Mudheads - 2009 Hospice Regatta

MRMSA Regatta's

I would especially l like express my appreciation and graditude to our support crew in their efforts to help raise money for Southeastern Connecticut Hospice.

Crew: Seth, Megan, Bob & RW
Winds: SW at 8 to 16 kts
Current: flood - North Hill 1410
Start time: 1100 & 1325
Start/Finish: between GLP & Horseshoe
Course: s/f-DM-s/f, Distance:  5.6 & 8 nm
Shrouds: Base +3, +5, +3

The first race was a two lapper to a drop mark 1.4 nm southwest at 265 degrees.  As Class 4, we were the fourth to start following the faster Classes 1 thru 3.  The Shields were Class 5, next came the Ensigns on the same course but with a windward mark set at 1.0 nm.

Starting in a cool steady 12 knots, rather than get swallowed in the starboard parade, I elected to port from near the pin, even if it meant ducking most if not all of the fleet.   Just prior the gun, the knotmeter quit a distraction we did our best to ignore.   Once we were well clear of the line, and up to speed Seth was able to clear it with a few sweeps of the kelp stick.  We seemed to be doing quite well against the larger faster boats paralleling us well to windward, so consolidated on starboard till clear for all sterns.  On starboard and in spite of the ebb the waves and chop were significant for our small boat.  Once we tacked back to port for a long port towards the layline, the seas were much more tolerable.  We had a good set and a great run downwind in a fraction of the time spent on the beat.   The wind direction appeared steady yet stronger on the south side of the course so we opted for the starboard leeward gate and extended to near the port layline, followed by a more comfortable long port to near the final layline at the mark and another fast run to the finish.  As usual we were the last boat to finish yet corrected to a 2nd place.

Mudhead Hospice Regatta - 2008

MRMSA Regatta's

Saturday, July 19, 2008 Crew €“ Megan, Seth, Bob & RW
Current: flood - North Hill; ebb 1210
Start/Finish: West of Horseshoe Reef Race
Winds: W at 6 to 12 kts
Course: s/f- DM -s/f * 2, Bearing 270, Distance:  6.0 nm
Start: 1130 Shrouds: +3, +4, +2

 With a forecast of winds into the mid-teens out of the southwest, we started the day with the rig cinched tight, prepared for an exhilarating ride.  Unfortunately, this never came to pass. We started in ten plus knot, near the RC for clear air, yet had to take a short port out of the bad air regardless.  Back on starboard we continued offshore to ride the last of the flood, as we chose on the subsequent upwind leg also with the thought of avoiding the stronger ebb along the shore.  The upwinds were our downfall, as we did not have enough drive in the chop with the tight rig.  Jibing in phase with the shifts, we faired much better on our downwinds, though not enough to overcome our upwind deficits. 

Leukemia Cup - 2006

Seth Magner MRMSA Regatta's

Current: ebb Ram Island 1014 hours High Tide: Noank 1341 hours Wind: SSW 10 to 14, occasional 16 kts Crew: Brian, Seth & RW Two races (w/l), two laps each; only five boats in our class.

Class 5 scratch sheet PHRF Park Place - O’Day 34, 151 Valiant - Tarten 34, 184 Jolly Mon - C&C 30, 195 Mentor - Pearson 26, 211 SeTherin - Catalina 22, 273

While motoring out to the starting area southwest of Horseshoe and considering the ominous dark skies to the west and the blustery forecast, I decided to cinch up the shrouds two turns each in anticipation of wind in the mid-teens. For the first race the RC set up the windward drop mark out towards North Hill 180 degrees at 1.25 nm for two laps. For the first series the RC started the classes in reverse order with the Shields (Class 6) first. We got a good start at 1135, and stuck to our strategy of covering our competition. As long as the winds remained above 12, we were able to hang with Mentor thru the waves and chop. With Brian & Seth working the flattening-reef & boomvang in unison in the puffs, we were able to minimize the heel and keep her relatively flat.

