is housed.

Yesterday I sailed three races on a Soto 40 with a Chilean crew who spoke Spanish the entire race! There are feral dogs everywhere who are well fed, friendly & happy.

Thanks to Nate we’ll keep track of this one. Young sailors out there – get inspired!

Dieter in Chile

Kurt Hoehne PNW sailors around the world, Youth Sailing 0 Comment

Our young PNW sailing hero Dieter Creitz is spending 22 hours traveling to Algerobbo Chile today, along with his parents (and amazing support crew) Nate and Wanda. Creitz is one of 15 US sailors competing in the South American Championships.

Dieter Creitz finishing at the Canadian Opti Nationals last year.

Ponder this: Creitz just came back from a National Team training session in LA where they spent four days refining Opti techniques. To say he’s fraying the sheets at two ends is an understatement. The night before last he had a 103-degree fever plus vomiting. Nonetheless, he’s “VERY excited” to be going and after a few days training at the regatta site he should be ready to go.

For those who judge the boxy, underpowered and distinctly old school Opti as somehow “hurting” sailing, I’ll just say that there are 170 kids racing in this event from all over the world. They have support from parents, coaches and national authorities, and some (like Dieter) bring along their own gear (less hull) to get every last 100th of a knot out of the boat. They are as competitive as any adult, yet there are lifelong friendships and memories being made along the way.

As Craig Leweck said in yesterday’s Scuttlebutt newsletter, it’s not about the boat. He wrote, “I do tire of hearing people compare boats and then using that as a basis for judging what is the better one design class. To me that is short-sighted chest-pounding. The purpose of a one design class is to bring together like-minded people to enjoy camaraderie and competition in a boat they enjoy and feel competent sailing. When everyone is doing the same thing for the same reason, the beer tastes better at the end of the day.” Leweck was commenting about the Laser, but I submit that it applies to the Opti as well, as long as you supplant “beer” with “juice.”

I’ll be following Dieter as he takes on the South Americans. Knowing Dieter, his attitude will ensure a good finish and, more importantly, a fun time with some new friends. In Chile! If you want to check in on the regatta for yourself, here’s the site.


Laser 4.7 and Radial Youth Regattas in Kingston

Kurt Hoehne Dinghy Racing, Laser Sailing, Youth Sailing 0 Comment
Laser 4.7 and Radial Youth Regattas in Kingston

The Laser in its smaller sail configurations remains the class of choice around the world for youth sailors aging (or sizing) out of Optis. In Europe the big regattas draw hundreds of boats.

This year the Youth World Championships for both classes are going to be at Kingston, Ontario sailing in the challenging fresh waters of Lake Ontario. The Radials will sail the last week in July and and the 4.7s will go August 16-23rd.

There’s a limit on competitors (240 in each class), and a qualification and application process, so if you’re planning on going it’s a good idea to get started early. Registrations are open now. Here are the links: Radials, 4.7s.

Dolphins Love Optis

Kurt Hoehne Environment and Wildlife, Youth Sailing 0 Comment

Borrowed this from the Live Sail Die website. Oh to have this happen when sailing a dinghy! After pushing your heart back down out of your throat you’d have a tale to tell! Is it just me or is that dolphin checking out the sail trim on that Opti? They caption it: 

You don’t get this on the golf course! Or the rugby field, or the cricket pitch! That’s right, dolphins are only found jumping around in the water, and usually where sailing is taking place. Check out this amazing capture by Gauthier Thomas – GT Sailing, who was out coaching Optimist sailors when all of a sudden, a dolphin wanted in on the action!

A School District and Community that Understand the Value of Waterfront Skills

Kurt Hoehne Community, Youth Sailing , 0 Comment
A School District and Community that Understand the Value of Waterfront Skills

On a recent visit to the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend, Executive Director (and R2AK Guru) Jake Beattie told me about an exciting partnership of the Center with the local schools. When my own son recites the familiar refrain, “when am I ever going to use math in real life?!” as he faces homework, I think of this program. I hope to take a more in-depth look at the initiative, but in the meantime here’s a short description and some introductory videos. Be sure to share with your children’s educators! -KH

MARITIME DISCOVERY SCHOOLS INITIATIVE

Imagine a school day where students’ minds and senses are fully engaged, where subjects jump off the page in the context of the real world around them—learning to swim as part of kindergarten PE, watching math come alive through sail-making, studying salmon habitat restoration for science, or biology through growing an oyster. This is what is meant by place-based education, where the unique resources of our community are used systematically throughout a student’s academic career.

