OSC Burgee

Off Soundings Club

SAILBOAT RACING IN SOUTHEASTERN NEW ENGLAND
FOUNDED NOVEMBER 7, 1933
INCORPORATED FEBRUARY 4, 1949

www.offsoundings.org

Off Soundings on Facebook Last updated: May 25, 2023 Donate to Off Soundings

 

 

2022 Lockwood Fall Trophy Winners, Red Stripe, with Commodore Fredericksen - Greenport, LI

The Start

Lindy

Vitesse

Spring start off Block Island

Jammy Beggar

Pachyderm

Nor'Easter Gardiners Bay Committee Boat - Nor'Easter

 Close Hauled Close hauled off of Watch Hill

Start Nonsuch Start off of Watch Hill

Milagro Milagro

Watch Hill Close quarters off of Watch Hill

Perfect Set Magan

Tynaje

Tynaje

 

 

RACE INFORMATION

NEWS, EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

2023 Series Dates
Spring Series

Closing Date May 26
Race Dates June 9 and 10
Location Block Island

Register for Spring Series Here

Current List of Entries

Safety Regulations - 2023

Rating Certificates - 2023


Fall Series

 

Closing Date September 1
Race Dates September 15 and 16
Location Greenport, LI

Pay Your 2023 Dues On Line - Late Fee Applies

Dues Payment

 




2022 Series

FALL SERIES RESULTS


Spring Results

2022 Certificates

Safety Checklist 2022


Fall Series Race Dates - September 16 and 17

 

 

Notice of Races - March 4

Annual Meeting and Shore Party - April 2

 

2021 Series

Spring Results

Fall Results

 

 

2021 FALL SERIES EVENTS PAGE (click here)

Lockwood Family Trophy Application
(dedicated to encouraging youth participation)

Safety Equipment Regulation Booklet - 2021

Off Soundings 2021 Certs

Off Soundings Club Fall Series 2021

A note from Race Committee Chairman Greg Gilmartin

It’s time to freshen up your sea stories, Captain! 

The 83th annual Off Soundings Club Fall Series is scheduled for September 17-18, 2021 at Block Island. It’s been over 30 years since the club raced there and around in the fall! It’s time to Fall Back to Block!

This time will be special.

Champlin’s Marina and Resort will be our hosts as Race and Party HQ. A special dockage rate is available at $5.25 per foot for all entrants. Very competitive. Under new management, there are some changes to make the facility better and what was good before stays good.

ˇ      There will be no rafting. Everyone’s got a space on the dock.

ˇ      Pier 76 is the remodeled, double tier bar at the end of the dock. Mudslides on two floors! With dockside seating outside as well.

ˇ      The heads and showers have always been the best on Block and remain so now.

ˇ      A café and restaurant complement your stay.

ˇ      The crocks will be under the tent next to the pool and the remodeled plaza provides an open space to spread out and enjoy reuniting with your favorite competitors.

ˇ      We’ve also invited industry vendors to share their wares and stories.

ˇ      If you wish to crash in one of the remodeled hotel rooms at the marina, the rates have been reduced if you dock at the marina.

Get on it, Skippers!  The time is now. Yacht Scoring is up and running. Registration is open. The deadline is September 3rd.

Once you’ve registered for the event, go to dockwa.com to register for dockage.

If you want a hotel room, reserves yours at champlinsresort.com.

What’s old is new again! Don’t let this Fall Back to Block Event slip by you and your crew.


Fall Series - September 17 and 18, 2021

 

 

 

2020 Series

There was no racing in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

2021 Membership Renewal

Renew your 2021 membership on-line

You can still pay by check.  $10 late fee applies.  $75 regular, $60 for members over 65 and have belonged to the club for over 25 years.

Bob Bruno
339 East Shore Drive
East Haddam, CT.  06415-5236

Please contact the treasurer if you have any questions.

Winter Luncheons 2021

There are no scheduled luncheons for 2021.

2019 Series Results

Results

Photographs from the Fall Series

Fall Series - September 13 and 14, 2019 - Shore Party and Awards Presentation were held at Townsend Manor Marina. 

Day 1 - New London, CT to Greenport, LI
Day 2 - Gardners Bay, LI

Safety at Sea Video Library - Prepared by Storm Trysail Foundation - (contact webmaster for login and password). 

This is an excellent source of information, addressing issues such as man overboard, signals, weather, etc.

