May 30th TESOD: You Never Know

After a flurry of e-mails, "I'm in" messages, followed by "I cannot make it", and e-mails from other SSA 505 owners, a few of us showed up at SSA to a glassy smooth calm.

Keith called in Yvette and they washed the bottom of the boat.

Ali had agreed to sail with ex I-14 and recently ex Etchells sailor, Joe Hidalgo, and after a few minutes of chatting and looking at the glassy smooth water, they decided to launch.

It wasn't clear they would be able to move, but somehow they drifted out to the starting area, and then Joe saw a puff to windward towards Greenbury Pt. A couple of minutes later, Ali had finished putting the trapeze harness on, and was out on the wire, with the boat nearly flying upwind in the flat water. A bunch of people came down to SSA and decided not to launch. Wow, were they wrong!

Joe and I sailed around for awhile and then reluctantly turned back as we noticed the sun going down. But TESOD racing was still going on, so we mixed it up with the TESOD fleet (and swam when the tiller extension came off the tiller) before heading in with the last of the daylight. As someone said, "it was a triathalon, sailing, bobbing and swimming."

Now Joe is interested in 505s.

Monday May 29th Coaching/Training

After watching weather forecasts, and juggling people's schedules, we finally decided that Monday afternoon would be the best window for training.

Keith Davids/Jesse Falsone teamed up in Jesse's Waterat
Ali Meller/Mike Coe sailed 7200
Stergios Padakis/Mike Renda sailed 7199

Yvette Davids grabbed the rigid bottomed inflatable and some marks, and ran drills for us.

After briefly discussing objectives (a bit of speed of bit of boathandling), we sailed out. Yvette set a windward and a leeward mark, and we used rabbit starts to set everyone up, racing several windward/leeward races.

There was a LOT of powerboat traffic (it being Memorial Day), but the breeze was nice (marginal trapezing with some flat out trapezing), and Yvette found us a spot away from the major powerboat routes going North or South out of Annapolis.

We were out from about 2:00PM to 4:40PM.

Sterg/Mike finished rigging a spinnaker pole launcher, and it seemed to be working for them first time out. Ali/Mike continue to work with the Superspar M2. Keith thought he and Jesse were using an M2 as well.

Different boats were fastest in different races. Upwind Keith/Jesse had a slight speed edge on Ali/Mike, though Ali/Mike had a height gear they were able to use to advantage several times. Sterg/Mike were very slightly slower at times. Downwind, Ali/Mike were able to real in Sterg/Mike (who were sailing very low at times) and thought they were gaining on Keith/Jesse a few times.

7200 had an M2 mast, HA3-480 CB, North 3DL main, North jib, Ullman kite (thanks, Keith!)
Keith/Jesse had an M2?? mast, ?? CB, somewhat aged North Kevlar/Mylar main, North jib, not sure about the kite.
7199 had a Proctor D? Cumulus? mast, Waterat std. CB, North 3DL main, North jib, not sure what model kite.

SSA Spring photos and Videos

Sorry for the delay in posting. It's been a crazy week.

But yes, without further ado, we do have some videos and cool pictures from last weekend's sailing, courtesy of your favorite RC officer, Alon Finkelstein:

Video 1

Video 2

Video 3

Picture page

Fitness/Strength for 505 Racing

Warning: This is an endorsement of a commercial service!

In case any of you are interested:

In my ongoing effort to win the 505 world championship/finish as well as possible, I decided that my fitness level needed to improve, and that I needed to do something about it quickly in the leadup to the 2006 world championship.

I know Harry Legum of Annapolis Sailing Fitness, and had wanted to try working with a personal trainer for some time. Now that I am back in IT and no longer trying to survive on the marine industry's near-starvation pay levels, I decided to give this a try.

Harry works with a number of Annapolis sailors including Terry Hutchinson, Geoff Ewenson, Jahn Tihansky, Dan Wittig, the USNA dinghy team, the SSA Junior Program and more. I started working out with him a few weeks ago. We agreed that I would focus on aerobic exercise on my own (which I have largely failed to do), while we would work on strength together.

