It looks like we have definitely overcome the May gray and June gloom syndromes as sailors were greeted by picture perfect summer weather, excellent winds and delightful pond conditions. Also a huge surprise, traffic and parking were quite tolerable for a holiday weekend!
A special thank you for the crew that helped make these races possible. “R” white striped referee RD Ken Campbell, Gil Jansky for left biased and drifty mark setting, Kim Robbins for mark retrieval and skiff clean-up and Bob Williams for post racing hot dog rewards.
The first three ODOM races Gerry Wold was inadvertently affected by a rubber band handicap. During lunch break, Gerry discovered a rubber band wrapped around his keel bulb! Finger printing and DNA sampling are being conducted to determine if it was sabotage or a naturally occurring pond phenomenon? Non the less Gerry is still FAST!
There is a lot to this thing we call sailing and its not just about winning a race, so I asked google:
What’s fun about sailing? What’s so great about sailing?
Answers:
Sailing is an invigorating sport that offers many rewards, not the least of which is that it’s simply so much fun. Imagine white sails billowing against a clear sky, the brisk feel of the breeze on your face, and the gentle motions of the boat as it cleanly slices through the water.
Some sailors gain a profound sense of oneness with their boat, the sea, and the wind. The boat becomes a self-contained universe, the process of sailing becomes all-consuming. Any sense of time changes and expands, small moments becoming more important. Sailing can be a meditative, reflective and engrossing experience.
It seems fitting that our June report would appear on the summer solstice with the surprising monsoon clouds pouring in from the east. Did someone just flip the summer switch?
I’ve been absent most the month but it appears lots of good vibes are happening on our pond. The following is an update thanks to the numerous contributions of club members.
Cultivating interest in our hobby is something all of us should be excited about. Sailing is challenging, engaging and fun. It also helps build and sustain our hobby and club. Here is an experience Ben Reeve had to share. It puts a smile on my face!
Hey Skippers,
Just a happy little story from today…
Sharing your controller with a visitor at the pond can be a very rewarding and heartfelt experience. Today, between races, I overheard someone asking some questions of a skipper who had just taken his boat out of the water. I had just finished a practice race and went over to offer my controller to the Mom, and her two kids. They had driven by and stopped on their way to the airport to see what we were doing and were getting ready to leave back to Colorado.
I handed my controller to Delaney who I found out actually had a little sailing knowledge sailing her very own 18’ day sailor on the lake in CO. She took to the IOM very well, and here’s a photograph of how she felt about it.
As you can see, she’s all smiles and was having a fantastic time. After a few moments of getting used to the controls she even started a race, with me coaching and did pretty well. Her brother Evan was on a DF95 shortly after this with another skipper handing over the controller. Both were all smiles in no time. They didn’t have much time, but after about 30mins we shook hands with Mom and Evan, and I got a little hug from Delaney for making her day. It’s safe to say she is hooked on RC sailing!
SO PLEASE – when someone asks questions, take a moment and share our joys and passion of the sport. Pretty soon these two will be back, and you can bet they will be hard to beat!
Wishing you all good winds!
Ben
SAILING POINTS FOR JUNE
A Note From our Vice Commodore of Sail, Bob Williams:
We have 15 more Pts Races this year and we NEED to fill the following schedule. If you volunteer for a particular date & you cannot make that date it is your responsibility to find a substitute & notify VCS Bob! It is obvious that sailors do not want to get the skiff out to set & pick up marks.If you are not comfortable about doing this , ask for assistance as I am sure others will help you!! If not, I will appoint you some help! Please email me your volunteer RD dates
Thank you, Bob!
July 2 -Sol50,ODOM , S/B
July 23 -DF95, IOM
Aug.6 -ODOM,Sol50,S/B
Aug.13 DF95 Fun Regatta
Aug.20- DF95,IOM
Sept.3 Sol50,ODOM, S/B
Sept.10- DF95,IOM
Oct. 1- ODOM,Sol50, S/B
Oct. 8- IOM Fun Regatta
Oct. 15-DF95,IOM
Nov.5- Sol50,ODOM, S/B
Nov.19-IOM,DF95
Dec.3- ODOM,Sol50,S/B
Dec.10-DF95,IOM
Dec.17-Holiday Lights
2022 Midseason Cumulative Points Update
Thanks to our score keeper, Ken Campbell, posted are cumulative points for active fleets in Sail Division. Club Points Regattas are conducted two Saturdays a month. This year we have skippers sailing DF95, IOM, SOLING 50 and ODOM class RC sailboats on Mission Bay Yacht Model Pond. If you are interested in joining the regatta activity, it’s not too late to get in on the fun.
