Elise - BeatSarcoma flagship boat

Everything about Elise and the Beethovens - in particular this year, Pacific Cup preparation.

Monday, July 14, 2008

Thanks

We've gotten a _lot_ of help. Thank you, everyone!

Wednesday, July 9, 2008

SSB

I will let Nathan talk about that one, but Brian did some miracles with the SSB tuner, ordered some parts and got us going. The two of them buried themselves for hours fiddling around with the equipment...

Nice job...and muchas gracias to Brian for his help! (also testing it)

Race to the start

OK - I am now positive. The real race is to the start line. I am really looking forward to the Pac Cup so we can finally relax, enjoy sailing, etc...We end up spending much more time working on the boat than do some actual sailing...Perhaps it's only because it is the first time we are doing the Pac Cup on Elise and there a) a steep learning curve for both of us and b) a lot of equipment to add to the boat.

Jason (from Argo Yacht Rigging) is amazing and a Godsend. He does great quality work and think like a racer so his solutions are extremely elegant. He also knows a lot of people he can hire to help and he's shown a fabulous ability in fitting Elise into his busy summer schedule. We also spent the entire 4th of July weekend working on the boat...

He and his friend (Lela) have also decided to make a donation to BeatSarcoma. They made a cute lightweight custom dodger for Elise and they are donating it to the cause (read: we will pay for the dodger of course but they will then turn around and donate the proceeds to BeatSarcoma). We are therefore listing them as 'sponsors' of our fundraising efforts for the Pac Cup.

Some of the things that were done between Jason and us:
1- tiny strong colorful lines under the forward and aft lifelines
2- SSB mounted (all units) and ground strip run
3- Plumbing done for the water bladder and system tested - also secured but looks like Jason is working on a better system
4- upgraded and mounted battery #2 to > 15 Amp-hr
5- 2nd bilge pump that can be operated from below deck
6- Companionway sliding hatch "locking" mechanism installed
7- New dodger
8- Bought second hacksaw and carbide blade (decided not to take the bolt cutter...a little heavy and clumsy)
9- Refilled spare part bags with lines, turning blocks and shackles and upgraded our sail repair kit
10- Installed LEDs to light up the magnetic compasses
11- Mounted and tried on emergency rudder (we will now try outside the harbor)
12- Connected solar panels/electrical system with the charge controller
13- received the EEEC PC (it's tiny!!!) - I will download some software and play around with it...
14- Secured anchor to the bottom of the boat and added a lot of padding so no metal parts will be in contact with the fiber glass
15- Learned every single sq-inch of the most aft 'cell' of the boat
16- Earned ability to remember every single West Marine employee's first name at the Sausalito store (where the boat was over the weekend). One of them commented that there were better places to hang out than their store...
17- Got another spare winch handle and bucket (Fedex'ed messed up a shipment that went straight back to West Marine...)

Frankly, I just feel like we should be practicing right now, not drilling holes...Someone was kind enough to say that if we really focus and sail hard, we can do really well. I hope he's right but I feel very under-prepared tactically and strategically. I am certainly starting to know the boat very well...



We will use sunblock. Elise will use a sunattract

My mom called this weekend. She was just curious to see where we would fit everything (remember, not much room down below) - I told her that we were planning on having the sails up on deck (except for the spinnakers and storm sails) - her immediate response was: "on deck? Not on the foredeck I hope, you don't want any weight there, it'll slow you down"

Cute isn't it? :)

Tuesday, July 8, 2008

Pacific Cup - Guess at the First Day

Elise's home port is conveniently close to the start line (basically around the breakwater) and you could see her trailer spot about 75 yds from the start line if there weren't a building in the way.

We'll probably leave the dock between one and two hours before the start (between 1120 and 1220). We'll want to do a basic systems check (rigging, electrical, etc.) and make sure the final repack of all gear is stable, plus maybe a little tuning.

The last thing we need on the start of a cold three day upwind is to be wet, sweaty, or tired, which is what intense practice would get us.

The wild-estimate Pac Cup formula is 3 days on the wind (not necessarily hard on the wind, but a brisk upwind leg) and then a combination of cracking off plus the wind swinging aft gives us the spinnaker leg that most people find more enjoyable (being totally acclimated to the boat motions also has a lot to do with the enjoyment at that point- even barring outright queasiness, being established on the watch schedule and off-watch noises/movement counts for a lot).

Pacicfic Cup Start Times

link valid as of time of posting:
http://pacificcup.org/node/1863

We're DH2, which starts at 1320 Monday, the 14th.

The start line is on the cityfront (STFYC).

There's lots still to do to get Elise to the line...

Thursday, July 3, 2008

More Elise pictures at Sarcoma Cup




From Norcal Sailing (www.norcalsailing.com)
Posted by Picasa

Wednesday, July 2, 2008

Some Sarcoma Cup '08 Photos




Don't forget that you can go to www.beatsarcoma.smugmug.com to buy more pictures. 100% of the proceeds from the sale of the pictures go to BeatSarcoma (I did buy these downloads!)
More pictures will be posted shortly as the other two photographers are gathering their pix.
Posted by Picasa

Sarcoma Cup 'Oopsies'...




