SYC Mizzen

Seven Ynglings Complete NA Tune-Up at Saturday Racing

The local Yngling fleet came out in force last Saturday for their final race tune-up prior to the beginning of the Yngling North American Championship here at SYC beginning Thursday.  Ruth Hough continued to impress, winning the day with a pair of bullets and a second; Junior Sailing Race Coach Torey Pellegrini impressed with the other win for the day and a pair of seconds.

The outnumbered Alden fleet completed a pair of races for their penultimate Saturday race day, with Bachelor Button missing a pair of victories by a split second (losing to Cutty Wow by a nose in the first race.)

A pair each of Herreshoffs and Sunfish completed a race, with Truslow's Pooh II taking the H 12 1/2 race, and the crew of Luke Ingalls and George Littlefield leading the Sunfish. 

		Aug15
		Race 1	2	3
	Ynglings
	Orion	5	3	3
	Teal	4	4	6
	Olympic Boat (Ruth Hough)	2	1	1
	Olympic Boat (Mike/Torey)	1	2	2
	Gael Force (MacDonald)	6	7	7
	Loki (Richmond)	3	6	5
	Pat Clancy and Flash	DNF	5	4
	Aldens				August Points
1	Bachelor Button	2	1		6
2	Cutty Wow	1	4		9
3	Augusta	5	5		16
4	Chiquita	6	6		19
4	Java	3	2		19
4	Old Bull	4	3		19
7	Elisha	DNS	DNS		24
8	September Song	DNS	DNS		28
	Sunfish
	Will and Kevin Gallagher	DNF
	Seamus Power / Joe Gallagher	2
	Luke Ingalls / George Littlefield	1
	Herreshoff 12 1/2
	Pooh II	1
	Sea Trout II	2

Ingallses Again in August Atop Parent-Child Challenge

Sunday morning in a lifting fog, Luke Ingalls skippered father John to his second parent-child regatta win in as many months, this time in 420's, with an unbroken string of "bullets".  As in July, George Littlefield and his dad dogged the Ingalls crew, but again scored as runners-up.  Another section of the Ingalls gang, Cob and mom, beat out the rest of the six-boat field to take the bronze.  Henry Burns steered his father Cam in a sailover to take parent-child Sunfish honors for August '09.

Four SYC Opti'ers Compete in Bristol; Lasers come to SYC

On Tuesday, four of SYC's finest headed up the bay to compete in an NBYA regatta for Optimists at Bristol YC. They were only able to compete a small handful of races in very light air.  Luke Ingalls finished second in the "white" fleet (the youngest sailors) while Frankie Harnedy hit the middle of his "blue" fleet.  Nick Oulette Perry and George Littlefield competed in the "green" fleet for first-year opti racers, with George coming in fourth and Nick in the middle of the 30-boat fleet.

While the Optis were away, the Bay's Laser contingent showed up at the shores of the Sakonnet for their annual regatta here.  As in further up the bay light winds prevailed.

On Thursday, the club's 420 teams are on the bay at Sail Newport for their final NBYA one-day regatta before next weeks NBYA Junior Race Week in E. Greenwich.

August Junior Championships Start with Harnedy as Repeat Winner

On Monday five Junior sailors vied for the August edition of the Governor's Cup, sailed in Optimists.  As in July, Frankie Harnedy won "going away."  Also following the July pattern, but this time in reverse order, Aidan Power was runner-up, with George Littlefield taking third in very windy conditions.

Four other SYC championships will take place Wednesday through Friday of this week.  Next week, the final week of the August junior sailing session, will be taken up by Fun Day on Monday, and NBYA Junior Race Week Tuesday through Thursday.  Junior sailors and their families will celebrate the end of a successful season at an awards cookout at 5:30 on Friday, August 21

Teeny Cockpits Key to Plunder in Pirate Battle

Last Sunday morning, close to twenty of SYC's flotilla found out how difficult it is to capture pirate booty when the target is as small as a Sunfish or Laser cockpit.  Completely inept initial pirate ship Bachelor Button had to resort to begging other boats to take up the pirate challenge once they quickly ran out of tennis ball -- and proved incapable of scooping up floating ones to replenish their supply.  When all but one of the fleet fell to persuasion or tennis balls, Hutch Bryant and crew sailed away from the skirmish unpersuaded and unscathed, and won round one. 

