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Club Profile: Washington College Sailing Team
The Basics about the College
Welcome to Washington College, where George Washington never slept. But he did walk the streets of Chestertown, donate 50 guineas to our founding, and serve on the Board of Visitors and Governors.
As the first college chartered in the newly independent United States, we are still defined by our close connection to America’s founding era, along with an appreciation for our beautiful Chesapeake Bay environment and a culture that fosters good writing.
News Flash! Washington College is hiring an Assistant Varsity Sailing Coach
Personal Connections.
Approximately 1,450 undergraduate students from 35 states and 40 nations share a 112-acre campus. A 12-to-1 ratio of students to faculty encourages conversation in and out of class. Beyond academics, there are countless ways to define yourself, develop your interests, and connect with others: 62 clubs, 17 varsity sports, 17 club sports, a half-dozen intramurals, and a packed schedule of student-organized events.
Perfectly situated.
Our setting may be a historic river town surrounded by farmland, but it’s also an easy drive to D.C., Baltimore and Philly. We think it’s the best of both worlds. Traffic congestion only when you want it.
Passionate about the past.
We were founded in 1782—in the closing days of the American Revolution—to educate students who could help lead a free society and do the hard work of democracy. Today our students learn how the lessons of history relate to the issues of today. And, like their 18th-century counterparts, they graduate ready to assume important roles in society.
Psyched about the future.
The need for a rigorous, engaging liberal arts education has never been greater. The main campus sparkles with newly constructed and renovated facilities, and plans are being drawn for a fabulous waterfront campus on the Chester River.
General Washington would be proud.
About WAC Sailing
News Flash! Washington College is hiring an Assistant Varsity Sailing Coach
Washington College sails right near campus, with a great boathouse and FJ’s ready to go. The team is part of the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA). Learn more about this team here.
Quick Facts About WAC Sailing:
Approximately 1,450 undergraduate students from 35 states and 40 nations share a 112-acre campus. A 12-to-1 ratio of students to faculty encourages conversation in and out of class. Beyond academics, there are countless ways to define yourself, develop your interests, and connect with others: 62 clubs, 17 varsity sports, 17 club sports, a half-dozen intramurals, and a packed schedule of student-organized events.
Perfectly situated.
Our setting may be a historic river town surrounded by farmland, but it’s also an easy drive to D.C., Baltimore and Philly. We think it’s the best of both worlds. Traffic congestion only when you want it.
Passionate about the past.
We were founded in 1782—in the closing days of the American Revolution—to educate students who could help lead a free society and do the hard work of democracy. Today our students learn how the lessons of history relate to the issues of today. And, like their 18th-century counterparts, they graduate ready to assume important roles in society.
Psyched about the future.
The need for a rigorous, engaging liberal arts education has never been greater. The main campus sparkles with newly constructed and renovated facilities, and plans are being drawn for a fabulous waterfront campus on the Chester River.
General Washington would be proud.
About WAC SailingNews Flash! Washington College is hiring an Assistant Varsity Sailing Coach
Washington College sails right near campus, with a great boathouse and FJ’s ready to go. The team is part of the Middle Atlantic Intercollegiate Sailing Association (MAISA). Learn more about this team here.
Quick Facts About WAC Sailing:
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We have hosted the Spring MASSA Silver Championships for the past two spring seasons, and we expect that to continue!
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We host several MAISA regattas every year, usually a fall qualifier (though we won’t be hosting it this fall), and two team race regattas in a 6 team format. We are upgrading the Tom Noble Team Race and the Washington College Team Race to an 8 team format next spring.
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We have 18 “new” (only 2 seasons old) FJs accessible from our waterfront campus less than a mile from our main campus.
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Since 2008 we have made Co-Ed Nationals (first round or better) six times, and Women’s Nationals once.
May 1, 2016
Washington College Sailing Finishes Season at America Trophy
The Washington College sailing team finished its 2015-16 season by placing 14th of 18 teams at the America Trophy – the MAISA Spring Co-Ed Dinghy Championships – this weekend at New York Maritime.
April 24, 2016
Washington College Sailing Competes in Two Regattas in Boston
The Washington College sailing team competed in two regattas in Boston this weekend, finishing 17th of 17 teams at MIT’s Boston Dinghy Cup and 16th of 18 team’s at Boston University’s George E. Morris Trophy.
April 19, 2016
Eric Siegel – Shoreman of the Week
Senior sailor Eric Siegel is this week’s Shoreman of the Week. Siegel skippered Washington to a second-place finish in A Division and a third-place finish overall at The Grant Regatta over the weekend, qualifying the team for the Ameirca Trophy.
April 17, 2016
Washington College Sailing Third at Grant, Qualifies for America Trophy
The Washington College sailing team finished third of 17 teams at the Grant Regatta, hosted by Monmouth, this weekend. The top-six finish qualified Washington for the America Trophy, the MAISA Spring Co-Ed Dinghy Championships, to be held in two weeks at New York Maritime.
April 3, 2016
Washington College Sailing 6th at Team Race Challenge
The Washington College sailing team finished sixth of eight teams at the Team Race Challenge, hosted by Old Dominion, this weekend.
