The second race of the four-race Southern Sound Series was hosted by the Three Tree Point Yacht Club on Saturday, January 7th, 2012. The race starts at The Des Moines Marina, heads north to Alki Point, then east to the Duwamish Head Dolphin in Elliott Bay, west to Blakely Rock and then back to DesMoines. The distance is slightly over 30 miles.
The Delivery. This is the longest distance to the start line for most of the SSSS racers, approximately 40 miles. SSSS boats Something Special, Outatime, Korina-Korina and Steamy Windows moor in the Tacoma area, so their delivery is short. Charlemagne arrived in Des Moines several days before the race. Showtime departed around 0500 on Friday to make the long haul. Sugar Magnolia kept her delivery plans hidden. The rest of the SSSS fleet, Pax the Space Spider, Bodacious, Mystify, and Koosah arrived at the Tacoma Yacht Club early afternoon on Friday and enjoyed a relaxed meal in the wonderful dining facility of the club. We all motored over to Des Moines the next morning.
The Start. Thirteen boats in the Cruising Classes, Flying Sails and Non-Flying Sails, started in a light southerly wind at 0930. Thirty minutes later the PHRF classes began their starts in a dying wind. The race committee was able to get off three starts before the starting line became so crowded due to lack of wind that they had to postpone the next start for 37 minutes. Eventually all started and the wind increased.
The Race. Under gun-mental gray clouds it was a spinnaker run to Alki Point in light air. Then it was a reach to the shortened course at the Duwamish Head dolphin. Although the wind was enough to continue on, the Race Committee wisely decided to shorten it there. There was no assurance that the wind would hold, the fleet was scattered due to the delayed starting sequence and there was a three-knot ebb that all would have to fight on the way back to DesMoines.
ONE SECOND!!! Koosah has won two races by one second: Bodacious on a McAlister Creek race and Aja on an Islands race. The thrill of winning by one second is difficult to explain. Well, I now can understand the other side of the one second: Silver Breeze, a Catalina 30 from the Three Tree Point Yacht Club beat us by one second! The competition among the J-35 fleet was fierce. These are class boats, same handicap so you know immediately how well you performed. Three boats, The Boss, Melange, and Great White were one second apart at the finish! You could feel their adrenalin all over the race course as they were finishing. Three other J-35's were two and three seconds apart at the finish also!
The Silver. Pax the Space Spider and Showtime were each first in their Division. Charlemagne pulled in a third, Koosah a second, by one second, and Outatime a third. At the time of this writing, Bodacious was listed as DNS,-did not start. They did compete and perhaps we will discover why they were listed as such.
Next Race: Toliva Shoal, February 11th. No Delivery, No excuse not to race!!!
Dave Knowlton, Koosah
Spinnakers only!! That was the theme of the Winter Vashon Race conducted on Saturday, December 3rd, 2011. The NOAA weather channel announced that the high pressure system was the highest barometer reading since 1948! For most sailors this meant no rain and also no wind!
The Tacoma Yacht Club hosted a grand party Friday night before the race. A pasta dinner with a delicious salad satisfied the sailors’ hunger and the door prizes from West Marine added to the festivities. Awards from the 2010 Winter Vashon were distributed and SSSS sailors collecting a unique burgee included Pax the Space Spider, 2nd Div A; Dragonfly, 2nd Div E; Bodacious, 3rd Div G; Showtime, 3rd Div I; Sugar Magnolia, 2nd Div I; and Koosah, 1st NFS. Class breaks were posted around 2000 and then sailors began dissipating from the clubhouse and heading to their boats or home.
The night was cold and foggy. There was little, if any, wind.
Morning revealed ninety sailors appearing on the starting line with their navigation lights on. There was some fog, but one could still see the committee boat and starting mark. Bang! The twenty racers in the two cruising classes started at 0835 in nine knots of wind from the southeast! Thirty minutes later the multihulls crossed the starting line followed in five-minute intervals by classes B through I.