May is here! Gray is here! But spring breezes are beginning to frequent our Mission Bay Model Yacht Pond with skippers continually challenged to our tricky sailing conditions. Five Soling and Six ODOM racers greeted the opportunity to test their patience and skills.
A Special Thank You to our volunteers! Without you our day on the pond would not be the same!
Tom Warren-Race Director
Steve Ross- Assistant Scoring
Ben Reeve- Purser
Ken Campbell- Racing Rules Clinic & Scoring
Kerim Baran- Drone and Clean Up
Bob Williams- VC Sail and Hot Dog Man
SPECIAL NOTE:
NEXT SATURDAY, MAY 14th IS THE SOLING 50 FUN DAY REGATTA.
Grey overcast. Temperature hovering around 60 degrees. Light 3-7 SW winds early. Shifting right slightly as the day progressed. These are the conditions our pond sailors experienced this Saturday. Not exactly ice fishing weather, but a warming hut may have been welcomed by a few crew members.
Ben Reeve, our volunteer RD for the ODOM Class, set a standard mark/course arrangement. Bens row boat etiquette is definitely improving! Steve Ross was scoring the slow motion action while Pat Nevitt monitored mark rounding’s. Ben passed the RD baton to Karim Baran, who managed the Soling 50 races. Thank You to all helpers.
Before the skippers meeting Ken Campbell reviewed barging at the starting line and ways to avoid getting trapped between the pin and other boats. Kerim Baran documented the seminar for the benefit of all.
We had six ODOMs and four Soling 50’s each making 6 appearances at the starting gate. Here are the results:
Videos from today’s Soling 50 races:
(All 6 races are captured in one video. The first 3 were shot from the sidelines, the last 3 from the drone.)
The peanut gallery is alive and well!
Don’t forget to order your hats and t-shirts! Bob Williams is eager to take your order.
“In 2022 we’re all quite aware of basically everyone having a camera in there phone and I see many people taking pictures and would really love to see some of those photos shared with the membership. Here I am providing some of the vintage photos I have taken recently. Vintage in that I have used several cameras that are 40 to 100 years old recently at the pond. These are unedited negatives scans straight from the camera. Enjoy and don’t forget to share your photos.” All contributions are welcome and appreciated!
The First Annual ODOM Burnt Hot Dog Fun Race was attended by 7 eager skippers with intentions of capturing the illusive perpetual award. Kim Robbins set an excellent course. Ben Reeve our RD extraordinaire managed a total of 12 races with 2 throw-outs, in fairly consistent winds. An active and festive “peanut gallery” had a great time watching and commenting on the races. Was that Irish music I heard playing pond side?? Everyone seemed to be having a really good time!
After a fun day on the water Bob Williams fired up the grill as skippers enjoyed hot dogs and great camaraderie!
We thank all our volunteers that consistently lend a hand to the various activities that support our club. Your dedication is appreciated!
Saturday brought out a handful of heavy weather sailors to our pond, as winds teased to small craft advisory levels! Ken Campbells statement, that was included with his sailing scores, pretty much says it all – “In my 20-plus years of racing at the pond, I don’t believe I’ve ever sailed here in winds as heavy as today. I’d estimate it was blowing at least 18 knots, with gusts well above that.”
Just before skippers headed to the water for sailing action Ken Campbell held a Sailing Rules Clinic covering a number of issues that are common on the race course. Kerim Baran documented the seminar. Thank you Ken & Kerim!
Special thanks to Kerim Baran for navigating the drone in WIND!
A SPECIAL THANK YOU TO RACE DIRECTOR TOM WARREN AND OTHERS THAT HELPED MAKE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE!