March 27, 2016
Washington College Sailing Seventh at Two Regattas
The Washington College sailing team competed at a pair of regatta in the Hampton Roads area this weekend. Washington placed seventh of eight teams at Old Dominion’s Szambecki Team Race and seventh of eight teams at the Christopher Newport Invitational for the Hanbury Cup.
March 20, 2016
Washington College Sailing 5th in Own Team Race
The host Washington College sailing team finished fifth of six teams in the Washington College Team Race, held yesterday and today on the Chester River.
March 13, 2016
Washington College 11th at College of Charleston Spring Intersectional
The Washington College sailing team finished 11th of 14 teams at the College of Charleston Spring Intersectional this weekend.
Cruise One-Design? Sustaining the Sport of Sailing
By Airwaves writer Tyler Colvin
“The thing that is great about sailing is that it is a lifelong sport.”
If I had a dollar for every time this has come up in conversation, especially when I bring up I am a sailing professional, I wouldn’t be sailing other people’s boats anymore. While this cliche is borderline overused, it is a cliche for a reason. Sailing indeed is a sport that is enjoyed at a recreational and competitive level by people of all ages and socioeconomic backgrounds. Why it then, that sailing participation is is at a 30 year low?
Nick Hayes, statistician and author of Saving Sailing, presented researched that showed from 1980 to 2009, there was a drop from 12.5 million sailors to below 2.6 million. Over the middle of the 2000s, specifically from 2004 to 2012, searches involving sailing dropped over 40%. During this same time period other recreational activities such as surfing and skiing had consistently strong participation numbers (Nevin Sayre).
The argument can be made that during the late 2000s, the Great Recession could have played a part in the drop of Google searches, however that doesn’t account for the slow drop in participation through the .com boom and economic strength of the early 2000s. It is a fundamental change of the demographic; specifically the lack of retention amongst young sailors, that has driven this drop in numbers.
Figure 1: Sailing Participation distribution. From Nevin Sayre Inspiring More Kids
Looking at this graphic from Nevin Sayre (Vineyard Haven YC Junior Program Committee) from his talk, Inspiring More Kids, at the US Sailing Leadership Forum 2016, we can see this decline into the mid 20s. Participation doesn’t start to rebound really until the late 30s, early 40s. From both a financial perspective as a business, but as an overall sport, this is concerning for yacht clubs, boat clubs, community sailing centers, etc.
If we assume that at 8 years old, the average age of a child starting in beginner Optis, we have reached about 100% saturation of the kids who would sail, the fact that we are down below 20% by age 16 is troubling. By this graphic, half of the kids sail Optis for 2 years do not return for beginning FJs/C420s. This is not a localized problem, but a nationwide problem that junior sailing directors have been trying to address for the past few years.
Figure 2: Snowsports Participation. From Snowsports Industries America
Here we see a breakdown of snowsports participation by age group from the Snowsports Industries America. Instead of a steady decline from a young starting age onward, we see a rise in participation among young adults (aged 25-34). The percentages assume a different saturation rate among the population, but regardless this is a stark difference from the exponential decay seen in the sailing participation graph.
Seeing these numbers, we have to ask, what is different about sailing and snow sports? Starting at a beginning level and activity standpoint, both are relatively expensive. Between lessons and equipment, you can spend thousands of dollars on either. So putting socioeconomic standing aside, what else differs?
For anyone who has been through a junior sailing program or sent their child through a junior sailing program, you know the structure of Beginner Optis, Intermediate Optis, Opti Green Fleet, Opti Champ Fleet, C420 Intro Race, C420 Race Team, etc. This is how programs have been structured for decades, and is how US Sailing, as a national organizing body, has focused instructor training courses. Instructors are typically former racers or college sailors. From a young age, junior sailing has been presented and taught as a competitive sport for which the end game is to go to regattas and compete, often in very large fleets.
Skiers and snowboarders have a different experience. Very few skiers or snowboarders ever compete in a race or freestyle competition. In fact, according to the US Snow Sports Association, there were 185,521 entries in all disciplines of competition out of a total of 17.5 million participants. That is roughly 1% of all participants actually competing. Many ski patrollers and ski instructors have never raced; participating on a strictly recreational basis before becoming an industry professional. Everyone skis or snowboards because it’s fun.
It is not too far a leap to get from over-competition in youth sailing leading to a drop in participation in later years. Sailing programs tend to glorify the several young sailors out of a big group that go on to the next level, whether that be national teams or prestigious college teams. Meanwhile, the kids who do not wish to compete, or are just not successful, get washed out the back. If sailing is meant to be a lifelong sport, shouldn’t we be measuring success by the retention of sailors we have from beginning sailing onward?
The advent of alternative sailing programs is a movement that is starting to take hold in the industry. Not only do program directors see a lot of potential dollars in retaining even a fraction of the participants we lose every year, but it’s important as a sport that we remember why we are in the industry to begin with. No one who is in the sailing education industry is doing it for the money. Everyone genuinely loves the sport. In order to help more people enjoy the sport, in fact making these “lifelong sailors” that I hear so much about, all aspects need to be addressed. Kids need to have the option to go out and cruise around if they so choose. We need to give them the tools to do as such.
