Tempe Town Lake OPEN! Classes Resume!

Hey Everyone!
Much to everyone's suprise, SRP and the City of Tempe worked together to minimize the impact of the lake closure last week. As of this morning, TTL is OPEN again! There are restrictions related to the Super Bowl Party on Sat, so see the Tempe Town Lake Website for more info.

Happy Sailing!
Capt Rob

Tempe Town Lake Flows - Classes Postponed

Hi everyone,

Well, it has happened again. Due to the heavy rainfall this fall and winter, the upstream reservoirs have been unable to contain the amount of water mother nature has chosen to bestow on us. As of Sunday evening, 27 Jan, Tempe Town Lake is closed. There is no good indication of when it might open, but I am led to believe it is in terms of weeks, not days.

This picture was taken on the 28th of Jan as I was standing on top of the bridge that crosses the Salt River bed at Gilbert road. I am facing West and you can see that there is quite a large amount of water that is being discharged (20,000cfs according to SRP).

I will do my best to keep you up to date on what is going on and how this will affect our class schedule.

Best regards for smooth sailing,
Capt Rob

Arizona Yacht Club's Birthday Regatta

Hi everyone...

Here are some pictures from the Birthday Regatta held last weekend. The sailing was not the best we have ever seen but the party (as always) was great!

Happy Sailing!
Capt Rob

AYC Events for January

Here is a live calendar of Club Events, including Racing and membership meetings. January is our biggest regatta of the year - the Birthday Regatta / Leukemia Cup.



Come out and enjoy the fun!
ARRRRRR!
Capt Rob

Sailing Classes are posted!

Hi everyone!
Sailing classes for spring are posted and availalbe at http://www.arizonayachtclub.org/Education . Below is a calendar of events (you may have to scroll through to follow along through the months.)



I look forward to seeing everyone in class!
Capt Rob!

Renaming Your Vessel

Many of you have asked about "Re-naming" a boat...actually it is "Un-naming" and "Naming" but anyway...here is a link to BoatSafe.com that will show you how. Be sure to bring enough libations to go around!

See you on the water!
Capt Rob

Start Sailing Right - Overboard Recovery

One of the worst things that can happen while sailing is having a person fall overboard. At sea, the statistics for recovery are miserable...even with newer, open transom designs, recovery percentages are in the low teens...worse if you aren't wearing a PFD.

Dinghy sailing is a little different. Usually we're sailing in protected waters and recovery is is easier. It is a lot like docking, but without the visual reference to the dock. Here are the steps...

1) Shout "Crew Overboard!" and throw the person a PFD.
2) Turn onto a beam reach.
3) Tack back onto a beam reach.
4) Luff your Jib (if you have one). Approach the victim SLOWLY as if approaching a dock.
5) Come below your victim and turn into the wind, luffing your main.
6) Attache the victim to the boat with a line and then get them back on board.

If you think of it like docking it will help when you are approaching your victim. We'll see a video in class and then we will practice this with dummies on the lake.

See you on the water!
Capt Rob

Start Sailing Right - Sailing Downwind

Possibly the most comfortable point of sail is sailing downwind. The boat is (or should be) flatter on the water, so you don't have to hike out and the sails are all the way out so you aren't ducking under the boom.

In order to sail downwind, pull the tiller away from the mainsail until the wind is behind you. Keep the wind coming from somewhere between dead behind you to off the quarter opposite the sail (there are two quarters on a boat, it refers to the Port or Starboard side of the rear of the boat). This will help you avoid "sailing by the lee" or sailing downwind with the wind coming over the same side of the boat that the boom is on (this is BAD!) Sailing by the lee can result in an accidental jibe, which is when the wind gets around the leech of the main and forces the boom across to the other side. This can result in serious injury!

One way to avoid sailing by the lee is to always keep wind in the jib. If you are sailing dead downwind with the main all the way out, the main will blanket (or cover) the jib and block wind from it. It will luff and fall. If you turn into the wind slightly (by moving the tiller towards the sail some) and keep the wind off the quarter of the boat it will keep wind in the jib, you will go faster and it will help you avoid the accidental jibe.

So, now you want to change directions but instead of tacking you want to jibe (or put the stern of the boat through the eye of the wind). Jibing smoothly is an important skill. One thing to remember is that, unlike tacking, the mainsail never fully de-powers as you move through the wind. This puts a lot of force on the sails and the rigging. It is best not to jibe "wire to wire" with the main sheet all the way out on one side to all the way out on the other. Bring the sail in about 1/3 to 1/2 way in, move your tiller away from the sail, then as the boom moves across the boat, let the sail out on the opposite side. Here is a video from US Sailing that demonstrates jibing.

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Sailing Right - Knots and Lines

There is no rope on a boat, only lines. So what kinds of line are there and what applications would they be good for?

Dock Lines - Used to secure your boat to the dock - are usually stranded or braided nylon which will stretch a bit when a load is put on them. This is ideal because as the boat bounces on the water and pulls against the line, if there was no give in the line then the line would snap tight and pull the cleat loose or break the line.

