KYC awards night

Saturday night was the annual KYC awards night and potluck dinner.  It was a packed house with most of the active racing teams well represented.  The food was fantastic and I am quite sure that nobody left hungry.  Many of the usual awards were presented for the top 4 finishes in each fleet as well as many very creative trophies given out for less than stellar performances.  There will be a shuffle of the executive this year with several members moving into new portfolios as well as some new blood taking over key positions.  We are still looking for someone to head up the organization of next years Canaccord Cup.  If you are interested please contact Henry Harlos for more information.  It was a warm and wonderful event on Saturday night which reaffirms to me that it truly is the people that make this sport so enjoyable.  To see all the pictures from Saturday night follow this link:  https://picasaweb.google.com/kycevents/2011KYCAwards

That's a wrap

With the annual running of the Caesers Freezer regatta yesterday so ends the 2011 Okanagan sailing season. We had a very challenging time out on the water yesterday with very shifty winds and variable conditions ranging from zero to 6 knots of breeze. After a less than perfect start, which included two boats over early and us drifting onto the pin, the fleet was off with decent pressure out of the East to South East. We managed to pick off every boat one by one and made our way to the front of the pack. It was us and the Antrum 27 Bad Dog a comfortable distance out ahead of the fleet all the way to Lake Okanagan Resort. We rounded first with Bad Dog hot on our heals and the J29 and Decision some 20 minutes behind. We tried to work the Western shore back home but sailed into a huge area of very light air and parked for an extended period. We kept glancing over our shoulder to the opposite shore where J, Decision and Celerity seemed to be making huge gains. We met up with these smart boats somewhere North of Traders Cove and did our best to cover our competition. We unfortunately did not have enough horse power in the light conditions and quickly saw our hard fought lead vanish. Continuing Southbound along the Eastern shore we played the numerous shifts as best as we could and managed to avoid dropping any further back. First across was J29 then Bad Dog, Decision and Litonya, but wait who was that boat trailing on the not to distant horizon? Like an evil pirate ship emerging from a dark fog bank appears Tom at the helm of Chaos to easily capture first place on corrected time. A great displace of sailing abilities on a C27. Many thanks to the wonderful folks on the RC at the KYC for providing us with a fantastic racing season this year and special thanks to all the wonderful guys and girls in our sailing community that make this sport so enjoyable. Have a warm and enjoyable off season and see you on the start line in March 2012.

Marc
Litonya

HR3, 2011

What a spectacular autumn day for Hot Rum number three.  The crowds are  thinning with the cool weather upon us leaving only the truly dedicated sailors on the water.  We headed out today to beautiful blue skies and very light and patchy breeze out of the North.  The RC signaled course SCXCAF and sounded the 5 minute warning right on time.  Looking up the race course it appeared that considerable skill would be needed to keep us from sailing into the many holes on the first beat.  We had a great midline start on Starboard with clear air and just a nose ahead of the pack.  We followed the boats who were closer to the committee boat and flipped over to port trying to position ourselves in a nice patch of wind just South of the red marker.  It looked like the best strategy would be to hug the Eastern shore and take advantage of any lifts as we headed North.  We managed to stay  ahead of all but one boat and round C just behind Pinstripe.  After a quick set and jibe we sailed our best angle downwind and constantly worked at trying to drive deep in any puffs.  Rounding A mark we weaved our way through Starboard traffic who were still working their way downwind as we slowly started losing ground to that untouchable J29.  The next beat and run went as smooth as any we have ever sailed with the breeze picking up closer to 6-8 knots.  It was a sprint down to A mark rounding just ahead of Predator and Decision, throwing them just enough dirt to prevent being passed on the last beat.  After all was said and done we crossed the line 2nd, still well behind J, but comfortably ahead of many.  Thanks to Henry H for joining us on the water today as his crew has apparently abandoned him to go climb a small hill.  See you next week for the final race of the 2011 Hot Rum.

Looking for a new ride, check this out!

2003 Blusail 24 sportboat. The Blusail 24 offers planing speeds into the teens with the safety and security of a deep draft full keel hull design. Sails consist of a laminate mainsail and jib with two asymmetric spinnakers flown from the carbon fibre bow mounted sprit. The asymmetric spinnaker setup allows thrilling spinnaker rides without the work load associated with a traditional spinnaker pole arrangement. Headsail handling is simplified with a brand new Harken roller furler system. All blocks have just been replaced with Harken carbo blocks and all running rigging with top of line Sampson competition grade line. Auxillery power provided by a 1 year old Honda 2hp outboard mounted on a factory stern bracket. The bottom was completely redone this summer with a fresh coat of hiteck VC offshore antifouling paint. The entire hull and topside has just been professionally buffed and refinished to perfection. Wireless Tacktick instrumentation also included. Also available for purchase with this boat is a matching yard trailer perfect for storing her on the hard during the off season. Please contact Marc at 250-212-9950 to see this exceptional sailboat. Asking $19,900 or $21,500 with the matching trailer. 