  Spring Results

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2018 Fall Series

2018 Perpetual Trophy Results

RESULTS FALL 2018

 

Fall Series - September 14 and 15

Day 1 - New London, CT to Greenport, LI

Day 2 - Gardiners Bay, LI


Promotional Video for Fall Series

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Join as a member - Membership Chair Contact

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2018 Safety Equipment Requirements

 

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2017

2017 Perpetual  Results

2017 Fall Series Race Results

 2017 Spring Series Race Results

 

 

2016 Race Series

2016 Perpetual Results

2016 Fall Results

2016 Spring Results

 

Notice of Race

Spring Promotional Video

 

Off Soundings in Motion Video - Recent Highlights

 

Fall Results - 2015

RESULTS (Fall and Overall)

PERPETUAL RESULTS for 2015

Amendments to the scoring explained

Sailing Instructions

Scratch Sheet

Notice of Race

Entries

 

Spring Results - 2015 

RESULTS

Spring Sailing Instructions

 

Safety Equipment Requirements

In 2014, the US Sailing’s Safety at Sea Committee conducted an overhaul of ISAF’s Offshore Special Regulations (OSR). The USSER is intended to be used by race organizers, owners and boat inspectors. The USSER is being promoted as easier for yacht owners to understand and is self-contained and does not refer to numerous external documents. Race organizers can then add or delete gear requirements based on the nature of their individual races.

Off Soundings has created a committee to review these regulations and determine how best to fit them into the OSC racing model.  Draft D below is now available for review and comments.  It is the intention that these regulations be adopted starting this year, but only after the membership has had a chance to have their comments satisfactorily addressed.

2018 Safety Equipment Requirements

SER Discussion Thread

The committee has provided some answers to frequently asked questions.


Q. Are these requirements or recommendations?
A. Both. Basic items such as: having a boat that is seaworthy and strongly built, an engine, a radio, lifejackets, etc. are requirements. Several other items such as: mainsail reefing, preventer for boom, jack lines, cellphone, etc. are recommendations.

Q. Will these items be inspected?
A. The concept is for each yacht to have a hard copy of the document (downloaded from the OSC website). The expectation being that the OSC-SER would be used as a check list (i.e., a self-inspection) by the owner/skipper prior to sailing in OSC races, and that the document would be kept on the vessel.

Q. What about potential liability?
A. We have consulted with individuals in US Sailing and it is an understanding that what generally protects Organizing Authorities from liability is the "avoidance of negligence", and that is usually achieved by a '"best practices" approach (e.g., having policies and procedures in place to manage potential risk).

Q. Why don't we just rely on good seamanship?
A. Good seamanship is an acquired skill. We learn by our own experience and by the experience of others, and there is never an end to our learning. We would ask that the "old salts" embrace the concept of this checklist, submit ideas to make it better, and to assist in teaching the "up and coming" sailors how to meet those "unanticipated" challenges.

Fall 2021 Video

September 17 -18 2021. Sponsored by the Race Committee of Off Soundings. Video production by MYSTV and Steve Sattler Films. View Video.  

 

Off Soundings Gear From Team One Newport - Order Online

Be sure to get your Off Soundings gear!! For a number of reasons gear is NOT going to be sold at the race parties as has been past practice. BUT we still have Team One top quality OSC gear!! Jackets, hats, T-shirts and more all with a beautiful Fall Series logo. To order gear go to the Team One link -- Off Soundings -Team One Newport (team1newport.com). Please share this link with your crew!!

 

Fall Series and Champlins Video

Spring 2021 Safety Video - Lifting MOB with Lifesling

Mustang Survival Khimera Hybrid PFD Video

 

2021 Winter Speaker Series

Lecture 4.  On Tuesday April 27 at 7:00pm.  Tides and Tidal Currents in Eastern Long Island Sound presented as a virtual discussion via Zoom by Frank Bohlen, John Burnham, and Carl Fast. 

VIEW ARCHIVED LECTURE HERE 
Passcode: 1#.qYmLq 


If you have comments, you may direct them to our commodore, Harlan Fredericksen.


Lecture 3.  On Tuesday, March 30, Bill Gladstone will present  a  Two Hour Trim Class. 

North U Director Bill Gladstone will lead the session. Bill has been teaching and coaching for decades. Graduates of his programs are winning races in fleets the world over.

This Trim Webinar is a quick two hours.

Part 1: Upwind Trim
We open with Theory in (very) Brief, and look at Sail Power, Total Power, Mix of Power, and Sail Controls. We will change the way you think about upwind trim.

We then apply those concepts to the full spectrum of sailing conditions: moderate, light and heavy air; smooth water vs. chop; and best trim through puffs and lulls.  We use the exclusive North U Upwind Sail Trim Simulator to see how changes in sail controls change sail shapes and performance, while video clips show real life trim and performance technique.

Part 2: Downwind Trim
Symmetric spinnakers are odd by design: The luff and leech are identical! No other sail is designed that way. In Symmetric Spinnaker Trim we show how refinements in trim can improve spinnaker shape, performance, and control. The Asymmetric Spinnaker Trim portion shows how to make best use of the limited array of trim controls and take advantage of the inherently better shape of asymmetric spinnakers. Of particular interest are techniques to allow sailing deep with a fixed sprit position and how to find the optimum angle and speed for best downwind performance.