Halyards - to maintain sail shape, halyards are made of the least stretchy line possible - Braided Kevlar or spectra. These lines don't stretch and maintain the tension on the luff of the sail, which is an important aspect of sail shape.

Sheets - Sheets control sail shape also, but they are usually a medium stretch material like Braided Dacron. This allows some give when the boat gets hit with a heavy puff, but still does a good job maintaining sail shape.

There is a good resource for knots at the US Sailing Website (Click Here) that has videos of how to tie the basic sailing knots. If you are in the Start Sailing Right class, pay particular attention to the Bowline, Figure Eight and the Cleat Hitch. These are the knots we use to rig the 14.2.

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Sailing Right - Wind Awareness & Points of Sail

One of the most important thing for a beginning sailor to develop is a sense of "wind awareness." You need to be able to feel the wind, see the wind and anticipate the wind. Let's worry about see and feel first. Look for things on shore (flags, trees, wind indicators) to help you determine the wind's direction and speed. Also, feel the wind on your arms, neck, face (I use my ears...weird, I know....) Once you can determine where the wind is coming from, you can trim your sails properly.

Okay, back to the business of "terms." If you are just starting out, be aware that there are terms, but don't worry if you can't remember them all. Here is a diagram of the Points of Sail in PDF format. Take a moment and look at it now. What you should be looking at is the relationship of the Wind to the Sail and the Sail to the Boat. When we are sailing close to the eye of the wind, the sail is all the way in. As we move the bow of the boat away from the wind, we let the sail out. We do this to keep the relationship of the sail to the wind roughly the same. Let me say that differently. We move the boat underneath the sail, keeping the angle of the sail to the wind the same, while pointing the boat in a new direction.

Confused? No problem. The point is that the closer your bow is to the eye of the wind, the further in you should pull the sail, and the further away from the eye of the wind the bow is are, the further out your sails should be.

So what about Downwind? Okay, the one exception to all of this is sailing Downwind. At this point of sail, you are catching the wind to push you along. In every other point of sail, you are using your sail like an airplane wing to create lift and pull you through the water.

Want some dry land practice? Check out this Ocean Racing Simulator. Try to set the sails at a position and drive the boat as fast as you can. Watch the knot meter to see how fast you are going. Now go downwind, then upwind and compare your speeds...which is faster?

See you on the water!
Captain Rob

Start Sailing Right - Preparing for Sailing

Hello...

As with any sport, you need to be prepared for the event. In the case of sailing, you are going to be outdoors so you need to be prepared for the weather conditions. Appropriate clothing, light loose layers, close toed shoes, gloves if necessary (not just for cold...also for protection of your hands) are all things to consider. In Arizona, this also means sunscreen, hats and bringing water.

Another preparedness issue is proper personal floatation devices. While the skipper is most likely required to have enough life jackets on board for everyone, they are often the Type II Horse Collar jackets. These aren't very comfortable and therefore you are probably less likely to wear it. I always recommend if you intend to do any significant amount of water sports activities that you own your own vest that you have picked out, is sized right for you and that you are familiar with the operation of. This also increases the likelihood that you will wear it!

Before you leave the dock, and probably before you leave your house, and even several days in advance if possible, check the weather report! I have found that your sailing experience depends on the wind! Too much or too little and it is no fun (or too much fun :-) There are some great resources for weather information online: www.NOAA.gov ; www.WUnderground.com ; www.Weather.com ; www.Tempe.gov/wx (for Tempe Town Lake!)

While being prepared by knowing the weather in advance is important, once you get out on the water you need to be aware of the wind. Your sails are the engine and the wind is the fuel. Knowing where the wind is coming from, both where you are now and where you are headed, is key to knowing how to properly adjust your sails. Proper sail adjustment (also called "trim") is key to getting the most out of the wind that you have (more on this later). Be aware of the wind around you by looking at the water's surface. Dark water means more wind, glassy or lighter water means less wind. Look at the indicators on nearby land, things like flags and trees, to get a sense of where the wind is coming from. By the end of class you will be driving to the lake noticing these things looking to see what kind of wind we will have for the class!

I started this segment by referring to sailing as a sport. That implies that a degree of physical exertion will be required. You need to make sure that you are physically fit enough to sail the type of boat you will be on. The good news is that the level of fitness varies wildly from boat to boat. Smaller dinghies like Lasers and Buccaneers require a little more physically than a boat like a Catalina 22 or a Merit 25 (both boats with weighted keels). The important thing is to know your abilities and sail accordingly.

This segment covers chapters 1,2 & 4 in the Start Sailing Right book.

New Classes Posted for Arizona Yacht Club!

Hi everyone!
Just a quick note to let you know that the new class schedule is posted on the Airzona Yacht Club Website at www.ArizonaYachtClub.org/Education . Sign up now for our most popular class - Start Sailing Right - seats are going fast!

Thanks
Rob