Credit: www.h20shots.com
You can buy more of these pictures (like I did...) at BeatSarcoma.smugmug.com

Posted by Picasa

Fun at the Sarcoma Cup!

Posted by Picasa

New start times?

Looks like we might be starting on Bastille Day after all...Better hurry up!

Sarcoma Cup T-shirts for sale


Two options:
- long sleeve cotton
- short sleeve microfiber
- both at $15
- 100% of this goes to support Sarcoma research
- please contact the sarcoma cup team: sarcomacup@ (all addresses are beatsarcoma.org)

Another nice post on the Sarcoma Cup

NSL goes racing

08scarcomacup_182crweb.jpg

Today was something of a landmark for me — my first-ever real sailboat race, and what a ride it was! Thanks to schoonerman and owner CazzaRanda, I was able to crew on the Flying Tiger 10m Centomiglia in today’s Sarcoma Cup, a pursuit race around the Bay from Berkeley, round Alcatraz and Angel Islands, and finishing in Richmond. The photo above show us as we left Racoon Straight headed for the finish. (I’ll certainly be buying a print to hang at home.)

I had a great time and learned more in a day than I would in 10 day-charters to nowhere. Pretty cool to see double digits on the speedo, too. A warm thank you to all the crew for their help and patience with a racing newbie.

More boat work pictures


Installing the 'line stuffer'...I like things to be orderly on a boat (and anywhere) but on a boat it is a great safety measure.

My first sewing job: putting together a webbing strap to keep the cooler from opening at inappropriate moments and send its contents flying across the cockpit. We may keep the bottle of wine in there so that's definitely NOT something we want to see happen. It would be such a waste!


My McGyver style "keep cubby hole plank in place" solution...Cute, heh?

I sailed the boat across to Sausalito (Jason's shop) yesterday morning. Nathan drove to pick me up there and give me a ride back to the city. It was a real treat. I was the only boat out there and there was definitely enough wind to make this a super pleasant ride. It was my first time single-handling Elise with sails all the way (when I delivered the boat in Berkeley I started under sails but had to start the engine as the wind died as the sun came down). The cleats looking aft are a blessing!! (it works also for the jib lines of course!)
Posted by Picasa

Oh...and I bought a house...

With staged furniture:
http://picasaweb.google.com/nathalie.criou/LaMaisonTheHouse?authkey=8lWXp7jgeM0#

I am moving in on Monday.

Scrambled Eggs

and all in one basket...called Elise :)

I put in another day of work last week and we are still missing three critical items...

1) mounting emergency steering
2) mounting the solar panels
3) installing 2nd bilge pump (somehow we missed that???)
4) permanent install for the SSB and sea trial
5) sail tune the boat
6) better secure the water bladders

A lot of this is started but with a temporary solution which we needed to replace with higher quality parts, etc... We also need to upgrade one of the batteries. Nathan's on that job.

Jason, from Argo Yacht Rigging is the most helpful person I have met. He sailed an Express 27 in the Pac Cup before and he has offered his help.

Technically he is a rigger but he knows a lot of things about boats and will find some time in his work schedule to fit us in. He will do a lot of the heavy lifting on the emergency steering (we have the rudder...), the solar panel and the 2nd bilge pump. He has copper for the SSB ground strip and most importantly, a friend of his is making us a custom dodger to keep the cabin dry in the first few days of the race. This is great because he seems to be very flexible and able to move his schedule around, very much in control of his work priorities. He will probably also be very diligent in getting the parts. I also trust immensely his ability to do something that work for Elise because a) he's a racer and he will go for light efficient designs, b) he's solved that problem once for another Express for that same race and so far he has always delivered on time.

On another front, the laptop should be here shortly :)

And I need to change the tires of the trailer and put some new brakes on...

I talked to Sarah Deeds this weekend (doing the Pac Cup on a Moore 24). They're also scrambling...

We can totally do this.

Sarcoma Cup

From the BeatSarcoma blog:

We held the first ever Sarcoma Cup this weekend at Richmond Yacht Club and in the challenging waters of San Francisco Bay. We will post shortly a more detailed account of the event but I wanted to share a quick summary with all of you.

We haven't finalized the accounting but our first estimates indicate that we have raised over $10K at this inaugural event.

We have achieved a lot more.
- Andrew, the 16-year-old osteosarcoma patient to whom the regatta was dedicated volunteered at the event and will keep invaluable joyful memories of this experience
- One of our volunteers unexpectedly rediscovered the joys of sailing on Ay Caliente, a Beneteau
- Regatta participants discovered a very talented painter from a tiny nation in West Africa who contributed a beautiful painting to the charity auction. It is one of these rare connections that wouldn't have happened without the magic of this weekend
- A lot of people had an amazing weekend to share with their friends and family
- Many new friendships have started under the auspice of a weekend dedicated to life and hope
- Many people were given an opportunity to give and engage in a deeply rewarding activity. It can be so gratifying to generate a lot of smiley faces

The Sarcoma Cup itself is a beautiful and uncommon piece of work, but what else could best symbolize the richness of these moments.

