Sunday, December 4, 2011

New D7 website is up!

The new website is up and the blog has been moved as well. This blog will no longer be the place to go so make a note.

Everything will be in one place from now on!


http://www.laserdistrict7.com/

Monday, November 14, 2011

New D7 Website coming!

A New Laser District 7 website will go up over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. The web address is new and the blog will be part of the site. Please note that some information was lost regarding classifieds and fleet info. I will rely on you all to email me corrections and/or additions once it goes live.

Thank you for your patience!

Saturday, November 12, 2011

Marblehead Frostbiting - tomorrow could be best day of the season!

From Tom Dailey:

Tomorrow: Best day of the year: SW 10-12k with 65 f
And when we get in, a BBQ in the sun.

Last week: Stein Skaane was third, Wayne Colahan second, and JB won in beautiful conditions. After 8 racing days, no skipper has won two days in a row….only Sam Altreuder has managed to win twice, but not consecutively. Wayne has strung together lots of 2nd places, and a good number of us have regularly partied together in the back of the bus. But consistency at the top is not known in this fleet.

As the sun rises tomorrow, the challenge will fall to JB… first to arise and then to rise to the occasion. And behind that sunny smile will lurk the knowledge that with 10k of wind forecast, winning this day will require one to lean out over the side of the boat a bit. Our man doesn’t like this part of the game, and for all of us who seek to preserve the competitive balance, now you know how to beat him – and his new sail.

First race: 1230
Fee: $10 for those who have it
Prizes: Daily first, top junior, top Corinthian, top Gypsy
BBQ: burgers, dogs, and drinks after sailing

Monday, October 31, 2011

David Frazier wins the Maine Laser Championship!

From Tom Jamieson


The Maine Laser Championship (MLC) series concluded on October 16th with the "Hippo Cup" in Thomaston, ME. The five month, best three of five regatta series brought in 44 different sailors from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusets and Connecticut. The overall winner was David Frazier of Granby, CT with a dominating score of three wins. In second was Hank Thorburn of Harpswell, ME with 1 second and 2 thirds, third was Gary Orkney of Stongington, CT. with a second, third and fourth, in fourth was Fred Boursier of Warren, ME. with a second, a third and a fifth, and fifth was Tom Jamieson of Belfast, ME. with a third, a fourth and a ninth. Sally Sharp of Enfield, NH won the women's division and Jack Giblin of Marblehead, MA won the youth division. All of the regattas were one day affairs featuring 3 to 8 short races and wonderful hospitality.

The first regatta of the season was held at the Portland Yacht Club on June 26th, under the capable direction of PRO Jack Zinn. Jack bailed us out at the last minute after our other regatta site fell through. Thank you Jack! Six races were held in light to medium winds. Ed Rowe of South Portland convincingly beat 14 other sailors to win the event. Syd Sewall of Hallowell, ME finished second, Hank Thorburn or Harpswell, ME finished third, Stu Nickerson of Portland, ME was fourth and Fred Bousier of Warren, ME was fifth.

The second event was held on July 16th at the Thorburn family farm on scenic Clarks Cove in Harpswell, ME. The first race started in medium wind but built steadily through the afternoon. By the last of eight races all he 22 sailors were exhausted. One of the college age competitors was heard to say "I don't know how these old guys do it, I'm exhausted". Another challenge was the tide which was pushing competitors over the starting line early. PRO Hank Thorburn, tried all manner of strategies to keep competitors back but needles to say general recalls were the norm. First overall was David Frazier of Granby, CT followed by Jack Zinn of Falmouth, ME in second, Tom Jamieson of Belfast, ME in third, Gary Orkney of Stonington, CT in fourth and Stu Nickerson of Portland, ME in fifth. After the racing we were treated to a great dinner.

The third event was held on August 20th outside the harbor entrance to Belfast, ME. The event was part of the "Belfast Marine Heritage Festival" that also included rowing races and a boat building competition. PROs Sandra Squire and Margie Spencer-Smith took the thirteen Laser sailors through 6 races in a steady medium wind. David Frazier showed no mercy as he won five out of the six races and threw out of second. Hank Thorburn finished second in four races and won the last to finish second overall. Fred Bousier was third, George Hazelton of Rockport, ME was fourth and Syd Sewall was fifth.

The fourth event was the "Loon Cup" held on September 17th on Lake Cobbosseecontee in Manchester, ME. PRO Syd Sewall grappled with light and wildly shifting winds and managed to salvage three races for the day. The racing was so close that one point separated the top four boats at the end. After it was all hashed out Duane Delfosse of Windam, ME won a the tie breaker for first over Fred Boursier. And Gary Orkney won the tie breaker for third over Tom Jamieson. Stu Nickerson finished fifth. Our hosts, the Cobbossee Laser Fleet did a fantastic job with the dinner afterward.

