Eggomoggin Reach regatta

[Hwyl]

Did anyone go, it was horrible weather here yesterday. Not sure about Brooklin. http://www.erregatta.com/

[rbgarr]

I was wondering the same thing. Mostly calm to three knots of easterly wind reported on Deer Isle yesterday: http://tinyurl.com/5nqs8x

Heavy weather hitting now:http://tinyurl.com/5evbfe

[Willin']

We just got back. Decided to cut the rest of the cruise short because we'd had enough fog and rain in the last 2 weeks to last all year.

Thad (Sea Harmony) and Drift were the only 2 forumites there that we were aware of. Corrected results are still being compiled as there was a monstrous rush to the line in the final minutes.

The short story is...the start was delayed twice due to fog/ lack of wind. By the time the first start happened the breeze had piped up to 2 kts gusting to 4. We were in the first start but didn't 'Drift' (if ya get my meaning) across the line till after the gun for the second start.

Despite the fact that Rouge found some breeze and got out to Egg Rock in amazing time, the rest of the fleet lollygagged in the reach for several hours.

The committee wisely shortened the course 2 or 3 times, finally making the finish at Egg rock.

The fleet had largely drifted south past the rock on the strong ebbing tide ( one of the W boats grabbed a lobster pot for an anchor and advanced several places in doing so) when at last a steady 8-10 knot northerly breeze filled in. We were well positioned being at the north end of the fleet to slide in with a much better placing than we had earned but were bombarded by starboard tackers within a minute of the line and had to tack twice through the mob to finally get in somewhere in the second half of the fleet.

There was the usual collection of extremely beautiful boats ( the 3 Bar Harbor 30s were there) as well as a few um, unconventional ones (InBox... Bob Perry's container cruiser...which got third in her class, for one).

It was great seeing Thad, he and his crewman Steve Dwyer left behind us yesterday and were going straight home to Marblehead, so he should be chiming in soon.

Mark

[StevenBauer]

Thanks for the report, Mark. Looks like some fantastic boats were there. Bummer about so little wind. Two years in a row. At least you finished this year. When this crazy weather changes we'll get the boats together somewhere in the top of the Bay.

Steven

[Doug Wood]

<<Thad (Sea Harmony) and Drift were the only 2 forumites there that we were aware of.>>

I was in the area this past week shooting away and thought 'Sea Harmony' belonged to someone here. Now I know. Here's the image...

http://dswood.zenfolio.com/img/v1/p568009553-5.jpg

[StevenBauer]

Now that's a nice photo. Thanks :)

Steven

[Hwyl]

Results here http://www.erregatta.com/2008.html

[NHDORY]

I was up there as well but did not get any decent photos. I was too busy staring at all the great looking boats going by and it was pretty foggy. It would be great if someone would post their pictures and/or would post a link to their pictures stored someplace else. Thanks!

[Willin']

The fog did nothing to improve my execrable photography skills, but here are a couple.

That's Silver Heels in the middle of this raft up...

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l100/Hotrudderedbum/Drift/Cruisin08042.jpg

This is about 1/2 hour after my start, you can see how far we've gotten from the line...

http://i94.photobucket.com/albums/l100/Hotrudderedbum/Drift/Cruisin08046.jpg

A little while later we had a nice chat with Steve White and the crew of Vortex as they overtook us for about 15 minutes. Didn't even have to shout.


Steven, we're up for a git together any time. Just give me a few days off the boat this week to sleep in a real bed and we'll be right back in it!. Hopefully September weather will dry out some.

[Thad]

Nice to see that picture Doug, and Mark too, and nice to see Drift and crew. Great cruise for us, short as it was. Left Marblehead Wednesday morning motoring through still air then motorsailing in light air with everything up from well past Gloucester into the fog of Monhegan, past Matinicus into Isle au Haut Bay. Earlier I had emptied a jerry can into the tank and in Merchants Row off Stonington the engine seized up. Drifting slowly (ready to anchor) I replaced the fuel filters and we carried on almost to WoodenBoat before the engine quit again, so we came in slowly jib and mizzen to anchor where Doug's picture shows us Thursday afternoon, 33 hours out. Friday morning Rich Hilsinger gave us a ride to the Brooklin Boat Yard where we bought more filters. Walking back we met the daughter of a former neighbor who was looking for distraction and found it driving us around to get fuel and other supplies including a spell at her house drinking tea and picking blueberries -- very nice! Back at the boat with new filter in place we watched the boats come in out of the fog, filling the cove. We had quite a few gams with people interested in the Strange boat.

Saturday morning we went out after the first start was postponed all rigged up to race, lost at the start to unfortunate decisions, crowds of boats, little wind, and tide, finally crossing the start line before the last class, but the fog lifted nicely and the light breeze held for some nice sailing with the tide into the breeze back and forth across the reach with a great view of most of the boats far ahead. Out of the Reach drifting with more tide than wind more than three miles from the finish after 4:30 we pulled out and headed in minutes before the breeze picked up for the fleet trying to get to or around Egg Rock. Fun. Lots of talk around the dinner that followed.
Sunday morning boats were headed out in the fog and thunder threatened until the downpours came in waves around noon. When the air brightened we folded up the tent and made our offing, following our route in until outside Vinalhaven with no wind and a lumpy sea we turned aside and found a quiet anchorage inside of Sheep Island at Roberts Harbor. Off before dawn we motored to Tenants Harbor for fuel. Off again in sprinkles of rain black clouds brought more downpours of rain so I made dinner, cleaned out the salt water strainer (packed with rock weed and eelgrass) and replaced the impeller (overheating). Then motoring out to Monhegan the breeze came up dead on the nose. Motor sailing close as we could first West 50 degrees of the mark and then South only 20 degrees off the breeze slowly built as great structures of cloud built to the North and astern, multilayered with slanting rain to the sea, shutting off the Maine we were leaving behind. As forecast the North wind built and shifted East until we were sailing and surfing 6 and 7 knots jib, main and mizzen. 4 Tuesday morning I was tired and hauled her around in a lull to lower sail and raise the forestaysail so Steve could carry on comfortably, running 3 to 4 knots, so. Up at 6 I fired up the engine and made breakfast, we raised Cape Ann before noon and tied up in Marblehead just after 3:30 Tuesday. Too quick but a nice trip. Thanks to all. Slept 9 hours last night no trouble.

