Oman - 2013 Laser World's Venue

Laser Regattas:

Mussanah Race Week
March 10-16, 2013

Free entry, charter, coaching (Paul Goodison & Andy Maloney)

Standard Men's Worlds
November 14-23, 2013

Masters Worlds
Nov. 28 - Dec. 7, 2013

Radial Worlds
Dec. 27 - Jan 3, 2014

by Evelyn Robinson

Culture, Nature and Outdoor Activities Combine During a Visit to Oman

Competing in Mussanah Race Week or in the Laser World Championships also held there later in the year, is an exciting opportunity in itself. However, the chance to travel to Oman and explore this country steeped in history and its rich culture, along with its natural wonders, is an added bonus. If you are unfamiliar with Oman and what it has to offer its visitors, here we provide an overview of what you can look forward to during your visit, along with some practical information.

Climate

Rainfall is very low year round. Temperatures vary, but in March and November they can reach as high as 30°C. January is the coldest month, though temperatures never tend to fall below 17°C and typically are around the mid-twenties.

Culture

Oman has a long history, with evidence that it was first settled 10,000 years ago. Its location – surrounded by the Arabian Sea, Arabian Gulf and Sea of Oman – has influenced its culture, as this has facilitated travel both to other lands and has allowed others to settle here. Arabic is the main language, but English is widely spoken, making it easier for visitors during their stay. Oman is a Muslim country, but the people are very tolerant of other religions and cultures. It is one of the more liberal Middle Eastern countries, but it is still advisable to be conservative in the way that you dress and it is best practice for women to wear clothing that covers their arms and legs; though you can usually be more relaxed in hotels, bars and restaurants. However, swimwear is acceptable in pools and at beaches. Traditional food consists of lightly spiced chicken, mutton or fish with rice and vegetables, but due to Oman’s cosmopolitan nature International cuisine is widely available. It is illegal to drink alcohol in public places, though this can be easily purchased from licensed bars.

Accommodation

Millennium Resort

The recommended 4 star Millennium Resort at Al-Mussanah, situated on the Gulf of Oman, offers modern and luxurious accommodation with views on all sides of the marina; some rooms additionally look out over the Hajar Mountains.  Here you are perfectly situated for the race week and you have access to their 54 berth private marina. The hotel also offers a swimming pool and is in the process of developing a gym, spa and tennis courts. Their private beach fringed by palms serves as the ideal spot for relaxation, but if you want to do more than take up position on one of their sun loungers, make use of the volleyball and soccer courts. Hotel rooms and self-catered apartments are available and if staying in the hotel all meals can be provided. Guests have a range of dining options. At Mydan an International buffet is available and Moroccan and Far Eastern cooking combine at Al Bahar; snacks and cocktails are on offer at The Deck, while coffee and cakes are served in the Naseen Lounge.

Getting around

The transfer time from Muscat International Airport to the Millennium resort is only 45 minutes and transport via coach or taxi can be arranged on booking. It’s possible to rent a car directly through the hotel, but you require an international driving license and an induction on local driving. While the road signs can sometimes be difficult to read, the added freedom that having a car allows certainly makes up for this inconvenience. There is currently no mainline railway in Oman and although plans are underway, it is not expected to open till 2017.It is popular for visitors to take taxis, but you need to be prepared to haggle to get a fair price; the hotel staff can advise you on what would be a reasonable fare to pay. If you would rather take public transport buses are available, but you can also join coach tours to popular attractions.

The area and its attractions

Old Muscat

Visitors are attracted to Oman by its combination of cultural sites and natural beauty; often the two are very closely linked. Al-Mussanah is situated around 75 miles from Oman’s capital, Muscat. The area of Old Muscat – around which the modern city has grown - is favored by visitors and its small size makes it amenable to explore on foot. With its white washed buildings, many of which date from the medieval period, it is surrounded by city walls built in the 16^th century and entry to the old city is via a magnificent gate. One of the most striking buildings is the Al Alam Palace with its blue, white and gold pillars, which is the residence of the sultan. Old Muscat also boasts two forts built on the hillsides, though these are not open to the public. Don’t miss a stroll around the picturesque harbor during your visit. The Muscat Gate House Museum, which tells the history of Oman and particularly focuses on Muscat and the royal family, offers an impressive vista of the city and harbor from its roof top. A visit to Old Muscat would not be complete without wandering around its market, where local traders display their crafts and textiles.