The final event was the "Hippo Cup" at the head of the Saint George River in Thomaston, ME. on October 16th. It was an exciting day of racing with gusty winds of 10 to 25 mph. PRO Peter Clapp gave the fleet a variety of courses including the "Harry A" which involved sailing a second reach from the reaching mark to the starting pin and down to the leeward mark. Needles to say there were some wild crashes and in one race Hank Thorburn crossed the finish line while capsized. David Frazier finished first overall with Gary Orkney second, Hank Thorburn third, Stuart McNeil was forth and Tom Whitmore was fifth.

Unfortunately, no team was able the win the Maine Team Championship trophy. In it's inagural year, the trophy was to go to the best combined score for a team consisting of one adult man, one adult woman and one youth. The mounted Laser transom was created and donated by Laser sailor Nick Robinson of Castine, ME. The MLC advisors put up the trophy as an incentive to get more women and youth interested in Laser sailing. But it was not to be, no team could come up with the necessary members this year, so the trophy was awarded to the Thomaston Laser fleet as they were the only Maine fleet to have three member compete in at least three events.

Maine is a beautiful place to sail and we invite all sailors to come next year and bring their families.

Overall Results

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Marblehead Frostbite report - week 6

14 year old Bryce Andreasen leading the fleet


Report from Tom Dailey


Week 6: Richardson Wins in 5-8k Right-Trending Easterly/Southerly


In a day of firsts, four different skippers won heats before Ben Richardson prevailed in the seven races series on Sunday. Gene Ho won his first race, as did 14 year old Bryce Andreasen (pictured), marking the first time a junior (under age 18) won a race in the three-year history of Laser Frostbite sailing at Eastern yacht club. Young Andreasen also led the fleet at several marks in different races, showing flashes of speed and smarts that make him a name to watch in the four remaining weeks of the season. Veterans Sam Altreuder and Richardson were the other winning skippers. On the day Richardson won with second-place finishes in the four races he did not win. Andreasen’s antics were just good enough to beat Wayne Colahan and Spring Champ Stein Skaane – all within one point. Phil Smith sailed consistently with the top group in claiming top Corinthian (top finisher who had not previously won the day), and Gene Ho’s strong finish secured his position as the day’s top Gypsy (finisher from outside Essex County).

Proving again the futility in predicting this ocean’s breeze, a lovely 6-8k westerly at 1000 veered 100 degrees right, settled in a range for a couple of hours before bolting right again, as the last race was finished in a southerly. Without postponement, the race committee kept the races coming, moving the marks between every heat. Racing continues for another 4 Sundays, until just before Thanksgiving. The fleet loaner boat is available this weekend, contact tom.dailey@gfk.com if interested.

Sunday, October 23, 2011

Cedar Point YC Fall Regatta - November 5th

CPYC Frostbite Fleet


Cedar Point has a large and competitive Laser fleet so this should be a fun regatta! The NOR is posted so sign up!


NOR

Friday, October 21, 2011

Opening day for Fleet 413 & Winthrop Sailing-November 6th




Winthrop Frostbite Sailing Club -  November 6

Join the Winthrop Frostbite Sailing Club on opening day, November 6, for short course racing followed by pub food and drink at the Cottage Park Yacht Club in Winthrop, MA.   Racing will begin at 1:00 PM, but  plan to arrive at or before 11:00 AM.      Details:



Newport's Fleet 413 -  November 6


The NOR/SI for the 2011-12 season are attached. They'll also soon be online at 


This is also where you'll go to register online. However, DO NOT REGISTER YET. We're still in the process of clearing out last year's data. I will let you know when registration is officially open. 

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

Marblehead Laser Frostbite: Week 5: Shope Wins Day 5; All Safe as Many Capsize

Andrew Burton, doing it the hard way.


Report written by Tom Dailey:

Peter Shope bested Ben Richardson and the rest of Marblehead's Laser fleet on a windy day that offered 30 knot winds smack dab in the middle of the harbor. Shope, the only skipper not to capsize, used the same dry technique this summer to beat Richardson in the 1:1 final of the 2011 St. Francis Heavy Weather Slalom. A few days later Richardson would claim the Laser World Championship (Apprentice Masters), setting up the rematch in our harbor Sunday.

But Marblehead hero Richardson, found ashore as 3 races started, sang that he had retired to 'save lives' as the winds increased. Denied their showdown, spectators bobbing on moorings ringing the shore were buoyed by Shope's pledge to return one day. On the Lasers themselves, there were no capsized smiles: top junior and lady, Christina Magnosa commented: "It looked worse than it was, and if there were another way to learn to sail on a windy day... but, there just isn't, is there?"