You can read more about the sarcoma cup on the:

Stanford Patient News

Norcal Sailing

and see pictures of the regatta

Monday, June 23, 2008

Pacific Cup - Offshore Safety Rules

The Pac Cup rules include by reference a rather complicated set of offshore racing requirements. Some of them are deadly serious (such as ability to signal for help or handle an infection) and some are waived (bucket vs real head). They cover everything from hull construction through accessories like motor, radios, and even personal gear (lifejackets, etc.).

There are a LOT of line items to fulfil, and not all of them were designed with design peculiarities of particular boats in mind. It's an entirely different angle having to deal with this versus previous Pac Cups when I'd help out with some boat work but not have to deal with the entire list.

The following are my notes at the moment on Elise with respect to the safety regs.
Ref the annotated offshore rules (including US Sailing and Pac Cup RC mods) at
http://pacificcup.org/node/866

3.04.3, stability/buoyancy
as stock.

3.08.4 companionway hatch
active TODO
swivel hardware, operable from both sides

3.14 Pulpits, Stanchions, Lifelines
stock. Apparently does not strictly conform to 3.14.3 c, 86.6"
max between stanchions (actually ~90 from stanchion to fwd end of pushpit)
Active TODO:modifying to meet 18" high (many E27's only have 12"
stanchions)

3.17 Toe Rail
stock, 1"

3.19.2 Bunks Stbd is for off-watch. leecloths fitted P+S.

3.21.1 Drinking Water
Active TODO: hose, valves, pump
main storage is water bladders
emergency and supplementary is conventional supermarket water bottles

3.22 Hand holds
stock E27 has adequate grap points whatever her orientation

3.24 Compass
Permanently installed compasses P+S fwd end of cockpit
hockey puck compass for use taking bearings

3.25 Halyards
stock has 3: main (aft), jib (fwd, above forestay), spinnaker
(fwd, above forestay)
added: spare external halyard led fore and aft (fractional fwd)
Main, jib, spin halyards confirmed to reach waterline with
adequate length to wrap on winch. spare halyard will likely reach too but isn't run and I haven't measured it.

3.27 Nav Lights
masthead LED tricolor (LED so watts not applicable but adequately bright)
stock bow and stern light (incandescent)
two house batteries allow independent 12V power if necessary

3.28 Engines, Generators, Fuel
Honda outboard, gasoline in normal red containers.
pull start.
protection from heavy weather is its cover
stowed as per stock E27 one design
solar cells (~100 watts total, 3 panels. 60-80 in primary).
required consumption:
tricolor, instruments, SSB
policed as power available:
cabin lights, autopilot, laptop, stereo, etc.

3.28.4 Batteries
2 gel 12V, 1/2/1+2/off switch, 32 AH each

3.29
VHF - masthead antenna, stern antenna. standard 25W marine unit
with weather frequencies
SSB - Icom 710M. slide-on backstay antenna. backup "speaker wire" antenna
handheld VHF - also has weather frequencies
vessel EPIRB
(2) personal EPIRBs

4.02 Hull Marking
1.0 m^2 orange distress flag

4.03 Soft Wood Plugs
plugs tied in bags next to our two throughulls, next to each other fwd:
knotmeter impeller
depth sounder

4.04 Jackstays, Clipping Points
We generally rely on jacklines rather than static clipping points,
though the latter are available at the termination points of jacklines.
standard WM jacklines, configured as follows:
1. continuous "V" with point at bow through tack fitting running aft on each side, inside lifelines to toerail.
2. aft end of cockpit to fwd end, through-bolted padeyes at bottom of cockpit
3. port to starboard, on deck aft of cockpit (for driver)
4.05 Fire Extinguishers
(1) port, aft side of main bulkhead
1) port, just under deck even with fwd end of cockpit (on "torbedotube")

4.08 First Aid Manual and First Aid Kit
(have, need to reinventory. Two non-critical drugs are a few months past their nominal expiry date but all the normal stuff is thereincluding aluminum splints, antibiotics, painkillers, "emergency"seasickness meds, field guides, etc.)

4.09 Foghorn
standard canned gas version.
one spare can of gas

4.10 Radar Reflector
standard (todo: confirm mfctr was Davis) round/two plates type

4.11 Navigation Equipment

4.11.1 Charts
paper Kaneohe chart current (Jul 07 printing)
Calif->Hawaii
paper charts of US coast down to Santa Barbara
mapping GPS

4.11.2 Reserve Navigation System
sextant, books, plotting instruments, universal plotting paper.

4.12 Safety Equipment Location Chart
(TODO)

4.13 Echo Sounder or Lead Line
have both sounder running on house 12V and lead line

4.14 Speedometer or distance measuring instrument
have knotmeter and GPS

4.15 Emergency Steering
have wooden emergency tiller, basically same spec as original.
varnished so we know it won't swell and fail to fit.
emergency rudder mounting on outboard bracket (tiller-steered)
supplies for other arrangements as may be necessary (aluminum tubes, flat boards, buckets, lines)
TODO: trial/signoff, due "prior to starting the race" targetting beginning of July

