SCUTTLEBUTT SAILING NEWS	CLASSIFIED ADS	SEARCH POSTS	WHO'S ONLINE	LOG IN

Forum Index: .: Dock Talk: What's your funnest event?

John Tormey **** Nov 8, 2005, 6:23 AM Post #1 of 22 (71547 views) Shortcut What's your funnest event? Log-In to Post/Reply In Issue 1962, the Curmudgeon talked about the fun Pro-Am event hosted last week at the Bitter End YC. His thought was how low-key fun events like the Pro-Am are doing great things for growing our sport in a very healthy direction. I was curious if there were any other examples. I bet there are some one-design classes that have hit pay dirt. I can think of Put-In-Bay Week on Lake Erie, and have heard that Whidbey Island Race Week claims to the original northwest adult summer camp. Soooo, where/what are some of the other events that provide this positive vibe... and why? Forum Contest: The best contest stories as of the deadline (Nov 17) are noted below, but the thread is still alive. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt

RC *** Nov 8, 2005, 8:47 AM Post #2 of 22 (71531 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your funnest event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply Hangover Bowl, New Year's Day....depending on the size of the headache, of course (but it would be gone by the last race)!

JP *** Nov 8, 2005, 1:17 PM Post #3 of 22 (71461 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply Brucey Bruce. Second weekend after Labor Day since 1990. Edgartown to Nantucket Harbor. Bruce started it, he's the rules committee, handicapper and race committee. Bruce has won more often than not.

Mummy **** Nov 9, 2005, 3:01 PM Post #4 of 22 (71404 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply Does anyone besides Butt Pub and his dad honestly think that a bunch of rich guys flying down to some island in the Carribean and sailing with the pros *grows* the sport? Get real! What grows the sport is taking kids out and handing them the helm, or putting them in a dingy by themselves. (Okay, so you don't agree with the Curmudgeon about the Pro-Am... he'll survive... but how about now offering up a better example of an event that helps grow the sport. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt)

sailstice * Nov 9, 2005, 7:05 PM Post #5 of 22 (71379 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply I may be biased but I just like seeing all the different events clubs, classes and groups are creating on Summer Sailstice. These generally focus on sailing, Jimmy Buffet, grass skirts, raft-ups, stern mounted barbecues, new drink recipes all happening on the longest sailing day of the year. Lake Delta Yacht Club in Rome, NY, Stingray Harbor Yacht Club in Deltaville, VA or Branched Oak Yacht Club in Nebraska ('Nebraska Sailing at it's Best'), Corinthian Yacht Club in Tiburon, CA all appear to be clubs amongst many that know how to have fun with sailboats. Bitter End YC is also one of the great places that's shown sailors a good time while hosting Summer Sailstice parties for the past few years. Summer Sailstice was created to help showcase the many different ways people have fun under sail. To participate in 2006 just sign up and post your event (after January 1st) so you can invite others to join whatever low-key (or high strung) fun you are creating. http://www.summersailstice.com

Montrose *** Nov 9, 2005, 7:30 PM Post #6 of 22 (71373 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply In Reply To Soooo, where/what are some of the other events that provide this positive vibe... and why? I once raced in a Snipe regatta called the Bolde Mothers, held in Dismal Valley, on Cuba Lake. This was upstate NY, in a small lake, with whacky shifts, a beer truck, and a pig roasting all day. Serious chug contests at night. Probably the best part of the weekend regatta was the fact that we had raced in the Snipe Nationals during the week prior, and all we wanted to do once the nationals were over on Friday was to book over to the Bolde Mothers. Amazing how the nationals was the big event of the year, yet we still had plans. This was back in the 80's - I hope they still have it - it was great. Okay, any other od classes gonna bring it? ------------------------------------------------------------ Paul Elvestrom, "If, in the course of victory you have not won the respect of your competitors, you have won nothing at all."

