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Forum Index: DISCUSSION: Event Reports: Charleston Race Week Roaring Twenties Race Committee

JScott *** Apr 22, 2009, 11:01 AM Post #1 of 10 (4221 views) Shortcut Charleston Race Week Roaring Twenties Race Committee Log-In to Post/Reply Charleston Race Week is a fun place to sail and competitors are usualy appreciative of the efforts of Race Committees BUT there was something magic about the relationship that developed between the committee boat on Circle One at Charleston and the Race boats over the course of the long weekend. I am class president of the Viper 640 Class Association and I arrived home to a raft of emails asking me to send their appreciation to the RC. It is simply phenomenal. The emails and texts are still coming in. I have never seen anything like it. Of course I will try and forward them all but I felt they ought to be shared on a public forum. It might give you all a sense of what went on down there. I think that Hal and Sally are going to be amazed. They were clearly touched by the reception they recieved after the racing.......and they deserve it. The license plate on SC vehicles says ""Smiling Faces"..........no kidding! Here are some of the comments I recieved:- " I have never felt so loved and encouraged by a Race Committee. From the first day when they reminded us on the radio that the SIs required us to check in by sailing past the Committee boat on starboard "not because we are out to git you, because we want to know who all of you are out here for safety reasons. We're going to be keeping a close eye on ya and make sure that everyone who sailed out here gets back in one piece". Then the whooping and cheering from the committee boats as we finished (in 18th place) and my particular favorite, after we were called over early and returned to the start line to hear the mark boat call "You're clear bow 31, now go git 'em". How about the general recall. A perfect decision and the radio message "We're going to get you in sequence again in 1 minute. Now you all rein it in a bit and remember there is a tide underneath you". The next start was textbook perfect for the fleet. These guys were good (great courses) and fun! Please please please make sure we have the same RC next year." ----- Original Message Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 4:35 PM Subject: To Everyone who hosted Charleston Race Week Dear Charleston Race Week Circle One Race Committee. I wanted to send you this note and say, loudly, THANK YOU. What a fine series of races you put together for the Viper class AND the Melges 20 and Laser SB3 You folks ran a truly professional regatta but still managed to provide some solid Southern Hospitality with your cheery good morning radio announcements. I'm certain you have etched Charleston into the minds of all sportboat sailors as THE Place to Be every April. I flew from San Francisco to attend. I'll be back and I'll do everything I can to bring out all my friends. Thanks and please do keep up the fantastic work !! Best Regards, Drew Harper Viper 640 #104 "BoomSlang" Santa Cruz 50 "Yukon Jack" ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 10:05 AM Subject: Race Committee To Circle One Race Team, Hi , Hal and sally ,this was a showcase for fine and outstanding race management my crew and I as well as all the competitors wish to thank you from the bottom of our hearts , this was racing at its best !!!! David Guggenheim, Ethan Bixby , Mark Cribbs, BLACK MAMABA # 110 ----- Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 7:32 PM Subject: Justin- Kudos on heading up a great fleet of 30+ Vipers! What a spectacular event and I thoroughly enjoyed every moment of it. RC was SPECTACULAR and well appreciated for running more than the original stated 7 races. Please thank them for all the great count downs and donating their time to get some great racing in! Thanks, Stacey Crew #71 > From: Eric Gotwalt > To: Justin Scott > Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 1:44 PM > Subject: Charleston > > Justin, > > Please thank the Race Committee and volunteers/organizers for a great > regatta! We'll be back next year. > > Eric Gotwalt > Viper 23 > From: Gary Umberger > To: 'Justin Scott' > Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 12:37 PM > Subject: "Thank You" to our Race Committee > Hey Justin, > Please let both Hal and Sally know what great job the race committee did on > the roaring 20's race course. THANKS!!!! > USA #91 "Minnetonka III" > > Gary Umberger > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Dan Tucker > To: Justin Scott > Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 12:33 PM > Subject: Charleston - Race Committee > > > Hey Justin, > > Can you forward our appreciation along to the CRW organizers for the > fantastic job the RC did on our line? Phenomenal communication with the > fleet both on and off the water, which made for so much more enjoyable > racing and a wonderful welcoming atmosphere. It was a rare and pleasant > treat to have a PRO actually asking for feedback and suggestions from the > sailors. And they simply did everything right on the water, with no visible > drama or fuss. > > I would go so far as to suggest that the Viper Class nominate our RC for the > US Sailing St Petersburg YC award for race management. > > Dan Tucker > Viper #50 > Rattler > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Porter, John > To: Justin Scott > Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 12:27 PM > Subject: RE: Charleston - The Aftermath > > Just a note to say "THANK YOU" for running such a spectacular event. > Charleston is an exceptional venue; the wind, the harbor, the hospitality, > the party and most importantly the organizers and the race committee. > Charleston Race Week has become the "Standard" that all other major regattas > should be compared to. > I have a special request, please thank everyone on our Circle One Race > Committee - they could not have done a more impressive job. The courses, > the line, starting on time and keeping everyone going was just plain > awesome. Keep up the great work! > In short - we'll be back next year. > John Porter > > Viper 640 - Cool Beans > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: Stuart Hebb > To: Dan Tucker > Cc: Brian Bennett ; Justin Scott > Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 10:40 AM > Subject: > > Easily the most fun i have had racing 1 design in my adult life.

