Corinthian Race Update

[tboussie]

The Corinthian NOR and SI documents have been posted on Jibeset.

There are several COVID-related changes to the race this year:

1) The traditional start/finish line off the namesake Corinthian Yacht Club is not possible this year due to the closure of the CYC race deck. Instead, the "Corinthian" race will start/finish off the Golden Gate Yacht Club, where there is sufficient space for the race committee to exercise responsible social distancing practices.

2) We have tried to preserve the spirit of the Corinthian race with the new course consisting of:
- Start to Blackaller
- BH to Southhampton Shoals
- SHS to Little Harding
- LH to Blossom Rock
- BR to the Finish

3) We restricted the registrations, originally to 150 boats. Because several pre-Corinthian SSS members were not able to register during the original window, we opened up a second window to allow these members to participate. The registrations are now closed with 182 boats total.

Note that we are attempting to separate the singlehanded and doublehanded fleets as much as possible by having the doublehanded boats start first, followed by the singlehanded boats. With 182 boats on the course, we strongly encourage everyone to give room to your fellow sailors, particularly to the SH boats on the course.

We are also looking for race deck volunteers. ~3 hrs shifts in the morning (8-11) and afternoon (4-7). Send me a DM or an email at: tboussie at gmail dot com if you are available.

Looking forward to another great race!

Tom Boussie
SSS Race Chair

[Submarino]

The Corinthian NOR and SI documents have been posted on Jibeset.

There are several COVID-related changes to the race this year:

1) The traditional start/finish line off the namesake Corinthian Yacht Club is not possible this year due to the closure of the CYC race deck. Instead, the "Corinthian" race will start/finish off the Golden Gate Yacht Club, where there is sufficient space for the race committee to exercise responsible social distancing practices.

2) We have tried to preserve the spirit of the Corinthian race with the new course consisting of:
- Start to Blackaller
- BH to Southhampton Shoals
- SHS to Little Harding
- LH to Blossom Rock
- BR to the Finish

3) We restricted the registrations, originally to 150 boats. Because several pre-Corinthian SSS members were not able to register during the original window, we opened up a second window to allow these members to participate. The registrations are now closed with 182 boats total.

Note that we are attempting to separate the singlehanded and doublehanded fleets as much as possible by having the doublehanded boats start first, followed by the singlehanded boats. With 182 boats on the course, we strongly encourage everyone to give room to your fellow sailors, particularly to the SH boats on the course.

We are also looking for race deck volunteers. ~3 hrs shifts in the morning (8-11) and afternoon (4-7). Send me a DM or an email at: tboussie at gmail dot com if you are available.

Looking forward to another great race!

Tom Boussie
SSS Race Chair

The 3 Bridge Fiasco Awards meeting will be combined into the Corinthian Skipper’s Meeting on Wed., Feb. 24, 7:30 p.m.

We will start with the Awards first and then transition to the Skipper’s Meeting. Your attendance is very desired.

Thanks and see you there!

Singlehanded Sailing Society is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.

Topic: 3BF Awards/Corinthians Skipper's meeting
Time: Feb 24, 2021 07:30 PM Pacific Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting
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Meeting ID: 896 9808 2872
Passcode: 082874
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[BobJ]

21 boats in my start, all singlehanded, followed by an almost certain pinwheel of death at Blackaller.

Not excited about this one.

[DaveH]

21 boats in my start, all singlehanded, followed by an almost certain pinwheel of death at Blackaller.

Not excited about this one.

yeah, my scar tissue's itching a bit about that too.

[BobJ]

That's better - thanks for the extra work, Tom and Jim. The solo sporties may over-run the slower DH'ers a bit, but then the boats will spread out on the long run down to Southampton.

BTW, that long downwind from Blackaller to Southampton in the SSS Corinthian is my favorite leg to sail in any race on the Bay.

[solosailor]

It may not be downwind this year......

[BobJ]

True!

