The culmination of the High Point Series is coming up soon, with the Fall Schock Regatta, the Championship Tune-up and the Championship Regatta, followed by the beginning of the 2011-2012 racing season. Join us for this seminar, new for 2011, and get a better understanding about what is happening on the race course!

Click here for a course description   

Click here to register

For questions please contact Peter Haynes (H 949-631-8757, C 949-466-3971, peter.haynes@3ds.com).

And what a Summer Party Fiesta it was!  Lido Isle Yacht Club cleared its docks to welcome 31 Harbor 20 sailboats and about 117 Harbor 20 enthusiasts on a spectacular Sunday afternoon.  We had 12 boats that were new to our events and perhaps even racing for the first time.  So, after some basic rules and racing clinic time with Class President Peter Haynes, these new C Fleet skippers and guests had two races on the water.

 

Meanwhile the nine As and ten Bs raced up and down the bay.  It was a beautiful sight to see all 31 Harbor 20s tied neatly at the docks thanks to LIYC Rear Commodore Carter Ford aka “Dock Master of the Day!”

The after party found all of us at tables on the grass munching on Ensenada-style tacos topped off with frozen Margaritas while being serenading by Mariachis! Food and drink were the brainchild of our sensational Mindy Froehlich.  LIYC social maven Kathleen Sangster once again guided us to a beautiful setting of tables on the grass. Among the volunteers who carried the tables and chairs out and in were Andy Binkerd, Bob Yates, Roger Lockhart, Donna Martell and her son Chris, Judy Weightman, Konstantine of the Urals and other generous strong hands.  The Race Committee was chaired by Nik Froehlich and supported by Greg Hawkins, Andy Binkman & Warren Duncan.  Photographers included Bob Yates, Donna Griggs and Roger Lockhart.  Led by Fleet I Captian John Whitney, trophies were awarded to the following winners:

A Fleet Trophies:

1^st Bill Menninger & Crew;  2^nd Carl Pomeroy & Crew;  3^rd Tom Corkett & Crew

B Fleet Trophies (as Awarded):

1^st. Andy & Lori Everson & Crew; 2^nd Win & Carlita Fuller & Crew; 3^rd George & Phyllis Drayton & Crew

B Fleet Trophies (Corrected):

1^st. Geoff Boyce & Cathie Murphy & Crew; 2^nd Andy & Lori Everson & Crew; 3^rd Win & Carlita Fuller & Crew

C Fleet Trophies:

1^st Marvin & Kim Magee & Crew; 2^nd Bill Macnamera & Dan O’Sullivan & Crew; 3^rd Kimberly & Mary Whitney & Crew

Staff Commodore Phil Ramser gave us a brief history of our wonderful class of boats.

We especially want to welcome the C Fleet Skippers who joined us: Gary Barmore, Marilyn Flint, Roger Grable, Donald Hecht, Steve Horton, Mark Hurwitz, Chris Jester, Marvin Magee, Nina Manning, John Marshall, Burr McKeehan, and Katie Sar.

And for all the new skippers we also want to thank the Mentors which included Andy Binkerd,  Argyle Campbell, Guy Doran, Helen Duncan, Peter Haynes, Ed Kimball, Rolly Pulaski, Phil Ramser, Steve Schock, and Alexander Vucelic.

More pictures available on Picasa Web Album Provided by Bob Yates.

More Pictures available Donna Grigg’s online album.

 

Tomorrow is the Harbor 20 Summer Party – Online Registration has been extended to 4pm PT today. If you plan on attending and haven’t signed up yet, you can do so here until 4pm today.

Due to overwhelming participation, dock space at LIYC will be limited, so we request that only “C” Fleet Registrants bring their Harbor 20’s to the LIYC docks at 1pm for the pre-race clinic.

First warning for all races is at 1400.

Fleet 1 Members are encouraged to return their Harbor 20’s to their slips before coming back to the Awards and Party beginning at 1600 at LIYC – due to space limitations on the dock.

