JibeTalk

Ten Teams Compete For McIntyre Team Race Trophy

Blessed with great breeze, sunshine and ten of the top teams in JSA, the 2011 JSA of LIS Malcom McIntyre Team Racing Championship was a resounding success!

SUNY Maritime College played host to this three-day event held at the beginning of the week over July 10-12. More than 70 sailors started the event with two hours of clinic and a quick lunch before getting on the water for racing at 1:30. Coaches Michael Collins (Kings Point) and Blaine Pedlow (ex-KP coach) ran 25 races for the teams just on the Eastchester Bay side of the Throggs Neck Bridge in a 12-knot southerly. Both Larchmont and Riverside were on top going into Tuesday, each owning a 5-0 record in the first round robin.

Tuesday brought another gorgeous day of sailing on Long Island Sound, with 40 races completed and the completion of the first round robin in a 10-14 knot westerly. Sailors were challenged by a strong current and puffy wind, but did a great job of adapting and working together in teams. American A & B finished the first round robin tied for third, behind Larchmont and Riverside. Competition was close throughout the fleet, with all clubs racing well and earning wins.

On Wednesday there was more great wind - three days in a row - and once again the teams took to the water for more quality racing. The fleet was split into two groups to determine the championship; the top four would sail a round robin and teams 5-10 would race their own round of six teams.

Seawanhaka and Noroton each tallied four wins in the round of six, with Cedar Point and Sea Cliff A each finishing strongly with three wins apiece. Sea Cliff B and Norwalk sailed well, losing several close races at the finish.

In the final four, Larchmont continued their dominance, wrapping up three wins and finishing the regatta 12-0. American B finished strong, going 2-1 and earning second place. AYC A and Riverside ended tied, with Riverside winning the sail-off for third.

All in all, this was a great event that challenged the sailors in the clinic and on the water. It was great to hear teams calling "great race" to each other and showing the sportsmanship that makes JSA a great organization!

Many thanks are due to Chuck McCarthy who organized the regatta for JSA, Rob Crafa from NY Maritime and the coaches Michael Collins and Blaine Pedlow.

Congratulations to Larchmont Yacht Club for winning the 2011 McIntyre Team Race!

For final result, see JSA Regattas page

- Report compiled by Blaine Pedlow

McIntyre Trophy Team Race Coming Up Soon

JSA sailors will have the opportunity to shake things up a little bit at the upcoming Malcolm McIntyre Trophy Team Racing Championship, to be held July 11-13 at SUNY Maritime College in Throggs Neck, NY. The event will be sailed in collegiate 420s, with no spinnakers or trapezes. 

The McIntyre is both a clinic and a regatta, designed to build and develop foundations in team racing. For high school sailors who look to continue team racing into the summer, this is the perfect opportunity to brush up on skills and pick up some new ones. For those new to team racing, the event will not only introduce new skills, but also help hone fleet racing abilities, particularly in terms of boathandling and tactical smarts. 

The clinic involves on-the-water drills, land-based sessions covering team race tactics and rules, and a review of the round-robin regatta format. Blaine Pedlow, sailing director at the US Merchant Marine Academy and former Head Coach at SUNY Maritime, will lend his expertise in leading the clinic. 

Sailors will put their newly acquired knowledge to test in the regatta portion of the event. Two or more clubs may combine to form one team of three boats. Each team whose entry is accepted must send a minimum of six sailors and a maximum of eight, plus one coach or instructor. If space is avaialable, some clubs may be able to have A & B teams.

Entry deadline: Next Tuesday, July 5. Maximum of 12 teams will be accepted.

Event dates: July 11-13. Clinic and racing will run from 9 a.m. to 5-6 p.m., depending on breeze. The times of the clinic portions of the regatta will be given at the discretion of Blaine Pedlow and may be mixed in between, or before and after races.

NOR: Available here

Spring Laser Regatta and Youth Match Racing

Here are two events that have registrations due this week.

The first is for the Spring Laser Regatta at American YC, Rye NY, on this Saturday, June 18. This is an open event for any Laser Standard or Radial sailor, regardless of age. The NOR and entry form are available on the AYC website.

The second is the Oyster Bay Youth Match Racing Clinegatta (clinic and regatta) at Oakcliff Sailing Center on July 14-17. Entries are due this week (one month in advance) from sailors 16 – 22 years old. For details see the Oakcliff website.

 

Can the iPhone make you the Ultimate Sailor?

 

With the accessibility and convenience of the Internet on phones, virtually any and all information is at one's fingertips. 

