| USA. Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week to feature no general recalls |
|
|
|
| Tuesday, 30 May 2006 | |
|
Rich Roberts: Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week, managed jointly by the Long Beach and Alamitos Bay Yacht Clubs, is setting a high standard with plans for the annual June 23-25 inshore regatta. Along with free mooring and nightly munchies and a load of trophies dangling like carrots on the horizon, the event offers world-class race management. Racers especially love that, especially those who will be contesting the Pacific Coast Championship for Olson 30s and Schock 35s, the Southern California Championship for Beneteau 36.7s and the Southern California High Point series for J/80s, J/105s, J/109s and J/120s. It's also a world ranking event for Melges 24s, and anybody with the charter fee can compete for the Catalina 37 U.S. National Championship in a Congressional Cup boat (click the LBYC Sailing Foundation link at www.lbyc.org). Entry deadline is Tuesday, June 20. Entry fees go up after May 31. Registration is available online at www.lbrw.org with the option of paying online by credit card or by regular mail. Mark Townsend is competition director and principal race officer (PRO). In the latter role, in charge of operations on the water, he has acquired a national reputation for running races briskly and efficiently. A trademark is his aversion to general recalls when some boats cross the start line early but all are called back to re-start---thus penalizing those who started properly but not those who jumped the gun. "This is probably the single action that’s most critical to a race committee's success or failure on the water," Townsend said. "What’s required is a script that your line boats know and use effectively and quickly regardless of the starting situation. You should predetermine what you will use and rehearse it on the practice day, so that your team can execute flawlessly in the heat of battle when the entire class charges the line." Townsend wrote such a script. It offers radio procedures for clean and not-so-clean starts (M is the private RC channel; VHF is broadcast to the racers): Case 1: All Clear. -1:10 SB: (M) “Ten seconds to P flag drop.” -1:00 SB: (M) “Drop.” -0:10 SB: (M) “Ten seconds to start…5, 4, 3, 2, 1, start.” +0:02 SB: (M) “Clear here, go.” +0:05 PL: (M) “Port-line clear.” +0:10 SB: (VHF) “All clear.” Case 2: A few boats are over. +0:02 SB: (VHF) “X-ray.” Follow with two-second horn blast. +0:08 PL: (VHF) “Port-line has 6-0-0-0-6 break, 5-3 break, 2-5-5-5-5 done.” +0:16 SB: (VHF) “Repeat, boats over are: 6-0-0-0-6 break, 5-3 break, 2-5-5-5-5 done.” +0:29 PL: (VHF) “2-5-5-5-5 clear, 5-3 clear, done.” +0:45 PL: (VHF) “6-0-0-0-6 clear.” +0:51 SB: (M) “X-ray down, all clear.” Case 3: Many boats are over. +0:02 SB: (VHF) “X-ray.” Follow with two-second horn blast. +0:08 PL: (VHF) "Port-line has many boats, they are: 5-3-1-8-4 break, 1-5-2-9-6 break, 2-8-3 break, 6-3-0-4-5 break, 6-3-3-1-4 break, 1-0 done." +0:25 SB: (VHF) after checking off duplicates, “Signal boat has: 5-3-3-0-3 break, 4-0-4-4-5 break, 2-5-7 done." Two options: call boats clear or repeat the list. Let’s start with calling boats clear. +0:35 PL: (VHF) "5-3-1-8-4 clear, 2-8-3 clear, 1-0 clear, 4-0-4-4-5 clear, 5-3-3-0-3 clear, done.” +0:50 SB: (VHF) “The following are still over: 1-5-2-9-6 break, 6-3-0-4-5 break, 6-3-3-1-4 break, 2-5-7 done.” +1:10 PL: (VHF) “6-3-3-1-4 clear.” +1:25 PL: (VHF) “1-5-2-9-6 clear, 6-3-0-4-5 clear, done.” +1:40 SB: (VHF) “2-5-7 is still over.” Second option, repeat the list first, then call boats clear as they clear. +0:35 SB: (VHF) “Repeat, boats over at the start were:…” Note the word “were” instead of “are” as some boats will have returned by this time. Complete schedule of events and more at www.lbrw.org 2005 Winners J/105 (23 boats)---Indigo, Scott Birnberg, Long Beach YC, 6-5-1-1-3-2-9, 27 points; CATALINA 37 (6)---Team Evaul, Claudia Wainer, Long Beach YC, 1-1-1-5-3-3-3, 17; J/109 (7)---Current Obsession, Gary Mozer, LBYC, 1-2-1-2-4-4-1, 15; J/120 (10)---Caper, John Laun, San Diego YC, 6-1-4-2-1-3-4, 21; J/80 (6)---Avet, Curt Johnson, California YC, 2-1-1-3-1-2-1, 11; MELGES 24 (10)---USA 505, Dave Ullman, Balboa YC, 2-3-2-4-2-1-4, 18; OLSON 30 (7)---Intense, Allan Rosenberg/Darren Rosenberg, Alamitos Bay YC, 1-2-2-1-1, 7; SCHOCK 35 (9)---Ripple, Jeff Janov/Gordon Palmer, CYC, 1-1-2-4-1-1-1, 11; PHRF 1 (8)---Staghound (Reichel/Pugh 51), Alec Oberschmidt, Southwestern YC, 1-3-1-1-3-1-4, 14; PHRF 2 (11)---Wild Thing (1D35), Chris Busch, San Diego YC, 2-3-2-2-1-2-2, 14; PHRF 3 (13)---Rival (J/35), Dick Velthoen/Paul DeFrietas, Ventura YC, 3-1-5-2-1-4-3, 21; PHRF 4 (12)---Blur, Aaron and Dixon Hall, Cabrillo Beach YC, 1-8-2-3-2-3-2, 19; RANDOM LEG (7; 14 miles)---Sorcerer (New York 36), Bill McKeever/Ray Booth, Balboa YC, 2-1-1, 4. |
|
| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 30 May 2006 ) |
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|