“There is nothing- absolutely nothing- half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”
–The Wind in the Willows
Move Faster With The Right Cardio For Sailing
By Airwaves Writer Rachel Bennung
Do you ever feel like your just not getting the spinnaker up fast enough, or you feel really exhausted after getting into a tacking duel? You do cardio, but you still feel winded sometimes while sailing? Maybe your problem is your doing cardio, but not the right one to reach your sailing goals. However, with the right cardio you will be able to build your endurance and reach your goals faster. Today you will learn about the different types of cardio, what is the best cardio for sailing, and how to enhance your sailing performance with the right cardio.
Cardio can be categorized in several ways. For the purpose of this article I will categorize them into three types.
- Regular Cardio – This type of cardio includes low-medium intensity, and medium to long duration. The workout lasts for 30 minutes to an hour or more. Examples of exercises would be walking, jogging, and swimming.
- High Intensity Cardio – This type of cardio requires you to maintain a high level of intensity throughout the workout. The workout lasts for 30 minutes or less. Examples of exercises would be performing the same exercises as regular cardio, but at a much higher intensity.
- High Intensity Interval Training – Also known as HIIT, this is a type of cardio where you give 100% effort for the exercises, and then follow that with a short sometimes active recovery period. This cardio gets your heart rate up and keeps it up throughout the workout. This type of cardio workout can range in duration from 10-30 minutes.
So we have regular cardio, high intensity cardio, and high intensity interval training, which one is the best for sailing? Think about your movements on a sailboat, a lot of times they have to be very quick. For example you have to get the spinnaker up or down as fast as possible, or you get in a tacking duel. These movements cause your heart rate to increase quickly. Since in sailing we have times where we need to use more energy, giving 100% effort the best form of cardio we can be doing is High Intensity Interval Training.
By adding high intensity interval training to your workout routine you will start to see a difference in your sailing performance. High intensity interval training will improve your cardio abilities. It will come easier, and you will get quicker all those times on the boat where you need to give 100% effort. Not only will you boost your cardio abilities, but by adding interval training to your routine you will also boost your endurance on the water. By adding high intensity interval training to your workout routine today, you will be able to start maximizing your performance on the water.
Now that we know what is the right cardio to do for sailing, how do we get started? Check out below the 20 minute HIIT workout I created that will start you on your way to improving your cardio for sailing. Also check out the moves in the video.
HIIT Workout:
-Warm up for 5 minutes
-1 minute alternating lunges
-1 minute jumping jacks
-1 minute butt kicks
-1 minute squats
-1 minute high knees
-Set your timer for 15 minutes. Do each exercise giving 100% effort for the amount of reps listed. Rest for 30 seconds between each exercise. Continue the exercises until you reach 15 minutes. Cool down and stretch after completing the workout. (If you want a longer cardio workout set your timer for 20 or more minutes. )
-15 Squat Jumps
-12 Alternating Tap Ups
-15 Alternating Jumping Lunges
-20 Plank Jacks
-15 Burpee Spins
Sailors need to always be on top of their game and ready to move quickly. You may have been doing cardio, however, by incorporating the right cardio into your workouts, high intensity interval training you will see major improvements in your sailing. You will be able to maximize your performance for those movements where your heart rate is high. Along with being able to give 100% effort without being fully exhausted, you will also see a boost in your endurance while out sailing. Get started today with the HIIT workout above and check out the video of the moves.
For more information on fitness for sailing contact rachel@sail1design.com. Also check out Sailorcise on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily tips on fitness, nutrition, and sailing.
World Cup Supply: Your Source for Sailing Pinnies
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High School Sailing Spotlight: PCC Dinghy Championship Report
Sail1Design would like to welcome our newest intern/reporter, Sammy Pickell, to our Airwaves team. Sammy is a high school student and sailor on the Corona del Mar team, and will focus on west coast & high school sailing!
Pacific Coast Championships: Competition Pushes Corona del Mar Sailing Team to the Top!
In summer 2006, two competitive eight-year-olds, Derek Pickell and Rhodes Garner, stood out particularly among racers in the junior sailing sabot program at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. The two boys, constantly alternating wins with one another at Southern California regattas, pushed each other to fly up the fleets and rankings, to say the least. However, soon after reaching the more advanced fleet of sabots, Rhodes switched over to Newport Harbor Yacht Club permanently.
Ten years later, now on a new team together, both eighteen year-olds stood proudly holding their trophy with our Corona del Mar High School sailing team. These two had returned, and improved upon their former success that sailing on a team together brought them; Rhodes and Derek led the Corona del Mar Seakings to the Pacific Coast Championship for the Seakings’ first time in decades.
After half our team graduated preceding the 2014-2015 season, the two senior boys first took on the responsibility of skippering our Varsity Gold Division, as the only two upperclassmen skippers on the team. Though obviously racing against different sailors in separate divisions, unlike the sabot days, each boy’s competitive nature and excellent scores constantly motivated the other before his race— a recurring relationship of amicable competition benefiting our sailing team. It was never about Rhodes and Derek simply fighting for scores against competing schools; the sense of the Seakings’ community comes with pushing teammates to race stronger and better, and they were no exception. For many years, the CdM team had constantly fallen as underdogs— always close behind Newport Harbor and Point Loma, yet always edged out. We constantly managed to take third or fourth places, only narrowly qualifying for the Mallory in 2015.
