Etchells "Black Magic" Sailing in the Race to the Elephant

Stern view toward Marina del Sur showing Kachina (left) and Black Magic (right) approaching the rounding mark after passing to the west of Rattlesnake Island. These pictures are scans of paper prints given to the racers at the awards dinner, so the resolution is limited ... but they do capture a bit of the excitement of the race.

Close view of Black Magic and Kachina, probably near the mark rounding of buoy 9A.


Distant view of the Etchells Black Magic.


Etchells USA 125 in a puff



Black Magic with speedboat passing in background


Black Magic behind ski boat and dunked water skier.

Sloop Black Magic port view


Etchells 125, Black Magic, in the cove near the Dam Site marina and not far from the finish of the Race to the Elephant on Saturday, May 30, 2009. Photos courtesy of Mark from the Dam Site Marina.

Sailing in New Mexico; very brief update

by my standards, anyway. This Saturday we had about fifteen boats participate in the Race to the Elephant, plus support from powerboats helping with race committee and photography. I wound up single-handing Carol Anne's Etchells "Black Magic". After finishing the race behind Kachina I docked, rolled up the main and tidied up the boat, and went to the far end of the marina to watch other boats finish.

Kachina was not only first to finish, but also first on corrected time, both in the racing fleet and overall. Black Magic was second to finish and also second on corrected time (race fleet and overall). The winner of the cruising fleet and third overall was "Viento Bueno", a US 25, and the winner and "sole survivor" of the dinghies was a Capri 16.5. The racing was followed by a great steak dinner and awards banquet.

Lago Rico, the company that owns the local marinas and sponsored the regatta, also arranged for pictures of the boats racing to be printed out and on the tables for people to look and and take home, and for some really nice door prizes to be given out.

Sailboats at the Race to the Elephant, Elephant Butte Lake, New Mexico

Will 'o the Wind (Beneteau 285) at the Race to the Elephant. Correction: This should be Ranger Ben's O'Day 26 and has a shamrock logo.



Free and Clear IV (Freedom 21, at left, single-handed by "Cornhusker") and Nessie (C&C29, at right) circle the Elephant during the Race to the Elephant at Elephant Butte Lake, Saturday, May 30, 2009.

Elephant Race Notice of Race

Rio Grande Sailing Club
Race to the Elephant, May 30, 2009
Sponsored by Lago del Rico, Inc.

NOTICE OF RACE

1 RULES AND SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
The Race to the Elephant will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012 (RRS).

Sailing instructions will be available during the registration period.

2 ELIGIBILITY, ENTRY, AND FEES
Entry is open to all sailboats. Boats may enter by sending a representative to attend the captains’ meeting, sign the registration sheet and liability release, and pay the $15 registration fee. The fee will include one breakfast on Saturday, trophies, and overnight boat moorage at the DamSite Marina.

Boats will compete in the following groups:
Racer (racing-type boats with D-PN 84 or lower)
Cruiser (D-PN 84 or higher or cruising-type boats as assigned by the race committee)
Dinghy (under 20’ hull length with no cabin and no fixed keel)
Multihull (catamaran or trimaran)

3 SCHEDULE
The race is scheduled for Saturday, May 30. 2009. Sunday, May 30, is reserved as a lay day in case of bad weather. Breakfast will be served from 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. at the DamSite Restaurant at the south end of Elephant Butte Lake State Park. Registration is 9:00 to 10:30 a.m. and the captains’ meeting will be held from 10:00 to 10:30 a.m.
The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first starting group is 12:00 noon.
The dinner and awards ceremony (with door prizes) will be held Saturday evening.

4 COURSE
After the start near the Rock Canyon Marina, the race will proceed by way of these marks:

Round navigation mark 9A (between Rattlesnake Island and Marina del Sur), leaving it to port.

Round the Elephant, leaving it to port (circle it going counter-clockwise).

Finish between the northwest corner of the DamSite Marina and a yellow inflatable buoy

The Race Committee may shorten the course at any mark by displaying an S flag (blue square on white rectangle) and finishing boats between the flag and the mark.

5 SCORING
Scoring will follow the low-point system in the Racing Rules of Sailing, Appendix A, except:
No throw-outs will be given.
One completed race will constitute a regatta.
Boats will be scored on Portsmouth handicap (D-PN) without wind range modifiers. This changes Appendix A of the RRS.

6 PRIZES
The name of the overall winner will be inscirbed upon a permanent trophy.

The first-place boat in each group will receive a take-home trophy.

Additional awards may be given at the discretion of the race committee.

