Winter Solstice 2009 is almost here!

Nickels Boat Works Tour

Have you ever wondered what it looks like inside the Nickels boat works plant? Alicia and I were in Michigan for about two weeks over Thanksgiving and stopped in for a brief tour. I picked up some spinnaker rigging and talked with Hugh about building a tube or sock for the ‘ol bucc. He was very gracious and walked us through the entire operation. They were refurbishing two Lightnings, fiber glassing the deck of a new Mutineer (almost identical to the Bucc, but a tad shorter in the stern) and were gel coating a glassed buccaneer hull.

Interestingly, they have a contract with the military to construct fiberglass portable field showers that the army uses all over the world. They had many of these in production. They were also making a fiberglass body for a zimbonee (sp?) machine. I was glad to see they’ve diversified and stay busy, even when new boat demand slacks off.

Below is a flickr slide show from the visit. If interested, you can turn on the “show info” option at the top right of the screen while hovering the cursor over an image to see captions.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/8257155@N02/sets/72157622817911539/show/

Dave Fisher

2010 Annual Meeting Results

Alaska Sailing Club 2009 Overall Winners

Small Boat

Dave Johnson Cup

Geoff Wright & Craig Fisher

Big Boat

Robar Cup

(Named to honor Ben & Birgitt Robar for their dedication to the ASC and exceptional racing skills)

Keith Barton & various family members

Youth Sailor of the Year

Ethan Gould

Rookie of the Year

David Fischer

Congratulations to all of the 2009 Winners!

New Board Members are:

Melissa Brudzinski as Senior Vice Commodore

Cheryl Childers as Education Vice Commodore

Cindy Dubell as Secretary

Jody Willing as Documentation

2010 Committee Sign Up Sheets - Part II

It's time to volunteer and sign up for the 2010 sailing season! See committee descriptions at link below. If you see one that's a good fit for you, then you can sign up in three ways:

1. After further consideration and an adequate amount of turkey consumption - here's the preferred way to sign up: Go to our Google Group Site Pages. There you'll find links to sign-up for each committee. Click on the sheet(s) you want to sign up for, scroll down and click Edit This Page, enter your name and contact info, click Save & Publish.

2. Email Melissa B. - she can then forward volunteers to appropriate committee chairperson.

3. Email our Google Group (please use this one sparingly to reduce email volumes).

2010 Committee Sign Up Sheets - Part I

It's time to volunteer and sign up for the 2010 sailing season! See committee descriptions below. If you see one that's a good fit for you, then you can sign up in three ways:

1. Write a Comment to this blog posting - the preferred method, since it keeps everything in one place. If you have privacy concerns, just use first name and last name initial (we'll figure it out!).

2. Email Melissa B. - she can then forward volunteers to appropriate committee chairperson.

3. Email our Google Group (please use this one sparingly to reduce email volumes).

Finance Committee

Education Committee

Facilities Committee

Boats & Harbor Committee

Annual Alaska Sailing Club Meeting This Saturday

Don't forget that we have our Annual Meeting next Saturday (14 Nov).
It is at Gallo's Mexican Restaurant off of Diamond and Arctic. Here is
the Google Map link:

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=8311+Arct...

The meeting agenda will be as follows (or pretty darn close to it):

6:00-7:00 pm Socialize. It's also the time to order and eat dinner if
so inclined, or just have a drink and socialize.

7:00-7:30 pm Club & Committee Overview & State of the Club.

7:30-8:00 pm Slide show and Racing overview - trophies

8:00-9:00 pm Vote for new board members and discuss business details &
finances

9:00-10:00 pm Socialize.

Hope to see everyone there!

Your Events Committee

Free Water Wise Course

2009 Frostbite Regatta

Bruce Lee sailed his 505 to first place. Keith Barton took the honors for big boats.

With a Le Mans style start off the docks and visiting kids on every boat, it was a fun race. But, the wind decreased throughout the race and stretched the elapsed time to just over an hour for most small boats and over two hours for most big boats! I'm glad I could lay down and relax for most of it.

Frostbite danger was low - the sun came out and it was actually very nice for September on the water.

Get detailed results here.

A few pics from the Frost Bite Regatta

2009 Governor's Cup Photos - by Dawn

Video from the Govenor's Cup

2009 Governor's Cup Results

Geoff Wright wins the 2009 Governor's Cup Regatta. Jon Lang took the honors for big boats.

Get detailed results here.

