Maybe it’s climate change, but whatever the reason, it is WINDY this season! The Harbor 20 was designed to perform well in very light air, and as such can become quite over-powered when the breeze is up if you don’t manage the power by flattening, or ultimately reefing the main. At the last H20 Board Meeting, it was recommeded that everone should know how to reef their Harbor 20. This keeps things both FUN, and SAFE! To that end, it was decided that it would be a good idea to post some instructions on how to reef the Harbor 20 on this website which can now be found here, or by looking under the “SAILING TIPS” category on the Home Page. Try this at the dock, and then make sure you can do it under sail as well. You will find yourself feeling much more confident when the breeze is up when you have this critical skill under your belt.

If you did not make it to BCYC Taco Tuesdays # 2 you plum missed out on an epic night! The breeze was out of the west at about 11-15 knots with a few intimidating dark clouds lingering in the sky. The A’s and B’s started together and had nine boats on the line. While in C fleet five boats showed up at the starting line.

The first thing I noticed on the race course was “I like my boat.” Zack Maxam and his girl friend Christine, volunteered to sail my boat while I hopped back into the coaching boat. I knew that the breeze would be up and I set up my upper shrouds at 28 and my lowers at 18. During the last beat of the night I powered through the fleet and got in front of the two lead boats #109 & 108. By looking at this photo from this angle it appears that boat 108 headstay is not following off as much as 109. Also notice that boat 108 had its traveler down all the way, look how the top of the main is opened up. From my perceptive I still going to keep my traveler centered in the bigger breeze and should the breeze reach 17+ knots I will throw in a reef between races.

What else did I observe? There are many people sitting to far back in the boat while sailing to weather.  Scroll through the photos and take a look and what I am talking about. While attending Peter Haynes boat handling course, keep in mind the next course is June 21, I learned that the helmsmen should be sitting to weather in front of the tiller, with the crew sitting shoulder to shoulder with the helmsmen in heavy breeze.

I also noticed people, with tiller extensions, move the helm more than people with two fingers on the tiller.

While attending Haynes seminar on June 21 at BCYC pay close attention on how to flatten out your sails. Again scroll through the photos and look for your boat. Then tell me if you have enough downhaul on your jib or backstay and outhaul on your main?

I would encourage everyone to come aboard the coach boat, at least once this summer, and watch the races from a different perspective. Peter Haynes has told me he is willing to coach the month of July. I would like to keep the coach boat out every week and get other opinions on how to achieve optimal performance from our boats and take photos.

I am going to start racing next week and need some volunteers coaches?  We are just looking for one night, showing up at BCYC by 5:15 and the boat will be ready for you.

Quotes of the night:

Shana Conzelman was quick to inform me that I had added Marks points incorrectly and he still needed to win one more B fleet race before he goes up into A Fleet. When I asked Shana and Mark if they would place a web cam from their house onto the race course for this summers Tuesdays and Thursdays races they said they would look into it. The Conzelman’s have a perfect view of the course from their dock and if anyone can pull this off they can. This would be a perfect tool to sell the fleet and increase attendance.

Nik Froehlich “ I like what you are doing out there Len.”

David Levy “ I can’t figure out why my main is inverting so much down wind?”

Emile Pilafidis came up to me twice “ Did you get photos tonight, it’s a spectacular evening.”

For up to date photos and comments go to my facebook page at Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Newport Beach or my blog site at lenboseyachts.blogspot.com

That was one of the better nights we have had in a long time!

Sea ya

Len Bose

This last Tuesday night started the 2014 Taco Tuesdays summers series. Fourteen boats made it to the starting line and were greeted with an un-seasonally warm weather and puffy conditions.

Prior to race time the wind had shifted from a prevailing Santa Ana, wind out of the northeast, to our normal westerly at about 8-12 knots with puffs getting close to 15 knots. For a H20 sailing in Newport Beach,  it was “breeze on!”

