Newsletter of the Constitution Yacht ClubCURRENTS – April 2017

Welcome to a new season and the spring edition of the CYC Currents newsletter. Last fall presented some late season wind condition challenges and Peter Galipault leads us through his boat handling suggestions to keep safe and be successful on the race course when air speeds exceed 20 knots.

Some of you may be aware that there are changes to the rules of racing this year, and we have recap of the basics from Peter Brown, who attended a recent seminar at MIT. Also this winter there was some adventure during an offshore cruise to Bermuda which is relayed to us from the Tartan 4000 Argon. Linda Perry Riera describes the boat’s introduction to sailing performance tips during the passage provided by CYC fleet captain Lance Ryley.

Boat Handling Perspectives on Racing Sailboats in Heavy Air

by Peter Galipault

In the several decades that I have sailed on Scherherazade I have had a fair amount of experience in heavy air racing - with steady wind velocities over 20 and gusts anywhere from 25 to 35 knots. The current Scher, born year 2000, has raced in these kinds of conditions from Key West to Buzzards Bay, Marblehead, and of course Boston Harbor (but not often in complete darkness). Scher is a very tender yacht, so survival in challenging conditions sometimes means knowing when not to hoist sails, when to leave the racing area, or even not go out at all.

Picture courtesy of Lisa McKerracher

Safety is always foremost in our minds and if we do find ourselves heading out on a windy day, the first priority is to make sure that everybody has a life jacket on and to remind everyone that the number one job is stay on the boat. I also commonly advise the crew that the goal is to get around the course as best we can safely and avoid other boats, which is a good idea to keep in mind in just about any weather conditions. Although it is rare, in some cases we will not hoist the spinnaker and, if we do hoist, we’ll sometimes douse instead of jibing with the spinnaker up.

When we’re about to maneuver, whether tacking, jibing or rounding a mark, communication becomes vital, so I speak very loudly, to the point of shouting, so everyone can hear over the accompanying noise. Often I’ll ask the mid-deck crew to relay orders to the foredeck; they’re the farthest away and often have a hard time hearing any messages from the helm. Before mark roundings or any sail changes, I try to give as much warning as possible.

At windward mark roundings, we will often delay hoisting the spinnaker until there is a good angle for carrying the sail. At leeward marks (which come up so much faster in a breeze) it’s prudent to get the spinnaker down early before the rounding. An early douse will also provide better ability to maneuver at the mark and avoid traffic with converging boats. On our boat we discuss the mark rounding well in advance to make sure from the bow of the boat to the stern, everyone is clear on what is about to happen and what their role is.

Boat handling and steering can be especially challenging when sailing hard on the breeze. I try to feather as much as possible to keep the boat on an even keel and moving forward. When a gust does hit, I let the boat come up until there is nearly no pressure on the helm. I try to anticipate if the next puff is going to be a header, mindful to avoid auto-tacking. This is also something that you can feel when the helm gets too light. The foredeck and mid-deck folks can usually tell me when a puff is coming, but sometimes they forget to tell me. To stay on an even keel and avoid rounding up, the main sheet trimmer is very active and makes sure the sheet is never cleated. Downwind in these conditions, to avoid broaching there is always someone who is also dedicated to the vang.

By keeping our primary focus on everyone’s safety, communicating clearly and keeping the boat on track in big breezes, that post-race beer in the bar at the end of the racing day definitely tastes so much better. Cheers and fair winds.

Racing Rules A Day with Dave! by Peter Brown

Recap of North Sails Rules Seminar held Sunday, March 26 at MIT:

My main reason for sailing is to enjoy the water, the wind, my crew, and the shared experience of others around me on the water. While I love a relaxed sail, I also normally race against my friends and so try very hard during racing season to avoid losing friends over controversies arising when boats converge. One of the ways I do that is by knowing the racing rules. This philosophy led me to the North Sails Rules Seminar and a day with rules guru Dave Dellenbaugh.

Dave is the rules advisor to the USA Olympic Sailing Squad, so arguing with him is a bit of a losing proposition. I decided instead to try to be a sponge. Here is some of what I learned.

1. All boats, whether the right of way boat or not, must take action to prevent contact!

2. Port / starboard - very little needs to be said.

3. Leeward is king, if a boat from behind gets an overlap (a line across your transom) within 2 of their boat lengths to leeward of you, they can sail their proper course to the next mark and you, as the windward boat, are required to keep clear.

4. At marks, the inside boat gets the room. Mark roundings have the most rules, so it is probably a good idea to read about these and sort out any questions.

