THE HIGHLANDER Volume LV, No. 3, July 2009 Last three years: paid membership up 19%. L- r: Last three years: weekend regatta circuit participation up 25%. Debbie Schmitt, daughters Kelsey (11), Ja- The Wind Is Free. Join Us! clyn (13), Sydney (8), and Bruce Bus- bey at ’07 Midwin- ters, Lake The Highlander Page 2 July ‟09 The Highlander Official Publication of The Highlander Class International Association President’s Corner President Ahoy! It was the best of times, it other sailors. Jamey Carey was the worst of times....well, actually Since I have 788 Burristown Road if you believe what you read today it's been class Sabina, Ohio 45169 mostly all about the worst of times. president my 937 725-1757 Earlier today I was on a popular team has at- [email protected] sailing website and did a one-word t e n d e d 2 8 search on "participation" with unbe- Highlander Commodore Dick Doyne lievable results. Page after page of fo- regattas and Gastonia, NC rums, blogs, and articles, all came up this is not in- 704 864-2861 [email protected] with one recurring theme; it didn't mat- c l u d i n g President,Pres Norris Jamey Bourdow Carey Vice President ter whether the authors were referring the thirty- John Bauer to racing or cruising, catamarans or plus club level races per year, or the New Philadelphia, Ohio mono-hulls, dinghies or yachts, the other various non-HCIA events we par- Secretary Erin Spengeman message was bleak. Doom and Gloom! ticipate in each season. Louisville, KY "Marinas are becoming empty," Our reasons for dedicating this much Treasurer "Yesterday's yacht is today's dere- of our time to the sport is simple.....we're Sue Bauer Westerville, OH lict," "Worldwide sailboat racing is in a still having fun doing it. No matter what Chief Measurer steady decline." your favorite part of Highlandering is to Mark Redmond "Racing participation was decreasin Annapolis, MD you, I believe that as long as we all keep O: 703 933-6725 H: 410 991-1660 g during the good economy, and now having fun, our great class will continue [email protected] the economy is broken." Woe is me. to prosper. Secretary-Treasurer Well, I hate to contradict these As I write my last column as your Bryan Hollingsworth knowledgeable nay-sayers, but I cer- president, I am feeling a bit nostal- 410 Holiday Road tainly know of one group of sailors that gic. When I wrote my first column (back Lexington, KY 40502 has chosen not to participate in this when I was naive enough to believe that Ph/fax 859 269-3130 downward spiral. I am very proud to your Highlander editor, Mike Feldhaus, report to you that during the past three Mbl 859-806-5908 was only kidding when he told me that years our membership in the High- he'd beat me up if I didn't meet his dead- [email protected] lander Class has risen by 19%. Thanks lines) I spoke of the challenging times National Champions much to our Executive Secretary Treas- that all one-design classes were facing. John Bauer, Skipper Harold Bauer, Crew urer Bryan Hollingsworth These are certainly difficult times for Sarah Paisley, Crew for documenting and tracking these even large international fleets, and the Directors numbers for us. challenges can definitely seem over- Dan Hopkins („07-09) Additionally, participation in whelming for „our‟ small group of a few Euclid, OH our great family-oriented weekend re- hundred sailors. While these truths still Mirek Posedel Cleveland, OH (08-‟10) gatta circuit has increased by 25% in ring true, we also still have all of those Mike Shayeson („07-09) three years and by a whopping 35% in same strengths going for us that I men- Cincinnati, OH four years. tioned back then too. Ed Spengeman („08-‟10) I believe the reason for this is sim- As a class, we will continue to remain Louisville, KY ple.....WE HAVE FUN! It doesn't mat- strong into the future due to items such (Associates) Bill Price („09) ter if your version of Highlander fun as our stalwart and dedicated class lead- Springfield, OH is the fierce competition to be in at the ership, our diverse membership, our great Editor - Mike Feldhaus top of this competitive fleet, or the National Championships Week, our fan- 7109 Green Spring Drive challenge to keep from being the last tastic class magazine, and our awe- Louisville, Ky 40241 boat to finish. Whatever your goal is, some weekend regatta circuit. H 502 228-8725 O: 502 495-5113 there will usually