Hutch's band of ruffians proved a lot more adept as the initial pirate in round two, and quickly rallied much of the flotilla to join them as pirates (by successfully landing tennis balls in their relatively larger cockpits).  Left "standing" at the end of the skirmish was Rafey Mueller's crew in a Sunfish (their secret was keeping their tiny cockpit on the bottom side of their usually overturned Sunny.)

A rip-roaring time had by all, and many thanks to perennial first pirates Charlie and Mary Truslow who rallied the armada to sea, and shepherded them carefully from Granny Carr.

Evenly Matched Fleets Mark Record Saturday Outing

Five Ynglings, six Aldens, five Sunfish and a pair of Herreshoffs sparred Saturday, and in 8 races only 1 boat notched more than one first place.  Loki, with Bill and Cooper Richmond, and Cobb Ingalls, bested the Yngling fleet in the first two of their races, but fell all the way to fourth in the third with Ruth Hough taking the win.  In the Alden fleet, Bachelor Button and Cutty Wow split the fleet's pair of races (JAVA's usual staff was asea in the Bermuda Triangle).  As a result of the very even racing in both fleets, the winner of August honors is still very much in doubt after half the month has passed.

A pair of Herreshoffs and 5 sunfish rounded out a very busy afternoon last Saturday, with Pooh II losing a nail-biter to Sea Trout II, and Rex Littlefield and Holly Taylor splitting the wins in the pair of Sunfish races sailed.

August results so far:

		8/1	8/1	8/1	8/8	8/8	8/8
	Race #	1	2	3	1	2	3
Ynglings
	Orion	3	2	3	4	2	3
	Teal	5	4	2	2	4	2
	Olympic Boat (Ruth Hough)	1	1	1	3	3	1
	Ouroboros (Flash Power)	6	6	5
	Gael Force (W/A MacDonald)	2	5	DNS
	Gael Force (Jenny H./Flash)				5	5	DNS
	Loki	4	3	4	1	1	4
Aldens									Pts.
1	Cutty Wow	2	4		3	1			10
2	Chiquita	3	2		4	3			12
3	Bachelor Button	4	6		1	2			13
4	Java	1	1		DNS	DNS			16
5	Augusta	7	7		2	4			20
5	Old Bull	5	3		DNF	6			20
7	Elisha	6	5		5	5			21
8	September Song	DNS	DNS		DNS	DNS			30
	Cutty Wow	7	7		2	4		20
	Chiquita	4	6		1	2		13
	Bachelor Button	3	2		4	3		12
	Java	2	4		3	1		10
	Augusta	6	5		5	5		21
	Old Bull	1	1		7	7		16
	Elisha	5	3		6	6		20
	September Song	8	8		7	7		30
Sunfish
	Scott Humphrey	2
	Jim of Barrington YC	1
	Rex Littlefield				1	3
	Nate Taylor				2	2
	Margot Littlefield				3	4
	Holly Taylor				4	1
	Sophie DenUyl				5	5
Herreshoff 12 1/2
	Pooh II	1			2
	Sea Trout II	2			1

NBYA Regatta Registration Primer

Never registered for an NBYA regatta before?  You're in for at least 30 minutes of work, but this primer might make it easier for you (and save you substantial time and anguish.)

Narrangansett Bay Yachting Association (NBYA) runs regattas for juniors in 420's, Lasers and Optis, as well as NBYA Junior Race Week (which is a Jr. Olympic event) during the third week of August each year.  Race week runs for four days with registration occurring the first day, racing on the next three days.

Sailors must be members of NBYA for all of these regattas, and members of USSailing for the race week (they don't need US Sailing memberships for the other regattas.)

For all juniors participating in its regattas, NBYA requires:

• NBYA membership
• An NBYA Liability Waiver and Medical form
• Event registration for each event
• US Sailing membership (for Jr. Race Week only)

Both NBYA and USSailing offer junior memberships and family memberships.  If you have 3 or more members of the same family participating in NBYA in any year it is more economic to get the family membership.

Here's what you should do NOW to make sure your kids are signed up now and avoid the anguish later:

1.  Register or renew your child(ren) for NBYA membership for this year.  Click "NBYA Junior Dues" for one kid; "NBYA Junior Dues (two in family)"; or "NBYA Family Dues" if 3 or more will participate.  There is a membership fee (of course) which can be paid by credit card.  If you want to register for NBYA regattas at this point (see steps 3 and 4), click keep shopping and wait to check out later.