New Video

I managed to put together the video from E5 a couple of weeks ago.  Check it out and let me know what you think.

http://youtu.be/7i4v40fPNSU

HR1

There are few sailing related things more demoralizing than finishing behind a very similarly rated boat in a different time zone, but I am getting way ahead of myself. I was quite skeptical about any wind showing up for today's race after a few days of socked in cloud and drizzle but a gentle 5 knot breeze did eventually make an appearance about 10 minutes after the starting gun today. It was the first general start with all fleets combined for the same sequence. This always makes for some interesting sailing with the opportunity to race against several new boats with the combined fleets. The downside is floating along next to a boat with a much slower rating knowing he is kicking your but on corrected time even though no one is moving, such is the PHRF game we play. Our course for today was SPDXCAF but no one believed we might actually complete it with the 0 to 2 knot winds that were present during the start of the race. We had a good front row full speed start but quickly got rolled and gassed by the J29. We tried to break with the fleet and try for a little more breeze towards the center of the lake even though it might mean sailing on a header back towards P. We managed to makeup quite a bit of time on the first downwind leg and quickly found ourselves as the number 3 boat. The J29 had special guest star Bill C onboard even though it was obvious they didn't need the help. We crossed tacks with Decision and Woo Hoo several times and it was anybody's game. As it turned out we crossed the finish line 3rd just behind Decision and miles behind J who ,although deserving, I must not mention how awesome they did as to avoid any overly inflated egos ;) A great day on the water and the race days left are dwindling fast.

Wanted crew for 525

Wanted for 2012 season:
A KYC member or family complete with crew to sail or race Santana 525 "Margarita" for the 2012 season..
Treat her as your own personal boat. KYC moorage included.
Not a KYC member yet? That's easy to fix.
call James at 250-763-6012

E5, 2011

And the breeze was on in a big way!  What started off with little to no wind wind during the first 5 minutes or so quickly turned in to a nuking breeze out of the South.  We had an interesting course for today's race with SPTDPCAF on the menu.  We knew something was happening when from behind us we heard Aussie Dave and crew howling with delight as the fleet got slammed with about 25 knots out of the South during our first beat to the pump house.  Many brave souls tried to fly their kites in the very shifty and puffy conditions which lead to some truly beautiful broaches.  We took the conservative route and just jib reached for the first leg until we could get a better read on the wind and did not regret it.  We managed to hang in there with the leaders for most of the race until that crazy bunch on the J29 once again found their overdrive gear and blasted well ahead of the pack.  We had some truly awesome condition for today's race that kept us all on our toes the entire time.  The finish found us less that a boat length behind the M244 who were a couple of minutes trailing the race leader, once again the J29.  That concluded the end of the regular season believe it or not.  Racing starts next week in Hot Rum series 1 with just one combined start for everyone.  That should surely make for an interesting start line, see you there.

September Shines

After a few weeks of light air we finally got a little more breeze for this weeks race. The fleets were pretty thin with many competitors out on the lake sailing in the end to end race this weekend. Under partly cloudy skies we had a steady 10 knots out of the North and finally got some much needed variation in our race course for today. It was to be SPCDCAF for the first time this year. There were only 6 boats on the start line for fleet 1 so finding a good lane was not going to be a problem today. We had a good start but quickly got over run by the J29. It was a series of short tacks with most of the fleet staying close to the Eastern shore hoping for the lift normally associated with a Northern breeze. It was a nice back and forth on the race course but we just couldn't find the breeze to get us moving fast. Another good showing by the J29 who have proven themselves as the boat to beat.

E1, bring on the heat!

Today was a scorcher under the Okanagan sun. With temperatures in the low 30's and a blazing sky it was the first Sunday race day of the E series. The turnout was somewhat light which may have had something to do with the 3 to 5 knot breeze that never quite filled in for today's race. They posted course SDXDAF but I dont think too many people actually believed that we would finish. There was such a huge pin end favor to the line that it was actually impossible to start on Starboard. The options were to attempt a pin end start on port or approach on starboard and tack into a hole crossing on port. If awards were given for beautiful starts then the crew of WOO HOO would certainly be taking home the silverware. They demonstrated a perfect pin end port tack full speed start and it sure was pretty to watch. The first beat was an exercise in patience and little else. Most of the fleet tried desperately to stick to shore and capture any breeze they could. Woo Hoo, Pinstripe and Pentameter rounded the D mark first and locked into better pressure for the spinnaker ride South just as the breeze totally died around the top mark. The rest of the fleet floated for what felt like an eternity before rounding and could only watch as the top 3 boats sailed off into the distance. From there on it was a pretty uneventful Sunday that may have been the last scorcher of the summer.

D5, 2011

There was a solid forecast for wind tonight with breeze up to 30 knots expected throughout the evening hours.  What actually turned up for racing was closer to 10 knots but powered the fleet up and provided exciting yet predictable sailing conditions for tonight.  The race course was SCBXBACF, a long varied course with lot's of different sailing angles to keep things interesting.  There was a huge pin favor to the line for the start but surprisingly we did not see anyone pushed out or over early.  We managed a perfect start right on the line with good speed and managed to hold on to a good position all the way to A mark.  We popped the kite and held reaching angles with building breeze all the way to C.  It was a jib reach to B, X, B and back up to A.  Another great spinnaker run all the way to C and a close reach back to the finish.  It was a rare combination of flat water and steady wind tonight that provided exceptional sailing conditions.  Do not forget the early 6pm start for next Wednesday night. 

Commodores Cup, Day 1

With nothing but sunny skies and light to non existent winds, Saturday's racing was all but a wash.  I am told that the RC manage to get one race off throughout the day.  Let's hope for more wind on Sunday.

D4, 2011 Holy Crap!!