[brianb]

Our previous commodore 30 minutes from the SSS meet and greet at the South Hampton bar: https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPyL7bGbXAFWj2B-ieISYyEAEVXp6wGkFfKv6sl
https://photos.google.com/photo/AF1QipPyL7bGbXAFWj2B-ieISYyEAEVXp6wGkFfKv6sl

6288

[brianb]

Dave H. on way to the fiberglass bash at South Hampton Shoal

https://photos.app.goo.gl/o4t7X78xDXR75JiC8

6289

[DaveH]

6290
Here’s the reverse angle with Brian and Rick Elkins
DH

[everydaysailor]

Just before the park up.
Bombora, Fugu and likely Hedgehog smartly stayed outside. The Pork Chop Express got caught up in the mess but squeezed through.
A real horror show!

[everydaysailor]

The approach to SHS on port board was nuts. This race may be cursed!

[Eyrie]

Oh my my my, the restart at SHS was Ka-wazy. I was one of the last starts at 1155, and like a moth to the flame I was uncontrollable drawn into that pile-up ahead of me with EVERYONE THAT STARTED IN FRONT OF ME, except I was on stbd with the kite up so all's good, ..... until the wind hole gently gybed me to port with no rights. So perhaps not the wises choice in hindsight, should have taken a wide turn. How do you go forward to drop your kite while singlehanded and surrounded by 130 boats when all the doublehanded boats are yelling at you to get out of the way? My apologies for adding more mess to that mess, my little head was doing the thinking. Glad to see Bombora right in there with me, Dolls with Balls, eh? Then yeehaw, the breezy downwind run from LH to BR was the big payoff. SHAZAM!! Thanks RC.

[DaveH]

Bombora, Fugu and likely Hedgehog smartly stayed outside.
A real horror show!
Ummm... Nope.


and like a moth to the flame I was uncontrollable drawn into that pile-up ahead of me with EVERYONE THAT STARTED IN FRONT OF ME, except I was on stbd with the kite up so all's good, ..... until the wind hole gently gybed me to port with no rights. So perhaps not the wises choice in hindsight, should have taken a wide turn. How do you go forward to drop your kite while singlehanded and surrounded by 130 boats when all the doublehanded boats are yelling at you to get out of the way? My apologies for adding more mess to that mess, my little head was doing the thinking. Glad to see Bombora right in there with me, Dolls with Balls, eh? Then yeehaw, the breezy downwind run from LH to BR was the big payoff. SHAZAM!! Thanks RC.

So, I was even dumber, and rode a nice puff all the way in on Starboard gybe... first boat to the mark, setting me up perfectly to be the pin wheel as the onrushing wall of sails shut down the wind, the tide started pushing me backwards and I ended up spat out the back with about 3' to spare on either side between Green Buffalo to starboard and the stinky pilings to port.
By some miracle I didn't hit either one... serious deus-ex-machina intervention there. Verbal unpleasantness was exchanged with a few port tack double hander's late to the party who felt the need to educate me on my "lack of rights". Not that they're necessarily wrong. My hands up for being a dumb-ass and hoping it'd work out.
OTOH, after licking my wounds and considering dropping out, I bucked up and had a fantastic run from Little Harding to Blossom, at one point I saw 11 knots on the fun meter (water speed, not over ground).

So, thanks to the RC for what, in total, was a pleasant day.
I'll save the rest of my day for another post in a different thread, but I am D O N E with Single Handing in-the-bay racing with large fleets of double handed boats on the same course.

DH

[Lightspeed]

So, thanks to the RC for what, in total, was a pleasant day.
I'll save the rest of my day for another post in a different thread, but I am D O N E with Single Handing in-the-bay racing with large fleets of double handed boats on the same course.

DH

The art of singlehanding sailing may fad away as Doublehanded takes over singlehanded in SSS. This is a tough SSS decision because the $$ from doublehanded entries pays the bills.

Larger is not always better...with YRA doing Doublehanded image only one place you can sail solo...SSS...

[BobJ]

DaveH wrote: "I am D O N E with Single Handing in-the-bay racing with large fleets of double handed boats on the same course."