The San Diego Argonauts, Sail Division, is proud to host the 2021 National Championship Regatta Series August 4-August 15 and are excited to share the San Diego Model Yacht Pond on Vacation Isle in Mission Bay with some of the best sailors around the world and across the United States. This is truly an international event!
The increasing interest in RC Sailing/Racing is evident by the number of entries in this years Regatta Series. We are excited to announce these entries in the following classes:
The San Diego Argonauts welcome all our friends and visitors to this special event..
On this holiday I feel it is an ideal time to express my appreciation to ALL members that make our hobby and recreation possible at “Our Pond”. This includes every member.. You all count. A huge THANK YOU for you participation!
For those who are still in dry dock, now is the time to dust off the rigs and start becoming active again. Our Santa Barbara fleet is looking for more boats and invite all inactive sailors back. ODOM’s and Soling 50’s are also always looking for more competitive fleets. It’s time to join in on the fun!
It is said that “It Takes a Village”. Now is a good time to get involved. Just for the love of our hobby and camaraderie. It’s not just about winning a race. It’s about success as a group. It’s time to pull together and make Race-Week a huge success! For those whose have not registered for their perspective fleet, time is running short.
Thank You Ken Campbell for another informative Racing Rules Clinic. These seminars can provide useful information and help us all become better sailors. One of the topics of discussions was calling for room with port/starboard boat situations and obstructions. I think he has a crystal ball..
Fred Rocha once again set a fun course with predominant southwest to west winds averaging 8-9mph. Fred also served as RD extraordinaire!! Our hats are off for VC of Sail!
Soling 50’s sailed a 6 race series with just a small handful of on the water fouls. Two discrepancies were heard by protest committee Rogers 3 & Rogers 2+1. I think it is always easier and kinder to the scoresheet to clear infractions on the water.
2 S/B’s and ODOM’s with a delayed start, shared the course for a six race series. Nice Sailing.
Thank You Kim Robbins and Jeff Fletcher for assisting Fred Rocha with equipment cleanup and storage.. The lock was checked twice!
JULY SCHEDULE (cont)
July 10th 10:00 SDA Race Week Meeting 11:00 Racing Rules of Sailing Seminar 11:45 Skippers Meeting 12:00 – 16:00 Sail Points IOM – DF95
July 17th SCALE DIVISION FULL DAY – Scale Age of Steam
July 24th 11:30 Skippers Meeting 12:00 SOLING 50 SUMMER REGATTA
If you are an RC enthusiast, big boat sailor or just pond side spectator the San Diego Argonauts welcome your interest into our FUN and challenging hobby of RC Sailing!
Saturday was a beautiful bright grey day at the pond. Before the boats hit the water we warmed up with another great Racing Rules Clinic presented by Ken Campbell. Clinics are held at 11 AM on each Sail Points race day and are always informative. Ken refreshed our memories on starting and finish line situations and common weather mark problems. Thank you Ken!
Prior to the skippers meeting Bob Williams presented Fred Rocha with an honorary Commodores hat. The cover (Navy lingo) was white and fully dressed with yellow oak leaves on the shiny black brim. The scrambled eggs signify a really important person! Did the hat look a bit small-or was the head a bit big?? Fred set a delightful course and smoothly Race Directed our Saturday sailing experience.. Must have been the hat:) Thank You Fred for all do.
Shortly after noon the ODOM and Santa Barbara fleet were on the water. Due to only two S/B entries and four ODOM’s, we had a delayed start and shared the course for a good six race series. The pond had a nice texture of 9-10 mph predominantly west winds, with the predictably unpredictable right and left shifts. ODOM skipper Kerim Baran set the pace with consistent scores. S/B skippers Bill Bridge and Dunham Reilly got some good time on the helm. Nice racing guys!
Soling 50’s sailed next with a nice turnout of eight skippers. It was good to see our Soling Class Secretary, Ty Beach, back in action. This is a pretty competitive fleet with consistent winners in the top ranks. The starting line all of a sudden seemed to get much smaller with this group! Skippers had to work for clean air and a clear start. OH MY 1627! The wind held pretty consistent throughout the series but maybe tended more to the right in the last two races. It was a good day in the spirit of our club and sailing. Thank YOU ALL.