This year’s race was different. The race instructions stated to go around Vashon Island in a counter clockwise direction. This confused several of the younger sailors since they grew up with digital watches. The race committee assured them however, if they purchased a $10 tee shirt the directions would be on the back. There was an outline of Vashon Island with a huge red arrow pointing the course in a clockwise direction. They sold a lot of shirts!
Shortly after everyone crossed the line, the wind started to clock and become lighter. Half way to Point Robinson spinnakers became the sail of choice. It would be spinnakers to the finish! The wind started dying from the south. This meant that those without a spinnaker would have their work cut out for them just to reach the north end of the island. Koosah now sails without a spinnaker.
Some great positive aspects of this non-flying sails cruising class include starting 30 minutes before everyone else which means there is no confusion; when you hear the gun that it is your start. You usually get to see the entire fleet throughout the race as they pass you by! Colorful Spinnakers!! A cruising class sailor is usually more relaxed; there is seldom shouting as the boat moves through the water slowly without the surfing noise that accompanies the PHRF fleet along with the death rolls of the spinnaker and the crews attempting to control the chaos and go fast. Most cruising racers stay in the cockpit and don’t worry about hanging over the side getting their feet wet and straining the muscles only used on races. Last and best is that most cruising class racers have a heater and stove on board.
The race committee wisely decided to shorten the race at the north end of Vashon Island. Most sailors finished before dark, but some had to fight the current and light wind to complete the race in the dark. Bill Hutchinson on Mystify said it took him almost three hours to cross the finish line when he was close to it! He stuck it out and finished however. For the non-flying sails, only four could complete the course. Special kudos to our newest Members, John and Kerstin Hilton on Outatime, who finished 4th in the NFS! To visualize the frustration, and lack of wind, you must view the video by Jon Pak taken aboard Retreat.
The results are on the series web site. SSSS sailors placing in the money included: Pax the Space Spider, 2nd Class A; Charlemagne, 3rd Class F; Bodacious, 3rd, Class H; Showtime 2nd Class I; Osa 1st NFS; and Koosah 2nd NFS. South Sound member Derek DeCouteau skippered Flim Flam, a Soveral 33 from the CYCT club to first place in Class G.
Well, the 2011-2012 Southern Sound Series is off to its start!! Duwamish Head 7 January, our Toliva Shoal, 11 February and the Islands Race, 17 March 2012 … a way to celebrate the cold, wet winter!!!
Dave Knowlton, Koosah
Since this is written prior to the Winter Vashon Race, there is no report of a race. However, this provides an opportunity to remind all sailors who race or cruise during our winter to inspect their boat to insure that the season is a safe and enjoyable one.
All racers in the Southern Sound Series and SSSS distance races must meet Category III requirements as outlined in the Pacific International Yachting Association (PIYA) checklist. This list must be signed by the skipper and kept on board when racing. The PIYA checklist is an excellent guide to improve the seaworthiness of your boat. You may obtain a copy of it from http://www.ussailing.net/piya/cat_cert.html. This four-page document outlines the minimum requirements for each of the five categories, 0 through IV.
Some of the requirements you may not be able to meet. You cannot change your boat design. Measurements such as limit of positive stability, minimum average freeboard, cockpit drain sizes, cockpit volume and location of the companion way are dependent upon your boat design. There are numerous items, however, that you can accomplish to improve the safety of your boat and crew. They range from adding soft wood plugs next to all through hulls, updating your first aid kit, and installing a radar reflector.
Some items not covered in the PIYA list include crew comfort. This winter is predicted to be colder and wetter than normal. Keeping the crew warm is important. Polypropylene and layers add to the warmth as well as having a good heater aboard. Other sources of heat include the oil lamps, the cooking stove with an upside down clay flower pot over a burner to protect the flame and dissipate the heat, and a catalytic propane heater. There are several other methods of staying warm. On some boats they use the chemical hand/foot warmer packets and it has been rumored that Sailor Jerry’s rum also keeps a crew real hot.