IMG01345.jpg

Paul

IMG01334.jpg

2009 Governor's Cup Regatta

2009 Wet Wednesday - Series 2

Tim Gould took first place, followed by Geoff Wright in second and Bruce Lee in third for the seven race series.

Get the detailed results here. Note, now in HTML format; links on page are active.

See ya at Gov Cup!

2009 Fireweed Regatta Results

Geoff Wright sailed his blue Buccaneer to first place in a tightly contested regatta. The margins between places in races and overall were generally very slim.

Keith Barton took the honors in the big boat class.

See race results for details.

Results note - need to research D-PN for MacGregor 25. I used the Venture 24 PN, which is likely very close. In any event, it doesn't effect the standings as posted.

Quick video of the sailing and good wind

2009 Fireweed Regatta

2009 Wet Wednesday Series 2

Latest results here.

Only one more Wednesday to go!

Race Committee Volunteers Needed

Looking for Race Committee Volunteers for the remaining two Wed Night races as well as the Fireweed Regatta. Really - it's not tough and the Race Committee is ALWAYS right - no matter what! Please consider lending a hand, and racers, it may just provide that perspective you need to move up in the standings.

Thanks!

Challenge Alaska - Thank You

FREE - ALASKA WATER WISE CLASSES

The Alaska Office of Boating Safety will be offering Alaska Water Wise, a boating course designed for Alaskans on August 16 and 29, 2009 from 8-5 in the Atwood Building on 550 West 7th Avenue in Anchorage.

This eight-hour course is approved by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) and recognized by the U.S. Coast Guard. The course satisfies most states boating safety education requirements and may even qualify boaters for boat insurance discounts. Segments include pre-departure preparation, boating operations, boating emergencies, cold-water survival, navigation/rules of the road, and legal requirements. Students who attend all sessions, and pass the written exam and skills will be issued a course completion certificate.

This course has also been approved for eight hours of Continuing Medical Education (CME) training by the State of Alaska, Department of Health and Social Services. The courses are free but pre-registration is encouraged. For more information contact:Megan Piersma @ 269-6042 or Joe McCullough @ 269-8704.

2009 Wet Wednesday Series 2

The monsoon stopped long enough to setup, race and stow the boats. Eight boats participated with winds averaging 3 - 4 mph. Tim Gould took three bullets on corrected times, but Bruce Lee came close; needing to sail only 16 and 17 seconds faster in R1 and R3 (see results BCE – Back Calculated Elapsed time).

Chris Remick’s chicken dumpling soup was a delicious after race meal that was virtually inhaled by hungry racers. Special thanks to Race Committee team members Robin Lee and Danielle MacDonald.

Get race results here.

Musings from Big Lake

58°F, cloudy skies and light rain the morning of August 5, 2009. The club and lake are eerily quiet, save for the call of the loons and ducks. No boats or human activity sounds at all; it could be a remote fly-in lake this morning. Peaceful and refreshing come to mind - a regular Walden Pond.

Shortly after arrival last night it began to rain lightly on and off and then rained hard all night. Noted a very new looking Macgregor - Dance on the Wind - parked at the dock. I’ve not seen this vessel before.

Security update – Rick (our weekday security guard) has been absent for about a week and I found a dozen empty Busch Light cans strewn on the road near TL’s place, along with dozen Marlboro butts. After cleaning up this litter, a walk around check of the club revealed no other damage or missing items, so I’m assuming it was just some young folks looking for a secluded spot to quaff a twelve pack. For the sleuths among us: if you happen upon someone who drinks Busch Light in cans and smokes Marlboro Reds all the way to the filter, you have a suspect.

Lost and Found – thanks to whomever retrieved my needle nose and diagonal cutting pliers and weedeater trim line and placed them in the shed.

Found nice black REI long sleeve XL T shirt. It’s in the club house drying out.

For those Twitters and Tweeters amongst us and those who are just curious:

What the heck is Twitter about?

From Time Magazine: How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live

John Quincy Adams meets Twitter

While writing this blog posting it has begun to rain even harder, drowning out all other sounds… hopefully it will cease by race time tonight or it will truly be a WET Wednesday. Dress accordingly!

Another glorious day on the lake! This was enjoyed by some clients from Challenge Alaska - giving people with disabilities a chance to explore. It was my absolute pleasure to share our club with them. We are already talking about the ideas for next summer! Cheryl

Girl Scouts at ASC

I was joined by 8 girls and 4 adults for a day at the lake. The girls completed many basic skills and learned a great deal. I know they are looking forward to next summer already!