Wow, the skies were certainly angry.  This was undoubtedly the most chaotic night of sailing yet this season.  What started off as a nice hot summer evening ended up in a race abandonment with the fleet desperately seeking shelter from a raging thunderstorm.   The first start for A fleet caused a general recall and things quickly got worse from there.  We dropped sails and just about headed back into the marina during the prestart but decided to stick it with the rest of the fleet.  The course was SCAXCF and would be a reaching course.  We totally missed the starting sequence and found ourselves at the back of the fleet on the line.  We had good speed and in between glances back watching for lightening we climbed up near top of the fleet in no time.  After several very close lightening strikes on the lake the RC finally abandoned the race.  Afterward I heard several stories from other boats of skippers feeling shocks through the wet tillers and even one who claimed to have seen an electrical spark when he let go of the tiller.  Everyone seemed to make it home in one piece and scramble madly to the club house to share death defying stories over a few of our favorite beverages.

D3, 2011

Marking the half way point in E series and with only 3 more Wednesday night races we had a beautiful night for a relaxed yacht race.  All the chaos of August long weekend was behind us and it was once again safe to head out on the water.  Winds were out of the North at a steady 5 to 8 knots.  The race course for this evening was SDBXCAF, the same as last weeks.  Everyone managed to get off a clean start on the first attempt and the fleet was off.  Our strategy was rule number one, stick to the shore.  I think it paid off in most instances tonight.  The real challenge for this idea was to resist the temptation to head for the direct route on the leg from D to B and instead stick to the Kelowna side of the shore for most of the way back South before cutting across towards the Bluff.  We were able to stick with most of the symmetrical spinnaker boats who traditionally do better in light downwind conditions.  Everyone was able to continue to carry their kites as they rounded B mark to port and doused in a reasonably uneventful fashion at A mark.  The committee boat sounded the course shortening alert and finished tonight's race at the X mark due to dying breeze.  Out front it looked like the line winner might have been the Olson 30 followed closely by the J29, Woo Hoo and the Martin 244.  We shall see when the results are posted.

D2, 2011

After a wild and crazy week on the West coast I was sure glad to be back to familiar sailing grounds tonight.  This is already D2 and marks only 1 month before we switch back to Sunday afternoon sailing.  The breeze was on during the staring sequence with a nice steady 8-12 knots out of the North.  The course was to be SDBACAF.  Almost everyone was right up on the line during the final few seconds which triggered a general recall.  It appeared that the RC boat also was having some problems staying tied on to the buoy which set us back a few more minutes.  Luckily the breeze held for the first beat up to D mark with almost everyone gybing around the mark and working their way down to B on port.  Almost everyone was able to pass B to Port and harden up under spinnaker for the reach up to A.  Rounding A the fleet split with some heading back to the middle and others staying close to shore.  We tried to stay close to shore and jump on the layline for C mark early trying to keep clear air.  Heading downwind from C the symmetrical spinnakers just aimed for the mark while the A sails had to work a little harder in a dying breeze to keep things hot.  It was another clean rounding at A mark with the same fleet split as before.  It looked like this time it was the middle that payed as opposed to the shore.  The breeze really started to fade on the last beat to the finish.  Just before crossing it kicked up again with a big header just to keep things interesting.  If I had to guess as to the standings I would put my money on J29, Woo Hoo and Pentameter but we shall see.

WIRW

Well we just got back from a fantastic Whidbey Island Race Week.  There was a good turn out by local Okanagan sailors with some impressive showings.  Jumping Black Flash did very well in their division as did Bad Dog and Alan Barnes on S.L.U.T.  We raced Litonya in a OD class 6 and learned many new tricks.  You never know if you are sailing to the boats potential until you stack up against several other identical boats. We raced 12 races of at least 2 hours each with less than 5 minutes between races.  We would normally be on the boat at 9:30 am and return to the docks about 6pm every day.  The racing conditions couldn't have been better.  We had four straight days with exceptional winds ranging from 10 to 25 knots.  It wasn't until day four that we saw things moderate and after a lengthy postponement the days racing was eventually cancelled.  The most exciting part of the entire experience had to have been the prestart time before the first starting sequence each day.  To have 120 boats milling around the start line ready to launch was truly a hair raising experience.  I can't wait to hit the start line this Wednesday night at the KYC and put all of this new found practice to work.  See you there.

C6, 2011

With dark clouds on the horizon and thunderstorms in the area the fleet was off on the final race of C series for 2011.  We once again had very variable conditions with the winds swinging from NW to S and varying between 3 and 15 knots.  The course was to be SADCDF weather permitting.  I think most of the fleet got caught during the start when the wind died off to about 3 knots and found themselves quite far back from the line at the Gun.  We were very fortunate to be up quite high on the line near the pin end and managed to ghost across the start only about 10 seconds late.  It was a good beat to A mark with one big header about half way up.  We elected to tack into it and quickly sailed up to the starboard tack layline.  Rounding the mark we did a set/jibe and held a high angle even for an A sail all the way down to D.  From D to C and back to D were a mix of beating and reaching with no one electing to try the kite on those angles.  The winds pick up quite a bit during the final leg back to the finish and we found ourselves on the edge of being over powered more than once.  Litonya managed to cross first in her fleet right up with the first two 525s.  I can not believe that C series is over already, summer seems to be passing far too quickly as always.  We will be down at WIRW next week with our boat doing our best to represent the KYC.  Dave H and Jumping Black Flash will be down also.  See you on July 27th.

Carnage at Giants Head

It appears due to a very unfortunate incident on Sundays portion of the Giants Head Regatta that major damage was sustained by Ghost Rider. It was reported to be a port starboard incident. I hope they can fix her up very soon and get that rocket back into the water quickly.

