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View Full Version : 2015 Long Pac - who is going ?



brianb
10-17-2014, 05:00 PM
I am considering sailing out into gail alley in 2015, anyone else going ?

Critter
10-17-2014, 05:17 PM
Me! (Edit: my message was too short. Has to be at least 10 characters.)

BobJ
10-17-2014, 05:20 PM
I plan to be participating on one side of the race deck or the other.

todd22123
10-17-2014, 08:04 PM
Is there a date yet?

Todd

BobJ
10-17-2014, 09:10 PM
For current, 7/08-7/14 looks pretty good. 6/24-6/30 would also work. Maybe we'll find out at next Wednesday's meeting.

DaveH
10-18-2014, 08:08 AM
Domino and I will be...

DH

brianb
10-18-2014, 12:17 PM
We should change the format - pick a two week window. Must start and finish in the window. Best round trip time wins, + or - PHRF rating. Use GPS track for validation of voyage plus a picture of the Longitude line as you turn across it.

pogen
10-18-2014, 01:00 PM
I'm in.

-----------------------------

Mewes
10-18-2014, 09:42 PM
There already in one of those: the LatePac. Or is it the ShadowPac?

dhusselman
10-19-2014, 08:13 PM
I'm in.

Dirk - First 30JK "TIJD"

Gamayun
10-20-2014, 08:46 AM
Count me in as a definite maybe....

BobJ
10-20-2014, 02:58 PM
That's some rock-solid commitment right there. :)

Do we want to have a LongPac prep seminar like we used to have - show and tell, answer questions, etc.? It would also be nice to realign the equipment rules with the SHTP. If you geared up for LongPac, all you needed to add was e-steering and SSB or satphone and you were set for the SHTP. This could be accomplished by trimming the SHTP list, not by adding to the LongPac list. (Yeah I know, I'm a troublemaker.)

Gamayun
10-21-2014, 03:23 PM
Do we want to have a LongPac prep seminar like we used to have - show and tell, answer questions, etc.? It would also be nice to realign the equipment rules with the SHTP. If you geared up for LongPac, all you needed to add was e-steering and SSB or satphone and you were set for the SHTP. This could be accomplished by trimming the SHTP list, not by adding to the LongPac list. (Yeah I know, I'm a troublemaker.)

I'm all for this, but then all I would have to do is show up. So if it can be easily put together, it would be great to have a LongPac seminar some time early in the next year. It would also be nice to hear "LongPac stories" from others who have done it.

Black Jack
10-21-2014, 03:56 PM
I'm all for this, but then all I would have to do is show up. So if it can be easily put together, it would be great to have a LongPac seminar some time early in the next year. It would also be nice to hear "LongPac stories" from others who have done it.

Me too. Early next year would be super. Time to hear, learn and plan.

bizirka
10-27-2014, 06:20 PM
Me too. Early next year would be super. Time to hear, learn and plan.

I am 100% in as a preperation for the 2016 singlehanded transpac. I would love to have a prep meeting early next year to iron out the gear/equipment requirements with an eye out for the 2016 race.

Very excited.

Jiri

sunol
11-02-2014, 09:34 AM
I'm planning to sign up DH. As a newbie, a seminar would be awesome...

JAMcDonald
11-04-2014, 06:35 PM
Back willing we'll be back either single or DH for Pac Cup practice.

brianb
11-09-2014, 08:43 PM
We will assemble a seminar with a focus on the equipment requirements for the Long Pac and the Single Handed Transpac. The location will be targeted for the Oakland YC. If you have a particular topic you are interested in let us know.

Regards,

Brian Boschma

dhusselman
11-11-2014, 10:57 AM
Seminars would be great so skippers can hang out and get to know each other and share information about the race.
Also one year we had boats arrive at GGYC the day before and a large group went out to dinner.

Discussing requirements for Longpac and Transpac will be great as well. Many requirements should be off the table for discussion but it would be good to hear opinions on requirements that could be changed.

Let me know how I can help out.

Dirk - TIJD First 30JK

sunol
11-11-2014, 11:27 AM
If you have a particular topic you are interested in let us know.


I'll bite and here's the top-of-mind questions I have for the LongPac as someone new to the race.

1) Strategy - is there one? :) Or for a displacement boat like mine in the 'usual' winds is it more or less just straight out and back.
2) Comms plan - VHF relay going to be ok or should I plan on renting a satphone? I do not have SSB onboard.
3) Safety check - I've started prepping for items that I know about following OYRA guidelines. Is there a SSS safety check I can request or should I do it through OYRA? Also, I have not completed the required Safety at Sea seminar. Only hint of it being offered that I can find is maybe at Strictly Sail. Is there one sooner or one sponsored by SSS that I can attend?