Nakhal Fort

Oman has many forts and castles, two of which are within easy reach of Al-Mussanah. Nakhal Fort – set amongst the Western Hajar Mountains at the foot of Mount Nakhal – is a 25 mile drive to the South East. Built in 1834 it is one of the most remarkable landmarks in the region with its imposing towers; its architecture is intriguing, as it is built around unusually shaped rocks, which form part of the structure itself. The building has been renovated and is now filled with crafts and antiques. The nearby Thuara hot spring has been popular with visitors for centuries, as its mineral content is considered to have health enhancing properties. Al Hazm Castle is also a must to visit. This 18^th century castle with its two towers is particularly impressive, as at their narrowest the walls are over 8 feet thick. Visitors can see its courtyard and living quarters, as well as its two escape tunnels, one of which is 19 miles long and leads to the Ar Rustaq Fort.

Oman is blessed with almost 2000 miles of coastline, which draws sailors and divers from all over the world, not to mention those seeking its pristine sandy beaches. Al-Sawadi beach, 19 miles away from Al-Mussanah, is considered to be one of Oman’s most beautiful beaches. It also features numerous rock islands in close proximity to the shore, which are home to a wealth of birdlife. The beach is as popular with those wishing to soak up the sun, as divers keen to explore the nearby reefs and those who wish to try their hand at kitesurfing. Additionally, boat trips to observe whales, dolphins and turtles can be booked. It is also possible to take one of the mini cruises to the Daymaniyat Islands situated just 10 miles off the coastline. These nine islands with their white sand beaches are an important nature reserve and classed as one of the best places to dive and snorkel off Oman thanks to their crystal clear waters and the array of sea life that they support. Just off shore you can explore the coral reefs, which are awash with colorful fish and clown fish, barracuda and turtles are also commonly seen.

Hiking in the Hajar Mountains offers visitors breathtaking views and while you can undertake this yourself, it is advisable to hire a guide. One of the most rewarding treks is up Jabal Shams - translated as Sun Mountain – which at its summit reaches almost 10,000 ft and is the highest point on the Arabian Peninsula. The An Nakhr Balcony is a deep ravine, which can be viewed from the summit, as can the tumbling waterfalls, which have shaped the valleys below. It is important to remember that the temperatures at altitude are considerably lower and over the winter in particular it can feel cold as you near the summit; if you intend to hike remember to pack adequate clothing.

Not only are the mountainous regions beautiful, but their geological importance has been recognized by the creation of 30 geoheritage sites around Muscat and Al-Mussanah, which allow visitors to learn more about the geology of the area. Smart phone applications are available to help guide you around the sites and provide information on the geological processes. Phenomena that can be seen include mini and major folds, Jurassic bedding, schist bedding, pillow lava and limestone faults.

As you can see, when not participating in events, Oman has a wealth of attractions for you and your family to enjoy. Make the most of your opportunity to visit this enchanting country with its varied landscapes, historical sites and possibilities for leisure activities.

Merry Christmas?

by Pam

It's Christmas time!  A time of shopping, parties, family, cards, letters, and presents. And yet, I start each day with a drive that takes me past flags flying at half mast and news that shows me images of funerals.  Reality!  It doesn't feel like Christmas at all.

This year has been one of some hard lessons. You see Doug and I were banned for life from one yacht club and Doug was banned from the Laser fleet from another yacht club.  Now the infractions that caused these bannings were things like, well, Doug has a blog and often takes pictures and video while sailing and that's not ok.  You know, not really justifiable reasons but rather excuses to justify what appears to be fear, hatred, jealousy or some other negative emotion. Check you own emotional reaction to this paragraph and keep reading. 

When we see hurtful behavior and violence in the world, it isn't anything new. Just varying degrees.  And for some odd reason the heat has really been turned up in the US and it has most definitely tapped us on the shoulder all year long and Doug and I have struggled for understanding.  We came to learn that hurt people, hurt people. What starts out as feeling like a justifiable reason (reaction), soon becomes just another act of hurting people.

The latest violence against school children is perplexing because there is no obvious explainable or justifiable reason for the violence.  But that’s the point, there really never is a justifiable reason to hurt others to any degree.  People are quite passionate in their theories in this latest case.  Gun control, media coverage, mental illness care, parenting, violent video games.  But, as people struggle for understanding and argue their theories, there is more division.  Doug and I have learned, that division is where the problems all begin.

The recent deaths of so many innocent children has sparked alot of emotion as to the root cause.  For a moment, remove your understanding of spoken language and step back for a higher level perspective and observe the body language, voice inflection, and the raw emotions as you or others voice the strongly felt opinions.  It ain't friendly.  Doesn't look it or sound it.  In fact, it might look and sound a bit like what was quietly being felt inside the individual perpetrating the violence.  It isn't loving, tolerant, or forgiving.  It divides one individual or group from another and it perpetuates a destructive cycle.  Just because you think something is right, doesn’t mean the other person is wrong.  The change begins with each of us.