Racing resumes this Sunday with the first heat at 12:30. Race days continue until November 20th.

For more information contact Tom Dailey at Tom.Dailey@gfk.com

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Sail Newport Presents... a night with Puma & Rambler-hurry and get your tickets as they are going fast!

Puma as she prepares to for the start of the VOR
Rambler 100 overturned at Fastnet Rock

Get your tickets now, as this event will sell out!

Come listen to Ken Read talk about Puma and her crew as they ready to get started on the first leg of the 2011-2012 VOR in less than a month. Also hear Jerry Kirby's first hand account of what it took to survive the ordeal at Fastnet Rock. Lastly, get an update from Sail Newport's Brad Read about Newport's preparation for the America's Cup World Series.

As it was so well put by fleet 413 fleet captains, Stu Streuli and Dave Reed, "If you've seen the Kenny/Brad/Jerry Kirby show before, you know it's not to be missed, if only to see how much fun they make of each other."

Purchase tickets here
Tuesday, October 18th at 6:00 pm
Jane Pickens Theater
Newport, RI
$30 per Adult for Non Sail Newport Members
$25 per Adult for Sail Newport Members
$200 for 10 Tickets -- Sail Newport Members only
All local youth sailors under 18:  FREE

For more information contact Katie Barker or call 401 846-1983

Wednesday, October 5, 2011

October Regattas

Last Blast Regatta (October 8th)
Quannapowitt YC, Wakefield, MA. NOR

NH Seacoast Regatta (October 15th)
Great Bay YC, Dover NH. NOR

Maine Championship (October 16th)
St. George River, Thomaston, ME NOR

Duane Delfosse wins The Loon Cup


                                    




Report/photos from Syd Sewall:

The Loon Cup ....we sail off of a small island connected with a dirt causeway on Lake Cobbosseecontee west of Augusta, ME. It's a beautiful lake, and we often are entertained by Loon and Osprey calls, as well as passing by herons and eagles. 


This year's race was on a beautiful but light day. We got in two reasonable W5 type races with a shifty northerly 3-6 kn before the wind died completely. Occasional ripples showed up briefly for the next hour to tempt us to start, but nothing was sustained. Then a consistent S-SW showed up, and we had one more race in 1-5 before hitting shore for a cookout. Results and a photo attached....we had great attendance, with only a half dozen from our local group and the rest from "away".  


The last event in our "Maine Series" is in mid October in Thomaston.

Tuesday, September 27, 2011

Ben Richardson wins the 2011 NE Masters Championship!


Ben Richardson


Ben is on a roll!

The true sign of a great sailor is one that can dominate in all conditions and Ben has done just that. Fresh off from his win in the Apprentice Master's fleet at the Laser Master Worlds in windy San Francisco, Ben came home to take the win in the super light conditions off of Third Beach in Middletown, RI.

45 sailors came to Third Beach to compete in the 2011 NE Masters Championship and while Third Beach is known for providing a variety of conditions, an unusual weather pattern showed up and light air was all she could squeak out.

Due to the conditions, only 3 races were completed in the two days but the prizes made up for it from a new centerboard and rudder to many more amazing giveaways!

Congratulations to Lynne Shore who finished in 12th as top female in a very competitive fleet!

Monday, September 19, 2011

Marblehead Laser Frostbite Week1/Ponce de León regatta: 14 boats, beautiful 10k breeze



Nick La Chance, Marblehead HS Senior, soon to be widely known sail boat racer, and winner of Race 1 on his forst day out, announced his arrival by smoking the fleet on the first beat and never looking back. If you were there you saw how good he is - if you missed it, come out and try to beat him in a couple races before its too late.

In race two Nick did some remedial work on staying up right while JB Braun led the fleet around the course. In race three JB was at it again, alone in front, before the swirling chop got hold of him on leg 2, sending his daggerboard skyward; a pile up at the bottom mark opened the door again, and he recovered to 4th. Race 4 was a blur, don’t remember it. In Race 5, with JB with in position to win the day, he banged out to the right, where he so selfishly had been hording - but denying - more wind. True to form, he tacked and was to cross the port tackers by about two lengths. Then it happened. It was beautiful. A dark blue 35 foot 'racing sailboat' parked itself just inside the starborad tack lay line to hoist its main sail. Beers in hand, puttering forward at about 1kt, main flogging wildly, oblivious to JB's hard-hiking form, the bog boat crew got the sail up most of the way, but it got stuck, or maybe they got tired, and the situation lingered. JB, now bouncing in the chop, going slower, not heading quite as high - he was not going to cross after all. Joy and laghter from the port tackers. And that was it, he finished 2nd.

