Registration is open
http://www.yachtscoring.com/current_event_entries.cfm?eID=742
Any chance in Hades for a charter during Charleston????
I am looking for a charter as well. If anyone has any leads/offers please PM me.
We still have a couple of Left Coasties looing into the possibility of a CRW charter..
any ideas??
Who's organizing dockage this year
Not sure about the dockage organization yet, but it would be great if someone could pick that up. It wasn't too painful last year and I don't think any of the organizers were left footing the bill for more than a week or so.
Timbo/Somers: it would be helpful if you guys could say how much you'd be willing to pay for a charter for the event and then we could find some owners, some of whom may be lurking. Last year a couple of boats got chartered in exchange for a new jib, new main, or actual cash. Free charters are hard to come by, even if someone brings their own sails over, though details on proposals like that could also help. There's also the boat transportation issue -- there's only a couple of Vipers in the Carolinas, so a charterer would have to pay for transport to and from Charleston -- if that is a given in your assumption, then we should be able to find you a boat.
Now up to 25 entries...
Peter et al,
Would be looking at $1500 charter fee and I would use my own sails. I will cover costs of insurance coverage through the Gowrie Group.
Will also pay for trucking the boat up from Miami to Charleston if that is the direction the owners boat would be going or anything within that range.
Thanks,
Somers
Quote from: Jonathan Nye on January 28, 2013, 04:42:06 PM
Who's organizing dockage this year
You did such a great job last year.
Any MA Vipers heading to Charleston, a buddy of mine is looking to get some J/24 cushions he sold down from Beverly to CRW. If anyone could throw them in the back of their truck, he'd be grateful enough to cut you a deal on some new Henri Lloyd gear I'm sure... Or at least toss you a couple of pairs of their awesome gloves.
I can put you in touch if you might be willing to help out a friend of mine.
Bob McHugh (Viper 81) is coordinating dockage and will have more information for everyone shortly.
Now up to 29 entries...who will be # 30?
Somers and Timbo,
Regarding a CRW charter:
My boat's sitting idle in Boston, and I'm not sure I can to CRW yet. So I suppose I can consider a charter, maybe with the caveat that I can get a slot if I can in fact make it.
The other caveat is the rudder tower still has ugliness from the field patch she got after a J22 took the rudder off last year at CRW. "Functional but not pretty."
I think it was about a 12 hr drive from Boston. I can charter you my BMW 325i to tow her down too if you don't mind a rattly front end. 15MPG at speed.
Cheers
-Olaf
obleck [at] gmail
Now up to 33 entries. Who's taking Olaf's boat?
Quote from: Olaf Bleck on February 12, 2013, 03:24:11 PM
Somers and Timbo,
Regarding a CRW charter:
My boat's sitting idle in Boston, and I'm not sure I can to CRW yet. So I suppose I can consider a charter, maybe with the caveat that I can get a slot if I can in fact make it.
The other caveat is the rudder tower still has ugliness from the field patch she got after a J22 took the rudder off last year at CRW. "Functional but not pretty."
I think it was about a 12 hr drive from Boston. I can charter you my BMW 325i to tow her down too if you don't mind a rattly front end. 15MPG at speed.
Cheers
-Olaf
obleck [at] gmail
You get much better mileage if you dont drag the keel down the highway!
Olaf took keel fairing to a whole new level!
Its time to start talking about Charlietown plans.
We (or rather Dan and Janet) are organizing a "Viper's Bite" party and debrief on Friday evening after sailing and before the rum opens up on the beach.
5.30 pm at the Pavillion.
The Class sponsors will be handing out free Dark and Stormies - Avoid the lines.
Debrief on sail trim, tactics and current from some of the top guys.
Make plans for tuning partners the next day.
General social and pre-party
Handing out the "Charleston Guru" tip sheets with go-fast and current tips.
Handing out tide charts of the Race Course, including "Panda's Folly" clearly marked.
Pass this info on to everyone in the fleet. Remind your neighbor in the slip, "5.30 pm at the Pavillion"
Also....Rondar are handing out a prize for the most outrageously decorated Viper in the slips. I'm told that this year the award is a brand new 2013 Peabody Viper (ex sails).
Now up to 38 entries (not counting the duplicate 3 Grins). Not bad.
Sigh... There goes Justin getting ahead of himself again. And putting words/promises in my mouth...
We're working on booze for the debrief. It's a little problematic, but we'll work through it.