4.16 Tools and Spare Parts
a variety of electrical supplies (wire, crimp fittings, multimeter, etc.) spare blocks, shackles, clevis pins, cotter pins+ringdings
lines (racing no-stretch and resilient)
bolt cutters+hack saw with carbide blades
TODO: formal tools+spares list

4.19 EPIRBS
(1) 406 vessel EPIRB
(2) personal EPIRBs, one in hand one to be borrowed

4.20 Liferafts
(rented from Sal's. TODO: get fax with full details)

4.20.3 Liferaft Packing and Stowage
most likely to be stored on deck aft, stbd. Will finalize when we see how the boat trim/heel looks.

4.21.2
have grab bag, will blaze and fill as per recommendations- nothing we won't already have

4.22 Lifebuoys
Lifesling with self-igniting light
horseshoe, strobe, MOB pole in "torpedo tube"

4.23 Pyrotechnic Signals Required:
SOLAS red parachute, 6 req'd. Have:
(4) expiring 2010
(1) expiring Sep 2011
(1) expiring Nov 2011
SOLAS red handheld, 4 req'd. Have:
(1) expiring Sep 2011
(3) expiring Nov 2011
SOLAS orange smoke, 2 req'd. Have:
(1) expiring Jul 2011
(1) expiring Dec 2009

Extra:
SOLAS white handheld:
(4) mfg Dec 06, implied expiry 3 years of '09

misc USCG red handheld, orange smoke, some expired some not but all in apparently good condition.

4.24 Heaving Line
sock type, 50 ft WM.

4.25 Cockpit knife
stainless fixed blade dive knife, steel pommel for hammering, hard sheath

4.26 Storm and Heavy Weather Sails
Trysail (not here, delivery promised 6/20 or 6/21)
heavy weather jib: existing #4 dacron jib. hanks, and forestay is bare (no tuff luff), all foresails are hanked.

4.27 Drogue
(TODO: ordered)

5.01 lifejackets
two inflatable models, "pill" type automatic
TODO: spare CO2
backup fixed foam vests

5.02 Safety harness and tethers
inflatable lifejackets have integral harnesses.
standard WB tethers
(1) Lirakis-type harness, double-clip

5.09 Annual Man-Overboard Practice
(done, need to lookup dates, ~ last Nov and sign off)

5.11 Preventer or Boom Restraining Device
(TODO- easily breakable type, thin dacron line).

6.xx Training
Pac Cup safety seminars both crew
CPR certs both crew
Celestial Navigation course but not tested (OCSC, both crew)

Slowly but surely

Hello symphonic fans - hard weekend at work on Elise for a change...And still loads to do but we are definitely seeing the end of it and resolutely crossing off items on the list. From bow to stern, we:

  • Secured all the "lids" on the V-berth with a combination of bungee cords, wooden 'sticks' through the hole of the lid and sometimes a padeye or similar fitting for the cord in the cubby hole
  • Secured the stove with a nice big bungee so it doesn't go flying if we are upside down
  • Latched firmly the two batteries - they ain't going nowhere unless the entire bow is moving in that general direction
  • Secured the 'head' (read bucket) to its fittings
  • Added a nice "hook" out of place and behind thick cable so it's not a danger to anyone for practical reasons (say, we need to hang a flashlight or something)
  • Tied the "lantern" (battery-operated camping lantern) by the stove at the v-berth to provide light. It is unlikely that we will need a lot of light there but it is handy to have ready at our fingertips if we do need some. Remember, everything has to be easy when you are sleep deprived
  • Taped the through-hull plugs close to the through-hulls, in a nice ziplock bag
  • Revamped the safety 'drawer', with new cool gadgets such as a 1x1 m orange flag ready to be displayed on deck if need be as per the rule, more spares, etc...
  • Secured the top of that drawer with strong velcro
  • Secured the nav table lid with a little mechanical aid
  • Drilled some holes to secure the SSB to the nav table
  • Cleared the nav table so it contains only the items we really need...
  • Installed mesh pockets for 1) various items such as sunglasses or a flashlight which we just need to drop when we check something quick at the nav table 2) all of our spare gloves, etc... 3) cooking ustensils (pretty basic...) 4) toiletry items 5) misc, not assigned and put a bunch of sticky plastic hooks that can become handy...
  • Installed rolled up flags on the starboard side along the cables we are running...
  • Bought all of the missing flares we need
  • Wrote 'Elise' and added some reflective tape on our spare lifejackets and other various buoyancy equipment (that was a hard job...)
  • Find new ways to stow equipment that is safe, easy to access and more open (the cubby holes were getting very damp and retaining humidity): dock lines and tow lines and winch handles and jewelry bag (no we don't carry jewelry, this is what we need to rig the boat up, turning blocks, etc...) under the port settee. Lines are hanging off the MOB tube also on the port side. Tools + spare parts under the port-side settee
  • New anchor + 14 ft of chain + aS 200 ft of 3-stranded nylon anchor line...now stowed next to the engine...m njuumh (that was Hershel the cat's literary participation to the adventure)
  • Finished installation of the wireless remote control for the regular auto-pilot
  • Devised a way to secure the cooler to the floorboard and ensure that the lid doesn't open up all of the sudden
  • Fixed the floorboard (one of the mechanical fittings to keep it in place had to be replaced)
  • Got a Rambo-like dive knife which will be used as a cockpit knife as a safety measure: if lines need to be cut, crew that needs to be disciplined, you know, this type of things...
  • Got a 50 ft throw line
  • Got a nice little stroby-looking light for the lifesling with the most annoying "test" mode...
  • Ordered a 'light list' from the Coast Guard
  • Finalized our celestial navigation package: almanach 2008, universal plotting sheet, reduction tables...we have the tools already, including the sextant
  • Got our borrowed first aid kit (it's not a first aid kit, it's a portable hospital)
  • Got a new pole (we are using the old one as a spare)
  • Got a new spare halyard (the other one chafed)
  • Put some anti-chafe tape at the end of the spinnaker halyard
  • Got a nice second reefing line and installed it
  • Got some cool pockets to keep lines out of the way and installed fittings for them
  • Did some varnishing for the emergency tiller...
  • Devised and built a nice way to get two of our solar panels operational! (Kudos to Nathan)
  • Got delivered pizza directly on the boat, on the trailer...
  • Ordered a second bucket as per safety rules
  • Got a boat drogue (drogues are not designed to stop your boat unlike sea anchors. They hang off the stern and slow down your progress downwind)
  • Got a 5-gallon gas can...
Still a bunch of things to do...but getting there! Inspection deadline is July 3rd so last leg before the finish on boat prep!

