A New Goal

October 25th, 2008

The winter is rapidly approaching which means, SAILING!  I personally sail the Sunfish more than my other boats so naturally I do better in the standings in Sunfish.  However most of my winter sailing will be done in a JY15 at the Snapper Inn in Oakdale…  There are many other sailors who I don’t sail against in the warmer months, but they generally sail other boats, too…  I read over this blog from beginning to end and I have a lot of information in it…  this winter I plan to follow some of the advice I wrote these past months.

Since Tracey, who was my crew for a few years left for college, I went without a steady crew. I also did not sail consistently…  this hurt my standings in the series.  My new goal for this year will be to sail as much as I can..  I got a new crew who is enthusiastic and committed to do most of the races…  This will help tremendously in the standings…  as I wrote before, Attendance is key to doing well in a series.

Also Dont Be Afraid To Start, was another piece of advice…  We will try to go with it, since there are a lot of good sailors in Fleet 38, and a second row start is not fast…

When the going gets light…  I will do what Jim Ryan has suggested when I went to a lake this fall, which is:  what ever you do do it fast…  so if I sail in light air, but on the wrong tack I better be sailing fast…  In light air, SPEED KILLS…  you get away from traffic faster and sailing out of traffic is generally good…

So my new goal will be to be a contenda for a few glasses each Sunday…  by following each point made above, Ryan and I should be able to raise my mediocre performances to good performances…

The JY15 Snapper Inn Fleet sails Nov. 2, 2008…  www.jyfleet38.com

See you on the water!

Lee

Guess Who the Wet Pants Sailors Are?

October 22nd, 2008

Third week of the Sunfish Westhampton Series by Kurt Hoffman.

Wet Pants Sailors did very well in the series…  The only thing holding back a 1-6 sweep is our attendance…  however we had two in the top three and Peter Jenkins finished second (was was previously a member of WP a few years ago).  Ryan Messina missed the last day and then gave up his lead to me.  Gerry Hesse and Brian McGinnis rarely finished over 4th, but they both missed three weeks each…

So to Answer the question, who are the WP Sailors.  I (#2)am at the pin, Brian (3481)is at the boat and Dave Johnson Sr. (666)  in the middle. Ryan is a bit late at the boat, but will have a clear lane to tack to.  It is interesting that I am at the opposite end of the line with Brian, but by the up wind mark we both were a few feet away from each other…  I was playing the persistent Left shift that was occurring, while Brian was at the Boat favored end….  You can tell that the boat was very favored by the very late Sunfish leeward of the pin, he cannot even come close to making the line on port, which mean the line is Starboard Favored!  I knew as I sailed into the persistent header when I tacked back I would be making the mark easily…  Ryan who had to clear his tack, sailed right and when he tacked back he was getting headed even more which put him at a disadvantage.  Brian differed from Ryan because of his clean start and did not have to tack to the bad right side….  However, because Ryan had clear air he caught up/passed all the boats in the middle who were slowed down by each other…  Dave had all his options open as he had clear air and was fast off the line…

So just look to the front of the fleet and you will probably see a WP sailor…

Tuesday nights at WP in the spring and Summer are the training grounds for developing boat speed and handling…

See you on the water,

Lee

The Seaon’s Just beginning

October 10th, 2008

Diggin g for Clams during FrostbitingTis the season to take out your warm weather clothes, as this is the start of the Frostbiting season. There are several fleets in the area. The most local frostbite fleet is the JY15 Snapper Inn fleet in Oakdale… many of the Great South Bay sailors call this their winter home.. their website and schedule can be seen at : www.jy15fleet38.com

For Sunfish there are two fleets… the oldest one around here is the Seacliff YC… there are some good sailors up ther and they are very friendly…

the other Frostbite Sunfish Fleet is the Mount Sinai Sailing Association… this is a relatively new fleet and I don’t have too much info, but I think Fred Liesgang has sailed there before…

Another fleet to look into if you sail Lasers is the Seawanhaka Fleet in Oyster bay… Their schedule can be looked up beleive on teh District 8 Laser website… Ted Cremer is the fleet secretary… If you want to travel in Connecticut, the Laser Cedar Point YC has very popular frostbiting.

Also This year for Sunfish, The Dinghy Shop in November is looking to start a Saturday Frostbiting series… more info as I get it…

So check it out, or at least come down offer a hand to help run a race or watch from the dock!

See you on the water,,,

lee montes

Royal Order of the Dunk

September 29th, 2008

John Breuer Giving Out The DunksIt has been WP tradition to recognize any and all mishaps on the water or better yet, mishaps that lead to getting into the water…  The Annual Awards dinner (”The Annual Mess”) is where this “Honor” is presented. The Dunk MC, John Breuer, collects stories from the past year and relays them to all who attends the Mess…  about 30-40 sailors were identified…

What it really says is who is out there on the water especailly racing…  while racing and going as fast as you possibly can, you come always to edge of capsize…  The fastest sailors are always pushing the limits and the ones who win, usually can push them farthest without falling in…  Not more than 48 hours later after the Mess, The eyes were open to witness the first capsize…  Sunday at Westhampton YS, David Johnson (Jr) capsized his boat between races…  the next day after stating at the Mess how he hasnt capsized in years, Brian McGinnis, was sailing at death rolled his Fish…  and the very next week while leading the third race at Westhampton I needed a good tack to keep in front of Ryan Messina and Brian McG, my foot missed the cockpit lip where it usually goes when i tack and I fell straight back into the water head and back first…

So all of us who try to avoid getting the Dunk award because they may be embarrassed, may want to try some thing new and different…  take it from David, Brain and myself–  we just get it over with…

see you on the water!