Nick took top Junior, Christina Mignosa was our top radial, and Jason Yarrington, in 4th place just behind Chris Hufstader, was our top Corintian - well done all!
Thanks to Cheryl and Suzie for RC, another flawless day
PS RC volunteer positions still open - act fast!

Program Reminders
**Sail on Sundays**
Longer season: start Sunday 25 SEP; finish Sunday 21 SEP
More boats: last Fall we averaged 14 on the line
Pool House open for post-race party from Day 1

Prizes
Daily first
Corinthian Daily first: low-point score among those who’ve not previously won the day or the Corinthian
Season top 5, top Junior, Ironman: starting 100% of races in the season (not been done yet… go for it)

Amenities
Hot showers, cold beer

Schedule
People who make the first start arrive: 1145
Skippers Meeting: 1215
Harbor Start: 1230; First Signal: 1300; Last Signal: 1500
Presentation of Prizes: 1600
Fall sailing thru 21 Novermber
Spring Tentative: 6 Sundays– 16 April thru 21 May
Other details: just show up
Eastern Yacht Club
47 Foster Street
Marblehead

Other
You probably don’t need it until Spring, but Team1 has good deals on dry suits, etc.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

NE Master's pre-register here!

Avram Dorfman has set up a website for the NE Masters where competitors can preregister, see the list of entries, and get the results.  He will  be entering the scores on the water, so sailors will be able to get the results very quickly on their smart phones. 
 
All regatta fees will be collected at the site
http://www.diamondwire.org/fleets/new_england_laser_masters/series
 
 




Sunday, September 11, 2011

Updated NOR's

Please check the D7 Calendar for updated NOR's : The NE Master's (September 24-25) and The Last Blast Regatta (October 8th)
D7 Calendar

Tuesday, September 6, 2011

New England Masters Championship (September 24-25th)

Hi Masters sailors,

Yes, there will be another NE Masters Championship and, yes, again off Third Beach in Newport, now for the 8th time at this venue, New England's best, which is why it was chosen for the last US Laser and Radial Olympic trials. The date is September 24-25. Directions and accommodation suggestions are shown on the NOR. 

Online pre-registration, unfortunately, is not available at this time. We are still working on it and will inform you when it is set up.  

There is a reason for the rather late onsite registration and commencement of racing on Saturday, and that is because of a triathlon that takes place that morning on the roads around Third Beach. Please do not arrive much before 10 a.m. at which time the roads should be open again.

And please notice that rig switching will be permitted throughout the regatta. There should be no reason not to sail. Of course, it is too early to predict the weather, but the summers are getting longer. We are optimistic.

See you soon, and please spread the word,

Peter Seidenberg
Regatta Chairman
401-846-2618 H
401-954-8496 C

Friday, September 2, 2011

From Fleet 413: Ted Green update


Ted Green sailing for SUNY Maritime

During the weekend, we hope you can each spare a thought, prayer, and/or some positive energy for fellow Fleet 413er Ted Green Jr. who has been a big part of the fleet's youth movement over the past few years, regularly coming back to show the old guys how it's done.

If you haven't heard, on Aug. 24, Ted was involved in a horrific accident and very nearly died. Here's an excerpt from an email we received a few days ago:

"What I understand is that he was taking down a tree and went to move his safety lines down and when he raised his arm over his head it was 3 feet from a 7000 watt line which arced and zapped him.  Who knew that electricity in covered lines can still shock you 3- 5 feet away without touching them!!!  Big lesson learned. Everyone has been filling in the blanks for him as to what happened but what he does know is that he had his last rites read to him 2 x at two different hospitals - He said if it was not for the speedy response of the Largess crew to get help Ted would not be here with us today. School is on hold - recovery will be well over a year.  He is hoping to have movement in his hand and fingers and arm but it is all up in the air.
 
He welcomes all calls and visits.  Ted Sr was there and his family is hanging in there. Reports on his facebook page are encouraging. But it will still be a long road to recovery."

If you feel comfortable calling Ted, don't hesitate. He has his cell phone and we're sure he would love to hear some words of encouragement. You can also leave him a note on his facebook page.

As we hear more about his progress and what we, as a fleet or as individuals, can do to help, we will pass that along. In the meantime, keep him in your thoughts.

Best Regards,
-Stu & Dave

Friday, August 26, 2011

Niantic Yacht Club Regatta cancelled



Due to hurricane Irene, the NBYC Laser Regatta scheduled for August 27th is now cancelled.

