catboats

[elf]

The Hog Island series is in full swing and Kathleen came to watch the other weekend.
http://landsedgephoto.com/Hog.Island.9.16.07/images/ELFMG_6576.jpg

More pix from the same event can be seen at
http://landsedgephoto.com/Hog.Island.9.16.07/

[P.L.Lenihan]

Great pictures,beautiful weather,bright colours,lovely boats....can life get any better? Thanks for sharing!!

Peter

[Ian McColgin]

Finastkind.

[elf]

Geeee... nice photos, looks like a grand time for everyone there...
One question... How close are they to each others?
Looks like a school of fish with them crowded together:D...

27 boats at the start. The line was, hmm, shall we say, a little short! They're right on top of each other on that start. I think that's something the race committee likes to do to make it a bit more of a challenge. He often gets comments from the mob before the start, sometimes vigorous ones from his big brother.

I'll put up another gallery later today with pix of the big brother. This is sort of a family affair largely populated by 3 or 4 families at this point. We're into the 3rd generation on the boats but they're the little tiny children.

This is the builder with his daughter crewing:

http://landsedgephoto.com/Hog.Island.9.16.07/images/ELFMG_6674.jpg

[rbgarr]

Rant warning-

Why RC members think it's a 'challenge' to set a short line is a measure of their stupidity, laziness and arrogance, in my opinion.

It is difficult enough to time or position yourself for a good start even with a line that's long enough. Not providing enough room for all is simply discouraging to the least able or experienced skippers and those are exactly the ones most in need of encouragement. The idea that people learn best from being 'squeezed out' is bad theory and in my opinion anti-competitive in practice.

The better skippers don't object to a long line (most prefer it since it presents the opportunity to try port tack fleet crossings which open up numerous strategic possibilities) and they will most likely soon be ahead of the less able ones, so where's the issue?

A starting line length 'rule of thumb' we aim for is 1 1/2 times the cumulative length of all boats in the fleet in moderate weather and even longer in stiffer breezes. The line should favor the starboard tack very slightly yet be square if there's an oscillation to the wind that coincides with the actual starting gun. That's a challenging starting line, and if everyone can get a spot on the line, hit it at top speed and pointing well, you've got a real race up the first weather leg rather than a parade.

RC members should serve the racers in this respect by setting better lines, rather than limit outcomes, opportunities to improve and fun for all.

Rant over-

[elf]

I think in this situation sometimes it's a matter of their near sightedness! Other times it's a matter of wind and tide.

If the line were any longer the RC boat would be in the rocks and the people would go aground at the pin end. If the line were further into the mooring field, well, then it would be in the mooring field.

[Figment]

Perhaps we should take this outside of Elf's delightful catboat thread, but I disagree. I like a nice short line, I think the lazy RCs are the ones who set superlong starboard-favored lines.

I like it when the line is port-favored by about five degrees. Just enough to get a few people thinking about it, and spread the fleet down the line instead of the usual pile-up at the starboard end.

Where is it written that everyone should get a front-row start? I wouldn't say that people learn best by being squeezed-out, but they do LEARN. In practice, I've observed that the less skilled or experienced skippers tend to hang back into the second row anyway (even with a super-long line), so why not shorten the line a bit to tighten up that front row?

I think a short line presents opportunities, rather than limiting them. I think there are more gains to be made, and more fun to be had, when boats come together rather than when they all separate around the course. Otherwise, why have a fleet-start at all? Why not have boats start individually on 30-second intervals? No conflict on the line, everyone has clear air...

[Ian McColgin]

Every now and then there's a picture perfect start. The Wianno Sr fleet is (in)famous for fiercely competative starts, much to the irritation of RC's that usually start other fleets. I recall a Edgartown Race Week start where after four (4!!) general recalls as so many were over early at the RC end of the line, including some boisterous bumping of the RC boat, the RC simpy went home. Didn't matter how long the line was, Wiannos believe it's not a start if no splinters fly.

But to the picture perfect start: One start during the fleet's 70th jubalee shows at least thirty bows in perfect echelon right on the line. Magnificant.

In that start, the second tier boats had bad air for hours!