Once again I declare that this blog is not dead; it’s just “pining for the fjords.” I’ll see what I can do to at least publish a couple updates…
Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category
Red Herring Is Still Around
Posted by AJ Miceli on June 15, 2016
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48 Days to 2016 Splash
Posted by AJ Miceli on March 15, 2016
I know that I have not been updating the blog, and you might think it dead. This blog is not dead — it’s pining for the Fjords.
I finally updated the Countdown to Splash page. Hopefully I’ll be a more consistent, reliable and responsible blogger.
We’ll see…
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The Annual Day Lighthouse Race
Posted by AJ Miceli on May 30, 2014
Results: 8th
Crew: Mark, Rosemary, Andy
A beautiful, but light air, day. The start of the race was delayed by a half hour, waiting for a consistent 3 knots of breeze. We had a good start – we picked a nice spot and were at the line at the start. We got the chute up efficiently and were able to reach down the bay. When we hit the channel we were in touch with the fleet (a good place for us to be with our rating – in fact, if the race had ended at that point we would probably have won!).
At the channel the wind went behind us and we had to go deep. At that point we switched to wing-n-wing with the chute, and that did the trick. We were able to stay with the fleet through the channel for the first time in a long time. Mark thinks that this was our best running course through the channel in a long time. We were able to carry the wing-n-wing up to the first mark (G1).
We dropped the chute about a minute too early, but then we promptly sailed into a hole that lasted all the way to Gull Point. Everyone struggled in the same way. After Gull Point the new buoy (the upwind mark) was dead upwind and the winds continued light and shifty. The fast boats pulled away. At times we were sailing pretty fast, at other times we struggled. About halfway to the mark, the port tack was highly favored (of course we were on starboard at the time) so we sailed backwards for a little while, and that’s when we give up a reasonable amount of time.
We sailed on and finally rounded the mark (though I was a little closer to it than I wanted). We flew the chute again and headed to G1 – slow going but we sailed well enough. After we rounded Gull Point we saw that people seemed to be finishing instead of sailing the second upwind leg so we sailed on a decent reach for R2. And then the wind died a few hundred yards from R2 (Tigress was just sitting in the hole trying to find – and they didn’t actually finish). Those marks are almost always in a hole. That’s the area where there are several different land effects. We finally dropped the chute and finished on a close reach.
All-in-all, it was tough and slow sailing, but we finished and did our best.
A beautiful, but light air, day. The start of the race was delayed by a half hour, waiting for a consistent 3 knots of breeze. We had a good start – we picked a nice spot and were at the line at the start. We got the chute up efficiently and were able to reach down the bay. When we hit the channel we were in touch with the fleet (a good place for us to be with our rating – in fact, if the race had ended at that point we would probably have won!).
At the channel the wind went behind us and we had to go deep. At that point we switched to wing-n-wing with the chute, and that did the trick. We were able to stay with the fleet through the channel for the first time in a long time. Mark thinks that this was our best running course through the channel in a long time. We were able to carry the wing-n-wing up to the first mark (G1).
We dropped the chute about a minute too early, but then we promptly sailed into a hole that lasted all the way to Gull Point. Everyone struggled in the same way. After Gull Point the new buoy (the upwind mark) was dead upwind and the winds continued light and shifty. The fast boats pulled away. At times we were sailing pretty fast, at other times we struggled. About halfway to the mark, the port tack was highly favored (of course we were on starboard at the time) so we sailed backwards for a little while, and that’s when we give up a reasonable amount of time.
We sailed on and finally rounded the mark (though I was a little closer to it than I wanted). We flew the chute again and headed to G1 – slow going but we sailed well enough. After we rounded Gull Point we saw that people seemed to be finishing instead of sailing the second upwind leg so we sailed on a decent reach for R2. And then the wind died a few hundred yards from R2 (Tigress was just sitting in the hole trying to find – and they didn’t actually finish). Those marks are almost always in a hole. That’s the area where there are several different land effects. We finally dropped the chute and finished on a close reach.
All-in-all, it was tough and slow sailing, but we finished and did our best.
We also finished 4th in the Spinnaker B Fleet Overalls (mainly because we sailed all three races in the series).
Posted in Hunter 27X, Race Recaps, Results, Sailboat Racing, Uncategorized, Yacht Racing | Tagged: Hunter 27X, Race results, Sailboat Racing, Yacht Racing | Leave a Comment »
Splash 2014
Posted by AJ Miceli on May 7, 2014
Red Herring launched on schedule on May 5. First race tonight, May 7. Gentlemen, Hoist Your Sails!