be multiple teams I know of no other class in the Mid- Off (fax) 502 495-5114 there with your same approach. west where during the course of a sum- [email protected] Honestly, sometimes the closest mer you can attend over a dozen quality and most exciting racing is in the back regattas, all within just a few hundred Builder: Allen Boat Company Inc. 370 Babcock Street third of our fleet. You certainly don't miles of each other. If you haven't at- [email protected] have to be in the top three finishers tended one of our regattas recently I en- Buffalo, NY 14206 716 842-0800 to be a winner in our class. courage you to come to just one event In fact, we have members this year, you definitely won't be sorry. Highlander Web Page: who enjoy the sailing on the race Yes we have all of this, plus we have www.sailhighlander.org course, but the real draw for them is the the prettiest, fastest, and easiest to rig one Webmaster: Fanny Timmer post-race party and the camaraderie to -design dinghy on any lake. [email protected] be enjoyed simply by hanging out with (Continued on page 12) The Highlander July „09 Page 3 Match Racing upwind and try to find that layline again. Make sure to note how the tacking angles change in various wind strengths. Covering: Loose and Tight. Match Tweaking Your Tiller Work racing is all about control and options. If By Debbie Probst Judging Laylines. In a match race, you are ahead and in control, you want to The past few months have brought a knowing where the laylines are is cru- limit your opponent‟s options. One way new aspect to my sailing adventures: cial. If you approach the starting line to do this is to get your opponent to the match racing. Teaming up with JoAnn above the Committee Boat layline, layline so you have limited their options Fisher (wife of past Highlander cham- your opponent can hold you out. It is to sailing in your wind shadow all the pion Greg Fisher), I have participated in also important to know where the lay- way to the next mark. a few match race events and clinics line to the weather mark is. Tack too A similar idea works in a fleet race which have truly sparked my interest in early and you may have to tack twice when you are on the final leg and are this area of our sport. Although you may while your opponent gains on you by concerned with beating just one other never find yourself in a match race, what tacking only once. boat. Typically your best choice is to follows are some skills we‟ve developed In a crowded fleet race, if you tack coerce the trailing boat to the nearest and refined for this mode of sailing com- shy of the windward mark layline, you layline. Tack directly on their wind if a petition which may have some sound may very well face a long line of star- tack is what you desire. If you like the application to fleet racing. board boats keeping you from rounding direction they are heading, tack into a Time to Start/Time to Burn. The that mark. Or, if you sail way past the “loose cover” position. This essentially differential between the time remaining layline, your competitors can tack on means you are upwind of them, in their to the starting gun and the time it would the layline and sail (Continued on page 4) take to sail directly to the starting line at less distance. full speed is “time to burn.” Essentially, To hone your how early are you? The skill that comes layline skills, find in very handy here, is calculating time an upwind buoy and distance relative to your boat speed. and sail toward it. Knowing how quickly your boat acceler- At roughly 15 to ates and decelerates will help you get to 20 boat lengths the line right on time going full speed. It out, attempt to is better to burn off some of your extra tack on the star- time early so that in the final 10 seconds board layline and before the start you have the room to assess your judg- sheet in, accelerate, and hit the line at ment. Work on max speed. your boat handling Take time to practice and develop by setting your this skill. Arrive to the starting line early. spinnaker at the Set up 25 yards off the line, make an mark, sail dead estimate of how long it will take you to downwind for 10 get to it, and test your estimate. Do this boat lengths, jibe from different points of sail, and repeat. and douse immedi- You will improve quickly. ately. Then head Two Sonars in close quarters at a Rolex Women‟s Match Race.