The downwind session also includes tips on Non-Spinnaker Jib & Main performance both reaching and running.



Lecture 2. On Tuesday, February 23,  Dave Perry was featured. 

Dave Perry is well known for his enthusiastic and engaging teaching style for sailors of all ages and levels, as well as highly respected for his deep knowledge of the sport of Sailing. He is one of the sport’s leading coaches and rules experts, serving on the US Sailing Appeals Committee and being the Rules Advisor for several recent America’s Cup teams and the US Sailing Team at the 2008, 2012 and 2021 Olympic Games.

Dave is excited to continue his work with the sailors and race officials in eastern Connecticut, to help them know the rules better so they are more confident in close-quarter action at the starts and around the marks, and so they can play and run the game at a higher level. Dave encourages sailors of all abilities, or who normally crew, to join us because knowing the rules better will dramatically increase their racing enjoyment.


Lecture 1. On Tuesday, January 19
, at 1800 Yacht designer and author Dick Carter gave a Zoom lecture on how yacht design evolved in the 1960s and 70s intertwined with some story-telling of his racing adventures which included two Fastnet wins. It should be noted that several Off Soundings members including our Commodore, cut their offshore racing teeth aboard one of Dick’s designs, the venerable Carter 39. So far the talk has been well-received by the Royal London YC, the NYYC at Newport and Storm Trysail club among others.

Off Soundings Gear for Sale

Team One Newport, a large retail on-line store now has a large selection of OSC gear, including shirts, jackets, hats, bags, etc for sale.  This is a great opportunity for the club to expand its brand.  Whether your a member, prospective member, crew, or family this is a great site to shop for items relating to our traditional races held every spring and fall.

The History of the Dolphin 24

By Ron Breault

GREAT VIDEOS CAN BE SEEN USING THE LINK BELOW!

Off Soundings YouTube Channel

 

Off Soundings Donates to Block Island Medical Center

Article taken from the Block Island Times...

Dave Dickerson, past commodore of both the Off Soundings Club and the Cruising Club of America, said the two boating clubs pooled their resources and donated $4,000 to the Block Island Medical Center. Dickerson said another $500 will be donated to the Rescue Squad in the fall.

Both clubs are a familiar presence. The Cruising Club, which was established in 1922, has 13,000 members around the world and seven satellite stations, one of which is located in Essex, Conn. Members of the club frequently sail out to the island, and one of its members donated the land to create the Bonnell Cove Foundation. Dickerson also said that the Cruising Club has two permanent moorings in the Great Salt Pond.

Off Soundings was established in 1932, has about 500 members, and runs a two-day Block Island race the first week of June. Dickerson was past commodore of Off Soundings from 2013 to 2015, and commodore of the Essex Station of the Cruising Club from 2014 to 2016.

“The board and Medical Center staff are very grateful for this donation toward our operating expenses from sailors who acknowledge and value the health care they — and all the island’s visitors and residents — depend on,” said BIHS Board Chair Cindy Baute.

 

Jazz Voyage to Bermuda - Rod Johnstone

Clay and I are about to test Jazz, J/99 #40, on a round trip to Bermuda.starting from Stonington on Sunday morning.

We are taking Jean de Fontenay, a Frenchman and good friend of Clay who lives in Noank, and one of his crew to Bermuda to retrieve Jean's 65' Reichel-Pugh sloop from isolation on a mooring in St Georges Harbor. No way to fly to Bermuda these days. Clay and I will double-hand Jazz home on the subsequent good weather window. We cannot go ashore in Bermuda, but we have a good mooring to hang on at St George's and can resupply and refuel with help from shorebound friends.

Watch the video, it's well worth it!!!

TO BE RESCHEDULED

 

THE APRIL 4TH MEMBERSHIP MEETING AND AWARDS DINNER


Board of Governors is well-aware of the outbreak of a respiratory illness caused by the new coronavirus, COVID-19.  The well-being of our members is our highest priority.  Based on a list of precautions recommended by the CDC and other government agencies the flag officers have decided to postpone the awards dinner and annual membership meeting.   A new date and location will be provided later.

Please help spread the word to your fellow club members who may not have email  so that all are aware.  Members who have already sent in a reservation will have their money refunded.

For those who have won a perpetual trophy and would like to have that for display over the summer, you should make arrangements with Rear Commodore Bruce Kuryla to pick up your trophy.  Trophies not picked up will be held until the rescheduled Awards dinner for presentation. The Annual Membership Meeting originally scheduled just before the dinner will be rescheduled for a different time and location yet to be determined. 
 
The Board of Governors meeting scheduled for April 4th will still take place, but as a virtual meeting.  Board members will be advised separately of the exact time and details on how to connect.


We hope all our members are safe and healthy and look forward to seeing you this summer on the race course!

