help_outline Skip to main content

News & Events

Recap Frostbite #5 13 Feb 2021

Rick Fontenot | Published on 2/16/2021

Recap Frostbite #5
“…moving parts…”
where
      The 5th race of the Club’s 2021Frostbite Series was held Saturday in rather ‘normal’ seasonal conditions. Cloudy, some drizzle, winds about 10, and a somewhat steady temperature of about 40. A cold day, for sure, but not unmanageable. Sounds like what February should be. The forecast had suggested a bit more rain; oh well, you can’t have everything.
      Five skippers and crew were present, and on time, for the 11:00 competitors’ meeting. Once again, the pursuit start process was explained and delay times handed out on strips of blue tape. Once again, the boats gathered near buoy S 20 to await the pre start routine. First to start was the slowest-rated boat, the Catalina 30 “Hang on Sloopy”. At timed intervals, based on each boat’s rating handicap, the remainder of the fleet crossed the starting line bound for buoy 18 in the “big water” area of the lake. Once again, the faster-rated boats slowly began to close the distance to the boats that started ahead of them.

   


     I can’t describe further race details, as after watching the start (actually starts) from sitting on the roof of my truck parked on the point, I drove home and got warm. The racers were probably cold, but I’d suggest the race committee was probably colder. The range in elapsed times for the racers was from 2:56:26 for the first to finish to 3:48:42 for the last to finish. Of note was the contest between the J 22 (ex-commodore JB) and the J 24 (the Bolan Band). Those boats were separated by only 28 seconds at the finish. This after completing a 13.4 mile (that’s nautical miles for some of you) and almost 3 hours. Close racing! That time difference should have been even less, because, to be fair, the J 22 raced with an outdated rating; she should have been allowed to start earlier.
     Only one race remains in the 2021 Frostbite Series. The season scoring for series is about to become interesting. Tony in the J 24 will qualify for season ranking if he sails the final race (you must compete in 4 of the six races to be ranked. Also, if Ben (Cal 9.20) and Kirk (Telstar 28) sail the final race, they will be able to discard their worst score of the series. Race results and season standings-follow the bread crumbs:
     

     Home > Membership > Club Documentation (you must be logged in) > Race/Regatta       documentation (folder icon, not text) > Frostbite Series (folder icon) > Frostbite Series 2021

 

            Oh, if you wondered about the quoted reference at the beginning of this article, it pertains to the start of the race. This one you’ll have to figure out yourself.
Sloopy_spin