Giants Head, 2011

They say they get big winds down in the South end of the valley, but I have yet to see them on any running of the annual Giants Head Regatta hosted by the Summerland Yacht Club.  This year was no different with the healthy 26 boat fleet facing an hour long postponement prior to starting.  The breeze gradually started to fill in to a light 4 knot Northerly.  The starting sequence was fleets CBA and WS in an attempt to help most fleets finish together before the 5:30 cut off time.  It's always a little bit of black magic to determine accurately which shore will be the favored one for the uphill leg to Rattle Snake Island and this year was no different.  Initially it looked like staying close to the Western shore might pay off with the entire fleet thinking the same thing.  Two boats ran aground in the very shallow bays just North of the SYC and managed to free themselves after some very impressive acrobatic displays not seen since highschool gym class.  As the fleet worked North is became much more in doubt as to which shore would give the big lift everyone was waiting for to slingshot us up past Squally Point.  This is always a big turning point of the race because if you are on the wrong shore when the lift happens you have a very long headed sail across the lake to get back to the proper side.  The first of the fleet was approaching Rattle Snake Island and started to run Southbound through the narrow channel.  The downhill leg was much more straight forward with the biggest obstacle being avoiding sailing into one of the many holes of dead air throughout the race course.  It sounded like the West shore was the optimum place to be, that's where Maximus, the Elliott 770, position themselves to put themselves near the head of the fleet.  Also in the mix were TBA, the J29 from KYC and Ghost Rider.  I think there was also an Andrews 26 right up there also but forgive me for not recalling the name.  I will post the overall results as soon as I receive them.  All in all it was an exceptional day on the water offering an always challenging and welcome break from around the cans racing.  Thank you SYC for a well run regatta and hope to see you down there next year.

C5, 2011

This was one of the few race nights this season that I was not able to attend so I will rely on the information of others to summarize tonight's race. The course as posted was SCAXCAF but due to very light winds was shortened to SCAX. The good old Okanagan seemed to be up to it's usual bag of tricks with the wind only starting to fill in as the boats crossed the finish line. It looked like a good showing from Ghost Rider and the J29 with Pog Mo Thoin hot on their heals. I can only imagine what fancy moves Bill C and company managed to pull off to get that far out ahead of the crowd, nice job you guys. Don't forget the Summerland Giants Head Regatta this weekend which is one of the few distance races we get to enjoy during the season. See you on the start line. We will be racing on Michel T's Blue Sail 24 CAIO.

C4, 2011

We experienced a 15 to 25 knot Westerly that offered very few opportunities for spinnaker work. The course posted was SADBAXCF and a heavy favored pin end on the start line. There were frequent puffs over the entire course with no favored sides. Only a few boats dared to try flying a kite and usually ended on on their ear in short order. We managed to work our way to the head of the fleet and hold off several boats that did their best to waterline us on the reach back and forth. We did try to fly the kite on the last leg from A to C, but found the angle too high to effectively carry the spinnaker and quickly doused. This was surely the right night for the larger heavier boats as demonstrated by the good showing from Aussie Rules, well done guys!

C3, 2011

It was a wonderful night for a yacht race, if you like broaching and torn kites. Well that might be a little bit of an exaggeration but you get the point. We had a solid 10 to 15 kts of Southerly breeze and some pretty good waves for our little race area. The course as posted was SADCDF and promised lots of running and beating. The pin was the heavily favored end and the boats stacked up as expected trying to get the jump on the fleet. It got so hairy and congested that a general recall was declared and our fleet 1 start moved to the back of the sequence. The second start had the boats much more evenly spaced out and we were able to get off a clean start. We tacked over to port after suffering in bad air almost immediately and started to regain some lost ground. After hoisting the kite with a bear away set we threw in a quick jibe and almost immediately broached. It was my first broach on this boat and was quite uneventful. It was living on the edge for the entire reach to D mark trying to sail to the layline without spinning out of control. We spotted a huge puff behind us and made the correct decision to douse early and jib reach the last minute or so to D mark. Once we hit D mark it was an uneventful course to CD and F. We did lots of fast beating with the boat fully powered up and were very happy with our boat speed both upwind and downwind. It was the kind of night that teamwork either made it or broke it. Congratulations to GHOST RIDER for another first place win, managing to stay a minute or so out ahead of us on the final leg.

WIRW

OK SAILING is heading for Whitbey Island Race Week next month to help represent the KYC at this favorite West coast regatta. We will be taking the J80 down to the coast and are still looking for 1 or 2 additional crew members to join us. If you are interested email me at skip@oksailing.com for more info.

Marc

Hockey Fever, C2 2011

A terrible but understandable rash of hockey fever must have torn through the fleet last night with only about 14 boats showing up for Wednesday night racing action. As it turned out I am sure most Vancouver fans wish they had sailed instead of watched the game. Those boats that did show up had cloudy skies and about 5 knots out of the South for breeze. The RC posted SADAF and we were off with the entire fleet starting on Starboard and working our way upwind to A mark. The were a few glassy, as well as breezy patches to be found. Some very astute skippers were able to position themselves in the most pressure and quickly found themselves on the starboard tack lay line out ahead for the rounding. It was a rather fast downwind leg with even pressure holding across the course and no obvious favored sides. The RC shortened the course to SAD and parked the committee boat next to D mark for an early finish line. We managed to get into very close quarters with two other boats right on the finish line with lots of lively discussions involving mark room and right of way. CIAO glided along smartly and managed a very respectable 2nd place finish showing lots of potential on that little sport boat.