Revised start dates

http://pacificcup.org/node/1863

Boat Name Type Entrant Div START
Neptune's Daughter Crealock 34 Ed & Earlinda Polkenhorn DH 1 Mon
Rubicon III Contessa 33 Rod Percival DH 1 July 14, 2008
Plus Sixteen Olson 911 Paul Disario DH 1 12:50
Raindrop Cascade 36 Joby Easton DH 1
Dart* Peterson 34 John Crutcher DH 1
Giant Slayer* SantaCruz 27 David Garman - Debra Lowell DH 1





Green Buffalo Cal 40 Jim Quanci A Mon
Azure Cal 40 Rodney Pimentel A July 14, 2008
Shaman Cal 40 Steve Waterloo A 13:05
Acacia Valiant 42 Robert Hinden A
California Girl CAL 40 Timm & Victoria Lessley A
Gaviota CAL 2-46, Jensen Marine James Partridge A
Valis Pacific Seacraft 44 Paul Elliott A
No Ka Oi Gibsea 43 Phil Mummah A





Le Flying Fish* Moore 24 Jean-Philippe Sirey & Stephane Plihon DH 2 Tues
Bar-ba-loot* Moore 24 Andrew Hamilton DH 2 July 15, 2008
Moore Havoc* Moore 24 Mark A. Moore DH 2 13:30
Moonshine Dog Patch 26 Dylan Benjamin DH 2
Mirage Express 27 Terry Cobb DH 2
Alternate Reality Express 27 Darrel Jensen DH 2
Elise Express 27 Nat Criou/Nathan Bossett DH 2
The Contessa Swede 55 Shawn Throwe DH 2





Cirrus Standfast 40 Bill Myers B Tues
Compromise Elite 37 David and Sandy Englehart B July 15, 2008
Horizon Hunter Hunter 466 Charlie Cooper B 13:45
Checkered Past Wyliecat 39 Chris Gibbs B
Pacific High Catalina 400 Andre Skarka B
Gavilan Wylie 39 Brian Lewis B
Kokomo Sabre 425 Denny Flannigan B
Music Nordic 44 John McCartney B





Bequia* Beneteau Dennis Ronk C Tues
Oceanaire* Tayana 47 Garrett Caldwell C July 15, 2008
Ada Helen* Catalina 42 1/2 Joseph Pratt C 14:00
Sweet Okole* Custom Farr 36 Dean Treadway C
Rabian* J 35 Vern Zvoleff C
Urban Renewal* J 35 Les Vasconcellos C
Bullet* Express 37 Michael Maloney C
Tiki Blue* Beneteau 423 Gary Troxel C





Ohana Beneteau 45F5 Dean S. Hocking D Wed.
E. T. Antrim 27 Todd Hedin D July 16, 2008
X-Dream X-119 Steen Moller D 14:10
Sleeping Dragon Hobie 33 Dean Daniels D
Jamani J-120 Sean Mulvihill D
J World J/120 Wayne Zittel D
Buzz Off Henderson 30 Fischer / Rodriguez D
Summer Moon Synergy 1000 Joshua Grass D
Sapphire Synergy 1000 David Rasmussen D