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Photos from the 2011 Laser Master Worlds

Photos from the Master Worlds and some from the Laser Heavy Air Slalom can be found at the below links:

Chuck Lantz
http://www.pbase.com/chucklantz/root

Chris Ray
http://www.printroom.com/pro/crayivp


Also, people, please check out Laser D7 on Facebook (Laser District 7) and feel free to promote your events, items for sale and any comments there. Many people are on FB and check it frequently!

Thursday, August 11, 2011

2011 Master Worlds, Halfway Report from Fleet 413



Ben Richardson
Bern Noack
Peter Shope
Brian Fisher
Dave Armitage
Scott Ferguson
Mark Bear
James Jacob
Mike Matan

Fleet 413ers,

Our compatriots are holding their own on wind-whipped San Francisco Bay. They're halfway through a grueling series that's seen the Bay deliver just what everyone expected in terms of wind.

Ben Richardson is cleaning house in the Apprentice Masters Division, having won 5 of 6 races, with Dave Armitage and Brian Fisher also in the hunt for a podium finish. Was it just a week ago that Armo was in the Sailing World offices bemoaning the forecast and predicting that he was going to get "crushed" by the breeze and the competition. I guess "getting crushed" is Kiwi-speak for fourth place. 

After a tough start, a 10th for Scott Ferguson and a 22nd for Peter Shope, both have come on strong in the Masters Division. Ferg is currently 3rd, with Shope in 7th. Mark Bear is little further back.

Finally Peter Seidenberg has also recovered from a disappointing first race and is currently 5th in the Great Grand Masters Division.

I think that's everyone. Full results can be found at http://www.sailingresults.net/sa/results/default.aspx?ID=17.4.1

Also don't forget to check out Kim Ferguson's blog, http://lasermasterworlds2011.blogspot.com/

And finally, we'd be remiss in not mentioning Lucas Adam's eighth-place finish at the 2011 Laser Nationals in California, http://www.calyachtclub.com/files/11_LNAC_S1-12b.htm

The NOR for the New England Master's Regatta is posted here. A great chance to come see how much better than you all these guys have become!

That is all!

Stu & Dave

Photos by Kim Ferguson (Faces in the standard fleet)

Thursday, July 14, 2011

Saturday, July 2, 2011

Area A Winners: Mark Bear and Callie Naughton

Results can be found here

D7 Women score high marks at the Leiter Trophy

Report from Kathy Howes at the Leiter Trophy:
Conditions were all over the place from postponement to very light in Races 1-3 (in heavy rain and cold temps) to high wind and big chop on the final day in races 6-8, topping at 23knots (in the middle of San Francisco Bay! Yikes!)

Fleet was 57 laser radials from across the country. The first 6 spots went to sailors from New Jersey, Florida (2), California, and Washington (2).
Cape Cod sailor Quinn Howes (age 16, South Orleans, MA) finished 7th overall and was the top New England sailor. 

Cape Cod sailor Elizabeth Dubovik (age 18, Chatham, MA) finished 8th overall.
Here is the US Sailing link to the full event with all Results and Press Releases written by US Sailing:

http://championships.ussailing.org/Youth/USJrWomensSinglehanded.htm

Other New England sailors:
12th Page McManus, Marblehead MA
14th India Johnstone, Newport, RI
15th Rachel Bryer, Jamestown, RI
20th Samantha Jackus, Stamford, CT
39th Haley Kachmar, Milford, CT

The girls competing in the event were treated to an evening with Oracle sailors, Simeone Tienot and Shannon Falconne:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SuI6vVLGC28&feature=youtu.be

Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Register now for The Newport Regatta! (July 9-10)

Registration is now open for The Newport Regatta!
Come and enjoy two days of competitive Laser racing run by a top notch RC.

Register here

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

2 New regattas added to the D7 calendar!

June 25th - Laser & Sunfish Regatta - Massapoag Yacht Club Sharon, MA.
Laser sailing on Lake Massapoag. Skippers meeting at 9 am. A cheap and fun event for all ages, with lunch included!  http://www.sailmyc.org/

August 13th - The 19th Annual Crowbar Regatta - Sail Newport Newport, RI.
The Crowbar Regatta is a fundraiser for The Habitat for Humanity. A fun regatta with J/22's with the addition of a Laser start this year.
Enjoy a great day of sailing off of Goat Island and a fun party under the tent at Sail Newport!
No NOR as of yet but until then, if you have any questions contact Steve St. Onge (401) 640-9564 or email at stongemail@gmail.com

Andy Pimental is the 2011 Atlantic Coast Masters Champion!