Guys, I thought this got fixed with R-T-R last year. The Corinthian and Round-the-Rocks races well-and-truly suck for competitive singlehanders. We can sail around the course and try to avoid the double-handers, but it's difficult to do so competitively. I'm glad I opted out yesterday and saved the Awlgrip - the scuttlebutt on E dock today was not encouraging.

Reply to Rick: Most of the race fees go for swag and awards - the SSS has few fixed costs and its budget is largely scalable. It does not need entry fees from double-handers to operate.
.

[AlanH]

After getting absolutely HAMMERED coming out of Coyote Point on Friday afternoon (I had my 60% heavy weather jib up, and a reef in, so it was OK, just really ~Wet~) I was a little gun-shy on Saturday and picked the wrong headsail. Ah, well. So I was 500 yards behind at Blackaller already. Hmm. Mybe there are oysters on the bottom of the daggerboard again, I was just plain slow.

Or maybe I'm just slow!

all you fast people were done with the bumper boats at SHS when I got there. I wound up going exactly nowhere for a long time at Point Blunt, and tagged along with some big non-spinnaker boats going around SHS. I opted for Raccoon Strait to bet back up to Little Harding, well...that was a mistake. The current and whirlpools and general nastiness around the north end of Angel Island played Games with 4-5-6 of us Tom on Slainte (Cal 20)..Constance (really beautiful Tartan 34C) and Daniel on Galaxy....and me... and wasted huge amounts of time. Once we got well into the Strait it was easy-peasy from then on.

I didn't re-pack the chute and fly it for the Little Harding to Blossom leg, I probably should have, but oh well! I was wishing I had my 130% up all the way down, instead of the working jib. By the time we got to Blossom, there was real wind, and I managed to overhaul Galaxsea on the way up the Cityfront. Galaxy is pretty darned fast on a reach, with all her sails flying.

Anyway, it was a fun day. It was my first time flying an asymmetrical spinnaker in competition, and I didn't botch it TOO badly. I also flew it a few times on the way back down the Bay today, so that was nice. I have some video up on my FB page.

[Black Jack]

By some miracle I didn't hit either one... serious deus-ex-machina intervention there. Verbal unpleasantness was exchanged with a few port tack double hander's late to the party who felt the need to educate me on my "lack of rights". Not that they're necessarily wrong. My hands up for being a dumb-ass and hoping it'd work out.
OTOH, after licking my wounds and considering dropping out, I bucked up and had a fantastic run from Little Harding to Blossom, at one point I saw 11 knots on the fun meter (water speed, not over ground).

So, thanks to the RC for what, in total, was a pleasant day.
I'll save the rest of my day for another post in a different thread, but I am D O N E with Single Handing in-the-bay racing with large fleets of double handed boats on the same course.

DH

I know how you feel and experienced. I will agree there was a raised level of palpable aggressive sailing that i did not see in the solo group. This Corithian was quite a different feel than the recent TBF or other SSS races normally are. The emboldened double handers sadly gave less quarter, subsequently less room and importantly little consideration to solo sailors. On the other hand, it was remarkable to see folks in the fleet soloing their boats. The shared pleasant experience of being out there among the dozens like myself and having a ball is something only seen for one's self.

A big thanks to those in race committee, the SSS and my fellow sailors for making this an exceptional day.

[Philpott]

The Singlehanded Sailing Society seems to find itself at a crossroads. I hope the current SSS board will be able to navigate its way through the issues facing it with regard to the double/singlehanded races in the bay without losing more of its most accomplished singlehanded sailors.

The economist Albert Hirschman’s concept of Exit/Voice might be considered here. That is, two possible responses when there are unsatisfactory conditions in the way any organization (or country or state or institution) is run:

The first response is to speak up and try to remedy issues. That response is what Hirschman would call Voice. The alternative is to Exit, or to leave without trying to address the issues, or after voicing one’s dissatisfaction to no avail. One’s loyalty to the Singlehanded Sailing Society might encourage a person to Voice rather than Exit, but a decision almost always will be made to Exit once the Voice has been ignored long enough.