This year at the 2016 Pacific Coast Championships at the US Sailing Center in Long Beach, an area famous for its voracious windsurfers and breezy conditions, our team had our work cut out for us. Heading into the regatta, we ranked third place behind Point Loma and Newport Harbor, the 2015 national champions. To qualify for the Mallory, CdM needed to place in the top four at least. PCISA has over 58 schools actively participating in regattas and is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. With such a strong sailing presence throughout California, the competition never lulls, and we knew the Pacific Coast Championships would be no exception.
On the first day of the qualifier, the race committee kept the 22 schools racing continuously from about 11am to 6pm. The wind began light and shifty, thankfully a condition very familiar to Corona del Mar. The drastically shifting offshore breeze made it necessary for us to play the sides of the course intelligently and facilitated the importance of focusing on boat speed. As a 10-12 knot breeze began to fill midway through the day, keeping our boats completely flat became essential. Small waves also emphasized the need for good boat handling and warranted the infantile stages of surfing on the downwind legs. The race committee kept a pace of fast rotations to achieve as many races as possible. Rhodes and I (A division) and Derek and Victoria Thompson (B division) each began and ended the day with consistent, upper fleet scores. We ended the day smoothly and secured a second place behind the Francis Parker School, with Point Loma on our tails.
On Sunday, the sailors faced almost identical conditions as Saturday. It was still fair game for any team— the point values were so close that CdM could not afford to make a blunder during a race. Rhodes and I managed to secure strong pin starts at the
beginning of the day, as Derek and Tori sailed more conservatively from the middle. Nonetheless, each team sailed well, Derek and Rhodes always remembering to exchange advice to the other on the rotation dock about the constantly shifting wind. ! Rhodes and I ended the day in second place, and Derek and Tori directly responded to his success with two strong finishes crucially ahead of Point Loma. Constantly on the cusp of greatness, with its senior boys’ strong competition and teamwork with one another paving the way, the CdM sailing team finally broke through the underdog status— finally ahead of Point Loma and Newport Harbor.
(for full results click HERE)
Teamwork in the CFJ is prevalent everywhere— from the actions between the skipper and crew to assisting your teammates in being mentally and physically prepared come race time. An often forgotten aspect in the process of working as a team is the inner rivalries among team players— the competitiveness and the drive to exceed your teammate’s previous performances. For CdM’s case, the two skippers had pushed each other to the top since sailing sabots from the same yacht club. Inner team competition is a force that molds champion sailors, but more importantly, it creates champion teams. Nationals, here we come!
Corona del Mar, Point Loma, Newport Harbor, and Santa Barbara are headed to nationals this May 14-15 in Charleston, South Carolina !
Club Profile: Annapolis Yacht Club
News Flash! AYC is hiring a Full-Time Optimist Coach!
AYC beginnings were in 1886 as an informal canoe club. A building was constructed two years later on a pile of 
oyster shells at the foot of Duke of Gloucester Street, which, in 1888, became the Clubhouse for the formally organized Severn Boat Club. This oyster pile was rented from St. Mary’s Church and was next to a rickety wooden bridge across Spa Creek. In 1897 a new clubhouse was built and was enlarged in 1912.
Humble Beginnings
In 1904, the first records of meetings indicate a membership of 30. In 1910, the first wharfs were built, and the first club manager was hired in 1911 at a salary of $15 a month. Members began to acquire small sail boats and organize club regattas. These were uncomplicated affairs held on Memorial Day and Labor Day. Shell and canoe races started up Spa Creek at Old Woman Cove and ended at the Eastport Bridge. There were also swimming races and diving competitions. The club owned several single and double shells, two four-oared shells, and was given an eight-oared shell in 1911 by the US Naval Academy.
A Post-War Renewal
World War I and the depression slowed boating activities until the mid-30s. A hurricane damaged the clubhouse and the wharf was reduced to pilings in 1933 and it was difficult to keep the club’s quota of 100 resident members. By 1936, there seemed to be little interest by members in the club and changes were needed. With renewal in mind, in 1937 the Annapolis Yacht Club was incorporated and the first formal regatta (Annual) was held that year. The Fall Series first year was in 1940 with five boats competing. World War II interrupted organized racing, but in 1946 the Spring Series was started with three classes – 30 Square Meters, Stars and Chesapeake 20s. By 1948, Moths, Comets and Hamptons were also taking part. The Annapolis to Newport Race (Newport to Annapolis back then) started in 1947 and has been run every two years since. A dining room was added to the club in the late 1940s and in 1948, the first Smoking Lamp newsletter appeared as a single page mimeographed sheet.
The Junior Fleet
The junior fleet started in 1948, and the first junior trophy was presented in 1953. The first junior boat, Dolphins, were replaced by Penguins, which were next followed by 420s which the junior fleet still races.