Atlantic Coast Masters Championship
New Bedford Yacht Club
June 18-19, 2011

Friday’s weather could have turned off anybody from driving long distances to New Bedford – it rained intermittently all day long. However, those 41 sailors who were not deterred were treated to the legendary sailing conditions that Buzzards Bay is known for when a warm and sunny day generates a SW sea breeze of commonly 20+ knots. Saturday’s race day #1, was one of those days, although the sea breeze only made it up to 15 knots. Since the forecast for Sunday was not as favorable, the RC announced at the skippers meeting that they would try to run more than the scheduled 3 races for the day – and they did, stopping after 5 races. The courses were wwd.-lwd. twice around with a short reaching leg from the lwd. gate to the finish line off the bow of the committee boat.

As predicted, Sunday’s sailing conditions were challenging due to a cirrus cloud covered sky preventing the development of a sea breeze strong enough to overcome the gradient northerly, which pretty well hung in until the cut-off time of 3 p.m. Being also an offshore breeze, the wind fluctuated wildly both in speed and direction to the extend that it caused a start delay of over an hour and four postponements only minutes after the start. Finally, a N 10-5 knot “window” opened for what turned out to be the only race of the day. A second race had to be abandoned half way up the first beat when the battle between the northerly and southerly winds reached a stalemate. The beer boat offered a welcome relieve to the sailors, spread out over a wide area in search of the elusive private breeze advantage.

An insufficient number of pre-registered Radials meant that rig-switching was in effect, which only one sailor tried to make use of by switching after the first race. The age divisions were represented by 3 Apprentices, 18 Masters, 12 Grand Masters, and 8 Great Grand Masters. There were 4 women racing across two age divisions.

Congratulations to the 2011 Atlantic Coast Masters Champion, Andy Pimental (M) who beat out Peter Shope (M) on a tie-break.

The top three divisional winners are:
Apprentices: Ben Richardson, MA; David Armitage, RI; Brian Fisher, RI
Masters: Andrew Pimental, RI, Peter Shope, RI, Mark Bear, MA
Grand Masters: Jorge Abreu, DOM, David Frazier, CT, Gary Orkney, CT,
Great Grand Masters: Peter Seidenberg, RI, Joe Van Rossem, CAN, Amnon Gitleson, CT
Women: Lynn Shore, RI, Susie Pegel, WI, Judith Krimski, MA

For the overall and divisional results see Results
-Peter Seidenberg

Monday, June 20, 2011

Championship of Buzzard's Bay, June 25-26th (O'Day Eliminations for Men & Women)

The Winners get to sail at The Gorge!



Come and race on Buzzards Bay Saturday, June 25-Sunday, June 26th. The top female and top male will head on to compete in the O'Days on The Gorge

Skipper's Meeting will be at the New Bedford Community Boating Center on Saturday, June 25th at 11:00 am.

Make sure that you are an active Laser Class Member as well as a US Sailing Member.

The NOR is posted here

Friday, June 10, 2011

Atlantic Coast Masters Championship (June 18-19)

Hello Masters Sailors,

The regatta, scheduled for June 18-19 at the New Bedford Y.C., is only one week away. The warm weather, with temperatures in the 70th, is here to stay. Warm and sunny weather, as everybody knows, generates a beautiful sea breeze on Buzzards Bay. 26 sailors have signed up as of today. There will be one fleet, with rig switching in effect. Radials failed to get the required 15 registrations by the deadline to have their own start.

For the NOR, On-line Registration, and Entry List, please go to the New Bedford Y.C. website www.nbyc.com.

For hotel accommodation, see the NOR and the following two, more economical, suggestions:

Dartmouth Motor Inn, 571 State Rd., North Dartmouth, MA 02747, (508) 997-0008, www.dartinn.com, and

Best Western Dartmouth Inn, 737 State Rd., North Dartmouth, MA 02747, (508) 717-0424, www.bestwestern.com

See you on the water,

Peter Seidenberg

Thursday, June 2, 2011

Laser Weekend in New Hampshire!

Racing on Lake Mascoma

It's going to be a beautiful weekend to do some lake sailing!

Saturday, June 4th -  Lake Mascoma Spring Regatta
Sunday, June 5th - Lake Sunapee Regatta

NOR

Wednesday, May 25, 2011

Peter Shope edges out Ted Green to win the 2011 Wickford Regatta

The Wickford Regatta hosted 17 Lasers (16 standard and 1 radial) in a two-day event with a tally of 6 races.

Day one started off cold and foggy with little wind but opened up just in time for racing, with classic  Narragansett Bay conditions, sunny with a Southerly breeze around 15 knots.  Peter Shope clearly dominated in these conditions ending the day with three bullets.