No, Rondar is not handing out prizes for decoration of boats. We will be handing out Rondar swag to every boat that attends the Friday debrief though.
Details on this and more (dockage, social, etc) will be forthcoming via email shortly. We'll also post what we're ACTUALLY doing here. :-)
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Quote from: Dan Tucker on March 22, 2013, 06:19:58 PM
Sigh... There goes Justin getting ahead of himself again. And putting words/promises in my mouth...
We're working on booze for the debrief. It's a little problematic, but we'll work through it.
No, Rondar is not handing out prizes for decoration of boats. We will be handing out Rondar swag to every boat that attends the Friday debrief though.
Details on this and more (dockage, social, etc) will be forthcoming via email shortly. We'll also post what we're ACTUALLY doing here. :-)
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Seriously? You are not handing out a free all new Viper as an award? I'm sorry if I misled anyone.
Meanwhile I see that Jonesy hasn't registered for Charlietown after the ass whopping that the Mambo Kings handed out last year.
There is a rumor that a Left Coaster may be sampling the Chucktown waters soon, hopefully while learning how not to up chuck.
JJ has been my wingman in the past... Justin, can you help a bro out?
Doh! We are 1:1 at charleston, although last year ill give you the clinic.
That river sailin' just strange.
@ tim - don't let mambo drag you into any of those college bars and remember, always check their id
Quote from: Justin Scott on March 23, 2013, 11:29:27 AM
Meanwhile I see that Jonesy hasn't registered for Charlietown after the ass whopping that the Mambo Kings handed out last year.
Thanks for the local knowlege Jeffy... ;)
Watch the rivers and tide forecast there Timbo. It's like sailing your home turf with Rivers dumping into the sea.
My only CRW was tons of fun and we'd have done much better if the skipper and bow guy didn't keep falling out of the boat :-D
Tac Boston has some good general tips here. http://truewindracing.blogspot.com/2009/04/viper-sailing-at-charleston-race-week.html
Comment from a Scow sailor
"CW: After piloting about six thousand ships in and out of Charleston, I still have moments where I scratch my head about the current. We have a usual range of tide about 5.5 feet. During the spring equinox, we will see ranges of up to 7 feet. That is a lot of water in and out every six hours. Some of our currents run as much as 3 1/2 knots. I am always looking over at the racing area trying to see what the current is doing on any given time of the tide. In Charleston, you have two rivers, The Ashley and the Cooper, converging at the battery (some say to form the rest of the world), where they meet and develop tide rips which move across various parts of the harbor during different stages of the tide. Being out there every day certainly is an advantage, but the old Pros like Lenny Krawcheck are still the wise men about the harbor."
Quote from: Jeff Jones on March 26, 2013, 08:33:18 AM
Doh! We are 1:1 at charleston, although last year ill give you the clinic.
That river sailin' just strange.
@ tim - don't let mambo drag you into any of those college bars and remember, always check their id
Quote from: Justin Scott on March 23, 2013, 11:29:27 AM
Meanwhile I see that Jonesy hasn't registered for Charlietown after the ass whopping that the Mambo Kings handed out last year.
Dont forget 2010 as well as 2012, Jonesy. Not that I'm keeping score or anything.
2012: Scott: 5th
Jones/Miller : 18th
2011: Scott: 4th
Jones: 20th (DNC)
2010: Scott: 5th
Jones: 8th
2009: Jones : 8th
Scott : 9th
2008 : Scott: 1st
Jones: NVY (No Viper Yet)
You had a very good result last year, and I didn't hear chuck have to scream back at you but a few times.
2010 I registered and paid but someone else sailed under my name. Someone owes me a beer. 2011, DNC. Well Justin, I guess you have to take them any way you can get them.
;-)
Quote from: Justin Scott on April 01, 2013, 10:59:36 AM
Quote from: Jeff Jones on March 26, 2013, 08:33:18 AM
Doh! We are 1:1 at charleston, although last year ill give you the clinic.
That river sailin' just strange.
@ tim - don't let mambo drag you into any of those college bars and remember, always check their id
Quote from: Justin Scott on March 23, 2013, 11:29:27 AM
Meanwhile I see that Jonesy hasn't registered for Charlietown after the ass whopping that the Mambo Kings handed out last year.
Dont forget 2010 as well as 2012, Jonesy. Not that I'm keeping score or anything.