Christmas time is about family, friends, forgiveness and acceptance.  Although, it may not feel very much like Christmas this year, we desperately need the Christmas spirit.  We need only look to the Amish in the aftermath of their school shooting.  A lesson in grace, the spirit of Christmas.

Fairness

By Doug

My post about cheating sparked lots of comments, both on and off the record.  It's no wonder.  Even animals have a strong sense of fairness, as this very entertaining TED video shows.

Full video can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcJxRqTs5nk

Lasers for Longevity

by Pam

I've reached the age where I'm receiving newsletters and advertisements for retirement, long term health care and life insurance. A recent newsletter contained a statistic that stopped me in my tracks:

70% of the US population will need some kind of chronic illness care by the time they are 65 years old.

Holy crap!  70% By 65!  So, obviously I'm asking myself if Doug and I are going to be in the 30% or 70%?

You'd think that by sailing a Laser, we'd have a really decent shot at being in the 30%. After all, it's like owning your own personal gym. A day of racing is like doing a strength, endurance and flexibility workout all at the same time. But on top of that, you get this amazing cerebral workout as well. The Laser is even better than having a personal trainer because it can reward and thrill you about a workout in a way that no trainer could but it will also punish and motivate you for not staying in shape. How could being a Laser sailor not land you in the 30%?

Doug is US Sailing's Area F Coordinator for the Singlehanded Championship. And since Doug enjoys paperwork as much as he enjoys watching sailing from shore with a blindfold on, this organizational task has fallen to me. So, I started doing some research to find out what kind of Laser activity we have in Area F. Area F is the largest sailing area in the US and encompasses all or part of 4 Laser Districts. Participation, although up from the last few years, it is way down from earlier years and way down from its potential. I wonder why?

Laser sailing is such excellent insurance for living a long and healthy life. Why are the numbers going down? Why is the obesity rate in the US increasing? Why are so many sailors switching to bigger, less active boats, and why, every year, do these sailors look bigger and less healthy than they were the year before? If you only gain 3 pounds a year, in 5 years you will be 15 pounds overweight. Why choose a lifestyle (and boat) that will likely land you in the 70%? I don't get it.

The change in Laser sailing activity among the Masters in Laser District 15 sort of loosely looks a little like the 70% / 30% thing going on with health in the US. If you look at the number of Laser Masters who are still actively sailing and compare it to the same group's participation numbers of 10 years ago, the shocking 70% by 65 statistic starts to look uncomfortably realistic. The real kicker is that it may very well be your choice on whether you land in the 70% or 30%. Chronic illness care or Laser sailing? Hmmm.

Unfortunately, there are those Laser sailors that find themselves in the 70%. Did they not sail enough? Was it just plain old genetics? Do they feel cheated? Or are they grateful for the memories? Doug recently talked with an old Laser sailing friend in his 80s who is suffering from Alzheimer's. He remembered Doug when they spoke and told him he'd been out sailing his Laser the weekend before. He hadn't. While I'm sure the experience is not much fun for his wife, at least, in his mind, the guy is still enjoying sailing. Even if he doesn't cheat the nursing home, in his mind, he may still die on his Laser. That can't be all bad.

Never Give Up

by Pam

This video went viral in May.  I'm not sure if it has hit the sailing world but it's worth watching and deciding if it will help your sailing fitness.  DDP Yoga ... it ain't your mama's yoga.

Full Rig Option for Great Grand Masters in Oman

A friend has asked us if we know any Great Grand Masters who are planning to attend the Laser Master Worlds in Oman (light air) and would like to add their names to a petition for a full rig option.  Any takers?

Update:  Provisionally approved pending final approval before the end of the year - per World Council Meeting Summary

Catching Waves on a Reach (sort of)

by Pam

In my efforts to learn the coordinated movements of catching waves, Doug and I went for a sail two up.  Doug steered and I sat forward.  What he described as he caught "waves" was minor compared to when I looked back and saw him doing a dance.  It all comes natural to him and he couldn't verbalize what he was doing.  So, we tried an experiment.  I'm not sure it was successful but it's at least a reference point for beginning the process of learning.  Because we were two up, running is too tippy so we reached and because we were heavy, his movements are exaggerated which actually helps me see the different weight shifts.  Next time, we try it with me at the helm.

Sometimes ya just gotta have fun!

By Doug

Sometimes we go sailing to compete. Sometimes we go to train. And sometimes we go just to have fun. Here we are playing at White Rock Lake on a gorgeous fall day when it was gusting up to 25.