Download the LIYC Course Chart here. We’ll be using these courses for the races tomorrow.

You’ve seen them out there, all those Harbor 20’s racing about Newport Harbor. Have you ever contemplated competing in your Harbor 20, but just don’t know how to get started? Jumping in to the existing B-Fleet can be intimidating because the fleet is pretty big. So, this year at our Summer Party there will be a great opportunity to get started. We will be offering an introductory clinic and a C-Fleet start in addition to the A and B Fleets. If you are totally new to racing, rusty after years of having not competed, struggling in the B-Fleet, or confused as to the rules, I would like invite you to join us on the docks at 1:00, when I will provide an overview of the basics of starting, sailing the course, rounding the marks, and the fundamental rules.  The starting line is close to the docks, so at 2:00 we will watch the A and B Fleet starts before heading out for a C-Fleet start, avoiding the congestion and learning from the actions of the other fleets. This will be very informal and low key, so come on! Come give it a try. Imagine yourself enjoying your Harbor 20 like these Harbor 20 sailors!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ok3H79i_688

Come and join us. Click here to register. You’ll be glad you did!

If you have questions or comments, please feel free to contact me.

Peter Haynes

peter.haynes@3ds.com, 949-631-8757 Office, 949-466-3971 Cell

Join the owners of Harbor 20′s throughout Newport Harbor for a day of sailing, racing, social, food and drink on Sunday, August 21st.

If your new to racing Harbor 20′s, there will be a dock-side clinic from 1pm to 2pm taught by Peter Haynes that will get you the basics of the exciting sport of racing Harbor 20′s.

At 2pm, we’ll have several races for all levels of racers:

A (experienced),

B (novice to intermediate) and

C (beginner and first time).

Races will be right off the Lido Isle Yacht Club docks. After the racing, park the Harbor 20 at the dock and enjoy Mexican food, beer, wine, Margaritas and music from 4pm to 7pm.

Per person fee is $15. The fee includes the clinic, racing, dinner and drinks.

Sign Up Online By Clicking Here

 

Under perfect conditions the Santa Barbara Harbor 20 fleet enjoyed 12 to 15 knots of wind with flat seas in a very exciting 5-race regatta.

Sharon Green of Ultimate Sailing fame was on hand to snap some of the best pictures I’ve seen of the Harbor 20 Fleet.  Click here to view the album.

The race committee ran 4 windward –leeward races with one race that had a reaching leg.   The 11-boat fleet was very tightly matched.  Ken Kieding aboard “Holly Harbor”, Scott Deardorff on “Fling”, and Al Salzer aboard Fleur de Lis finished one, two three respectively.

Awards where given out and the fleet enjoyed a great potluck on the sand next to the club.

Nearly perfect conditions greeted the Harbor 20’s for their second ocean race regatta: Calm seas, good wind, sunny and warm. South Shore Yacht Club provided race committee and a custom Windward/Leeward course after the yachts of the Crew of Two and Double Dash races left the starting line.

Seven Harbor 20s raced four races each at about 25 minutes long. Tom & Jane Schock dominated the first position with three 1st and a 2nd place finish giving them the overall 1st place with 5 points.

The 2nd, 3rd and 4th positions were hotly contested, separated only by a few points:

2nd Place: Karl & Cole Pomeroy (2nd, 4th, 4th, 3rd)

3rd Place: John Whitney & Phil Ramser (4th, 5th, 2nd, 4th)

4th Place: Nik Froehlich & Greg Hawkins (5th, 3rd, 6th, 2nd)

5th Place: Rolly Pulaski & Anne (3rd, 6th, 3rd, 5th)

6th Place: Matt Campbell & Crew

7th Place: Barbara Jones & Crew

Thank you to Rod & Nancy Swift for providing photos.

 

Based on the success of the first Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Ocean Race (read about it here), another Ocean race has been scheduled for the Harbor 20s Fleet 1.