Thanks!
Mike

Gamayun
11-11-2014, 11:45 AM
Also, I have not completed the required Safety at Sea seminar. Only hint of it being offered that I can find is maybe at Strictly Sail. Is there one sooner or one sponsored by SSS that I can attend?

Mike, last year when I had to get the SAS seminar completed, I looked at the US Sailing website or Googled it to see which YC in the bay area was doing one. They fill up quickly, so reserve soon when you see it on the calendar. I only took the one-day seminar at EYC, which I think was suitable for the Long Pac. Brian, it would be helpful to know when the two-day training would be required.

BobJ
11-11-2014, 11:51 AM
Link to the 2013 LongPac RR&C's (https://www.jibeset.net/show.php?RR=JACKY_T009193816&DOC=X4&TYP=pdf)

I took the full ISAF Sea Survival course in preparation for the 2014 Pacific Cup. This course was so far-and-away better than the SAS courses that I highly recommend it. The big difference is that it's hands-on. You put on all your gear, jump in the water and right an inverted life raft, then climb into it. You actually cut rigging (as if you lost your rig) and see what works. You put out fires with a fire extinguisher, burn some SOLAS flares, etc.

If this peaks your interest, here's where you sign up (See the ISAF Sea Survival tab):

http://www.sfyc.org/training

There are two sessions currently scheduled for weekends in March.

.

Dazzler
11-11-2014, 01:15 PM
+1 for the ISAF Sea Survival course. Sue and I both did the course over three days in October at SFYC. As BobJ said, the hands-on experiences were invaluable. After you have jumped in the Bay with full gear and boots, and then swum around righting and climbing into a liferaft, you quickly learn why you never want to be in that situation.

Even if the course isn't required for you, go take it.

Tom - CLOUD

sunol
11-11-2014, 01:50 PM
Thx - will try to sign up for that instead!

dhusselman
11-11-2014, 09:01 PM
Regarding strategy, there are a lot of good stories and theories. I'm sure folks will share during one of the meetings.
But to give you an idea. Last LongPac I raced against Rick in Lightspeed (Wylie 39 Custom) with a rating of 81. My C&C 110 (36ft) had the same rating. Rick stayed close hauled to have the shortest route to the longitude. I decided to sail lower and faster. I turned around 2 hours ahead of Lightspeed but had a forward of beam reach back. Lightspeed had a little better angle as he stayed North. Keep in mind that it was very windy (25+ most of the way). Lightspeed was just ahead of me at the Farallones. I finished 17 minutes ahead of Lightspeed only due to the 5 hour no wind at the entrance of the gate. It would have been minutes if the wind would have held. So in this case 2 different approaches provided the same results..

The LongPac is my favorite race!

Dirk "TIJD" First30JK

BobJ
11-11-2014, 10:04 PM
As Dirk suggests, if you get a Northerly (like we did in 2011) and are willing to beat your brains out staying on the wind, you can sail a shorter course to/from 126 40:

Lightspeed
11-11-2014, 10:36 PM
Dirk, you are way to kind. I stayed up all night laying on the low side of Lightspeed trying to get a little wind to get ahead of you. When the fog lifted in the morning and the wind filled in, you popped your spinnaker and came out of the fog like an old pirate move. I was beat and to tired to get the kit up in time! It was a great race my friend! My lesson learned on the LonPac and TransPac, if you can get 5 min of sleep, TAKE IT!!

Wylieguy
12-16-2014, 09:39 AM
Great to have the Forum back! Thanks David! Here's some preliminary info about the 2015 SSS LongPac.
1. Start: July 9 at 1200 at the Corinthian YC.
2. Yes, there will be several LongPac Seminars which will cover important prep and safety topics. There will be an initial meeting in February for all interested skippers to go over general topics and provide an opportunity for questions/feedback. Skippers considering entry are encouraged to attend.
3. The 2015 NOR and SI will closely follow the 2013 version.
4. Position Reporting: We're working on this, but there will be a requirement for reporting.
5. EPIRB with GPS will be required
6. Two GPS receivers will be required (as per 2013). A handheld VHF/DSC radio as the 2nd GPS is a good idea to think about.
I'd like to begin creating an email list of skippers planning/thinking about participating. Please PM me with your contact information. Pat Broderick, 2015 LongPac Chairman

pogen
12-17-2014, 02:59 PM
The Board is working on getting a lot of Safety at Sea seminars scheduled for early 2015 -- will a SAS cert be required to do the LongPac?

techdiverx
12-26-2014, 12:03 AM
I'm in too.
Little wing

Mewes
12-31-2014, 07:28 PM
Congratulations Pat, on accepting the challenge of running the LongPac! Thank you.