Wednesday Night Races: An Annapolis Tradition
Wednesday Night Races were the brainchild of P/C Gaither Scott. After seeing the Wednesday Night Races at East Greenwich YC in Rhode Island in 1958, Scott inaugurated midweek racing at AYC in 1959. No race committee, no prizes, no scoring but there was a picnic supper after sailing. “S” boats, H-23s, 5.5 meters, Bermuda One Design and Rainbows raced, but interest waned in the mid-60s. To correct this, smaller classes of boats were invited and in 1965 35 boats entered the series. By 1967 112 boats were taking part.
Frostbite Racing
Frostbite racing began in the winter of 1962-1963. Seven Rainbows were the inaugural class with five short races a day, starting and finishing at the club. Gladiators joined Frostbite racing in the fall of 1963 and MORC made the third class in 1964. The first Hangover Bowl (New Year’s Day) was on Jan. 1, 1966.
A Need for Growth
By 1959, membership had risen to 1000 and a new club building was badly needed. This was opened in 1963, with the first deck left unfinished due to lack of funds. Frostbite and Wednesday Night Racing soon demanded more club social space, and the Skipjack Lounge was finished in 1969.
The land across the Eastport Bridge where the junior fleet building is now (Holden Property) was purchased in 1969. The junior fleet was established there and a new building for them was completed in 1995. In 1989, women were welcomed as members, and the White Rocks Marina property (now the Harborside Sailing Center) was added in 1990. The club’s first official one-design fleet, the J/22, was started in 1991 with a crane added to Harborside for launching of the boats. The clubhouse again underwent a major renovation in 1995.
More than a Club…
Today, AYC is at full membership (1600 regular members) with very active social, racing, and cruising programs. Large international events such as the Star Class World Championship, Rolex International Women’s Keelboat Championship, and many North American championships are hosted every year at AYC. Harborside is filled with one design boats (J/22s, J/24s, Etchells, Stars, Melges 24) while the in-the-water boat slips are in high demand. AYC is known worldwide thanks to the members who are prominent in participating in, promoting, and organizing the sport of sailboat racing, as well as those who opt to leisurely cruise the waters of the Chesapeake and beyond.
About The Junior Fleet
AYC’s Junior Fleet, established in 1948, has a long and impressive history.
News Flash! AYC is hiring a Full-Time Optimist Coach!
Lt. Cmdr. Carl Menneken first proposed a Junior Fleet in the Race Committee meeting of March 13, 1946. Presented to the Board in April, it was tabled for details and discussed at various meetings until the Board meeting of June 9, 1948 when $2,000 were allocated for the purchase of 6 Dolphins which would be used by the newly created Junior Fleet.
A Growing Fleet
In 1951, just three years later, there were 37 active members. At a party in October of that year, a Junior Fleet Penguin Fund was started and funded by a raffle where pieces of a lamb-shaped cake were bid upon and $26 was raised. By 1952, the Junior Fleet, having found the Dolphin to be unsatisfactory as a junior boat, replaced the Dolphins with Penguins at the advice of Fleet Captain Jack Martin. Chairman James Sindall commissioned four new Penguins that were added to the fleet. This addition marked the beginning of organized activity and Junior Sailor Nancy Scofield was awarded the first Fleet Trophy in 1953. Penguin activity continued until the 1960s when 420s were introduced. AYC’s Junior Fleet continues to sail 420s today.
New Land and New Buildings
In 1969, land on the Eastport side of the Bridge was purchased and the Junior Fleet continued to expand. Practices have been held on this site since 1969, but the first Junior building was not completed until 1995. This first building was renovated and expanded to the current design in 2008.
A Focus on Racing
The Junior Fleet has come a long way since its inception in 1948. While the development of new sailors and sailing as a life-long sport are important, the AYC Junior Fleet is also a nationally recognized program for the long-standing excellence in racing it has fostered. On a regional level, the Club has generated numerous Chesapeake Bay Junior Champions, Bay Midget Champions, the Middle Atlantic Midget Title, Victory in the North American Junior and Senior Penguin Championships and the Sears Bowl. Most recently, three teams of 420 sailors were awarded first, second, and third place in the Inaugural Triple Crown Championship. Graduates of the Junior Fleet Program have won the Men’s Championship of the Bay and the Single Handed Championship of the Bay.
Recent History
In 2008, AYC purchased 6 29ers to augment the Club’s Junior Fleet boats and programs, and hosted the first ever 29er Mid-Atlantic Championship.
Today, our Junior Fleet has one of the most active year-round programs in the country. Our Juniors are on the water more than 250 days of the year during all seasons.
The Junior Fleet maintains a popular and nationally-recognized Optimist team. These young sailors travel around the country and world representing AYC. This team consistently qualifies sailors for the US Optimist Team Trials, and provides an avenue for sailors to develop through the AYC program; from intro, to Green Fleet, to racing.
A fleet of I-420s was purchased in summer 2009 to provide an additional training platform for our advanced sailors. Since then, AYC has hosted the I-420 Atlantic Coast Championship, providing a lead-up event for the Youth World Qualifier held in I-420s in the winter.
Beginning in 2010, all sailors involved in the program will be AYC members, with the exception of Creek Critters and sailors in the high school program. This was made possible with the institution of the Junior Associate Member category or JAM. Today, JAM is a membership that not just allows for a sailor to take part in our programs, but that also allows for limited use of the clubhouse and facilities.