JScott *** Apr 22, 2009, 11:13 AM Post #2 of 10 (4216 views) Shortcut Re: [JScott] Charleston Race Week Roaring Twenties Race Committee [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply Here are some more:- ALL: Just returned to Campton Hills, IL 60175 and thought I’d chime in a bit. #99 had an awesome time. Yes, we were a bit slow and yes, we sailed jib/main on Sunday BUT> Given that I turn 65 in a few days and that this was my very first race/regatta of any kind , I had an incredibly successful event. I particularly enjoyed the chaos at the start and the traffic at the windward mark was terrific to experience! I bought my first Viper #34 in 1997 and have day sailed and never raced until this event. Brian/Paul were kind enough to give me a deal on a new boat #99 at the recent sail show in Chicago, which we christened over the weekend and I have to thank them for talking me into participating . Though we never sailed together before this event, my crew Christian Jensen and Philip Kwasinski were not only knowledgeable and experienced but a lot of fun on the boat. I could never have done this without them. One final thought: Damn, you guys really know how to sail these Vipers! Keep it up and thanks for the show! John When Hal and Sallyand Smith (PROs) walked into the food tent at 5.00pm on Sunday to pick up > some bowls of chilli, and looked for a place to sit down, first one and > then another Viper crew rose to their feet and started quietly clapping, > leading to an impromptu standing ovation. I cannot say it was the perfect > courses.....the start line was biased from time to time like any other > regatta.....but as Hal remarked to the fleet "We try to run a perfect race > but we set a perfect race about as often as you sail one" . It was the tone > that he set and the resulting camraderie between RC and competitors that was > very special. ----- Original Message ----- Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 11:31 AM Justin, On behalf of my crew and me, we were impressed and excited about how CRW was run this year. The committee boat worked like clockwork in administrating the races. They certainly set the standard for how races should be administered. We will certainly be back to CRW with our Viper!!! Thanks, Erik Eaves, Skipper Joel Elden, Lead Crew Mike Toecker, Crew