Lucie Mewes
2013 LongPac Chair

sunol
01-01-2015, 09:33 PM
Given that the reporting requirements will include email or text messaging, what do y'all recommend for satphone rental? I am probably not offshore regular enough to justify a purchase (unless a great deal pops up between now and July) and I don't have SSB onboard. Does anyone have experience with the Sat Phone Store or another provider to recommend? - https://www.satellitephonestore.com/

brianb
01-02-2015, 01:12 AM
The Board is working on getting a lot of Safety at Sea seminars scheduled for early 2015 -- will a SAS cert be required to do the LongPac?
The usual rule, have completed an SAS class in the last 5 years.

Wylieguy
01-02-2015, 06:24 PM
Concerning SAS training for the 2015 LongPac. The answer is, " Yes." SAS Certification within the past 5 years will be required for the skipper (single/double) and crew (double). The training may be one of the approved 2-day, 1-day, or 1/2-half day training sessions. This changes the 2015 NCORC requirements, which only require that the skipper (person in charge) be SAS certified for doublehanded entries. A list of SAS training sessions will be published soon.

For entries from outside the immediate SF Bay Area, similar SAS training will be required.

Pat Broderick, SSS LongPac PRO

Wylieguy
01-03-2015, 12:07 AM
Given that the reporting requirements will include email or text messaging, what do y'all recommend for satphone rental? I am probably not offshore regular enough to justify a purchase (unless a great deal pops up between now and July) and I don't have SSB onboard. Does anyone have experience with the Sat Phone Store or another provider to recommend? - https://www.satellitephonestore.com/

If you rent a sat.phone and plan to use if for downloading GRIB files, be sure it has compression software that works. If you're contemplating the SSS TransPac, where you would likely really use GRIB files, the LongPac would be good practice to make sure you can do it. On the 2010 PacCup everything worked at home and in the berth, but not at sea with the boat rocking and rolling. We didn't have the compression program, so it took an eternity to download files and every time we lost the connection, we had to start over. We gave up and really navigated our way to victory with a ten-year-old $65 Garmin Gecko GPS. It helped to have Gordie Nash onboard, something you wouldn't have in the SSS TransPac! -- Pat

DaveH
01-03-2015, 11:15 AM
Given that the reporting requirements will include email or text messaging, what do y'all recommend for satphone rental? I am probably not offshore regular enough to justify a purchase (unless a great deal pops up between now and July) and I don't have SSB onboard. Does anyone have experience with the Sat Phone Store or another provider to recommend? - https://www.satellitephonestore.com/

I had a good experience with OCENS up in Seattle for satphone rental. They also have good phone / tech support.
If you are just concerned with the reporting requirements, a DeLorme InReach or the like could also do the trick, albeit without the voice option.

sunol
01-03-2015, 11:44 AM
Thx! OCENS looks good!

solosailor
01-04-2015, 09:23 PM
I've had great experiences with www.satphonestore.com for both purchases and rentals. I'd look into an IridiumGo over a phone at this point for less $$$.

sunol
01-20-2015, 03:06 PM
Some competition for Iridium. Maybe in time for the 2021 LongPac :)
http://www.space.com/28305-spacex-satellite-internet-seattle.html

bizirka
01-26-2015, 05:51 PM
Question: I see on the main site that the SH Farallones is a qualifier for the LongPac. I may not be able to make that race due to other commitments - is there another way to qualify?

BobJ
01-26-2015, 06:25 PM
Biz, this is what it was last time: LongPac Qualifier Certification (https://www.jibeset.net/show.php?RR=JACKY_T009193816&DOC=X0&TYP=pdf)

sdpaine@cox.net
02-02-2015, 06:00 PM
OK, Jack and I are in. Who could pass up the chance to once again experience what it feels like to be a sock in a front loading washing machine?! Waaaaay to fun to miss. Must confess the earlier idea of a race window is appealing, realizing it has its complications.

Lightspeed
02-02-2015, 07:33 PM
Welcome back "Jack"!.. Looking forward to seeing you again...Lightspeed has been having seasickness withdrawal so looks like she is going. However a word of warning! If Lightspeed turns right, don't follow this time..(\__

sunol
03-16-2015, 06:38 AM
I took the full ISAF Sea Survival course in preparation for the 2014 Pacific Cup. This course was so far-and-away better than the SAS courses that I highly recommend it.
.

Just completed this course over the weekend. It was great - very much worth the time. Thanks Bob and all for the recommendation!

mike cunningham
03-30-2015, 06:05 PM
Jacqueline and I are going if we survive the farallons and figure out emergency steering.

mike cunningham
05-29-2015, 12:37 PM
Item number 1 ...check.

Item number 2... There is no way to get a sophisticated emrg ruddder set up in time so i am thinking of going the drogue approach. Someone here posted a demo of a guy using a drogue to steer his boat https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vupIl68mCYg. Looked more or less practical although you would need to sort out how to deal with handling steering over a long period of time...God forbid.

I am going to get the drogue and demo for myself it can actually be done on my boat. If yes then I practice.