mikehmc ** Nov 9, 2005, 10:11 PM Post #7 of 22 (71355 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply Seattle Duck Dodge. (CONTEST WINNER) 30 plus years of Tuesday night party on sailboats. 4 starts: fast boats (20 plus boats? 3 times around) half fast boats (20 plus 3x around), slow/cruising boats (40 boats 2x times around), dinghy class (20 plus boats, 2x). Tuesday nights all summer long, right in the middle of the city! Raftups of 30 plus boats barbq after each race. half the boats seem to have people new to sailing. every kind of group imaginable encourages newcomers as 'crew'. From singles groups to tour groups, to party boats, to boats that are on the second generation of families sailing the race. No fee, no protest, just sailing/racing with a whole bunch of people every/any tuesday night. Theme nights, sponsored nights, whatever night. If you are in Seattle on a Tuesday night and didnt go sailing, it was because you didnt ask! Rules: Rule 1: No hitting one-another (With or without boats) Rule 2: Rules of the road apply Rule 3: No hitting one-another Rule 4: Take all marks to PORT Rule 5: No hitting one-another Rule 6: Bribing the committee is against the rules (while anybody is looking) Rule 7: No hitting one-another Rule 8: There is no rule number 8 Rule 9: No hitting one-another Rule 10: Follow all the rules Rule 11: No hitting one-another Rule 12: Never make a duck change its course (Dodge theDuck) There are no customs unless you go really way off course. http://www.geocities.com/Yosemite/Rapids/1114/

Chris Woods *** Nov 10, 2005, 5:46 AM Post #8 of 22 (71325 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply The Summer Solstice Team Racing Series on Long Island Sound between American, Larchmont, Pequot and New York YC's. Casual team racing on warm Summer Tuesday evenings in June. Hosting at different clubs, pizza and beer afterwards. Chris NYYC Team Racing

BowTek * Nov 10, 2005, 6:42 AM Post #9 of 22 (71308 views) Shortcut Re: [mikehmc] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply Have to say w/o a doubt one of the best events of the year is Davis Island Yacht Club's (Tampa) Pram Jam. The event is a benefit regatta for Youth Sailing where the adults compete against the youth sailors in Optis. If you have forgotten what it was like or have never raced an Opti, sailng one at 190lbs and getting gassed or forced in to a foul by a 9 year old girl is quick ego check...the kids love the race as they get to beat up on the "Old Salts"...there is also a team racing portion where each "Old Salt" is paired with a "Young Salt" for a team race, and overall trophy. There are a large number of "moral-support boats" which photograph the event heavily and pass out beer to make sure the Old Salts are not "dehydrated" ...Hey, it is not Key West race week but it draws a great turnout, raises lots of money for youth sailing, and best of all you rarely get to see that many people of all ages laughing that hard and having fun together at a regatta. Its MY favorite!

Alfred Poor ** Nov 10, 2005, 7:36 AM Post #10 of 22 (71287 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply The Good Old Boat Regatta, held each October in Annapolis. (CONTEST WINNER) What: two day races for boats "of a certain maturity" -- first hull of the class had to be laid 1975 or earlier. Starting with 21 boats in 2000, registrations peaked in 2004 at 94, which had to be capped at 80 this year because it was just getting too big. Any class with three or more registrants gets its own class start. Post-race parties each day. Why: originally started in response to the arms-race conditions of "serious" racing, it rapidly became a social event. See http://www.goodoldboat.com/regatta_2004.html for a write-up of the 2004 event on Good Old Boat Magazine's site (they're a major sponsor). People sail with old sails, grills on the taffrail, too many or too few crew, and a wonderful attitude across the board. In six years, there has not been a single protest. It's not so much about the race as it is about orbiting the same set of bouys in the general vicinity of a bunch of like-minded sailors in beautiful older boats. Add to that the decidedly low-key and friendly manner in which it is administrated, and the good-natured competition between marques (cheers of "Cals Rule!" are often countered by the Tartan fleet) has prompted people to come from all over the country to participate, either on their own boats or those of others. (We have a crew member who we met through the race, and he comes up from North Carolina each year to sail with us.) As a recovering racer myself, this is the only sailboat race that I participate in. It has gently introduced dozens of novice racers (and novice sailors) to how sailboat racing works, and the rapid growth of the fleet and the loyalty to the event speaks for itself.

