Commodore Perry Race - Fast and Furious! 

 RECAP:  PCYC Port to Port Race Feeder Race 2010 - Monohull vs. Multihull Challenge 

Port Clinton Yacht Club has been gracious enough, 2 years in a row, to provide a Race Committee and Flags for this Feeder Race from Port Clinton to North Cape Yacht Club on Saturday, the day before the Commodore Perry Race. Here's the recap of last year's race. 

Mike and Alex Teodecki were waiting for us on the boat when we arrived at 8:15am.  They assisted us to on-load a few necessities.  We were anticipating southwest winds, 7-8 knots, which would give us a one-sided tack from the turning mark, Niagara Reef Buoy G"5" just off the Camp Perry Firing Range all the way to North Cape Yacht Club.  It would be a fast sail, approximately 3 hours.... that was our usual experience.  There was no food on board and not much to drink.  Little did I know...... 

At 9:15am, we were sailing to the start line with 30 minutes to go.  The crew on Dr Peter Vandenberg's S2 9.1, Wooden Shoes, executed a flawless spinnaker set in preparation for the spinnaker start, or so I thought.   

We had a small fleet of several monohulls and 2 Offshore Multihulls queuing up for the start. 

Big Storm was the only boat on the line for the mixed fleet start.  Jim was in a panic......Why didn't the other boats start at the gun?  We set our chute for the run to the first mark, but soon realized that the chute was taking us below the rhumbline to the mark. It took us a full 5 minutes to realize our error, douse the chute, hall up the screacher, loosing valuable time. Now we knew that the Doctor wasn't merely practicing, he was trying his chute to see if they could carry it...very smart! Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet, including the F-31 UC, Mighty Quinn, started one full minute behind us. But, they were sailing the inside track to the mark. 

For the moment, we were running dead even with the F-31UC at 7.5 - 7.9 knots on our Jib and Screacher.  Quinn was sailing a higher, converging course on their Jib and Main alone. As the breeze shifted left, we were able to crack off a bit, opening up the slot.  The Mighty Quinn was first around Niagara Reef at 10:43am.  Big Storm turned the mark 4 minutes later.....this was not going to be the fast race that I anticipated.  

Meanwhile, Big Bob Sheppard on his Schock 35, Big Schock, led the charge of the Monohull Fleet, rounding  G "5" 12 minutes behind us. 

That's when Mother Nature entered the race!  The breeze had shifted right making it impossible to run the rhumbline on a single tack.  The Mighty Quinn tacked first and ate a big header on starboard tack, while we were getting a knock on port tack! A few minutes later, Quinn tacked back to port and sailed right back to us.  Not only was the breeze oscillating wildly, but it was dying too. 

At 11:27am, we had 18.4nm to go.....if the breeze would only settle in and steady up...Oh Contraire! 

We wound up in a tacking dual with Big Schock in super light conditions. We tried to follow the patches of breeze, but they would appear and disappear just as quickly. Big Schock crossed us at 12:52pm, sailed on to the next wind line, tacked on it and gaining more distance on us.  It was painful!   

Behind us, it appeared that the Doctor had dropped out of the race and began motoring for NCYC. Maybe he had the right idea.  We continued on starboard tack with Big Schock.  Meanwhile, the Mighty Quinn seemed to disappear behind West Sister Island.  

At 2:02pm, it began to rain, but we were getting lifted at 4.6 knots to the rhumbline on port tack...Yeah!  But the Schock 35 was beating us to weather.  There was no sign of the Mighty Quinn. Perhaps they fell off the edge of the earth. 

As the afternoon wore on, we were suffering from actual hunger pains.  The larder was bare.  We found out that the youngest member of our crew was holding out on us...he ate all the breakfast bars himself....the scoundrel! Keel haul him! 

2:12pm:  Finally, we're getting some breeze and a lift above the rhumbline at 5.8 knots. We sailed close-hauled with jib, screacher and main. Of course, Big Schock with her tall rig was getting lifted up inside of us. 

2:57pm:  We were making 7.1knots and headed for the Promised Land!  The Mighty Quinn is barely visible on the far right corner of the course. 

3:30pm:  Big Storm was finally able to pass Big Schock to leeward.  We couldn't see the NCYC Mark, so furled the screacher and trimmed in for Toledo Marina Beach at 9.2 knots boat speed. 

3:43pm: Big Storm was far ahead when we crossed the Mighty Quinn  at 10 knots.  We passed our first NCYC mark at 4:01pm 

4:11:08:  Big Storm crossed the Finish Line...We got the gun, but not the prize! 

