June 30, 2017
Weekly Series Update
We continue to have challenges with the weather on Wednesday nights, but so far, we’ve been able to run 9 races of 11 races. The Spring series will end on Wed June 28. On July 5, we will start the Summer Series.
Sunday races are still a challenge as we haven’t had any Sunday races since May 14. If you have any suggestions on how to make Sunday racing more appealing, I’d love to hear them.
Flying Scot Regatta Results
Our annual Flying Scot Regatta was a great success. We had 12 boats with 10 of the boats coming from out of town. We had perfect weather for a long north-south course. Rich Fox was the PRO and did an outstanding job. We managed to get 4 races in on Saturday. Competitors were treated to root beer floats after a hard day of racing, followed by a great BBQ dinner from Squealers.
Sunday’s weather was similar to Saturday. We got another 2 races in before calling it a day. Here are the race results. Congratulations to Chuck and Nancy Goff for sailing in their first Flying Scot Regatta.
| Skipper | Crew | Club | Total | Place |
| Tyler Andrews* | Cody McCoun | Deep Creek YC | 9 | 1 |
| Bruce Kitchen* | Lynn Kitchen | Cowan Lake SA | 22 | 2 |
| Andrew Fox* | Doug Fox | Birmingham YC | 23 | 3 |
| Frank Gerry* | Marianne Gerry | Clinton Lake SA | 27 | 4 |
| Bronson Bowling* | Rachel Bowling | Carlyle Lake SA | 32 | 5 |
| Ben Williams* | Tom Yeagle | Clinton Lake SA | 35 | 6 |
| Eric Bussell* | Perry Cameron | Clinton Lake SA | 37 | 7 |
| Ryan Malmgren* | Stacey Rieu | Ephraim YC | 48 | 8 |
| Eric Sutton* | Marshall Akers | Carlyle Lake SA | 52 | 9 |
| Geoff Endris | Tom Moore | Eagle Creek SC | 58 | 10 |
| John Casada* | Paul Dixon | Carlyle Lake SA | 64 | 11 |
| Chuck Goff | Bill Grant | Eagle Creek SC | 67 | 12 |
Next up: ECSC Regatta and Beach Party
The ECSC Regatta is scheduled for July 8-9 with the newly resurrected and highly acclaimed ECSC Beach Party scheduled for July 8. Bruce Berner is the PRO for the regatta and is looking for volunteers to help out on Race Committee. RC Volunteers get to attend the Beach Party for free and get this really nifty soft sided cooler in their choice of colors.
The beach party was a huge success last year with over 160 attending. Nick Mates promises to put on another great event this year. The meal will be catered by Stacked Pickle, with tunes from local band “Dwight Lightning and the Conch City All Stars.” It is sure to be a great event. Tickets are $10 per person, which pays for dinner, drinks and dancing. You can buy a commemorative T-shirt for $15. Folks it doesn’t get much cheaper than that. You will need to register and pay in advance just like the LobsterFest.
Go to this site to register. http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/15069. Registration fee for the regatta competitors is $70 and includes 2 full meal packages (2 breakfast, 2 lunch, 1 dinner). Extra meal packages for extra crew are available for $20 each. Event T-shirts are available for $15 each. Be sure to pre-order a shirt to make sure you get one in your size.
Non-racers should go to the same site, register as a non-competitor and purchase additional meal tickets ($10) or event T-shirts ($15).
Race Committee Boat Motor Update
On Friday June 23, we took possession of a new 30 HP Honda outboard motor and had our other Honda 30 HP outboard serviced. We will replace the damaged motor on the Aircraft Carrier and use the damaged motor for spare parts.
Race Committee Signup
We only have 1 race covered in the Summer series so far., so be sure to go to the RC Signup page to sign up for RC duty. http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084ca9ac22a4f58-2017June 6, 2017
Weekly Series Update
Well, we are two thirds through the spring series. Attendance has been kind of light due to the weather.We need more people to come out for Sunday afternoon racing.
Wednesday night races continue to be the most popular racing event. Our last race had 19 boats racing. That’s great participation. As of 5/31, Bill Grant is leading the Blue/White fleet and Bob Hickok is leading the Red fleet.
Rich Fox is now posting race results on the ECSC Facebook page. Results are also posted on the ECSC web site racing page and on the Regatta or Series web pages.
RC Duty Signup
We only have 4 weeks left in the Spring Series. Be sure to sign up for Race Committee to remove your "penalty points."
Go to the RC Signup page to sign up.
