I've had quite a few email inquiries asking for more details, so here they
are:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This is a really fun sailing destination. Good winds, flat water, lots of
sloughs to explore and lots of restaruants and bars if you want to indulge.
If you can't sail for the whole weekend, make it a daysail.
We'll be launching by ramp from Buckley Cove Launch, right at the end of
March Lane, off Highway 5 just north of Stockton. (Take the March Lane exit
and head west.) Last year the fee was $7 for launching and overnight
parking. Plenty of parking if you arrive fairly early. Good ramp.
We'llbe sailing on the San Jaquin River, mainly in the Stockton Deep Water
Channel. Currents on this part of the river rarely exceed 2 knots, if my
memory serves me. As always, it's prudent to get a chart or a fisherman's
map of the Delta and bring it with you.
VERY IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTICE: ******WINDS TYPICALLY RANGE FROM 10-25
KNOTS********. You are responsible for sailing safely within your own skill
limitations and the limitations of your boat. You should be familiar and
comfortable with the standard inland "Rules of the Road". You MUST BE ABLE
TO REEF YOUR SAILS (or otherwise reduce sail area) and you MUST HAVE A
RELIABLE OUTBOARD to participate. If the winds are too strong for your
sailing skills, please lower your sails and motor. All boats with swing
keels are asked to keep their keels tied down so they can't capsize. THERE
WILL BE NO RESCUE OR COMMITTEE BOAT, and, since sailing is an inherently
dangerous sport, we cannot be responsible for rescuing you. Of course, if
anyone gets in trouble, individual skippers will make attempt to assist you
as long as they don't endanger their own safety.
~~~~~~~~~~~THE RACE~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Skippers' meeting at 8:30 am Saturday at the ramp! Don't be late!!! Race
starts at 10:30.
The 2 mile race is upwind to Windmill Cove Marina on Roberts Island. First
one to turn into the entrance to the cove is the winner. There's a bar and
restaurant at Windmill Cover, and we'll have lunch and award the prizes and
trophies on the deck overlooking the River. After lunch, there will be time
for more sailing.
This is a "gentlemen's race". The standard "Rules of the Road" will apply,
not the complete racing rules because we assume cruisers don't know the
racing rules. No protests, no penalties. Largest headsail allowed is a 155%
genoa (but it'll probably be too windy for such a large sail.)
The main rule is sail safely and don't hit anybody or anything. Adhere to
all the normal "Rules of the Road" especially since we will be sharing the
river with many other craft. We want this to be a relaxing, safe event for
everyone involved. Therefore, overly-aggressive skippers will be penalized
by buying a round of beers and then walking the plank. (Seriously, anyone
sailing recklessly or too agressively for the safety of other less skilled
skippers in the group will be asked to quit the race)
We'll start the race at about 10:30 Saturday. Start will be by horn with a
countdown starting at five minutes, with no committe boat. We wait till
everybody is somewhere near the starting line, so the time isn't exact. The
starting line is between two towers near the launch area. The starter will
probably also be racing, but we may get lucky and have somebody volunteer to
act as starter who's not racing, just along for the weekend of sailing.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Weekend Schedule~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Saturday evening, we'll stay at Wind Mill Cove Marina, and dine in the
restaurant right there. They have good, cheap-to-moderately priced food or
you can cook in your boat. Last year the marina fee was $5 ('cause they gave
us a discount, usually it's $10). We may have to raft up some boats at the
guest dock if a huge crowd shows up, so bring your extra fenders and lines.
Sunday morning, at about 9:30, we'll sail and/or motor about 7-8 miles
upwind and have brunch at Helen and Herman's Floating Restaurant, on Empire
Tract. After brunch, we'll sail downwind back to the ramp at Buckley Cove.
The downwind sail goes pretty quickly, maybe two hours at most. You may have
time to explore a slough or two on the way. Last year we pulled out at about
3 or 4 pm.
~~~~~~~About the Race Divisions~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
To be in the race, you have to have be a mini-cruiser with accompdatons of
some sort aboard. If you're just a daysailer, come along for the fun, but
it wouldn't be fair to include you in the race.:
Right now, we're planning on three division. That could change...
1) Small mini-cruisers - Potter 14/15, Monty 15, and Compac 16, etc.
2) Big mini-cruisers - Potter 19, Monty 17, and Compac 19, etc
3) Really big mini-cruisers ????
We'll probably use Dave Gerr's modern version of the hull speed formula (and
perhaps"Sail area to displacement ratios" )to be sure folks are in the right
division. Since we'll have a wide variety of boats, this is this is a better
approach than actual LOA.
Let me know if you have any other brilliant and simple ideas about how to
assign boats to division.
----------Required Boat Info----------------
Please let me know IN ADVANCE if you plan to attend, so we can figure out
how to assign folks to the right division. If you're not a Monty, Potter or
Compac 16 or 19, we'll need to know some of your boat's specs:
1) Sail area with 100% foretriange jib and mainsail (if you don't know the
sail area, just give me the I, J, P, and E)
2) Displacement (weight of boat) and usual number of crew to sail it. If you
have an idea of your loaded cruising weight including crew, let me know that
too.
3) LWL
4) LOA
If you have any more questions, please email me.
Fair Breezes, Judy B , Commodore, Potter Yachters,
Commodore@potter-yachters.org
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : Sun Apr 30 2000 - 03:27:14 PDT