Bird Man *** Nov 10, 2005, 8:27 AM Post #11 of 22 (71264 views) Shortcut Re: [Montrose] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply (CONTEST WINNER) Youngstown Level regatta is number one in my book. there are 200 plus boats every year, all rafted off the break wall in the niagra river, often as many as 10 out. 3 huge parties with really good racing inbetween. all the fleets are either one design or leve (first across the line wins). there are some perf fleets,2 last year. I think this helps grow the sport because you arent guessing who won, you know. also, you get a chance to see a wide range of boats, age and size wise. how many regattas can you walk down the dock and see everything from 8 meters to sharks to j22/24 all the way to beneslow 36.7/40.7/44.7 and mumm 30s and farr 40s. not many that i can think of. on saturday morning last year one of the crew of one of the 8 meters went missing (partied too hard) and the race organizers announced over the loud speaker that the needed crew. a 12 year old kid who was helping with the ragatta hopped on board and now is a perment member of the crew and loves the sport. that is what we need more of. i think what the GL70's have with kids not counting to the head count/weight on board is what we need more of.

sails4fun ** Nov 10, 2005, 11:55 AM Post #12 of 22 (71225 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply The most fun event ever created was the CCCP - Club Chas Cup Perputual - a race that only occurred on Labor Day - Komrads! The Skippers meeting was too early for all of us to really attend so when we showed up - things started to roll. The first event was held in inflatable catamarans to mark the America's Cup non event in San Diego - Racing marks were mines with spikes to commerate the Persian Gulf mines - The course chart was printed upside down on the front of your crew shirt so you could not claim you did not know where the marks were placed. The skippers meeting was held in the alley behind Chas's garage. - Coffee was promised..... Rules were very complex - they involved having to think before sailing - tough duty for the party hardy. The race started and we assembled the boats - then "raced" them up and down the beach. (Referees were present at all times to insure all were cheating at the "America's Cup level". It was a real laugher until the trophy presentation - they gave away the boats we raced - first place got one - second place got two third place three, until they were all gone. Beer and Hot Dogs for all! Thanks to Jeff Merrill for the good times!

Sol Rosenberg ** Nov 10, 2005, 1:11 PM Post #13 of 22 (71215 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply My most fun event happens every morning. Right after I brew my coffee and grab the newspaper.

padretimo * Nov 10, 2005, 4:54 PM Post #14 of 22 (71185 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply The March 19 “Melaque to Tennacatita Regata” has a “LeMans” start from the beach to your boat at anchor in the bay (Bahia Navidad, Jalisco, MX). The finish line is the palapa resturant “El Puercillo” on the beach where owner Jose Batista is hosting his birthday party. The first year the #1 trophy went to the guy who wanted it the most. A different guy won the most impressive lingerie trophy. One competitor announced at the awards brunch the next morning his experience with Mescal, the wonder drug. “I woke up in the cockpit with fresh bandaids, clean underwear, and no hangover. What was that stuff?”

mostlysail * Nov 10, 2005, 6:52 PM Post #15 of 22 (71176 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply Here on San Francisco Bay, the annual Three Bridge Fiasco is one of the best and most popular, with well over 200 boats racing. It happens at the end of January when we're all wanting an excuse to race anyway. Start times are based on your PHRF rating (slowest boats start first) so whoever crosses the finish line first wins. You can cross the start and finish line in either direction and round the three marks in any order and direction - Blackaller Buoy (Golden Gate Bridge), Red Rock (Richmond Bridge) and YBI (Bay Bridge) are the three marks. Put on by the Singlehanded Sailing Society, you can race either single or double-handed. Usually light air and strong currents make strategy the key. Great fun, though usually exasperating!

