Is your boat still up in the Yard?

You have only one week left to get your boat ready for racing. First race is May 6th. First warning is at 6:05 pm.

We still have the same "Hotline" for finding out the current race status. Call the Museum at
410-745-6428 extension 255
to hear any pre-race announcements like "are we really going out with all those clouds on the horizon?" Any announcements will be made at least 45 minutes prior to the first warning.

For those of you interested in dinner and/or drinks after the races, the Miles River Yacht Club will have a buffet dinner set up from 7pm until everyone gets a chance to eat. No more freaking out to get food before the town rolls up the sidewalks. The bar will stay open until 10pm as well. All are welcome - you don't need to be a member to get a bite to eat after the races.

Skippers Meeting Highlights

For those of you unable to attend the Skippers Meeting on Wednesday, here's what you missed:

The Official Notice Board for all announcements and changes is:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/sm-wns/

You can sign up for email notices, or you can check the website for updates. You will have two weeks notice of any change, but it is up to you to sign up or check.

The RC will be broadcasting and monitoring on channel 78 this year. We found that there was lots of traffic on our old channel, so we're hoping the channel 78 will be open.

Stay off the line when it is not your class. Your class flag will go up 5 minutes before your start and that is plenty of time for you to check the line. If you flag is not up, then other people are trying to race, so you should be somewhere else. Not only is it in the rules to stay clear (RSS 23.1), but there is an instruction to stay clear (10.1).

Hitting the RC boat will still get you disqualified. We really don't like to be hit.

Class splits for PHRF are the same as last year with one move - Cabaret (the Elite 35) will move to PHRF B class.

We still have laminated course sheets available, so come by the Race Committee boat and pick one up. It probably won't make it the season, but it will last longer than paper!

Remember that we still have a "Hotline" to call for last-minute updates. You know, if it is looking stormy and you want to know if the race has been abandoned. Call the Museum at:

410-745-6428 Ex. 255

A recorded announcement will let you know what's happening.

2009 Sailing Instructions Are Available

The Sailing Instructions are now available for you to download! You can get them from the files section of the Yahoo!groups website for St. Michaels Wednesday Night Racing.

If you're not in the group yet, you can pick up a copy tonight at the Skippers Meeting at 6 pm in the pool house meeting room at the Miles River Yacht Club. There are also copies available at the MRYC office and at the front gate of the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum.

Everything is set for the races to begin. You have 14 days to the first race. Let's hope for good weather and clean starts! Remember, the warning for the Star class will be at 1805 hrs.

Marshall

Herring Island Sailing Fleet 2009 Schedule

The Herring Island Sailing Fleet is an incredibly active fleet of racer/cruisers and just plain old cruisers who will race and/or party at the drop of a hat. If you see them out there, you should join them!

May 2	HISF Spring Series
May 16	HISF Spring Series
May 26	HISF Jib and Main
May 30	HISF Spring Series
June 5	HISF Jib and Main
June 6	HISF Spring Series
June 13	HISF Spring Series
June 14	HISF Jib and Main
June 27	HISF Summer Series
July 11	HISF Herring Run Regatta
July 17	HISF Jib and Main
July 25	HISF Jib and Main
Aug 8	HISF Summer Series
Aug 14	HISF Jib and Main
Aug 22	HISF Fall Series
Aug 29 & 30	HISF Cruise Race
Sept 5	HISF Fall Series
Sept 13	HISF Jib and Main
Sept 19	HISF Fall Series
Sept 26	HISF Fall Series
Sept 27	HISF Jib and Main
Oct 3	HISF Fall Series
Oct 10	HISF Frostbite
Oct 17	HISF Frostbite
Oct 24	HISF Frostbite
Oct 31	HISF Frostbite

Miles River Yacht Club 2009 Comet Schedule

The Comet class at the Miles River Yacht Club is a growing fleet of smaller one-design boats that race mainly on Friday evenings. The schedule for this year is:

May 22	Comet/Dinghy Series 1
June 5	Comet/Dinghy Series 1
June 19	Comet/Dinghy Series 1
June 26	Comet/Dinghy Series 1
July 10	Comet/Dinghy Series 1
July 24	Comet/Dinghy Series 2
Aug 1&2	MRYC Annual One Design Regatta
Aug 7	Comet/Dinghy Series 2
Aug 21	Comet/Dinghy Series 2
Sept 4	Comet/Dinghy Series 2
Sept 18	Comet/Dinghy Series 2
Oct 10 & 11	H. Shuster Star Fall Series

Yes, there really will be Comet racing at the Schuster Fall Series!