5. You cannot change course so quickly that another boat does not have time to keep clear.

6. The Racing Rules of Sailing start to apply when you get into the racing area, and penalties start after your Prep Signal. Boats not in our race are obstructions (e.g., Soling fleet)

The rules were created for safety to eliminate collisions and to ensure sure we all race the same way and follow the same precaution standards on the course. For those Interested in more racing rules information, here are some useful resources

US Sailing - Rule Book & Appeals (available online) Dave Perry’s book Racing Rules of Sailing Dave Dellenbaugh’s newsletter Speed & Smarts

A Safety Reminder from the Fleet Captain

From the Racing Rules of Sailing : Rule 1.1 “Helping those in danger” states that each boat and sailor must give all possible assistance to any boat in danger, even if that boat is not racing.

Education Recap of CYC Education Seminar Events 2017

by Phil and Yolande Haydon

Seminar 1 on February 15 – Vendée Globe: The CYC 2017 Education Seminar series kicked off with a riveting presentation by Jonathan Green, Boston-based specialist in shorthanded sailing. As a member of Rich Wilson’s team in the Vendée Globe around the world solo race, Jonathan was closely involved in preparations for the race and described the team’s goal to support Rich’s related international school program Sites Alive. Jonathan then explored the history of the Vendée Globe and homed in on the voyage’s goal to be a platform for exciting real-world education experiences shared by students around the world. The presentation made clear the monumental effort needed to participate, not only for the boat and skipper, but also for the extensive fundraising required.

A few days after the seminar, Rich actually reached Les Sables d’Olonne to finish the grueling course and Jonathan was there to greet him. As for the future, Jonathan has already begun his campaign to enter the race in 2020. CYC members will surely be following his progress with great interest.

Seminar 2 on March 15 – Community Boat Building: Since 2014 Community Boat Building, located in the Seaport District, has partnered with Boston inner-city elementary schools to support a STEM curriculum in marine science, math, rowing, sailing and swimming. Stockton Reece, Director of the organization, braved the snowy elements of March 15 to present the second seminar of the series, describing how the workshop places students with volunteers to build rowboats. To the great excitement of all, finished boats are launched on Jamaica Pond and some boats are even sold to raise funds for the organization. Several attendees of the seminar expressed interest in visiting Community Boat Building with a view to volunteering.

Seminar 3 on April 12 – The Rescue of the Clyde Challenger Crew: Luke Leafgren gave a thrilling presentation on his experiences aboard the ill-fated Clyde Challenger, a 60-foot sailing vessel making a passage from the Azores to Scotland. After the start, crew and boat soon encountered heavy seas and high winds. Four days into the voyage, as Clyde Challenger approached the northern coast of Spain, the barometer started dropping and winds began to build. The vessel soon began to show the strain as there was a broken preventer, plastic tags holding the spray shields broke, a life sling was pulled off into the water (it had to be rescued), and the dodger had to be lashed down. Nobody is entirely clear what happened next. Was the boat hit by a rogue wave? Did the boat turn up into the wind too much during a change in helmsman? The next thing the crew knew, the boat rolled and the cockpit was full of water. Assessing the damage, everyone realized that the mast had snapped in two places! An initial attempt by a cargo ship to save the crew was unsuccessful, and could have been disastrous. Fortunately a Royal Naval vessel, the HMS Dragon, was able to make a hasty detour and transfer the crew onboard. Unfortunately the Challenger itself could not be saved, but believe it or not Luke is considering another trip.

Cruising Cruising Off-Shore with a Racer

by Linda Perry Riera

The Passage: It's late October 2016, 84 exhausting hours into our 650nm passage from Hampton, Virginia to St. George, Bermuda under a nearly moonless sky at 2130 hours. We have made good time arriving many hours earlier than planned in our 40' cruiser with full fuel and water tanks, and loaded down with everything we may need for the one-year sailing trip that lies ahead. In the pitch black, except for the scant navigational and island lights in the distance, s/v Argon screams along at 8-9kts with full main, 150% genoa in 20+kts of wind with Lance Ryley confidently at the helm for this last stretch. I consider myself an adventurous sailor loving speed, not minding some chop, and enjoying too much heel; but now I was tethered in, holding on, praying we would not unexpectedly hit a reef, blow a sail, or part a sheet. A true racer was at the helm and I had come to appreciate and enjoy Lance's lust for speed and performance these past several days. By this time Lance had gotten well acquainted with Argon - trusting her strength and responsiveness. I suspect that if it were just Bob and I sailing (the cruisers, not the racers) we would have been reefed and/or using the 90% jib, and perhaps sailing a modest 7k for these last 30nm. But Lance pushed Argon and it was thrilling.

Cruisers Bob and Linda embarked off-shore to

Bermuda last October with racer Lance Ryley on their Tartan 4000.

