Conference unifix::sailing

    Sorry Alan, I always forget to set a keyword on the note .... its done
    now!

    I sailed a fun race once sponsored by an Inn. The rules required a
    start with one person at the Inn's bar. They had to run down to the
    dock, row the dink to the boat, and sail the course. The finish was of
    course back at the Inn bar, with sails furled and all stowed shipshape.
    Crew was allowed on the boat ahead of time, but no sails unfurled
    before the runner was aboard.
    
    I was a good day, and required other bits of seamanship rather than
    just going fast.
    
    Your fixed time idea sounds good- like a motor boats predicted log
    contests.
    

    You could always turn it into a poker run. Stop several times and
    get a playing card. Best hand wins. On a non-stop, pick one up at
    start and end. Make it 21 !
    
    john

    How about a treasure/scavanger hunt...
    
    Speed does count!
    
    Start from point X..
    
    Sail to Beverly Farms (How many windows on the Taj Mahal style beach
    house front)
    
    What color is the waste bin on Great Misery beach.
    
    How many gables on Hawthorn's house in Salem Willows.(perhaps a little
    harder)
    
    How many flagpoles on X in Manchester harbor.
    
    What is the color of mooring #XX in Marblehead
    
    The contestants plan the trip based on wind and tide 1st back to the bar
    is treated to drinks.
    
    Bob

    
    
>    The contestants plan the trip based on wind and tide 1st back to the bar
>    is treated to drinks.
    
	Every year, as the last race of our calender, we run a race called
	the Navigators Nightmare. The course consists of a start/finish line,
	one bouy in the Central Solent, One North of it, one West and one
	East, each about 5 miles from the centre bouy.

	Racers can start at any time between 7:00 and 12:00, on the half
	hour, and then go to the central bouy, rounding it to starboard
	( looping if necessary ) , and then proceed to each of the three
	others, in any order, returning to the central buoy after each.

	Once the three pointed star is complete, return to the finish.
	Elapsed time is measured.

	Due to the vagrancies of the tide in the Solent, considerable planning
	is required. The winning navigator receives the prizes.
	    
 	A lot of fun, but also hard physical and mental work.

	Chris

         In one of our Snipe fleet meetings we've addressed the
         same problem and one of the proposals has been a kind
         of 24 hours race (Le Mans style). Duplicate crews
         that start from raising the sail to launching the boat
         in the water and then racing around the buoys in shifts
         of 2 hours and then back ashore to sleep or eat or rest
         or what else you like, while friends, relatives, kids
         and all the bl...y bla bla have good time, account the
         times and the rounds etc...
         Another proposal is a kind of a "combined" race (sail 
         and golf, or better, minigolf, in this cas) like in
         Montecarlo spring championships with J24.
         I personally see a good suggestion in the time trials
         that should really prove how worth is the skipper.
         
         Pls, let me know and, if possible, try to understand
         why I'm not allowed to answer (it states "set to 
         nowrite").
         
         Bye for now, Arrigo.
         

    	P.S. Re. to a previous reply: nice idea the poker game.
    

    Thank you all for the suggestions ..... there are some really
    interesting ideas here.
    
    I am wondering about something like giving co-ordinates and asking
    people to report what they saw .... I cannot ask the "how many windows"
    question as the places we will be going will be mostly uninhabited,
    however there should be some features that we could ask about.
    
    The spot that we will end up is a fascinating harbour, perhaps 1/4 mile
    in diameter and almost exactly round.  Right in the middle is a large
    island, also almost exactly round.  The perimeter is only about 30-40
    feet wide and strewn with rocks submerged and not.  I figure to give
    points for the number of rocks that people hit going in to the harbour.
    
    Please kep these ideas coming. 
    
    Thanks Graham

    We've  set up an annual event called the "pointless Regatta" that's
    fun. The rules are few:
     1. THIRD boat over the finish line wins.
     2. You must take at least 60 minutes to finish the race - all those
        that finish early buy drinks for those who don't.
     3. You are allowed to arm yourself with as many water balloons and
        other items that shoot water water as you can carry. These become the
        entertainment during the 60 minute wait period.
     4. You cannot use your engine unless going away from the line to
        attack others with balloons. As soon as you begin going back towards
        the general direction of the line you must be under sail.
     5. All captains and crew must wear t-shirts with bull's eyes painted
        on their chest.
    
    
    That's it! As you can probably deduce, we have a GREAT time. People
    often spend several hours on the "course" bombing others with water
    balloon sling shots and manual pump water cannons. It is fun to be had
    by all EXCEPT those hell bent on serious racing! :-)
    

    A word from the neighborhood curmudgeon about water balloons.  As of a
    couple of years ago, boats over 26 feet in length are required to carry
    and display a placard which states categorically that is illegal to
    throw anything plastic overboard.  Not only is the debris unsightly, it
    looks like food to some forms of sea life, who may eat it and die as a
    consequence.  I realize that water balloons have a long and storied
    tradition in boating, especially sailboat races, but that doesn't mitigate 
    the damage they can do to the environment.
    
