CLUB SPECIAL REGATTA  12 JULY 08

            With the success of the last regatta where STARs and U12s competed, this regatta would have STARs again with IOMs and an M boat and a multitude of Footies. As usual, the weathermen demonstrated their inability to predict wind strength. The prediction was for winds increasing from 6 to 9 mph through the day. It actually started out at 8 and quickly increased to 15. The winds were well beyond the range of the STARs and the Mboat. Surprisingly, John’s Footies stayed up well in the strong winds (being well in the boundary layer). The strong winds tested the boat’s balance and hardware. Jim Linville came all this way to test his STAR in ocean like winds, so he got his money’s worth.

    As we have come to expect, Ron’s Cockatoo performed like the purpose designed model sail boat should. The STARs, copied from the 1911 design full sized STAR, are antiques. They have low aspect ratio main sails, badly mismatched jib and main; the hull has hard chines and the bow and stern stick out of the water so they waste waterline length speed benefit. Fran Gowash has his Ozmun STAR working very well, certainly the class  of the STAR field. Second fastest was Jim Linville’s boat, another Ozmun hull. I have a Blackwell STAR and Bob Shulger has a Robin yachts STAR. Bob’s STAR continues to need work, his sail winch was slow and weak, what a handicap in strong winds. I had a tough time getting out weather helm from the setup. It was difficult to sail up wind while holding the rudder against rounding up constantly. So the day was lots of fun (read that challenging) and we learned some lessons. John Whalen showed off his fleet of Footies. One can carry a fleet in your compact car. With the right selection of sails the Footies can make progress in strong winds, however one has to have a twichy rudder finger to keep the small boats pointed. We will do this again on the 26^th of July.

     Please welcome Jim Linville as our newest club member…..Rich

NEXT REGATTA  -  MANSFIELD HOLLOW SITE  - 26 JULY

“Bring it and sail it”. More practice for the nationals at Mystic Seaport…

August 10^th   Housatonic club   members only STAR regatta at Hopbrook Park