Flying Scot Midwinters Final

Friday 27 March

Allan and Katie Terhune are the Champions! One race was sailed in a building breeze as a front approaches Tampa Bay.

Wind 4-32 mph from the South East, temperature 80.

Day four of the 2009 Flying Scot Mid Winters in St. Petersburg, Florida.

When we came to the Yacht Club, the wind was around 15-18mph. The race was scheduled to be on time. We had a bumpy ride to the start and were ready in full foul weather gear for a windy race. But, the wind was slacking off and by the time we arrived at the committee boat we had stripped off all our waterproofs to stay cool.

We had a terrible start. With the pin heavily favored we were outmaneuvered on the line by fellow competitors and the current. In an attempt to make the pin, we fouled someone and had to do our 720. Nothing is more frustrating than to do a 720 at the start line. We had been geared up to defend our 5th overall position and a 720 on the start line doesn’t really help a crew and helm to maintain a positive outlook in such a highly competitive fleet. We struggled to get over the line and were a good two minutes and a half behind the fleet. Sticking to our original race plan we made our way to the right hand side of the course for the first beat.

By the first rounding of the windward mark we had caught the majority of the fleet who had favored the left. The wind was picking up for the downward leg which meant we could take advantage of our speed on the run to the first rounding of the leeward mark. By the time we reached the second downwind run the wind had increased considerably. We were not planing anymore and were in real danger of either taking off (we decided against this as we had not filed our flight plan with Tampa International Airport!) or sinking our bow into the oncoming waves. All I can say is; thank god for the invention of the auto ratchet and an experienced crew.

Anticipating a bumpy ride to the finish line we had no time to readjust our clothing from shorts and t-shirts to foul weather gear so we just painted huge grins on our faces. My crew quite enjoyed the bumpy windy beat to the line as one sails in the Puget Sound and the other in the Solent (UK) and were screaming that it was just like sailing in the height of summer in their respective waters (unfortunately it wasn’t raining so they were a little disappointed!) Again we favored the right and were able to pinch in front of two boats on the line. Due to the windy conditions racing was abandoned for the day and we had a beautiful plane back to the harbor hooting and hauling all the way.

It had been a long hard few days of sailing and now we could have some fun and just sail Njord with a relaxed hand on the helm. By our mental calculations, we thought we were about 11th in the last race; we had lost our 5th position. Did we mind? Well, yes we did because we are competitive. But then again, no we didn’t mind as we had experienced a great few days of close competitive sailing with a great bunch of fellow sailors in a great location.

It was a little sad knowing that when we lifted Njord out of the water she would be placed on her trailer and covered up for the ride back to Selby Bay, MD. However that thought was quickly replaced when we found out that we had finished 8th which meant we had maintained our overall 5th position. Heineken flowed and we packed up tired but very happy. Thank you to the St Petersburg Yacht Club and the Race Committee for a wonderful regatta. See you all in August for the Nationals in Ephraim.

Team Njord.







Final results are posted on the FSSA homepage.

Flying Scot Midwinters Day 3

Thursday 26 March

Wind 16-12 mph from the East, temperature 80.

Two races were completed in nice sunny weather with a solid breeze early that tapered off in the afternoon.

We arrived to a postponement which was taken down at 10:15. Again today we had a great Top Gun session covering the tactics of finishing.

Our first course today (W5 1.1) saw the right hand side favored during the first beat. This didn’t hold true for the second beat. Again we saw the breeze dropping during the race. The downwind runs were just as painful with pressure hard to find.
It started with 12 mph wind, but at every leg the wind became less and less. Coupled with sufficient chop it was difficult the keep the boat moving. The last beat it was important to play the shifts and not to bang it in a corner. It is probably fair to say that we were happy to cross the finishing line.

The second race started off in light winds. By the middle of the first beat it had virtually disappeared on the course and the safety boats raced around the fleet telling all that the race had been abandoned. We limped our way to the Committee Boat and waited for a promised sea breeze. A leisurely lunch was eaten and thoughts of taking a dip in the bay crossed the mind of my crew. But the promised breeze arrived and a short course was posted (W3 0.8) which made for an exciting last race of the day.




Results are up on the FSSA homepage.

