Party tomorrow!

That's right - the Awards Party is tomorrow. The event is at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in the Boatshop.

Everything starts at 6 pm.

This is a potluck event, so we are not charging for food or drinks. 

• If your last name begins with an A-K, you should bring an appetizer
• If your last name begins with an L-Z, you should bring a dessert/salad
• If you want something other than beer, bring it with you!
• If you need something special to serve your food, bring it

Should be a fun evening. Hope you can make it!

Party on the 22nd

 That's right! The Awards Party is on October 22nd at 6 pm.

The Awards Party is at CBMM in and around their boatshop.

You should come to pick up your awards and enjoy festivities with all your friends! We will have a free keg, a firepit, and a band playing.

This is a potluck event, so we are not charging for food or drinks. 

• If your last name begins with an A-K, you should bring an appetizer
• If your last name begins with an L-Z, you should bring a dessert/salad
• If you want something other than beer, bring it with you!
• If you need something special to serve your food, bring it

Feel free to get inventive! Just don't bring too much food, or you will be taking it home. No one has ever brought too many drinks.

The people in the boatshop have a band, and they will be playing! Plan to come for the evening and hang out. We'll have a fire pit going, and Jenn has offered to give people tours of the Dove project. 

Who should come? You and all your crew! Spouses and friends? Bring them! Other sailors like log canoers? Bring them! How about other people who enjoy boating and live in the area? Bring them! This is a boating community party.

We're working on paper products. With any luck, we'll supply items for eating. If you need something special, let us know.

There are probably more details. We'll send more info as we get it.

Results from 10/6

Yay! We managed to get the last evening of racing! Thanks to everyone who participated this summer in racing on Wednesday nights. The wind and weather were not very cooperative this summer, but we still managed to get in 13 races. Also thanks to everyone who dressed up last night to make it fun.

Congratulations to Bob Bennett and crew on Tomorrow for a first-place finish in the B class last night. Apparently dressing up as Tigger and Pooh helped the little Rainbow go faster! Also having a great night was UnPhased in the A class and Betty Ford in the Stars.

You can see all the results >HERE<

Be sure to verify the season results. I'm ordering trophies tomorrow, so a quick check is good!

Season Results for checking

Remember the season awards party is Friday, October 22nd, 6 pm, at the Museum Boatshop. Mark your calendar now!

How to enjoy the last day of racing

October 6th is the last night for racing WNR in 2021. How to enjoy it:

• It's costume night, so dress up if you want to participate in the best-dressed award
• Get there early and enjoy the night
• We will make a short race to finish quickly
• Plan to come by the Club afterward!

Isabel's Dock Bar will be open with drink specials. You will be able to get a $5 Dark 'n Stormy! 

Grilled burgers and grilled sausages for sale out at the dock bar as well. Plus complimentary chips and cupcakes.

There will also be music. Come listen to Bobby Reed.

An evening with plenty of fun. Invite your friends and come on by to celebrate 2021!

Scoring Penalties

 

I know some of you are thinking "what is a scoring penalty?"

It's simply a way to allow competitors to exonerate themselves of an error on the course. If you know you messed up, you can do two turns as a penalty on the course. If you know you are right, you can make your case in a protest hearing. 

But what can you do if you find out you were wrong after you finish the race? That's where a scoring penalty can be helpful. You can exonerate yourself and there is no need for a protest hearing.

Click Here to read an example of taking a scoring penalty.

Why are scoring penalties allowed? It's part of the Sailing Instructions for WNR.

Results from 9/29

 Perfect weather for an even out on the water last night. That is, except for the wind! Wild 60º wind shifts and dying out to nothing when the forecast called for building after sunset. I guess Wednesdays need to stay unpredictable to remain true to form.

Only one week of racing left for the season! October 6th is the last race of the year. Remember that we award "Best Dressed" to the team with the best costumes. Feel free to show up in costume next week. We will be judging from the committee boat, so come by close enough for us to see!

One week also means that it's a good time to check your season results. Make sure that I recorded each of your races correctly. We score on a spreadsheet each night, and then I transfer those results to the season scoring on Regatta Network. Of course, I can easily make mistakes. Check carefully!

