2014 Pacific Coast Championship / LBRW

[Tim Carter]

Hi, entries are open for the Viper PCC's @ Long Beach Race Week..  We had 25 last year, will we see 30+ in the ramp-up to the 2014 North American Championship on the same water??

http://www.lbrw.org/entry_form.html

[Greg Jackson]

Tim,

I think I remember something about being able to measure keels for N.A.'s at LBRW. Can we or did I smoke something naughty?

Thanks,

Greg

[Tim Carter]

Greg, I will have my templates and if you nail me down before I get behind the curve I should have time.

Two questions, will you have correct payment terms available, and what do we do with your PCC entry if you fail measurement?    ;)

[Greg Jackson]

Tim,

Simple, if the boat doesn't pass, I'll sell it and walk away from sailing forever.

I should be at ABYC tomorrow early afternoon until rigged and tuned to deliver payment, then a pre-race meal at Beach City Grill...

See you tomorrow,

Greg

[Tim Carter]

So happy to announce the Greg's keel looks just like every other Viper keel I have seen.  Welcome to the event!  :)

Now for the intrigue.... 

Will Golison/Flam defend their PCC title? 
Will the new young bucks Steele and Reynolds show off their transoms again?
Will Olaf dance?
Will Timbo pass out?
Will someone fall in the pool or out of their boat?
Will there be rendering of fiberglass?
Will everyone have a blast...  YES YES YES!!!

18kts late today, looked great out there,  Hope it builds a bit earlier.  Trial run for the NA's..  Mothers Ocean Friday, inside the wall Sat and Sun.  ;)

[Greg Jackson]

You forgot "Will anyone fall off the dock and break a rib?"

;)

[Ed "Buttons" Padin, Class Administrator]

Twenty three Vipers set out from Alamitos Bay Yacht Club today to compete in the 2014 Pacific Coast Championship being sailed as part of this year's Long Beach Race Week. There is a crisp 10-12 knots sea breeze at 1400 local time and it's likely to continue to build.
By late afternoon yesterday similar conditions were present luring a number of the boats to venture out for a shakedown sail before participating in an on-the-water tuning clinic provided by Ullman Sails' Kieth Magnussen and Erik Shampain. This perfect SoCal weather is expected for the entire weekend putting the conditions right in the sweet spot for Viper sailors looking for hard hiking upwind and exciting reaches downwind. As an aside, there was talk yesterday among some of the Viper contingent that they should hit a few local watering holes. With Class Secretary Garrett Jones and Class Treasurer Tony Chapman on site, we will wait for the reports if who was slow moving this morning as the 1030 skippers meeting.

Stay tuned for daily updates on the 2014 PCC. You east coasters, don't forget you have the Newport and Marblehead regattas to register for and mid-westerners, you have CORK to look forward, too. There is a lot of great Viper sailing to be done this summer so get your boats in the water and be part of the fun and excitement of Viper sailing.

[Ed "Buttons" Padin, Class Administrator]

It seems like every regatta you go to where the normal wind patterns take the day off you hear the locals proclaiming, "It's NEVER like this here!"

The Long Beach portion of SoCal is known for its building afternoon sea breeze. On day one of the PCC, hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, the morning looked good with a 10k breeze starting to build by 1000. Vipers were sent outside of breakwater for some ocean swell, a preview for an NA's that may include a mix of "inside" flat water days as well as a couple outside open ocean days. The breeze, unusually, did not continue to build and the key for the day was being able to change gears as the fleet sailed in an average of under 10k breeze and mild ocean swell. (There they go again: "But it's never like that here!")

Tim Carter (Timbo), in usual ABYC fashion, had a "Viper" keg waiting shore side for the fleet followed by a full on party at ABYC. Vipers will sail on the inside course for the next two days.

After two races it's still anybody's game for the PCC's with some of the usual suspects at the top.

Top 5
1-Kevin Taugher #38
2-Alex Steele #153
3-Nigel Brownett #34
4-Jeff Grange #149
5-Carson Reynolds #187

Full Results here.....
http://files.lbrw.org/2014/LBRW_Overall.html

Special shout-out to Tim Carter aka "Timbo" who really goes above and beyond to make this W. Coast Viper fleet what it is...fun!!

[Tim Carter]

I lost my brain last night, if found, please deliver it to the dock @ ABYC

[Ed "Buttons" Padin, Class Administrator]

Viper Pacific Coast Championships - Day 2 - Light winds continue

There was a marine layer over the area in the morning and that layer sat inland for most of the day meaning the sea-breeze never filled in. A posted change to the SI's in the morning sent the Vipers back outside the breakwater for what turned out to be a light wind affair. In a breeze close to 5 knows on the low end and only topping out at under 10 knots due to the lack of a sea breeze effect, the PCC's first two days were constrained by light airs. Regardless, the consistency of Kevin Taugher and the "Hot Mess" crew allowed them to maintain their lead after another three races (4-1-4) with Jeff Grange moving up to second overall with a 3,4,1 score line on the day. Nigel Brownett sailing "Snake Eyes" held onto 3rd with a solid scores but is yet to get a bullet. Everyone's scores for the first two days have been up and down with only the top 3 boats having all top-10 finishes.

Of note, Jim Sears and the "FNG" team have sailed a solid regatta. They were again up with the front pack when they broke a main halyard near the last windward mark, of the last race if the day, forcing a DNC.

With two races scheduled Sunday, and no throw-outs, any mistakes or mishaps become costly as there are great position battles to be had yet in the entire fleet.

Results through day 2 can be found here...

http://files.lbrw.org/2014/LBRW_Overall.html