The revolution of the iPhone and its applications, or apps, has taken the technology world by storm and leaves no field of interest unexplored, including all elements of sailing. Apple & iTunes supplies an app for every need, concern, want, and interest for sailors. 

Whether you're learning the ropes or have had a lifetime of experience, 'there's an app for that' on the iPhone.  Listed below are a few of the top sailing applications for iPhones, check them out and see which ones best fit you!

For the Skipper-in-Training:
- SailX     
Simulating a full-featured sailing environment, learn the ins and outs of sailing and racing through this communally interactive app.  Through the SailX tactical trainer, get access to real-time regattas and communicate with other online sailors in addition to simulated sailing environments.  The app features three racing formats (fleet, team, match-race), five boat types (laser, catamaran, skiff, team, keelboat), and tons of simulations ranging from wind effects to sheet control.  SailX allows you to get access to live regattas while simulating real life scenarios, so you can be knowledgeably ready for anything.
- You-Tack Pro  
 For those who still need to brush up on their racing rules, You-Tack Pro is any captain's dream.  The app is a comprehensive way of learning and reviewing all the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing through illustrations, explanations, 3D animated quizzes, definitions, and description.  This easy to use app tests your sailing knowledge through simulations of real life scenarios; some of the quizzes include 'Sailing Upwind', 'Windward Mark', and 'Learning Signals'.  An added bonus: the quizzes are taken from the International Sailing Association Federation Case Book for 2009-2012.  Save your quiz results and specific rules in the favorites folder for a quick brush-up before any race.

For the savvy navigator & tactician:
- iNavX 
Looking for an easier way to keep your charts handy?  The iNavX app keeps all the official NOAA RNC US water marine charts in the palm of your hand.  iNavX covers all West Coast, Gulf Coast, East Coast, Great Lakes, Alaska, Hawaii, and US Virgin Islands charts in detail.  In addition, the app's built in GPS helps you plot your current position, map waypoints & routes, and track your progress.  Plot, zoom, scroll, and navigate with this 5 star rated app!

For the sailing history buff:
- History of Sailing  
Expand your horizon of sailing knowledge with this friendly, illustrative app.  The History of Sailing app covers the history of sailing through facts, illustrations, and engaging stories.  Browse through chapters of sailing physics, history, and points of sail to become a full-fledged sailing history expert.  One reviewer testified, "I had my friend who knew nothing about sailing give this a read for 30 minutes, he was able to carry on a conversation with me about sailing physics.  It’s a great guide to what sailing is all about."

For the 'can't-get-enough-sailing' enthusiast:
- Live Skipper 
One of the first multiplayer sailing games for the iPhone, Live Skipper is a virtual regatta simulator.  Create a boat, choose sails, watch the weather, and start competing in races around the world with real virtual opponents.  This app brags a 50,000+ player community, with the favorite feature being the real weather conditions simulated.  With a new race beginning every Friday, only one of the competing boats can come in first place.  Now you can get your sailing fix on or off the water.

- American Sailing Association 
Designed for new and experienced sailors, the ASA app is designed to fit and enhance the sailing lifestyle.  This app has everything for everyone: learn the art of typing knots, brush up on the identification of nautical flags and vessel lighting, find sailing schools in your area, and tons more.  Need to look up a quick term?  The app comes with a full sailing glossary for reference.  Want to check the forecast?  The app has direct access to the ASA Social Media Gateway, featuring national and satellite radars, tropical conditions for US cities, 5-day forecasts, wind data, and tide predictions.  Interested in to-the-minute sailing updates?  Use the app for direct connection to ASA's Facebook updates and Twitter feed.  ASA has always maintained a mission to "promote education and safety throughout the sailing community", and they continue to do so through their extensive app.

Download these apps and become the handiest sailor on or off the water.  Turns out, the ultimate sailor can fit right in your pocket.

And here are some other apps mentioned by our Facebook fans:
 - Ayetides
AyeTides displays tides and currents for nearly 10,000 location around the world. It is a stand-alone application and does not require internet access to function. 
 - MotionX GPS 
Designed and used by Philippe Kahn during his record setting Transpacific Run. The app has a virtual compass for navigation and a stopwatch to record time, distance, speed and average pace. MotionX-GPS is a great way to compare results from one race to the next and at the end of the day.
 - Animated Knots by Grog:
Are you all tied up in knots? Well, this app has been created by re-engineering the content of the very popular website, including all the knot tying animations and descriptions.
 - WindAlert
WindAlert is an app that draws from a database that includes over 40,000 weather stations across the globe. Features include favorite lists of weather stations separated into unique user-generated profiles and customizable wind alerts delivered through the iPhone when conditions reach thresholds set by the user.