Season Results so far

Congratulations to the crew on Honey Honey for a first-place finish is in the dying air. Also coming in first was Will and Carl on Wish and the crew on UnPhased. Good job!

You can see all the results >HERE<

Save the date!

Awards are coming up on October 22nd. Save the date for the party in the evening.

The party will be at the Maritime Museum, so invite all your friends!

Results from 9/15

Nice to get in a long race! At just over 6 nm, that was fun to enjoy all of the evening.  We're losing a lot of daylight, though. We're losing about 12 minutes of daylight a week now, so our races in the future will have to be much shorter to get everyone finished before twilight. Make sure to use your running lights.

Congratulations to all the usual suspects - UnPhased, Ful Dek, and Manipulator.

You can see all the results >HERE<

Results for 9/8

 Hi Everyone,

It sure looked stormy at the start of the evening, but we were able to complete a race with plenty of wind. The wind even stayed up for the race! There was a big wind shift just before the start that caused lots of problems. Even windy nights just can't be consistent.

Remember that we are losing a lot of daylight every day now. Even if we have good wind, we may end up having shorter races just so we can get everyone back home in the daylight. That's the plan, but it doesn't always work that way. Here are some things that help.

1. Running lights - you should use them from sunset on.

2. Keep your VHF radio on and tuned to 78a - we are monitoring 78a and we hope you are as well.

3. Call us if you are dropping out - we check you in and we like to know that you made it home safely.

4. The hotline is still not working - hang in there.

We need help on mark boat for the next few weeks. Please sign up.

Mark Boat

Congratulations to everyone who made it out to race! You braved it and it paid off! Good job Tim and Tim for a first-place finish in the Stars.

You can see the results >HERE<

Results from 8/25

Yay wind! Well, sort of like having some wind on a Wednesday night. We had just crazy amounts of current at the start flipping the signal boat around and light winds from the SW even though we were expecting stronger winds. But we could sail, so that's a novel experience!

Congratulations to Joni and Ray in the Star class for their first-place finish. Also having a great night was the crews on UnPhased and Ful Dek!

You can see all the results >HERE<

Next Wednesday will be September 1st, so we are moving to earlier starts. The Star class warning will be at 5:45 pm. If you're doing tasks to get out to the racecourse, make sure you do everything 20 minutes earlier. Leaving work? Leave 20 minutes earlier. Launching? Launch 20 minutes earlier.

Have you signed up for helping on the Mark Boat yet?  Make sure you sign up.

Results for 8/4

 Yay! Good wind for the Jimmy Wilson race. Congratulations everyone. 

You can see all the results >HERE<

Sailing Instructions for Round the Island

 It's time for the James H. Wilson Round the Island Race!

We are starting 20 minutes earlier to help everyone finish before sunset.

>Here are the Sailing Instructions<

Nothing too surprising for the Jimmy Wilson race. We are using the same course as used for the past 10 years or so. The marks around Herring Island keep changing in their color and description, but the locations are still exactly the same. If you use a GPS, you will definitely find a mark in that location.

Star boats are often surprised that the Red N"12" mark is part of the course. It is. We need it in case we need to shorten the course. Make sure you honor the N"12" known as the E mark.

The Sailing Instructions are very short. Read them carefully!

See you Early for the start.

Results from 7/28

 Finally, we get in some racing! Well, it was far from perfect, but we were racing. The NW winds about 20 minutes before the start managed to die out completely and fill in from the east. Not ideal, but we started and finished. And the storms stayed away until tonight!

Some people managed to predict the wind shift and did quite well, Congratulations to Will and Carl on Wish in the Star class for coming in first. Also having a great night was the crew on Ful Dek and the crew on UnPhased both coming in first. Good Job!

You can see all the results >HERE<

Next week is the Jimmy Wilson Race. Stand by for more information.

Results from 7/7

 Despite the oppressive heat and unbelievable humidity, there was some nice wind out there last night! I don't know that we ever saw the predicted 11 knots from the south, but we had a nice 7 for most of the race. Coming in at 6.2 nm, that is probably the longest race we will see all year except the Jimmy Wilson Race in August. Let's hope Elsa makes for some more tolerable temperatures over the weekend.