Miles River Yacht Club 2009 Regatta Schedule

I've had a few email requests for the schedule of racing this year at the Miles River Yacht Club. There is a lot of racing planned, so I broke it into several posts. You're already seen the post about the Log Canoe Race Schedule of which the MRYC is hosting several weekends, but I wanted to give you the other races as well.

Here is the 2009 Schedule for Regional Races (races where many yacht clubs and YRAs are invited to participate):

May 2 & 3	Star Spring Championship Regatta
May 23	Annapolis to Miles River Race
May 24	Race Back to Annapolis
Aug 1 & 2	MRYC Annual One Design Regatta
Aug 3	MRYC Annual Junior Regatta
Oct 10 & 11	H. Shuster Star Fall Series

Who's Coming Back?

Well, what are the rumors out there about who will be sailing out there this summer. Will you?

There was some talk that maybe the Colgates might not be in town this summer. Apparently that's not true. One has been seen going through town on a trailer, so there is a chance that we will see at least one out there. That's good news - they're accessible boats.

Apparently the crew of Inka is also undaunted by the loss of their skipper and mentor, Hugh Kabler. The seem to have acquired access to an Alberg 30 and intend to bring it out to race! An Alberg will fit right in with the B class and with all that talent on board, things could heat up in the B.

There is also a rumor that Tad has the old Westphal 28 named Cassiopeiae and intends to race. Now I remember when Tad used to load up his Cal 40 with 10-year-old kids and then proceed to kick our butts. No word on Tad filling the new boat with Jr. Sailing Rock Stars, but I wouldn't be surprised if he still some tricks up his sleeve.

I hear lots of people are itching to get on the water. Only 21 days to the first race. Are you ready?

Highpoint is really Competitive Racing

If you happened to read through the Notice of Race, you might have seen that there is a new system for scoring "Highpoint" this year. Nothing particularly shocking, but here is how it works.

Honestly, the name "Highpoint" is a misnomer. Since we are using the low-point scoring system from Appendix A, the winner will actually have a small number of points compared to others in their class. But the history of the trophy is to call it the Highpoint Trophy.

So if we are not using the highest number of points to define a winner, we need another system. There is an added problem now that we have three classes racing dramatically different boats on different courses. To compare the quality of racing from one class to another, we need something objective that can be compared. For help, we looked to other venues where this problem comes up.

Venue 1 was the Screwpile Regatta run every year down in Solomons. There they have many classes on several courses and, like us, they want to have an over-all winner. Their solution: use a corrected time difference between the 1st-place competitor and the 5-place competitor in each class. The smallest corrected time difference must have been the closest and most competitive racing.

Venue 2 was block Island Race Week. Similar problem with varied classes on several courses. Same idea - use the difference in points between the 1st-place competitor and the 5th-place competitor (with some undefined correction factors).

Venue 3 was Key West Race Week. Once again we see the difference in points between the 1st-place competitor and the 5th-place competitor being used to create a factor for "most competitive class". KWRW has more factors they throw in there to confuse us.

The pattern seems to be forming. When we look at our classes, we see different courses at different times with dramatically different boats. How can we tell where the racing was closest? Well, the difference in points between the 1st-place competitor and the 5th-place competitor. If this number is large, then the winner didn't have a lot of competitors nipping at her heels. If the number is small, the winner was struggling to hold off the other boats.

