2011 Summer Solstice Series Announced!
With long days, it means that CPYC's team racing season will soon be upon us. As in past years, we'll sail on Tuesdays, and we'll sail in V15s when we host. When we're on the road, it will be in Ideal 18s.
As anyone who came out last year can attest, team racing is one of the best ways to hone your overall racing skills, and the Summer Solstice Series format is designed for anyone curious about the format to learn about it. It's not for hard-core team racers, but we bet you'll be one after just a couple of nights with us!
Local coordinator Chris Woods has just released a tentative schedule for CPYC:
June 7 - at Noroton (Ideals)
June 14 - home vs Riverside (V15s)
June 21 - home vs NYYC (V15s)
June 28 - home vs Larchmont (V15s)
We'll gather every night around 6pm and race until sunset. Interest permitting, we could order pizza, have a cookout, or hit a local spot for dinner afterward.
See you on the water this June!
For those who are new to Team Racing:
Team Racing might seem mysterious and exotic, but it's really just a fun way to get out on the water and improve our skills. Here are some questions answered, and if you have any more, please email me (Jamie) with them, and I'll answer them!
What is team racing? Any sailboat racing that involves multiple boats on a 'team' against multiple boats on another team. The most common format is 3-on-3 (10pts or fewer wins), but there's also 2-on-2 (last place loses), 4-on-4 (don't even try the math here) and other formats. Most Summer Solstice racing is 3-on-3 with some 2-on-2 possible.
Who can or should team race? This one is easy - EVERYONE who likes to race sailboats! It's great fun and full of camaraderie for the novice and expert alike.
But what about this Summer Solstice Series - aren't they serious, post-collegiate 'elite' team racers? No, absolutely not! This series was organized by the New York YC, in conjunction with other area clubs, precisely to get all levels of team racers on the water to learn from each other, and particularly adult sailors who might be experienced in other boats but have no prior team racing experience.
What kind of boats team race? Team racing can happen in all sorts of boats - from Sunfish to 60-footers. Most often, team racing is in small keelboats or two-person dinghies. At most clubs on the Sound, team racing is in their club-owned boats, usually Ideal 18s (as at Noroton on June 1). At CPYC, we'll be sailing Vanguard-15s this year. That is by no means fixed in stone: any CPYC class that wants to join in is welcome and encouraged to offer their boats. Frankly, we'd love to see CPYC sail in boats more accommodating of the wide range of body sizes and types represented at CPYC.
I'm kind of wary of this team racing thing. I want to learn more, but do I have to sail? Anyone and everyone is welcome to join us. If you want to sail, we'll find a way to slot you in. If you just want to watch, that's cool too! Team racing is one of the few forms of sailboat racing that is super spectator-friendly, and Yogi Berra would be proud - you canobserve a lot just by watching.
After racing, do we just pack up and go? No way! We'll be spending the evening with friends from another area club, and the best way to wind down would be with a pizza and beer debrief. Did you see something out there that seemed strange? Want a better interpretation on something? These friendly, informal debriefs are a great opportunity to learn more...
This must be expensive. How much does it cost? The Summer Solstice Series is actually pretty inexpensive - it's all done in borrowed or club-owned boats, and with minimal race committee effort. We suggest participants bring $10 or so to help cover the cost of pizza and beer this go-round. This is just a suggestion, though. More importantly, we'd just love to have your participation!
Is the Summer Solstice Series it? Will there be more team racing at CPYC? You bet. As part of an initiative from the Board of Governors, we'll be adding a couple of team racing evenings for CPYC members later in the summer, perhaps with famous speakers as well. There will be more where this came from - watch this space!!!
Okay, so you might have sold me. Maybe I'll come down once or twice. When and where? The Summer Solstice Series happens on Tuesdays in June, generally from 6-sunset, with a debrief afterward. Email Jamie Ewing (jewingiv [at] yahoo) or Chris J (cj [at] atlanticsaildotcom) if you're interested, for further details. The nights are:
June 1 - at Noroton, in Ideals
June 8 - at CPYC vs Riverside, in V15s
June 15 - at CPYC vs NYYC, in V15s
June 29 - at CPYC vs Larchmont, in V15s
No matter what, come on down! We promise a fun night out...