A Love 4 Sailing

    Three races were held today in 8 to 12 knot NE breeze. Temperatures where in the low 70’s with 2 foot chop.

Race 7: We attempted to start at the weather end right at the race committee boat. Just before the start a GBR (British) boat attempted to squeeze in between us and the race committee boat. We had contact and it caused us both to be over the line. Fortunately, we had the right away, but we still had to return to the starting line and restart. This put us behind early as we tacked to go to the right side of the course. We tacked on the first shift and crossed over to the left side of the course. Hit the next shift, and caught up big time. This put us in fifth around the weather mark, not far behind the leaders. After a good downwind we rounded the leeward mark in second. Stuck with the race leader on the right side, as we both extended from the fleet. Next weather mark we rounded closely behind. Stayed on the leader’s tail downwind and rounded right on her stern at the last leeward mark. Played the left side of the next beat as the leader went right. With good speed and a small left wind shift we took a commanding lead as we crossed back towards the right side. We finished first by 20 boat lengths or so.

Race 8: We took the leeward end at the start, went for a short distance, tacked and crossed the fleet. We extended on every leg and won by minute and a half.

Race 9: We started at the leeward end again. Headed left and tacked on the first shift. We crossed all but one boat as we led towards the right side. Tacked back to the left and crossed the one remaining boat. Held on or extended on the next four legs and finished well ahead for another first.

This gave us a 1, 1, 1 for the day, much needed. We have moved into 3^rd place. Hopefully, if we can get in 2 or 3 final races tomorrow, we have a shot at winning. Send winning thoughts. Thanks everyone for your support. You are with us in every race.

Day 3 of the World Championships went better. Winds were 8-12 knots with plenty of chop. Race 4 went well. We took the leeward end and played the left. Rounded 1^st at weather mark and extended all race. After five legs we finished with a four minute lead. We were happy with our speed and the played the shifts well.

Race 5 we started a little late and played middle left. After a poor start we rounded 5^th at the weather mark. We jibed on the shifts down wind and took over first. At the leeward mark, we shrimped a kite. Once we got the spinnaker on board we were now in 5^th or 6^th. Played the next beat well, and rounded 3^rd. The race committee decided to shorten the course at the leeward mark. With good downwind speed we squeaked 2^nd.

Race 6, we started one boat up from the leeward end. There was a right hand shift, but we played the left well and rounded 4^th. On the next beat we moved up to 2^nd. After a so, so, downwind run we rounded in 3^rd. We moved into 2^nd halfway up the last beat but failed to see the left shift coming and ended up in 4^th.

Overall a good day with a 1, 2, 4. We moved into 5^th overall. I was frustrated with my lack of vision to see the left hand shift as the left seem to pay most of the day.

Winds are predicted to be light on Thursday. Friday winds are expected in the mid teens. With another good day or two we have the opportunity to reach the podium. Thanks to Maureen, Mike, Dan, Mary Kate our hosts the Ingrams, Mike, Delia, Lizzy and Roy. We look forward to getting 6 more races in. Our speed seems great. I just need to make some of the right calls. After tomorrow, we will have a better idea where we stand.

Thanks to all my supporters and we will be back in

First of all, I want to honor those who lost their lives six years ago.  Sometimes in life senseless things happen.

We achieved our first three races today with some good things happen, and quite a few bad things happen.  Winds were 5 to 10 knots from the WNW, air temperature around 70 degrees with periods of rain showers.  Race 1 started in the best breeze of the day around 10 knots; we took the leeward pin and headed left.  Waited for the first puff, tacked and had a great view of everyone to leeward of us.  Had 5 boat length lead at the weather mark only to increase this lead to 10 boatlengths at the leeward mark.  Extended to probably 30 to 40 boatlengths on the next weather leg.  On our last tack to the weather mark, the day seems to take a turn for the worst.  Our main halyard broke as the main started to fall down.  We rounded and hoisted the kite, sailed to the leeward mark losing half our lead.  As we rounded the leeward mark we knew it was going to be a battle just to finish the race.  Amazingly we held on to our lead for half the weather beat as the fleet closed in.  Unfortunately, the main just kept falling down.  However, we were able to hold on to 6^th place.  Quite a disappointment after having such a huge lead.

In between races, Mike Pinckney and Dan Tucker took Maureen and I out of the boat after hailing for help on the radio, the Coastguard came and helped Mike and Dan flip the boat so they could tie the halyard to the top of the mast.  Meanwhile one SKUD who was way behind was told by the race committee that they were deemed last place and to return to the starting area.  This left us with minimal time to make the mainsail repair.  Due to this I have applied for redress, because by the time we finished the repair and made to the starting line the next race had already started.  If the would have waited for the last place boat to finish the race we would have made it in time, and that is the reason for the redress protest.  Even though we started late, and most boats went left, we still ended up 11^th.  To compound the problem with the late start our spinnaker sheets ended up crossed during the main halyard repair and we could not hoist our spinnaker in race two.  I felt like I was having a nightmare.  Now race three we figured we would forget about the first two and have a great third race.  Staring towards the leeward end of the line a British boat would not head up from out leeward boat hail.  This caused us to be forced down the line slightly. Once the gun went off, we headed up only to catch our keel on the scope of the leeward end of the Race starting boat.  This caused us to slide into and get hooked on the leeward race committee boat.  It took us nearly a minute to untangle us, and then we had to do a 360.  By this time we were in deep in last place.  We caught a couple of boats by the first mark and the wind shifted 40 degrees left.  The next two legs became a “follow the leader” race because the race committee did not change the course.  We sit in 10^th place pending the redress hearing.  Tomorrow prediction is for heavy winds.  Rumor has it if it is 20 knots or more they won’t sail us. Due to our poor finishes on day two we need the races so we can get throwouts.  I look forward to racing the rest of the week  because I feel we should be winning.  Hopefully we will race tomorrow and things will work out better.  Send good thoughts.  Mary Kate says we should maybe for tomorrow rename the website  alovefor4BETTERsailing.com.