4:12:59:  The Mighty Quinn crossed the line second. 

4:22:50:  Big Schock crossed the line third.  Big Bob Sheppard sailed the best race, correcting out First.  Big Storm corrected out second and the Mighty Quinn, who knows? 

Afterward, NCYC put on a Chicken BBQ Dinner, followed by a Reggae Party and the musical stylings of the Crucial 420's.  Sailors were dancing inside and out on the patio. What a lovely party, under the trees, on the eastern shore of Lake Erie. 

Port 2 Port Feeder Race!  Saturday, June 4, 2011.

Port Clinton Yacht Club invites you to participate in the Port 2 Port Feeder Race which will be run on Sat June 4, 2011.  Stop in on your transit to spend the night against the Wall in Port Clinton, then race to North Cape Yacht Club on Saturday.  See NOR and sign up on line!  PCYC is running this race to help support the North Cape Yacht Club Commodore Perry Race and bring some fun into your boat transport. All contact info is posted under race events on line at www.portclintonyachtclub.com website.  As well as all their other racing events for the summer.

Or contact PCYC's Fleet Captain of Sail Ramon Eickert at Ramon@cros.net for details.

RECAP: Commodore Perry Race 2010 - Fast and Furious!

Jim and I had a pretty scary night Saturday Night when Tornado Warning Sirens were sounding off all around the LaSalle, MI area.  We debated whether we should stay on the boat, tied up on the wall in the channel or take the chance of running to the safety of North Cape Yacht Club in the Tornadic winds.  The concrete block walls of the Clubhouse could withstand a direct hit, but we could get hit by a falling tree enroute.  We stayed put, but we could hear the train a-comin'.  Big Storm strained against her lines to escape the fury of the storm. It was wild! We later learned that the tornado had nearly wiped out a small town nearby. 

When Jim and I arose Sunday Morning, the wind was still howling out of the Northwest.  It was an offshore wind with flat seas near shore, but white caps and lumpy seas further out.  NOAA Weather Radio was calling for 32 knots at 8am, diminishing to 25 knots by 2pm.  I was not looking forward to sailing in 32 knot winds for our First Counter Race of the season.  When we left the dock at 8:55am, it was still blowing 25 knots.  Fortunately, we had our young blooded crew, Mike Teodecki and his teenage son, Alex on board for the inevitable and frequent sail changes.  

Even with the course diagram (see attached), this course can be hard for the newcomer to wrap your brain around.  This was our 4th year and I still needed the diagram to figure it out. The RC was using all the NCYC Race Marks (N, S, E, W) plus two navigational Buoys: Toledo Harbor Channel R"6" to the east and Monroe Harbor Buoy G"1" to the north. 

The First Warning Gun was at 8:55am. The start and finish line was located 1nm east of the NCYC entry channel between the NCYC West Mark and the orange flag on the RC boat.  The course length was 24.6nm.  The Race Committee posted a Course 2 on the Race Committee boat.  From the Start, the RC was sending all the boats east to NCYC E mark, taken to port, then northwestward to NCYC N mark, taken to starboard, and then they sent us on a screaming reach to the Monroe Harbor Buoy G-1.  

The Multihulls had the 4th start following the PHRF Fleet at 9:15am.  It was really gusty.  The Multihulls started under jib and main alone.  Patrick Quinn's F-31UC, Mighty Quinn started at the RC end of the line and Jim Frederick's F28, Big Storm started to weather of Quinn.   We were making 13-15 knots and steadily gaining on the monohull fleet ahead.  Quinn tried his screacher, but that didn't work.  Big Storm was still first to E Mark at 9:28:57.  The Mighty Quinn rounded 1 minute behind us. 

We had 20 minute beat to N Mark.  On board Big Storm, we managed to stay ahead of the Mighty Quinn and passed all the monohulls before rounding N. Jim called for the screacher for the screaming reach to Monroe Harbor Buoy G-1.... soon he was screaming for us to "get it down!"  14 knots!  We were screaming along just fine without the benefit of the Screacher. Eventually, the Mighty Quinn was able to pass us, spray flying! See photo! 

We rounded Monroe Harbor Buoy G-1just one minute behind Quinn. Quinn carried out on port.  We jibed at the mark and set the screacher for the run to R6.  Quinn followed suit.  We were jibing downwind when I noticed that the PHRF fleet behind us was setting their chutes as they rounded G-1.  If they can do it, so can we.  We set our chute.  The time to hesitate is through...no time to wallow in the mire...... 