[Willin']

Nice batch of photos here...

http://www.erregatta.com/photos.html

[Thad]

Nice. No sign of SEA HARMONY, the only time we got near the committee boat was when they came through the reach after changing the finish to egg rock.

[rbgarr]

Thad-
Where's Roberts Harbor?
Also, was the first boat to finish Rogue... or Rouge? Rogue, the Herreshoff 29?

[Thad]

Rogue it was. Roberts Harbor is at the Eastern corner of Vinalhaven, East from Carvers Harbor almost into Isle au Haut Bay. We didn't go into the harbor as such, anchoring near to Sheep Island. Between the rocky bottom and it's kelp, the anchor and chain came up much cleaner than it was after the mud off WoodenBoat, good holding in both places.

[Hwyl]

Bump for 2009, it was a beautiful day here.

[StevenBauer]

If the weather in Brooklin was anything like it was in Portland yesterday it was the best conditions in a few years for the ERR. So who was there, how'd it go?


Steven

[Dan McCosh]

Results here http://www.erregatta.com/2008.html


Last year's?

[huisjen]

I had to spend the day in Ellsworth, but it was a very nice day around here.

Dan

[Hwyl]

Last year's?

I bumped a thread, conservation of pixcels

[rbgarr]

The Aage Nielsen-designed Snowstar sailed by Tom and John Kiley won overall honors. John said they carried a crew of ten (37' boat) and had most of them forward of the mast on the downwind legs. She sails best that way. They needed everyone on the windward rail heading upwind.

http://i31.tinypic.com/1zczaiv.jpg

They arrived at the Camden YC just as the Camden-Castine (and back) weekend's regatta finished. (That's a race for the much faster non-wooden boats, dontcha know. ;) :D )

And the weather was beautiful for it Saturday. Eighty plus boats in Eggemoggin Reach.

A video of the weekend's festivities from a while ago (maybe last year?): http://www.splashvision.com/Video/14988_Eggemoggin-Reach-Regatta-(Wooden-Boat-Regatta).html (http://www.splashvision.com/Video/14988_Eggemoggin-Reach-Regatta-%28Wooden-Boat-Regatta%29.html)

[Hwyl]

Thanks Dave

[rbgarr]

2009 results here: http://www.erregatta.com/index.html
http://i28.tinypic.com/algsxy.jpg

[frank pedersen]

It was really a spectacular race and WindSprite finished 2nd in Spirit of Tradition A Division. It was won by the new Landing School 30, which has all the characteristics of a true Sport Boat. She moved especially well in the early part of the race in light air, putting her in a good position when the fresh Southerly filled in. SOT Division B was won by Ginger, which showed her potential for the first time. We reached with the spinnaker up at 9 knots against a one knot foul tide, which was fun as we moved along with much bigger boats. Lena and Tendress did not enter and a Center Harbor 35 raced in Division B even though her rating indicated she should have been in A. There were no Center Harbor 31s in spite of their being a good SOT boat. That made the depth of competition in Division A on the thin side.

[Hwyl]

What was the feeling about the modified 110 sailed by my colleague Eli

[frank pedersen]

Good question, Gareth. I did not talk with other SOT - A skippers about "The Good Foot" (most conversation was about the L S 30), but we had a few thoughts among ourselves on WindSprite. My reaction is best described as "mixed." Without going into details, I propose we start a separate thread in the Designs/Plans section on what are or should be the essential criteria for the SOTA class or division. There was similar discussion last year, but it is worth opening again. If you can post a picture of The Good Foot, that would be a good backdrop and probably stimulate some input.

[rbgarr]

Is The Good Foot a standard length 110 at 24' or has it been lengthened to meet the 26' minimum for the regatta?

[frank pedersen]

Hi Dave,

It was lengthened to 26 feet, all in the aft area it appeared from a distance. There appeared to be no change in the sail plan. They did not use a trapeze, which would have added insult to injury.

Frank

[frank pedersen]

To add a little more information about The Good Foot, her rating was 22.3, which corresponded to a time allowance of 51:20. My understanding is that the LOA is in practice 25 ft. even though the web site says 26 ft. That allows a Winnanow (sp?) at 25.7 and WindSprite also at 25.7, but those limits were pushed even further this year as a Buzzards Bay 15 raced with her LOA at 24.8 and a rating of 19.9, time allowance of 58:29. But let us not get stuck on that issue as it it is not germane to TGF.

[rbgarr]

The 26 foot lower limit seems pretty flexible. The Bauers should enter next year.

[Willin']

Sounds like you had a wonderful race, Frank! I attribute the fine sailing conditions to my not being there with my crewman, Charlie, whom without fail has brought fog and still conditions every time we've sailed together.:D

Cheers!

[StevenBauer]

I'd go if they'd let the Ostkust in. She's 24'1" But I'd want to wait until we had new sails. :rolleyes:



Steven