Everyday is Thanksgiving!

by Doug

He carries these pictures with him everywhere he goes. It reminds him that every day is a day for giving thanks!

The story has been told before, even written up in a chapter in the book, Pirates Aboard!, but when I sat down with him recently, I heard a different version.  Details I didn't know, lessons learned that I didn’t realize and pictures I hadn't seen.  There is a message in the story. It is a story of compassion and grace. Being thankful. It was a wake up call that changed his life.

I was invited to go with Brad on a sailing trip in Tobago Cays, about 30 miles north of Grenada, but I had to pass.  He decided to go alone.  I have often wondered what the outcome would have been if I’d gone.  It’s been 11 years.

Seven days into the trip, alone on the Beneteau 46 he’d chartered, three to four men wearing hoods and masks and carrying guns boarded his boat about 10:00 in the evening.  He didn’t see their faces and couldn’t identify them and wasn’t even certain how many there were.  He gave them his money and didn’t resist but they argued amongst themselves and shot him anyway.  The first bullet went through his left arm and into his body puncturing his lung, kidney, liver and diaphragm.  They disabled the radio and phone.  The second shot was fired point blank at the base of his skull and he was left to die.  This is where his story begins.  Brad later gave me a copy of the Pirates Aboard! book and signed it, “God’s classroom of character building.”  Indeed.

Miraculously, Brad awoke after the second gunshot and was still alive.  He was in pretty bad shape but managed to drag himself on deck and discovered the tender was still attached to the boat so he climbed into it and headed to a nearby, mostly, unlit island.  And so began a bizarre and lengthy version of island hopping.  Calls for help went out through the communities and Brad was ferried by dinghy to a bigger boat that had a doctor, who then motored to a bigger island, Union Island, where he was taken by truck to a clinic, who then sent him to an airstrip, so he could catch a ride on a plane, to take him to a bigger island, St. Vincent, where he could finally be stabilized, and he was then hospitalized for 36 hours before being flown back to the USA with two bullets still in him.

Charge it!

It took approximately 5 hours to reach the hospital in St. Vincent and it was through no small effort of the locals.  You see, a sailor being shot by pirates was unheard of and the locals took it personally.  The transfer from Union Island to St. Vincent alone was considered a dangerous night time rescue mission.  The landing strip at Union Island had no lights and night landings were not permitted because of a hill at the end of the runway. So several people drove to the top of the hill and used their headlights to mark the hill so the plane could land. The volunteer pilot of the Mustique Airways plane was Jonathan Palmer, the owner and CEO of the airline.  And as for Brad’s plane trip home, his father, desperate to make sure Brad received the best care, charged the LearJet charter on his credit card!  Fortunately, insurance reimbursed him.

Brad's injuries included damage to Willis’ Circle, which joins together the four major blood vessels that supply blood to the brain and one of the vessels remains shut down to this day.  Several doctors have told him this damage alone should have caused a stroke.  His only long term issue is a loss of hearing in one ear.  That, and the fact that both bullets are still in him.

The police caught the men who shot Brad and apparently beat the crap out of them.  Brad flew back for the trial and saw their faces for the first time.  They were in their 20s and wouldn’t look at him.  The men were acquitted due to their treatment by the police but Brad has no animosity towards them.  His life had been drifting off course but the attack was a wake up call.  He calls it a warning shot. 

The bench outside the court house at the trial

When Brad went back for the trial, the pilot that rescued him from Union Island said he would normally insist that Brad stay with him but his house was currently being used as a set for a Disney movie.  They were filming Pirates of the Caribbean.

Brad is my best friend and one hell of a role model.  He is a picture I carry in my head to remind me to give thanks.  What pictures do you carry?

2013 Florida Masters Circuit

by Pam

This is being republished from laser.org (ILCA-NA).  Rather than linking I'm republishing here because there is something very wrong with the laser.org  website.  It takes forever to load and sometimes times out.  Being almost 50 now, I find that slow computers and websites are problematic for me because by the time they load, I've completely lost my train of thought and stupidly click away only to remember a short while later what it was I was wanting to check.  Also, Doug almost never checks that website and I know he's planning to attend this event so this way he'll at least see it.  

Masters at Play. OK, guys and gals, here’s the deal for February.

You pack up the Lasers, get on the road and head to Florida to arrive at Charlotte Harbor Feb 1 for the start of a super week of racing and hanging out with a bunch of good folks.  Bring your golf clubs, spouse (or significant other), sunscreen and whatever other toys you need to enjoy your stay.  Go online to register for all three events – Masters Midwinters, Midweek Madness and Florida Masters.  The Notices of Race are there and registration is open (FL Masters is coming soon).