These seem to be the alternatives given the difficult situation in which singlehanders currently find themselves. If it continues along in this manner, maybe a new singlehanded series could develop: perhaps something like a Solo Sailing Society.

Thank you to everybody on the Race Deck Saturday. It was a splendid and placid time aboard my Dura Mater all day and even into the night.

[solosailor]

It's called the Singlehanded Sailing Society for a reason and it should always remain intact as such. A lot of racers have jumped on the shorthanded bandwagon with COVID. Entry limits certainly helped as how many more would there be out there otherwise? A once a year Fiasco is enough. Hopefully many DH will join the new YRA series and thin down the SSS numbers a bit.

[FUGU-W30]

I'd foreseen the coming cluster at SHS, and jibed well to the east, accepting the I might loose places to single handers that might emerge from the scrum unscathed, and ahead. Acceptance of the present allowances a single-hander needs to make in these two races in particular (Corinthian, RTR) gets me around the course safely, but I think things can be improved.

As in any all volunteer organization, brilliant solutions (if any are available) are useless until someone steps-up and put it into action. I don't know what the right solution is, but Joe, Tom get in touch if there are tasks that need to be done to enact a solution.

Chris, FUGU

[Lightspeed]

It's called the Singlehanded Sailing Society for a reason and it should always remain intact as such. A lot of racers have jumped on the shorthanded bandwagon with COVID. Entry limits certainly helped as how many more would there be out there otherwise? A once a year Fiasco is enough. Hopefully many DH will join the new YRA series and thin down the SSS numbers a bit.

I agree and float the following:
TBF SH/DH the whole idea is a Fiasco
Corinthian SH only
RTR SH only
Drakes Bay with YRA SSS SH only DH reg in YRA
Half Moon Bay would like another SH only but with the open course could go DH
Vallejo 1-2 speaks for it self
Just my two cents.

[AlanH]

It's now Monday. The race was Saturday. I've now talked to two people, boaters who are longtime friends and oft-times participants in the SSS who have heard about the park-up at Southampton this weekend. Both of them expressed the opinion that the SSS needs to address this issue or it's going to lose members. I know that the Board is aware of it, but spacing out DH and SH competitors just needs one big parking lot on the course to foul up every wisely-planned starting sequence.

Whatever gets done...is fine.

We can send DH and SH boats on different courses.
We can have SH and DH race on different days.
We can disallow DH one-design classes.

Whatever y'all decide. But this weekends parking lot at SH demonstrated that even the best planned starting sequences don't always work out.

[slackwater_sf]

A few finish area video clips trail from Saturday's race.
Error, ooops, only 1 video is allowed.

J-105 Arrived
https://youtu.be/7bh-cWVUP6Q

https://youtu.be/7bh-cWVUP6Q

[slackwater_sf]

Santa Cruz 52 City Lights


https://youtu.be/bG2Ea1VJlEU

[slackwater_sf]

J-70 Kangaroo Jockey
https://youtu.be/IFtZSQbkFCs

https://youtu.be/IFtZSQbkFCs

[slackwater_sf]

Moore 24 Snafu
https://youtu.be/r8qm-VmtqeI

https://youtu.be/r8qm-VmtqeI

[slackwater_sf]

J/100 Grace
https://youtu.be/94n-cGiG2sI

https://youtu.be/94n-cGiG2sI

[slackwater_sf]

J-70 1FA


https://youtu.be/dsiPFgQizJc

[slackwater_sf]

Express 27 Abigail Moran
Sabre Spirit 36 Serenade


https://youtu.be/Fdj7iQagJz4

[slackwater_sf]

multiple boats

sail 18364 Express 27 Peaches
sail 8488 Olson 30 Warlock
sail 9 Elliott 770 Errant
sail 11 Moore 24 Flying Circus




https://youtu.be/OVjph0eJmls

[brianb]

Or you could have a class on the rules, for example over taking boats must stay clear. I did three 270 degree turns to keep from ending up in the tail of a wall of sport boats. Others were wisely going east to keep clear of the parked sterns. There was a nice tone to it all. It sounded like base ball bats on redwood tree trunks.

