Monthly Archives: May 2021

2021 SDA ODOM SUMMER REGATTA

What a fantastic way to kick off the 2021 Summer Sailing Season! Conditions could not have been any more challenging for a full afternoon of non stop competition. The pond wind gods (or demons) delivered an entire banquet of conditions during the 12 race series. The first 4 races the wind seemed hopeful but down right puffy and shifty. Middle heats sailors were served telltale teasers that just barely satisfied a craving to move. By late afternoon the big wind finally filled in and everyone was on their rails. Fun conditions and a very competitive fleet. Our protest station was vacant as any rule infractions were settled with sorries and turns. Nice racing!

Fred Rocha and Greg Williams deserve a standing ovation for promoting, organizing and executing a perfect regatta. RD Fred set the marks and called the days courses with NCR precision. Sailors had lots of water to navigate with a comfortable starting line near the east end of the pond. Offset windward marks on the far west shores. A leeward gate all the way to the east shore and a mid basin offset that also served as a finish line. Great Course!

Tough Competition

We had a great turnout of ODOM skippers with varied skill levels. They all seemed to get along on the water with few fouls. Thank you all for your Corinthian Spirt! Check out the scores.. One point separating first place Ken Campbell and second place John Castelli who “claims” this was his first race in 2 years! Our less experience sailors learned a lot today and had a chance to sail with the best. Congratulations and thank you for your participation!

Lets build the ODOM fleet back up- because It IS a FUN boat to sail!

A special thank you to Kerim Baran for spectacular drone footage from the last 20 minutes of race 11 and race 12. A very cool perspective!

2021 RC Scale Boat Events

Dust off your boats and brush off those pandemic cobwebs. Time to start prepping for these upcoming, awesome RC scale boating events!

We’ve created a series of themed events.  Bring your themed RC scale boats, and let’s have some fun!  For more information see our Facebook page or contact the Scale Division Vice Commodore. Download our 2021 Scale Division Event Flyer (PDF)

Saturday, June 05, 2021 – “Scale Regatta & Tug Fest”

  • Join the SDA Scale Division’s popular Tug Fest to match your Tug’s pulling power against our contestants’ heavy hauler of the sea. Charge up your batteries and put on your biggest prop to show the other crews who has what it takes to keep the sea lanes open and the cargo moving. All scale boats are welcome for free running, including scale sailboats. (no entry or registration fees)
  • 8:00am-6:00pm

Saturday, July 17, 2021 – “Age of Steam”

Shine up your brass, tighten your fittings, fire up your boiler, and get up a full head of steam to show the world the ways that having a raging fire in a boat can actually work (most of the time).
Bring your steamers and favorite stories to share in this exciting hobby. Feel free to show off your stationary engines as well.

  • Static displays and live steam demonstrations welcome!
  • 8:00am-6:00pm

Saturday, August 28, 2021 – “Gray Day & Commodore’s Lunch”

It’s your day to “Bring out the Gray” to join our fleet of battleships, aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers, and other military vessels for a great day of sailing these classic warships. Be warned, however, that there may well be some subs, and a Bismarck or a Yamato lurking in the waters along with a German Schnell Boat, just to keep it interesting.
SDA Members – Please Join Us for Lunch – Members of SDA can all join us for our Commodore’s Lunch in which we host our members for a sandwich and chips meal on the green at the pond when the smoke of battle settles down for a brief cease fire.

  • 8:00am-6:00pm

Saturday, December 18, 2021 – “2021 Model Boat Festival of Lights”

  • Come celebrate the holiday spirit with the San Diego Argonauts Scale Division Model Boat Festival of Lights inspired by San Diego’s popular annual event. Bring the family, some lawn chairs, some hot chocolate, and a camera to get big time enjoyment from this small scale festival of lights.
  • 4:00pm-8:00pm

May 15 Race Results

It was a cloudy kind of cool May gray day the wind ranged between 0-9mph from the wsw x w x sw x nw x w x s x straight down.  The turnout was decent 5 IOM’s and 13 95’s. For the most part the sailing was fair, only a few people missed taking a turn when they should, have hopefully they will fix that in the future.  I want to send a huge vote of thanks out to Gil, Pat, and Ken for their help.  Without people that step up we’re sunk!  Kim 5/15 RD

Thank You RD Kim Robbins.