ICSA Team Race Rankings, 4/22/2016
Here they are! This will be the last ranking before our TR Nationals Preview! Sponsored by Dynamic Dollies, this is the second installment of the 2016 ICSA Team Race Rankings. Panelists include Ken Legler (Tufts University), Ward Cromwell (College of Charleston), Clinton Hayes (Stanford), and Johnny Norfleet (Fordham) and Bill Healy (Yale).
Radio-Controlled One Design Sailing Takes Off at Tred Avon YC!
Tred Avon YC Embraces RC Fleet into One Design Program
The Oxford RC Laser Fleet is proud to announce that it has become a sanctioned racing fleet within the Tred Avon Yacht Club, Oxford, MD. The fleet’s inclusion in a major yacht club follows a trend in which remote control racing is expanding sailboat racing for both juniors and seniors alike without a significant investment. For juniors, model sailboat racing functions as both instruction, and fun. When viewed in close proximity off a dock or shoreline, radio controlled sailing can clearly demonstrate tactics and rules application on short courses. With their educated thumbs, juniors will enjoy sailing RC. For seniors, remote control sailing extends racing careers, eliminates the frustration of finding a crew, and obviates funding a racing campaign. Racing model yachts is the best vicarious sport there is because it is simply sailing scaled down. It is very competitive, and immensely satisfying (it also keeps us dry on the dock).
Oxford RC Laser #299 is a recognized fleet within the American Model Yachting Association (AMYA), the governing body of model yachting that exists to foster and encourage the model yachting hobby among dozens of clubs and fleets in the USA. There are over 30 classes of model boats within the AMYA, and over 2000 members from coast to coast. The various classes all hold regional and national championships. AMYA publishes Model Yachting magazine, a quarterly.
Along with other forward thinking yacht clubs like Larchmont and San Diego, Tred Avon Y.C. is in the vanguard of including radio-controlled sailing within established racing programs. Prior to officially sanctioning the Oxford RC Laser fleet, over the last several years Tred Avon Y.C. has hosted several major RC championships, and already enjoys considerable recognition throughout the USA as a leading RC venue. In late October, TAYC will host the National Championships of the EC12, 5′ scale model based on America’s Cup yachts of the 1970’s. EC12 is one of the largest and most popular classes in AMYA.
The Oxford RC Laser Fleet predominantly sails RC Lasers, 1/4-scale replicas of the popular Olympic dinghy, but several members race other RC classes as well. The Oxford fleet sails late Wednesday afternoons in the spring and fall. Orientation sessions for those interested are held Wednesday afternoons prior to racing. Tred Avon Y.C. encourages both members and non-members to give remote controlled racing a try (the club collects a nominal fee from those participating as non-TAYC club members).
Remote Control sailing at Tred Avon YC is led by Dave Branning as the RC Fleet Liaison. Branning reports to TAYC Board Member, Brandon Loveless, who leads the centerboard and one-design classes at TAYC. Oxford RC Laser Fleet Captain, Bob Roe, has an active racing season planned for 2016 that begins on March 16th.
For more info, contact liaison laserdave93@yahoo.com
Interested in an RC Laser? Check out S1D Team Member Intensity Sails. They can set you up!
Club Profile: Sail Newport Expands!
Sail Newport expands its footprint to keep up with demand.
The genesis of Sail Newport was its founding in the aftermath of the 1983 loss of the America’s Cup to the Lads from The Land Down Under. It started as an idea and a hope to keep major sailing events coming to Newport. In the intervening years Sail Newport has done that with a vengeance and in the process has become a powerhouse in the sailing community, locally, regionally and internationally.
Sail Newport is THE premier community sailing center in Rhode Island and highly regarded across the country. This profile and a tremendously skilled staff and cadre of volunteers available for sailing adventures have made Sail Newport one of the Go To venues for hosting your regatta. They can and have run regattas as diverse as a local Opti Green fleet event to regional, national, North American and world championships plus elite events: the VOR and America’s Cup world series. For example, on the Sail Newport calendar for 2016, beginning end of April running thru to end of October there are Four National championships, two North Americans, a couple of regionals, several youth related coaching and Opti like regattas, the Melges 32 worlds and the World Match Racing tour Newport stop. With the ‘other’ regattas, Sail Newport is hosting a total of 24 regattas in 6 months…..And that is just ONE entity in Newport…
But after close to thirty-three years, Sail Newport has outgrown is the physical plant at Fort Adams. The buildings are both small and aging and becoming vastly outgrown by the continued growth of Sail Newport and related growth of staff amongst other elements.
In order to meet this pre middle age spread as it were, Sail Newport’s board, directors and executive staff, led by Executive Director Brad Read, have been developing a plan for modest expansion to accommodate the increasing demand for the services that Sail Newport’s core mission offers. The centerpiece of this expansion is the construction of a building on land that regulars will commonly see rigged with a tent in summer, at the foot of the Admirals pier.
The three story building, officially called the Marine Education and Recreational facility, will have public bathrooms, locker rooms with showers, seasonal dock office and storage, offices, presentation areas and class rooms. There will be Americans with Disabilities Act access to the lobby and an elevator. The entire lower level is designed so it can be evacuated in the event of storms and built so that flood-waters may wash through the building.