Flying Scot Midwinters Day 2

Wednesday 25 March

Wind 18-2 mph from the East, temperature 80.

Day two of the 2009 Flying Scot Mid Winters in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Wednesday saw our first postponement. This was due to an easterly wind gusting between 18-22mph making the waves near the breakwater too treacherous for the fleet to leave the harbor. The hour and a half postponement meant that we could spend some extra time in the excellent Top Gun program organized by Greg Fisher. We all left the classroom ready to attempt the perfect start and a little more confident about dealing with the waves on the beat and the downwind portions of the course.

When the postponement flag was taken down we left the breakwater in a pleasant 15mph wind and significantly fewer large waves than earlier. The first race was a windward/leeward five times around with the right hand side of the course favored on the first beat. The wind was decreasing throughout the race and by the second downwind leg, it had virtually stopped. This made the rounding of the leeward mark the second time a challenge as we struggled to round the mark and begin the final beat to the finish. The fleet split significantly to the left and right sides of the course desperately searching for pressure and the better tide. The top five boats decided to favor the right side of the course, where a potential sea breeze could arrive. We decided to follow the left as it gave us a more direct transit to the finish line. Making my crew hike out on the leeward side to keep the boat heeled at the optimum angle we made good progress on the fleet to the right hand side and maintained our position, to finish 6th.

The second race started in an unexpected sea breeze that kicked in a few hours early, much to the amazement of the locals in the fleet and the race committee. The race was a short course windward/leeward three times with a 0.8m beat to the first mark. The current played a large factor and made the right side of the course favored on the beat and the left favoured on the downwind. It was a very tight race with the fleet not having the chance to spread out and we all went home tired and happy looking forward to the buffet dinner at the St. Petersburg Yacht Club that evening.

The reception was well attended and the great food (and drinks!) well appreciated. We all had fun in the raffle and enjoyed the presentation by the Mount Ephraim Yacht Club, where the 2009 National Championships will be held in the first week of August.

The wind graph for Wednesday

Complete results are posted on the FSSA home page.

Hans

Flying Scot Midwinters 2009

Tuesday 24 March

Wind 15-8 mph from the East, temperature 80.

Day One of the 2009 Flying Scot Midwinters in St. Petersburg, Florida.

A strong high front over the Carolinas gave us an unexpected Easterly breeze for our 11:00 starting signal and a well set line allowed the fleet to get off the start cleanly. A first beat of 1.9miles saw us battling to get through the waves on starboard tack, this was especially true for the lighter crews. This beat saw the usual suspects rounding ahead of the main body of the fleet. Almost all jibed immediately at the offset mark to take advantage of the port tack which offered exciting surfing conditions. There was an obvious advantage in jibing as soon as possible on this downwind run. Conditions remained pretty stable throughout this first race. The top 10 in the Champions Fleet were as follows:
1. GYA 318 Cordero
2. 5761 Terhune
3. 5871 Carpenter
4. 5509 Warner
5. 5341 Weisleder
6. 5671 Goldman
7. 5744 Noordanus
8. 2333 Tyrrell
9. 5055 Guenther
10. 5535 Cooke

The second race began with similar conditions to the first, but these soon gave way to lighter winds and a slack current. The infamous “St Pete Swiss” soon kicked in as holes developed in a seemingly random pattern on the race course.

1. 5761 Terhune
2. 4925 Linton
3. 5622 Malmgren
4. 5341 Weisleder
5. GYA318 Cordero
6. 680 Miller
7. 5671 Goldman
8. 5055 Guenther
9. 5744 Noordanus
10. 3683 Williams

Both courses were W5 (3 upwind, 2 downwind legs)



Here is a graph of the days wind but the readings here are on the low side compared to actual conditions.

Hans

Flying Scot Midwinter Warm-up, March 21 and 22, 2009

Attention all Flying Scot sailors: The 2009 Midwinter Warm-up regatta begins two months from today. The venue has changed from previous years and will be hosted by the Sarasota Sailing Squadron (SSS) in beautiful Sarasota FL.