Snappy *** Nov 15, 2005, 7:59 AM Post #16 of 22 (71069 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What is your most fun event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply Tough one, particularly since the fun events are the ones where "things happen" to make it tough to remember. How about: Put-In-Bay Week, OH: Early start sucks, but you finish by noon, party until sunset, wake up early and start cycle over. SORC (in the 80's): What a travelling road show! Start in St Pete, and end in Nassau. How many times can you kick naked dollies out of your hotel room so you can get some rest? Circuit was almost tooo long. Snipe Circuit: Another two weeks of reality escape. Start in Clearwater, and end in Nassau. Are you seeing a pattern here? Big Boat Series, CA: It has been awhile (okay, it has been awhile for all of the above), but my memory was gin fizzes in the morning at StFYC, race in big breeze against the best during the day, roam into the city at night, party at the motorhomes in the club parking lot, then venture to the Russian River during the layday for cocktail kayaking. Do events still have laydays? Probably the secret to success for regattas planners would be great laydays. Do I need to pick a favorite event? Hmm, my vote would be...any regatta Watt Duffy attends.

exredux ** Nov 15, 2005, 12:40 PM Post #17 of 22 (71054 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] Forum Contest: What's your funnest event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply Richmond YC and Stockton YC teamed up years ago to sponsor the Delta Ditch Run. This is a 67 mile downwind race from SF Bay to Stockton YC on the San Joaquin River in the heart of the Sacramento River Delta. Classes for cruisers with motor allowance, PHRF, one design, and catamarans . Some classes include the run in their season championship scoring, but most just go for the fun of screaming downwind with the kite for hours. Delta winds are frequently 25kts, but often the start is very light. Boats go aground, one wound up out of water halfway up a levee after a horrendous broach, one put the crew on trapeze completely through the mainsail, and some may wind up paddling to SYC if the wind quits at night. A great party and dinner await finishers. Trailer boats haul out, cruisers use it at the first stop of a Delta cruise, and busses are available to ferry crew between RYC and SYC. Don't miss it!

The Publisher ***** Nov 17, 2005, 10:56 AM Post #18 of 22 (70959 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] Forum Contest: What's your funnest event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply We have closed the contest, but the thread is still alive. - Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt

e30 * Nov 18, 2005, 7:48 AM Post #19 of 22 (70892 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What's your funnest event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply ROADKILL CAFE...Lake Ray Hubbard, Dallas. Bayview Boat Club...Wed evening series during all of Daylight Savings time. Roughly an hour race around the bouys followed by GREAT social at the dock. Someone rotates bringing food and we all bring drinks. Best way to get over hump day. 'A' fleet and 'B' fleet and lots of fun people. 1983 Ericson 30

Count Ferrari ** Nov 18, 2005, 11:08 AM Post #20 of 22 (70873 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What's your funnest event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply The 'funnest' event I recall is a bit hazy but it was the welcome to Lahina after doing the Victoria Maui Race. Gallons of Mai Tais, cases of cold beer, food, and welcoming ladies... We even all jumped into the harbor (not a good thing as it is like most harbors...) Each race boat is welcomed by a committee boat with iced beer in a cooler and then escorted with a pilot to the dock and since we finished 2nd I was able to attend about 9 welcoming parties over the next week. Maui was real fun! Count Enrico Ferrari

Guest Deleted Jan 1, 2006, 10:11 PM Post #21 of 22 (70518 views) Shortcut Re: [John Tormey] What's your funnest event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply The funnest event used to be the GFU 24 Hour Regatta, which was sailed in Snipes on Mission Bay in San Diego. Sailing around a small island was the only mark of the course, and each entry was made up of 8+ people. Lots of people got introduced to Snipes or sailing in this event to fill out the teams, and then it was about partying for 24 hours. Eventually the YC got uptight about all the revelry, and soon scuttled the idea after 20 +/- years.

Guest Deleted Jan 3, 2006, 11:13 AM Post #22 of 22 (70465 views) Shortcut Re: [Guest] What's your funnest event? [In reply to] Log-In to Post/Reply damn, one guy already said ditch run, then someone else said snipe gfu. id say the baha haha kinda counts.

Viewing the Forums: No members and guests   CLASSIFIED ADS     Sell or Want         Sell: Products and Services         Want: Boats/Gear/Jobs     Available Jobs         Coaching/Instruction         Sailmaking         Other     Boats for sale         Sail: 25-feet and over         Sail: under 25-feet         Power .     Dock Talk

Search this forum this category all forums for All words Any words Whole Phrase (options)

Contact Forum

Forum FAQS

Markup Tags

Forum Rules