Wet Pants Sailing Association Sunfish Fleet 568 Blog

Well i’m jhere staying home from work becuase of another blizzard. The Sunfish Fleets and JY15 fleet 38 (out of Oakdale) have not been able to sail because of severe weather or icing of the water… This has been a banner year, as the JY fleet has been out of commision for four straight sessions, spread out over eight weeks! So maybe we can get our sailing fix by looking at the America’s Cup being sailed over in Valencia Spain at 4am .. Eastern Standard time… the first day was not raced for lack of wind I dont know the Web Address exactly, but if you go to www.sailinganarchy.com they have links to their broadcasts…

so i hope everyone is doing something cause sailing up here is out of the question… I know several of us have been skiing/snowboarding, upstate, VT and out west…

well… we’ll see what brings us as far as weather in the next few days…

I have been going to Sea Cliff on off days from the Snapper Inn JY 15 fleet. Last Sunday was the first time I wore a dry suit and BOY was I glad I did… the temps were in the low 40s, but the 10- 15 mph North Westerly made the term “frostbite sailing” true to form. My dry suit needs new boots and a little water got in them… after about three races I couldnt feel my feet. Initially my hands were so cold, but they warmed up… getting in and out of teh boat was a challenge with the wind blowing directly off the water and onto the beach… you basically had to walk into the water and hop in the boat… no problem if teh temps were 70 plus degrees…

We had a good turn out even thought the fleet aces of Doug Matt and Paul Wefer were not there… WP member Bill Niebling was duking out with me and about six other hardy souls… Brendan Horn also was in attendance… this is a good fleet and we have daily scoring… but there is no season scoring so it is very relaxed… come on down any sunday (except Dec 27) they start at 1pm… sea cliff yacht club….

The Sea Cliff Frostbiting series is starting this Sunday. Sunfish are racing and the group is small and friendly… lets try to make it larger…. for more info contact me, lee montes-leejmontes@yahoo.com

now the summer is officially over and fall has set in… The Sunfishj are sailing at Westhampton YS… there are alos 420s and Optis there… Flying Scots are also At moriches YC… so many have started to think about putting boats away… before you do that, think about sailing a bit more… the bay is still relatively warm, but be prepared for capsizes and make sure someone knows you are out there… as the water gets cooler hypothemia is a real threat… if you have trouble righting your boat dont even think about getting out there without support. Even though fall sailing is great, saftey is always first priority.
If you do decide to pack your boat away, wash it down, dry it and m,ake sure the sail is dry before packining ait away… make sure your gooseneck os loose as teh adjuster (if you have one) tends to freeze with a little corrosion). make notes on what to buy this winter and replace them beofer spring, so you can get out sailing as soon as the first nice days appear in 2010.
For me, my tiller univerasal is about to go (it has a 50% crack in the flexible part) and my sail a a small hole near the gooseneck area… I will tape it with sail repair tape so the small hole doesnt spread.

So take some time now, so you don’t have to fix problems later and inevitably delay your sailing…

We had a pretty eventful weekend this weekend… several of our sailors went to Westhampton Yacht Squadron and competed in Sunfish, 420s and Optimists…. others went to down the bay a little to compete in the Annual Catboat Rendezvous hosted by Sayville YC…

A few of our sailors sailed two cat boats and did very well… Charlie Huberman and crew Rob Barrett took a first place in their division, in Jay Abrams boat, Sea Story… Mike Hagstedt, sailing Tortuga took a third in his division…! Congratulations to all our sailors…

This Sunday kicked off the Westhampton Series… several of our boats went out east to enjoy the nice warm breezes, even though they were a bit on the light side… the racing was close… Wet Pants did very well in the Sunfish Fleet. Two Races were sailed and Joey Huberman won the second race… the top of the fleet was mostly comprised of wet pants sailors, like Ryan Messina, Gerry Hesse, Peter Wells, Brendan Horn and Brian McGinnis. Tom Harris, Leslie and Doug Volle (returning B fleet champs) also were mixing it up in the 30 boat fleet….
Lucas and Conrad Volle teamed up to race the 420… Alex Azarov sailed his new Optimist… i am not sure of any finals results, but they usually are posted by Wednesday following racing at www.yachtsquadron.com

So School started and school sports are in full swing… WP did their own versions of team sports… This past Tuesday, Sept. 8th we had an informal team race.. we had two teams of three… Ryan Messina Picked the teams… his team, lets make up a name right now… uhhh- ok the Sou’ Wester’ Seabreezes was comprised up of Danielle Cummings, Vito Maninno and Ryan. Our team was comprised of who ever wasn’t picked by Ryan. So Joey Huberman, Ruth Hakkason and myself were the other team… lets see, we don’t have a name either… we’ll call us— The Good Looking Team Well we set up a VERY SMALL starboard triangle… (So small Tom Montalbine (sailor/triathlete) can swim around it in about 1 minute flat) the winds were light, so I wanted to make sure it could stay tactical… The object of Team Racing is to add all your team’s members finishes, and which ever team has the lowest total wins, the match.