Mayor's Cup Results
Our annual Mayor’s Cup Regatta was a great success, despite the weather. Winds were out of the west, which made the course pretty short. Perry Cameron was the PRO and he set up for short sprint-type races to get as many in before the rain came or the winds died. We managed to get 6 races in on Saturday, followed by a great BBQ dinner from Squealers and hot tunes from local band “Top Shelf.” The band was awesome and had people dancing till 11:30. Sunday, the weather gods tricked us again by sending us winds out of the east. Again, Perry set up short courses and we got another 4 races in before calling it quits. Results for the regatta are:| Fleet | Boat | Skipper | Total Pts | Place |
| Blue/White | C-22 Sport | Fox | 13 | 1 |
| Blue/White | Seaward 26 | Conrad | 14 | 2 |
| Highlander | Highlander | Japiskee * | 7 | 1 |
| Highlander | Highlander | Hollingsworth * | 14 | 2 |
| Red | J-24 | Hubbard, J | 13 | 1 |
| Red | J-24 | Hickok | 25 | 2 |
| Red | J-24 | Onrejack * | 25 | 3 |
| Red | J-24 | McGinity * | 45 | 4 |
| Red | J-24 | Schulze | 47 | 5 |
| Red | J-24 | Rogers * | 55 |
Flying Scot Regatta update
Our next regatta is the annual Flying Scot regatta. This is the kickoff event for the Flying Scot Midwest Division traveling series. We already have 11 boats committed and expect at least 15 boats. Rich Fox is the PRO and has assembled a great Race Committee crew. We could use some volunteers to help with the shore-side activities – mainly breakfast and lunch. Contact Regatta Director: Geoff Endris.ECSC Regatta and Beach Party
The ECSC Regatta is scheduled for July 8-9 with the newly resurrected and highly acclaimed ECSC Beach Party scheduled for July 8. Bruce Berner is the
PRO for the regatta and is looking for volunteers to help out on Race Committee. RC Volunteers get to attend the Beach Party for free and get this really nifty soft sided cooler in their choice of colors.
The beach party was a huge success last year with over 160 attending. Nick Mates promises to put on another great event this year. The meal will be catered by Stacked Pickle, with tunes from local band “Dwight Lightning and the Conch City All Stars.” It is sure to be a great event. Tickets are $10 per person, which pays for dinner, drinks and dancing. Folks it doesn’t get much cheaper than that. You will need to register and pay in advance just like the LobsterFest. We will publish more information on how to register in the next couple of weeks.May 5, 2017
Weekly Series Update
The weather gods have not been kind to us. Between light winds and blow-outs, our racing season got off to a slow start this year. Hopefully the weather will settle down and we can get some races in.
Wednesday night races are starting at 6:50 pm this year to give everyone an extra 10 minutes to get from work. As usual, we end the day with burgers and dogs, so come on out and join us.
We need more people to come out for Sunday afternoon racing. We start at 2:00 pm, race 2 or 3 races and head back in for hot dogs and burgers around 4:30. It’s a great way to enjoy a Sunday afternoon. The sailing is more casual than the Wednesday evening crowd. This is perfect for those of you who want to try racing in a more relaxed atmosphere.
Rich Fox sends out race results for completed races and we will soon have interim results posted on the web site both on the main racing page and on the 2017 Racing Series page. Be sure to check weekly for updates.
RC Duty Signup Crisis
Our RC duty signups have been light. We currently have no one signed up for Sunday Race Committee this weekend or any weekend going forward. And we have no one signed up for Wednesday Race Committee after 5/20/17. We really need people to sign up and take their turn on RC duty. The alternative is for everyone to read up on “rabbit starts.”
Go to the RC Signup page to sign up.