Embracing Rhode Island’s commitment to a more environmentally and sustainable future, the building will encompass many of the latest environmental building practices: Solar panels, landscaping and filters to mitigate the effects of water run off and many related elements of contemporary ‘green’ building. And because of the historical aspect of the Ft. Adams complex the new building is designed to compliment the look of existing buildings on the property.
On a dark and stormy April night in Newport, RI, the feel was a lot more summer, kids, sailing and learning, inside a meeting room at the Newport Public Library. This was the venue for the Environmental Assessment /Assessment of Effect open house required by law. A gathering of twenty five to thirty people some dripping from the torrential rain outside milled around reading the overall brief, studying renderings of the building, plans for the project and discussing the project. Because Sail Newport leases it facility from the State of Rhode Island and the entire Fort Adams complex is under the control of a variety of federal agencies, there were representatives from these agencies to answer questions. Read and senior staff from Sail Newport were present as was Mohamad Farzan, principal of Newport Architecture, the designers of the building. Other stake holders in the Park including the president of Newport Rugby a perennial consumer of the fields up the hill to the west of the Ft. Adams access road were seen browsing the presentation.
Sail Newport is indeed a fantastic facility for sailing from, especially in the summer. The introduction of this new building is very timely considering the expansion of, in particular, High School sailing in the spring. Apart from the small Sail Newport office the other buildings available are unheated and so not conducive to chalk-talk like activities when the in the water conditions do not lend themselves to sailing.
Beginning this spring, three of the high schools on Aquidneck Island plus Prout School in Wakefield RI are all sailing out of Sail Newport and this is creating it’s own great Gravitational Density for local youth sailors. On a recent Wednesday afternoon sailing from Sail Newport were the four schools mentioned plus St Georges sailing a match against Moses Brown plus a couple of the St. Georges JV teams practicing. All told there were close to twenty five 420’s out sailing with perhaps 60 teenage sailors on the water, 6 coach boats and several racing and practice areas going all at once. And this count excludes Salve Regina University who is based out of the boat basin at the north end of the park. If they were out too, the count may well be over 40 boats and a hundred young sailors.
That Newport is the Sailing Capital of the world there can be no doubt. The new building on site and the expansion of the Sail Newport core mission, to introduce youth sailors to the sport and to provide public access to the water will add another boat length or two to this truism and make Sail Newport an even better place to sail from than it already is.
A Look at Forestay Sag
By Andrew Kerr
A key element of upwind performance is forestay sag – how loose the forestay (or head stay on a masthead rig) is for the given set of wind and sea conditions.
The setup is crucial to boat speed and pointing as it sets up the entry and power of the headsail as well as the effectiveness of both sails as one combined foil.
Why forestay sag is fast in light air and then slow when overpowered:
Forestay sag is fast in light air as it opens up the luff of the sail to the wind, powers up the Jib and in effect moves the sheeting angle inboard as the leech profile of the sail moves in as the luff of the sail moves out.
In effect it is like” in hauling” the Jib or putting a set of sheeting tracks inboard; the net of this is more power and higher pointing.
The draft of the sail moves forward and to leeward and it helps the sail to respond more dynamically in light air to puffs and lulls.
Where diminishing returns set in with forestay sag is when the boat starts to become overpowered , the headsail gets too deep and round , causing too much leeway and the mainsail to backwind too much , it becomes a net loss in both speed and pointing and it is time to take the sag out.
What can control forestay sag?
The upper shrouds on aft swept spreaders – the tighter the upper shrouds the tighter the forestay, but this is not the case with in line spreaders where the uppers do not control forestay sag.
Lower shroud tension – lower shroud tension helps keep the lower part of the mast in column so that when backstay is applied it can go more directly to forestay tension.
The length of the forestay – a longer forestay creates more sag, as the wind increases the forestay can be shortened to reduce sag.
Adjustable aft lowers (as on a Santana 20) – the more aft lower that is applied the tighter the forestay, we use the aft lowers in conjunction with the backstay to keep a good form shape in the Mainsail luff curve.
Backstay tension – pulling on the Backstay tightens the forestay and flattens the headsail.
Mainsheet tension – the tighter the mainsheet the more the mast bends, the less forestay sag.
Mast heel position – on boats like J24’s that have adjustable mast heels or chocks like on an Etchell’s. This controls Pre Bend in the mast or the “pre stress” of the mast to fit the luff curve of the mainsail.
As the heel comes aft the Mainsail becomes flatter and the top of the mast goes forward, increasing forestay sag. As the heel of the mast goes forward the pre bend is reduced, the Mainsail becomes fuller and the forestay tightens, flattening the headsail.
Running backstays that have termination points at the forestay – the tighter the runner, the less forestay sag for a flatter headsail.
How to measure and gauge forestay sag when sailing:
A good way to measure the sag is to go sailing and anchor a spare halyard down next to the tack of the headsail and tighten it as much as possible , then sight up the forestay and look at the distance between the firm halyard and where the biggest amount of sag is relative to that .
How can you tell the forestay is too loose when you are sailing?
One of the telltale signs is that the mainsail luffs early and often despite the fact the backstay is on tight.