Anyway, I'm going unless I can't make the steering work or someone tosses me for claiming the drogue is my emerency steering

svShearwater
05-29-2015, 01:33 PM
Mike, as mentioned elsewhere, we passed a very thorough (complete with e-steering demonstration and a stopwatch) Pac Cup inspection using a drogue. Our inspector said we could turn at a rate equal to some of the rudders he'd seen. Now that wasn't necessarily a complement, but nonetheless.

3 things I can recommend/remind:
1. Speed is your friend. The faster you go, the more effective the drogue will be
2. Run the drogue to the midships and at the widest point of the hull. This increases leverage and turns the boat about its axis. If you try to turn from the stern the drogue will just keep pulling on the stern making turning impossible. That's what drogues are really intended to do...
3. Keep in mind that many e-steering methods are not so effective if the primary rudder is still in place. That is a good thing and a bad thing. Good if you actually lose the primary rudder then your e-steering will be more effective than the test. Bad, if the primary rudder just becomes disabled, but is still attached, then overcoming that will be very difficult for all but the hardiest of the e-steering options.

dhusselman
05-29-2015, 02:25 PM
Interesting article regarding e steering and drogue. http://bermudarace.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/Steering-without-a-Rudder.pdf

mike cunningham
05-29-2015, 05:29 PM
Shearwater,

Yes, I am hip to the amidships rig. Makes perfect sense and I have a nice fat boat too. Some on the board recommend carrying a sturdy dowel to knock the rudder out of the boat entirely should it become disabled in such a way as to interfere with emergency steering. Since I cleverly purchased a sound spare rudder from a guy on the East Coast who was parting out a Freedom 30, it would not break my heart or my pocketbook to jettison a failed rudder if the worst came to the worst.

I have a few big nerf footballs to stick in the open rudder post tube to seal it up. My biggest worry would be the sheer drudgery of steering with a drogue for any significant length of time. Sounds like that would be torture. I suppose you could macguyver some sort of rig which would allow you to steer with (on my boat) the wheel.

svShearwater
06-11-2015, 09:54 AM
Random thought for the day...

I'm planning on leaving Bellingham, WA around June 27th for my qualifying cruise for SHTP 2016. I should arrive in SF around July 5th +/- a few days. If I renewed my PHRF certificate and sent in my entry by the 30th, any reason I couldn't do Longpac. I wouldn't complete the Longpac qualifying cruise until around the 28th, but that is like 2 days earlier than necessary, right? :)

This is probably a bad idea, but that hasn't stopped me before.

BobJ
06-11-2015, 10:04 AM
I had a similar idea in 2006 (or maybe it was 2008). I planned to sail in through the Gate from my Hawaii return, turn around and do the SSS race to Half Moon Bay. I even submitted an entry form before I left for the SHTP. When the time came, going back out the Gate was the farthest thing from my mind.

As they say, "Your mileage may vary."

svShearwater
06-11-2015, 10:21 AM
Well you had about 4500-5000 miles under your keel that year versus about 850 for me to get to SF, so I have that going for me.

I see two possible issues. One, I wouldn't be able to attend the skipper's meeting and two, I'm not sure how long it would take to get my 2015 PHRF certificate renewed. The second seems likely doable. I wonder if there are any exceptions or alternatives for the first? Max?

I read through the MER and other than needing to check the dates on some of my SOLAS flares, I'm good to go.

brianb
06-11-2015, 10:32 AM
Random thought for the day...

I'm planning on leaving Bellingham, WA around June 27th for my qualifying cruise for SHTP 2016. I should arrive in SF around July 5th +/- a few days. If I renewed my PHRF certificate and sent in my entry by the 30th, any reason I couldn't do Longpac. I wouldn't complete the Longpac qualifying cruise until around the 28th, but that is like 2 days earlier than necessary, right? :)

This is probably a bad idea, but that hasn't stopped me before.

In 2012 I tried to get the club to add a second start line for the Farallon's race, it was late that year. You could try to talk Max into this. In my case the second start line was Hanalei Bay's entrance.

Brian

svShearwater
06-11-2015, 11:03 AM
In 2012 I tried to get the club to add a second start line for the Farallon's race, it was late that year. You could try to talk Max into this. In my case the second start line was Hanalei Bay's entrance.

Brian

My competitive side finds a lot of motivation actually starting and racing against other boats. I was actually kind of ho hum about doing the qualifier down the coast. It needs to be done, but wasn't very appealing. Now, I'm motivated simply to get the boat to SF in time for an actual race.

Critter
06-18-2015, 01:04 PM
Shearwater (who are you again?): Let's discuss and see if we can do a workaround on the mandatory skippers meeting. Sending a PM.
Max

svShearwater
06-19-2015, 12:03 PM
Sent you an email Max. Thanks.