For many of you a visit to SSS will be your first and should not be missed. This is the home of the Florida District's largest Flying Scot fleet and is the favorite venue for many of us in the District. The club is decidedly casual, perhaps a little rustic and reminds many of us of "Old Florida" before the explosion of condos and urban sprawl. The sailing venue is awesome. Sarasota Bay offers protected sailing in clear, beautiful water and a reliable sea breeze. Some visitors have commented that it seems more like the Caribbean than Florida but in truth, that may be a slight exaggeration.

As the crow flies the club is just 30 miles south of the St. Petersburg YC. Driving time between the two clubs averages about 45 to 50 minutes. Racing will begin Saturday March 21 and should wrap up Sunday in the early afternoon with awards to follow. Those heading off to St. Pete should be there in time for dinner but Monday is an open day so, there is no rush.

Sarasota is one of Florida's nicest cities and offers a wide variety of shopping, restaurants lodging and just about everything a tourist would want. Like most areas in Florida, March is the busy season so hotel reservations should be made right away. For the budget conscious or nature lovers, camping (free) is allowed on the SSS grounds.

To help you get acquainted here is a link to the SSS website; http://www.sarasotasailingsquad.com/ From the home page you can click "About Us" and then "Visiting Sailors" for local information on lodging, directions, weather, etc.

The NOR link is; http://www.sarasotasailingsquad.com/_uploads/2009ODMidwintersNOR.pdf Note; the NOR is a pdf and may take a minute to load. You will notice this is a multi-class regatta but the Scots will have a designated race course with no other classes.

Some cool aerial photos can be viewed by clicking; http://marinas.com/view/marina/2805#Scene_1

With a little cooperation from "Mother Nature" you can be assured you will be glad you came and looking forward to your next return. See you in Sarasota!

New Flying Scots on Sale Now!!

January 13, 2009 - UPDATE

Flying Scot, Inc. is pleased to provide eleven new Flying Scots to the 2009 Adams Cup finals at Bay Waveland Yacht Club near Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. These boats will not have been sailed prior to the event and could be picked up after the event on September 26, 2009. Ordering one of these boats now with a deposit makes it possible for you to get into a new Flying Scot at a great price. Place your order early to pick your colors and save on accessories. Boats will be assigned on a first come first served basis. These boats are race rigged and are complete with anchor, paddle and compass. They are also complete with main, jib and spinnaker sails, galvanized trailer and tie-down rig.

Delivery to other areas may be available at an additional cost. Details of how these boats will be rigged are as follows:

Flying Scot complete
Main, jib and cross cut spinnaker – North
Galvanized trailer and tie-down
Mast hinge
Jib sheet cleated on seat with Harken auto ratchet
2:1 jib sheet rig
360 swivel cleat for centerboard
Ronstan X-10 fixed h-o stick
Mainsheet – 5/16 polypro - rigged 3:1 with Harken Carbo blocks
Spinnaker rig and spinnaker pole
Two rings on mast for pole
Spinnaker halyard led aft with take-up reel
Spinnaker guy hooks on deck with cleats at chainplates
Spinnaker sheets – ¼” Ultra-lite - internal system with self-ratchet cheek blocks under seat
Spinnaker turtles on forward seat corners
Outhaul – 6:1 internal wire
Cunningham system led aft to console
Vang – 12:1 cascade purchase led aft to console cleat
Pole lift – 2:1 - led through deck to console cleat
Pole downhaul – shock cord through deck
Lifting bridle
Mast head fly
Break-away rudder blade hold down pin
Aquameter compass and mount
Safety equipment - anchor & line, paddle, cushion, whistle, bucket & chamois
Price complete $19,460.00
Less Adams 2009 discount – 15% - 2,919.00
$16,541.00
Class measurement certificates for hull and sails 85.00
Freight to Bay Waveland Yacht Club, Bay St. Louis, MS 500.00
Total price delivered $17,126.00

Deposit of approximately 50% ($8,600.00) due with the order and balance due on delivery following the 2009 Adams finals on September 26.

Order early and save!
An order and deposit placed by June 19, 2009 will receive up to $500 in free additional accessories. Order by July 17, 2009 and get up to $300 in free accessories. Order by August 14, 2009 and get the first $100 in accessories free.

Prices are subject to change without notice. Freight is approximate and subject to change with fluctuating fuel prices.