Another Great Presentation: ESSA General Meeting, April 6, 2024, 12:00 pm, CYC

 ESSA Members,

Please join us on Saturday, April 6!

Looking forward to seeing you there!

Bring a spouse or friend!

Liz Principe

Commodore

ESSASAILING1@GMAIL.COM 

Useful Links for ESSA Sailors

 Useful Links:

www.essasailing.org

https://www.offshoreracingrule.org/orr-ez

ESSA Choptank Race Results for 2023

ESSA Tangier Race Results for 2023

NOAA Cambridge Station CAMM2

Weather Bug Lightning Map     Get the phone app

Sailwave Wind Forecast Cambridge (Eaton Point) 

NOAA Chart of the Choptank

PHRF of the Chesapeake- Valid List

Cambridge Yacht Club

Cambridge Municipal Dock

ESSA Sailing News and Race Results Statistics of use.

869 posts, First post: October 20, 2016

All Time:111,125 page views

Pageviews in March 2471

DON'T MISS THIS! General Meeting, Saturday, March 16, 2024, 12:00, La Tolteca, Salibury

 SPEAKER: Dr. Bradley Stevens

"The Discovery of the Russian Ship Kad’yak"

 

Dr. Bradley Stevens is Professor Emeritus of Marine Science from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore. He learned to sail and repair a series of “almost free” boats including a Catalina 22 and a Tanzer 26. His retirement boat bucks are now rapidly disappearing into a recently acquired Catalina 36. Prior to washing ashore in Salisbury, he worked in Alaska for 22 years, during which he discovered the 1860 wreck of the three-masted Russian ship Kad’yak. He published the Kad’yak story in a book, “The Ship, the Saint, and the Sailor; the Long Search for the Legendary Kad’yak”, and in 2022 helped make a video about it for National Geographic. He currently publishes environmental science articles under the title “Ecologist At Large” on Substack.com. 

https://substack.com/@ecologistatlarge

 

Brad has been a member of ESSA since 2010. The ESSA bridge is delighted to have someone of his experience and accomplishment  among us. His presentation should certainly engage all in attendance. 

ESSA General Meeting

SATURDAY, March 16th at 12:00 PM

La Tolteca Restaurant on Rt. 50 & Truitt St. in Salisbury.

110 Truitt St, Salisbury, MD 21804

https://www.latoltecamd.com/salisburymenu

Fair Winds, 

ESSA Bridge

~~~ ~~ ~/) ~~ ~~~  ~ ~~ ~/) ~~ ~~~  ~

~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~ ~~/) ~ ~~ ~~~ ~ ~~ ~~

ESSA upcoming Events

Commodore:  Liz Principe 

Vice Commodore: Curt Weist

Secretary:  George Breig

Treasurer:  Mike Stewart

Choptank Captain: George Breig essasailing38@gmail.com

Tangier Captain:  Barry Hall

Meetings and Events 2024

ALL DATES SUBJECT TO CHANGE

·        General Meeting- Saturday, April 6 13, 12:00 PM, CYC, Cambridge

·         Choptank Fleet Meeting – Wednesday, April 3, April 24, 6 PM -Cambridge Yacht Club

·         Tangier Fleet Meeting – Saturday, April 13 6, noon Barry’s Place

·         Bridge Meetings- Location:  Salisbury, Cambridge & ZOOM

o    Mondays or as needed.

o    February 12, 6:00 PM, 361 Tilghman Road. Salisbury 21804

o    March 11, 6:00 PM Robbins- Adams, 126 Market Square, Cambridge, MD 21613

o    April 15, 6:00 PM, TBD

o   May 13, 6:00 PM

o   June 10, 6:00 PM

o   September 16, 6:00 PM

o   October 14, 6:00 PM

Almost anyone can win

 Getting Lucky on the Choptank.  By George Breig, Photo By Tim Fuhrman

The wind was a pleasant 8 knots blowing from the northwest which was typical for ESSA Wednesday Night races. A short 1.8 mile upwind-down wind course was assigned by the committee boat. The weather mark was NW.

"Tango 22” is a Tanzer 22 with a PHRF of 240, the highest rating of the ESSA Choptank Fleet. My crew and I had no special expectations. On a good night, we hoped to pass our rivals and enjoy the boat ride.

On a starboard tack, the spinnaker fleet sailed close-hauled to the west toward the Cambridge side of the river. Seven minutes later, the non-spinnaker fleet followed. They also headed west.  As always Serena was on the tiller. Mike and I managed the sails. After we cleared the starting line, we headed north on a port tack to shallow water to avoid the half-knot current in the middle of the river. That seemed to be a good theory.

Halfway to the weather mark, we tacked. Then came the history changing moment. Several minutes later we were blessed with a 40-degree wind shift which sent us directly to the mark. Wow! With a half-mile to go, the boats on the west side were pushed north, well behind us. We had the big lift. They had the big header. After we turned at the mark, our sails were set to a broad reach. One-by-one, the spinnaker fleet with their kites flying, passed us. Several shouted, “What are you doing here?“ We smiled and shrugged. Somehow Tango 22 finished 6 seconds ahead of the last spin boat. The non-spin fleet was just turning at the weather mark. We couldn’t believe our luck. How does a boat with a PHRF of 240 win against boats with ratings of 138, 162, & 178. Just call it “getting lucky”. By the way, it never happened again. Being lucky is often better than being good. Being good and lucky is even better.

Winning without help from PHRF