7 DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY AND INSURANCE
Competitors participate in the race entirely at their own risk. See rule 4, Decision to Race. The Rio Grande Sailing Club, Lago Rico, Inc., and their officers, employees, and volunteers, will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the race. Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance sufficient to meet New Mexico State Parks requirements.

8 FURTHER INFORMATION
For further information please contact
Larry Jessee, Race Committee Chair, 915 577 0456, ljessee44@hotmail.com
Pat Byrnes, Commodore, 505 265 6741, rgsc@zianet.com

Rio Grande Sailing Club
Race to the Elephant, May 30, 2009
Sponsored by Lago del Rico, Inc.

Elephant Race Sailing Instructions

SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

1 RULES
The Race to the Elephant will be governed by the rules as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012.

If a change to the Sailing Instructions is to be made, the race committee signal boat will fly flag L, and competitors are to come within hailing distance.

2 COURSES AND MARKS
Start near Rock Canyon Marina. The start marks will be a staff displaying an orange flag on the race committee signal boat at the starboard end of the line, and a round buoy to port.

Round navigation mark 9A (between Rattlesnake Island and Marina del Sur); leaving it to port.

Round the Elephant Butte, leaving it to port (circle it going counter-clockwise).

Finish at the finish marks between a staff displaying an orange flag near the northwest corner of the DamSite Marina houseboat dock, and a large yellow inflatable mark

The Race Committee may shorten the course at any mark by displaying an S flag (blue square on a white rectangle) and finishing boats between the flag and the mark.

3 START
The scheduled time of the warning signal for the first race is 12:00 noon. No boat may come within three boat lengths of the start line before her start sequence begins. This modifies rule 26.

Starting flags and starting groups are
(1) Race: red race flag or red and white checkered flag
(2) Cruise: yellow cruise flag
(3) Dinghy: green dinghy flag
(4) Multihull: blue flag with a catamaran symbol

The anticipated start sequence is
11:59am Attention signal (AP pennant down with 1 horn, or multiple horns)
12:00pm Red race class flag UP (horn)
12:01pm Prep flag UP (horn)
12:04pm Prep flag DOWN (horn)
12:05pm Red race class flag DOWN (horn) to start race class

12:05pm Yellow cruise class flag UP (horn)
12:06pm Prep flag UP (horn)
12:09pm Prep flag DOWN (horn)
12:10pm Yellow cruise flag DOWN (horn) to start cruising class

12:10pm Green dinghy class flag UP (horn)
12:11pm Prep flag UP (horn)
12:14pm Prep flag DOWN (horn)
12:15pm Green dinghy flag DOWN (horn) to start dinghies

12:15pm Multi-hull class flag UP (horn)
12:16pm Prep flag UP (white square on blue) (horn)
12:19pm Prep flag DOWN (horn)
12:20pm Multi-hull flag down (horn) to start multi-hulls

4 TIME LIMITS
A boat failing to finish within two hours after the first boat in its starting group sails the course and finishes will be scored Did Not Finish. This changes rules 35 and A4.

5 PROTESTS AND REQUESTS FOR REDRESS
Protest forms are available at the race committee signal boat. Protests shall be submitted to the protest committee within the protest time limit, which is 60 minutes after the race committee records the last finish. This changes rules 61.3 and 62.2.

6 SCORING AND PRIZES
Scoring will follow the low-point system in the Racing Rules of Sailing, Appendix A, except as described in the Notice of Race. Prizes will be given as described in the Notice of Race.

7 SAFETY, DISCLAIMER OF LIABILITY, AND INSURANCE
Competitors participate in the regatta entirely at their own risk. See rule 4, Decision to Race.

Competitors agree to follow all applicable rules and laws.

The Rio Grande Sailing Club, Lago Rico, Inc., and their officers, employees, and volunteers, will not accept any liability for material damage or personal injury or death sustained in conjunction with or prior to, during, or after the regatta.

Each participating boat shall be insured with valid third-party liability insurance that meets New Mexico State Parks requirements.

The race committee may take any appropriate actions to ensure the safety and fairness of competition.

Rio Grande Sailing Club Events

January 24, Frostbite Regatta (1 day only)

RIO GRANDE SAILING CLUB
ANNUAL FROSTBITE REGATTA
January 24, 2009, Elephant Butte Lake
Random Leg Distance Race for A and B Fleets
Buoy Fleet Races for Etchells Class, J 24 Class and MC Scow Class
Schedule of Events
Saturday Jan. 24
10:00 am Skippers Meeting Hodges Restaurant
1:00 pm 1st. Gun/Warning Signal
Etchells = 1st. Start
J 24 = 2nd. Start
Random Leg = 3rd. Start
MC Scow = 4th Start
6:30 pm Social at Casa Taco with Trophies
NEW: RGSC Club & Board meeting at Casa Taco
Random Leg Race scored on D-PN
for more info contact: Pat Byrnes 505-220-2994
Larry Jessee 915-577-0456
Race committee signals: Rich Strasia

PS: Weather forecast: Mostly sunny, high 64 degrees, max. sustained winds WSW 6-12 mph. I spent last weekend at Lake Pleasant in Arizona, with about 60 boats racing.