2012: Scott: 5th
Jones/Miller : 18th
2011: Scott: 4th
Jones: 20th (DNC)
2010: Scott: 5th
Jones: 8th
2009: Jones : 8th
Scott : 9th
2008 : Scott: 1st
Jones: NVY (No Viper Yet)
Quote from: Jeff Jones on April 01, 2013, 12:47:58 PM
2010 I registered and paid but someone else sailed under my name.
Damn I'm sorry to hear that Jonesy, being as it was one of your better results and all.
I'm sure you realize I'm just raggin on yah because regattas are twice as fun when you are around.
Its not too late to enter!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No Chucks or yelling on my boat last year, the occasional giggle about the tide and folks going aground in succession on Panda's ledge. I'll be sailing with Tripp this year, same as last. Gotta love sailing with Tripp ( 6 years at various regattas). He is an F18 sailor on his own boat and the tactics of an F18 sailor are very simple. "Dont worry too much about which way we are going as long as we are going fast as shit and having fun getting there". Given the Charleston lottery, it actually works quite well.
2009, I brought two guys who had never sailed Vipers before....and they both bought boats afterwards. One was Jason and now he is buying his second. This stuff is seriously addictive.
Quote from: Justin Scott on April 02, 2013, 04:57:48 PM
2009, I brought two guys who had never sailed Vipers before....and they both bought boats afterwards. One was Jason and now he is buying his second. This stuff is seriously addictive.
That was the year you went screaming into the leeward mark on the big air day, crashing wildly yelling "no, no, no, that's not how we do on the Viper at all." in your most dignified accent. Those guys LOVED the class. That was only eclipsed by 40 boats lengths earlier me yelling back at Dan T "what the f' are you doing?" as we crashed out of control, only to realize Dan had fallen off the boat! I think we holeshot that race...damnitalltohell. The only thing funnier was about 5 boat lengths after you were so politely educating your crew on the ways of the Viper, the bow guy fell out of our boat. I think we finished damn deep....hero to zero with two overboards!
Hope you guys have a BALL sailing CRW. I'll be back in the Bay Area sellin boats :'-{
Quote from: Peter Beardsley on February 12, 2013, 12:32:46 PM
Bob McHugh (Viper 81) is coordinating dockage and will have more information for everyone shortly.
Now up to 29 entries...who will be # 30?
Any updates on docking arrangements?
Dave, my understanding is that Bob sent an email to all registered skippers about docking arrangements -- did your skipper get an email about this? If not, drop Dan Tucker a line since I think he is now coordinating that part.
I did respond to Bob and I'm pretty sure I'm on the list. I'll check with Dan though
Quote from: Dan Tucker on March 22, 2013, 06:19:58 PM
There goes Justin getting ahead of himself again.
We're working on booze for the debrief. It's a little problematic, but we'll work through it.
We will be handing out Rondar swag to every boat that attends the Friday debrief though.
Details on this and more (dockage, social, etc) will be forthcoming via email shortly. We'll also post what we're ACTUALLY doing here. :-)
Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 2
Any details on the Friday debriefing forthcoming?? Time?? Place??
Looking foward to it.
Costco has got some great deals on coolers at the moment. I'm thinking that the class needs to own some logo'd coolers for events like this.
I'll be bringing some rum and ginger beer to the debrief....if anyone else wants to "throw in" to the cooler , feel free.
Okay. Charlie Town Viperers.
Here is what I got from Dan regarding the Friday briefing.
It will take place at the Look Out Pavilion at 5.30 pm on Friday.
As you come off the docks with the resort on your right...the pavilion is to the left across the parking lot. We can't sell liquor there but Dan will have an open cooler and some kind Viper owners have donated some bottles of rum and ginger beer.
The bar at the party does not open until 6.00pm, so this is a chance to have a cold one with some friends and hear Brad, Alan , Ched and others give a de-brief and give their insight as to what was working out there and what was not. They will answer any questions about tuning and setting up the Viper. Questions and discussions will be useful for newcomers and old lags alike.
See y'all there.
Looking forward to meeting y'all! First time racing my boat, so I will definitely be at the debrief...
Dont forget to bring a six pack to bribe the "experts". Brad can be very helpful.
Passed a J70 on I95 South being towed by a big hemi, like it was standing still.
Quote from: Justin Scott on April 17, 2013, 10:40:19 PM
Passed a J70 on I95 South being towed by a big hemi, like it was standing still.