The folks at Charlotte Harbor have put together a really good on shore show to go along with a great sailing venue.  We’ll be sailing from a beach area just a short ways to the race area.  Check it out on the regatta website, or Google it.  Carl Schellbach has been recruited to run the races, so there should  be no whining about the PRO not knowing what we want in courses!  We’ll be sharing the beach area with catamaran sailors participating in the Charlotte Harbor Regatta and partying Friday night with all the Charlotte Harbor Regatta participants.    Saturday night is a fantastic Beach Party right where we’re sailing.  These will be great opportunities to swap stories with non-believers and perhaps gain a few converts.  Sunday dinner will be ours alone at the Charlotte Harbor Yacht Club, as the other sailors will be heading home.  Oh yeah, for the adventurous types, there will be limited camping and RV parking allowed.  Check it out on the website and register with Brian Gleason atgleason@charlotteharborregatta.com.  There are also special rates available at some local hotels.  Info is on the website.

Our lay day on Tuesday, Feb 5, gives you an opportunity to explore and enjoy some of the Punta Gorda/Charlotte Harbor area before heading to Jensen Beach for Midweek Madness, Wednesday and Thursday.  Friday is another day for relaxing (and recovering) before the start of the Florida Masters and the hunt for the coveted Dirty Old Man of The Sea Trophy at Palm Beach Sailing Club.

You can become famous and save yourself an entry fee by submitting the winning T-shirt slogan for the Florida Masters.   These can be irreverent, politically incorrect, and typically centered around the benefits (???) of senior citizenship.  Just no profanity!  Submit your entry to Sloan Davant at sloan.davant@manheim.com by January 9.

So there you have it – all the justification for escaping from work, cold, neighbors, or whatever to come play and enjoy some real yachting on your Laser!  

Keep it Level

By Doug

Someone asked me a question that I thought was strange. "It's been suggested that I put a level on my Laser... where would you suggest I put it?"

You know, a level used by carpenters. I guessed that this was the result of a discussion about keeping a Laser flat. But were they talking about flat vs. heeling? Or keeping the transom out of the water? With so few surfaces on a Laser that are level to begin with, where would you put it? And how would you read it without moving closer and changing the heel/trim before you could read it?

Way too complex for my little brain.

Here's a much simpler suggestion: let a small amount of water into the cockpit and then keep track of it during a race... in the middle as much as possible to keep the boat flat, on the leeward side when it's very light so that gravity helps keep the shape of the sail, and on the windward side when there are no waves and you want to dig in your centerboard to get more lift. I like to get my Laser going and then look at the back of the cockpit to see if the water is where I think it is.

That's the in-and-out trim. Fore-and-aft trim is easy and does not require any water. Just keep your weight as far forward in the cockpit as comfortably possible until other factors become important. Like having to hike or having to work your Laser over the waves.

So much simpler.

What Happens on the Internet, Stays on the Internet?

by Pam

I put up a post that was full of some half baked ideas and theories.  The post was up overnight and then I took it down.  But the web crawlers or whatever you call it that scrape and mine data from a website that then stores it in some cache that leaves it on the Internet forever had already done its thing.  I deleted the text of the post and replaced it with a single sentence.  If you searched for any text from the original post the Google search engine would find the post but when you clicked on it to open it, it was the sentence post and not the original post.  It was an experiment to do it that way and appeared to have worked.

But then the post's suggestive title drew comments anyway with some interesting but incorrect guesses as to the reasons behind the removal.  To complete the experiment, I took the replacement sentence post down the next day by "unpublishing" the post.  So, is the original or replacement post still cached on the internet forever?  You tell me.  Can you find a copy of the original or replacement post on the Internet anywhere?

Laser Cheat Sheet - Sailing Fast - Pressing

By Doug 

Laser Cheat Sheet

Before I started sailing at night on a Dallas lake, I couldn't win anything above a local club event. After learning how to sail at night, I won my first national championship and started getting top 5 finishes at the Laser Master Worlds. The improvement was from learning the "feeling" for what my Laser was trying to do, and how to react with my four controls (mainsheet, tiller, weight in/out, and weight fore/aft). Sailing at night is impractical for most, but almost everything in the fast column of my cheat sheet, I learned at night.  

A little background - there were several reasons for my sailing at night. These included "me time" after the kids were in bed, the beauty and the solitude after a long day, and a way to escape the brutal summer heat. But there was one more reason that can be seen at the end of the movie Wait Until Dark. As described in IMDB, a killer is chasing a blind Audrey Hepburn "leaving us with the question how does a blind woman defend herself?" The answer is that she leveled the playing field and actually gained the advantage by turning out the lights.