Threatening Skies

With the forecast of thunderstorms in the area the fleet headed out prepared for the unexpected. We had nice winds during the prestart with about 7 knots out of the South.  The RC selected a shorter course due to the weather and posted SADF for tonight. The fleets were off with most favoring a starboard tack start and a quick tack to port.  The winds lifted the port tack boats right up to the layline for the quick beat up to A mark. Rounding A mark is where things started to get interesting. There was a big weather cell over town that started to kick out some good Easterly winds. Many boats elected to fly only their jib on this leg and power reach all the way to D. Some boats closer to shore with their kites up looked like they were not having fun. We saw lot's of spinnakers being washed in the water tonight. Might be an expensive evening for some. We hoisted the kite around A mark and were able to hold a pretty tight angle on the run down to D. We knew that we would have to douse somewhere down the line and climb a little higher up to the layline, but the 10.5 knot run was just to much fun to hurry it. We managed to get the kite down in a very slow fashion, due to a knotted spin halyard. We rounded D mark with the lead 525 boats and worked our way back up to the finish. A wild and wooly adventure for all.

B6, 2011

Another beautiful night for sailing in the Okanagan. The winds near the start were fantastic. A solid 8 knots out of the South. The course was SADCDF. It was a good start for most of us with not too many boats stuck in the back row. We got a solid midline start with good speed and did pretty good holding our own on the first beat to A mark. We rounded A mark and tried to stick close to shore on the long run down to D. We kept a solid 6 to 7 knots of speed but could not drive a deep as I would have wanted due to a quickly fading breeze. We rounded D mark to port dousing the chute and hardening up for the short beat to C. There was a wild wind shift near the starboard tack layline for C mark. We had to sail way high just to avoid having to 2 or 3 tack the mark rounding. The next two legs were very pleasant indeed, but the best we could do was keep our distance clear ahead of our nearest 2 competitors,  WOO HOO and PENTAMETER. We were too far back to see how the finish worked but it looked like J29 and Ghost Rider well ahead of the pack. Standby for results as soon as I receive them.

Rock and Roll

I just got footage of the bad wind and wave storm that rolled through on Monday afternoon. Check out this video taken at SB.

New Moorage

We just moved our little race boat over to it's new home at the KYC. My hats off to the Shoreline guys for a job well done. It look's beautiful. Also welcome to the startline tonight to Michel T. He will be at the helm of his new sled. It's a BluSail 24 named CAIO.

B5, 2011

Last night marked the end of a nice string of sunny weather but offered the promise of a little breeze once again. It was another one of those nights where no one was sure if the course was a North or South one until the 5 minute warning. Big wind shifts and speed changes were very common during the prestart. I am not sure of the physics involved but I can not figure out how 180 degree wind shifts can happen so frequently on the KYC race course. The RC finally posted a course of SDCDXAF and the fleet was off. We managed to pull off a port tack start right up on the line and crossed the fleet while heading for the Delta Grand. We decided to stick to the shore at all costs but made little gain this time in doing so. A few boats a little further out found a small patch of breeze and started to work their way up. Most boats experimented with their kites on the first leg trying to trap whatever breeze as is shifted further aft. Approaching D mark it was quite a busy rounding and a quick beat back to C. Round C to port and a gybe set for most back to D. The wind started to build as the fleet once again rounded D and made for the most exhilarating part of the evening as we all power reached for the longest leg to A mark. Around A the kites went up and a quick drag race for the finish. Congratulation to Hopscotch who managed to hang in there with the faster rated boats and take first place on this second last race of B series here at the KYC.

Day 2. Canaccord Cup 2011

Day two started with better weather conditions than forecast. We didn't quite have the wind yet but at least the predicted rain seemed to disappear for the valley. There was an initial postponement of about 1 hour while the fleet slowly did the waltz round and round the committee boat. Everyone noticed a Southerly wind line filling in from the bridge and we were off sailing in about 5-8 knot breeze. The RC managed to get 4 races in today much to everyone's surprise. Congratulations to the following winners of their respective fleets.

 Fleet 1 winners BAD DOG

 

 Fleet 2 winners SMART MOVE

 Fleet 3 winners CHAOS

 

525 national champion FLATCHAT 

Overall 2011 Canaccord Cup winners BAD DOG

Day 1, Canaccord Cup 2011

What a frustrating day it was indeed. We had a slightly smaller turnout this year for day one of the regatta. It was nice to welcome several new boats to the start line from various clubs throughout the Okanagan. The RC managed to get off 5 races today despite almost no wind conditions for much of Saturday. The breeze was very hard to figure out even for Kelowna standards. One boat could be floating with zero speed and get passed by another boat not 30 feet away doing 5 knots. If you were luck enough to catch a ride on a zephyr passing through it would quickly evaporate and leave you floating one again. Despite these very challenging conditions a few boats did manage to turn in very respectable performances today. Notably the J29, Ghost Rider, the Rocket 22 and the Antrim 27. As I write this on Sunday morning it looks like a nice breeze is building on the water right now so lets hope for a faster pace for day 2.

2011 Canaccord Cup Regatta

The May long weekend is finally here and with it comes the 2nd annual Cannacord Cup hosted by the KYC. Not a great forecast for the next two days but lets hope with this unsettled weather comes a little breeze. Good luck to all the competitors and stay tuned for updates throughout the weekend.