Virginia to Bermuda Stats: Distance and Speed

Heading out to sea from Hampton, Virginia enroute to Bermuda. Photo taken through a telescope by the Cape Henry Lighthouse Operator a couple of miles away.

We covered 650nm in 85 hours... an average speed of 7.65kts. Argon often surfed down big waves at 11- 13kts! We even saw 15 and 16kts a couple of times. Crazy, given that our hull speed is just over 7.5kts. Much faster than the 100+ hours initially planned. Diesel We burned only 0.75 gallons and this was just to get us out of the slip in Hampton, VA and then into Town Consumption Cut in Bermuda.

Conditions Winds were mostly 20-25kts initially out of the west, then veering to northwest and eventually north; some winds 30-35kts. Great for constant fast sailing but very challenging, especially in the first 40 hours of the trip. This was expected based on the Argon sailing hard forecast. Seas were often around 10 feet and and fast at dusk sometimes 15 feet. approaching Bermuda

Injuries We had one boat injury causing bruising. See blog post at ArgonSailing.com for more details.

Excitement eclipsed our exhaustion as we approached C Buoy, furled the genoa, dropped the main, and fired up the diesel. The winds and seas were still up, tossing Argon about as we motored through the Town Cut in choppy seas. But once we transited the intimidating, narrow doorway into St. George Harbor in the dark, it was as if we entered another world. Suddenly, after days of winds mostly above 20kts and seas often greater than 10 feet creating a constant, nearly deafening roar of water around Argon, we were in a tranquil, peaceful bay. We sailed Argon well and hard, in large part thanks to Lance.

Lance at the helm of Argon. Take Two Cruisers and Add One Racer: Although we are cruisers, Bob and I like to sail well. We constantly adjust the traveler, tighten the leech, tweak the outhaul, and of course trim the jib. But we are definitely NOT racers. This was evident in the spring of 2016 when we made a feeble attempt to join the Wednesday evening CYC races for the first 6 week session. I could not help but feel a bit embarrassed with our tall dodger, full bimini with solar panels, and davits. Not to mention that Argon has been our home for the last two years, so you can only imagine all the stuff we have below. Lance, on the Although cruisers, not racers, we endeavor to other hand, as most of the readers of this newsletter know, has racing in sail well, including of course always paying his blood and bones. attention to sail trim. Bob made a really cool contraption for our jib clew board allowing At one point on day two of our off-shore when we were humming along us to adjust the sheeting angle while at only 6.5kts under a reefed main and 90% jib, Lance finally said, "We need to do something. We have this breeze and we're not using it." So underway without reattaching the block. Argon sailing hard and fast at dusk out came the full reacher again. If it were just us, that probably would have happened much later.

Fast, but Safe: Although we pushed Argon and got some great performance out of her, we also stayed somewhat in our comfort zone. For example, while we hit our entry waypoint into the Gulf Stream at about 2300 the first night, we exited about 17 miles south of our desired exit waypoint. Hitting the exit point would have required a gybe in the middle of the stream which would have set us at a much less comfortable angle to the waves. It was 0200, winds were up, crew was resting, and no one was too excited about doing that. The next day, we emailed our weather router, Ken McKinley from Locus Weather, and verified that we really didn’t lose much because of this exit point.

Passage Assessments: While enjoying our celebratory Dark-n-Stormies, we discussed our passage and agreed that the following all went really well: • Crew dynamics and camaraderie

• Preparedness of the vessel and crew

• Weather and sea conditions were challenging but as predicted/expected and we handled the boat well

• The food (Lance felt well-fed)

• Rhythm of the watches, taking turns at the helm as needed based on conditions and fatigue

A few stumbles included: • Linda's accidental midnight gybe (sounds like the title to a song). Sailing at night can be wondrous in ideal conditions - gentle seas, moderate breeze, and moonlight. But in big winds and seas, I find it moderately terrifying and exhausting and count down the minutes to the end of my watch or first light. And, thankfully only rarely, I suffer a brief spell of disorientation with the GPS in conflict with the direction my body senses. This happened during one of my shifts at the helm, resulting in an accidental gybe in high winds. Lance helped me recover and regroup.

• Waiting too long as the winds built to furl in the genoa (leading to all hands on deck fighting to get the reacher in) and then being a bit conservative to deploy when conditions eased. As mentioned above, there was a spell where No amount of exhaustion could keep us from we were doing about 6kts in 20kts of wind celebrating the completion of our passage. behind the beam but seas were 12+feet so we delayed switching back to the genoa a little longer than needed.

• Argon has a nice wide comfy cockpit. When heeled over, it becomes a nice high cockpit with a potentially long way to fall from one side to the other. Bob learned this the hard way one night when he was thrown across. He also learned how much it knocks the wind out of you when your safety tether pulls tight!

