bamamick
09-24-2009, 07:29 PM
Most everyone here knows my passion for the Dragon class. The last two years have been rough on me as far as my racing 'career' goes, as last year my boat was shop-bound the whole time, and this year I wasn't able to travel with my boat to where there were other Dragons to race with. I WAS lucky enough to sail in three events here on Mobile Bay in Portsmouth Yardstick fleets of boats ranging from Prindle catamarans and my old 10 square metre canoe, to oldie-but-goodie PHRFers like the Merit 30, the Evelyn 32, and the Pearson Flyer.
Each time we raced this year I was lucky enough to have the same crew (a first for the Dragon programme going back to it's beginning several years ago): my longtime Star sailing buddy Bob, and my youngest daughter Chryssie, who is 21 years old and recently graduated from college (and sadly, moved to Texas and away from the Dragon, at least for awhile). Each time we sailed this year we were lucky enough to have 'Dragon weather': breezes above 10 knots, most of the time in the 15 knot range. We were also lucky enough to have courses with lots of upwind work where the Dragon just loves to lock in and go.
Our finishes this year were: 1st in class, 1st overall Portsmouth. 2nd in class. 1st in class, 1st overall Portsmouth. Not too bad for a boat designed in 1929 and built in 1963, with dacron sails and a wooden hull (the only wooden boat sailing in any of these races, by the way).
I do NOT post this to brag or to discuss how we did in any way. I only listed my finishes because I really want to encourage Portsmouth racing at the local club level. Here in the GYA region (Gulf Yachting Association, USSA area D) many of us have been trying to keep PY racing alive by sailing in every event we can and by talking up this kind of racing as a way of getting small-fleet boats or individuals out sailing again. The crying shame of one design fleets is that in so many cases they die out, leaving many owners no chance to get out there. In the case of your PHRF-type boat the situation is not so bad, but in the case of the guy with the Windmill, the Thistle, the Moore 20, the Star, there is really little option but storing or selling out and getting into something else (or some other kind of sport, which seems to be the case in a lot of situations).
I have a friend who raced a Flying Scot in the regatta last weekend (he was behind me in 2nd and 2nd overall), a long-time sailor and regatta PRO and RC veteran, who wants to host a 'some of a kind' regatta next year in Mobile. A take off on Yachting Magazine's wonderful 'One of a Kind' events, but not restricted to just one of each type of boat. There is a lot of support for this and I am hoping to represent the Dragon class in the event. I would love to see more people get involved in Portsmouth numbers racing. Get involved. Give it a chance. It is great fun competing against other sailors and seeing how your crew and your boat stack up against others of your kind, and every other kind out there :). Give it a chance if you haven't already, and let your local clubs know that you want to sail Portsmouth.
Thanks,
Mickey Lake
Each time we raced this year I was lucky enough to have the same crew (a first for the Dragon programme going back to it's beginning several years ago): my longtime Star sailing buddy Bob, and my youngest daughter Chryssie, who is 21 years old and recently graduated from college (and sadly, moved to Texas and away from the Dragon, at least for awhile). Each time we sailed this year we were lucky enough to have 'Dragon weather': breezes above 10 knots, most of the time in the 15 knot range. We were also lucky enough to have courses with lots of upwind work where the Dragon just loves to lock in and go.
Our finishes this year were: 1st in class, 1st overall Portsmouth. 2nd in class. 1st in class, 1st overall Portsmouth. Not too bad for a boat designed in 1929 and built in 1963, with dacron sails and a wooden hull (the only wooden boat sailing in any of these races, by the way).
I do NOT post this to brag or to discuss how we did in any way. I only listed my finishes because I really want to encourage Portsmouth racing at the local club level. Here in the GYA region (Gulf Yachting Association, USSA area D) many of us have been trying to keep PY racing alive by sailing in every event we can and by talking up this kind of racing as a way of getting small-fleet boats or individuals out sailing again. The crying shame of one design fleets is that in so many cases they die out, leaving many owners no chance to get out there. In the case of your PHRF-type boat the situation is not so bad, but in the case of the guy with the Windmill, the Thistle, the Moore 20, the Star, there is really little option but storing or selling out and getting into something else (or some other kind of sport, which seems to be the case in a lot of situations).
I have a friend who raced a Flying Scot in the regatta last weekend (he was behind me in 2nd and 2nd overall), a long-time sailor and regatta PRO and RC veteran, who wants to host a 'some of a kind' regatta next year in Mobile. A take off on Yachting Magazine's wonderful 'One of a Kind' events, but not restricted to just one of each type of boat. There is a lot of support for this and I am hoping to represent the Dragon class in the event. I would love to see more people get involved in Portsmouth numbers racing. Get involved. Give it a chance. It is great fun competing against other sailors and seeing how your crew and your boat stack up against others of your kind, and every other kind out there :). Give it a chance if you haven't already, and let your local clubs know that you want to sail Portsmouth.
Thanks,
Mickey Lake