Did we miss any iPhone apps that you find useful? Or do you prefer Android apps? Let us know by leaving a comment here.

This article was contributed by our guest author, Ali Tortorello, from Boston University, whose family sails out of Cedar Point YC in Westport CT.   

If you also have a story you'd like to share, please contact us and we'll get you published on JibeTalk!

 

Middle School Sailing Team in Sag Harbor NY

Well, I know about many high school sailing teams that sail Club 420s. But I did not know about a middel school team that sails Optimists!

In Sag Harbor NY, however, the Pierson Middle School team fields about 15 students who file down to the Breakwater Yacht Club on Tuesday and Thursday afternoons and step into one of several Optimist dinghies that wait for them by the shore.

The students each lug their own sails, dagger boards and rudders to their small boats and rig the vessels themselves before setting sail.

Teacher Richard Terry is the only paid coach, but several parents volunteer to help with the program, including Steve Clarke, whose daughter is part of the middle school club, and Marty Knab, whose ninth grade son is out on the water each week.

The Pierson sailing program was started seven years ago when Richard Terry volunteered to supervise a small group of five to six high school students who had expressed interest in the sport. After some time, the high school team grew, and about five years ago Terry said he expanded the Pierson program to include a middle school club, which he described as “a farm team for the high school program.” The middle school club, he explained, would train students at an earlier age, better preparing them for the high school level. “I’d really like to see a strong racing team in the future,” he said.

“The school board and the district think the sailing program is great. Sailing can be a way for students to learn life-long lessons through sport,” said Sag Harbor School Board member Mary Anne Miller.

See full article in The Sag Harbor Express, by Claire Walla
 

McIntyre Team Racing at MMA

This year’s JSA McIntyre Team Race Championship was hosted by the United States Merchant Marine Academy on August 1st - 3rd.  The regatta started with a one day clinic that all of the 7 teams participated in.  The team race clinic was run by the Assistant Dinghy coach Michael Collins and Morgan Wilson, a senior skipper on the Old Dominion University sailing team.  The two coaches lead the 48 sailors in a series of classroom lectures and on the water drills.  The main objective of the clinic was to provide the teams with a day to learn about the provided boats, familiarize themselves with the sailing venue and to learn some team racing pointers.

Starting on Monday morning, all seven teams began the regatta portion of the McIntyre Team Race.  With great breeze between 8 and 12 knots throughout the day, the teams completed a full round robin and started a second.  Cedar Point and American YC 1 showed great form straight away, with outstanding boatspeed and team racing awareness while running off to a 6-0 and 5-1 start, respectively.  Finding a new groove later in the day, Noroton YC rebounded from a loss to Sea Cliff to close the gap with Larchmont and American YC 2, making the action on Tuesday promise to be very dramatic!

Long Island Sound provided great wind for the competitors once again as the teams took to the water on Tuesday morning.  With Cedar Point and American YC 1 comfortably in 1st and 2nd, the closest racing was between Noroton, Larchmont and American 2 for the last berths in the final four.  Noroton clinched a berth to the via their two wins over both teams after narrowly escaping a scare against Manhasset Bay, leaving the final berth available to the winner of the Larchmont/American 2 race.  With a 1-2-3 finish in their final race, the Larchmont team won the tiebreaker with American 2 and advanced to the finals.

In the final four, Cedar Point came out strong with an early victory over Larchmont.  American YC was in great form for most of their race against Noroton, but a windward leeward foul only 10 seconds from the finish forced AYC to do a penalty turn, handing the close race to Noroton.

Asked to rebound from the loss quickly, American YC squared off against Cedar Point YC in the final race of the final four.  Cedar Point already had the regatta in hand with a two win advantage, but the resilient American team knew that a win over CPYC would leave them feeling very competitive.  With a great play at the weather mark, Cedar Point sailed most of the race in a stable 1-4-5, but their first place boat lost the 1 as they approached the leeward mark. American attempted to convert their 1-3 passback for the win, but Cedar Point's 2nd boat was able to delay them and convert their team to a 1-3-4 as they approached the finish.  With American charging out of the right side, Cedar Point lead boat had to tack quickly and cross the finish - where they missed the hiking straps and fell out of their boat!  In the messy situation that ensued (including a skipper-less CPYC boat near the finish), American was able to sneak across the line in a 1,3 combination, taking the win in the final race.

