What a day on the water here at The Landings!

By The Landings on April 23, 2008 12:11 PM | | Comments (3)

Hang On! What a day! For all you sailers who enjoy a little competition and a lot of sailing, the Rhodes 19 Sailing Club at The Landings on Skidaway Island is a perfect way to enjoy the waters surrounding our island and our community! Last week our Club had a great time  ..... we had breezes that varied from calm to knockdown velocity, from southwest to north, in about a 10 second window of time. Skippers and crew had to be looking at the water's surface and boats ahead and behind to be ready for the changes that were sure to come. There were times when four boats would be closely grouped and all but becalmed and a fifth boat would overtake and pass them right through the fleet! How does that happen?

 We had three great races with seven boats battling it out. Ken Rand and Art Wolters found the best angles and managed the conditions well and were rewarded with a 1,2,1 record...well done, guys! The places changed numerous times in the fleet but Bearboat kept moving to the front.

We had two new racers joining us today, Dudley Koontz and Scott McGlynn. They both had a good time and we hope to see them again. Scott sailed with me and took the tiller for the second race...yeah, he got the bug. Jake Master crewed with Joe Witten last week in Jake's first time on a Rhodes and they took three first places. He was hoping for a "threepeat" today but ended up with three last places. Sailing can be a bit like golf. There's always next week, Jake.

The Committee Boat was ably handled by Debbie Rouzee, Carol Walsh and Jim Morison...thanks very much, guys. A good CB crew makes a big difference, particularly when you have seven boats competing.

We are using two new jibs that we recently purchased from North sails and they are nicely cut...a bit higher of the deck than our older Quantum sails and as a result there is no "flutter" along the lower edge. Tight.

  NOTE: Things got pretty crowded at the starts, including some bumping. That is to be expected and "incidental contact" is not a problem. However there are rules to be followed and when you're in a crowd, particularly at the start or when rounding a mark, you must either follow the rules or absolve your sins by making penalty turns. There were some sins that went unrepented. At some distant time those who are guilty will probably be redirected to hell, but should such behavior occur in future races PLEASE own up and take your penalty turns.

We have lots planned for The Rodes 19 Sailing Club ... come out and join us for a free lesson and a great day out on the waters surrounding Skidaway Island and The Landings.  All sails at 12:30 at Landings Harbor Marina ... you'll be happy you came! 

Thursday, 4/24 - Recreational Sail, contact Denis Healy, dhealy917@comcast.net.

Saturday, 4/26, Sunday, 5/4, Saturday, 5/10, Sunday, 5/18, Saturday, 5/24 (Memorial Day Weekend)

 By the way, there is an Open House at Savannah Sailing Center this Saturday, 4/26 from 1 to 5PM. If you have grandkids coming for a visit and want to get some lessons for them, you might stop in. Otherwise, sail with us.

 Send me a note, get on a boat...Marty

3 Comments

Marty Vernick said:

For more information on the Rhodes 19 Sailing Club contact me, Marty Vernick, at 912-598-9425 or vernickm@bellsouth.net.

We race every weekend, weather permitting, alternating Saturdays and Sundays. Club members may also use a boat whenever they wish when we are not racing.

The boats are available ONLY to Sailing Club members, they are not available for rent or lease. Club membership rates vary based on several factors and range from $25/month to $55/month.

All are welcome...Marty

April 23, 2008 3:03 PM
The Landings Author Profile Page said:

Fellow Sailors,

Come on out and join us for some great fun on the water here at The Landings! Here's some information about our latest reaces out of Landings Harbor marina .. ... We had two great races today...steady breezes, warm temps and a moderate river current. Of course, it did rain for the last 15 minutes of the second (and therefore final) race but the competition was good from the start through to the finish. Position changes were common...several skippers overstood the windward mark by a wide margin and it cost them dearly. But the starts were "well attended' and the mark roundings closely contested. A bit too close in one case...mine. I rounded the government mark with three or more feet to spare but apparently a gust of wind heeled us over enough for the sail to brush against the reflector at the top of the post. Neither Dave nor I saw or heard it but both sailors behind us were only too happy to assure us we touched. They hailed us to say we owed a 360...but we couldn't believe we had hit the mark. They later convinced us so we are forced to accept a DQ. Pity. I guess it's perdition for us. Bill Marxsen and Jake Master worked the course beautifully, and worked together quite well also, and were rewarded with a first and second. Well done!
Marty Vernick

April 28, 2008 8:49 AM
The Landings Author Profile Page said:

Fellow Sailors,

We hit the water again on Saturday. The sailing has been great lately, so come on out. Signed up so far are Andrew DuRant, Lee Howell, Randy Nord and I.

We had a work party on Tuesday. We repaired a bale on one boat and replaced the end cap on a spinnaker (Mike Rouzee), sanded and painted BearBoat's hull (Randy Nord, Andrew Boguszewski and Denis Healy) and soaked some mooring lines to soften them up (Ken Rand). The heavy lifting was done by Chuck Church as he continues to replace the #5 rib that rotted on Déjà Vu, but the pièce de resistance was assigning Wayne Sheridan to repair a gouge on Déjà Vu's hull that got there as a result of bumping the sea wall. I gave Wayne the epoxy and an assortment of tools and fiberglass cloth and he set about filling the cavity. This was a natural act for a retired dentist...he all but took out a color sample palette to match the final color of the dentine. A craftsman.

Great job everyone! Thanks. I have to get some more supplies...there are a few keels and hulls that need painting as well as the usual odds and ends...I'll let you all know when we'll do this again.
Send me a note if you want to race on Saturday.
Marty

May 8, 2008 10:14 AM

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