Posted in Crew News and Activities, Hunter 27X, Lake Erie Sailing, Sailboat Racing, Uncategorized, Yacht Racing | Tagged: Hunter 27X, Lake Erie Sailing, Red Herring Pictures, Sailboat Racing, Yacht Racing | Leave a Comment »
Splash Countdown Started
Posted by AJ Miceli on December 30, 2013
This blog is NOT dead — it’s just “pining for the fjord.” (wink!)
I’m sorry that I stopped updated the results last July. Somehow life just gets in the way of responsible blogging.
In any case, I’m still alive; and Red Herring is covered, on the the hard for the winter.
I have updated the countdown timer to Splash for 2014. Click on the “Countdown” tab above to get to the countdown page and then click on the URL.
Posted in Crew News and Activities, Hunter 27X, Off-season, Uncategorized | Tagged: Crew, Hunter 27X, Off-season | Leave a Comment »
Spring Prep Begins
Posted by AJ Miceli on April 6, 2013
Well, it was supposed to be 50 today, so I went down to touch up the bottom where the cover straps wore off the VC17 and to wash the hull.
I got the touch up finished (see below) then I connected the hoses to wash the hull. No water yet!
Arrrgggh. We’ll have to wait for the washing. Oh, and it never got about 41 today. More to come.
Posted in Crew News and Activities, Hunter 27X, Off-season, Uncategorized | Tagged: Crew News, Hunter 27X, Lake Erie Sailing, Off-season, Red Herring Pictures | Leave a Comment »
2012 Sailboat Racing Season Ending
Posted by AJ Miceli on September 30, 2012
Today was the last day of the sailing season. I’ll update the schedule with the results and provide a couple more recaps over the next couple days. In the meantime, here are our winnings for this season. We placed in 3 series: a 2nd and 2 3rds. And we can really close in the Interclub series.
Overall, we sailed pretty well, the new spinnaker performed well, we had some fun (and, yes, there was some drinking of heart-healthy red wine along the way). Thanks to our crew: Kim, Judy, Mark, Rosemary, Andy, Chet, and various “rail meat.” 🙂
We placed in 3 series this season.
Posted in Crew News and Activities, Hunter 27X, Lake Erie Sailing, Results, Sailboat Racing, Uncategorized, Yacht Racing | Tagged: Hunter 27X, Lake Erie Sailing, Red Herring Pictures, Sailboat Racing, Yacht Racing | Leave a Comment »
2012 Schedule Updated
Posted by AJ Miceli on September 22, 2012
Those of you who regularly follow Red Herring’s seasons know that I fall down on the job of blog entries by the end of the season (and after school starts back up). So you’ll be happy to know that I intend to finish strong. 🙂 I just updated the 2012 Schedule page so you can see the results-to-date.
And, just to make up for the last month, here are a couple blips of how we have been doing.
The Night Lighthouse Race
We love this race. We were at the boat but the weather was foul. The race committee delayed the start for a half hour while we waited for better weather. The race started but without us. The winds at the start were 20+ and we decided that that was too much for a night race, especially with the prospect of six to eight footers on the lake. So we regretfully stayed home.
Bluff Bar Race
We love this race too: 63 miles round-trip to Canada and back in one day. But the weather didn’t look conducive for our boat for this. So Mark and I sailed on Double Diamond — a Beneteau First 35. We finished in 12 hours 10 minutes, and placed fourth. Too bad. I was hoping for some hardware for the skipper. Thanks to Tim Weibel for letting us ride.
Schuyler JAM Series
Race 1 was another very bad dying-air night. We struggled mightily to finish before the time ran out. (See the picture below for what it looked like near the start.) We made it, but we finished 10th of 12. On Race 2 the wind died before we rounded the first mark. No one finished — not even the A Fleet.
Eckerd Cup #1
Yet another no-air night. We motored out but the racing was abandoned by the race committee before the start. The race will be made-up before the Reverse Handicap Race in a week.
And A Good Picture
Finally, here’s a picture shortly after the start of Schuyler #1. Rosemary took the picture from Bayview. Note that we were already behind, but at least we were in a wind lane at the time!
The wind was light and dying even at the start. We’re already 6th, but at least we’re in a little wind line.