JScott *** Apr 22, 2009, 11:33 AM Post #3 of 10 (4214 views) Shortcut Re: [JScott] Charleston Race Week Roaring Twenties Race Committee [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply and some more. Good Grief, my in- box is overflowing! Justin -- It was great to finally meet you in Charleston last week. The boat was basically un-damaged from going aground -- those nylon plates that guide the keel worked precisely as designed and the bulb doesn't have a mark on it. I was sure it'd have a big gouge from whatever it was we hit. You never know quite what you're going to get when you go out of town for a regatta, but the CRW organization was terrific, and the RC was the most polished and friendly I've experienced in quite a long time. They clearly had their best people out there volunteering. I hope you've got a way to pass along thanks from all the crew on Tangerine. t Thomas R. Leith ----- Original Message ----- From: Charles To: Justin Cc: Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 4:31 PM Subject: RE: Charleston - "Thank You" to our Race Committee Hi, please send a message to the RC. Without them we would never have the ability to be out there & these guys were special . Charles Dear CRW Race Committee, The crew of Viper 81 (hull # 28) along with all the Viper teams that participated in CRW want to say Thank You. We appreciate all the efforts that everyone on the Race Committee gave to make this regatta such a fun and exciting event. We appreciate the great communication, your obvious concern for everyone’s safety along with your efforts to make the race courses both challenging and as fair as possible. We loved being able to continue to race (and enjoy our boats) as the winds got stronger! We were also very happy with the appropriately long starting line. What a great event, nicely done! Roy Moss, Elaine Falkenberg and Charles Goodrich Team El Toro, Viper #81 ----- Original Message ----- From: Joan Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 1:39 PM Subject: RE: Charleston - The Aftermath Dear Charleston RC Thanks for running such a great regatta. The dinner was pretty great and so were all the people I met. A special thanks to the RC folks that directed me to the Nason Emergency Care Clinic-only 5 stitches and no pain-you should see my rainbow eye now!! All and all I hope to be back next year if our schedules permit-just got her in August and only sailed her a few times before she was put away for the winter!! We brought her out of storage to haul her to CRW. We loved Charleston!!! The chalk talks were extremely helpful, the area beautiful and the waters a treat to sail in. Our most memorable moment was having a dolphin leaping behind our stern on our return to the harbor on Saturday. Thanks again-missing the ocean already!!! Joan Hall, Tom Leith and Kelly Dent Tangerine St Louis, MI ----- Original Message ----- From: brad Sent: Tuesday, April 21, 2009 12:21 PM Subject: Charleston Hey Guy's, I was lucky enough to sail The other black boat # 11 Honour (for the week). What a great boat and a Fantastic class the Viper is. I have heard so much over the last couple years about the boat and finally got to check out the racing and the people that make this class so FUN. My crew both came to the event with interests to buy a boat and let me tell you that is priority #1 for us. We really look forward to seeing you all at the next event. Thanks for the great time... Brad Boston Honour # 11 Lee Shuckerow Eric Vigrass Doyle Boston Sailmakers ----- Original Message ----- From: Porter, John Subject: RE: Charleston - The Aftermath I enjoyed meeting everyone. For those that I missed – well I’ll see you at the next one. Congratulations to David G! He has been such a spark plug here and is a true asset to the class. Thanks for everyone who helped organize, pitch in, or even those that just showed up – CRW rocks!!! I cannot say how excited I am about this class (though I guess I just did!) JP Cool Beans - Viper #26

JScott *** Apr 22, 2009, 2:52 PM Post #4 of 10 (4189 views) Shortcut Re: [JScott] Charleston Race Week Roaring Twenties Race Committee [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply Okay......one more......but please stop sending me emails and post directly to this forum. I have got the message loud and clear from the Viper fleet. You liked the RC and you want Charleston on the Viper circuit next year. Enough please. From: tony Chapman To: Justin Sent: Wednesday, April 22, 2009 3:28 PM Subject: Charleston - The Aftermath Justin Please also pass-on our thanks to the Race Committee for doing such a great job all 3 days. They did a great job getting the races off and communicating with the fleets. Their hard work is really appreciated. Tony Chapman and crew Viper #71

JScott *** Apr 22, 2009, 5:02 PM Post #5 of 10 (4180 views) Shortcut Re: [JScott] Charleston Race Week Roaring Twenties Race Committee [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply  in addition to all the other great stuff people have said about the race committee & event management--those were, from my relative inexperience, pretty complex tactical races, & the committee seemed to manage a square line & a fair course every time. Also, unless I missed something, we never once had commercial shipping on the course during racing--in the middle of Charleston harbor that must have taken some long meetings with the harbormaster & the navy. Give the folks responsible many thanks from us all. Matthew Rowlinson Mark Rowlinson Kirsten Agrell CAN 70--"Grendel"