The impact on our school system is positive and profound.

Working with teachers, parents, and area business and non-profit partners, Port Townsend Schools have a 5-year plan to implement a central Maritime Framework throughout K-12 education and anchor all subjects and grade levels in experiences of our maritime community.

 

Pumpkin Bowl – the West Vancouver YC Youth Regatta Template

Kurt Hoehne Youth Sailing , 2 Comments
Pumpkin Bowl – the West Vancouver YC Youth Regatta Template

Judging by the photos and reports coming in, the Pumpkin Bowl was much more about the kids and adults having a glorious good time than nail biting racing. A quick scan of the numbers tell a nearly 1-1 ratio of young competitors to adult supporters (volunteers, coaches) We at Sailish.com got to play a minor role with Bruce drumming up a pre-regatta weather report. The title sponsors were Harken and Pro-Tech Yacht Services.

Basically, it was the kind of youth regatta that can act as a template for the growing youth scene here in the PNW. To use that well worn phrase from Field of Dreams, “If you build it, they will come.” Yes, it’s a lot of work. But if you want your kids with spray in their faces instead of screens, this is the best way to do it.

On the racing side, the unstoppable Dieter Creitz from Seattle won the 55-boat Opti fleet with four out of six race wins. Maura Dewey won the 35-boat Laser Radial fleet winning five of seven races. There were also two 420 fleets, a 29er fleet, Laser 4.7s and and RS Feva fleet. Laser District 6 held its District Champs which allowed a few adults to sneak on the course. Results.

We have two reports, first from Opti Mom Jill Avery and then from the Mount Baker Rowing & Sailing Center (Seattle) coach Kaitlyn van Nostrand. Photos from various sources including Alyson Sydor and Doug Wardrop.

 

The Pumpkin Bowl Regatta held at the West Vancouver Yacht Club this past weekend is the largest on the BC Sailing circuit. The club hosted 165 boats, and over 200 competitors aged 7-20 from 2 provinces and 2 states. 54 dinghy and double-handed races were run on 4 courses in Howe Sound and boat classes included Optis, Lasers, Radials, 4.7’s,  420s, 29ers and Fevas. The Regatta was made possible by the dedication of over 130 volunteers (of which over 80 were on the water) and RCM/SAR 1 out of Horseshoe Bay watched over the action all weekend long. Much fun was had as witches handed out candy and painted faces of the youngest sailors, prizes were awarded and the athletes rigged their boats while getting inspired by a dedicated regatta playlist developed by West Vancouver’s own North Shore Sailing Team. –Jill Avery

Click a photo to enlarge.

Pumpkin Bowl was our first regatta as a team in Canada and my first time coaching an event in BC. I was left nothing short of inspired. Arriving late on Friday night, we unloaded an Opti in one of the neatly set up rows and dropped off our coach boat at the neighboring Thunderbird Marina. Saturday morning, we were welcomed with open arms by regatta volunteers and beautiful sunny weather. WVYC runs the regatta like a well oiled machine! A information table, volunteers at the hoist, a packet for coaches. This year we brought three Opti sailors, who had two exceptional days of sailing by a professional race committee and mark set boats that worked so hard in the conditions. This event is larger than any youth regatta in Seattle! We had an amazing experience and can’t wait to bring more sailors back next year. Thank you to WVYC! –Kaitlyn van Nostrand

Weather for 12, 13 and 14 Oct. Pumpkin Bowl Regatta at West Van and PSSC at Shilshole

Bruce Hedrick Bruce's Briefs, Youth Sailing 0 Comment
Weather for 12, 13 and 14 Oct. Pumpkin Bowl Regatta at West Van and PSSC at Shilshole