Thank You Scorekeeper Ken Campbell.

SPECIAL THANKS TO KERIM BARAN FOR GREAT DRONE FOOTAGE OF MAY 15 RACING.

And here are some videos from the IOM races:
Race #4 (videos 1,2,3)Race #5 (videos 4,5,6)

RACE 4
RACE 4
RACE 4
RACE 5
RACE 5
RACE 5

MAY POINTS

RD -Ben Reeves

“I had the pleasure of being the RD today for the first day back to points racing in some time.  It was good to be back in racing spirit today.
First on today’s agenda was spending some time training some new volunteers to do some RD work in the future.  Pat Nevitt and Steve Delvin were my assistants today, and both did a fantastic job in helping to sort out the marks, set them, call the start line, call the contacts to weather, and of course score the races.”  

“As for today it was mostly sunny with occasional clouds cooling the temp down every now and then, but with a high of 61 and the sun shining spring is definitely here.  The winds were typical San Diego winds coming from the South, North, West and Mars.  Blowing mostly 6-9 with some in frequent gusts probably close to 12.  The racing was for the One Designs – the Santa Barbara, Soling 50 and Odoms were there and started in those orders.  Only 2 Santa Barbaras showed up so we improvised and allowed them to sail, even though three are required for a points race to be official, and we modified the clock for 1 min to start the S/B followed immediately of a 1 min start for the solings. All were scored.  In the soling class 5 skippers made the water and by the end the 1st and 2nd places were being discussed, as the first two skippers had the same score.  6 Races were allotted for the group since essentially both classes were on the water at the same time.  This worked out OK and is a good way to give skippers a chance to sail with a light fleet number.”

The ODOMs were next, and they two had 6 races and the clock was moved back to 2 mins.  Again there was some good racing here, unfortunately Kim had to drop out before wetting the hull due to a break.  A couple of races were close, but if an odom got out in the lead at the weather it was usually in the top two for sure.  

A lot of port starts or immediate tack to port after starting was the theme of the day.  The wind was heavily port favoring and I believe we had one boat, having been called over and last to start, played the port favoring perfectly to round the Windward marks clear ahead of the fleet.  The usual holes of wind flustered a few skippers, and hence the wind from Mars comment, as it seems the water was moving but the boat wasn’t. :o) 

In all it was a good day back. And good corinthian sailing was done by all.  And it was good to get some volunteers into the rotation soon.  Oh, you are probably wondering about scores.  Well that’s a secret.  Nah, Mr Points Campbell is working on them and will announce the results soon.

NEXT POINTS RACING SATURDAY, MAY 15.

DF95 AND IOM

SAIL DIVISION-good things are shaking in the wind..

Normal club operations are expected to resume this summer, depending on all pandemic restrictions being lifted by the county and city.

As sailors begin more frequent use of the pond we must to be aware and show respect to other users of our valuable resource. Saturday morning is reserved for Scale Division. Stay off the water until noon! Use common sense when speedy Power Craft are sharing the water. Practice the Corinthian Spirit.

Sail members will soon be given several choices for a new Burgee. Make sure you voice an opinion. These new colors could show up on your hat, shirt or bumper sticker!

We have a busy summer ahead with lots of fun Club Points Racing, Regattas and Race Week in August. (check the current calendar) We are going to need volunteers! Don’t be shy because this is going to be a lot of fun!

We all share a truly amazing hobby and we are most fortunate to have a Model Yacht Pond in beautiful Mission Bay Park.

Smooth Sailing, Gil

IOM Starting Line Action