After five good days of practice we were to get started today in the Disabled World Championships.  The Skud class was to start at 1pm.  Due to wind speeds of 0 - 4 knots and left over chop from the stormy day before the Race Committee cancelled the day after 3 hours of bobbing around.  The 2.4’s and the Sonars each had 1 race.  A grreat way to follow the regatta is www.t2p.tv . Register and the click on the Disabled Worlds.  More to come tomorrow.�

Day 2 and 3 of the Clagett had more light winds with unpredictable shifts.  Unfortunately we were on the wrong side of most of them.  For some reason I had a tough couple of days.  I lacked energy and struggled with boat speed.  Both Maureen and I learned a lot which we will take  into the worlds next week.  I look forward to see how we stack up against the rest of the world.  We are on the right track and understand we will have to work for everything we want.  Although we may be the favorites there are no guarantees.  The game is just beginning.  We will find out who wins in October.  Thanks to everyone for all your support.�

After spending the last few days practicing and going through a US Sailing clinic hosted by five-time Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year winner Betsy Alison and rules expert Dave Perry the racing got started for the C. Thomas Clagett Jr. Memorial Regatta. 

Day 1 brought light, fluky winds from both the north and the south. Range was 4-7 knots.  Race one started a northerly 5 knots with downwind current and lots of weed.  We started at the weather end and tacked right to get current relief.  The rest of the fleet went left.  We unfortunately ran over a big kelp patch while crossing a current line.  We should have had a big lead but the weed held us back and we rounded third.  Due to light winds the course was just a windward-leeward.  We caught up to the Chinese downwind but just missed beating them at the finish. 

Race two went somewhat similar. We started well, lead at the first mark only to catch more weed at the weather mark.  We got caught and past downwind and rounded second.  On the next beat we were losing more ground so I decided to stop and back down to remove the weed.  Now nearly thirty boat lengths behind, we rounded the last weather mark still in second and caught all the way up to finish just a half a boat length behind first. 

Race three we had a poor start, tack to clear and tacked back to stay left.  Rounded weather mark in second, made the pass downwind, rounded leeward mark and protected the right where we saw more pressure.  Finished well ahead.  So we ended up with a 3, 2, 1.  Still in first by two points.  Thanks to Mike Pinckney, all my sponsors and my friends and family.  More to come this week.   

Maureen and I sailed the Marblehead NOOD out of Boston Yacht Club July 27 thru July 29.  Day one brought sunny skies with 7 – 13 knots of wind.  Race One was going very well around the first two marks where we wrapped our spinnaker sheet around the pole at the leeward mark.  We continued around the next weather mark and attempted to hoist the spinnaker, only to realize that once it is wrapped under the pole, it wont come out.  Therefore we sailed the last downwind with main and jib only.  Finishing the race in 2^nd place.  Our first race without a bullet. 

Race two went very well with a good start and good upwind speed.  We led at all marks and finished in first.

In race three we again started well and were leading halfway up the beat by 5 or 6 boat lengths where we suddenly became quite slow in a straight line.  We struggled the rest of the way up the first beat and ended up hitting the weather mark.   After a 360 we set the chute and continued to be rather slow downwind.   The next beat the boat and spinnaker bag filled up with so much water it was hard to explain.  We kept losing distance to the two leaders as I kept trying to make sail adjustments to figure out why we were going so slow.  Once we finished I came to the conclusion that we must have something on our keel and decided to do a back-down.  We found not only did have seaweed but more like a bush. The weed out here does not grow in a strand but more like a tumbleweed.  So after day one we found ourselves in 2^nd place with a 2, 1, 3, one point out of 1^st.  It was a frustrating day but there seemed to be a reason for our two bad finishes. 

Day two brought some interesting weather with us only completing one race.  We led from start to finish making sure we kept an eye out for weed. After the race a thunderstorm with heavy rain and lightning came very close to our course.  The race committee actually recommended we sail away from land in order to stay away from the severe weather.  After 1 ½ hour delay with the wind doing circles, the race committee informed us of another severe cell headed our direction.  They sent us in; we got to the dock, unrigged just before the lightning and downpour started.  It rained more over the next hour than it had inSouthern California all last year.   I always believed the weather on the east coast sucks, and now it was confirmed.  Hot, sticky, and raining in the middle of summer.  Then it’s cold and snowing in the winter. 