Sabrina Calkins 50 Chris Calkins / Norm Reynolds E Thurs
Recidivist Schumacher 39 Ken Olcott E July 17, 2008
Low Speed Chase Sydney 38 James C Bradford E 14:45
XL Antrim 40 Antony Barran E
Morpheus Schumacher 50 Jim Gregory E
Roxanne J-125 Greg Slyngstad E
Hula Girl Santa Cruz 50 Paul Cayard E





Velos Tanton 73 Kjeld Hestehave F Sat
Criminal Mischief R/P 45 Chip Megeath F July 19, 2008
Flash Transpac 52 Mark Jones/Peter Stoneberg F 15:50
Holua Santa Cruz 70 Brack Duker F
Rage Sunrise 70 Steven Rander F
Pegasus OP-50 Open 50 Philippe Kahn F





Humdinger Walter Greene 35 "Acapella" Trimaran Larry Olsen Multihull Thurs




July 17, 2008




15:00





We are getting a transponder!

So you can follow our progress....neat!

And please note the NOR thing (for non-racers, NOR means Notice of Race): do NOT give us any information about other competitors' location. We will have a daily position check-in for tactical purposes.

However, it is perfectly fine for you to use this information to ship us some wine. Just make sure the bottles are nicely packaged in a sealed and padded cannister when they are dropped in the water. In the absence of a fridge, we'll probably prefer red.

Satellite Transponders

Thanks to the organizational and research efforts of Vice Commodore Jim Gregory, we have contracted with FIStracking to provide satellite transponders for each and every boat at no additional cost to you (unless you break it, of course). FIS has supported many major regattas, including Vic Maui 2008, Swiftsure, and more.
These will be made available to boats doing the return trip for a modest fee.
Not only does the tracking create a really great viewing experience for those at home, it also provides an added safety element in the event someone needs to find you to rescue you or bring you cookies or something. Please note that PER NOR and SI's, direct or indirect access to the sat tracking information by competitors is forbidden so as to preserve the fairness of the race.

Thursday, June 19, 2008

We leave July 15th in the afternoon...

Preliminary Assignments:

Boat
Type
Skip
Club(s)
Division
LOA
Rating
Start
Neptune's Daughter Crealock 34 Ed & Earlinda Polkenhorn RYC DH 1 34.1 PHRF Mon
Rubicon III Contessa 33 Rod Percival DRYC DH 1 32.7 PHRF July 14, 2008
Plus Sixteen Olson 911 Paul Disario RYC/Seattle YC DH 1 30 PHRF 12:50
Raindrop Cascade 36 Joby Easton Royal Rose City YC DH 1 37 PHRF
Le Flying Fish Moore 24 J-P Sirey & S. Plihon PCYC/SSS DH 1 23.9 PHRF
Bar-ba-loot Moore 24 Andrew Hamilton SCYC DH 1 23.75 PHRF
Moore Havoc Moore 24 Mark A. Moore RYC DH 1 23.75 PHRF








Green Buffalo Cal 40 Jim Quanci RYC A 39.2 PHRF Mon
Azure Cal 40 Rodney Pimentel EYC A 39.5 PHRF July 14, 2008
Shaman Cal 40 Steve Waterloo EYC A 39.5 PHRF 13:05
Acacia Valiant 42 Robert & Maryann Hinden EYC A 42 PHRF
No Ka Oi Gibsea 43 Phil Mummah SSS A 42 PHRF
California Girl CAL 40 Timm & Victoria Lessley CYC Portland A 39.33 PHRF
Gaviota CAL 2-46 James Partridge LosAngelesYC A 46 PHRF
Valis Pacific Seacraft 44 Paul Elliott SYC A 44.08 PHRF








Cirrus Standfast 40 Bill Myers KYC B 40.02 PHRF Tues
Compromise Elite 37 David and Sandy Englehart PCYC B 37.08 PHRF July 15, 2008
Horizon Hunter Hunter 466 Charlie Cooper Marina Bay YC B 44.25 PHRF 13:30
Checkered Past Wyliecat 39 Chris Gibbs RYC B 38.8 PHRF
Pacific High Catalina 400 Andre Skarka YachtKlubPolski B 41.6 PHRF
Gavilan Wylie 39 Brian Lewis RYC B 41.5 PHRF
Kokomo Sabre 425 Denny Flannigan CYC Tacoma B 42.5 PHRF








































Dart Peterson 34 John Crutcher Antigua YC DH 2 34 PHRF Tues
Giant Slayer SantaCruz 27 David Garman - Debra Lowell TTPCY Seattle DH 2 27 PHRF July 15, 2008
Moonshine Dog Patch 26 Dylan Benjamin SSS DH 2 26 PHRF 13:45
Mirage Express 27 Terry Cobb SSS DH 2 27.3 PHRF
Alternate Reality Express 27 Darrel Jensen STYC DH 2 27.25 PHRF
Elise Express 27 Nat Criou/Nathan Bossett SFYC DH 2 27.25 PHRF
Music Nordic 44 John McCartney EYC DH 2 43.1 PHRF
The Contessa Swede 55 Shawn Throwe StFYC/EYC DH 2 52.5 PHRF