Off Soundings Club Flag Officers

 

Paul Jennings, Commodore  -  pauljenningspe@msn.com

 

Harlan Fredericksen, Vice Commodore  -   harlanfred@gmail.com

 

Bruce Kuryla, Rear Commodore  -  bpkuryla@aol.com

Perpetual Trophy Awards 2019



Nice video from 2018 promoting this years race appears below.  Just 2:30 and great footage.  Thanks to Principal Race Officer, Greg Gilmartin, for putting this together.  Share the link with crew and fellow racers and get the word out!

Promotional Video for 2019 Series


Off Soundings Fall Race Report

By Principal Race Officer - Greg Gilmartin


10/27/18


It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. All the times counted.  The 2018 season for the Off Soundings Club was another good year with the usual variety of breezes and tidal currents playing their games on the racers who participated.

They started in joy with a solid 12-15 knot Southwester taking them on a 19 mile jaunt to Block Island in Friday’s June 14 th race.  The Race Committee sent them Starboard around 1BI then South to the drop mark Y and then into the finish line. Spectre, Settler and the multihull Blue Moon made the dash in about 2 ˝ hours. Most of the fleet saw elapsed times in the 3 to 3 ˝ hour range and a few stragglers found 4 hours more to their liking.


Saturday, the worst of times. The fleet started in a solid Northerly with a clockwise course around the island in the hopes of taking advantage of an ebb current then switching to a flood by midday to bring the fleet up the west side. Sadly, it worked fine for about 90 minutes. Once around 1BI, the wind shut down and it became a drift festival. The current was mostly favorable, but the fleet drifted apart on the tide and did the best they could with patches of irregular zephyrs.
For the first time in recent memory, our signal boat Nor’easter dropped and raised anchor 3 times, moving from the start to the R2 normal finish. However, with our mark boats reporting the lack of wind on the east side, we moved to R4 at the Southwest Point in hopes of shortening the race. However, there was little hope the fleet would finish before the time limit and after much discussion, the decision was made to pull the plug. The only folks who complained were those who were drifting toward the shortened finish line. The RC perceived the closest to be about a mile away, while the back end of the fleet was closer to 6 miles away, drifting just south of Old Harbor. The worst of times.


A total of 113 boats entered, including 10 guest racers.  The Fall Series delivered another best and worst weekend. The initial excitement leading up to the event was keeping a close eyeball on Hurricane Florence who threatened the Northeast. Fortunately for us, she stayed well south and we were able to sail two days in Gardiner’s Bay.

Friday saw 95 boats start off New London in a solid 10-12 knot Easterly on a reaching course around Valiant Rock to drop mark K near Orient Point, then a 4 mile beat back to 1GI followed by a long spinnaker run to the Finish. A 23 mile course covered in just about 3 ˝ hours. Spectre, Settler and Blue Moon were the top three fleet finishers on elapsed time,
enjoying the best of times.  As before, the bulk of the fleet were 30-45 minutes behind the leaders with the back end of the fleet closer to 5 hours or more for elapsed time. Three boats battled for the cook’s trophy with an elapsed time around 5 hours and 50 minutes.  The Race Committee waited for all of them. The worst of times.


The Saturday dalliance around Gardiner’s Bay started with a 45 minute delay as the Easterly refused to fill in. We set a weather mark 2 miles out then back to X and then a hoped for windward leg to S and then to Finish, 11 miles planned. While the wind shift to the southeast did happen, the breeze never got over 7 and it was decided to shorten the event.  The Nonsuch class was stopped at X and the rest of the fleet at S.
Again, Spectre was fastest with an Elapsed Time of 2 hours 24 minutes. Direwolf and Settler were 10 minutes behind. Bulk of fleet finished in about 3 hours with a handful of stragglers taking 4 hours.


A couple of rating hiccups were the only scoring issues that were quickly resolved, however, we did lose one trophy to a Greenport street fight. Ironically, it was awarded to the wrong boat! Ah, the worst of times! 

The support the RC receives from our committee boats continues to be extraordinary.  Henry Du Pont IV on Nor’easter remains a strong and enthusiastic member and fan of Off Soundings. Long time member, Norm Peck, let us play with Squire once again as our Mark boat, under the capable guidance of Bob Patton. Tom Weeks and Mark Young manned Pop Edgar as our Pin boat, continuing what is now a tradition with those two going back 8 years.


Special thanks to Pat Fritz, who is indispensable as our transportation captain who not only moves the RC on land, but delivers the crocks and speakers and cornhole games to the party.


Finally, a word about the RC crew. I have been fortunate to attract solid, US Sailing certified talent on the Race Committee. We now have two Regional Race Officers, 5 certified Club Race officers and the rest life long sailors or walk-ons who have been with me for 8 years.


As we have seen, you are only as good as your next race, but the experience on our crew is extensive. We have seen the best of times and we have seen the worst of times. And that should leave us in good stead for the next time.