Posted in Hunter 27X, Pictures, Results, Sailboat Racing, Uncategorized, Yacht Racing | Tagged: Hunter 27X, Lake Erie Sailing, Red Herring Pictures, Sailboat Racing, Yacht Racing | Leave a Comment »
RCR Full Moon Series #1 Recap
Posted by AJ Miceli on August 9, 2012
Results: 6th
Crew: Rosemary, Kim, Mark, Andy, Judy
A light air triangle, WNW 3-6 kts. Had a decent start on a broad reach to Mark S. The wind wouldn’t stay dead behind us, so we poled the jib out to leeward and sailed a broad reach all of the way. Of course, Serendipity, KEYA and Smokin J were out ahead (by a lot) and we stayed at the “front of the back”. Had a good rounding and headed to Mark O on a beat-to-close-reach. We stayed high to limit the number of boats that were rolling us (due to the the reverse start). About halfway to the mark we had a brief, but nice, puff and were sailing at 4.5 to 5 knots for a couple minutes. With the right winds, constant trimming and a decent tactic of staying high we were able to stretch out on the boats behind but not able to close the gap with the boats ahead.
Immediately after rounding we sailed into a nasty hole and struggled for about 5 to 10 minutes. Finally we got into some consistent, but still light, air. We sailed the first part of the leg on starboard. A few hundred yards offshore we got headed so we tacked early, and it turned out be the right thing, Right after we tacked, there was a nice windshift to SW and we ended up pointing right at the finish. Once in a while we’re in the right place at the right time. So that was good, but of course it was balanced by quickly diminishing winds, so we all struggled to finish. But we made it, and we beat K-9, Good Vices and Lady Jane.
Overall, a beautiful night for sailing and we sailed well.
Oh, and one more thing: the Gannon Alumni office is circulating some “traveling knights.” They sent me one yesterday, so MC Gensheimer made him a little life jacket and he went racing with us. We took a couple pix before the start.
Victor E. Knight, Gannon’s traveling knight, went racing with us! He’s not very agile, but he kept the crew in line!
Posted in Hunter 27X, Lake Erie Sailing, Pictures, Race Recaps, Sailboat Racing, Uncategorized, Yacht Racing | Tagged: Hunter 27X, Lake Erie Sailing, Race results, Red Herring Pictures, Sailboat Racing, Yacht Racing | Leave a Comment »
Brief Recaps to Catch Up
Posted by AJ Miceli on July 18, 2012
While I was writing the long recaps for the Interclub, I let all the local races slip. So here are some brief recaps to get caught up:
- Blake Family Heatwave #2 of 3 Results: 2nd
- Light-air W/L 2x around. Got a good start and sailed well, upwind and down. Back from the Interclub we were still paying attention to trim and all the basics. A good race!
- Blake Family Heatwave #3 of 3 and Hertel & Brown Aquatherapy #1 of 3 Results: 5th and DNS
- Light-air W/L 2x around on the Lake in lumpy conditions. We sailed in the first race because we were in contention for a flag for the Blake series. It was a very light air day, we were late to the line and on the wrong side of the course on the first leg. So we were fifth,. But we finished the series in 3rd place — flag time.
- Did not do the second race of the day. It was hot and light wind, and the first race took almost two hours. We decided not to do the second race. Instead, we went over to Beach 11, anchored and had lunch! Not a terrible plan. Good sandwiches, wine and good friends.
- Urbaniak Brothers Summer Series #2 of 3 and #3 of 3 Results: 4th & 7th
- Race 1 got started late while we waited for some thunderstorms to pass by. W/L 2x around. After that we had about 12-15 kts of residual breeze. We had a good start, and we sailed well. We really profited by some problems in Infinity and NEWS — both of them sailed WAY past the leeward mark on the first leg with sail troubles. I didn’t see, but I think they had trouble getting the chute down. So we sailed the 3rd and 4th legs AHEAD of NEWS — an unheard-of experience. And, some bonus good news: our 3rd in race 1 of this series and our 4th in race 2 were good enough for 2nd place in the Gilmore Cup two-race series. I don’t know if there’s a flag for the Gilmore Cup — but we would like a red flag!
- Race 2 in 8-10 kts — not a good start and a couple chute issues. That about says it all: Last place. Some races the bear gets you… Ended the Urbaniak Series in 4th place.
All-in-all, thanks to our crew: Judy, Kim, Mark, Rosemary, Andy and Chet (all in different configurations for each race).
Now, on to the second half of the season!
Posted in Crew News and Activities, Lake Erie Sailing, Race Recaps, Results, Sailboat Racing, Uncategorized, Yacht Racing | Tagged: Hunter 27X, Lake Erie Sailing, Race results, Sailboat Racing, Yacht Racing | Leave a Comment »
Red Herring Sailing 