[Sonar] Fwd: Worlds

[Mark Kochendorfer]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Martin Fossen <martyfossen at yahoo.com>
Date: Thu, 8 Oct 2009 19:09:33 -0700 (PDT)
Subject: Re: [Sonar] Worlds
To: markoch at gmail.com

Mark and Fleet 5,

Here a few of my reflections on the big event:  Firstly, Mark, Cheryl,
and Bill were great racing and travel mates.  Though we struggles with
boat speed in the chop, we all stayed positive and focused.  Secondly,
It was a lot of work and and an arduous drive for six races but, for
me, it becomes perhaps almost a zen thing; getting to the big event,
culminating in the intensity of the huge, crowded start line and
mixing it up with top racers.  Thirdly, the New England racing venues,
at least the few I've seen, are amazing, both on and off the water.
You all should experience an event out there.

A little more detail on the good news:  Compared to my effort in
Marblehead two year ago, we were much better at carving our spot on a
crowded start
 line.  In the race
 we had in flatter water in which we finish 7th, we did benefit from a
wind shift on the first leg, but during the later legs we also passed
two boats and maintained a close lead over the boat that was
ultimately 3rd overall.  On Sunday they did start a race, which got
abandoned when no one could get to the windward end within the
45-minute limit, but when the abandon signal was blown, we were just
behind the boat that placed 7th in the event.  I suspect we were in
the top 15 at that moment.  I'm left inspired to get better.  Having
gotten to know a number of East coast Sonar sailors, I hope to crew
for one of them at an event next year and hopefully gain a better
understanding of how they move in and out of that lower gear for
acceleration in the chop and for punching out off the starting line.
MF

PS There's lot of team racing in Sonars out there.  I'll be checking
into opportunities to play.  I'll keep you posted.  Hopefully a good
number of you would consider going to a team racing event out there.

--- On Tue, 10/6/09, markoch at gmail.com <markoch at gmail.com> wrote:

From: markoch at gmail.com <markoch at gmail.com>
Subject: [Sonar]
 Worlds
To: "sonar" <Sonar at lists.wyc.org>
Date: Tuesday, October 6, 2009, 7:26 PM

Just a quick report from the Sonar Worlds in Noroton.  Marty, Cheryl,
Bill, and I towed Surly Angel out to Connecticut after the Fall
Regatta.  We stayed with the Morrisons about a quarter mile from the
yacht club and were able to walked over each morning.  Our host Lee is
the class measurer and he and his wife took fifth in the regatta!

We had troubles with the starts and the chop and so ended up further
back (42nd).  There is a good description of the racing here:
http://bymnews.com/news/newsDetails.php?id=61077.

We did go left in the race with the 30 degree wind shift and ended up
7th in that race.  There were 9 boats that were with us in that shift.
 This was a huge thrill and the high point of racing for us.  We edged
out Nefarious and another boat at the finish.  We had similar boat
speed to these other boats
 that day (no chop).

The starting line was long and it was not a problem getting up on the
line if you chose to do so.  However, many times we could not see
either end of the line and every race was raced with the I flag and Z
flag so you had to go around the ends and take a 20% scoring penalty
if you were over early.  So what happened for the most part was that
we fell behind in the first 400 yards of the race and then never
recovered.  Taking sterns did not work (I proved that!) since there
was always a wall of boats that forced us back to starboard before we
could escape the crush.

Getting a lane of clear air at the start was almost impossible for us.
 Getting bow out was definitely not something we were able to do.
Watching the leaders move out in the first 400 yards was mystifying to
me and a marvel to watch.  It was like they had a rope on their keels
dragging them past us.

After the starts we could do OK excepting the chop.
 We slammed more upwind than others did I think.  Downwind we did fine.

I had a great time and I think the others did too.  I won the raffle
they held ($600 cash).  Second prize was a spinnaker.

Our trailer tires disintegrated someplace in Ohio on the way home.  We
noticed this when the tool box that was bolted to my trailer frame
broke loose at 4am and dropped down in front of the axle.  It made
quite a racket as it slid along the concrete at 65MPH.  Fortunately
there was no damage to the box, boat, or trailer.  At this time we
noticed a third of the tread was missing from one tire and 5-10
percent from the other.  After mounting the spare we drove cautiously
to town and I upgraded two tires from load range B to D at Tires Plus
in Toledo for only $109.  (do this first when taking a long trip!)  We
drove straight through both ways.

I hope to figure out the starts and chop and try this again sometime.
All the Sonarians out East are
 great to talk to.

Mark
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Mark