Onward to 2019!
Submitted by Greg Gilmartin, RC Chairman, Off Sounding Club 10/27/18

Rock the Block - Video

Are You up to Speed Yet - Video

Safety Committee Announcement - Seth Olsen

Posted 29-Dec-2017

The OSC Safety Committee is looking forward to 2018 racing season, and hope you are too!  An important part of pre-season preparation is ensuring that your crew's safety certifications are up to date per OSC's SER:
  • Annually, two-thirds of the boat's racing crew shall practice man-overboard procedures appropriate for the boat's size and speed.
  • At least 30% of those aboard the boat, but not fewer than two members of the crew, including the person in charge, shall have attended a half-day, one-day, or two-day US Sailing Safety at Sea Seminar within the last 5 years, including online courses when available, or other courses as accepted by US Sailing or other national authority.
US Sailing has begun posting registrations for the 2018 Safety @ Sea Registrations, including several in Rhode Island, and one @ SUNY Maritime; as well as on the online course, and the  Safety Committee would recommend that members and crews register early for an event as they do tend to fill up.  You can find the registrations here:


Off Soundings Club 2017 Race Committee Report

By Principal Race Officer - Greg Gilmartin

In an era where tradition is trashed and you’re only as good as your next event, the Off Soundings Club continues to do pretty well. Maybe it’s because we have a long “tradition”, which means we’ve done a lot of “next” events. I took a quick look at “Reflections”, Bruce Lockwood’s personal chronicle of the club since 1933 to tabulate just how many events have actually occurred. The Club has been in existence since 1934. The first race was held in Spring, 1935 when 11 boats sailed from Block Island to Dering Harbor. Since then, there have been 81 Spring Series and 78 Fall series. Two of the Fall Series were cancelled due to Hurricanes and in the Spring of 1945, with WWII ending, 25 boats sailed from Stamford to Manhasset and then back the next day, but there was no Fall Series that year. Thus the uneven number of Spring and Fall Events in our long history and three years of war. 

The 2017 season attracted over 100 boats each series. Spring Series registered 110 racers and the Fall Series registered 101. The most the club has seen over the years is 230 in 1970. There has been a general downtrend in participation since the 80’s, and most notably since 2004 when we last saw 150 boats. However, Off Soundings continues to be one of the most popular events in Southern New England and is still appointment racing. 85 years as a club and 81 years of sailboat racing is a remarkable tradition and we continued to add to it this year with the usual mixed bag of conditions and personalities that brought smiles to the faces of many one day and curses into the wind, (or lack of it!) the next. We found out where the border lines of technicalities live and just how far friends will push those borders. And we learned that you can never have too much fuel to get to the starting line.

In the end, the usual suspects walked away with the prizes, give or take a newbie or two. And there are now a few gallons less rum on the earth. More traditions!

Spring opened with a cracking beam reach to 1BI on Friday, then a one sided beat south before a downwind finish at the New Harbor. Nor’easter arrived literally as the first multi hull finished at 1320. We seamlessly replaced the mark boat Pop Edgar to record the finishes. The entire fleet was finished by 1450 pm. Apparently not everyone’s beam reach was “cracking”. Saturday, the RC set a course for counter-clockwise around the island. 100 boats started. 

Shifting to the Fall, my intent leading up to the event was to return to Cerberus Shoal on Friday. Mother Nature intervened on those plans and helped us set a bit of history. In the fog and flat water, we announced moving the entire fleet from New London to Gardiner’s Bay in order to start the race there. It was not a hard decision and was made with consultation with some of the brightest minds in the room as well as a belief in the half dozen different weather forecasts at our disposal. Plus a phone call advising us of sunshine at Shelter Island. So for the first time, we moved the fleet on Friday to Gardiner’s Bay. A couple of boats did not make the trip, but we got a short race off in light air in the Bay starting about 1400 and everyone was back at the dock by 1730 and at the party on Shelter Island shortly after.

Saturday’s race faced the same light air - no air issue. After a one hour on shore delay and a couple of delays on the water, we were able to get another short race in under less than ideal conditions. It was a day some may have been wishing for the more traditional windy-rainy weather that has been considered part of the Off Soundings Club story. In summary, the Race Committee did good to overcome various obstacles.

We had two new boats in support of the event, centered around the Fall series where Tom McKenzie allowed us use of Blue Moon as a Signal boat. A serendipitous meeting turned into a new friend for the club. And a long time member, competitor and friend, Norm Peck, also stepped up to lend us his Squire as a mark boat. Tom Weeks in Pop Edgar is now a regular fixture on the course after 3 years and served as Pin Boat. We could not have accomplished what we did without their help.


Henry Dupont IV continues his commitment to Off Soundings in Nor’easter, the iconic image of our Race Committee Signal boat. He has assured me he will be back in the Spring of 2018. Finally, the RC crew continues to evolve with talented individuals making it all happen. Under budget. We approach each event with a desire to create fair and challenging race courses and good management of the 100 plus boats so everyone gets around, gets a score and leaves with an impression that they want to come back for more.

