Suggestions for 2010 SSS Board

[ewpatterson]

Agreed. We should not discourage DH. Especially if one goal of SSS is to use it as an entry point for people to build into SH.

One thing I have never understood is why there is not a DH division for the SHF race. Not only does is restrict the ability to grow people's confidence offshore, it means one less points race for the dedicated DH group who cares about the season standings.

Two things I would like to see:

- a DH division in the SHF race
- an additional long distance in the bay race such as the Silver Eagle.

The second adds another counter to the season and acts as training for longer offshore races. If its too late to add another race for next year, why not piggy-back onto the Silver Eagle by having them handle race committee responsibilities, while counting the results as an SSS race. They would probably appreciate the additional entries.

[Thom]

Yah, it's in the Estuary, but Oakland Yacht Club has a facility that is "good" for a race committee.

The wind is typically light, there is current and not much relief, it is always beat and run. BUT, that seems to me to be ideal for a "first timer" single hander.

I think it would be "cool" to add a single race from there in June or July that takes one out of the estuary to a local buoy and back. The race would only be offered to single handers.

Just a thot.

[solosailor]

One thing I have never understood is why there is not a DH division for the SHF race. Not only does is restrict the ability to grow people's confidence offshore, it means one less points race for the dedicated DH group who cares about the season standings.

Well first there was the Egg (the Singlehanded Farallones Race) and then there was the Chicken (the Singlehanded Sailing Society). Shortly after BAMA gave birth to the Doublehanded Farallones and IYC the DH Lightship.

So I don't know if you caught the organization's name but it's got 'singlehanded' in it. The Farallones is our local singlehanded right of passage, always has been. You can work up to it with the several other great Doublehanded Ocean races, Lightship and Farallones.

[tiger beetle]

One thing I have never understood is why there is not a DH division for the SHF race.

It occurs to me that there already exists a Doublehanded Farallones race - BAMA presents that event. There's no particular need to a) undercut BAMA with an additional doublehanded race, and b) impinge upon us singlehanders in our race to SEFI.

... and acts as training for longer offshore races. If its too late to add another race for next year

I'm sorry, but I do not agree than an inshore bay-race is good 'training' with an eye towards an offshore distance race. These are quite different animals, and while completing a bay race provides time on board and coping with and solving different situations, an offshore race has a host of issues that aren't present inshore. So I do not view a bay race as all that applicable as regards practice towards a long offshore race. Better to look at Farallones, LongPac, Coastal Cup (or just sail to Santa Barbara, it's a nice sail!) - and that will give the skipper a good idea of what might be useful for longer distances, such as Hawaii.

- rob/beetle

[tiger beetle]

My favorite races are those that are offshore, take you somewhere, you spend the night (anchor out, at the marina, either/or), meet up with folk at the bar / barbeque / dinner, and then race or sail home the next day. To this end, my favorite local races are:

SSS Half Moon Bay
SSS Vallejo 1-2
Windjammers
OYRA Drakes Bay
Coastal Cup

and top of the list: SSS TransPac

I'll readily admit that TransPac is too expensive and requires too much time off work for most folk, and that Half Moon Bay is probably the best alternative after Hawaii - who can not love the evening bonfire outside the club? Might there be additional destinations that are closest to HMB spirit, such as: an SSS Santa Cruz race, a Bodega Bay sprint? Drakes Bay is my favorite local anchorage but the conditions are completely hit or miss as regards conditions for getting together/rafting up - it can be howling through the anchorage and everybody hunkers down and is miserable, or it can be a glorious night with 5 knots wafting the anchorage and we learn how many sailors fit onto a Cal 20 and almost sink the dang thing whilst tooling around from party to party throughout the anchorage.

My suspicion is that Santa Cruz offers the best 'longer' offshore race as regards calm conditions at the finish, and Bodega might be a bit more hard core than we wish to go through - there can be a lot of hammering to weather once around Pt. Reyes and headed north, and that's a tricky harbor to get into given the long channel.

