How to Measure Your Sails and Weigh Your Boat

saturday started at 7:30 having our sails measured. this was quite a process... each sail (main, jib, genoa, spinaker) had to be individually measured and stamped. then our boat had to be weighed prior to placing her into the water. we finally put her in the water at 10:00 and then went out to breakfast. after that we practiced on the water.

each sail had to be place flat on the grid to make sure the measurements were correct

checking the luff

kathy, dave, and malcolm (our skipper and crew) trying to figure out why the main sail seems short

how many people does to take to measure a sail??

each sail had to be stamped and signed

lifting the boat off of the trailer

lowering the boat into the water

this is one of the canadian team boats. katie, this is for you!

J24 Midwinters

Tampa, Florida
J24 midwinters (http://midwinters.j24d10.org/)

Giz, our boat. she is from boston! tomorrow we have to have her weighed and then we can put her in the water.

brand new sails! they cost $6000...

this is where we ate dinner on friday night. it was great!

Saturday According to Pete

Yesterday on the water was simply amazing...

Conditions:

Temp: mid 40's
Wind: 16+
Gusts: 30+
Current: Intense due to: Low tide @~1:30
Lots of rain on Fri,
Strong WSW to NW wind pushing water out of harbor
Sails Plan:

Reefed main with Jib for (5) races
Reefed main only for (1) race

Course:
W-II (twice around)


Techniques applied:

Great starts - Bob

Synchronized ease and trim of jib and main in gusts - Bruce and Bob

Countdowns on Puffs, Blasts and "Wall of wind" - Pete & Marianne

Keeping boat flat & under control when Blasts in the 30s hit us -
Bob & Bruce

Winging the jib down wind - Mairead (arms many never be the same)

Keeping our Bow into the current upwind a majority of the time
to minimize distance lost due to strong current...

Hiking hard with "cheeks on the teak" - All

Good communication and tactics downwind to increase separation - all

Calling the laylines with sufficient margin for current push - Pete

- Freshly baked macaroons to sustain our energy level - Marianne

Results for a (6) Race day in the above conditions:

Race-1: 1
Race-2: 3
Race-3: 1
Race-4: 1
Race-5: 1
Race-6: 1

Felling at the end of the day after experiencing:
- Conditions on the water - intense!
- Great teamwork, communication and camaraderie
- Realizing that we actually had (5) first places with 6 3/4 points
total
for the day total for first place...

PRICELESS!

Truly a day to remember and treasure...
Nice job everyone...
What a day!

cal, bruce, and pete working hard (guess what i was doing?)

cal

j-24 racing

pete being goofy while i am flying the spinnaker!