That is a tradition that must be maintained at any cost.

Submitted by Greg Gilmartin, 10/28/17

 

 

 

 

Fall 2016 Race Highlights

Note from the Race Committee...

Racers,

I hope you enjoyed the Off Soundings Club Fall Series.  As you are aware, Saturday's race was exciting with a very busy finish, followed by protest and redress hearings.   The hearings are completed, the cases are closed and the results have been reviewed, the audio tapes checked and the questions answered.   I can  report that no changes were apparent in the Podium Finishes as announced Saturday night with the exception of Class H-3 Juliet.   The Protest Committee granted Redress to Alliance resulting in  First place points award to both Alliance and Balance in Race Two.   The weekend Cumulative shows Balance, Alliance, Reckless and She's the Boss qualifying for Trophies.   Congratulations to all the winners.   Please direct any questions to me at  director@mystv.com.

Note from the Commodore...

I want to thank all of you who participated.  110 boats had registered, 100 of them competed.  I also want to thank all of the volunteers and committees that made this event so successful.  The race committee, headed by Gred Gilmartin, had to make difficult calls on course selection for both days.  The protest committee, headed by Bob Bruno, had it's hands full on Saturday reviewing four protests and a redress.  Off Soundings continues to ensure a high quality of regional racing by embracing the highest standards possible.  Please consider attending the fall rules seminar to be presented by Dave Perry.  Date, time, and location will be forthcoming.

Spring 2016 Race Highlights

It was the 79th running of this perennial event and 109 skippers and their crews enjoyed solid breeze, dying breeze, shifting breeze, sunshine, clouds, and drenching rain. 1BI reared it’s ugly tidal head each day and the uncertainty of wind direction, coupled with the variety of wind strength turned tacticians into dart throwers, hoping to end up in the wrong place at the right time. What happens on Block Island, stays on Block Island, and often, only happens on Block Island.

The old school approach was highlighted on Friday by a left over westerly that got the fleet off in good stead with Group 1 heading to Nebraska Shoal on a fast reach for course (N) Z.

Group 2 set off fetching 1BI on the course (B) Z. It seemed in the first many years of my experience racing in Off Soundings, this was the go to Friday course. It is also the first time we have set two courses in many years. This year is likely the final time for that course since the US Coast Guard plans to remove Nebraska Shoal buoy at the end of this year. And good riddance, say some!

With 13 classes off, Nor’easter quickly raised anchor, anticipating a fast race in the solid breeze. It is always a challenge to get to the finish line before the fast sleds, many of whom were planning right off the start line. But, there turned out to be no worries. The RC set mark Z in place 2 miles west off the finish line, hoping everyone would get some windward work in after the long reach to Block. We saw some of that for the early leaders, but mainly we saw the
Westerlies shift to Northerly, Northeasterly, Southerly for a bit, Nothing for another bit and finally, as the first boats were fetching the finish line from Z, a solid Easterly filled in from out of the new harbor and we had an upwind finish! Hey, if you don’t like the breeze direction, just wait a few minutes.

All was forecast by the Weather service provided by North Sails to the fleet as part of their sponsorship of Yacht Scoring...except for the Easterly!

Delta class Milago was first boat to finish covering the 21 miles in 2 hours 43 minutes.

The Viper 830 Suspect 2nd in 3 1⁄2 hours and then Spectre and Settler less than a minute apart, covering the long course in about 3 hours 23 minutes.

Wave Dancer was the first of the Group 2 boats to finish, covering the 18 miles in just 4 hours. Valkyrie in C-2 and the Nonsuch Mistral took the final nod from the RC as they covered their respective courses in just over 5 hours. Thankfully, our gracious host Henry Dupont IV has a well stocked food locker and plenty of cool drinks to keep the RC crew on task.

Friday’s rendezvous under the tent included the new era of scoring. Yacht Scoring made it’s debut and proved an unqualified success. Scores were posted by the time Nor’easter docked and the results were scrolled on a TV under the tent. The focus was on enjoying the party and reconnecting with old friends and new stories about the Block and her ever changing Saturday, the forecast predicted nasty weather late in the day and it was the RC intent to get around the island as quickly as possible. The wind was perfectly out of the south and we couldn’t have set it better if we had picked our direction. The fleet headed off upwind for the long beat down the West side of the island for a course of 4 B. It was my intent to keep it old school by allowing the fleet to play along the rocks if necessary, especially on the East side in case the Ebbing tide took effect late in the race. The ever present sea lawyers forced an amendment to the SI’s to keep the island to port rather than looping 4 and staying on the west side to loop B. We took care of that and off we go, 108 boats starting.