Mayor's Cup Update
The Mayor’s Cup Regatta is just 3 weeks away on May 20-21. Come out for some great racing, great food, music and beverages. Remember that the Mayor’s Cup party is open to all club members. Just $10 buys you a great BBQ dinner, drinks and dancing. What a deal! Dinner will start at 6:00 on May 20. Race documents and the registration form are posted on our web site under the racing tab. To pre-register, download the registration form and send it in, or send an email to racing@ecsail.org with your boat name, skipper name, sail number and class. Registration is $50. Full meal packages for the weekend are $20 per person and T-shirts are $15. The meal package includes 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 1 dinner, plus drinks. We still need volunteers to help with the regatta. Geoff Endris will be the Principal Race Officer for the regatta and will be running the “on the water” activities. We need 3-4 more volunteers for his RC team including:
- Safety boat (2 people)
- Signaler (main RC boat)
- Registration table (Sat morning)
- Breakfast and lunch hosts (Sat and Sun)
Flying Scot Regatta update
June 10-11 is the ECSC Flying Scot Indy Regatta. We already have 10 out-of-town boats signed up and will probably have over 15 boats for the regatta. This is part of the Flying Scot Midwest District series with top sailors from around the Midwest coming. This is becoming our most popular regatta for out-of-towners. Tyler and Carrie Andrews will be coming back, so be sure to come out and say “hi.” The highlight of the regatta is the root beer floats on Saturday after racing. Race documents can be found on the web site. For you new Flying Scot owners, come out and meet fellow Scot racers. We have some out of town racers looking for local crew. If you want to crew on an experienced skipper’s boat, send Geoff an email at racing@ecsail.org. Rich Fox will be the Principal Race Officer. He needs volunteers to help run the race. If you are interested, please contact him directly or send an email to racing@ecsail.org. Again, all volunteers will get work credits and the aforementioned nifty soft-sided cooler. We could also use some volunteers to help with the shore-side activities – mainly breakfast and lunch.April 3, 2017
Racing Season is getting close
Racing season is upon us! We begin the season on Sunday April 9 at 2:00. Bob McCoun and Kenny Chapman are running the first race. We will run 3 races. Be sure to come out with your family for some friendly competition. Hot dogs and/or hamburgers will be served after the races. Our first Wednesday night race is April 12 at 6:50. Again, Bob and Kenny will be running the race. Speaking of running races, we have 26 racing events in the spring series. So far, we have just 8 days fully covered and 7 partially covered. Please sign up today for race committee duty. Next week, I will have to start assigning people to RC duty to get the days covered. Just go to the racing web page to sign up. http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084ca9ac22a4f58-2017 We should have all of the marks in the water by April 9. The new “Y” mark may not be done yet, but we will get it in the water as soon as possible.Need some work credits?
Looking for a fun way to earn some work credits? Why not volunteer to work Race Committee for one of our regattas? We need at least 6 people to run a well-organized race. This is a great way to watch a regatta up close. Volunteers will get valuable work credits, plus free meals all weekend. Plus a very special gift as a token of our appreciation. So please go to the racing web site listed above and sign up for one of the RC positions. No experience is necessary. We’ll show you what to do.We are all race ready now
We held our third and final “Race Ready” meeting on Wednesday March 22. We had a great crowd. Lots of questions and lots of discussion. We focused on rules for downwind sailing, rules at the leeward mark and rules at the finish. We also had a “class exercise” where we went to the parking lot and everyone tried to guess where the 3 boat-length circle was for their boat. Rick Graef and Larry Conrad got theirs exactly right. Everyone else was short – some as much as a boat length short. It was an illuminating experience.Mayor’s Cup is 8 weeks away
The Mayor’s Cup Regatta is just 8 weeks away. We need volunteers to make the regatta a smooth event. We need 5 people for RC duties including:- Principal Race Officer
- Signaler – handles the flags on the RC boat
- Safety boat - drives the safety boat
- Mark Setter – sets marks from the safety boat
March 3, 2017
Next Race Ready Meeting on March 22, 2017
We had great turnout for the first two Race Ready meetings. We had some great discussions around racing rules and race management. So far, we covered the rules at the start and at the windward mark. Our next and last Race Ready meeting will be on Wednesday March 22 from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Stonemill Consulting office building at 9247 N. Meridian. In our next meeting we will cover:- Rules when sailing downwind
- Rules at the Leeward mark
- Rules at the finish
- How to file a protest
US Sailing One Day Race Management Seminar on March 11, 2017
Eagle Creek Sailing Club is hosting a US Sailing One-Day Race Management Seminar (at Indianapolis Sailing Club) on Saturday, March 11, 2017 from 8:30 to 5:30. This seminar is intended for people who have some race committee experience, but newcomers are also welcome. Topics include RC objectives and responsibilities, regatta safety, writing sailing instructions, RC jobs, RC equipment, setting the course, starting system, starting penalties, before the start, during the race, finishing, and scoring. Following completion of the seminar, participants may take the test for US Sailing Club Race Officer certification. If you are new to racing, this is a great way to get a deeper understanding of how a race is run. Everyone who races in the ECSC Series events must take a turn at Race Committee duty. Here is a great way to learn how to run a race from the pros. The cost is only $45. ECSC will reimburse the first 10 who sign up. If you want to be reimbursed, you must first sign up and pay online at the link below. Then send me an email so I can keep count. To register, visit this link: http://www1.ussailing.org/enrollment/selectregistrant.aspx?courseid=13222965Racing Calendar is Set
We have moved the ECSC Championship Regatta event from September 30 to October 7 to allow our J24 sailors to compete in the ISC J24 regatta on September 30. The racing calendar is now set. All events have been posted to the ECSC web site calendar. You can also see the calendar by going to the Racing page. We are now starting to get all of the Racing NORs, and Sis posted to the site. Check the racing site periodically. Our first Sunday afternoon race will be on April 9th. Warning signal will be at 2:30 pm. Racing should be finished by 4:30 or 5:00 followed by hot dogs and hamburgers at the RC shed. Our first Wednesday evening race will be on April 12th. Warning signal at 6:50 pm.Calling all Volunteers
We still need people to volunteer to help out at our main regattas. If you are interested in getting some valuable work credits, please consider volunteering on Race Committee. It’s a great way to see the racing up close, spend a nice day on the water and get a great meal. We need about 6 people per regatta. Contact Geoff Endris for more information.February 1, 2017
January Race Meeting a Huge Success!
