2017 PCCs

[Jay Harland]

Here is an update on PCCs:

Dates ore official and will be July 28th through the 30th.  The club is finalizing the registration form and notice of race now and it should be posted in the next few weeks.  I will post the link here when it is up.  Conditions at the lake are described here:

http://www.rogueyachtclub.org/index.php?page=race-conditions

We will have racing Friday evening, Saturday afternoon and early Sunday afternoon.  Camping, Cabin rental or RV sites will be available on a first registered first served basis.  There are 12 rustic cabins available and 7 RV sites with water and power, so if those are your preferred lodging options I suggest registering as early as possible when the forms are up.  There is essentially unlimited tent camping.
 
This is probably your best option for close by more "upscale" accommodations:
http://hyattlake.com/default.asp?pg=rentals

If you are travelling with friends/family who do not want to be in the boonies, Ashland is your best option.  Ashland is 40 min from the resort.  For anyone who wants to stay in Ashland, let me know if you want to VRBO it.  Jesse Repp (my trimmer) has a cottage for rent in Ashland that might work.

Total plan is for 8 races.  We are trying to maximize the racing/work-days-off ratio with this schedule.  Travel planning from various home bases would look like this:

Sandpoint - leave midafternoon Thursday and drive to Bend.  Stay in Bend Thursday night and leave about 7:30 am- arrive at the lake at 10:30am.  Drive back and get back late Sunday night or drive partway (say tri-cities) and get back early Monday afternoon.

Salt Lake City -  leave around noon on Thursday.  Stay in Lakeview Thursday night and leave about 7:30 am- arrive at the lake at 10:30am.  Drive back and get back late Sunday night or drive partway (say Winnemucca) and get back early Monday afternoon.

Reno or San Francisco- Leave after work on Thursday stay in Weed or Mt Shasta Thursday night and leave about 8:00 am - arrive at the lake about 9:30 am.  Drive back Sunday night no problem.

Monterey CA or Fresno CA- Leave mid-afternoon on Thursday stay in Weed or Mt Shasta Thursday night and leave about 8:00 am - arrive at the lake about 9:30 am.  Drive back Sunday night but get back late or stop somewhere along the way.

Obviously there is great flexibility for anyone who wants to extend their stay or have a more leisurely approach to the weekend but I just like a schedule that permits maximum racing time per day off work for everyone that has those issues.  Crater Lake Rim is 1.5 hours from Howard Prairie and is awesome sight if you have never experienced it.  There is some great fly-fishing around if that interests you- let me know.  For any friends/family who like country music, there is big country music festival that weekend in town (50 min from the lake).  Ashland has the Shakespeare festival that time of year.  Upper Klamath River is a gnarly class 4-5 whitewater trip (guided trips available).  Also, we have some great wineries in our area if that is an interest.  Our firm does a lot of work with the wine industry so if there is interest from several boats who are coming early or staying late and want to do a wine event like Thursday night or Sunday night, let me know and I can arrange something cool.

Schedule and forms should be up in the next few weeks.  Looking forward to everyone coming to sail with us.

Jay Harland

U20 #73

[Travis Gregory]

Hi Jay, looks great. Looking forward to the regatta!

Have you guys ever stayed in the cabins or the hyatt lake cabins?   Looks like the best option is to camp?

[Jay Harland]

I have been in the rustic cabins at Apserkaha but not stayed in them.  They are a definite upgrade from camping and if you bring an additional camping pad to put on the supplied bunk padding I think they would be the best option.  My family has stayed at the Camper's Cove Cabins and they are really nice.  It just depends - $60 for a rustic cabin vs. $330 for the Camper's Cove cabin.

My team tends to like to keep it cheap (unless the wives come - then it gets expensive) and we would opt for one of the rustic boy scout cabins.

Jay

[Jay Harland]

West Coast U20s,

PCCs Event Site is up and going and Registration is Open!

http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/14091#_home

The best lodging options will be available for the first boats to register!

If you are planning on staying in one of the rustic boy scout cabins for you and your crew then you will need to reserve 6 nights ($10 per person per night - $60 total).

I am available via email to answer questions as they come up.

Jay Harland
Madison #73

[Jay Harland]

Sorry.  Short false alarm.  They had to halt the registration briefly to tweak something.

Registration is now open.

IF you are intending to race it would be good to register sooner rather than later.  Lodging cannot be secured until you pay but even if you do not want to check out it would be useful to register that way everyone knows who is planning to race.

