Neither Rain, Nor Snow, Nor Cold of Day…
The 2013 Stanley Bell Regatta will be on Saturday March 9 and Sunday March 10.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Saturday, March 9
1100 – 1230 Registration –on the Veranda
1245 Skippers’ Meeting on the front lawn
1300 Harbor Start
1330 First warning
1800 Event Dinner – Chili Cook-off in the Junior Clubhouse
Sunday, March 10
1300 Harbor Start
1330 First Warning
Award ceremony following the completion of racing
The 2013 Entry Form and 2013 Notice of Race are are posted.
A strong Northerly will delay high tide at the Severn and will cause a stronger, longer duration ebb. The current may vary significantly over the course. Watch for foam on the water running from the Naval Academy breakwater going southeast . This is a current sheer, and the current on the east side of this line will be stronger. In a Northwesterly during an ebb tide, you must decide if its better to go for stronger wind and more adverse current on the right or less current and less wind on the left. The left tends to have larger, more frequent shifts, especially as you approach Spa Creek. The wind can also get light on the left as you approach the breakwater. Either side could be favored in these conditions. The left can win out when a strong left shift filters down Spa Creek. The right can pay big with more wind and more predictable wind shifts. The key is to watch the water for the puffs. If there is consistent wind on the left, that is the way to go as you approach Spa Creek. This rule applies more at the end of the beat when the Creek is a factor.
What should you wear??
With the air temperatures in the 60’s, water temperature at 51, strong winds and a long day of sailing, I’m inclined to vote for the dry suit over a wet suit on Saturday. The call will probably be the same on Sunday with an early start before things heat up. A wet suit will still work well, but I would wear a spray top to keep the wind off. I don’t think you will need frostbite gloves unless you have poor circulation or get cold easily.
Annapolis Buoy – On the course real time conditions
Weather Bug Web Cam at USNA that looks out the Severn River to the course.
I couple years ago, I got a call from a guy named Thurston Smith who was doing a documentary on frostbite sailing. He interviewed me and got a number of contacts for Interclub (and other class) sailors on the east coast. He just let us know that the “FROSTBITERS” trailer (90 seconds) is now ready to be watched!
The documentary will be released soon with interviews and footage of many of you – until then enjoy this short trailer…
The 2013 Nationals will be held at Severn Sailing Association, Annapolis, MD on April 13-14, 2013. Regatta chair Jesse Falsone is planning a great event as usual. The Notice of Race and Entry Form are now available. Don’t delay!
Despite freezing temperatures all weekend, with wind chills in the low teens on Saturday, 
26 teams braved the 2013 Interclub Midwinter Championship at Larchmont YC. The 104 sailors (52 skippers, 52 crews) arrived on Saturday to find snow on the ground, ice in some boats and temperatures in the low 20s. After deploying rock salt, heat guns and boiling water to free stuck lines and centerboards, teams were able to hit the water and get in four races per division, despite salty icicles that began forming on bow covers, mast partners and turning marks.
The Interclub Midwinters features “college-style” racing — competitors team with friends to form “A” and “B” teams, with the lowest combined score winning the regatta. Each race is 10-15 minutes in length and there are no discards, placing a premium on consistency and short course strategy. Sailors rotated divisions every two races on Saturday to keep warm, and when the mercury inched above 32 degrees on Sunday, the race committee was able to get in a three-race set along with an additional two-race series to allow for a total of nine races per division. Large helpings of clam chowder and hot chocolate kept competitors warm in between races. Northerlies both days caused shifty winds but were strong enough to allow for minimal delays and the sunny skies and racing close to shore allowed for brisk rotations.
Reigning IC Midwinter champions John and Molly Baxter, Danny Pletsch and Emily Anderson dominated the weekend, never finishing a race outside of the top six overall to win the overall title by 56 points over Clay Bischoff, Kendra Emhiser, Ted Ferrarone and Meredith Killion. David Dowd, Maeve Judge, Ben Cesare and Coco Sprague finished third overall despite missing the podium in both A and B fleets.
The Midwinters counts toward the Wharf Rat Challenge, a trophy donated by Steve and Heidi Benjamin for overall performance during the winter IC circuit. The next Wharf Rat event is the Stanley Bell Memorial at Larchmont March 9-10, followed by the Tally Cup at Cottage Park YC (Winthrop, Mass.) in late March, culminating with the nationals April 13-14 at Severn Sailing Association in Annapolis.
Interclub Dinghy Class 