My thanks to all who attended the first Race Ready meeting on January 25. We had about 30 members attend. We covered some of the changes we are making to the racing program this year. It was great to see such a huge turnout and we had a lot of great discussions.New Permanent Racing Mark
The biggest change for 2017 will be the addition of a new permanent racing mark. We are going to move permanent mark #2 to a new location due west
of mark #5 and will be adding a new permanent mark #Y directly north of mark #X and slightly northeast of where mark #2 used to be. Click HERE to see a diagram of the new mark locations.
This will let us set up more race courses using just the permanent marks in just about any wind. It will also allow us to set up both windward-leeward courses (for red and green fleets) and triangle courses (for blue and white fleets) from the same RC boat position. Hopefully, this will make Race Committee duty easier.
RC Duty Signup
Speaking of Race Committee duty, ECSC members who participate in the Wednesday and Sunday racing series are expected to sign up for one of the two RC duty slots for each series they are participating in. If you typically only race in the Wed series, then you will need to sign up for RC duty 3 times – once for spring, summer and twilight series. Likewise, for the two Sunday Series. If you don’t sign up, then you will be assigned a day for RC duty. So, if you want to choose your RC week instead of having it chosen for you, please go to the signup site and register – CLICK HERE.
We need Volunteers – You need work credits. Can we work something out?
Note: you do not get work credits for this RC duty – it is just expected as part of competing in the racing series. Club regattas are a different matter. Because of the time commitment, we do give club work credits for serving on Race Committee in any of our 6 regattas. We have several positions to fill for each regatta including:- Principal Race Officer – in charge of on-the-water activities, watches the start/finish lines
- Recorder – records the positions of boats at the start and finish
- Timer – announces the time remaining to start and the times of boats as they finish
- Signals/Flags – raises/lower flags & sounds horn to signal starts, finishes and penalties
- Safety Boat/Mark Set – Sets temporary marks, monitors pin-end of start line, monitors mark roundings, assists boats in distress
- Safety Boat / Mark Set #2 – Assists on Safety Boat
- Regatta coordinator – in charge of overall regatta, coordinates shore-side activities (event check-in, trailer storage, food & entertainment)
| Dates | Regatta | Comments |
| 5/20-5/21 | Mayor’s Cup | Regatta, catering, band or DJ |
| 6/10-6/11 | Flying Scot | Regatta, catering, no band |
| 7/8-7/9 | ECSC regatta | Regatta, beach party |
| 9/16-9/17 | Governor’s Cup | Regatta, catering, band/DJ |
| 9/30/17 | ECSC Championship | Regatta only |
| 10/14-10/15 | Hornback regatta | Regatta only |
- RC food pickup: Make a weekly run to Gordon Food Service to make sure there is enough food for Wednesday and Sunday post-race cookouts.