Westhampton Yacht Squadron

September 22nd, 2008

Erin Gregory and Ryan Messina in between races at WYS. The fall is upon us, which means that the Sunfish Sailors from Wet Pants takes over much of the beach and beats each other up out east.  Ryan Messina was in first place after the first of six Sundays.  I was several points behind…  we had at least 7 boats that day.  Brian Didnt feel well so he took a day off, which will be all his throwouts…  Conrad Volle is sailing very consistently and is in about 4-5th.  Tom Davison is also doing well and finished the first race of the series in the top 6 boats…  all the Volles were out like a school of fish…  Doug is defending B fleet champions and so moved up to A fleet…  Tommy Harris also was out there with Dad and Commodore- Tom HArris!   Dave Johnson is sporting a new number, 666…  we are looking to increase our numbers the next time out…  so racing starts at 1pm, skippers meeting is at 12:30pm….  the trip is about 30 minutes from Sayville…

LI Sunfish Champs Cancelled for Sept 6

September 5th, 2008

Due to the Bad Weather forecast, The LI SuNfish Championships scheduled for Sept. 6 are cancelled.  We will reschedule as soon as practical…

Long Island Sunfish Championships NOR

September 1st, 2008

Long Island Sunfish Championships-

Notice of Race

Host: Wet Pants Sailing Association, Sayville, NY

Date: Saturday September 6, 2008

Time: Registration-10-11am-

this regattta will be governed by the Current Racing Rules of Sailing, Sunfish Class Rules and the Sailing Instructions (available at registration)

Schedule:10-11am registration- Skippers meeting to follow and back to back racing - Six Races are scheduled. BBQ dinner afterwards and Awards.

Cost: $25. includes Tee shirt, Racing and BBQ and refreshments.

For more info please call lee montes: 631-806-5605 (leave a message)– or email_leejmontes@yahoo.com

NY Downstate Sunfish Regionals @ Mattituck YC

August 17th, 2008

This weekend The Sunfish Class held the NY Downstate Regionals at Mattituck YC. It was one of the largest Sunfish Regattas in the nation with 51 competitors. Sailors from Massachusettes, Connecticut, NJ, New Hampshire, Brazil and Ecuador came to compete in the prestigious race. As usual Wet Pants sent a good contingent of sailors to mix it up with the best in the class.

Eight races were sailed in the tricky moderate breezes, which ranged from a northerly to westerly. Getting off the line and being able to manage the large shifts was crucial for success. Vito Mannino, new to the Sunfish has been very active at the club racing every tuesday and many weekends locally. He kept sailing and improving with each race. After several hours of racing a day, he said, “my muscles are sore, they are not used to this.”

Joe Valente, dad of Nick, towed out a full trailer of Sunfish and after the racing headed back to drop the trailer and drive down to South Carolina… his efforts helped many of our sailors to get to regattas and his help getting boats out of the water is much appreciated this summer! Thanks Joe!

Another Wet Pants member Joel Furman, ended the first day solidly with an eight and ten, but couldn’t sail the second day. Junor Conrad Colle and Ryan Messina both had some difficulty starting in the big fleet, but sailed well. Much of the time the wind shifted at the starts making almost impossible to make the line if you were caught in the second row. Conrad edged out Ryan by only a four points.

With the up and down conditions, Gerry Hesse saw some of his finishes the same way. He had a couple of outstanding races, scoring 8th and 9th, especially when the light shifty stuff was around. In Gerry’s best race he was in second place for most of the race eventually being ground down by only a few sailors.

Peter Wells, who can never make it to Tuesdays because of work, always shows up with his game face on the weekends when sailing. With a fifth and a ninth, Peter sailed well and finished 14th in the 51 boat fleet…

It seems as if Brian McGinnis and myself always are around each other when we are on the race course. The regional proved no different as we both ended with 65 points for the regatta tying for eighth place. Brian’s best race was a third and mine was a fourth giving Brian the edge on the tiebreaker.

Two Wet Pants members left the regatta with some hardware. Nick Valente continued his ascent up the ranks of the fleet as he finished the regatta strong and never gave up when the winds got stronger. He took Second Junior in his final NY regatta of the year. He will be heading back down to South Carolina to go back to High School… Great job Nick!

First time I sailed with Dan Hesse on the North Fork was about nine years ago when I was in my first regional. He didnt even race, but daysailed his Mom’s “blue bomber” sunfish to Egypt while we raced out of Southhold YC (we were all impressed). Now an incoming Senior at NY Maritime, WP Sailing instructor and well decorated sailor, Dan Sailed an impeccable regatta combining excellent starts, good boat speed and fleet management. Most importantly Dan was staying out of risky situations that seemed to arise on the race course more than a few times this weekend. Fourth Place finisher and Frosty Sailboat National Champion, Peter Shope from New Hampshire, put it best, “He was so innocuous on the course and was so quiet, I never SAW him on the course… next thing I knew he was winning the thing.” Dan bested the fleet of 51 boats to win the Prestigious regatta. He also takes home the Frank M. Weeks Memorial Trophy awarded to the top Great South Bay Sailor in the regatta.  Also as the top finisher, he qualifies to attend the Sunfish World Championships in 2009 in Nassau, Bahamas. Congratulations Dan on a well sailed regatta!

Congratulations to all the WP Sailors!

Lee Montes

WP Sunfish Fleet Captain

JULY Tuesday Night Results 2008

August 14th, 2008

Click Here For July Sunfish 2008 Results

Tuesday August Results (unofficial)

August 14th, 2008

Wet Pants Sunfish August Series 2008 (click here)