So, the other reason why I sailed at night was because, while my vision has always been a problem, it was rapidly getting worse and I was on the way to going legally blind. Sailing at night was empowering because I did not have to see the sail to learn how to improve my sailing.

Sailing downwind was fairly simple. The obvious question sailing upwind is "How can you sail if you cannot see the sail?" Good question, because you cannot see its shape or the telltales. The answer is that you do not need to see the sail. Here's why.

The purpose of the sail is to deflect the wind. The trick of course is to deflect as much of it as possible so that the wind is deflected parallel to the centerline of the boat. Too little and you can be underpowered, and too much and you can be overpowered, so you want as much as possible until just before you're overpowered. This deflection is invisible, but you can feel it... on your butt and the back of your legs.

A small puff hits you and the boat heals, and you can feel the increased pressure. The puff ends, the heeling stops, and you can feel the pressure drop. Everything that happens up there is felt down here. But we have an advantage over keelboats because we can prevent a boat from heeling by, you guessed it, putting more pressure on our butts and the back of our legs.

Hiking pants dull the feeling, so I only wear them when it's windy.

Here's how Pam described this when I first taught her: pressing is a subtle weight shift to where you feel the boat on the back of your thighs. This didn’t make any sense to me so Doug had me sit and feel the pressure on the back of my legs. No biggie. Feels like my legs sitting on a chair. Then he said to keep my upper body straight and he proceeded to slightly push me backward and in order to maintain my balance and stay upright, I had to increase the pressure on my legs. Definite difference.

Understanding this increased pressure at the right moment helped me develop a new way of sailing a Laser, something I call "pressing." It's the awareness of what's going on "up there" and my conscious effort to control it "down here" in order to squeeze every drop of boat speed out of the conditions as they constantly change. Boat speed is like squeezing juice out of an orange. An average sailor gets a certain amount, a good national sailor will get more, and a top international sailor will get even more. And in a class that is so equal in so many ways, the top Laser sailors are the ones who get those extra few drops of boat speed.

The recent Championship of Champions reminded me of how important this is. The regatta was held in C-Scows - a boat that I had never sailed before. I never did get a feeling for the boat, and my results were that of an very average sailor at a national championship.

So, try focusing less on what the sail looks like and more on the pressure on your butt and legs. It's a great way to develop better boat speed.

But if you're sailing by feeling and not looking at the sail, what else are you looking at? The answer is simple - everything else. The water, the competition, the compass, the angles, the waves, etc. In addition to boat speed, pressing gives you an increased awareness of what's going on around you. 

That way, you're not using your new boat speed to just go faster the wrong way.

Hurricane Sandy - Before and After

by Pam

I have no words ...

http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/weeklynews/nov12/ngs-sandy-imagery.html

Centerboards

By Doug

Some of the recent comments on Pam's cheating post focused on centerboards. I have some very strong opinions on this.

When I first arrived in Sydney more than 40 years ago, I was fortunate to meet Frank Bethwaite and was able to assist with some wind tunnel testing and NS-14 class management. Frank's company at the time was called Starboard Products (now Bethwaite Design) and one of its specialties was making rudders and centerboards. Frank started with raw lumber, used an ingenious routing machine to get the rough shape, then shaped by hand, and then painted them with 2/3 resin and 1/3 thinner. The results were spectacular, and all of the high-performance boats in Sydney used them.

One of Frank's first overseas clients was a Tornado sailor in Hawaii. Frank made a beautiful set of CBs from alternating light and dark wood, and the craftsmanship would have put most cabinet-makers to shame. They were beautiful, but the best part came later. The Tornado sailor was so pleased that he wrote Frank explaining that they were so fast that he had to de-tune the rest of his boat just to make it fair for the other sailors. I learned that, yes, CB shape is really important.

The Starboard Products logo (drawn from memory) shows Frank's belief that sailing is really about two foils - one in the air and one in the water. It was a great logo because it showed the importance of what very few people at the time knew - what's under the boat is just as important as what's on top.

Sadly, wooden foils were phased out in the late 80's. At the 1992 US Laser Masters, one of the competitors brought along wooden foils that were in pretty bad shape. But I knew that Frank could restore them, so I traded my new white foils for the old wooden ones (the guy thought I was nuts). Off they went to Sydney, Frank restored them (with notes assuring me that the shape had not been altered), and Mark brought them to the 1993 Master Worlds in New Zealand. Call me old fashioned, but having beautiful, legal, wooden foils from Frank was like owning a piece of history.