JScott *** Apr 22, 2009, 5:03 PM Post #6 of 10 (4179 views) Shortcut Re: [JScott] Charleston Race Week Roaring Twenties Race Committee [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply The gentleman who greeted us each race day on Channel 69 was welcoming and completely informative and helpful. Throughout the regatta he kept us abreast of the developments on the course, before, during and after each race. The race committee members who we checked in with before racing each day were friendly and responsive as were the rescue boat personnel. Please pass along our heartfelt gratitude to all of the race committee for their outstanding job throughout the regatta. We are looking forward to participating again next year! Sincerely, Chip Schwartz Timi's Sun #45

melges419 *** Apr 23, 2009, 6:24 AM Post #7 of 10 (4157 views) Shortcut Re: [JScott] Charleston Race Week Roaring Twenties Race Committee [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply As always looks like hal did a great job. As a past Melges 24 sailor I can tell you I always liked the way he handled the fleet. he does what you want, so he listens and reacts. Congrats on a great job on circle one. I should say that Sue Miller on Course 2 was also fantastic but this forum is for Hal's course. Good job Hal!!! Sail Often and have fun

The Publisher ***** Apr 27, 2009, 1:36 PM Post #8 of 10 (3987 views) Shortcut Re: [JScott] Charleston Race Week Roaring Twenties Race Committee [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply By Winn Story and Doug Kessler: We attended Charleston Race Week as "observers" rather than competitors (on Circle 1). Our respective boats were there, sailing without us, but we wanted to be there in person, not just in spirit. While it was difficult to watch and not be out there competing with our friends we still enjoyed the spectacle and even got a vicarious thrill on the windier days watching the Vipers, Melges 20's and Laser SB3's planning towards the leeward gate. From our perspective it was a great regatta, good competition, good wind and best of all a great race committee whose goal seemed to be to provide the best racing possible for the participants. The first thing we noticed was that the race management team kept everyone informed via VHF of what was happening prior to the starts. They told us what they were thinking relative to the placement of marks, what they were seeing regarding wind oscillations, and walked us through every starting countdown. And when the competitors got too aggressive, they called every premature starter's bow number quickly and efficiently. This was a race committee that was concerned with the quality of our racing experience. They were there for the participants, not for their own edification. They were patient, When the Saturday winds were not cooperating, they kept us informed of their thoughts regarding the filling in of the sea breeze, and when it finally started to settle in, what direction it was likely to end up. It was, in my opinion, a textbook lesson on how to run a race course for the benefit of the racers. There is a lesson for all would be PRO's and race management wannabe's here. The racing is about the competitors and not the race managers. Most of us do this because we enjoy the sport, not because we make our livings from it. We very much appreciate your time and efforts on our behalf. We couldn't do it without you. Our sincerest thanks go out to you. But please remember why you are out there and we will try to do the same. Doug Kessler in his rib "Liberty" during CRW (photo by Priscilla Parker)

JScott *** Apr 28, 2009, 10:06 AM Post #9 of 10 (3805 views) Shortcut Re: [The Publisher] Charleston Race Week Roaring Twenties Race Committee [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply Tac Boston from Doyle-Boston sailmakers also has a great blog on the racing on circle one "The Roaring Twenties" at Charleston http://truewindracing.blogspot.com/...eston-race-week.html

The Publisher ***** May 4, 2009, 1:12 PM Post #10 of 10 (3233 views) Shortcut Re: [JScott] Charleston Race Week Roaring Twenties Race Committee [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply From the Viper 640 website: Some of the 32 Vipers competing at Charleston Race Week carried Velocitek GPS devices onboard during the regatta. We've used the track files recorded by the devices to create animated replays from the regatta, using Velocitek's SpeedPlay software. Link: http://www.viper640.org/...sults/204-crwreplays

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