2021-2022 Sarasota Viper/VX One Winter Series

[Travis Yates]

Hey All,
Just another poke to try to get the whole crowd together down here for some great Viper-ing. I have a couple more folks saying they are planning to come but have not registered, so I figured I would post the links again and tell ya how much I appreciate being able to pre-plan for the fleet size! We will be good for storage onsite Dec-Feb for all boats that are registered for the three events and if you are only coming for one or two events, I can probably work out a way to store your boat off-site if it is make or break for you. 
Look forward to see many of you again soon,
Travis

Event #1 Dec 11-12th- https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/23403
Event #2 Jan 15-16th- https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/23404
Event #3 Feb 19-20th- https://www.regattanetwork.com/event/23405

[Holly Watson]

Im going to come down no matter what for event 3 (potentially leading to Bacardi or hitting up an event / extra race lessons prior at SB). Hoping someone needs a hand mid-ship crew. Also just super happy to volunteer and be a part of the fun if there is any work to be done or help in any way - pretty handy and game to be busy for the event :) 

[Zachary Kyritsis]

Crew available for events 1,2,and 3. Please reach out if you need crew for either of these!

[Cole Constantineau]

Can't wait!  Marblehead fleet has two boats already sitting at the club. 

Meow! will be arriving next Wednesday or so from Boston, timed so that I meet my teammate RonJon from Sarnia, towing Jackpot in the family minivan, at the Irish Pub (or Salty Dog?)..  Going to be fun ya'll!

[Steve Chapman]

Oshunmare is there waiting for everyone to arrive!
We fly in Wednesday pm, planning to rig Friday morning.
See you there!

[Peter Beardsley]

Great Scott is at SSS and ready for the winter series.  The super early weekend forecast for Event # 1 is SSW 7-12 kts with a few higher gusts both days, sun, and air temperatures in the high 70s / low 80s.  Chamber of Commerce conditions - hopefully a bunch of stragglers can get their boats there this week to supplement the 25 teams already on the scratch sheet. 

[Cole Constantineau]

Wow, I can't believe how much I had missed Sarasota!  It was so great to be back as a class.  The racing was excellent this past weekend...can't wait for January!

Cheers,
Cole

[Justin S]

Happy New Year.

Arrive SRQ 10.02 am, Friday Jan 14th. United Airlines.


Useful tip for those who have not discovered Andrew Levy's new airline, Avelo. They fly direct from New Haven Ct to SRQ.  The return flight on Sunday from SRQ at 7.45 pm is $39. 

https://www.aveloair.com/destinations#route-map

[Peter Beardsley]

Something new that you can only find here on the Forums for now - breaking news until it reaches the blast email for the January event (which we are posting here for the benefit of those not yet signed up):

From the late night imagination of Peter Beardsley comes the first ever Viper Mentor-Mentee Subchampionship.  You're playing for beer and bragging rights (Peter is buying the beer, and he promises to make it better than what he buys for his own Viper), and everyone is entered.  The goal is to further the spirit of cooperation and collaboration that the Viper fleet is famous for.  Peter will pair boats based on December regatta results (i.e., first with last, second with second to last, etc. - if you weren't there or if someone is missing, or if there are an odd number of teams, accommodations will be made) - we'll tell you the pairings at the competitors meeting on Saturday morning and hope that the "teams" will check over each other's boats before leaving the dock, tune on the way to and from the racecourse, and share notes on and off the water (but NOT give each other any additional inches than you would give anyone else on the racecourse).  The three biggest improvements on a combined score/percentage basis vs. December after Day 1 get a six pack per team and lots of bragging rights, and we'll repair teams on Sunday based on Saturday scores, with new chances to win on Sunday.  We have no idea if this will work, but we want people to use it as an opportunity to meet some other folks in the fleet and share ideas.

[Justin S]

From the late night imagination of Peter Beardsley comes the first ever Viper Mentor-Mentee Subchampionship.  You're playing for beer and bragging rights (Peter is buying the beer, and he promises to make it better than what he buys for his own Viper), and everyone is entered.  The goal is to further the spirit of cooperation and collaboration that the Viper fleet is famous for.  Peter will pair boats based on December regatta results (i.e., first with last, second with second to last, etc. - if you weren't there or if someone is missing, or if there are an odd number of teams, accommodations will be made) - we'll tell you the pairings at the competitors meeting on Saturday morning and hope that the "teams" will check over each other's boats before leaving the dock, tune on the way to and from the racecourse, and share notes on and off the water (but NOT give each other any additional inches than you would give anyone else on the racecourse).  The three biggest improvements on a combined score/percentage basis vs. December after Day 1 get a six pack per team and lots of bragging rights, and we'll repair teams on Sunday based on Saturday scores, with new chances to win on Sunday.  We have no idea if this will work, but we want people to use it as an opportunity to meet some other folks in the fleet and share ideas.

Peter....just some quick feedback.  This idea started to work and we enjoyed it.  It allowed us to meet a Viper team we had not hung out with before and between each race we did a little tuning.   Sunday's "blow off" prevented you taking it to the next level...and it will probably take some time to get traction, but I would continue with the idea.

One note...its not easy to claim those inches at the expense of your tag team mate and friends.  After chatting and sharing tune numbers between the race, it is kinda hard to leave them pinned in bad air all the way to the lay line when they are trapped to leeward. If it was the World Championships and we were in the running, I might have sailed on two extra boat lengths to tack on lay, but in Sarasota with our tag team to leeward, we decide our proper course was to tack :)   

Great idea. Lets do it again!