And then someone objected, saying that this would give me an unfair advantage. I thought, how can this be? Everything was from an authorized builder and the foils were restored to their original shape. Jeff Martin's decision was that he could not prevent someone from protesting me, so I decided to sail the Worlds using the rudder and CB supplied with the charter boat. My gorgeous wooden blades have a sentimental value but have never been used at a national or Worlds competition.

People must have had some pretty strong feelings because after the Kiwi Worlds, the class added a rule stating that a wooden rudder or CB could not be used on boats manufactured after a certain date. I have never understood this because they perform the same and its easier to alter painted blades.

Fast forward to another national championship, where a good US sailor and I went out to practice. This fellow had the most amazing trick - going upwind in waves he would sail with his bow one foot behind my rudder... and stay there. Like, I could not shake him loose. It was like he was drafting behind me upwind. I thought, that's a trick I have to learn because it would be like a get-out-of-jail-free card off the starting line if I was pinched off by the boat below me - I'd just slip behind and then draft. But when we switched places, I could not and have never been able to make this drafting work.

On shore, I asked this fellow how he did it. He just smiled and said, "it's the centerboard." He explained that he had borrowed this tricked-out CB from a very well-known NA sailor and it made all the difference. This was my first exposure to altered CB's. All I know is there appears to be more than one way to make them faster and it costs at least $500. I have since seen them used at national and Worlds events, but people don't like to talk about it. The closest explanation I ever got was "if you want to win, you have to have one."

The Aussie Laser that I bought 3 years ago came with the brown CB and rudder (these now come painted white). While I do not understand the reason the manufacturing process was changed, I liked the brown boards  because they would be nearly impossible to alter.

And I disagree with those who think that you need a cheater CB to win. I've won two Master Worlds and, with some hard work and a little luck, look forward to maybe doing it again.

2012 Laser District 15 Final Circuit Standings (Unofficial)

by Pam

The Laser District 15 racing circuit consists of 7 regattas.  To "qualify" for the circuit, you must attend at least 4 regattas.  The North Texas circuit consists of 4 regattas, 3 of which are the same as the District 15 circuit regattas.  The purpose of the North Texas circuit was to encourage sailors in the D/FW area to start traveling.  Approximately 90 sailors attended at least one of these regattas, 6 qualified for the District 15 circuit, and 2 qualified for the North Texas circuit.

Austin had the highest regatta attendance with 43 and 18 at their two circuit stops and the Houston area had the largest number of sailors participating in the District 15 regattas.