Bequia Beneteau Dennis Ronk VYC C 41.67 PHRF Wed
Oceanaire Tayana 47 Garrett Caldwell SSS C 47 PHRF July 16, 2008
Ada Helen Catalina 42 1/2 Joseph Pratt CPYC C 43.8 PHRF 14:10
Rabian J 35 Vern Zvoleff StFYC C 35.4 PHRF
Urban Renewal J 35 Les Vasconcellos KYC C 35.5 PHRF
Bullet Express 37 Michael Maloney BYC C 37.08 PHRF
Tiki Blue Beneteau 423 Gary Troxel RYC TeamBlue C 43.17 PHRF
Ohana Beneteau 45F5 Dean S. Hocking SYC C 44.11 PHRF








Sweet Okole Custom Farr 36 Dean Treadway RYC D 36 PHRF Wed.
E. T. Antrim 27 Todd Hedin SFYC/RYC/PCYC/SSS/CCA D 27.83 PHRF July 16, 2008
X-Dream X-119 Steen Moller SSS D 39.3 PHRF 14:25
Sleeping Dragon Hobie 33 Dean Daniels SBYC D 33 PHRF
Jamani J-120 Sean Mulvihill SFYC D 40 PHRF
J World J/120 Wayne Zittel SDYC D 40 PHRF
Buzz Off Henderson 30 Fischer / Rodriguez Waikiki YC D 30.8 PHRF
Summer Moon Synergy 1000 Joshua Grass RYC D 32.83 PHRF
Sapphire Synergy 1000 David Rasmussen RYC TeamBlue D 32.8 PHRF








Humdinger Walter Greene 35 "Acapella" Trimaran Larry Olsen BAMA Multihull 35 BAMA Thurs







July 17, 2008







15:00








Sabrina Calkins 50 Chris Calkins / Norm Reynolds SDYC E 50 ORR Thurs
Recidivist Schumacher 39 Ken Olcott Seq YC E 39.8 ORR July 17, 2008
Low Speed Chase Sydney 38 James C Bradford SFYC E 38.6 ORR 14:45
XL Antrim 40 Antony Barran California YC E 40 ORR
Morpheus Schumacher 50 Jim Gregory RYC E 50 ORR
Hula Girl Santa Cruz 50 Paul Cayard SFYC/StFYC E 52 ORR
Roxanne J-125 Greg Slyngstad CYC Seattle E 41 ORR








Velos Tanton 73 Kjeld Hestehave SDYC F 72.5 ORR Sat
Criminal Mischief R/P 45 Chip Megeath CYC F 45 ORR July 19, 2008
Flash Transpac 52 Mark Jones/Peter Stoneberg StFYC F 52 ORR 15:50
Holua Santa Cruz 70 Brack Duker California YC F 68.09 ORR
Rage Sunrise 70 Steven Rander Portland YC F 70 ORR
Pegasus OP-50 Open 50 Philippe Kahn Waikiki YC F 50 ORR








Can there possibly be more? Yes. Storm Trysail Team Trophy Entries:
And Blue Water Family Trophy Entrants are

California Girl, Hula Girl, Green Buffalo, Jamani, XL, Alternate Reality, Mirage

And why RYC is supporting this benefit regatta

Find out the facts behind sarcoma and sarcoma research:
http://www.richmondyc.org/HOA/assn13823/documents/Sarcoma%20Cup%20NOR%20Appendix%20A_v2.pdf

Wednesday, June 18, 2008

Sail for Andrew 15-yr-old sailor and sarcoma patient on June 28-29

If you haven't done so, please really consider signing up for the Sarcoma Cup Regatta.

This is really going to be a special event. A lot of Beethovens and very talented friends as well as the folks at RYC have been working overtime to make this a great event. Two bands, lots of food (including free Peets coffee and free wine!), a free drink coupon for every single participant, beverages, entertainment. A long list of trophies... more than what your average regatta would offer, huh? And registration fees are not any higher.

Oh, yeah, there will also be racing in perfect sailing conditions and a very well run event. Fred Paxton's the conductor. So check it all out and get signed up ASAP at

http://www.richmondyc.org/cal2/EventShow.asp?event_id=89406&event_batch=1

We have just decided to dedicate this first Sarcoma Cup to Andrew, a 15 year-old local sailor who was diagnosed with sarcoma in November, 2007. Barring a medical emergency we think Andrew will be in attendance...so, it would be a HUGE boost for his morale to have a big turnout - especially as he is just starting a new treatment. He is too weak to sail right now so we can sail for him. You can read more about Andrew at http://stories.beatsarcoma.org/2008/06/this-years-sarcoma-cup-will-be-sailed.htm

Andrew is taking a break from his flight for his life just for the rush of seeing some sailboats play. We need to be there for him. Great sailing… good cause… great fun. What more can you ask for?

Seriously, please help us make this a great event…. Let’s show up in huge numbers…

Be there!


