Viper 640 2018 Winter Cup - Sarasota Sailing Squadron - March 16-18

Started by Ed "Buttons" Padin, Class Administrator, November 22, 2017, 05:45:12 PM

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Ed "Buttons" Padin, Class Administrator

Announcing the 2018 edition of the Viper 640 Winter Cup Regatta 

Traditionally sailed in Miami the weekend before Miami Sailing Week, this year only we're moving it to the Sarasota Sailing Squadron while the Miami waterfront continues its reconstruction after Hurricane Irma. So here's the plan as it stands right now with more details to come:

Thursday, March 15 – The Viper Sarasota Scorch – informal race around the bay with a mid-race stop for lunch (and just a few libations) at a waterside restaurant where we can tie-up, grab a bite, have a few, and then continue our race. Last year's return to Miami from No Name Harbor Race turned into a Le Mans start with John Dane counting down the time until we could all cast off, set sail, and roar out of the harbor under spinnaker winding our ways through the mooring field.

Friday, March 16 – Sunday, March 18 – The Viper Winter Cup sailed as part of the SSS One-design Mid Winters

Thanks to Travis Yates and the rest of the SSS Viper posse for making this happen at the last minute. With the 2018 Miami regatta still to be confirmed, it's great to have a place to go sailing in Florida during March.

BTW, if my math is right, the Saturday of the event is St. Patrick's Day. That means that all Viper Sailors who are, want to be, or just pretend to be Irish will be 'a wearing the green on the water and off. Travis promises a good party that night, too.

NoR and online registration still being set-up but we just wanted you to have this info to mark your calendars.

Cheers,

Buttons
Ed "Buttons" Padin
Viper 640 Class Administrator
erpadin [at] padesta [dot] com

Cole Constantineau

Very happy to see the class making the call on this!  I can tell you I'm extremely excited about a Winter Cup in Sarasota!  There are at least a few boats I know that will be going here but wouldn't have made it to Miami.  This is exactly the conversation a few of us were having over the last year (possibly moving a march regatta from Miami to Sarasota)..

Kay VanValkenburgh

looking forward to next week. can anyone give a brief for newcomers to Sarasota, say on conditions to expect, what forecasting service seems good in the area, etc?
first boat I ever owned was viper #28; it was a gateway drug.
my current viper is #98; I can't sail it enough.
the resulting sailing addiction's ok up to that point, but come Winter whydahell do I also have to frostbite a Laser?!

Peter Beardsley

Sarasota can throw a little bit of everything at you.  I've been down there for 16 race days now over 8 events.  Only 2 of the 16 were ever canceled due to high winds, and we've never had fewer than 2 races per day of the other 14 days we've sailed - that's not to say that it can't get light, but it usually fills back in to something decent.  Usually it is very flat water unless the breeze comes from the north, in which case if the wind is pumping, you'll have short, steep chop.  It's pretty shifty most of the time since you're close to land in all directions (except north), so no exceptional local knowledge on that end, or something that "always works" in all conditions.  One race one side will win, and the next race it'll be the other side.  I can't even say there's a prevailing wind direction for the series.  The first year I did it, almost every day the wind was from the ENE, and then I don't think I've seen that direction more than once over the next 2 years.  I can say that I've never seen West (which I'm told is the seabreeze direction), so maybe that means we'll get it this year. 

I've never seen the tide be a massive deal while racing, but it is out there and sometimes it's an issue at laylines. 

Biggest thing is to be very careful when sailing to and from the race course since there are some big shallow spots (sand, but still) that have dinged people over the years, even when in the channel.  You have to sail pretty far east before making the turn to the north - go on Google Maps and check out the satellite view to see what I mean.  Annotated chart attached and consider going to http://www.charts.noaa.gov/OnLineViewer/11425.shtml for more.  We usually sail out with a fair amount of leeward heel and try not to be the first one out so that we can follow someone else and stay in their wake.  If they don't hit, we won't hit.  On the way in, usually it's a faster reach or run and we douse early and try to go downspeed and not be on cruise control, though for whatever reason, people usually only hit bottom on the way out, not sure why that is. 