It has been getting noticeably cooler this week and last Saturday you could even see a new dusting of snow on the taller peaks in the Olympics as well as up at Whistler. This will present some challenging conditions for sailors this weekend. Today we have a moderate onshore flow as a result of the high-pressure system (1029MB) just offshore. The fact that it is irregularly shaped and less than 1030MB tells us that it will be pushed around by the two fronts to the west of that high. Offshore we’ll have very strong northerlies today, possibly gale force, that will last into the late evening. After that, the gradient that causes this will ease and a northeasterly offshore flow will develop and last into Saturday morning. In the Strait of Georgia, this will last until midday when it will be replaced by a weak northwesterly filling down the Straits which will last into the early evening hours at which time a weak offshore northeasterly will once again develop. With our highly varied topography, which will generate its usual plethora of micro-climates, sailors in both venues will face challenging conditions, not too much wind but plenty of sun so USE THE SUNBLOCK EARLY AND OFTEN!

Of general interest to boaters will be that whopping 967MB low in the central Pacific, luckily with the current configuration of the jet stream this won’t present a problem to boaters on the Salish Sea. This is, however, the time of the year that we can get these systems and as the jet stream changes, they will eventually come into our area. It is, after all, the 56th anniversary of the Columbus Day Storm.

The Pumpkin Bowl Regatta.

This is a very cool event run out of West Vancouver YC which as of last night had over 200 sailors in 190 boats registered for the weekend. Last year, in just two days, they completed 63 races. In order to do this, they have an army of over 100 volunteers with 70 of them being on the water. WOW!

Tidal Currents: Measurements at the First Narrows

13 Oct

0850      Slack

1125      Max Ebb                 2.1 knots

1422      Slack

1644      Max Flood            1.5

1857      Slack

14 Oct

0947      Slack

1220      Max Ebb                 1.8 knots

1524      Slack

1729      Max Flood            .9 knots

 

While there won’t be this much current in Howe Sound it will be something to watch especially if any of the marks are near the shore.

My point in bringing up the cooler weather and snow in the mountains is to make the point that the gradient will reinforce the usual squamish effect that occurs in Howe Sound and will also show itself in English Bay. In the morning the flow will be from the northeast in both Howe Sound and English Bay. As the sun comes out and the land starts to warm, this flow will ease to less than five knots somewhere between 1000 and noon. The flow will back to the north and then around 1300-1500 hours back sharply to the west. Your key to this will be your masthead wind indicator since the air aloft will be warmer than the surface air and will start warning you the shift is coming. The westerly will be around 4-6 knots and will slowly build to 5-8 knots by the late afternoon. After about 1700 hours the breeze will start to ease and clock back to the northeast as we go into evening cooling.

Sunday doesn’t look quite so good as the morning squamish will die to light and variable conditions however as the land starts to heat, a light west-southwesterly breeze (3-5 knots) will start to fill around noon and as the day goes on this will clock to the west-northwest and remain light.

Regardless, this will be a fun weekend to be on the water.

Sailors in Puget Sound will face similar conditions except that there will definitely be a northwesterly breeze especially on Saturday morning, like maybe 20+ and it will hold until mid-afternoon when it will start to ease very slightly. In the morning along the east side of the Sound, there could still be some of the downslope drainage effects which will create a shift to the north-northeast, however, this will go away as the land heats and draws more of the northwesterly down the Sound.

There will still be wind on Sunday just less of it and it will start out being from the north and then back to the northwest as the land heats. It will start out at around 7-10 knots and pretty much stay at that velocity until mid-afternoon when a solid northwesterly of about 10-14knots should have made its way into the central Sound. It will last until late afternoon when the cooling land mass will start to drop the breeze.

Tides at West Point  

This is going to look a bit strange so I’ve included a graph to explain what is going on. Overall, just not a lot of current however you still need to be aware of it.

13 Oct

0836      Slack

1006      Ebb          .23 knots

1130      Ebb          .20 knots

1254      Ebb          .21 knots            

1448      Slack

1730      Flood     .64 knots

14 Oct

0936      Slack

1312      Ebb          .22

1530      Slack

1812      Flood     .53  

 

Have a great weekend and enjoy the sun!