Congratulations to Jeff Staley and the crew on Ostinato for a first-place finish last night. Very fast racing! Also congrats to Matt and Eric on Manipulator in the Star class as well as the crew on Ful Dek for coming in first last night. Good job!

You can see all the results >here<

Results from 6/30

 Ack! I forgot to tell you the results from Wednesday. Sorry about that. So many weeks without racing in a row that I forgot all the things I'm supposed to do.

Hot, but at least we had some good wind! After weeks of watching the early wind die out to nothing, it was nice to sail again. We just have to find ways to stay cool out there. Keep lots of cold beverages at hand.

Having a great evening and coming in first for the B class was Marty Minot and crew on Bella. Good job! Also having a great evening was Willem Roosenburg and John Hines on UnPhased as well as Alan Campbell and Ned Foster in the Star class. Both teams finished first in their class.

Lots of fun, and it was a fun evening at the Club afterward!

You can see all the results >HERE<

Remember that you can follow the season results >HERE<. Note that we now have 5 races, so there is one throwout. Nice to have!

Stay cool, and we'll see you for racing on July 7th.

Results from 6/2

 Perfect wind and temperature - what a nice night last evening! We had a fun time on the race committee, so I hope you all had a good time on the water racing.

Congratulations to Marty Minot and crew on Bella for a first-place finish in the B class. Great to see new names at the top of the list. Also having a great night coming in first was Jeff Staley and crew on Ostinato in the A class as well as Matt and Eric in the Star class!

You can see all the results >HERE<

5/19 Results

Last night was a little taste of summer for ya! Light winds from the SW and a short course make me reminiscent of sailing in August. Penny and I on the Race Committee brought out a whole bunch of new committee people for some training last night. Lots of new faces. Let's hope we can encourage them to help in the future.

Congratulations to John Jenkins and Rowan Perkins in the Stars for a first-place finish last night! Also having a great night was Jeff Bates and crew on Honey Honey finishing first in the B class and Willem Roosenburg and John Hines on UnPhased finishing first in the A class. Good job!

You can see all the results >HERE<

5/12 Results

Okay, let's hope that the weather finds a happy medium between blowing stink like last week and the slow drifter last night. Of course, it's Wednesday night, so hoping for 5-10 and 75º is just a crazy dream. Great job for everyone who held in there and finished in the dying breeze. 

Congratulations to Jeff Bates and crew on Honey Honey for a first-place finish in the B-class last night. Also having a great night was Tim Paris and Jeff Cox in the Star class and Willem Roosenburg and crew in the A-class.

You can see all the results >HERE<

Week 1 result are in - serious racing!

 Yay, we made it!

The storms cleared out just in time for crazy heavy winds to fill in and make it an exciting evening. We definitely put the rigging through the paces last night. The first race post isolation is in the books. It was a tough night for sailing, so congratulations to everyone who stuck in to finish!

Congrats to Matt Rajacich and Eric Wagner in the Star class for finishing first. Also, congrats to Willem Rosenberg and John Hines for a first in the A class and the crew on Ful Dek for first in the B class.

Remember to register >here< to see your season scores.

You can see all the results from last night >here<. 

See you next week!

One week to find the boat

Only one more week until the fun begins. How is your boat looking?

Remember, we are registering online here:

https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/22154

If you have a new PHRF certificate, just forward it over to us at:

marshall.patterson@gmail.com

If you're still looking to fill out crew for the summer, we're putting together a list of boats looking for crew. Just let us know you want to be on the list.

If you have any questions about the upcoming season, just send them along. It has been so long since we raced, I would not be surprised if we're missing something.

Hotline for Racing!

Will we race? Gee, I don't know yet.

Every Wednesday afternoon that is the question. Is the weather good enough to go ou sailing? Is there a storm coming? Will there be enough wind?

There is a pattern in the decision process. First, we don't want to sail in a hurricane. If there is a hurricane warning or a watch, we are not going to race. You should be putting your boat away.

Second, we look at storms in the area. If there is lightning, tornados, or heavy downpours, we are not going to race.

When we know these things might happen, we will send you an email the day before and cancel races. But there are times when we're just not sure. Maybe there is a chance of thunderstorms. For all those times, there is the...