[BobJ]

Did you feel like you were sailing Red Sky competitively in those conditions, or were you just avoiding boats with those three 270's?

They could have at least kept the cap at 150 boats - not a lot more than the 130 we've had in recent years. But 180, 70% of which were double-handers?

No, this is getting out of hand.
.

[brianb]

I felt like I was in a large fleet where this happens often and one has to avoid collision by going wide or stalling, I stalled and held off. Of course in those situations one can lose a lot of apparent positions, which likely wasn't true anyway. The same thing happens at windward marks. You approach a large fleet on port near the mark, the fleet is largely approaching on starboard. You can take a chance and attempt to duck under near the mark, often a bad idea, or take all those sterns, sailing away from the mark.

I am betting in our case not a single protest has been filed. Which is unbelievable given the number of times I heard the ring of hull on hull bouncing around the Bay.

Thank you to the RC for running this race and posting the results in a timely fashion. Not an easy task given some boats failed to report their DNF's.

[BobJ]

"It sounded like base ball bats on redwood tree trunks"

"given the number of times I heard the ring of hull on hull"

I never thought I'd say that I'm glad I didn't sail in an SSS race. We're there.
.

[Tchoupitoulas]

What if the SSS ran a series of races that were either singlehanded or doublehanded. Transpac stays single only. Three Bridge switches between single and double every other year?

[talonf4u]

Two thoughts...

1) if you want to absolutely ruin a beautiful start on this year's race, try leading your fleet at BH and then try getting to SH by going through Raccon. Thought the park up at SH was bad? I avoided it entirely by spending 90 minutes in a tidal swirl on the north end of Angel Island. Southampton was easy to round one hour after the rest of the fleet. At one point I got so annoyed, i just dropped the tiller and went below and mixed a Dark n Stormy.

2) DH sailing is booming. COVID, Paris 2024, etc. SSS can either be part of the trend or separate from it. I'm pretty ambivalent. Singlehanding is awesome. DH is fun too. I'm in either way as they both keep the sandwich bill pretty low.

[solosailor]

SSS can either be part of the trend or separate from it.
The SSS has been the trend for many decades of growth and was fielding more than 100 boats for several races every year. It is an issue that I think the SSS will overcome. I think a cap of DH boats is the best way but that will still be a lot of boats on course.

[AlanH]

I'm in the camp that thinks that sharing starting and finishing lines is fine, but please send the DH'ers and the SH'ers on different courses with as little overlap as possible....3BF being the exception, since that already semi-self-selects to splitting up the fleet.

You know, if the SSS hadn't capped the entries, we might have had 200 boats sign up for the Corinthian. I used to enjoy being in the thick of the Vallejo Race start...once a year, when I had three more people on the boat. I enjoy being in the middle of the 3BF morass....once a year. I can't say that I want to make a regular thing of being in 200+ boat starting fleets.

The other thing is that invariably, a few people don't report their DNF's. Every single one of those is a PITA for the race chairman and the committee. The more boats, the higher number of DNF's that don't report and the more end-of-the-day grief for the race chair.

[slackwater_sf]

The Flickr gallery link to a couple of pictures from the start - finish area = https://flic.kr/s/aHsmUFi5QJ

J-105 J-70 start, Lightish air

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51060345126_cd90dce9b6_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kN2BG3)
IMG_7923_DxO_5500 (https://flic.kr/p/2kN2BG3)



https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51004838387_5cc8248156_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kH88ti)
IMG_7947_DxO (https://flic.kr/p/2kH88ti)


More wind at the finish

https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51004307463_cff3c44785_h.jpg
(https://flic.kr/p/2kH5pDr)IMG_8533_DxO (https://flic.kr/p/2kH5pDr)


J/70 Flotek
https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51005078121_bbd1d18a10_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kH9mJD)
IMG_8536_DxO (https://flic.kr/p/2kH9mJD)


https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/51005189817_1405169acf_h.jpg (https://flic.kr/p/2kH9VWr)
IMG_8554_DxO_5500 (https://flic.kr/p/2kH9VWr)