2.  IMPORTANT: Print, complete and mail (or fax) in to the address/number shown, the NBYA Liablity Waiver and Medical Form for each of your children who might/will be participating and send it in today.  It costs nothing but a little time, and is truly aggravating and almost prohibitively difficult to do close to the event.

3.  Pre-register each child for each event he will be sailing in; the list of registration sites for all junior events is here.  Note there is a fee for each event that can be paid by credit card after you've added each to your shopping cart.  Register for each event as soon as you know your kid is going; the ability to register online disappears as few as 2 or 3 days before the event, and the fee goes up if you wait to the day of the event.

4. If your child is going to NBYA Race Week, he will need to be a member of US Sailing.  NBYA has a discount if you register on their site (and you can do it in the same transaction as steps 1 and 3 above) register at "US Sailing Junior Dues" for up the 3 kids; or at "US Sailing Family Dues" if you're paying for 4 or more juniors in the family.

Good luck!

Regattas and Races 2nd and 3rd Weeks of August

The next two weeks are very busy with race opportunities for virtually everyone, with August club championships and three NBYA one-day regattas taking place next week, and the NBYA Junior Race Week taking place the following week.

Coming up for OPTI SAILORS:
Monday, August 10.  Governor's Cup SYC club championship for any and all Opti sailors.  9 AM - 4 PM.  Bring lunch. Sign up in the clubhouse this week.
Tuesday, August 11:  NBYA Opti Regatta at Bristol YC (click link to register on-line today). If you haven't already, print out, sign and mail or fax in the NBYA Participation Waiver and Medical Form today to avoid unnecessary angst later.  Register on-line, AND sign up with Lauren by Friday, August 7 so she can arrange for drivers and instructors. Open to any SYC junior sailor who wants to participate.  There will be a "green" fleet for first timers.
Wednesday, August 12: Commodore Garsh Trophy SYC club championship for Beginners and Advanced Beginners.  9 AM - noon. Sign up in the clubhouse this week.
Monday - Thursday, August 17-20:  NBYA Junior Race Week, E. Greenwich Register your Opti sailor for Race Week today for $85 -- price goes up to $115 at 5:30 Friday, Aug. 7.  Sailors will also have to register as US Sailing members, and NBYA members. If you haven't already, print out, sign and mail or fax in the NBYA Participation Waiver and Medical Form today to avoid unnecessary angst later. Register on-line, AND sign up with Lauren by Friday, August 14 so she can plan. Open to any SYC junior sailor who wants to participate.  There will be a "green" fleet for first year Opti racers.

Coming up for 420 SAILORS:
Wednesday, August 12.  Huntoon Trophy SYC Club Championship in 420's.  This is the big one. 9AM - 4PM.  Bring lunch. Sign up in the clubhouse this week.
Thursday, August 13.  NBYA 420 Regatta at Sail Newport.  (click link to register on-line today). If you haven't already, print out, sign and mail or fax in the NBYA Participation Waiver and Medical Form today to avoid unnecessary angst later.  Register on-line, AND sign up with Lauren by Friday, August 7 so she can arrange for drivers and instructors. Open to any SYC junior sailor who wants to participate.
Monday - Thursday, August 17-20.  NBYA Junior Race Week, E. Greenwich.  Register your 420 sailor today, no later than Friday, Aug. 7 at 5:30 (and be sure his/her boatmate registers as well.) Registration and trailering over on Monday, racing Tuesday-Thursday. Sign up with Lauren by Friday, August 14 so she can plan.  Make sure your sailors are NBYA and US Sailing members!

Coming up for ALL SAILORS -- The SYC Club Championships:  Sign up in the clubhouse THIS WEEK.

Monday, August 10:  Governor's Cup SYC club championship for any and all Opti sailors.  9 AM - 4 PM.  Bring lunch.

Wednesday, August 12: Commodore Garsh Trophy SYC club championship for Beginners and Adv. Beginners.  9 AM - noon.
Wednesday, August 12:  Huntoon Trophy SYC Club Championship in 420's.  9AM - 4PM.  Bring lunch.
Thursday, August 13:  Commodore's Trophy, SYC Club Championship for Sunfish Doubles.  9 AM - 12 noon. 