Once again, the Block took control and the breeze shut down, stalling some of the slower boats, including the Nonsuchs. Many of them couln’t get around 4 in the flooding
current. The wind continued to vary, with many able to enjoy a decent spinnaker run up the East side, but facing the ever changing current and wind shifts at 1BI. Even the boats who got around early, ran into major shifts during the final miles along the Northwest side of the island.

The Rich family took the first gun in Settler, changing sails twice in the last half mile.

They covered the 16 mile course in just over 3 1⁄2 hours. Direwolf and Spectre were a few minutes behind, followed by Suspect and Caliente finishing in just over 4 hours.

In the end, 81 boats finished, 26 boats retired and one had the time limit expire at 5 pm.

A long day for all and did I mentioned just when it was going flukey it rained and rained hard.

But, hey, we need the water. And where else would you rather be!

In summary, a good event from the Race Committee perspective, plenty of good stories and while conditions were rarely perfect, they were perfectly typical of an Off Soundings event where the wind never blows from the same direction consistently and you have to be smart and lucky and ready to enjoy being with your mates in trying moments. And the sun came out for the party!

I was pleased with Yacht Scoring. It worked as advertised and I know many of the racers were dialed in to it. We need to perfect the TV set up in the tent to have the results scrolling for all as part of the presentation. The North Sails giveaways went over big and I think we might remove our baby shoes and allow them more exposure under the tent. No one blinked that they were involved.

As I mentioned, the final results were posted shortly before Nor’easter hit the dock.

The weekend results with BOW were up immediately. The ECSA results without BOW were posted on YachtScoring by Tuesday evening. To date, there have been no scoring inquiries.

The results will be made final on Friday, June 24th just to allow any inquiries.

If anyone has any suggestions for the Fall Series and how we can improve our game, please pass them along.

Submitted 6/19/16

Greg Gilmartin

director@mystv.com.  

 

 

Dave Perry and Racing Ethics

 

The schedule for racing rules webinars is posted at the link below.

 

North Sails Webinars on Racing Rules

 

Fall 2015 Race Highlights

 

Changing conditions, challenging racing and a solid weekend of racing entertainment was held for nearly 100 boats and their crews.  There was even an impromptu diving contest in the 3 hour wait on the calm waters of Gardiner’s Bay Saturday.   In the end, two races were sailed and trophies were dispersed.

Friday’s race was a simple “2” – all classes rounding mark 2 to port at Plum Gut and to the finish.  The shortest distance in light air with a favorable current.  The breeze filled in late in the day allowing all but 7 boats to beat the time limit.

On Saturday, the fleet stayed in harbor for an extra hour with an onshore postponement.  Again, on the water a two hour delay before the breeze filled.  Conflicting forces saw an Easterly at the Start line, while the Southerly slowly moved in and a reaching start for the early classes turned into a solid weather leg by the time the last classes started.  Then it was Dead Down Wind to Orient Point, a port rounding and a beat to the finish.  

Patience, preparation and persistence paid off for the Race Committee and the racers appeared happy around the crocks during Mainbrace Splicing.  

Member Comments

"I wanted to thank you for a great couple of races.

The course on Friday was both prudent and challenging given the conditions. I truly enjoy some new race courses and configurations when participating in Offsoundings.

While I look forward to many of our historical traditions and races, some variety is refreshing, interesting and challenging. The timing of the race Saturday was skillfully managed with the postponement and your crystal ball was clear on the changing wind direction. It was a very good course and made for a very fun day of racing.

Thank you and your team."

 

The Club 

The Off Soundings race is composed of two series, one in the spring of each year, the other in the fall. The spring series is a two day regatta featuring a race from Watch Hill, RI to Block Island on day one and around Block Island on day two. The fall series is also a two day regatta featuring a race from New London, CT to Greenport, (LI) NY on day one and in Gardiners Bay on day two.

 

Spring 2015 Race Highlights

 

Video Highlights

The race committee, Greg Gilmartin and company, along with Henry DuPont's Nor'Easter, did an excellent job in conducting the races on both Friday and Saturday.  They deserve a lot of credit sheparding 13 classes and 118 boats. 

On Friday, the race committee had to deal with setting a course that could be sailed and completed in a light, shifty  southerly, a starting line length adjustment, a crowded finish (see the above video), and finally fog.  The course, start to 1BI and then to the channel entrance marker, 2BI, was shortened at 1BI. 

On Saturday, the committee was able to start two classes clockwise around the island and then had to postpone when the wind dropped to nothing.  The wind came back very suddenly and settled in from the southeast in the mid to high teens allowing the committee to continue to start the rest of the fleet.  After the start, the racers enjoyed an ideal day of racing, with near perfect conditions.  The tide, for a change, was favorable.  Most boats finished by mid afternoon.