Leukemia Cup Race Report - 2004

Seth Magner MRMSA Regatta's

Saturday ? July 24, 2004 Foredeck ?Dave Constanzo Trim ? Bob Fagan Mid ? Seth Magner Helm ? Rich Magner

Waking up to the sound of rain, I forced myself out of bed while listening to a forecast for a wet a dreary day. A bit before ten, we motored out to the starting area in low cloud cover and a NNW wind of about ten knots. With the flood beginning at 1041 and the first start scheduled for about 1100, we felt the current would not be nearly as significant the first race as the second.

MRMSA Volvo Leukemia Cup - 2003

Seth Magner MRMSA Regatta's

Date: 07/26/2003 Log Entry: Race
Weather: Clear, Wind: WSW 10-8 <5, 5-7 kt
Current: flood 1540 RI
Course: Two WL races Distance: 8.0
Crew: Dave C. - foredeck, Bob - mid, Seth - aft, RW-helm

MRMSA Volvo Leukemia Cup
Winds: 8-10 kts, slacking to <5 (1st race), 5-7 kts (2nd race)
Start – just west of Horseshoe Reef,  1115 hrs first race, 1340 hrs second race
Course #1 – windward to DropMark 1.5 nm at 230 degrees, two laps
Course #2 – windward to DropMark 1.0 nm at 245 degrees, two laps (shortened to 1 lap)
Current: ebbing, flood to start 1540 hrs at Ram Island

We left the dock with a forecast of late morning & afternoon winds of 15 knots and greater. In the first race, Seth got us off to a good start midline, and we tacked at the first opportunity to a favored port tack with compass numbers of 265 to 275 for some westing near the shore in less current.

With a total of six tacks to lay the mark, a bearway set on the rounding and a jibe soon as traffic allowed, Dave handling the foredeck for the first time like a pro, we then carried port all the way to the leeward mark.   After a smooth douse and rounding in 8 kts of wind, hardening up I found us headed now to 315. Over-reacting, I elected to tack out on starboard, which would not have been so bad had the wind not died five minutes later as we neared Sea Flower, in the middle of the channel, current headed with no avenue for relief. We should have hugged the shore regardless of the header.  Thirty-five minutes into the leg and still shy of the mark with Valiant (Tartan 34) for company, the chase boat came out asking us to withdraw so they could get the second race underway. We quickly mounted the outboard and scooted back to the starting area. 

In the second race, Seth got us off again to a good midline start.  We again tacked to port, wind favored and the best tack for current relief along the shore. Just short of Pine Island, we swapped tacks for a long hitch towards the windward mark. Snagging a lobster pot on the rudder about four minutes into starboard, found Seth head first off the stern rail, Bob hanging onto his ankles to free us in less than 30 seconds. Nearly laying the mark, amid much congestion and shouting, we tacked back out and purposely overstood to clear all the commotion, got a good set and jibed to favored port and found ourselves ahead of Hellfire for a twenty minute race to the finish, in winds of only 5 to 6 we stayed high, then jibed back to starboard for the final ten minutes to the finish crossing four seconds ahead of Hellfire.  They made a mistake similar to our rounding of the leeward mark in the first race, and took starboard out from the start.  We finished 3rd in the second race, and 6th overall out of 11 boats in our class, considering our DNF in the first race.

Thanks so much to all for your contributions, to the Leukemia Society. We gathered $738 in SeTherin’s behalf.

Notes-
Scaling it out on a chart later, I determined, had we gone the other way on the second windward leg of the first race, we may have made the windward mark, though probably not avoided the withdrawl request, as the wind had diminished over the whole course by that time. In the second race, the first leg took us 45 minutes to the windward mark with a 1 nm rhumbline, where we withdrew just 35 minutes into the second leg of the first race with a 1.5 nm rhumbline in similar winds.

Discuss our options tacking on the header versus current relief

So much for the forecast