For example, if you have a hot shot who finishes first, but the other two members finish last and second to last (5th and 6th place- their total is 1+5+6= 12points
that would then mean the other team has a 2nd, 3rd, and 4th totaling 9 points… (the winners would have the nine points)

well we ran three races, and the teams huddled together briefly to discuss strategy… the Good Looking Team’s strategy was to spread ourselves over the start line, don’t get in each others’ way and communicate… well we told Ruth to start in the middle, and where ever Joey was, I went to the other end… this worked perfectly as one of us got out and could control most of the action… if one of us needed help breaking a cover, we would communicate this to our teammate… over all it was a lot of fun, and a learning experience… Things we may have learned: 1. don’t cover your own teammate, split tacks… 2. when ever possible control two opposing boats with just one of your own… 3. give up your rights to your teammate if it hurts the other team 4. commmunicate — since this is something pretty new to most of us, we didnt have set plays- Like the Windward Mark Passback… maybe in the future:)

Final Scoring: Sou’Wester Seabreezes -0 matches , The Good Looking team- 3 matches

The trailers are loaded and are bound to Westhampton YS… this is where the annual Fall Series is held… we like to call it, Wet Pants East. They offer Sunfish racing in two fleets. 420s and Optimists also are racing, with the Optis on a smaller serparate course. If you are interested, please get in touch with me: leejmontes@yahoo.com—- the trailer will be going out again the second sunday, too…. there may be space on it…

there is a small fee, last year was $25.00, but they feed you afterwards, you can leave your boat there and its for all six weeks.
Registration is at 11am and racing begins this week at 1:30pm./…

we will then Sail ON TUESDAY sept 15th… this will be the last week of Sunfish Tuesday Sailing…

The Long Island Sunfish Championships will be held at Wet Pants Saturday September 19th… 9:30am Registration… racing to start at 11am… if you can help out please contact me

Notice Of Race

Long Island Sunfish Championships

Hosted by Wet Pants Sailing Association
Sayville, NY

Saturday, September 19th, 2009

This One day regatta will be governed by rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing and the Sailing/Racing Instructions.

This is a ONE DAY SUNFISH Regatta.

Schedule:
9:30am Registration
10:30 am Skippers meeting
11:00 am Start of First Race, with additional races to follow

Refreshments and Awards after racing

Awards: Top Three Overall, Top Jr., Top Master, Top Female- no duplication of awards

Sailing/Racing Instructions available at registration

Fee: $10.00 to include racing, awards and refreshments food and water, soda, etc…

For more info please contact: Jim Ryan at wmw93@gmail.com or Lee Montes leejmontes@yahoo.com 631-806-5605

First I would like to thank our RC Chris Harris, John Lubrano and Ruth Haakenson for running thr races and keeping a vigilant eye out on our small but hardy fleet. I also would like to thank Gordon Fleming and Gerry Hesse for being a support boat - and they were busy supporting, let me tell ya… finally the forcast was right… I was there in the middle of the afternoon about 3pm… the winds were a good SW at about 13 mph… by the time I got my boat rigged the shroud just started to whistle… the extra low tide made for extra high chop… Ryan Messina and I went out to sail a bit before racing… on a hig speed gybe, i didnt get my board down quite far enough and found my upper spar in the water… at least the water was warm… by the time we got in, i looked around for a small piece of line to put a Jens Rig on my boat… for those who dont know what a “Jens” is- it is a method of depowering a Sunfish in heavier winds… When Dan Hesse saw me put one in, he said, “Oh oh- it MUST be windy out there….”

Several of us went out, a few didnt have a Jens, and just a sail flow predicted- the winds continued to build until the evening… the races started a little later to give everyone time to rig… Dan was the first out… and when I saw him flip way out there before racing… i was like- hmmmm havent seen THAT in a while…

Vito mannino, our go-out-in-almost-anything sailor, had his jens in but something like his rudder broke and had to get towed in… Frank Minnisal broke a bullseye fairlead, this little ring of plastic on holds your whole sail up… with out that… You gotta get towed in… Brendan Horn had mainsheet issues and landed on Sayville beach… John Callis dumped it during the last race and bent his spar and Tom Davison and Ryan side stepped all the carnage… by the end of the evening four races were ran, more boats got towed in than finished and the winds were clocked at about 25 mph…

Another big thank you goes to Sue Davison who got a bunch of fried chicken with all the fixens!