The post race parties both days were well attended.  The results on Friday weren't available until about 8 pm due to late finishers and a crowded finish that required extra diligence on the part of the RC to ensure all were correctly  accounted for.  Nate Atwater and his entertainment committee did a great job managing the bar.  Seth Olsen, our youth liason, ensured that there were plenty of activities to occupy the younger sailors and awarded the Lockwood Trophy.  Paul Jennings, Rear Commodore and awards chairman, selected the trophies and helped distribute them to the winners.  Results were read by board members, many of them new to the process.  All did a commendable job.

Those who stayed at BIBB overnight on Saturday were greeted with a special treat.  Folk music, coming from Moonshine, filled the marina with excellent renditions of hits from the 60s and 70s.

On behalf of the flag officers, board of governors, committee chairs, and liases, I want to thank all who participated.  It was a great weekend of sailing and we hope to see all of you again in September.

Gerry Keeler - Commodore

 

Sea Scouts and Off Soundings

As many of you will recall we invited a contingent of local Sea Scouts to join us at the Charles W. Morgan Rendezvous last summer and they were incredibly grateful for the opportunity.  They are very interested in racing with us but don't have vessels suited to Off Soundings racing.  If you have an opening in your crew for the Spring Series, please consider bringing along one (or several) of these adventurous scouts as they would revel at the opportunity to come racing with our members.  This is a great way to make yourself eligible to compete for the Lockwood Trophy and to help foster the next generation of sailors and future Off Soundings members!  If you are interested please contact Seth Olson, the Off Soundings Youth Liaison, who is coordinating this with the Sea Scouts, he can be reached at 203-530-3705 or email Seth Olson

 

MORE NEWS

CLUB OVERVIEW

Eileen Ames Fund

In 2010, the estate of Eileen Ames donated the funds that were used to produce the 2012 OSC video, “Passion to Race”. Our goal is to keep the subject fund active and to replentish it so we can produce another video in the near future. In addition to your viewing enjoyment, these videos are an essential part of documenting the history of the Off Soundings fleet.

Read more about the Eileen Ames Fund and how to contribute

 

 

 

Club Out-Of-Office Message for Phones Lost Overboard

 

Ever lose your phone overboard? Here is the un-officially sanctioned voicemail message indicating to callers that it might be a while before you get back to them.

I've lost my cell phone overboard

 

 

 

  Overview

The Off Soundings Club is a yacht racing organization with a membership of approximately 500 experienced racing sailors. Most of the membership is based in Connecticut, Rhode Island, on Long Island, and elsewhere in southern New England and New York State. The club does not operate a shore facility, but concentrates on managing two high-quality weekend race series per year for its members and their invited guests. 

The historical records of the club are housed in the Blunt Library at Mystic Seaport Museum, which we consider to be our traditional home port.


The Off Soundings race is composed of two series, one in the spring of each year, the other in the fall. The spring series is a two day regatta featuring a race from Watch Hill, RI to Block Island on day one and around Block Island on day two. The fall series is also a two day regatta featuring a race from New London, CT to Greenport, (LI) NY on day one and in Gardiners Bay on day two.


The fleet normally consists of approximately 100 to 150 boats ranging in size from 24 to 60 feet. Boats usually race with handicaps, such as PHRF or NEMA, however, special classes, including Nonsuch, multihulls, and one-design will be considered.


Participation is limited to members and their guests. Guests need to be sponsored by a member. The rationale for members sponsoring guests is that it adds an additional level of safety for all participants as conditions are frequently challenging.

DYER DHOW DERBY

VIDEOS

Off Soundings at the Mystic Seaport Dyer Dhow Derby - Saturday, October 18, 2014

The Off Soundings Club was represented by Jay Spalding (Blue Moon) and his daughter, Lisa, and son, Evan, at the annual Dyer Dhow Derby hosted by the Mystic Seaport.

The Seaport has about fifty Dyer Dhows which are used for educating sailors.  The boats are donated by various individuals and organizations, one which has been provided by the Off Soundings Club.  The Seaport recognizes the donors every fall by inviting them to participate in a derby, which includes multiple races and a post-race party.

Watch the video of the windward mark rounding

The Spaldings were awarded 3rd overall. Evan Spalding was awarded 2nd in the junior division.

 
Visually experience racing in the 2012 Off Soundings series by watching this thirty minute video, 'Passion to Race'.

Off Soundings in Motion - 2016

Passion to Race Video

In the fall of 2009, the race from New London to Greenport on Friday was abandoned due to a powerful front that had developed that morning. However, boats still had to get to Greenport via Plum Gut so they could race in Gardiners Bay on Saturday. This two minute video was taken from a boat appropriately named ... 'Dark N' Stormy'.

Not for the Faint of Heart Video - Plum Gut Passage

The series conducted in 2008 represented the 75th anniversery of the club and featured two days of excellent racing conditions. These three minute videos are rated 'thumbs-up'!

 

Spring 2008 Video

Fall 2008 Video