January 28, 7:00 p.m., Fleet Social at Zea’s Rotisserie (4800 Montgomery Blvd NE – SW corner of Montgomery/San Mateo) on Wednesday, January 28th. 7:00 for 25. We can probably do 1 check per table or per couple. Maria’s niece will be the waitress!!

February 14-15, Rio Grande Cup Team Chute-Out
Saturday
10 a.m., skipper/crew meeting, Hodges Corner Restaurant
1 p.m., race start
Sunday lay day – 11 a.m. race start, if needed

Larry has interesting plans for the Chute-Out regatta on February 14-15. The plans is to have matched pairs of boats representing a "southern" and a "northern" team to race for a North-South championship. (To make it easier to match up pairs, teams or boats don't actually have to be in the north or south fleet.)

Larry's proposed pairing, so far, based on who he thinks would be interested, available, and a good match, is the following. Pairs may be added or changed depending on actual interest. One design pairs will race one-design; other pairs that don't match closely enough would race on base Portsmouth (DPN without modifiers).

(for teams, see e-mail sent to club members, crew and friends)

Other pairs are possible!
If you're not on this list but want to be part of this race, please let Larry or me know.
The racing may be able to be completed on Saturday, but Larry is reserving Sunday as a lay day in case of bad weather or lack of wind on Saturday.


February 18, 7:00 p.m., Fleet Social, Doc and Eddy’s, 6040 Brentwood Lane NE across from Cliff’s and TD’s on San Mateo NE

March 7, Big Boat Cruising Cup
10:00 a.m. Saturday skipper/crew meeting, Hodges Corner Restaurant
1:00 p.m. Saturday start

The idea for this weekend is to make it into a big boat race, assuming sufficient winds. We'd like to get all the crews from the small keelboats and dinghies to crew on the big cruising boats such as the 34' S2, Hunter 34 and 28, C&C 30, 29, and 27.5, Ranger 31, Newport 30, Frers 33, Catalina 30s, etc.


March 21-22, Spring Series I, Club and board meeting
11:00 Saturday, skipper/crew meeting, Casa Taco
2:00 p.m. Saturday race start
7:00 p.m. Saturday club & board meeting, Casa Taco
11:00 a.m. Sunday race start
Race committee signals: Alan Reeves
March 28, First Spring Raftup


Don’t forget the Social next Wednesday, January 28, 2009 at Zea’s

Sailing at Elephant Butte Lake, January 4, 2009

Snow on the distant peaks of the Black Range of southern New Mexico seen from Elephant Butte Lake.

Boom framing winter sunset at Elephant Butte Lake, January 4, 2009.



Sunset view from the bow of Constellation


Ribbons and his crew had to return to Albuquerque on Saturday night, but good winds were in prospect for Sunday, January 4, 2009. And, they delivered. Zorro, Tad, Batgal, and I wound up sailing around the race course area, then decided to sail further north, around Long Point Island, up to the entrance to Barney's Cove, and well up into the area between South and North Monticello Points. The further north we went, the more the wind freshened. Then we got in some great spinnaker runs and reaches with winds in the 8- to 16-knot range and boats speeds of 6 to 8 knots. It was fantastic sailing, although getting a bit chilly for some of the crew. The winds moderated as we reached the end of our sail, but remained good enough for us to get back to the marina slip before it was too dark.

Sailing at Elephant Butte Lake, January 1, 2009

Freedom 21 "Five Planks" at Elephant Butte Lake on January 1, 2009.





On New Year's eve we drove to Elephant Butte Lake, and visited "Husker" and "Bassmaster", in whose house we spent the night. During the evening, we drove over to the lake to the cabin of "Dumbledore" and "Mother Superior", who were having a quiet New Year's eve celebration with "Zorro", "Magnum PI" and "Lady Magnum".

New Year's day was cool and cloudy, and football was on the tube to somewhat mesmerize "Batgal" and "Tad". But the day offered a bit of good wind, so when I heard from Zorro I gladly accepted an offer and went out on his Constellation for a good start to the year. That meant missing out on some good food and a close football game, but a good day on the water counts as some sort of delicacy for the soul, so it was a fair exchange. Although the breezes had lightened some since earlier in the day, we still had enough wind to go up and down the race course a couple of times and give me some practice on spinnaker handling that I much needed.