So, for this year, as a test to see how we like it, we are awarding the "Highpoint" trophy to the winner of the most competitive class as defined by the smallest number of points between the 1st-place competitor and the 5th-place competitor.

Okay it's not really a "Highpoint", but it serves the original purpose to have an overall winner who did an outstanding job in his class. Most importantly, it awards close competition because that's what keeps people coming back!

All too familiar

SailKarma is reporting that Star boat USA-8250 (Andrew Macdonald and Brian Faith) broke a mast during the Sofia regatta in Palma. Ouch! I wish we could say we've never seen that before on the Miles River.

It's Really Happening

It's official, the Notice of Race (NOR) has been released. You can get your copy of the NOR by going to the Yahoo!groups website for St. Michaels Wednesday Night Racing. The NOR is in the files section.

Here are the highlights:





St. Michaels Wednesday Night Racing 2009
Notice of Race

1. Rules
The series shall be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012.
Racing Rules shall be changed as follows:
31 – contact with mark/signal boat causing damage/injury cannot be exonerated under rule 44
35 – any boat not finishing within 45 minutes of the first boat in her class shall be scored DNF
The changes will appear in full in the Sailing Instructions. The Sailing Instructions may also change other racing rules.

2. Eligibility and Entry
The series is open to all Star Class boats and PHRF boats. Eligible boats may register by submitting a completed registration form and payment of $50.00 to the Race Committee, or mailing it to the address listed below. Entry must be received before the boat competes for a second time in the season.
St. Michaels Wednesday Night Racing
215 S Hanson St
Easton, MD 21601

3. Schedule
The skipper’s meeting is scheduled for 1800 hrs, April 22, 2009, at the Miles River Yacht Club.

One race is scheduled each Wednesday, beginning the first Wednesday in May (May 6, 2009) and continuing through the first Wednesday in October (October 7, 2009).

1st warning signal (Stars):
1805 hrs May through August
1745 hrs September and October
Special Events:
James H. Wilson Round the Island Race August 5, 2009, 1745 hrs start
Guest Skippers Race August 12, 2009
(Guest Skippers Race shall not count towards standings)

The Annual Awards Party is scheduled for 1800 hrs, November 14, 2009 at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum Auditorium.

4. Sailing Instructions
Sailing Instructions shall be available after 1800 hrs on April 22, 2009, at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum front gate and the Miles River Yacht Club office.

5. Race Area
The Race Area shall be the Miles River off the entrance to St. Michaels harbor. Attachment A shows the location of the race area with approximate government mark locations.


6. Courses
Stars: The course shall be port-rounding windward/leeward laps around club drop marks. The number of laps shall be shown on the Race Committee’s course boards.
PHRF: The course shall be designated on the Race Committee’s course boards by mark designations.

7. Penalty System
In addition to penalties listed in 44.1, if a boat comes into contact with the Race Committee Boat or Mark Boat and there is damage, or there is harm to any individual thereon, she shall immediately retire from the race. The penalty for not retiring is disqualification. This changes rules 31 and 44.1.

8. Scoring
Class series shall be scored using the Low Point System of Appendix A with the following changes:
•For the Star class, changes regarding excluded races will be provided by the Star fleet at a later date (hopefully with the Sailing Instructions).
•For PHRF classes, one race shall be excluded from a boat’s score for every 5 races completed.
•Guest Skipper Night shall be excluded from series scores

The “Highpoint” Trophy shall be awarded to the boat that wins the most competitive class. The “most competitive class” shall be defined as the class that has the smallest number of points between the 1st place series competitor and the 5th place series competitor.

9. Radio Communication
Except in emergency, a boat shall neither make radio transmissions while racing nor receive radio communications not available to all boats. This restriction also applies to mobile telephones, text messaging, and portable Internet devices.

10. Prizes
Prizes shall be awarded to the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place finishers for the series in each class. The “Highpoint” Trophy shall be awarded to the boat that wins the most competitive class as defined in “Scoring”. Additional prizes may be awarded at the discretion of the St. Michaels Wednesday Night Racing Steering Committee.