It is working very well for me, and I think the key factors for this are:

1. Harry sails and races, understands racing, and works with a range of sailors from America's Cup to small dinghies, so he understands appropriate fitness/strength goals and tailors the workouts to help you get there.
2. It is easy to blow off an exercise session by yourself. When you have made an appointment and committed to spending money, you show up each time.
3. Harry works you harder than most of us will ever work ourselves.
4. Harry works with you as you are doing a set, varying the load; my understanding is this helps muscle building over the normal number of reps with a constant weight which you would normally do.
5. Harry varies the workouts so they are always different and never boring
6. And the whole time Harry is telling you stories, cheering you on, whatever, so you don't get to think about the burning sensation in your muscles and how nackered you are, and you keep lifting!

The reason for all this is to be a better and more succesful 505 sailor. Here are several things I have noticed already:

I am hiking more easily (stronger quads and stomach muscles)
My occasional lower back soreness is mostly gone (stronger stomach and "core" muscles)
I am quicker on spinnaker and jib hoists on the keelboat (OK, not a 505 issue)

As we continue I expect to also see greater arm strength making playing the main easier
Overall better protection from fatigue, muscle cramping and injury
Better balance

So this program is working very well for me; some of you may wish to consider giving it a try.

Ali

ScratchLists: May 23 TESOD, May 25 Training, May 27-29 Weekend

Tuesday May 23rd TESOD
Ali will be there
Keith/Rob Almeida will be there
Bob Patterson may be there without his boat
Candance Clough may be there
who else?
This turned out to be a wonderful evening, see the offical TESOD report on the SSA website, and see the 505 report on this blog.


Thursday May 25th Training/Practice
Ali Meller/Mike Coe/7200 are sailing
Keith Davids/Rob Almeida/8850 are sailing
who else?
Bob Patterson cannot make it
Kevin McGill/?????? who were going to sail Cardiac Arrest or Raptor, had to bail

Monday ( 29)
Stergios/Mike
Ali/Mike
Keith/a crew
Jimmie Cockerill - can be there sat, anytime, sun, anytime, and mon after 4:30 pm
who else?

SSA Spring Series April 15, 16, May 20

The SSA Spring Series was held over three days this year. 505s raced April 15th and 16th and then May 20th, with all three days counting for the Spring Series. Choosing the Easter weekend and Mother's Day weekend was not deliberate, but more a result of those dates being available.

Final results are posted on the SSA web site at: http://www.severnsailing.org/results/2006/521505.shtml. We had a range of conditions over the three days, with some light air races, some crazy shifts, and some wire running and capsizing conditions too. We had line starts and gate starts, and we had a great turnout, with some teams racing all three days, others making it our for two, and some just one.

Given the different teams, different turnouts, different conditions, and nine races, a number of teams had good races. When you check the final results, you'll see that Alon Finkelstein/J Bergquist were second in one race (and crossed the line first in another but took a Z flag penalty), Joe Morris/Colin Robertson led at one weather mark and finished second in a race (and that was sailing the "I don't get no respect" Cardiac Arrest. Doug and Chris Watson were second in a race, Derek Davies/Chris Legg were second in a race, Sterg Papadakis/Mike Renda were second in a race. Race winners included: Macy Nelson/Dustin Romey, Alexander Meller/Mike Coe, Alon/J, Barney and Shorty Harris and Keith Davids/John Torgeson. It was also great seeing some newcomers using this series to try out the 505. All of Derek Davies, Joe Morris, Colin Robertson, Erika Seamon, Amie Boothe, Greg Lines and John Torgeson are either new to the 505, or have had minimal time in 505s.

Macy Nelson/Dustin Romey took third overall, racing two of the three days. Bob Patterson with several drivers/crews took second overall, while Alexander Meller/Mike Coe, who raced all three days (but missed two races on the last day due to a torn spinnaker) won narrowly over Bob Patterson.

Other highlights included: The swimming and diving competition on May 20th. I saw Sterg/Mike auguer in just in front of Mike/Ali and Macy/Dustin on the run in race 9, and heard afterwards that Erika/J had entries in the swimming/diving portion of the competition as well. But I did not see those! Erika's perfect record in 505 racing is over! After a string of all bullets, Erika's record as a driver dipped with some back of the fleet finishes on May 20th. Neither Erika/J, not Amie/John were able to sail all the May 20th races; Cardiac Arrest was trying to eat spinnakers, forcing Amie/John in early.

An earlier report on the first two days of the Spring Series is at: http://www.usa505.org/fleet40/2006/04/ssa-spring-series-days-1-and-2.html.