Jay

[Jay Harland]

The Perpetual Trophy is here.  You need to be here to get it.  The lake is full and winds have been great.  Yesterday was 85 degrees, sunny and 10kts of breeze.  Early discount is up next Saturday!

Jay

[Jay Harland]

The 2017 U20 Pacific Coast Championships were hosted by Rogue Yacht Club at Howard Prairie Lake in Southern Oregon.  The fleet was small but feisty with very competitive racing – four different boats won at least one race.  Rogue had a tow vehicle issue and missed the racing on Friday evening followed by a jib failure on Uhoo after the first race on Saturday.   
 
Conditions Friday evening were a steady 12-14kts with higher gusts which resulted in a lot of gear shifts between soaking and planing.  Madison rounded the top mark in first place on Race #1 with UDecide in hot pursuit.  UDecide worked hard to get in position to make just the right pass at just the right time to get inside overlap at the bottom mark and maintain it to the finish.  Race #2 saw Toon Town have an excellent start and get into a good groove.  Toon Town and UDecide went left on the downwind and Madison went right.  The left got the better off it and the two lead boats opened up a big lead at the bottom mark.  Madison recovered on the long beat back to weather and rounded right behind UDecide at the top mark.   As Madison and UDecide messed with each other Toon Town was able to get in a groove and extend.  UDecide managed to fend off several close attacks from Madison and get the 2nd by a half boat length or so.

Racing was followed by a fun social hour back at camp on Friday night with beer from Caldera and hor d'oeuvres from Harry and David.

Racing Saturday morning began with all five boats on the line and winds in the 8-12 kt range all day.  Madison was a little out of tune on Race #1 and did not have her best speed.  Toon Town had a great start and was pretty much in control the whole way.  This race had the fewest lead changes but the fleet was also the most tightly packed.  Uhoo had found their pace and all five boats finished in tight succession.  Races 4 and 5 saw numerous lead changes and fleet reshuffling as the shifts and the puffs moved boats around on the course.  Madison got the shift that matters – the last one- and won Race #4.  At the final mark rounding on Race #5, Rogue and Madison had a little disagreement on an “overlap at the zone call” which caused these two boats to get tied up a bit.  This allowed UDecide a few boat lengths of breathing room to close out Race #5.

The final race on Saturday was a tight battle between UDecide and Madison all the way around the course.  On the final downwind leg, UDecide managed to work left and get the inside lane at the bottom mark.  Both boats had good drops.  UDecide heated up to protect her lane and Madison footed off to get separation and clear her air.  This position ensued through the next two tacks to the starboard layline.  UDecide overstood slightly to defend the finish line.  Madison was slightly ahead at this point but below UDecide and had to wait for their tack and overstand a little more.  The drag race was on.  Madison had good speed and was pulling ahead slightly.  UDecide then got a little lift and closed height and distance.  Then a westerly shift came on and UDecide was now mid-finish line and Madison was on the pin layline.  Both boats shot the line…

Saturday night was a spaghetti dinner back at camp.  It was good food, great fun, beer from Caldera and fleet bartending by Denise.  The Aussie provided half the entertainment which is his job at such things; his story telling is at least as good as his spinnaker trimming.  Then the results came in on Race #6.  Race committee awarded it to UDecide on the posted results.  The problem is that in this day and age there is video evidence.  The finish video provided the second half of the entertainment Saturday night.  After numerous debates, stop frame video and looking much deeper into the rulebook on exactly where the finish line is than anyone ever thought was necessary, the consensus was a dead heat.  The race was re-scored and the points were split.  This left a tiny window open for Madison but in need of help from Rogue or Toon Town.

Sunday racing saw 5-7kts of consistent breeze.  The first race Sunday morning was not to be for Madison.  Two thirds of the way up the first beat, the other three boats were on the left and a westerly shift came in (so much for local knowledge).  They were all lifted and Madison was DOA.  UDecide stayed between Madison and the finish line to close out the championship.  Phil, Denise, Torston and Julian sailed well all weekend.  They also performed a load test on their port spreader that is now deflected at about 13 degrees.  While it did not look pretty, it did not hurt them in the end.  Madison was fast on the final race to lock up second and Michael Eisenburg finished third.  Below are the results:   

http://www.rogueyachtclub.org/uploads/Racing%20Results/2017/2017%20U20%20PCC%20-%20RYC%20Regatta%20Final%20Results.pdf

Hopefully, if the class allows RYC host again, a few more boats can make their calendars work.  We had great sailing and a great time!  Thanks to all those who made the trek!

Jay Harland
Madison #73