This was a very fun regatta, with much excitement, competition and improvement over the three-day event!  All seven teams showed great ability and promise to be a great challenge for eachother next year!

Final Results:

1. Cedar Point YC 13-2

2. American YC-One 12-3

3. Noroton YC 9-6

4. Larchmont YC 6-8

Consolation Round

5. American YC-Two 8-6

6. Sea Cliff YC 2-12

7. Manhasset Bay YC 0-14

Optis Learn Team Racing at Noroton

This past Monday and Tuesday, clubs from western Long Island Sound sent their best Opti sailors to Noroton for the annual team-racing regatta.

Unlike most team racing, Opti team racing takes place with four on four teams. There was a lot of great competition out there as the sailors battled big tide and tough conditions. 

On the first day of racing, the day started out strong and the RC was able to get 19 out of 36 races off before the thunderstorms moved in. Wednesday started off much lighter, and nothing filled in after the rain came through making racing impossible. 

The RC set nice, short courses to get as many races off as they could. This year also saw the event shift from a triangle course to the digital N, the course favored at high school and college level team racing events. This not only let the RC get more races off, but introduced sailors to a course that many of them had not yet sailed but is an integral part of team racing.

 The final results were: 

• 1st Gold: LISOT
• 2nd Gold: Larchmont A
• 3rd Gold: Pequot

• 1st Silver: Riverside
• 2nd Silver: American
• 3rd Silver: Larchmont B

Despite the tough conditions, the sailors learned a lot about team racing. Team racing is a very important part of sailing, and forms the backbone of the sailing these kids will be doing in high school and college. When I got out on the water, I was impressed at the way these young sailors were pushing themselves to use some of the team racing skills their coaches had taught them in practice. I saw some junior sailors setting mark traps and attempting passbacks. The sailors really enjoyed the event, and I am sure the skills they are learning now will serve them well as they move into other boats. 

Thanks to Noroton YC, event chairman Chris Daley, race officers Karl Ziegler and Gerard Koeppel and the RC for hosting this event and running a very fun regatta. 

McIntyre Team Racing Trophy and Clinic are Fast Approaching

The JSA Team Race Championship for the McIntyre Trophy will be held August 2-3 at the US Merchant Marine Academy at King's Point. This year, in order to accommodate Sears, Bemis, Smythe semi-finals, a one day mandatory clinic will be held on Sunday in lieu of a two day clinic. Sailors who don't go to the clinic cannot compete in the McIntyre.

The McIntyre promises to be a great clinic and regatta. It is a chance for JSA sailors to develop their team racing skills. Team racing is the bread and butter of college sailing, and at the McIntyre sailors will be sailing at first rate facilities with first rate instruction. 

This year the navigation test will be offered at the McIntyre for sailors who want to attend the race but want to go on the Beach Point and the Dorade PHRF regattas as well. Instead of having to drive back to their area's testing location, sailors can take the navigation test at King's Point. 

Your club may work with sailors from a nearby club to form a combined team and a large club may be able to form two teams. Each team can have two replacements (provided that everyone one the team attends the clinic). If you want to be part of your club's team, talk to your coach this week, because registrations are due July 16. 

Taking Team Racing to the Next Level

Team racing is a fast growing, and important, part of the junior sailing experience. It forms the backbone of college sailing and more and more junior programs are including a team racing component. As anyone who has spent time doing it can attest, team racing also happens to be incredibly fun and entertaining. Team racing could play a vital role as the sailing community tries to raise sailing's profile, especially as the America's Cup continues to draw fewer viewers than before. The push to get team racing included in the Olympics by 2020 is an important movement for the sailing community.

Ken Legler, Tufts' famous head coach, has written a report on how we can take team racing to the next level both in terms of quality of competition and profile. In his challenge to the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA), Ken lays out some steps to raise awareness of team racing outside of the Anglosphere: Our college sailing tour of the British Isles takes place every four years with BUSA (British Universities Sailing Association) sailors coming here in between. How about we take our tour on the road every summer beyond the British Isles? We need to hit non-English emerging nations that have great influence within ISAF. 

Junior sailors in America and LIS are familiar with team racing from the college sailing and events like the McIntyre. A push to educate non-English speaking countries about team racing can jump-start team racing's popularity. There are rumors that the ISAF is considering downgrading Team Racing Worlds if more countries don't show up. That would be a pity, as team racing represents a great opportunity for sailing. Read all of Ken's thoughtful proposal here.