Quinn was first around R6 at 10:49:30am leading the way to S Mark.  Big Storm was next around 30 seconds later.  The first monohull, which turned out to be a JAM boat, rounded R6 two minutes behind us.  For us, it was a beat to the S Mark.   However, for the monohulls behind, it was a straight shot to the S Mark. AND the breeze was dying.  Oh Nooo! It just ain't fair! Eventually, we too got lifted up to the rhumbline.  The price we paid was rain...so heavy we could no longer see the Mighty Quinn.  Big Storm rounded S Mark about 6 minutes behind Quinn and pulled out the Screacher for race back to E Mark.   

11:43am:  Quinn turned E Mark one last time, stretching out his lead.  Quinn crossed the finish line at 12:09:13.  We had to contend with a JAM Boat, who had sailed a shorter course, but had to round the S and E Mark same as we did. Now it was a race to the finish against Jagen, a Hunter 40.  Jagen beat us to the finish by 2 seconds.  Big Storm crossed the line at 12:19:15pm.  Quinn owed us about 24 minutes, so we were pretty sure that we had won this race.  But, how would we do in the Monohull vs. Multihull Challenge for the "Don't Give up the Ship Flag "?  The Melges 30, Abracadabra got the gun in the PHRF Fleet at 12:23:42. How would they correct out against us?  We would have to wait for the results. 

Back at NCYC, club members served us a very nice lunch while we all waited for final results.  We didn't have to wait long.   

Awards 

The Team Mighty Quinn, crewed by Patrick Quinn, David White, and Dennis Karr, was awarded the First to Finish Multihull Flag for crossing the line First at 12:09:13.  They were also awarded the Second Place Flag for finishing with a corrected time of 2:50:22.  The F-28, Team Big Storm, crewed by Jim Frederick, Deb Schaefer, Mike and Alex Teodecki won a First Place Flag for the Best Corrected time of 2:39:31. And, for the First time in many years, a Multihull won the Monohull vs. Multihull Challenge for Best Corrected Time Overall....The “Don't Give up the Ship Flag.”  Ron White won it first with his     F-27 in 1996.  Big Storm is the latest recipient for 2010.  Who will be next? 

The NCYC Commodore Perry Race is Back! - Sunday, June 5, 2011 

This is the 4th year for the new and improved COMMODORE PERRY RACE, to be held on the weekend prior to the Mills Race.  This will be a counter for the Gary Hall Series, if we get enough boats to participate. Last year it was a match race between the Mighty Quinn and Big Storm...We had great wind for that event!! 

Steve Attard is our contact this year:  734-652-1053 or steven.attard@buckeye-express.com.  Go to North Cape Yacht Club website at www.ncyc.net/newNCYC/racing.cfm for Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and other. 

As for Shore-Side Activities, Jamie Matuszak is hosting Saturday evening event...the band Soul Kitchen will perform and the proceeds benefit the Lake Erie Water Preservation Society. A light luncheon will be served after racing and before Awards.

"WE ARE ALSO PLEASED TO OFFER ANYONE WHO SAILS THE RACE THE OPTION TO LEAVE THEIR BOAT AT NCYC OR TYC FOR THE WEEK IN PREPARATION FOR THE MILLS RACE. WE HAVE A 7-TON LIFT FOR ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO LAUNCH THEIR BOATS FROM OUR CLUB, OR TOLEDO BEACH MARINA HAS A RAMP THAT CAN BE USED." 

It’s a shorter trip from North Cape Yacht Club to the start line of the Mills Trophy Race.  If you are not racing in the Commodore Perry Race, and you are a member of an I-LYA affiliated Yacht Club, check with the dockmaster regarding reciprocity to see if you can deliver your boat beforehand and leave it at NCYC till Friday.  Raft-up on the wall and leave a contact number with the bartender or dockmaster.

If not, there is a public launch ramp at Bolles Harbor just two exits north of  NCYC ( Exit 11) on I-75 . It’s just a quick sail to the club.  You also have Toledo Marina Beach just across the channel.  NCYC is a good place to leave your car and trailer while you’re at the Bay. 

Thus far I have commitments from the Patrick Quinn on the Mighty Quinn, UC 31 and Brian Thorpe's Alacrity, Native Newick 38.  Harold Alber may bring his F-31R, MYIRA. Please let me know!

Deb Schaefer

Lake Erie Multihulls/GLMRA

2131 N. Camp Perry Rd. E. 

Port Clinton, Ohio 43452

H 419-635-2691

C 419-654-1080

E-mail:  Summer.Storm@cros.net 

 http://www.lake-eriemultihull.com/