Friday, August 14: Richmond Trophy, SYC Club Championship for Sunfish singles.  9 AM - 4 PM.

Monday, August 17: Fun Day.
Friday, August 21:  Junior Awards Cookout  5:30.  Parents and families welcome.

Team Racing Draws Enthusiastic Competition -- and Garbage Bags

Six crews of Sakonnet sailors showed up early Sunday morning to team race Ynglings in a light to medium easterly breeze -- perfect for the dodging, ducking and agility which are part of good team racing.  After six races, the Glad Bags beat the Glad Rags 5 races to one in closely fought broadside combat.

The Glad Bags, so named for the boom-mounted streamers which distinguished them from their less flamboyant competitors, comprised all-in-the-family teams of Bill and Cooper Richmond in Loki, Steve and Dan O'Connor in Orion, and (for most of the races) brothers Patrick and Seamus Power in Gosling.  The Glad Rags were led by Team Race Event Organizer Cush Anderson with Will Shore in Ouroboros; Noel Ingalls, Jack Littlefield and cousin Matt Romano in Teal; and Bart Littlefield, new SYC member Rob, and Patrick Gallagher in Gael Force.

Racing was fast and furious over the brilliant windward-leeward course set by Race Committee operative Rachel Hough, requiring boats to round the marks leaving them to starboard -- inviting infinite port-starboard opportunities on the approach to the windward mark.  Part way through the racing, fleet captain Anderson decreed that the first boat to any mark had to loop around it completely, not merely pass it by, thus creating more melee, and leveling the fleet a bit.  Loki, usually the first upwind, got some good practice looping the marks.  The leeward leg saw a lot of action as the teams tried to stomp on opposing boats ahead of them, or slowing others to allow teammates to pass, with the team captains barking orders to their teammates and directing their moves.

Many thanks to Cush Anderson for organizing the event and rustling up the boats.  Race results below:

Race 1		Race 2		Race 3		Race 4		Race 5		Race 6
Glad Bags
Loki	1	Loki	1	Orion	1	Orion	2	Loki	2	Loki	1
Gael Force	2	Orion	2	Loki	2	Loki	3	Orion	3	Orion	3
Orion	3	GF	5	Gos	6	Gos	4	Gos	6	Gos	6
WIN	6	WIN	8	WIN	9	WIN	9		11	WIN	10
Glad Rags
Orobouros	4	Teal	3	Oro	3	GF	1	Teal	1	GF	2
Teal	5	Oro	4	GF	4	Oro	5	Oro	4	Teal	4
Gosling	6	Gos	6	Teal	5	Teal	6	GF	5	Oro	5
	15		13		12		12	WIN	10		11

Racing Boats Set Record in August Opener

Seven Aldens and nearly as many Ynglings, plus a pair each of Sunfish and Herreshoff 12 1/2s showed up on Saturday to start the August session of Sakonnet's Saturday racing.  Ruth Hough led the 6-boat Yngling fleet winning all three races.  Bill Richmond had Loki in the water for his first racing this season, as did Whit and Asher MacDonald, in Gael Force. 

The Woodhouse's piloted JAVA to a pair of firsts in the fierce Alden competition, where photo finishes prevailed.  The Truslow's took the Herreshoff season opener, and Scott Humphrey finally failed to win a Sunfish race this year, following his friend Jim from Barrington over the finish line.

A huge percentage of the floating personnel on Saturday were SYC junior sailors; a baker's dozen teenagers made the noon wake-up call to crew and skipper the Sakonnet fleet.  What reader remembers more sailing competition, or more kids participating, on a Saturday in Sakonnet?

Results from Saturday, August 1:

	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Points
Ynglings
Ruth Hough	1	1	1	3
Orion	3	2	3	8
Teal	5	4	2	11
Loki	4	3	4	11
Gael Force	2	5	DNS	13
Flash Power	6	6	5	17
Aldens
Java	1	1		2
Chiquita	3	2		5
Cutty Wow	2	4		6
Old Bull	5	3		8
Bachelor Button	4	6		10
Elisha	6	5		11
Augusta	7	7		14
September Song	DNS	DNS		16
Herreshoffs
Pooh II	1			1
Sea Trout II	2			2
Sunfish
Jim of Barrington	1
Scott Humphrey	2