Conference unifix::sailing

    Ray,
    
    Add to your list the few sailboats I saw returning from the NOOD races
    on Saturday who just HAD to sail through the anchored boats watching
    the Jazz Fest.  Some people are born cowboys ... others are just plain
    stupid.
    
    ... Bob
    

    We sailed through the edge of the anchored fleet on both saturday and
    sunday.  The audience just extended too far out into the channel to
    avoid it!  Saw some great exhibits of intoxication on the water.  The
    NOOD has to get another weekend.
    
    We did think of a way to make the Jazz weekend more managable, though.
    Just get everybody you know to buy up 100 copies each of the New York
    Times, and 50 bagels each until the town runs dry of each.  The streets
    will be abandoned within a half hour.
    
    Dave

re .0:

Sounds like an appropriate occasion to use an all-chain rode. Should you 
not have a chain rode, see note 69.0 for a technique that might help. We 
now use a 15 lb mushroom anchor for the weight.

Maybe there's a market for inexpensive round gray floats, with some 
obvious "spikes" standing perpendicular to the surface all over....
Put these in a line from your anchor to your bow.  The surprise appearance 
alone might slow down a couple cowboys (optimist that I am.)

Detonation systems are strictly owner's option.

;-),  J.

    In my humble opinion, all of the lunacy wasn't near Ft. Adams.  
    
    My wife and I were returning to Jamestown, RI from Cuttyhunk on
    Saturday.  The wind was out of the WSW at I'd say 18 to 25 kts so several 
    long tacks were involved and seas 4 to 5 ft and choppy.  Visibility
    about 3 miles in haze.
    
    When we got close to Brenton Reef, we saw all of these boats (obviously
    racing).  There seemed to be about three different large races going on
    of different one designs.  They seemed to be using the major
    navigational bouys as marks.  To go around this congestion would have
    involved heading out to sea approximately 4 km, and then coming back
    that same 4 km once well West of the fleet.  That's probably what I
    should have done, but I'd already been at the helm for 7 hours and I
    assumed I had as much right to the water as the boats racing.  Bad
    assumption!
    
    Boats that are racing seem to believe that they have the right of way
    over ANYBODY!  I suppose the spirit of competition leads to attempts
    to intimidate people out of one's way, but I was in fear of the safety
    of my boat, my wife and myself on three separate occasions.  Once, I
    had to put my boat in irons and just pray for the best in order to 
    avoid a collision.  
    
    Obviously, we made it just fine.  But the experience certainly gave me
    a better appreciation of why so many power boaters feel animosity
    toward sailboats.

    
    I also was at the jazz fest Saturday and Sunday. Got there
    Saturday afternoon. It was a very difficult anchoring situation.
    After trying and dragging several times, I just moved out aways
    and anchored, couldn't hear the music too well, but the show on
    the water was great. Sure saw several boats drag and several knock 
    into each other, but didn't see anything I'd call dangerous.
    Seeing the racers coming in and heading out, (clearly in control
    and knowing what they were doing) was quite spectacular.
    
    Sunday (boating skill wise) was much more interesting. Around 11am
    the wind shifted to the North and was about 20 steady with gusting
    to 30. A few boats did bang into each other. Fortunately there were
    far fewer boats cause of the threat of rain. The wind shift put
    me less then 50 yards from the rocks, so I just reanchored futhered
    out. With wind blowing and rain expected we decided to just head
    home (E. Greenwich) and had a great close hauled sail back with 
    one near knockdown (wait a second that genoa winch is not supposed
    to be in the water!).
    
    All in all a great learning experience and adventure.
    
    mike

    RE .5
    
    You're absolutely right, racers don't have special rights to use
    goverment marks. That's one reason why a properly run regatta will
    use portable marks.
    
    But it's common for cruising sailors to yield the right of way to
    a racing fleet. I always wave and yell thanks when someone does it
    for me.

re .5:

I, too, try to stay out of the way of racers, but there are times when 
it is difficult, dangerous, or illegal under COLREGS to do so. There 
have been a couple of times that I have been tempted to report flagrant 
violations of COLREGS to the Coasties or the Race Committee (though I've 
never done so). Question for you racing gurus: What action would a Race 
Committee take if someone did report a COLREGS violation to them? 

    
    "Racing brings out many of the best and most knowledgeable sailors
    all at once and in an organized group. Yet some evil mood often
    accompanies racing fleets causing fine sailors to forget their fine
    mannors and kindly natures and something more important: The Rules 
    of the Road."  - Queene Hooper Foster, NYYC
    
    Allan, the answer to your question is more than likely NOTHING.
    COLREGS apply to racers as well.
    
    Ta - Mike

    Another point: racers are generally more comfortable at close quarters 
    with other boats. This comes from being in starting line and mark 
    rounding congestion all the time. I've had to duck under starboard
    tack cruising boats while racing. Usually the cruisers look very
    uncomfortable as you shoot past thier stern in normal racing fashion.
    
    On the original topic: my brother anchored our boat close to shore
    at the Jazz Festival and avoided the anchor dragging. But the boat
    still wasn't safe; a kite flown from shore caught up in the rig and
    damaged the wind indicator!

RE:.8 by MSCSSE::BERENS "Alan Berens"

>  Question for you racing gurus: What action would a Race Committee take if 
> someone did report a COLREGS violation to them? 

They should get a DSQ.  Can't remember the rule number,  but it's in there!


Phil

    The NOOD last weekend DID NOT use government marks as turning marks. 
    All marks were inflatable triangles.  The two fleet rendevoused at mark
    R2 and R2A, but then moved out a ways to set up a starting line.  There
    was no need to cut any mark close last Sunday.  The seas were up and
    the wind blowing at about 25.
    