In an effort to support the fleet and the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club I thought it would be a good idea to be present on the race course from the advantage of a coach boat. With this in mind I used Walter Johnson’s idea of setting three marks sixty feet to weather of the leeward mark to indicate the three boat length zone.

As the race committee went into the practice start sequence, I estimated that we had a least five practice starts, I went around to C and B sailors and asked them if they would like my assistance and observations before and after racing to increase their performance.

One of the first people on the starting line was Jesse Rivera aboard the syndicated boat # 14 “Harbor Sol”. Rivera has been sailing on the harbor for many years as part of the Peterson 34 Pussycat team. But when you throw a new person, with a new boat, into the H20 fleet on a windy Tuesday night it can be a bit overwhelming. When I approached Rivera and asked if he would like any coaching, he quickly accepted. The first thing I told him was that he needed to flatten his main by raising the halyard all the way up to the black ban, maxing out his outhaul, backstay and then vang. He sailed rather consistently throughout the night and became much more comfortable in the boat.

Next I approached Michael Volk aboard boat # 81 “Lighting”. After accepting my invitation to coaching we did the same thing as Rivera and flattened out his main. I also spent some time following Volk around the race course and made a number of suggestions after the race was completed.

I noticed that many people where having a difficult time pulling in on their main sheet while rounding the leeward marks and placing themselves in the right position within their own boats. Last winter I wrote a short blurb on how I practice my boat handling, so if a couple of skippers would like to meet me at BYC some weekend, I would be willing to run a ninety minute practice at M mark.

You have all noticed Peter Haynes seminars schedule? From what I observed last Tuesday night most all of us should attend Haynes next seminar “Boat Handling and Sail Trim” on June 21.  I have attended these seminars in the past and can attest that this is time well spent.

I will be coaching next Tuesday and will be following the same format. The best way for you to take advantage of this coaching, other than sailing Tuesday nights, is to attend the after race festivities at BCYC. Buy me a drink, and we can review what we learned on the water that night. This is also the perfect time to review the racing rules.

The after racing activities was fun this week with quotes from John Whitney: “ That’s what those little white marks where for.” Michael Volk” “ Thanks for helping me out Len, is there a time when we practice together?” Jesse Rivera: “ I got the boat Tuesday nights and will be here all summer long. I want to learn more!”

We need volunteers! I would like to make this program work throughout the summer and not give up all my racing time. Is anyone interested in joining me next week and then taking it upon yourself the following week? Call me if you can help!

sea ya

Len Bose

To all Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Members:

Monday Night Racing starts this week.  @ American Legion

Website

Harbor 20’s don’t miss the first day of the Sundowner Series – we will be celebrating with World famous (well Shana’s world) home made salsa, bean dip and fresh chips at ALYC directly following the races…..

Hello Sailors!

I can’t believe it either but Twilights are starting in 3 weeks (on Wednesday, May 14^th).

Notice of Race and Official Website.

Registration.

Please note we did add an entry fee of $5. You can pay by credit card, drop off cash sometime before the first race, or if you are a BYC member you can put it on your member charge.

Can’t wait to see you all soon!

Becky Lenhart

Sailing Director

Good news from Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club!

Taco Tuesdays start soon…on May 13…and will run thru August 26.

As we did in 2013, practice starts for Harbor 20’s are scheduled for 5:30 PM and all racing is scheduled to begin at 6 PM.

The post-race party (food, drink, prizes) will be as fun as ever.

AND…we will award a Perpetual Trophy (with suitable take-home) for the best PHRF boat overall and the best Harbor 20 boat overall.

CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS

Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Members,

Note that the Opening Day Regatta at NHYC on April 26 is open to all H20 boats.

It will be a fun and competitive event and you are encouraged to enter!

Emile Pilafidis

Fleet 1 Captain

ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY

The regatta is open to all H20 and L12 boats. Five boats will be required to entitle a class to its own start.

Skippers must be members in good standing with their respective yacht clubs to sail in this event.

Eligible boats may enter online by completing the entry form at www.nhyc.org

There is no entry fee for this regatta.