What we learned from Lance: • Increased confidence in pushing Argon's performance: I got great practice helming as we surfed down sizeable waves getting used to seeing double digit speeds for hours on end. What a blast! And we had the full 150 genoa deployed in higher winds, squeezing out more speed, than Bob and I would have if just us.

• Autopilot: The big seas required all hand steering the first 40 hours. But when conditions eased the autopilot still struggled. So Lance tweaked the autopilot up to "Performance" mode. Argon, with her big fat comfortable cockpit, gets knocked way over when large waves hit her on the stern quarter. The autopilot was not able to compensate after those quickly enough for comfort - hence all the manual steering. In Performance mode, it did a little better. We have since updated software versions of all electronics onboard including all autopilot components and are finding further improvement.

We were sailing very low and in big seas not trusting the autopilot to keep us from gybing as we got swung left and right in big quartering seas. Yes, that’s a wave coming up behind Bob.

• Reefing off the wind: We found ourselves needing to put in a reef after a couple of good wipe-outs. Bob and I have always turned up into the wind to reef. Given the sea state at the time, this seemed impossible or at least very dangerous, even tethered in. "You can't reef off the wind? Why not?" Lance asked. We tried it; it worked perfectly. We learned something which in hindsight was obvious. Duh.

• Marking the reefing point on the reefing line: With Argon's slab-reefing system, you lower the halyard and then take up about 4x the amount of line on the reefing line. It requires constant looking aloft and at the end of the boom to know when things are set. Lance suggested marking the halyard and reefing lines with some whipping so those points are very easy to find while making the adjustments. This has been extremely helpful ever since, especially in the dark.

• Leverage the genoa fairleeds even when way off the wind. We achieved noticeably better sail shape and a few additional tenths of a knot when we moved the fairleeds forward.

• Avoiding round-ups into the wind: By chopping the rudder a bit with abrupt jerks one can avoid rounding up. Must admit that I prefer to concentrate on avoiding the beginnings of a round up in the first place as this seems to put a lot of stress of the rudder, but it's good to know this technique to stay in control when optimizing performance during gusts. After enjoying Bermuda a bit, we embarked on a longer off-shore from Bermuda to Antigua (5 days, 23 hrs… not 6 days). Our third crew person this time was an experienced captain but not a racer. The conditions were not as robust as with the Bermuda passage but I found myself occasionally thinking, "I think Lance would do x or y." during this transit. I like to think we channeled Lance when we deployed the spinnaker many hundreds of miles from land and cooked along nicely at 8kts on the flat open ocean.

Sailing off-shore consists of long periods of boredom interrupted by brief spurts of wonder and accentuated by unexpected spells of terror. With our meager level of off-shore experience, we were so grateful to have not only an experienced sailor joining us, but a highly skilled Captain Smitty was not naturally keen on flying the chute racer and all around nice guy to help us arrive safely, well off-shore but we did it anyway and he loved it. and fast. Thank you, Lance!

Argon is currently somewhere in the Bahamas, slowly and reluctantly weaving her way northward back to Boston. More travels and boat projects can be found at ArgonSailing.com and Pictures by Linda and Bob on Argon

Sailing Tip Undoing Line Tangles

by Ed Marcus

How many times after a hectic downwind leg, with many sheets coming into the cockpit, do you find prepping for the upwind leg that some sheets have become inexplicably tangled? Like lost socks in the laundry, it’s a common and unintended phenomenon!

To remedy cockpit “line spaghetti”, try tracing the path of the line’s free end past three or four crossing points (see figure arrows) into the tangled interior. Then pull the free end through from this interior point and repeat the process until the tangle is completely freed.

By following multiple crossing points before pulling through, instead of working the usual one crossing point at a time, you will become free from tangles that much more quickly. Daily plans for spaghetti can then be made for dinner.

Illustration by Ed Marcus

Next Event Announcement: CYC Wednesday Night Skippers' Meeting is May 10 at 7 pm at the Living Room, 101 Atlantic Ave, Boston. Come enjoy the food, drinks, and conversation! We will be looking at changes to the rules for 2017-2020, announcing schedules, and signing up each boat’s volunteer to help with race committee.

Officers Directors Appointees Alexander Papps Commodore Peter Brown Events Adrian Ionescu Past Commodore Dianne Olszewski Vice Commodore Greg Graham Events Brian Sullivan Fleet Governor Peter Galipault Rear Commodore Phil Haydon Education Mike Dreese Director – Emeritus Dave Alexander Treasurer Yolande Haydon Education John Chuang Director – Emeritus Lorna Preston Recording Secretary Ed Marcus Newsletter Lance Ryley Fleet Captain

If you have an idea or want to contribute an original article for the next CYC newsletter, then we would like to hear from you.

Please contact: [email protected].