Dart
Final Approach
- Joined
- Mar 19, 2006
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iM a grandpa
I know we're an aviation board but, sailboats fly wings too! I figure a couple folks here can appreciate sailbots.
My sailing club has an annual one design regatta. It is all for fun with about half the crews being inexperienced members. We race four Hunter 36's in full cruising dress. This was a beautiful weekend of sailing on Tampa Bay! 15 to 20 knots, light chop.
One of the crew filmed a few minutes of one the practice races. 'Yours truly' is the proud owner and helmsman of Ios, the camera boat. Santorini is our worthy opponent.
Santorini's tactician is a sailor of 60+ years experience. A former Olympic and World Class Star racer, merchant marine, and marine technology engineer. At 81 years old Auggie still rocks. Last year I lost a first place to him in the last race of three. So, "Yes!" I'm proud to have taken a lead in this years practice set!
As in all good match racing, the winner is the boat that made the fewest, or least damaging, mistakes. The first race we won because they got caught in irons rounding the downwind, major mistake. The second was much tighter. The videos are race two.
Video one: Both boats are hugging the line on starboard tack. In the first race we both started on starboard tack and soon learned we could not outpoint Santorini. This start we knew we could not steal her air, as she would soon outpace us to windward so, at the last minute we banged a fast to starboard and sailed away. She still made the first mark by foiling the laws of fluid and aerodynamics. We passed her on the downwind and were ahead at the second (final) windward rounding,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8gOWUFOLQg&feature=channel_page
Video two: We thought sure she was too low to make the mark (she shows up after we round) but, they pulled it off again!!! But, since we were faster downwind, at this final downwind leg it was all over for her!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHRxZ61N9Qk&feature=channel_page
My sailing club has an annual one design regatta. It is all for fun with about half the crews being inexperienced members. We race four Hunter 36's in full cruising dress. This was a beautiful weekend of sailing on Tampa Bay! 15 to 20 knots, light chop.
One of the crew filmed a few minutes of one the practice races. 'Yours truly' is the proud owner and helmsman of Ios, the camera boat. Santorini is our worthy opponent.
Santorini's tactician is a sailor of 60+ years experience. A former Olympic and World Class Star racer, merchant marine, and marine technology engineer. At 81 years old Auggie still rocks. Last year I lost a first place to him in the last race of three. So, "Yes!" I'm proud to have taken a lead in this years practice set!
As in all good match racing, the winner is the boat that made the fewest, or least damaging, mistakes. The first race we won because they got caught in irons rounding the downwind, major mistake. The second was much tighter. The videos are race two.
Video one: Both boats are hugging the line on starboard tack. In the first race we both started on starboard tack and soon learned we could not outpoint Santorini. This start we knew we could not steal her air, as she would soon outpace us to windward so, at the last minute we banged a fast to starboard and sailed away. She still made the first mark by foiling the laws of fluid and aerodynamics. We passed her on the downwind and were ahead at the second (final) windward rounding,
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n8gOWUFOLQg&feature=channel_page
Video two: We thought sure she was too low to make the mark (she shows up after we round) but, they pulled it off again!!! But, since we were faster downwind, at this final downwind leg it was all over for her!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rHRxZ61N9Qk&feature=channel_page