Buccaneer Wet Wed Series - Final Results

Get the final results here. Hint - a red boat won!

Call for Race Officials for Next Wet Wed Series - Aug 5,12,19

All,

Please consider volunteering to serve as a Race Official for the next
Wed Wed Series. The Summer is quickly passing and being out on the
lake watching sail boats in the evening is great. Ask anyone who
was there last night!

Drop me a line if you can commit to any of the Wed night races or any
of the upcoming Regattas.

Thanks!

Tom Harrison

Girl Scouts 7/29/09

The Girl Scouts Troop #620 enjoyed an incredible day of sailing at the Club. We arrived in rain, which turned into excellent wind and then ended with beautiful sunshine! The girls actively participated and I think we have some future sailors in the bunch! Thanks to Dave for making the connections to help this happen. :)

Pirate Races: FOOD!

Kitty litter cake


cherry cake with 7-up


shrimp feed



the cutest pirate cake ever

bbb-bad to the bone!

all smiles at the start....

Cindy & Jeromy, a force to be reckoned with!

Rowdy Ray, Punchy Pam and Bad Bob

Hammerhead Remick!

the lovely Karen Remick, not to be reckoned with

Captain Blackbeard Dan Heath

Pirate's Race 2009

Many thanks to Pirate King, Jim and his mighty wench, Dawn for a fun-filled day of piracy at the lake! The "racing", water fights and potluck meal were enjoyed by all who attended. Congratulations to the new King, Jay and his fearless wench, Melissa as they take over the responsibilities for next summer's fun!

Buccaneer Wet Wed Series

Nice evening, fairly steady wind- 6-9 knots - a few shifts. Damn fine races by the squad. Most of the races were decided by a boat length--with a few stragglers.

I would start the next race 5 min after the last finisher-- got four races in by 8:45. Did upwind and down and a Triangle.

Bruce

Results to date here.

More Firecracker Photos

Laser Dog

Here are a few good shots of the Laser show...

2009 Firecracker Regatta - Final Results

Get the Final Race Results here!

Firecracker Photos

ARRRRRRR!!!!!!!

You Mean That Mark?

Epic Battle

Rounding

More 2009 Bucc nationals

Dave and Elayne at Mission Bay, sailing in the 2009 Bucc National Championships.

Start of the Bucc A fleet. The starting line is full, with the committee boat in the lower left and the pin in the lower right and nothing but very good Bucc sailors in between.

2009 Open House and Sailing Class

More photos. Check out the Model A visitors!

2009 Sailing Class Pool Session Photos

Better late than never! Photos limited (mostly) to our trim and fit kids.

Scuba Mooring Mission

TL and George spent over 4 hours in the water last weekend (plus more on land) for mooring checks, boat bottom inspections, fire poker retrival and hoist repairs.

Well done gents!

Big Lake Joy

I've been sailing with you all for 5 years now. There have been so many moments of great joy mixed in with moments of angst as I continue to learn about the art of sailing. One of my most favorite recent experiences has been learning how to perform a "heave to" to use during storms or for rescues. With many thanks to new member, Terry, I've been learning about the art of sailing. I've always felt the water and wind and had good boat sense. However, sailing with someone who constantly wants to learn and perfect is helping me along my path to becoming a more secure sailor. This is a reminder to all of us of the importance of learning, pushing boundaries and trying new things. In the meantime, find the joy in the quiet moments, and the peace of the sunsets and rises of our beloved spot. See you on the water.

One ship sails east and another sails west
With the self-same winds that blow.
Tis the set of the sail and not the gale
Which determines the way they go.
As the winds of the sea are the ways of fate
As we voyage along through life,
Tis the act of the soul that determines the goal,
And not the calm or the strife.
-Ella Wheeler Wilcox

2009 Firecracker Regatta (and more) - July 3rd and 4th

Racing, food and fun coming this holiday weekend!

For more ideas on kid races and fun sailing/racing games, see these excerpts from Mary Well's Revival chapter of Catamaran Racing for the 90's in the archived issues of The Sheet online. You can use these links to quickly jump to the Revival articles:

Revival Part 1

Revival Part 2

Revival Part 3

Revival Part 4

Revival Part 5


We've just past our 3rd anniversary of using this blog as our club newsletter! Here's a reprint from the last 2006 issue of The Sheet to help keep those creative posting juices flowing.