We sail next tuesday again at 6pm…

JUNiOR OLYMPICS ARE THIS SAT AND SUNDAY- At Sayville YC- SUNFISH are STRONGLY encouraged to attend. also optis 420s will be there… if you are under 18 please sail…

VITO MANNINO captured 2nd at the Westhapton Yacht Squadron Invitational this past weekend…

Nick Valente- led a group of Wet Pants Sunfish Sailors in the NY Upstate Regional (Canadaigua Lake) winning third place overall… David Johnson Jr, Ryan Messina, Brian McGinnis, Brendan Cunningham and Peter Wells were all close in position in this challenging light air weekend…

Ruth Haakenson and Brendan Horn sailed the Longest Sunfish Race Around Shelter Island and did great with a light air day, building to medium air— the time it took this marathon was 4:50 for the winner, Dick Heinl, who was a spritley 84 years old!!!!

Last week our Jr triple handed team of Brendan King Conrad Volle and Kaity Harris competed in the National Triple Handed Championships!

The Tea Cup all women series was Sailed last Wednesday and this past Monday— i am not sure who is the final winner…

So get out and sail before “back to School” turns into “In School.”

Well yesterday was dreary, windy, cloudy, rainy and miserable with a cold Easterly… so what does that mean when the Ladies Only race, the “WP Teacup” Race committee of Tom Davison and myself is scheduled? That’s right, we asked the competitors what they wanted to do… and they said “We want to race!” OK…

We ordered a pizza to bring on board, had a support boat and eight hardy female sailors race in the very UnAugust conditions… The easterly was cold in the low 60s with white caps everywhere… the wind started in the mid teens… and dropped enough to lure Sue Davison to rig her Sunfish… Just as she got out the winds picked up again to at least 15…

Bev Regnier sailed her Sunfish fast and traded places with the Club 420 skippered by both Amanda Vecchione and Meg Taylor… Sharon Boyle, Leslie Volle picked up an adult student (I dont think icaught her name) which was helpful in the heavier winds… I am not sure how they did it but Sharons Red Scot had all three crew members wearing red PFDs… hmmm very Tea Cupish…

Cheryl Taborsky was sailing her sunfish and was ready for the weather with her ski cap on her head… and Sue Davison was not deterred by the heavy air and gave it her all…

The July Teacup race was postponed, so yesterday was the make up date… the 2nd leg of the teacup will be on MONDAY AUG. 17 at 6pm./. all women are encouraged to sail… I promise the weather will be warmer and winds a bit lighter…

A real Big event happened this weekend… but more on that later…

Well I wasnt able to get an email out last week, but the tueday night fleet is growing and for the second week in a row we had 22 boats sailing. The female and junior fleets are strong… Dan Hesse and Nick Valente are leading the pack followed closely by everyone else…

Yesterday was a real light air day and we were able to get in only two races, and the third race was abandoned… most of us paddled our way in… the NW light air sputtered out just as Nick was going to the leeward mark when the race was called…

This weekend a group of our young sailors are competing in the National Championships US SAiling Triple Handed Sear’s Cup. Brendan King Conrad Volle and Kaity Harris are one a several teams that qualified across the country to compete for this prestigous award… good luck to them!

The NY Sunfish Downstate Regional was held this weekend and is the most heated Sunfish Event in NY of the year… Nick Valente finished 5th overall out of 41 boats capturing Top Junior. Dan Hesse sailed very fast to get fourth… an Over Early cost Dan a chance to win his second Downstates in a row… Congrats… as an aside- Ryan Messina had to wash my boat, after losing to me in a head to head overall battle… Brendan Cunningham also was recognized by the race committee for the most Persistent sailor! I would like to Specially Recognize JOE VALENTE, who helped get five of our boats back and forth to Moriches, helped with loading and unloading and lauching and retrieving dollies… his efforts helped Wet Pants represent well at the regatta.

Tea cup racing for females only is tonight (Wednesday 8/12) at 6pm…

This Saturday is UP state Regional in Canadaigua… we have a trailer going up, but I am not sure the logistics… if you may be interested please contact me and I will check for you….

Also This Saturday Closer to home- Around Shelter Island. for 16 yo and older.

ALSO- WEsthapton Yacht Squadron is hosting an invitational all are invited to race… the Sunfish Juniors will compete for overall Bay champion this weekend with their scores from July 18 Wet Pants regatta combined…

We sail Sunfish Next Tuesday, Thursday is Handicap racing and Friday PHRF…

All this and this WASNT the BIG EVENT

I am running out of room- so if you get up to here- goto the Twitter Page and read what happened this weekend to find what the big event was!!!!! BIG EVENT