B4, redemption

We were finally back on track for beautiful Wednesday night sailing conditions. Last night was the perfect warm up for the Canaccord Cup regatta being held this weekend at the KYC. Steady Northerly winds at about 8 knots and a course of SDBXCAF would provide plenty of action for this Wednesday night race. A few newcomers joined us on the start line this week, possibly up for this weekends regatta. We did a port tack approach towards the committee boat and tacked under Ghost Rider a little below the line. We ended up getting bad air during the start and struggled a bit during the first beat to D mark. Rounding D the fleet spread out quite evenly with no threat of shore only breeze conditions similar to last week. The J29 and Ghost Rider appeared to be battling it out and both reached B mark first with the rest of the fleet hot on their heels. It was a fast close reach back to X mark and harden up for a mostly Starboard beat to C. There was a nice lift of Starboard on the beat back to C which saved us one tack for the layline. Rounding C most of the fleet did a gybe set running down to A. Approaching A on starboard it was a quick douse/gybe and harden up for the quick beat up to F. Once again we settled in on starboard and got lifted nicely towards the finish. It looked like the J29 and Ghost Rider first across, Woo Hoo and Litonya followed by Pentameter next up. Standby for the race results to be posted as soon as they are provided to me. See you this weekend for the 2nd annual Cannacord Cup regatta and don't forget to preregister for you chance to win an early bird draw on Friday night of a Longarm boat bottom scrubber.

B3, 2011

I admit it! It's all my fault. I actually had the nerve to think out loud about a possible 3 in a row of perfect Wednesday night conditions. What we had last night was definitely far from perfection. During the prestart we saw very shifty wind conditions with 60 degree swings in 5 seconds very common. The RC tried to give us an upwind start but instead gave us a downwind start with Easterly winds and a course of SDBXCAF. After the usual chaos involved with a downwind start we were off. We started on Starboard near the boat favored end and quickly popped the chute. We managed to wiggle our way ahead of the fleet and rounded the D mark first. This is where it quickly fell apart for us. The fleet split at this rounding with half (including us) sailing near the layline immediately for B mark while the other (smarter) half sailing away from the B mark back towards the KYC to stay in the shore breeze. It quickly became evident who made the right call. Our wind quickly died to zero and left us parked in the middle of the lake for a good hour while the boats on the shoreline cross country route slowly made progress towards B. We were so far behind at this point it was hard to see what was actually going on but it looked like the J29 followed by the Martin 24 rounded B first heading for X. Congratulations to those keen skippers who bravely stuck to rule number 1, always follow the shore, it paid off handsomely.  Shortly after finishing we noticed a very large windline coming down the lake from the bluff. We quickly dropped sails and got slammed by 20 to 30 knot winds. This made for an interesting motor all the way back to Shelter Bay in the near darkness. Ahhh high adventure. See you next week and don't forget the Cannacord cup May long weekend. Preregistration is available on the home page.

B2, Nirvana

I am really starting to like these Wednesday night races! Last night made two weeks in a row of near perfect sailing conditions. Warm temperatures, steady South winds of 10-12 knots and sunshine were the ingredients for a perfect night of sailing. The course was SADXCAF and were perfect angles for our asymmetric spinnaker. The majority of the race saw some very competitive sailing between Ghost Rider, Decision, J 29 Boat and the Martin 244.   We managed to sneak ahead of the pack on the first windward mark rounding and sailed in mostly clear air for the much of the race. Litonya managed to cross the finish well ahead of the crowd but still managed to be beaten on corrected time by Pentameter. Woo Hoo also continued in her winning ways with a close 3rd. Be sure to check out the movie of the week on oksailing.com, it should be a good one!

B1, Awesome!

Wow, what a night for a sailboat race. This being the first Wednesday night race of the season we were off to a good start. Steady 10-15 knot Southerly breeze was the order of the day for race B1. The course was SACBACF and offered a great mix of beating and running. We started right up on the line near the starboard pin end with the majority of the fleet, and immediately tacked out to the right in search of clean air. Reaching the upwind A mark it was time to bear off and put that big kite to work. What a ride! We had 5 people on board tonight and just a couple knots of breeze short of planing, but we still managed to hit a sustained 10 knots of boat speed downwind. Approaching C mark after what seemed like only a few minutes it was time to douse and beat back up to B. Rounding B a slight bear away and close reaching upwind to A. At A we did a bear away set then jib and run to C. We had great boat speed downwind but got trapped under the J29's wind shadow, quickly losing 4 knots. This cost us greatly on the downwind leg. We rounded C mark 1st just a boat length or two ahead and started back up to the finish. It was a drag race with the J29 all the way upwind sailing in very close formation. We managed to hit the finish line first overall but a quick glance back showed Pentameter and Woo Hoo too close to cover our PHRF rating difference. For us, these were the best condition yet this season and I hope a sign of things to come.

A5

Race A5 finished off the series with yet another very light air day. It was a great day to work on your suntan but did not make for very exciting sailing conditions. we had shifty zero to 4 knot winds out of the North and a course posted of SDAXCAF. The line looked quite square so we tried for a full speed midline start. The fleet worked it's way upwind with the usual gains made by the brave sailors willing to hug the shallow waters of the shore. Rounding the D mark and trying to hoist the kites most everyone was having trouble just trying to get the chute to stay filled in the non existent breeze. It took almost an hour to get from D mark back to A mark with the usual course shortening almost inevitable.  Heading back up to the X mark now to finish was another test of patience with many boats ghosting across the line at fractions of a knot speed. The entire spring sailing season has so far been a very light air marathon. Lets hope with the change over to Wednesday nights this week with the new start time of 6:15pm we will see a little more action. Congratulations to Woo Hoo. They take the A series overall win and a great start to the 2011 sailing season.