Thursday May 11th Practice/Training:

With 505s not yet back on the SSA lot after the Volvo Party, and some teams packing up to go to Hampton this weekend, our Thursday practice/training session was down to just one boat.

Ali Meller and Bob Patterson went blasting around last night in 7200. I thought it was blowing about 18 to 20 knots, but Thomas Pt. Light reports:

05 11 8:00 pm SE 23 27 - - - - 29.48 -0.11 66.0 61.7 - - - -
05 11 7:00 pm ESE 21 23 - - - - 29.52 -0.09 64.0 61.7 - - - -
05 11 6:00 pm SE 23 27 - - - - 29.56 -0.08 64.6 61.5 - - - -


so 23-27 knots for the period. Hmn. With the breeze out of the SE, there was a good fetch and some great waves/chop. And for added amusement a small fleet of J24s and J80s were out for the Thursday J World racing (there may have been some J22s out too). So we had a course to drag race around and some keelboats to plane by. What a blast!

Thursday May 18 Training, May 20th Racing

Ok, who is showing up, or wants to sail, in the 505 coaching/training session this coming Thursday evening at SSA?

I would like to know who is definitely coming, what boats are definitely sailing, who needs someone to sail with, and who is interested in sailing.

Thursday May 18th:
Ali/Mike 7200 or 8776 are starting as soon as they can (they have jobs and school)
Macy/Dustin 8722 are in, and are starting at noon
Tyler/Jesse are in, starting early
????/Nick in 8660 are in, and are starting at noon
Bob Patterson will be there, without 7068
Jimmie Cockerill will be there

JB Turney/Daniel Esdorn might make it

Chris Legg cannot make it

Keith? Chris? J? other SSA member 505 owners

Since this is a coaching/training event NOT racing, it is easier to being someone new into the 505 on the Thursday evening session, if someone needs a crew or driver.

Since we have a one-day 505 event at SSA on Saturday, teams coming in for the regatta can show up early and do the Thursday evening session.

May 20th Racing:
Ali/Mike/7200
Macy/Dustin/8722
Tyler/Jesse??
????/Nick??
Bob Patterson/Greg/8776
Amie Boothe/John Hauser/7080
a driver/new 5o5 owner Chris/7776?
others?
Keith Davids/Rob Almeida?

Regrets - cannot make it
Chris Legg
JB Turney/Daniel Esdorn
Tim Sayles
Derek Davies

Ali

May 16 TESOD

Who wants to sail 505s tomorrow (Tuesday) at TESOD?

Mike Coe cannot make it. I can put 8776 and 7080 (and maybe even 7200) in the water if there are enough people. Bob P's boat is being worked on a Guck, Inc. so no 7068. Chris Legg, Bob O'Brien, Sterg Papadakis, J Bergquist, Zupan, Rick C, Keith, are you sailing and/or are your boats available for TESOD?

Please let me know if you will be there. For those not familiar with TESOD, it is short course racing, and we put any extra people on the RC boat and rotate them on and off. And if short course racing on a 505 doesn't work well for you, we sometimes only do one race and just line up and go out in the Bay for better breeze and a more relaxing sail.

All are welcome, but if helps me match people up if I know you are coming ahead of time.

Show up at 5:00 (ideal), or 5:30 (last minute). First start at 6:00.


Ali

Be Sure to Check the Course

The Hampton Trapeze regatta was great fun. The 'heavy air capital of the Chesapeake' didn't live up to its name until the thunderstorm arrived on day 2. But the racing was good and tight, with a lot of mixed up positions, and nobody was really far behind the pace. Tyler Moore and Jesse Falsone won the regatta (great job, guys). Nick Nelson is working on a write-up for the national site, but I just couldn't resist throwing these 2 pieces of video up, courtesy of Jay Glaser who was on hand to advise, observe, and do some coaching. Thanks, Jay for the awesome shots!

First video is of race 4 where Meller/Coe, followed by Moore/Falsone both thought that the course was a WL 2 lap course. Unfortunately (for them), they were proven wrong by Nelson/Bergquist who managed to steal the bullet by knowing the course posted.

http://www.usa505.org/usa/regattas/2006/HamptonTrapeze/CheckCourse.wmv

Second video is of a crowded mark rounding on day 2. I don't think any protest was actually filed...

http://www.usa505.org/usa/regattas/2006/HamptonTrapeze/CrowdedRounding.wmv