This is funny, I got an email last night from a J/70 friend that said "Saw a Viper blow by us on way to Charleston today doing 90".
lol, kind of says it all re: the melges 20 ... (scoring error from http://www.yachtscoring.com/event_results_cumulative.cfm?eID=742)
Melges 20
1. 83 USA 180 Rondar Raceboats Viper 640 Dan Tucker 1 1.0
2. 40 USA 40 Oleander Audi Melges 20 James Wilson 2 2.0
3. 20 USA 20 STAR Audi Melges 20 Jeff Ecklund 3 3.0
4. 3 USA 3 Lucky Dog / Gill Race Team Audi Melges 20 Travis Weisleder 4 4.0
5. 13 USA 13 Bacio Audi Melges 20 Michael Kiss 5 5.0
6. 193 USA 193 Heartbreaker Audi Melges 20 Robert Hughes
Sorry to report that Danny and Megan found Panda's ledge today. I hope their boat is okay.
Real Charleston sailing today.......two big currents flowing across the course on the upwind leg, very shifty, and big puffs on different parts of the course.
Heading off to the Viper briefing at The resort now.
Our next door neighbors on the dock....Jay and his friends are having a terrific regatta and deserve congrats on being the leading all amateur team.
Is is all over? Looks like no racing on Sunday.
Congrats to Jackpot! I like that they have their name on the new boat.
I heard from friends that USA 92 got holed in a port/starboard at a start. Any info on that?
Cheers,
jason
Many of the Vipers sailed out towards the course on Sunday but racing was abandoned. It was probably the right call. I think that the more experienced Vipers could have cinched their safety belts and chin straps and battled nature around the course but it woud not have been a welcoming experience for the relatively high proportion of newcomers to the class in the Charleston fleet.
If we had raced....I can tell you that Pat Gibson and his hard charging team from Galveston bay would probably have schooled us again. They really lit up the course on the big air last race on Friday.
As it was, the two sail reach down to Remley's to haul out, gave the big air junkies all of the adrenilin that they could have asked for. There were quite a few knock downs even under two sails and plenty of mast jarring and shakin puffs. We landed at the Hob ramps with Kay +Karen and 3 Grins and we were glad to have each other around to help pull out in that breeze.
On a somber note. Yes, #92, Brian Barmmer's boat was holed. It was a double shame because its is a long way to come but also they were doing very well in that race, right up with the leaders. Ben will take a look at the boat.
More worrying at first was the news that Kay and Karen were involved in a Port/Starboard incident on Rt 17 on Sunday afternoon. I spoke to Kay on Sunday night. The most important news is that nobody is injured and altho naturaly a bit shaken, everyone is in good spirits. Their vehicle was towed to the shop and it may be a write off. They were trying to figure out how to get the boat (Lo Qi) back to Marblehead and it sounded like fellow Viperers were rallying around to help.
This is the second time in under a year that Brian Barmmer's boat has been hit while on starboard by a port tack boat. Fortunately he has not lost his sense of humor. This from the Marblehead Viper fleet facebook page:.....
"Expirenced Viper crew available, 170 lbs, good attitude , questionable luck."
https://www.facebook.com/groups/135328396636780/permalink/153935738109379/#!/groups/135328396636780/
Kay is still down in Charleston trying to get back with the boat. Do we know anyone down there who can help?
Wish we could have done more, but the Saturn L200 with 3 bodies and a viper was already pushing it.
Hey my wife just saw a viper parked in a plumbing supply store parking lot here in Mamaroneck. If anybody needs any help, let me know. Or maybe someone's just picking up plumbing supplies.
Quote from: Josh Vogel on April 23, 2013, 11:47:28 AM
Kay is still down in Charleston trying to get back with the boat. Do we know anyone down there who can help?
Wish we could have done more, but the Saturn L200 with 3 bodies and a viper was already pushing it.
I sent Kay an email to see what kind of help he might need.
Thanks, all, for your concern.
I should have known that the best place to go for a solution was the Viper forum! Sounds like I could have skipped calling rental truck agencies and spendt my time better here. I understand that a new Sarasota owner offered to stop in Charleston on her way to MA to pick up her boat. (Thank you for that very kind offer).
Instead I'm driving a torture chamber of a 14 foot U-Haul with nothing in it pulling my boat to Boston! (luckily I really do love road trips, and I can easily work remotely.)