The Importance of a Newsletter - Collectively, using this new format we'll have a more vibrant, interesting and timely publication. That's the power of a group blog.

But what do I write about you say? Whatever strikes your fancy -

• What do you feel when you sail?
• What are some of your favorite lake experiences?
• What did you learn last weekend about boat handling, sail trimming, start tactics or mark roundings?
• What is your favorite type of sailboat?
• What is your most memorable sailing experience?
• Favorite sailing vacation.
• New ideas for fun events and races at the club, e.g. last year's Pirate Race.
• Potluck themes (I think we definitely have this one covered! ed.)
• Cool sailing links you've found on the web.
• America's Cup and Olympic Sailing events. (Nice work on the Buc Nationals coverage ed.)

2009 BNAC, San Diego

Sailing in San Diego with a bunch of year round sailors was an eye opening experience. For starters, we partook in 20 races in 5 days, in steady 10+ knot winds every day joining a fleet of 27 Buccs.

We began the day arriving at Mission Bay Yacht Club at 10 AM, with time enough to check out our boat (the pintals somehow loosed up every day), launch via a winch (just like at our club), sail to the wind ward mark, launch the chute, jib, retrace it then arrive at the starting line 10 minutes prior to the noon start.

The 27 Bucc fleet was divided into an A & B class. We originally signed up to race in the A class, but after the first practice race (there were 4 practice races on Monday) the realization that we were way out of our class hit home and switched to the B class. The B class had 12 boats in it and everyone knew how to sail well.

The Starts were awesome! Swiper, #5060, (an 1985 boat) could not point as high as most of the other boats and we got “heading up” at the start and with a boat directly on our starboard had no place to go but into irons. Needless to say we learned from this start and thereafter stayed away from the middle of the pack and focused on a different starting technique. We timed the starts just right so that we arrived last to the starting line and cut in just port of the committee boat on a starboard tack, and it worked time and time again. Starting this way allowed me stay on starboard tack or if I was headed up, I tacked to port and continued on my way. Our Big Lake starts prepared us well for this level of competition, though the A class starts were much more technical.

Elayne and I sailed well to weather, often in the middle of the pack, once leading the pack and yes, a couple of times trailing the pack. We were always on the verge of having too much energy and had to apply the Cunningham on some runs to spill some wind. The technique on this leg was to sail flat and keep up the boat speed, which required some slight easing of the main sail and slight heading up, into luff, then powering up again, it was awesome.

Unknown to me, there were some major rule changes on 2009, like its now a 3 boat length from the mark to establish an overlap and also, its much harder to come to the mark on a port tack with the goal of tacking over to starboard at the last moment (windward mark to port) and squeeze in (that is now a bad idea).

The course was beat to wind, then run back to the starting line, then do it again, then maybe again a third time. There was not a reaching leg, though everyone reached, then jibed the chute, then reached back to the start, no one ran directly downwind.

So far so good, Elayne and I were competitive up to this point, but now it was time to fly the chute and that was our downfall. We always lost ground on the lee leg. We could launch the chute fine, but everyone else ran the chute much better than us and also most others could jib it better than us, but we were learning. Once we overshot the lee mark because of problems retrieving the chute, but we finally got it in and continued the race.

Each day we had 4 races and they ended about 3:30 each day. After that all the boats headed to the hoist and were pulled out of the water, sails let down, covers put on and the boats put to bed. Now time for dinner, suds and some great takillya, then to off to bed.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday were the same with sunny days and temps in the 80’s coupled with steady 10-12 knot winds, what a wonderful place to sail. After 3 days of racing (not counting Monday’s practice race day) Elayne and I were tied for 11 th place with the 9th place boat 7 points ahead of us. Now the 9th place boat was crewed by an elderly guy and gal and I thought: “I’m not gonna let a team in their late 60’s beat us”, and we did sail well on the last day but ended up 2 points behind the 9th place boat.

Overall, it was a great time, so much so that Elayne and I are already planning on attending next year, same time but located on the East Coast, in Maryland in some river that dumps into the Chesapeake bay (Geoff and Cathy, that may be near your old sailing ground). Everyone down there was friendly and helpful and as Alaskans, we were treated like Rock Stars.

Fifty Places to Sail Before You Die

From a recent USA Today article -

10 great places for sailors to take a brand-new tack

Wet Wednesday – Series 1 Final Results

Geoff Wright takes Wet Wednesday Series 1. Way to go Geoff!

Get Wet Wednesday Series 1 Sailwave results sheet here.