Pos.	Sailor	Club	Rig	AYC (44)	RCYC (9)	CSC (27)	SSC (17)	AYC (18)	FWBC (7)	LCYC (12)
1	Doug Peckover	NOMAD	Full	[4]	1	1	[2]	1	1	[1]
2	James McTurk	SSC	Full	[11]	3		4	3		5
3	Sebastien Dubois	SSC	Full	[16]	7		10	8		11
4	Greg Wallace	CSC	Full	[25]	8	[21]	11	[13]	7	12
5	Norm Grail	CSC	Full	21		10		5	2
6	Forest Atkins	CSC	Full	15		11		9	4
Non-qualifying - less than 4 events attended
7	Colin Feik	FWBC	Full	6		3	1
8	David Morgan	SSC	Full	14	4		3
9	Alanna Strong	CSC	Full			16		6	3
10	Bruce Moore	CSC	Full	18		8				7
11	Britt Feik	FWBC	Full			18	9		6
12	Mike Lindstrom	CYC	Full	22			8	10
13	Marshall Woodson	ArYC	Full	23		20			5
14	John Miller	Kansas	Full	8	2
15	Fred Schroth	AYC	Full	12				4
16	Owen Bushaw	CSC	Full		6	12
17	Mark Unicume	Colorado	Full	13	5
18	Mark McAnelly	CSC	Full		9	19
19	Charlie Daniel	AYC	Full	24				11
20	Doug Kern	AYC	Full	1
21	Hank Saurage	PYC	Full							2
22	Claude Welles	AYC	Full					2
23	Mark Babb	CSC	Full			2
24	Chris Alexander	CCYC	Full	2
25	Mike Lipari	GSC/CSC	Full							3
26	Scott Young	AYC	Full	3
27	Patrick Hitchins	AYC	Full							4
28	Eddie Lockey	CSC	Full			4
29	Mark Eldred	SSC	Full				5
30	Benjamin Kennady	Galveston	Full			5
31	Ravi Subramanian	AYC	Full	5
32	Peter Jackson	SSC	Full				6
33	Max Lipari	GSC/CSC	Full							6
34	Jack Hattendorf	ArYC	Full			6
35	Martin Van Weltswinhel	CSC	Full					7
36	Alexandre Tupinamba	SSC	Full				7
37	Drew Johnson	CSC	Full			7
38	Jon Larson	HYC	Full	7
39	Christa Hvidsten	CSC	Full							8
40	Ash Beatty	MISA	Full							9
41	Mike Rist	CSC	Full			9
42	Brad Winslett	CCYC	Full	9
43	Travis Arlitt	None	Full							10
44	Eric Faust	AYC	Full	10
45	Josh Davidson		Full					12
46	Nick Schischka	SSC	Full				12
47	Andrew Swan	CYC	Full				13
48	Comen	CSC	Full			13
49	Jacques Faquet		Full					14
50	Miller		Full			14
51	Brian Grothus		Full					15
52	Sandy Denison	CSC	Full			15
53	Charlie Arnold		Full					16
54	John Flato		Full					16
55	David Grogono		Full					16
56	Mike Hansen	CSC	Full			17
57	Jonathan Baker		Full	17
58	Samuel Strong	CSC	Full	19
59	Pam Newton	NOMAD	Full	20
60	McConnell	FWBC	Full			22
61	Will Schwartz		Full	26
Radials
1	Thomas Butcher	TCYC	Radial	5		1
2	Mason Crowell	LYC	Radial				1
3	William Romeo	HYC	Radial	1
4	Greg Dorflinger	LYC	Radial				2
5	Ben Lipari	CSC	Radial			2
6	Alan Rochard	AYC	Radial	2
7	Olivia McAndrew	LYC	Radial				3
8	Max Lipari	GSC/CSC	Radial			3
9	Haddon Hughes	TCYC	Radial	3
10	Kylie Schischka	SSC	Radial				4
11	Christa Hvidsten	CSC	Radial			4
12	Daniel Kendrick	HYC	Radial	4
13	Mike Lipari	GSC/CSC	Radial			5
14	Max Guerriero	TCYC	Radial	6
15	Marshall McCann	TCYC	Radial	7
16	Kate Easton		Radial	8
17	Alanna Strong	CSC	Radial	9
4.7s
1	Meredith Morran	AYC	4.7	1
2	Parker Hughes	TCYC	4.7	2
3	Ford McCann	TCYC	4.7	3
4	Macey McCann	TCYC	4.7	4
5	Lenox Butcher	TCYC	4.7	5
6	Christine Kendrick	HYC	4.7	6
7	Madeleine Butcher	TCYC	4.7	7
8	Reese Guerriero	TCYC	4.7	8

North Texas Circuit

Pos.	Sailor	Club	Rig	Points	RCYC	CSC	FWBC	AYC
1	Doug Peckover	NOMAD	Full	4	1	1	1	1
2	Greg Wallace	CSC	Full	42	8	21	7	6
Full Rig - attended 3 of 4 regattas
3	Forest Atkins	CSC	Full	18		11	4	3
4	Owen Bushaw	CSC	Full	22	6	12		4
5	Marshall Woodson	ArYC	Full	30		20	5	5
Full Rig - attended 2 or 4 regattas
6	Jack Hattendorf	ArYC	Full	8		6		2
7	Norm Grail	CSC	Full	12		10	2
8	Alanna Strong	CSC	Full	19		16	3
9	Britt Feik	FWBC	Full	24		18	6
10	Mark McAnelly	CSC	Full	28	9	19
Full Rig - attended 1 of 4 regattas
11	Mark Babb	CSC	Full	2		2
12	John Miller	Kansas	Full	2	2
13	Colin Feik	FWBC	Full	3		3
14	James McTurk	SSC	Full	3	3
15	Eddie Lockey	CSC	Full	4		4
16	David Morgan	SSC	Full	4	4
17	Benjamin Kennady	Galveston	Full	5		5
18	Mark Unicume	Colorado	Full	5	5
19	Nick Keathly		Full	7				7
20	Drew Johnson	CSC	Full	7		7
21	Sebastien Dubois	SSC	Full	7	7
22	Reed Douglas		Full	8				8
23	Bruce Moore	CSC	Full	8		8
24	Mike Rist	CSC	Full	9		9
25	Comen	CSC	Full	13		13
26	Miller		Full	14		14
27	Sandy Denison	CSC	Full	15		15
28	Mike Hansen	CSC	Full	17		17
29	McConnell	FWBC	Full	22		22
Radials
1	Thomas Butcher	TCYC	Radial	1		1
2	Ben Lipari	CSC	Radial	2		2
3	Max Lipari	CSC	Radial	3		3
4	Hvidsten		Radial	4		4
5	Mike Lipari	CSC	Radial	5		5