    Heck, something the sail rally could include would be a finite amount
    of time prospecting on one of the uninhabited shorefronts you'll be near.  
    The crew with the most interesting collection of flotsam collected on the 
    beach wins.  We did this on one of Boston Harbor islands a couple of years
    ago.  Amazing accumulation of "stuff" to be found.
    
    djc
    
    
      

Re 24 hour races...

	In the UK, there is a 24hour dinghy race held every year at Southport,
	sailed in Enterprises and GP14's, with little torches on the front
	and a very detailed safety system. The race is sailed by teams, with
	a long jetty for changeovers.

Re Combination events...

	There is a regatta held around easter time, in Cannes, called the 
	Ski Yachting, where on one of the lay days, the crews dissapear into
	the southern Alps for a spot of skiing. I understand that the sailing
	part has rather taken over though, as it is part of the Olympic
	classes circuit.

    Re: .9
    
    I agree wholeheartedly on leaving the water balloons on shore.
    The crap we throw overboard has devestating effects on the
    water and creatures that live in it. Last year, I saw a seagull
    with a 6-pack ring around its neck - it looked tired and thin
    and probably died not long after. And there was nothing I could
    do for the poor thing.
    
    Kathy
    

    Not to jump on this bandwagon, but what if that ballon stops up
    your raw water intake and overheats your engine? Not so funny anymore
    huh?
    
    

    .12 reminds me of a funny- I had a motor boat in the next slip to mine
    years ago. One day I came to the dock to see a crane trying to haul up
    the boat. It seems a rubber object much like a balloon had clogged the
    intake to the automatic bilge pump and the boat sank at the dock.

    All right! All right! Consider my hands duely slapped! You are correct!
    I give in! 
    
    We *had* been using a variety of balloons made to deteriorate very
    quickly and were biodegradeable. We buy them at a hunting outlet supply
    for that very reason. You are correct, though, that they can be a
    menace if injested immediately by anything.
    
    Guess I'll suggest we stay with the water cannons and manual water
    pumps and leave the balloons at home this year!
    
    Robert

    I have only once been "balooned" when at sea ( I wont comment on the
    environmental side of it), we were in the British Virgin Isalnds, Gorda
    Sound to be precise .... we had had engine trouble during the day and
    once it was fixed we just went for a spin around the sound under the
    jib.  
    
    The other couple with us were sitting at the bow, trailing thier feet,
    my wife was writing the log and I was at the helm when a passing boat
    haild us with "What's your favourite colour ?"  I went "huh ?" and
    steered close to them.  They repeated the question again ... I was
    confused and steered closer unsuspecting.  When we were only a few feet
    away, a bunch of them ran up from below and pelted us with baloons. 
    After the inital surprise I kind of took it in stride as did the couple
    on the bow, however my wife was furious as the Log she was writing got
    soaked and essentially ruined.  She's still mad with them even to this
    day.  I finished off that evening with Lynn trying to coerce me to take
    the galley knife in my teeth, slip over the side of our boat, swim
    noiselessly over to where they were anchored and dispatch the whole
    crew in true pirate style.  Needless to say I did not do it but I might
    not be able to resist the pressure next time so don't throw baloons at
    me ! (not even environmentally friendly ones or brown paper bags full
    of water .... )

    Not only did DC lose yesterday but to add to my frustration, our
    lift-in scheduled for last Sat was cancelled due to the fact that the
    bay I sail in is full of sea ice.  Then I just heard that next week's
    lift-in is going to be cancelled for the same reason.  This is the
    first time ever that that Terra Nova Sailing Club has had to postpone
    lift-in for 2 weeks for this reason.  
    
    The good news is that once we get into the water there will be lots of
    bergs to sail around.
    
    and anyway I knew the NZ's wouldn't play fair in the AC, who said they
    could bring a faster boat ?

    re .16
    
       Chill out...., er relax there guy. It will melt soon enough. If it
    gets bad, I'll be glad to take you out for a sail. Erna Ann went in Friday. 
    
    Saturday, tied to a dock having a lunch as we finished stowing the
    last of the gear, the wife remarks "Man, I haven't seen you this happy
    since they hauled the boat last fall...."
    

    WELL FINALLY !
    
    We just had 2 whole days of South West wind and the ice has headed off
    towards Ireland !
    
    Sunday I was at the boat doing some work and the bay was over 70% full
    of ice.  the wind was light and the ice moving slowly.  The wind picked
    up and yesterday I hiked to the top of a big hill that overlooks where
    I sail and you would not believe how much ice had gone.  There was one
    small bergy-bit floating around in the bay, the rest of the ice had
    moved about 15 miles up the bay.  Today most of the pack ice has gone
    and all that is left are some big bergs that are grounded on shoals.
    
    So, the good news is that we will be lifting in this Saturday coming
    and, there will be plenty of bits of ice floating around to cool off
    the tins in the cooler.