Great place to sail, not a lot of time between races, great hospitality, nothing magic to the forecast (NWS is fine most days), St. Armand's Circle food is ok but overpriced - better to go out in town with everyone, take the first parking spot you find almost everywhere, all of the time, esp. at SSS, tie your boat down each day after sailing (ask Zeke), and bring singles for beer at SSS for when the keg is kicked. 
Viper 640 East Coast Regional VP / Class Governor
Viper 333 "Glory Days"
Formerly Viper 269 "Great Scott!", Viper 222 "Ghost Panda" and Viper 161 "Vicious Panda"

Kay VanValkenburgh

Great writeup, Peter! Thanks for the fact-filled response. We'll be reviewing it in the morning at the Bait Shop for breakfast (New Pass Grill, Cole's and now the whole Boston contingent's go-to for start of day).
first boat I ever owned was viper #28; it was a gateway drug.
my current viper is #98; I can't sail it enough.
the resulting sailing addiction's ok up to that point, but come Winter whydahell do I also have to frostbite a Laser?!

Peter Beardsley

Viper 640 East Coast Regional VP / Class Governor
Viper 333 "Glory Days"
Formerly Viper 269 "Great Scott!", Viper 222 "Ghost Panda" and Viper 161 "Vicious Panda"

Travis Yates


Just a quick ping to get those of you that are planning on sailing the Winter Cup in Sarasota to complete your registration today. We have 15 registered as of now, with 20+ boats still on property and most of those owners have told me they are sailing the event... plus a few more GYA folks saying they looking at heading down. March is a great time to sail here in Sarasota and with the larger multi class format of the One Design Midwinters the party is guaranteed to be a good time!
Sidewinder
USA #244
Sarasota Sailing Squadron

Geoff Ewenson

hey Travis.....not for nothing, but maybe you should pay your entry feel so it looks like we are at 13 paid entrants! :)

can't wait to get back down there. Today is spring in Maryland but winter begins again this weekend!

Geoff

Craig Wilusz

We registered (and paid, too, Geoff).

Craig and Deborah.

See ya'll soon.
Craig and Deborah
#100 Myasasaur

Craig Wilusz

Currently at 20 registrants as of 03/04/18.  Surely we have more Vipers that will be there, let's get 'em up and registered ya'll.

C
Craig and Deborah
#100 Myasasaur

John Leyland

Between Winter Cup and San Diego NOOD Regattas there will be 40 Vipers out on the water that weekend!
Viper 191 - "Moistened Bint"
Vancouver, BC

Craig Wilusz

"Between Winter Cup and San Diego NOOD Regattas there will be 40 Vipers out on the water that weekend!"

Plus Mardi Gras Race Week in New Orleans at New Orleans YC, GYA Capdeville Interclub Series regatta that same weekend too.  That makes a Western Region Regatta, and Eastern Region Regatta and a Gulf Coast Region regatta all on the same weekend! Lots of options if you own a Viper.
Craig and Deborah
#100 Myasasaur

Craig Wilusz

It's on!
Deborah wants to helm the Winter Cup!  We just changed registration online, so D is gonna take the tiller.  For some reason USSailing has her name as Deborah Deazs, as in "Deazs nuts are gonna get squashed if I don't get the tiller"

That puts three ladies at the stick for Winter Cup, Michele Lee, Deborah, and Cam Farrah.
Craig and Deborah
#100 Myasasaur

Brad Boston

The Winter Cup was a lot of fun! The regatta is the clubs busiest regatta with 4 race circles and they did a great job.
It was fun to be on the race course and hang with the VX's after racing! I also thought it was interesting to see that we were nearly the exact same speed around the race course as them. We are a little older and heavier but FAST !!
Jackpot will defiantly be there next year again!

Brad