HOTLINE
410-745-4983

The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum very graciously provides this phone for us!

Every Wednesday, we will leave a message by 4 pm. If you're unsure, just call the hotline to see if we are racing. If we're still unsure, we will tell you on the hotline.

What about no wind? It's Wednesday, so the wind is probably light to terrible!

It is pretty unusual for us to cancel racing for wind while on the shore. We almost always go out to the course and wait for the wind to build. Maybe we will get lucky. Pack your cooler with tasty beverages, and come join us. The worst thing that will happen is that you will enjoy a Wednesday night on the river with friends.

The RC is watching carefully. Wind and weather forecasts run on a loop on the signal boat. If we're on the course and think it's time to give up, we will let you know. Guaranteed to be more fun than staying at work, so come on out!

Taking a Scoring Penalty

Taking a scoring penalty instead of going to the room?

Yep, you can take a 30% penalty instead of going to that protest hearing.

Wait - What is this?

If you look in the Sailing Instructions under section 12 (penalties), you will see that there is an option for penalties. You can do the normal thing when you foul someone and take two turns, or you could take a Scoring Penalty. This additional option can help you a lot.

What happens if you break a rule, but you don't realize that you're at fault until after the race? You have finished, so you can't take two turns. You don't want to get disqualified. What do you do? That's where the scoring penalty comes in to help you out.

How does this work?

Read my description >HERE<. The example shows how this can help you out. Just something to keep in mind when racing - If you really think you are in the right, take your time and research it. You can still exonerate yourself with a scoring penalty.

Recording of the Competitors' Meeting

Did you miss the Competitors' Meeting the other evening? It was a pretty standard meeting, but feel free to watch it here: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/AubICX-tBGr51PF9MVqrKo1mWrgVUKAxw-R8fk7axnvAS--YfQHpXZnp-KR40uvv.34B17j4pIic3sMuM

Lots of scintillating conversation and controversial topics, so we don't want you to miss out. Okay, maybe not scintillating or controversial.

Oops!

 I'm not sure where I got that text for the message about mark boats.

Bowie is our retired mark boat operator! Mark Boat Emeritus is a great role. No Bowie running mark boat, but we do still need help.

We are looking for mark boats for WNR and other activities at the Club.

Sign up >here<

Time to Register

Where can you register for sailing this summer? Right here:

https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/22154

We still allow you to have up to three races without paying, but you definitely won't see results until you register!

Look forward to seeing everyone soon.

Sailing Instructions

 Yay, they're ready!

Download them >HERE<

Also, it's time to sign up for mark boat. Helping is easy!

Sign up for mark boat >HERE<

Competitor's Meeting tomorrow

The racing venue is ready, are you?

Yep! The Miles River is out there ready for Wednesday Night Racing and the committee is finishing up the final touches. Now we're ready to answer your questions.

April 21st at 6 pm (tomorrow) is the competitor's meeting. We'll have the meeting over Zoom! We will go over the sailing instructions and answer your questions. We can't wait to get out racing again!

This is not an audience for your complaints or speeches, though. We are answering questions. If you have complaints, feel free to put them in an email and send them along to me:

marshall.patterson@gmail.com

If you're a skipper and you are looking for crew, send me an email with your contact email. I often hear from new crew and I can pass on your contact info.

Click here for the Sailing Instructions

Here is the meeting info (you may have to copy and paste into your browser):

Time: Apr 21, 2021 06:00 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)

Join Zoom Meeting

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/4108293157?pwd=YXNiTWVSdDdXakNnTzdFekgxK3MwQT09

Meeting ID: 410 829 3157

Passcode: 106706

2021 Notice of Race

 Hi Everyone,

The Notice of Race is available on the website and at this link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1m0lLS_lHTatf2DLheWQzhbi_uGcSMoVu/view?usp=sharing

Notable changes:

You can register online here:

https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/22154

We're having one big long series instead of three season-specific series. The Stars will still break out the results for their own purpose.

It will likely take me a day to get the results up on the website, but we'll post them on RN as we go along.

I'm still working out the kinks, so email me if something doesn't look right.

marshall.patterson@gmail.com