We weren't the only sailors out; "Five Planks", a Freedom 21, was also out on the water for a while.

Nessie in the Desert; C&C29 sailing at Elephant Butte Lake, New Mexico

The C&C 29 sloop Nessie approaches the finish of the Kris Kringle race at Elephant Butte Lake. The race was a distance race from south of Rock Canyon Marina, around Rattlesnake Island and marker 13, and to the finish in the middle of the lake between Rattlesnake Island and Rock Canyon Marina. The December 6, 2008 race in southern New Mexico was the last race of the fall season for the Rio Grande Sailing Club.





Portrait of Nessie, the C&C 29 sloop



Nessie approaching the finish line

Nessie and the pin buoy for the finish line

Stern view of Nessie after she finished the Kris Kringle race


Nessie in the sun

Coronado Optimist Sailing at the Butte

The Coronado Optimist Club and Coronado Optimist Sailing Club sponsored travel and boat maintenance so that members of the West Mesa High School NJROTC group could sail and travel. Several Lasers were launched to hold an impromptu dinghy regatta on Saturday and Sunday mornings before and after the Rio Grande Sailing club's Sunrise Regatta.

Summary for the Mallory Championships at Elephant Butte

Mallory Cup Men’s Championship
Quarterfinal Eliminations for the
Sailing Association of Intermountain Lakes,
May 2–4, 2008,

Elephant Butte Lake State Park, New Mexico

Regatta results

The Mallory eliminations for SAIL were conducted on borrowed J/24 sailboats, with teams rotating among the boats between races. Winds were mostly medium in strength, typically 8–14 knots. Courses were windward-leeward with four or five legs per race, with each leg 0.4 to 1.1 nm long. Several support boats and a large cast of volunteers helped run the races. Barbara Hawn was event chair, Pat Byrnes was principal race officer, and Gary Sander chaired the protest committee.

Place Captain Points, R1, R2, R3, R4, R5, total points

1 Jessee 3 1 1 1 1 7

2 Perry 1 2 2 3 3 11

3 Meins 2 3 3 2 2 12

Regatta Summary

With four bullets out of five races, Larry Jessee, Dave Ampleford, Marty Stevenson, and Chuck Arasim won the first place and the right to advance to further levels of competition. The final race on Sunday had a spectacular finish, with the NM Tech team and helmsman Brent Meins edging out Team Perry by about a foot after four legs of racing in brisk winds.

On Friday, May 2, 2008, boats were made available for practice beginning at noon. A practice race was held at 4:00 p.m., followed at 7:00 by a competitors’ meeting, registration, weather briefing, and reception.

Races 1–4 were completed on Saturday. Race 1 was WLWLW in a modest, dying wind from the ENE. The first four legs went well enough in 2–6 knots of breeze, but partway up the final leg the wind just about vanished, leaving boats to inch their way up the last several hundred yards of course. A bare hint of breeze filled in just enough to keep the boats ghosting along, and all boats were able to finish the course within two hours. Races were postponed for boats and crews to be sent back to the marina for lunch and to await afternoon breezes.

Race 2 was WLWLW in medium winds from the SSE. Races 3 and 4 were WLWL in medium-heavy winds from the SSE to SSW. Boat swaps were held at the marina due to the heavier winds between races 2, 3, and 4, and because of an equipment breakdown that had to be repaired between races 3 and 4.

On Sunday morning, competitors were greeted by a light, variable wind of two to five knots from the north and northeast. Based on forecasts and local knowledge, the wind was expected to fail later on in the morning, then fill in from the SSE and S during the early afternoon. The drainage-type winds from the east were not forecast to hold steady, and did eventually drop away to a dead calm that lasted for about two hours. Accordingly, the race officer kept the boats in the marina, then began to sortie support boats out in the early afternoon as the first bits of breeze began to fill in from the ESE and SE. In hindsight, we probably could have squeezed in a light-air morning race, but any error in timing could have turned it into a miserable drifter without assuring fair sailing for the competitors.

The initial sailing of race 5 was abandoned at the end of the second leg because of radical wind shifts that exceeded 40 degrees. The race was re-sailed and completed with winds that ranged from 10 to 16 knots, with some stronger gusts. Gusts in excess of 30 knots were recorded at the marina, but were not so strong on the race course, where they were only about 24 knots maximum. In these heavier conditions, the lead boat was able to keep flatter and get a lot of separation. The two trailing boats, however, made a very exciting race for second place, crossing the line in a photo finish with one boat about sixteen inches ahead of the other.

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