Day two was a bit different ... cold and overcast skies with a dying North Easterly which eventually faded into nothing. In these conditions Ted Green (Wickford Yacht Club) remained consistent with a 3, 2, 2 and Dan Nickerson (Ram Island Yacht Club) pulled out a 1,7,1.

Peter Shope went on to take the prize only one point ahead of Ted Green and three points ahead of Mark Bear (NBYC).


Results

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Ben Richardson wins the Pete Milnes Regatta


Ben prepping his boat at the 2010 Laser Master Worlds

In a very competitive 36 boat fleet with super puffy and shifty conditions (auto-tack style) Ben Richardson takes the win with Steve Kirkpatrick and Brian Fisher close behind. 

Several of the competitors in the fleet are practicing and gearing up for the 2011 Laser Master Worlds, which will be held August 7-12 on the very windy San Francisco Bay.


Tuesday, May 10, 2011

2011 Laser Atlantic Coast Masters Championship - June 18-19

Hello Masters Sailors,

This is to inform and remind you that this year's Atlantic Coast Masters Championship will take place on the weekend of June 18-19 at the New Bedford Y.C. It is unfortunate that the spring issue of "The Laser Sailor" failed to list this regatta on the 2011 Regatta Schedule, page 17, even though it has been shown on the ILCA-NA "Masters Events" website since December.

As many of you know from past experience, most recently from the 2008 US Masters, the New Bedford Y.C. knows how to make us sailors feel welcome and give us the top-notch, no-nonsense racing we are looking for, and that on wonderful Buzzards Bay as a bonus!

The pre-registration deadline is May 19. It saves you $25 and guarantees you a fleece jacket.

Please spread the word.

The NBYC website and the NOR (with accommodation suggestions) can be found here.

Peter Seidenberg
401-846-2618 H
401-954-8496 C

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

D7 May Regatta Schedule



May 1st
Pete Milnes Regatta - Sail Newport, Newport, RI NOR
May 7th
May Madness - Quannapowitt Yacht Club, Wakefield, MA NOR
May 15th
Laser Spring Series & Area B Eliminations - Cedar Point Yacht Club, Westport, CT NOR
May 21-22
Wickford Regatta -Wickford, RI Preliminary NOR

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

May 1st - The Pete Milnes Regatta

From Fleet 413:

Good afternoon everyone,

I hear that it's going to be Mid-50s by Sunday, so no more excuses for idle boats. We're down to the last three weeks, and then the big season-ending send off...the Legendary Pete Milnes Memorial Regatta. Be there, or well...be lame.

Attached is the official NOR and SIs...everything you need to know so you don't have to ask questions at the skipper's meeting, right?

We've got a real, live professional PRO, the lovely and talented Sue Reilly, coming up from Connecticut to make sure the line is square and the courses are perfect (not that they aren't always....) If anyone would like to volunteer themselves or friends/spouses/out-of-commission sailors for mark boat and RC boat assistance, please let us know soon so we have the right number of bodies in each RC boat.

You can come on down early for registration (at 10 a.m.), where the Milnes family will be dishing out breakfast treats and hospitality. Get your paperwork squared away early and get out for some practice runs.

See you Sunday.

Dave & Stu (who's itching to get back out there!)

Season schedule & NORs

Monday, April 4, 2011

Register now for the Wickford Regatta!





Hi to everyone,

Registration is now open for the Wickford Regatta.  Apologies for being a little slow this year, but the website has been redone and it took longer than expected. Portions of the site are still under construction, but the entry process is up and running.  The dates are May 21-22, as previously announced, and we guarantee wind both days this year! 

Registration is open now, but there may be a few bugs in with the url in the NoR, so use http://wickford2011.sailspace.net/ if you have any trouble through early next week

We have set cash back incentives for all classes again this year, so please check the NOR for your classes cash back threshold.  We hope to be handing out lots of the stuff at registration.

We will be offering limited housing with members once again this year.  We will entertain requests only after you have completed registration, so please encourage your members to sign up soon.

See you in May,

Skip Whyte
1st Place Sailing
High Performance Coaching & Consulting



Monday, March 21, 2011

Frostbiting is back in Marblehead...

From Tom Dailey:

Dear Fellow Yachtsman,
Last Fall we were solidly in double-digit boats on the line, with 14 qualifiers.

The more, the merrier.

16 April is the first day of the spring season – it continues for a total of just six Saturdays, so don't miss it.
Team1 has good deals on dry suits, etc.