The regatta was a blast, definitely not missed. Especially when considering what a great community of Viper sailors we spent time with!
I received the following email from our Circle Two PRO, which I thought you would enjoy sharing:
"The 2013 CRW was as exciting as ever. It was a crazy few days. Being cooler than expected, you would have seen me in the great Viper pull-over your fleet gave me last year.
I really enjoyed your account. I can also tell you that the Vipers got more air than the J/70's. I thought a couple of you were going to totally take flight. It is impressive that you can keep the boat on top of the water with the mast mostly vertical in those conditions. My hat is off to you all. Have another great season, and I hope we see each other next year.
Hal Smith"
Hal does a great job for us every year. He coined the phrase the "Roaring Twenties Line" when the Vipers came to CRW and he does his darndest to give us great racing. Please look out for hal and be sure to shake his hand at next year's CRW.
Quote from: Kay VanValkenburgh on April 23, 2013, 03:45:02 PM
Thanks, all, for your concern.
I should have known that the best place to go for a solution was the Viper forum! Sounds like I could have skipped calling rental truck agencies and spendt my time better here. I understand that a new Sarasota owner offered to stop in Charleston on her way to MA to pick up her boat. (Thank you for that very kind offer).
Instead I'm driving a torture chamber of a 14 foot U-Haul with nothing in it pulling my boat to Boston! (luckily I really do love road trips, and I can easily work remotely.)
The regatta was a blast, definitely not missed. Especially when considering what a great community of Viper sailors we spent time with!
Major Viper props to soon-to-be owner Michelle Lee from Sarasota. Michelle called me offering to bring Kay & Karen's boat home to MA on their way to pick up her new boat in Peabody this week after reading this thread. Keep your eyes out for USA 202 and its all-women's team at regattas, and buy them a round or give them the close crossings, for so fully embracing the true spirit of the Viper Class even from before Day 1!
When she called about this she said that one of the big reasons they choose the Viper was because of the people in the Class. She'll fit right in, make her welcome, she deserves it!
Cheers,
Dan
and she is pretty helpful with the car buying advice as well.
Kay sent a smiley face by email a couple of hours ago. I'm assuming that means good things...but with Kay, you never know...he is always smiling.
Great regatta! Wish we were all in the same dock location this year but when I heard we might not have dockage I called a friend and slipped in with them! Made it much harder to hang at the dock with everyone.
Sailing was fantastic again this year and can't wait to go back!!!
It was fun sailing the new boat! Every time we walked down the dock to a white Boat if sure was different!! We are excited to be sailing 201 this year and can only hope to have half the success that 119 had.
Hope to see you at the next regatta!
Brad
You were funny in that interview with Clean, talking about being asked to come speak at the North Sails debrief. Even if you guys compete for sail orders, it is great to have a class where everyone comes together to make the fleet faster!
Did anyone record the debrief session so those of us who couldn't make CRW can watch it and learn too?
Cheers,
jason
I took notes on what Brad said on Saturday's debrief:
"1. There were some lighter spots and some bigger puffs. We set up for the breeze in the puffs because we felt it was important to be able to take advantage of the those prolonged puffs and keep the boat moving and pointing without being overpowered.
2. We used Doyle sails which were really fast, it was a beautiful thing, they were fast and high and we found our groove, the Doyle sails were really nice and ooomf....thud...crunch...static"
Chuck Allen "Well thank you Brad, I think we all found that very helpful, now lets hear from Allan Terhune"
I'm joking of course. Brad did make the first point, which is that contrary to popular wisdom when most sailors say "set up for the light stuff" so that you can keep moving in the light and just hike hard in the puffs. Brad pointed out that there were certain conditions where we should set up for the puffs and this was one of them. I thought it was interesting and it certainly worked.
I also think it was pretty sporting of Chuck to invite Brad to come up and say a few words at a so-called North debrief and it was nice of Brad to contribute. It sends a nice message to the rank and file owners and once again I think the Viper class is particularly blessed by the individual sailmakers who have chosen to sell their wares to us.
Brad did decline to wear the North sails hat that chuck offered him.....it was a bridge too far. Although, unless he wore it backwards when sailing, nobody was going to be able to read the logo anyway.
It is nice that everyone in the class is able to share and work together to some extent. There is nothing more rewarding than the fleet getting better and better pushing the top boats! I hope to see everyone at the next regatta.
Brad