A4

I think FUGLY would best describe the conditions on the prestart for race 4 today. Conditions consisted of 20 knot winds out of the North with heavy snow pellets mixed with hail. Boats were screaming around under sail just working to stay under control. This quickly turned into 4 knot winds out of the North at the 5 minute warning and the snowball fights began (nice shot Russel). The course was posted as SDXCAF and the fleet was stacking up on the boat end of the line. We set up near what we thought was the layline for the boat end of the line but as we did the wind lifted about 20 degrees and the leeward boats quickly slammed the door on us forcing us to spin in order to find a hole on the start line. The first leg was sailed quite evenly with boats seemingly reaching D mark in close to their same order as their starting sequence. In what proved to be the biggest disappointment of the day for us the only downwind leg was the reach from D to X with the remainder of the legs sailed in very shifty upwind conditions. Notable mention goes out to Woo Hoo once again easily getting another bullet today.

A3

Race A3 (S D C D X C F) was off to a slow start with one postponement due to light winds.  Okanagan Lake’s flood gates have been opened in Penticton in anticipation of the spring run-off, resulting in lower water levels.  The lower lake levels caught a few sailors by surprise grounding 2 boats near the Tolko plant.   It was a light wind beat  to D mark with 3 or 4 knots of wind.  The spinnakers got a chance to fly to C mark and it was another light wind beat back to D mark.  The race was shortened due to light winds, leaving the final 2 legs unfinished.  A welcome goes out to the J29 who was out for the first time today.

Today we had the pleasure of sailing with Alan Barnes of Interior Marine Services.  Alan is a National Sailing Coach and offers his expertise to anyone looking to sharpen their skills.  Please contact Alan at  alan@northsailsinterior.com for more details.

A2

Today's sailing adventure started off with everyone dreading a repeat of last weeks floatathon. Winds were very light out of the North. The RC posted a course of SCAXCAF and sounded the 5 minute warning. The line looked like a strong pin end favored set, but would anyone be brave enough to try a port tack approach? The Santanas were off first approaching on starboard with John S quickly showing the fleet what a perfect pin end start looks like. Fleet one starts also on Starboard spread out evenly across the line. Working our way upwind the fleet splits with half sticking to shore and the other half driving out further into the middle of the lake. Most boats round the C mark and bear away continuing on Starboard towards the bluff. Winds were quite variable throughout the race ranging from near dead calm to a high of about 8 knots. On today's race course it was noted that Chao's skipper Tom seemed to be  missing all his crew members.  A lesser sailor might have been content racing alone with only the white sails, but not Tom.  Crew or no crew, Tom was sailing in the fleet he signed up for, with his kite.  The race had its challenges for a one man crew.   Spring run off hadn't yet begun, the lake levels were low.  Low enough to ground Chaos near the lighthouse.  But not to worry, that is what spinnaker poles are for, to help push ourselves free.  Having now freed himself and putting the spinnaker pole back in its place, its was time to catch up.  Tom made good time and rounds the C mark, now its time for the one man Spinnaker team to fly.  From afar it looks like a wind line behind Chaos, the spinnaker is flying free, its not looking good.  After a bit of time, Tom has the sails back under control, with a bit of free advise: "always lock the down haul after using your spinnaker pole to free yourself from a sandbar".  What a day!  Kudos Tom - it paid off, you crossed the finish line 4th. It was nice to stretch our legs today with a slightly longer course and the wind gods didn't let us totally down. Once again a job well done for Woo Hoo who got line honors as well as 1st place overall in fleet one. You guys are starting to really make a name for yourselves.

A1

The opening day of the regular race season didn't exactly open with a bang, it was more like a whisper. 10 boats showed up on this cold snowy, windless morning to face off on race 1 of what is sure to be a fantastic sailing season. Seldom have I seen very glassy conditions over the entire lake like we had today. The RC posted a course of SACAF and we were off under peak wind speeds of about 1.5 knots. We had a great start, right up on the line, near the pin favored end and crossed right at the gun. We worked our way upwind on starboard tack, neck and neck with Pentameter and Predator to the A mark. Not long after rounding the windward mark we started to get passed by all the symmetric spinnakers. It became painfully obvious that there just was not enough wind to fill our big kite. About halfway down from mark A to C the RC shortened the course to end at C mark. Congratulations to Woo Hoo, they not only managed to place first in fleet 1, but actually crossed ahead of the 525 fleet, well done!

KYC Tune-Up 3

It was a beautiful sunny Sunday afternoon for sailing in the Okanagan today. The racing started at noon with VERY light winds out of the North. Nine boats showed up for this last Tune Up race of 2011. The first race had the fleet on a SAF course. We were right on the start line with good positioning and held our spot with the lead group for the first upwind leg. We made a tactical error by sticking too close to the shoreline and over sailing the port tack layline to the A mark. We rounded the mark and started downwind towards the finish. The winds were extremely light and variable and had many boats swapping between spinnakers and headsails all the way back down. The second race was a carbon copy of the first with only the position of individual boats changing. Finally, the third race looked good with winds filling in out of the North at about 7 knots. The course was SCF. We did a starboard tack start at the boat end and worked our way quickly upwind. The fleet was grouped very tight with lots of close maneuvering upwind. We rounded the C mark near the head of the fleet and quickly put the kite to work. It was a drag race downwind between Litonya and Jumping Black Flash with a photo finish right at the line. All in all a great day for a sailboat race.