- rob/beetle

[Ergo]

Hi Rob,

Agreed on all of what you posted. As Max has pointed out, however, another race, especially an overnight to Santa Cruz, HMB or Bodega would probably create a conflict with some other race. Another consideration is the race permitting process for "offshore" races. The CG is classifying any race that goes past Pt. Bonita as "offshore".

I'd really like another SSS "offshore" event for 2010. What is the collective wisdom on SSS putting together an annual coastal "rally"? SSS could manage it the same as any other SSS event but not include the results in the season's scoring and not have to deal with the CG permitting process.

Just for the record, this is a personal suggestion and not the "Commodore" speaking.

Bill Merrick

[Thom]

even if the event were not scored. The regulations apply pretty much to any event (the regulations actually use the word "parade" in them).

That being said, any other offshore race/event/parade...that SSS wants to put together should be fun. It's the "guys" and not the destination.

[Wylieguy]

It's clear that an organized race requires a CG permit, either inside or outside SF Bay. However, many yacht clubs organize club cruises (think of that parade of StFYC power boats headed for Tinsley Island that passed through this year's SSS Vallejo 1-2 race on Saturday). Most of these yacht club cruises are to other yacht clubs, some to Clipper Cove or Angel Island, but they all involve signing up, sailing/powering to a location, and some social function at that location. However, some are to destinations outside SF Bay, including Drakes Bay, Pillar Point, and Monterey Bay. Yacht club cruises do not require CG marine event permits. The SSS is recognized as a "yacht club" as a member of YRA, although SSS chooses not to belong to PICYA. Therefore, I think the SSS can organize "club cruises" for its members, the same as other yacht clubs. I'm in no way suggesting this as a method of circumventing the race permit process, so I don't think any "prizes" for first to arrive should be given. But, if the SSS wanted to put together a cruise to some location FOR ITS MEMBERS, I don't see why it couldn't Pat B.

[Thom]

that CG permits "should" not be necessary, I was just playing at being a sea lawyer. If one reads the regulations, the CG can interpret a cruise out to require a permit. Of course, the CG can interpret the same regs to not require permits for races offshore or any races for that matter. The regs are written so that the local commander essentially gets to write his own law.

One of the things (and this is a different topic) that I think YRA and SSS and anyone else who asks for permits for races "should" do is actually require the CG to live by the regs as they are written--one example, if they do not grant a permit (and you have to ask for the permit 90 days in advance if I remember correctly), they are required to give reasons. If one asks for one, they are required to hold public hearings (and I suspect the CG would be required to foot the bill). This sounds "anti-CG", but it is really "anti-bureaucracy". I believe the CG provides valuable service (as long as they aren't getting in your way with no wind, right Bill?). Sorry for the soapbox.

[Culebra]

Well, exactly:

My favorite races are those that are offshore, take you somewhere, you spend the night (anchor out, at the marina, either/or), meet up with folk at the bar / barbeque / dinner, and then race or sail home the next day.

...

- rob/beetle

Even though there are already events to SC and Drakes, for example, which I have participated in many times and think are wonderful events, there is no specifically designated singlehanded event to those destinations. BAMA's DHF, OYRA's crewed Farallones and our SH Farallones all coexist nicely. I've sailed in all of those many times, too, because they are just so damn fun. We have this jewel of a destination just outside our front door, so to speak, so it's natural to have multiple good excuses to go there. So same idea... If done at a different time of year, I don't think we would diminish the SYC's or OYRA's events to Santa Cruz or Drakes. I really like Rob's Bodega Bay idea, too, particularly because it is ambitious. It could finish in the bay just east of the entrance to the channel, where there is plenty of room. And Spud's or the municipal marina are both good options for spending the night.

Regarding permits, why is there a concern with adding another permit to do an ocean race? Let's have an ocean race, preferably solo only, and make it an ambitious, or at least challenging event.

Paul
Culebra