Tuesday, June 17, 2008

A little bit closer to the race...and a little colder at the base...

Well, we did spend a little time working on the boat this weekend and our rigger was hard at work during the week...Another Elise's health bulletin.

Rig:
- Elise has a brand-new shiny rig (and according to a weird email about some bulb needing to be changed, the shrouds might be glowing in the dark)
- There is now a second reefing line (and associated turning block), the chafe problem with the external halyard is solved and the lead issue with the outhaul is fixed

Electrical:
- The two batteries are now connected by a switch, which is now solidly bolted. It is therefore possible to switch from battery 1 to battery 2 without cutting the power (through 1+2). It is also unnecessary to disconnect the battery by hand to avoid leaks. All that is required is to put the switch in the 'off' position. Easy or what??

Communication:
- The SSB has now been tested in both receiving and transmitting mode and has been shown to work. It now needs to be mounted, grounded, etc...thank you Brian for being on the other end of the line(less) conversation

Just in case, it isn't very apparent in the picture. Nathan is talking to the SSB and has bought a Harry Potter-approved broom as an emergency escape mechanism if I get too boring.

Navigation:
- The remote control unit for the autopilot is now ready (last thing to do is to bolt on the receiver, but the holes are already drilled for that!). You can now control the autopilot (on, off and any direction, as well as MOB alert) from anywhere on the boat with a small waterproof remote which you can tie on to your gear. This can be quite helpful short-handed!!! Later, it will become possible to install a MOB relay connected to the boat EPIRB. In addition to carrying your own personal EPIRB, it is a nice safety touch if you are single-handling. Also the MOB function of the autopilot is programmed to 1) store the coordinate where the event happened, 2) bring the boat head to wind to stop it ASAP and will calculate the compass course to return to the victim. That can come in handy for people alone on watch who for any reason are not tethered in.

Space Management:
- The anchor will now sit next to the engine
- The space left by the anchor below the port settee will be used to store spare parts. Quite logical since it is right next to where the toolbox is stored
- The leecloths are ready to be installed

Safety inspection checklist:
-
We measured anchor length (and will verify with inspector to see if that's OK)
- We counted our flares
- Listed heavy equipment that needs to be restrained, equipment using batteries and Nathan filled out our "energy plan"
- Elise's pole is relegated to the "spare parts" category
- Our water bladders (including the two borrowed ones) will meet the water requirements. We will carry water bottles around too. They are easy to store and easy to carry
- We can borrow a safety kit with up-to-date meds

Measuring the anchor line required knowing how many inches there are in a foot...No one taught me this at school.

Cuisine:
- The eggs rancheros suck
- The "dried freeze" ice-cream sucks. Glad we're not astronauts.
- The pesto pasta tastes nothing like pesto but otherwise good
- The meatball spaghetti tastes good (we had established already that the Jambalaya was OK)


And our specials tonight are some tasteless gelatinous pasta with a creative pesto imitation and 'spaghetti infierno' adding the flavor of confetti spaghetti to the mystery of unknown meat (small) balls

Interesting finding, worth publishing in the journal of medical discoveries that very few people care about:
-
The hormone replacement therapy I have to take has "nausea" as a noted side-effect. I have noticed an increased sensitivity to certain kinds of food, car sickness, etc...much more so than before. It may have contributed to my recent adventures.

And we have a a long shopping list ready for West Marine Fleet Night on Thursday.

And Dayne stopped by to say hello!! We pulled Elise out of the water and rubbed her tummy :)

Oh, and summer has come. It is cold, foggy and windy. I am glad we have the stove now!

Friday, June 13, 2008

Latitude 38 June Article about the Sarcoma Cup

there it is!

Looking for crew or looking to crew at the Sarcoma Cup?

Several people have expressed their concern with finding crew for the Sarcoma Cup. There are resources for you! Several people have signed up as available crew, so you could check the crewlist (see below). You can also put your name down as someone who needs crew. OCSC can help match you with some advanced students.


Looking for crew or looking to crew?
Note: OCSC, BeatSarcoma's partner for the Pacific Cup '08 will kindly help match advanced students with skippers.
You can fill out this form
Or check the crewlist
Or contact us

Thursday, June 12, 2008

The Return Trip - Roger's moment of glory

Actually, there were two heros...

Coffee and wine...the perfect tools...
A perspective on the motor's coffee.
And the last fluid type of that morning...tea!
Interestingly Dayne drives looking backwards...

go to http://beatsarcoma.smugmug.com/ for prints
Thank you Dayne
Posted by Picasa

Inside Shots - Delta Ditch Run 08


The star on the riviera...

Courtesy of Dayne. Go to http://beatsarcoma.smugmug.com/ for prints.
Posted by Picasa

Dayne's photos - Delta Ditch Run Fleet




Go to http://beatsarcoma.smugmug.com/ for prints
Posted by Picasa

More Delta Ditch Run Photos

You can also find these pictures, available for prints, at http://beatsarcoma.smugmug.com/




Posted by Picasa