Day three brought 5 – 7 knots of wind as on the way out a British boat builder started taking pictures of our set up.  He seemed to be doing some research for the competition.  We again only had one race on day three due to lack of breeze and an early race cutoff. A lot of effort was put into having only one race.  Some say Marblehead—others say MarbleDead.

All in all things went well.  We won the regatta and made it out alive.  Maureen and I know we still need to improve but so far so good.  Thanks to all my supporters and I’ll see you back in Cali.

First regatta in the new class proves to be a good one. With only four boats competing and medium to heavy winds, Maureen and I dominated the Skud 18 class. The regatta took place at the same location as the upcoming trials and we took some time to train with the others US teams before the event. We seemed to have great speed both upwind and downwind. We still made many mistakes to learn from so we know we can only get better.

Day one was warm with winds in the 8-13 knot range. We were on the course with Vangaurd 15’s, Laser II’s, Sunfish, 420’s, and Jet 15’s. There were six races with windward-leeward coures. The biggest challange seem to be the currents. Big gains and losses can be made if you choose the proper side of the course. I need to learn some more local knowledge. We ended the day with six bullets.

Day two brought 15-22 knot winds with some good waves. Triangle couses were run. We attempted to tighten the rig but bottomed out on the uppers. This left us with a very loose rig for the conditions. Boat speed was down which open the door for the other competitors. Also in one race we hooked a lobster pot and dragged it for 30 seconds or so. We tried some port tack starts and played with sail set up but with the looserig it was difficult to gauge.

We ended up with ten first and one DNS due to a faulty jib halyard tie job.

I look forward to racing in Marlehead in two weeks. I wanted to thank Maureen for doing an excellent job. Thanks to all my supporters and it looks like were on the right track. Regatta results on the right. Regatta web site is www.sailnewport.org

Skud hull number 022 was christened on May 20th.  With over fifty supporters looking on, the new “ALS” (A Love 4 Sailing) was hoisted in to the water for the first time.  With the help of Chuch Simmons, Jaime Malm, Mike Martin and Howard Hamlin the boat was ready to sail.  I took out Chuck for the first ride in 5 knots.  Everything worked great.  Two other Balboa Yacht Club members Clarence Yoshikane and Greg Newman also went for rides.  I ended the day taking my wife Mary Kate for a short harbor criuse.  It felt great to be out on the water again.  I look forward to my upcoming training sessions and regattas.

I was asked two common questions at the service. One was “Who is your crew”? and the other was “When is your first  regatta”?

My teammate is Maureen McKinnon-Tucker from Marblehead, Mass.

Maureen was the first woman to ever qualify for the US Disabled Sailing Team, and has qualified 5 more times since.  She decided to try the SKUD 18, attracted by the class effort to bring parity to women sailors in the disabled realm.
Maureen brings a year of SKUD 18 experience. She was sailing the first SKUDs delivered in the entire world and was part of the team which finished first at the 2006 US Pre-Trials. Her goal remains to be the first woman to sail the Paralympics for the USA.

The first regatta is set for Newport, RI where the Paralympic trials will be held.  Dates are July 13-15.  Boat leaves for east coast around July 1st.  Until then Maureen and I have two week long practice sessions and the rest of the time I will be sailing with able body friends.

Thanks to all my supporters and helpers.  I couldn’t do this without you.

Nick Scandone to sail in the SKUD 18

Many have inquired about the new boat, my upcoming schedule, Hopefully this will answer some of your questions.

Why are you switching classes? I decided to switch classes so I can compete against other disabled sailors with similar disabilities. Most of the 2.4 sailors are classified “4” and above. I was the only sailor classified as a “1”. This switch allows me to compete on a more even playing field.

When is the new boat going to be ready? I hope to have the boat here in California sometime in early May. It is being built in Indonesia. I am still working on getting it shipped here.

Who can sail a SKUD? This Olympic class boat requires two persons. One must be a female. The skipper is required to be a FCS “1” (Functional Classification System) to which I was classified in Miami in 2007.

How much does a new boat cost? With extra sails, canting seats and trailer-somewhere around $30k+. I am in the process of selling my three 2.4 boats, which I hope to sell for $25k.

Have you selected a crew? Not yet, I am considering viable candidates still.

What can you tell me about the SKUD? It is 18ft, two-person, seated at center line with a main, jib, asymmetrical spinnaker and a bulb keel. To learn more go to: http://www.bethwaite.com

What is your upcoming schedule? If all goes well, receive the boat in May, practice May, June and July in Southern California. Then ship boat to east coast for a late July NOOD regatta in Marblehead, MA. Next is Newport, RI for the Clagett in late August. After that is Rochester, NY for the disabled Worlds in early to mid September. Then back to Newport, RI for Olympic Trials in early to mid October.

I would also like to thank all who participated and donated to the Valentine’s Benefit. It was a huge success. I don’t always get to thank all of your personally but can’t tell you enough how much this means to me. I know this will definitely help me get to China in 2008.

Looking forward to all of you seeing the new boat when it arrives and giving some test rides.