Tune-Up 2

We had a good day out on the water for Tune-Up 2 today. Things started off with very light winds out of the North and a course of SCAF to complete. Upwind, Woo Hoo managed to find the bottom around the red marker just North of the start line. A good reminder that spring water levers are always a little lower than we recall. About 7 boats showed up and battled it out in very shifty conditions the whole first race. The downwind leg from C to A quickly turned into another upwind leg with boats doing circles just trying to keep the sails filled on the right sides. The last leg from A to F was slightly better with the Northerly winds filling in quite nicely to about 10 kts just in time to Finish. At this point I am not sure how the ratings will mix things up but line honors went to Hopscotch. The second race was sailed in very different conditions. A steady 10kts of Northerly breeze held up for the quick sprint from SCF. The fleet really seemed to get into the groove for this fast race with line honors going to Litonya. It was great to get out there again after a long winter.

Back Where We Belong

We finally got Litonya back in the water where she belongs. We are looking forward to getting the crew back together and trying out the new sails this weekend. The forecast is calling for showers and cool weather so be sure to bundle up. Don't forget the time change on Saturday night. See you there.

It's On

A gentle 5 knot NW breeze and +3 degree temperature greeted the first of the 2011 sailing fleet on the start line today. It looks like some work was done practicing multiple starts and then sailing a short course around the Kelowna water front. Hat's off to all those hardy sailors who went out today.

Ice Free

After a long cold winter the travel lift at Shelter Bay is finally ice free and up and running. If your boat is still on the hard, wait no longer. Sailing season has begun.

Saturday Update

The North Sails racing seminar was very well attended last night. This is a perfect time to refresh our knowledge of the racing rules with the season opener right around the corner. The entire video presentation will be available on our home page starting on Monday February 28th. The racing packages are available for pickup at the KYC office, please remember all boats need a valid 2011 BC PHRF certificate.

No Time Wasted

The construction of the new KYC docks is in full swing at the Shoreline compound at Shelter Bay Marina. The proposed completion date is June 1st 2011. Richard Tremblay, the KYC moorage manager, is working very hard trying to assign all new slips by March 1st so if your lucky enough to be near the top of the wait list expect a phone call within the next week of so.

New Sunday Start Times

The vote is in and due to your feedback the race committee has decided to change the starting time for our spring and fall Sunday series to 12pm. Plan for a 3 hour race on these days. Lets hope the wind gods are on our side a little more this year with this change. See the calendar for the complete 2011 racing schedule.

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February Blah

As February drags on there are only a few noteworthy items to discuss. If there are any boats who are short crew members, or any prospective crew members looking for a boat be sure to post your availability in the crew section of the forum. There was a big meeting at the KYC last night and it sounds like all motions regarding moorage basin expansion and new club house expansion have been passed. Ross MacDonald of North Sails will be putting on a free racing seminar at the KYC the evening of Feb 25th at 7:30, it should be very educational indeed. OK SAILING will be posting a video of the entire seminar online for those of us unable to attend.  Only 3 more weeks to go, see you on the start line.

m

Sail Measuring

Tom is taking appointments for anyone who requires sail measuring for this upcoming season. Email him at tguenther@okanagan.bc.ca to book yours.

Lot's of "virtual" work

Well the nice mild Okanagan weather seems determined to continue until the end of January which is ok by me! I have been spending a lot of time working on the format for OK SAILING to make it a more efficient design. This is my first attempt at web design and I appreciate everyone's patience while I learn the ropes. I will continue to refine it and add more content as the winter wears on. Just a reminder to anyone who has not yet aired their opinion of an ideal start time for our spring and fall Sunday racing series, please take the time to take the poll in the forums section.

Wind Storm

There was a big wind storm in the Kelowna area last night (Monday Jan 17, 2011). Those of you with boats still in the water would be well advised to check on them to ensure all is well. Peak wind speeds were near 40 knots in some areas and lasted for over an hour.

        Wind speed graph provided by the Kelowna Yacht Club weather station

Some progress?

Well we have officially passed the half way mark in January and the weather certainly seems to be cooperating as of late. We were down at the KYC this weekend having a sail measured. Tom Guenther has graciously started making himself available for this annual tradition. I am certain Tom will keep us well informed about future dates for anyone who has new sails that require measuring for their 2011 PHRF certificates. Those of us anxiously awaiting moorage at the KYC may want to attend the Extra-Ordinary meeting scheduled for Wednesday February 9th at 7pm. The sole topic is to seek approval for moorage expansion.

Racing Start Times

There seems to be some debate regarding what time of day we should start our Sunday spring and fall series this year. Provide us with your opinion by clicking the poll button on our home page.

New Boat In Town

I was down at Shelter Bay today checking on our boat and came across a new hot rod in town. It is a Beneteau First 10R. A beautiful late model asymmetric raceboat. Holding an average PHRF of 81, this could (on paper) be one of the fastest boats on the lake. She is currently moored at Shelter Bay and should be seen around the Kelowna area once the spring water levels rise enough to allow for launching a near 7 foot draft sailboat. Lets hope to see her out on the KYC race course this season.

m

Welcome

Welcome to the brand new OKSAILING.com blog. My name is Marc and I am one of the many active sailboat racers in the Kelowna area. I will do my best to give a brief summary after all of the sailing events that we participate in this season. As it stands right now it is a cold afternoon in January with no warm weather in site. I am sure looking forward to the start of the racing season but my clock is telling me that is a long way off. We have a new inventory of sails ordered for "Litonya" and they should be arriving this month. At least the knowledge that I will have several new go fast items to play with this year should help be get through the doldrums of winter. Look out 2011, here we come.

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