Shennecossett YC - Pine Island Race
Crew: Kevin, Megan, Seth & RW
Posted Course: Vixen (start) to Rapid Rock, C’R’ to Vixen, two laps Distance: 10.5 nm
Start: 1210 hours
Winds: SW at 12 ½, (9-17) kts
Current: flood 1257 Ram Island
With a jaundiced view of the wind forecast*, we enlisted Kevin as a fourth crewmember and in retrospect, I am glad of that decision, as the wind was significantly stronger all day than forecast. There was a small turnout again this year for the Pine Island Race, seven Ensigns, five Class 1 spinnaker boats, only three in Class 2 and no Non-spinnakers. The Race Committee aboard Sanibel (a brand new J-109) with PRO Gerry Keeler did an outstanding job in administering a well run race. With a half-dozen course choices, number six, two laps to Rapid Rock as the windward mark was posted.
Shennecossett Yacht Club ? Pine Island Race Sunday, June 26, 2005 Start Vixen Ledge, W/L Vixen to Dumping Ground & Return Dumping ground 3.1nm to the SW at 225 degrees Current: ebb 1458 North Hill; Wind SW 10 kts at the start Crew: Brian, Seth, George & RW There was a good turn out of Ensigns (10) & Non-spinnaker boats (8) for the first Fishers Island Sound weekend race of the season. The showing for the two PHRF spinnaker classes was disappointing with only three each. Many blamed it on Block Island Race Week wrapping up only a couple days previous.
June 27, 2004 Sunday, George, Bob, Seth and I sailed Shennecossett?s Pine Island Regatta, and for once the winds were as forecast. The day had dawned clear & bright which held through the morning as we motored towards Vixen with a 12 knot westerly our bow in the last hours of the ebb.
With winds well into the mid-teens near start time, we put in a reef and prepared for a brisk afternoon. The committee posted a windward-leeward course from Vixen 2.8 miles to southwest beyond the entrance of the Thames to Rapid Rock at 258 degrees for two laps and a total of 11.2 nm.
Date: 06/29/2003 Log Entry: Race
Distance: 8.0 Weather: Clear skies, Wind: SW 8-10 Current: ebb 1130 @ RI
Course: V-N-V-N-V, port roundings Crew: Bob- foredeck, Kim -mid, Seth -aft, RW -helm
Shennecossett Yacht Club - Pine Island RaceÂ
Sunday, Start: 1315 hours.
Â
Sunday was our first weekend race of the season. This year we have decided to race spinnaker, which will be a much more competitive class (less chance of placing in the money) but will give us a greater understanding of the spinnaker. The course was two laps from Vixen to North Hill and back, 8 nm total. After an hour's delay, we had a nice 8 kt breeze out of the south (starboard favored) for our Class 3 start at 1315. Seth started us off nicely down the line in clear air, tacking to port at the first opportunity, for more air and favorable current lift. Out in the channel we set up a long hitch on starboard with the current. Three more pairs of tacks got us around North Hill for a smooth jibe set and a broadreach for Vixen. It was all boatspeed- Bob on the sheet, Seth on the pole and Kim managing the balance. Neither downwind leg offered any tactical opportunities.  Other than the roundings, no jibes were required.
Â
With Bob on the foredeck, & Kim & Seth stuffing, we rounded Vixen with a leeward douse behind the genoa (prep for another jibe set). A quick clean up and we were off on another beat to North Hill. Finding the wind clocked a few degrees, we tacked to starboard shortly after the rounding, missing out on the current benefit farther out. Another good jibe set following North Hill got us on the last downwind leg an near replay of the first. Following the finish, Kim took us back to Noank beam reaching in over five knots.
Â
I don't have the numbers, but we corrected over the scratch boat, Pursuit by one second for fourth place. Thanks, to Bob, Kim and Seth for a great day on the water.Â
Â
Congratulations to George & Joannie Carlson (Winds Free) for a third place in non-spinnaker with their new boat, a Pearson 30. The three of us had just brought it down from Marion, MA on Friday.
Â
1-Salud                     Pearson 30      Sarges     174
2-Checkered Demon Holland Custom O'Connell 161
3-Legacy III               C&C 34            Read        147
4-SeTherin               Catalina 22       Magner    273
5-Pursuit                   S2 9.1             Marron     135
6-Aquillo                   J-28                 Noack      167Date: 09/21/2002
Course: V-N-VN-V Distance: 14.0
Current: ebb 1130 Ram
Weather: SW 5-10, peak 12
Crew: Dave Johndrow, Jeff & RW
Shennecossett Yacht Club's Vixen Ledge Race
Saturday, Jeff, Dave and I did our last race of the season, the SYC Vixen Ledge Race.
The course was a beat three miles southwest to the old New London Dumping Ground, a beam reach two miles east to Silver Eel Râ€2†off the west shore of Fishers Island, then back north to Vixen three miles with a six mile roundtrip to the Dumping Ground and back to Vixen for the finish; a total of 14 nm.Â
Â
Our class with ten boats was the first to start. In six to seven knots of breeze, we favored the committee boat for clear air and tacked to port (the favored tack) shortly thereafter. Playing the shifts in an eight to ten knot breeze and compensating for current we laid the mark in seven tacks. With Irish Lady ahead, we bore off around the mark in the middle of the pack, and Jeff sheeted the genoa to the outboard track. With the ebb now in effect, we sailed low as possible on a starboard beam reach and remarkably gained a bit on those ahead.
Â
Rounding Silver Eel, Jeff quickly poled out the genoa to port as Dave pulling the strings, for a broad reach back to Vixen in 5 to 7 knots of wind. Catching up to Irish Lady, I got a little greedy and continued left experimenting with the polars. By the time we jibed back to starboard, Irish Lady had pulled well ahead. With NoNob ahead and Tumult on our tail and the current setting us to the right, we jibed back onto port, followed by a short beam reach prior to hardening up around Vixen for a long hitch on port.
Â
After over thirty minutes in 6 to 8 knot winds, I began to get a little nervous thinking there may be a bit more wind on the left, so flopped over onto starboard for a short while (ten minutes). Back on port we found no noticeable increase in wind, but I believe the ebb had a more southerly set to it giving us a better lift to the mark, where it had been more on our nose on the previous starboard hitch.
Â
Tacking for the layline on Tumult’s weather hip, both of us were soon set below the mark. First allowing Tumult to cross us, we threw in a short hitch, tacked and rounded ahead. Dave trimmed in the genoa as Jeff set the pole to port, in an effort for the left side of the course. Shortly, we found ourselves converging with Tumult (on starboard) forcing a jibe for us. With the wind now freshening to ten and twelve knots, we let Tumult cross, and worked up current to their port hip. With two more jibes, we stayed alongside Tumult to Vixen for a photo finish, one second apart. I believe they crossed ahead. The finish time was approximately 1550, a four hours forty minute elapsed time. Thanks to Jeff and Dave for an enjoyable afternoon.
Â
The results have not been mailed out yet, though we finished mid-pack boat for boat and corrected to first place. SeTherin finished in the money in all of the 2002 weekend races.