Food and hydration are also important. Hot drinks and food add to the pleasure of winter sailing. Each crew must decide what works best.
A Christmas gift suggestion would be a VHF radio with DSC capability. When you add your MMSI to the radio and connect it to a GPS your emergency signal tells all who receive it whom you are and where you are. It also contains a point of contact ashore which you have designated when you obtained your MMSI. (/Look up each abbreviation to learn more!)
The days are becoming shorter and the nights longer. Check out all of your lights. The tricolor may be used when you are under sail but when under power the on deck navigation lights must be used along with a steaming light.
So, go ahead and print out the PIYA list and start improving your boat. Perhaps the most important item not mentioned in the checklist is Practice. Practice using your emergency gear on your boat with your entire crew.
Hope this has been preaching to the choir.
Dave Knowlton, Koosah
Another year of great sailing is almost upon us with the start of the 2011-2012 Southern Sound Series! For those who have raced it before, you should have received a post card announcing that the details for each race may be found at www.ssseries.org. For those who have not raced the Series, this is a grand opportunity to experience longer distance races throughout our winter season!
The first race is Winter Vashon on December 3rd. Sponsored by the Tacoma Yacht Club, the race is always kicked off the night before with awards presented from last year’s race and a great dinner usually with free beer. Several boats from the Seattle area participate in this traditional event. There will be a new course this year: The race will be run counter clockwise around Vashon Island. You may follow Koosah for the correct course … actually we start 30 minutes ahead of everyone else since we race in the Cruising Classes, but we will sail the correct course!
The second race of the series is Duwamish Head on January 7th, 2012. The Three Tree Point Yacht Club conducts this race which starts at Des Moines, heads north to the Duwamish Head Dolphin in Elliott Bay, west to rounding Blakely Rock and back to Des Moines. Again, there are numerous Seattle boats participating in this race. This, perhaps, is the most difficult race for our South Sound Sailing Society boats. It is a long delivery to Des Moines! What we have done over the years is stop at the Tacoma Yacht Club and dock at their reciprocal moorage. That night before the race we have a wonderful dinner in the club, remain at the dock with electricity, and then depart in the morning for the remaining nine miles to the start at Des Moines. Often we have several other SSSS skippers and crew for the dinner that night! After the race, we usually spend the night back at the Tacoma Yacht Club and make the delivery home in daylight on Sunday.
An important note, you must have paid your 2012 PHRF dues to participate! The Cruising Classes, flying sails and nonflying sails, do not have to belong to PHRF. Kelly Coon can provide you with a handicap.
Our Toliva Shoal Race is the third. This year is will be held on February 11th, 2012. This is not Presidents’ Day Weekend. It is one week before which will allow families to enjoy the three-day weekend together. This is the longest race of the Series. It often is the most difficult race to complete. There are at least five areas where the currents will require local knowledge to punch through and, sometimes even anchoring, until the wind increases or current changes. Friday night is always fun for all the sailors! A great meal, free beer and wine, and often attended by those who choose not to race but enjoy the company of other sailors. Toliva Shoal offers SSSS and OYC sailors an opportunity to participate in the Series without a delivery!Since we, and the OYC, sponsor Toliva Shoal, you have a grand opportunity to volunteer to help! Don Waterhouse is the Chair … I think this is his fourth time around! Thanks Don!
The final race is the Islands Race on March 17th, 2012. The Gig Harbor Yacht Club runs this race. It starts outside the Harbor, goes north up Colvos Passage to a mark on the north side of Blake Island, and back to the start/finish line. Several boats raft up at the public dock with free moorage and then discover the great Mexican Restaurant across the street or the Tides Tavern down the street. This year the GHYC has announced that there will not be a meal after the race at the club. The race fee may be reduced to reflect this change.
So! Mark your calendars (your SSSS calender is so marked already)! Organize your crew! Think about whom you want as your teammate, there is a team trophy! Visit the web site for the details! And please contact me if you have any questions .. after all I am your Southern Sound Series Representative!
Dave Knowlton, Koosah