The Harbor 20 races will be held along with the Crew of Two and Double Dash races on Saturday, July 23rd. The Harbor 20’s will have their own start at 1300 hours. There are 2-4 short windward / leeward races scheduled and awards at 1800 at the SSYC clubhouse along with the Double Dash awards.

A & B’s will be combined into one class for this regatta. Between 2-4 races are planned.

The cost is $20 (does not include the tee-shirt advertised in the online registration).

Register online today.

Ocean racing in a Harbor 20 requires extra precautions and experience, especially if winds are strong or if there are large swells. The race will be cancelled if conditions warrant. Beginners are advised to have experienced crew if they plan on participating. Only Harbor 20s with positive floatation are recommended. A “assist boat” will be on the course following the fleet at all times to offer assistance. It is recommended all participants bring a portable VHF radio for communications with the RC and Assist Boat.

Notice of Race

Online Registration

The Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club, OA of the Taco Tuesdays, has amended the Sailing Instructions.  The amended instructions can be downloaded here, or by going to the BCYC Taco Tuesdays website.

Section 1.4 was changed to prohibit PHRF boats from sailing in the moorings. The rule only applies to PHRF and not to the Harbor 20s.

Thanks to John Whitney for spearheading this effort, and to the BCYC Race Committee for accommodating the Harbor 20 Fleet 1.

By Paul Briant, South Coast Yachts

This was our 6th Beercans race in the South Coast Yacht’s Harbor 20 and our first victory. We have been slowly learning how to make the boat fast, being a new skipper and also learning the start sequences, some tactics and the vagaries of the wind and current in San Diego bay. Our series record now stands at 4-5-2-2-1. I had some experienced crew in races 5 and 6 which really helped to keep the boat going while I steered.

In the Fifth Race,  I had the honor of having Tom Schock as crew and that experience is what helped set us up for the win on Wednesday. Tom taught me all the finer points of how to keep the boat moving in the light air, drive through the chop and roll the boat thru a tack and maintain her speed. We led the fleet until the final leg but got trapped in a hole and ended up in a closely fought Second, our best finish to date.

In the Sixth Race, we almost cancelled for lack of crew, but Barrett Canfield, the Manager of South Coast Yachts and his business partner Rick Day decided at the last minute to join me. Rick is a great tactician and having the two crew trimming and calling tactics allowed me to concentrate on steering the boat and keeping her fast.

We got an OK start and were three boat lengths behind our main competition going into the windward mark. Fortunately, they got into a tactical dual with a bigger boat and opened the door for us to steer a rhumb-line coarse for the leeward mark. The wind was getting lighter and lighter which favored us.

Our secret weapon, the jib boom, pulled us efficiently wing-on wing  down-wind faster than the competition and we rounded the leeward mark two boat-lengths ahead. Rick had a knack for putting us in clean air and finding the breeze and we picked up both sailing up the middle of the course. Barrett did a masterful job of getting maximum drive out of the mainsail and changing gears for every puff and lull. We climbed away from the competition and finished about 10 boat lengths ahead of them. A great feeling as they were very experienced sailors in a fast boat who have handily won every other race this year and last.

The conclusions that I have come to after racing this boat in the series so far are basically the same for any boat in a race. The big difference is that you can get-away with being a little sloppy in a bigger boat as they are more tolerant of it , but in the Harbor 20, if your sails aren’t trimmed  for the wind angle or condition, or one is sloppy on the helm, the boat slows down.

The Harbor 20 has to be sailed to her optimum all the way round the course to beat a bigger boat but to do so is most rewarding and really teaches you to be a better sailor. Having a good crew who can look for clear lanes and wind and let you concentrate on keeping the tell-tales flying is also invaluable. Barrett and Rick’s crewing was the difference in the race as well as the flow of rum beverages that kept appearing.

Winning the race was extremely fun, but the friendship, and camaraderie as we ghosted this lovely little  boat back up the marina fairway on a beautiful spring evening, long past our slip because we were having so much fun. This was the memory that will stay with me.

Link to results