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Thread: Welcome -From the RC

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Alameda CA
    Posts
    497

    Default Welcome -From the RC

    After several months pause - It's about time to break cover on this, and start planning for 2023.

    If you're planning on Sailing to Hanalei in the 2023 Single Handed Transpacific Yacht Race you're racing now, whether you know it or not!

    Some thoughts as we begin:

    SHTP - Philosophical Touchstones
    To my way of thinking, the SHTP is all about the belt buckle.
    While there are probably as many reasons for doing the race as there are participants, at its core the individual achievement is what matters most.
    To the extent the marketing and promotion of the event can reflect and raise this up, it should do so.
    The SHTP attracts a wide variety of participants, from experienced ocean Racers (with a capital R) to those simply wanting an organized way to sail safely by themselves across an ocean.
    There is no reason I can see that the “race” cannot continue to meet the needs of everyone who wants to take up the challenge; competitively or not.
    Bringing that thinking full circle, the organization of the race should revolve around getting participants to the line, across an ocean, and re-orienting them upon arrival.
    It is a race about individual accomplishment, and the reason for the race is to celebrate and facilitate that.

    Goals for 2023–
    • I want to have 20-25 skippers start & complete the race & and safely return their boats from Kauai.
    • I want the skippers to feel supported & well prepared, regardless of their motivation; cruiser to serious ocean racer and everything in between.
    • I want SHTP 2023 to epitomize the Mission of the SSS, to wit, with emphasis added:


    The Singlehanded Sailing Society (SSS) was conceived to provide a forum where sailors and others interested in the sport of singlehanded sailing could share their ideas and experiences.
    It is the intent of the SSS to make it possible for such sailors to compete in seaworthy sailing vessels of various types and designs on a fair and equitable basis. The purpose of the races is to provide an organized arena in which ideas, equipment, designs, and vessels specifically created, built, modified, or equipped for long distance singlehanded racing may be tested and evaluated through friendly sportsmanlike competition.
    The development of personal skill in singlehanded sailing is encouraged through sailing events and seminars.

    With that said, here are some things I would like to improve:
    While I am acutely aware that there are many opportunities and suggestions for specific improvements to logistics, budgeting, etc. for the for right now, I will keep my ideas high level -

    Advance The Schedule forward
    The entire NOR, Race Documents, Entry and Seminar Schedule will be advanced about a year from current with the idea being to give potential participants as much runway as possible.
    We've made a start, in that we have an official race date 6/25/2023 and a published NOR. Stand by for Race Documents and a preliminary schedule of seminars in the next few weeks.
    Improve Communication
    To EVERYONE - Competitors, Press, Family, etc. On more than one occasion I have heard potential participants referred to “the forum” as the fount of all knowledge about the race. There is no doubt that the pool of knowledge and participants here are without peer and is a very welcoming community. With that said, it's not a great communication medium.
    My intent is to stand up and maintain a website for the race before April 2022 to act as an outward face to the race and a centralized location for updates, events, racer info, etc.
    Focus on Racer Support
    It is inescapable that racers need to own the responsibility of getting to and from a remote tropical anchorage on their own. From an OA perspective, our mindset needs to be about providing the best possible support to our participants, from seminars to helping shoreside friends and family, and this should be our guide for most decisions; They are, after all, who the event is all about.

    OK thats probably enough for right now.
    As I mentioned an updated NOR is available on Jibeset
    Look for further threads & updates in this space.

    Best to all -
    DH

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Nov 2010
    Posts
    92

    Default

    Hi Dave,
    The first time I made what I thought was a serious effort to start a SHTP race was 2004, in a J-35 specially built by Everette Pearson, with imput from Rod Johnstone, for singlehanded ocean racing. Between then and now I have repeated the effort to get to get to the STHP starting line several times. All without success. I now have almost finished a complete renovation of a heavy steel cruising boat that will be both infinitely more comfortable then a J-35, and markedly slower. I only have remaining four trials to conclude this year to completely retire. So, with any kind of luck, and if I can dodge the rocks that life throws at us, perhaps we will meet at the Skippers Meeting. Good luck to you in achieving all your goals for the race.
    Jim Bates

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Sep 2015
    Location
    Venice, CA
    Posts
    30

    Default Hi! and Thanks!

    This is such a great informative post Dave! Thank you! I plan on racing again in 2023 on Cassiopeia! Very exciting! Let me know if I can ever help out in any way!

    Cheers!
    Margie
    Last edited by Haunani; 04-25-2022 at 01:59 PM.
    -Margie Woods
    "Cassiopeia", Hanse 371
    www.sailinghaunani.com
    mwbfoto@gmail.com

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Alameda CA
    Posts
    497

    Default

    It's been a moment -
    Without fanfare, and a bit behind my ideal timeline - 2023 Race Documents including SER, & RRC are posted to Jibeset...
    now, onward to a proper website and seminars!
    DH

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default

    My, weren't you up bright and early!

    Research for a social media discussion about outriggers revealed that the equipment sections of the RRS were renumbered at some point. In your RR&C paragraph 3.01, the modification allowing multiple whisker poles should be 55.2 (not 50.2) and the modification allowing outriggers and other spars should be 55.3.

    There may be other renumberings as well:
    Link to RRS Equipment Section

    Thank you again for taking this on.

  6. #6
    Join Date
    Sep 2007
    Posts
    3,688

    Default

    I stumbled across this link when preparing a social media post about furler screws falling out:

    https://www.sfbaysss.org/archive-sht...news.html#6/28

    The screw-ee even wrote a poem about the experience:

    https://www.sfbaysss.org/archive-sht...persevere.html

    Reading these entries from the 2000 SHTP race log reminded me why I got involved in the SSS and the SHTP.
    .
    Last edited by BobJ; 05-23-2022 at 11:26 AM.

  7. #7
    Join Date
    Aug 2010
    Location
    Berkeley
    Posts
    112

    Default Website

    Quote Originally Posted by DaveH View Post
    It's been a moment -
    Without fanfare, and a bit behind my ideal timeline - 2023 Race Documents including SER, & RRC are posted to Jibeset...
    now, onward to a proper website and seminars!
    DH

    Hey Dave,
    is there a website? I haven't been able to find one. Or a calendar? For instance when do we expect the awards ceremony? Just trying to start long range planning including return delivery crew!

    Thanks!

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