    Racers do not inherently dislike cruisers.  BTW, at the Buzzards Bay
    regatta several boats were disqualified from the entire regatta for
    unsportsman-like behavior toward the harbor patrol and even one
    complaining cruiser.  I believe you should report violations to the RC. 
    As Alan said, Colregs apply to us all.
    
    Another point is that while we did sail through the Jazz Fest crowd, we
    are used to doing it in Marblehead.
    
    Dave

    
>    Racers do not inherently dislike cruisers.  

   I agree except for 2 things:

  1. STAY AWAY FROM STARTING LINES
    most starting lines are a congesion of pumped up sailors trying to
    wax the guy next to them without being waxed themselves. There are
    other boats ussally sitting at the wrong place waiting their sequenece.
    These folks have other things on their mind other than colregs.

    The worst thing you can do is bring a SLOW (relative) boat into
    the starting area. You disrupt their thinking, and maybe some of the
    boats just don't see you among the sails. They are used to screaming
    Starboard and watching all the boats magically get out of their way.

    We ussally set our own markers including starting lines with the
    permission of the Coast Guard. This means we are out of the
    way for most traffic. But a couple times a year someone comes into the
    middle of the fray to see the "pretty sails", and then realizes they
    are in the middle of a hornet's nest without a quick way out. We don't
    hang out at channels, and we ask people to leave our starting area alone.
    (besides, the best place is 1/4 mile downwind of the leeward mark. Thats
    where all the action is as everyone tries to get around single file!)

   2. Don't blanket a set of boats on a downwind leg in real light airs.
   If you can't go anywhere else, fine, but I've met up with clowns 2 or
   more times on a given race. They are shadowing you no matter what they 
   say. Nothing gets me upset more then to have someone put me into a
   moving "black-hole" as all the people you were ahead of catch up.


One thing I wish crusiers would do is to make a bit of noise if they are
confused or nervious. Very seldom do I hear the horn blasts saying "make
your intentions known". Great rule, too bad no one uses it. Helps snap
the racers back into reality that maybe they don't own "all the water".
As said earlier, most racers know their toys very well. Hold your course
and you'll be fine.

   Personnally, I have more than enough trouble avoiding the zero with twin
screws that likes to make the biggest wave just in front of me and then 
measure the total arc of the mast bouncing around :>(  . 

    As to what a race committee (or don't forget the Coast Guard) might do,
    there was an incident on San Francisco Bay a few years ago.  A BIG
    racer was coming across the bay and came across the bow of a large
    freighter.  The captain of the freighter was sufficiently concerned
    that he was forced to reverse engines in an emergency stop (dangerous
    on a big freighter).  The captain filed a report with the Coast Guard
    who investigated and found the racer at fault under the COLREGS.  The
    Coast Guard fined them several thousand dollars and the USRYU
    disqualified them from (I believe) all the races for the full season. 
    The authorities are always concerned about violations of the rules of
    the road, especially when it is life threatening.  You must remember
    however that they need some evidence (the skipper of the freighter took
    pictures).

    RE .5
    
    I'll have to re-iterate what Dave J. said ... all the racing was around
    portable marks.  I believe the RC did this for the same reason they
    kept us out of the bay ... to avoid congestion with others trying to
    use the water.  However, I can't imagine that you'd have to go 4 km out
    of your way to avoid any fleet.  It wasn't THAT congested.
    
    Most racers will hold to a course if they can, and if you're coming
    they'll holler over and inform you they're racing and ask (sometimes
    even politely) if you'll give way.  However, if you choose not to and
    they do not yield, by all means head over to the RC (or call them on
    the radio if you have any idea what channel they're on) and report the
    offending boat.  Colregs most certainly do apply, and RC's take any
    safety offense very seriously.
    
    I have to also agree with John and Paul about racers not getting
    nervous in close quarters.  Sometimes they do not realize that others
    consider boats within a boatlength of each other to be too close for
    comfort.  They're not trying to be assholes, that's just what we're
    used to.  If you are uncomfortable, holler over and let them know.
    
    Some racers, however, don't really give a hoot WHO'S got the right of
    way.  These types will hit you if you're in their way.  I do not
    condone this kind of activity, either as a racer or as a sailor.  You'd
    do us all a favor by reporting incidents that you feel endanger either
    you or your boat.  Have the bums tossed out of a race or two and maybe
    they'll get it right.
    
    ... Bob
    

    
    
    	Sounds like a legitimate gripe with legitimate answers. You put
    folks in boats and they're still folks. Put `em in cars; same thing.
    Clueless people own all types of boats, as do those more aware.
    
    Couple of points: RC boats use all kinda channels on the VHF, that is,
    when they're listening. The cruiser has no scratch sheet or rules,
    so...
    And it is everybody's ocean. Down our way, we, too, use government
    marks. The CG doesn't like it, but we've had no big hassles that I
    know of. We also pick sorta `out of the way' marks for 2 reasons; the
    obvious safety margin, and less stinkpot waves.
    When a racer breaks COLREGs, he DOES get at least DSQ'd. As with any
    self regulated sport, infractions don't always get reported,tho, so
    when cruising, keep an eye behind that big genny! A good sized
    waterlogged log almost ruined our weekend (and keel) and never did
    give way!
    
    Scott.
    
    

    Manners are manners, borish behavior on shore usually carries to the
    water.     I always try to avoid racers but I expect them to act like
    real folks also.
    
    On anchoring in crowded area, use an anchor sentinel, keeps the line
    down and safe (see note 69.5 or 69.0)
    
    Frank