Hope to see you out there, and/or back ashore for beer and pretzels and stories,
Tom 

Prizes
·     Daily first
·     Corinthian Daily first: low-point score among those who’ve not previously won the day
·     Season top 5, top Junior, Ironman: starting 100% of races in the season

Amenities
·     Hot showers, cold beer

Schedule 
·     6 Saturdays 16 April through 21 May 
·     People who make the first start arrive: 1145 
·     Skippers Meeting: 1215 
·     Harbor Start: 1230First Signal: 1300Last Signal: 1500 
·     Presentation of Prizes: 1600 
·     Other details: just show up 
·     Eastern Yacht Club  47 Foster Street  Marblehead, MA

For more information email Tom Dailey at:  Tom.Dailey@gfk.com

Friday, March 18, 2011

Enter to win Laser #200000 - Renew your Laser Class Membership before April 1st!!!


If you want a chance to win Laser #200000, renew your membership to the class and enter to win here before April 1, 2011

Enter here to win in Laser # 200000

Renew your class membership here

Newport Fleet 413 Laser racing & BBQ this Sunday...



Fleet 413ers,

Spring is right around the corner. You know, those warm mornings full of promise and warm sunshine that are always followed around 1 p.m. by a bone-chilling sea breeze and fog and or marine-layer clouds. All the while Providence and Boston bask in the 70s and the evening weathermen tell us how great the day was. Good thing you've all been out frostbiting this winter and toughening up. 50 degrees with a misty fog will seem like bikini weather (if, of course, that's your beach outfit of choice).

Sunday is, however, looking pretty sweet, mid 40s and a moderate northerly breeze. Tim Pitts and Kay VanValkenburgh will be running races for us. We had close to 30 boats last week. Let's get over the hump this week!

In honor of the longer days and better weather, we figured we'd take a break from the bar and the Fleet would sponsor a Fleet 413 BBQ on the sail shed patio after racing. We'll bring burgers, dogs, chicken, and a few other munchies, you bring yourself and whatever else you like to enjoy with your burgers, dogs, chicken, etc. Invite your family and friends, too, if you like. Everyone is welcome. Let's celebrate better weather and of course the camaraderie of suffering together each Sunday all winter. It'll be sort of like if the characters from "The Breakfast Club" gathered for a reunion once a year. It's not that they like each other, they're just bound by a common painful experience.

See you on Sunday!

-Stu & Dave

Sunday, February 20, 2011

Masters Midwinters East - Final day

Report from Peter Seidenberg:

There was no racing today. The warning gun for the first race of the day was supposed to be at 10:30, but the postponement flag went up instead at 9:30 with the announcement that there would be no race attempt after 12:30.

The bay looked glassy for most of the morning convincing the RC at around 12:00 that it would be useless to wait any longer, and so they pulled the plug and let us de-rig and pack up. The cook-out at 12:30 was followed by the price-giving at 1:00, and most sailors were on their way home or over to Clearwater Beach for the Open Midwinters East by 2:00 p.m. Some had even packed up and left earlier.

There were no complains, though. We had five fair and square races, including a throw-out, over 3 days in warm and sunny weather - and a lot of time to socialize with Masters sailors from all over the US, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Chile, and Dominican Republic.

Results

Masters Midwinters East - Day 2

Day 2 report from Peter Seidenberg:

Today started out like yesterday: waiting for wind. The warning gun should have been at 10:30 today, but we had to wait on shore until 1:30 p.m. when a light WSW breeze had developed and covered the whole surface of the bay. The earlier start (over yesterday) allowed us to get 3 races in and, thus, get our throwout.

Race 1 started in WSW 4-5 kn and ended in NW 8-10. The "righty" came in just as the leaders rounded the second wwd mark for the final run to the finish which, of course, turned into a broad reach.

After resetting the course, race 2 was started in NW 8-10 and finished in NW 10-12.

Even though the sun was getting low, the RC decided to go for a third race, which was started, after a general recall, under a black flag. The NW 10-12 held up throughout the race. De-rigging was done, again, under a glorious sunset across the bay.

We have 5 races completed now, the minimum necessary for a throwout. Results can be found here

Saturday, February 19, 2011

Master Midwinters East - Day 1

Peter Seidenberg


Report from Peter Seidenberg:

There's a huge turnout: 70 boats. There was plenty of sunshine, but no wind most of the day. We waited on shore until 3 p.m. when a little NW breeze came up. It took another hour for the wind to stabilize to an unexpected NW 8-12 and a couple of general recalls for the first race to get underway. The course was wwd -lwd twice around, with a short reach from the lwd mark to the finish line off the bow of the committee boat. The wwd leg was 1 nm. The wind was very stable across the course.

The second race followed in short order in essentially the same conditions. It finished not much before a glorious sunset. Unfortunately, the results are not available at this point.

The weather forecast for today (and the next two weeks!) is much like what we had yesterday.