Fleet 27 News

The 21st and final Tuesday Evening Etchells race of the 2019 season is now completed. The season scores have been tallied on the race results page.

Wow! An e-mail from the Etchells NA office…

Finish the season right! Prepare to show the Aussies who really are the best in the World, and show that you’re the best in North America first!

Dave Perry’s 31 Etchells coaching videos (click the blue link to open the video index) are posted on YouTube for your viewing pleasure and sailboat racing education. If you find that a video clip should be moved up or down on the index page for better continuity, please let me know.

The 2019 Etchells Fleet 27 Summer Series concluded with last night’s racing, which was augmented by on-the-water coaching from Dave Perry. Seventeen boats raced 2 races over the WM1 course in 8 to 12 knots of wind from the south, but with lots of flood tide. Andrew’s Schadenfreude won the evening with 2-1 finishes. After the races, Dave Perry reviewed and critiqued the good, the bad, and the ugly observed during the evening’s racing.

July 2nd rolled in with the first honest summer racing weather of the year – sun, shirt sleeves, shorts, and 15 Etchells on the line for 2 fine races in a light N breeze. Results are posted over on the Race Page. Thank you to the Butter syndicate for performing R/C while their boat gets repaired.

12 Etchells felt their way around a foggy Casco Bay on June 27 in the final race of Fleet 27’s Spring Series. WhiteHawk won the race, but Schadenfreude‘s 2nd place secured their overall win for the Spring Series. Finish results and season standings may be found on the Race Page.

Etchells racing again in the rain and fog and cold… At least we got a race in. Results are posted on the race results page.

15 Boats showed up to race on June 18, despite obvious signs of little to no wind. It was a case of build it, they will come. The Whiplash R/C crew set up the W2 course and, as the SE zephyr settled in, managed to get a race off before the fog completely enveloped Casco Bay. Wind was generally light and shifty from the SE. Results are posted over on the Race Results page.

The latest race results are posted, including results from the June 11 demolition derby day that saw a 40 kt gust registered on L.L. anemometer. Many boats suffered gear failures.

The NOR and SIs have been amended to include our make-up races scheduled for Thursday Nights in June, July, and August. The amended NOR and SIs are posted under Race. Please note SI 1.3.1-3, especially the request for each boat to personally thank the PYC RC for holding this race for our class. I suspect we will find a Warning signal about 1750 June 27th so don’t be late as I expect we will be the first class to start.  We should think about rafting at the PYC after racing, maybe do a social on the dock and show off our boats? I can arrange boat tows to moorings after the event if we plan on it.

Tuesday evening looked more promising for shore. By the time the 14 boats arrived at the starting area east of Clapboard, the afternoon’s puffy, NW wind had begun to die out for the evening. The W2 course was set up and the fleet started in 8 kts from 300°-310°. By the time the fleet arrived at the windward mark the second time, the breeze had disappeared, leaving drifting conditions for the last leg. Butter led wire-to-wire.