One-Day Race Management Seminar March 11, 2017
On March 11, 2017, ECSC and ISC will host a one day seminar on Race Management. Our instructor will be Steve Harris. Steve is the US Sailing Area Race Officer for our area. Students will receive expert instructions and best practice tips for running a club-level race. The cost is $45. This includes course materials and lunch. If you are in the racing program and are unsure how to run a race, or if you are not in the racing program and want to get some work credits working the Race Committee crew, or if you are a little rusty in running races, you should sign up. As an added incentive, I will reimburse up to 10 people who sign up and attend the seminar. Please click HERE to see a brochure for the event. Click HERE to go to the US Sailing web site to register. Just scroll down to the March 11 event at ISC and register.Come out for the Social Side of Racing
Over the past couple of years, we have been trying to merge the racing program with our social program and have our racing events double as social events. Non-racers are invited to come out for the dinner and party. The cost is $10 per person to cover the cost of the meal. It's a great way to enjoy your club even more.Next Race Ready Meeting
Our next Race Ready meeting will be held on February 22, 2017. During that meeting we will cover:- Rules changes for 2017
- Rules at the start
- Rules for windward legs
- Rules at the windward mark
January 9, 2017
We have a great racing program planned for 2017. Lots of racing. Lots of hot dogs and hamburgers! As in the past, all club members are welcome to attend the regatta parties at the Mayor's Cup, Governor's Cup and ECSC regattas. Your $10 ticket gets you food, beverage, music and dancing. I am new to booking entertainment for these events, so if you know of a good band or DJ, send an email to the racing contact and I'll take it from there.
Race Ready Meeting #1
Mark your calendar for Wednesday January 25, 2017. That will be our first “Race Ready” meeting for all those who are interested racing this year. The meeting will be held from 6:30 to 8:30. We will have pizza and sodas for those who attend. The
location isn’t set yet, but we will send out an email blast to the newsletter distribution list in a week or so once we get the room locked down.
We have 4 topics on the agenda for the meeting:
- Registration and PHRF discussion
- Race Committee sign up
- 2017 Racing Calendar
- Review of the ECSC RC Handbook
North U Tactics and Rule Seminar at ISC
On Saturday January 28, 2017, Indianapolis Sailing Club will host the North U Rules and Tactics Seminar. Check in is at 8:30. The seminar runs from 9:00 to 4:30. Andrew Kerr will be the instructor. The cost is $95, which includes a copy of Dave Perry's North U Racing Rules and Tactics workbook. This is a good seminar if you are a little rusty on the rules or want to sharpen your racing tactics. Click HERE for a link to the seminar flyer.
PHRF Ratings
We have several races that are scored based on PHRF rating, so it is very important that we have an updated PHRF rating for all racers. This applies to virtually all of the Wednesday and Sunday series racing. In order to be scored properly, make sure we have an updated PHRF registration form on file for your boat. If we don’t have an up-to-date form, we will assign you the base rating for your boat with no adjustments. This is the absolute worst rating you can receive. For your convenience, you have 3 ways to review and/or register your boat’s PHRF rating:
- You will receive a race registration form in your membership packet. If your boat has a PHRF form on file, you will be able to verify the information on the form. If you receive a blank form and are racing, simply fill it out and mail it back with your dues payment.
- Come to any of the Race Ready meetings and fill out the form at the meeting.
- Get a blank form at the RC Shed and leave it in the marked folder.
Race Committee Signup
Volunteering for Race Committee is part of every racer’s responsibility. If everyone serves just one time per series, we will have a smooth sailing season. The Sign-up Genius web site has been updated with all of the sailing events for the 2017 season.
Congratulations to Bob McCoun for being first to sign up for RC duty. There are 12 racing days in the Wednesday Spring series and 2 slots, so we need just 24 skippers to sign up. There are only 10 Sunday Spring races, so we only need 20 skippers to sign up. If everyone takes a slot, we can get them all filled. If you want to get your choice of days, sign up early. Note that on March 31, if we have any open slots for the two Spring Series, I will have to start assigning people who have not yet signed up. Sign up for RC duty by clicking here.
2017 Racing Calendar
We are making a couple of changes to the sailing calendar. Our goal is to reward participation, yet recognize individual champions.
- Wednesday Night series start time will change.
- Fleet Champions will not be part of the Sunday series.
- We are adding a Club Championship 1-day regatta to crown the best skipper and the fleet champions.
- The Boat of the Year selection is being changed slightly.
Race Committee education
On March 11, 2017 ECSC and ISC are sponsoring a one-day Club Race Officer seminar at the ISC clubhouse. This is a great one-day event that will give you a great foundation on how to run a proper sailboat race. The seminar will cover all aspects of running a race from setting up the course, to starting and finishing boats, to changing and shortening the course. The cost is only $45 and that includes continental breakfast and lunch. It’s a great way to get into sailing mode for the upcoming season. Go to the US Sailing web site to register.
Scroll down to the ECSC seminar and register online.
I am updating the Race Committee Handbook to provide more “on the water” guidance and reference to those running races. This will also be covered at the Race Ready #1 meeting.
Geoff Endris,
Racing Chair