When setting the boat up upwind we try to get the luff of the headsail and the luff of the Mainsail to break as closely together as possible, in this instance the Mainsail will luff earlier than the headsail.
The reason is primarily that one of the byproducts of the sag is the luff of the headsail opens up to the wind but the back of the sail – the leech profile, returns inboard which when in excess, can cause excessive backwind in the mainsail and the headsail to be too deep.
Typically when we see that we tension the backstay to reduce this, if this does not work then that is an indicator that the rig is too loose or the forestay is too long, or on some boats the mast heel is too far back (too much pre bend), these are common when sailing in light air and then the wind increases progressivley during the race.
Another indicator of too much forestay sag for the given backstay tension is over bend wrinkles in the mainsail – indicating that we are over bending the mainsail to the designed luff curve and also the given backstay application is not giving us the required forestay tension.
This typically indicates the rig is too loose, the forestay is too long or the mast heel is too far back with too much pre bend in the mast for the stronger wind.
How can you tell that the forestay is too tight when you are sailing?
In this instance the headsail will look too flat on the entry – despite easing the backstay.
The Headsail will also look too flat and the boat will feel very underpowered in the lulls with a very tight steering groove and the Genoa will tend to luff early relative to the mainsail.
This very often happens when the boat was set up with a tight rig or tight forestay for heavier air and then the wind has dropped.
How much forestay sag are we looking for?
This varies from class to class and it is best to consult your sail maker for exact numbers, but the principles that we are looking at apply.
Watch carefully how the Headsail and Mainsail luffs break, are they working fairly close together or is there a big gap in when they luff. Does the Headsail look too full and the boat feel overpowered or do we have a good steering groove?
As an example, in a boat like a J24 – 8 to 10 inches of sag is good for light air for lots of power, 4 to 6 inches in medium air to maintain good pointing and as little sag as possible in heavy air to keep the headsail flat and the sails working well together.
I remember coaching at a Heavy air J105 regatta in San Francisco, it was blowing 25 to 30 knots and in watching the boats go upwind you could tell by the rig set ups who the top boats were – the teams with the most rigid, tight forestays had flat Jibs and Mainsails that were driving.
Teams who had more forestay sag had fuller Jibs and the Mainsails were luffing early and often and they were not pointing as high or tracking as well.
What if my Boat does not have an adjustable Backstay has a roller furler and the spreaders are in line and not swept back?
In this instance we will have marks on the Forestay turnbuckle for light, medium and heavy air and adjust it at the dock prior to racing for the given days conditions.
Your sail maker will be able to recommend how loose to have the forestay in lighter air to help with sag for the sails design and then how tight to go as the wind increases.
Set the Boat up for the Lulls, not the Puffs.
When tuning the boat we look to set up for the lulls not the puffs , so if the wind is 8 to 12 knots , we set up for the 8 knots in the knowledge that in the puffs we can always depower with Steering, Hiking and if available – backstay tension .
But if the boat is set up for 12 knots, performance will suffer in the light spots as there will be little recourse to power up with.
In light air a good mantra is to “Be the first boat hiking” – in other words set the boat up for power so you have your crew hiking first versus other teams and having the correct amount of forestay sag will be a critical component of this.
The Lark Dinghy: A New Era Begins
A new era has begun at Mystic Lake, home of the Tufts University Sailing Team. Just purchased is the sixth iteration of Larks class dinghies, except these are not ordinary Larks. For the first time Larks are being produced in the United States at Whitecap Composites in Peabody, MA, just 15 miles from Tufts. Builders of about 80 college dinghies for MIT, with new dinghy fleets at Cornell, Eckerd and elsewhere, Whitecap has produced 24 gorgeous “Turbo Larks” Why turbo? These are not the class legal Larks so popular in England. These are ultra-light, ultra-stiff, and oversized canvassed high performance college dinghies. Designed for young adults, not junior sailors, Turbo Larks are light air upwind machines capable of moving at, or higher than the true wind speed in light air. In breeze these Larks are definitely turbo-charged.
Hulls and decks were hand made with expert craftsman, are resin infused and bonded to a Soric core. The result is a lighter, stiffer, more consistent structure for simply a better boat. Doyle Sailmakers in Swampscott, MA also hand craft locally matching or even improving upon the long lasting sails they made back in 2010. The enormous “fat-head” mainsail powers up the boat as a spinnaker would downwind but twists off in big breeze upwind for any weight combination. The jibs were increased in area as well. Selden Spars of Charleston SC, provided tapered aluminum kappa section masts for power and weight saving along with ultra-light carbon booms.
Unique to college sailing features on these Turbo Larks include boom vang and Cunningham controls led back to both sides in between skipper and crew. Rudders are cassette style and centerboards are now composite, unlike the old plate aluminum boards of the past. The best feature of all might be the hull design which has passed the test of time since 1967. The deep “V” bow and narrow waterline allows for phenomenal light air upwind speed and feel. The flare to the rail puts hiking power where it belongs, outboard, allowing skipper and crew to keep far more power than they could on a narrower boat.
Tufts is home to some dozen college regatta per year and has been chosen host site for the 2017 Fowle Trophy Regatta for the New England Intercollegiate racing championship next April. This May some 48 alumni teams will take part in a massive Tufts Alumni regatta.
