2024 Race Results
2024 Saturday Races Series Two
Final Results:
To qualify for Series II a boat had to participate in 60% of the total 13 races held. Four of our club members' boats made that cut (eight races). If a boat exceeds that 60% threshold, the lowest scores are eliminated. So, as we've noted before, just showing up can help in many pursuits in life, and sailing is no different.
Bobbin' Along participated in every race this second series which helped boost their total points to 97 for the winning result. Congratulation to Jeff Lick and crew Rich Waldo on a successful season. Rob Casper claimed the second place in Shakit along with various supporting crew. And we were lucky to have both Geges Porges and Meredith Goff also make the cut, coming in third and fourth. All of those results demonstrate a commitment to the club, to sailing, and to having fun and sport on the water. We both congratulate and thank them all.
And thanks are due to everyone for making this a great racing season despite obstacles ranging from inhospitable winds, to whales, to lost buoys/marks
Individual Race Results
September 14, 2024
The last racing day of the season was Saturday and what a day it was! Ideal racing conditions with relatively calm water and steady north to northeasterly winds made for perhaps the best racing day of the entire season. Four racers competed in this final Series II event on three different courses chosen by the Committee Boat crew ranging from a short 1 mile to a final 2.3 mile course. While there were shifting positions along the way Bobbin’ Along finished the season strongly with two wins, and Selma Rose claimed the second slot with one win. Full results are here.
September 7, 2024
A quick look around the harbor shows a number of boats have already been pulled from the water. It signals the approaching end of the season. That includes Flyer’s rental fleet of Rhodes 19s, which some of our members have raced this season. Other members have moved their boat to a port closer to home.
But not so fast. Our racing season is still going strong until next week, September 14th. Three racers turned out on Saturday, right between two tropical storms that have been cruising up the east coast. That provided reasonable northerly winds at the start which faded away, then shifted to the south immediately after the second of two races.
Our plucky committee boat crew, ever on alert to the weather (and since all boats were on hand) started the first race quite early. There was a W3 course, followed by a shorter W2, both of which Selma Rose completed at the head of the pack. Congratulations to her crew for navigating those winds skillfully! And thanks to everyone for turning out! Full results are here.
August 31, 2024
A good day on the water with strong and steady winds, combined with a sailboat and a happy crew is better than - well just about anything. And luckily for five PYC racers that is exactly what we had on Saturday. Our dedicated committee boat crew put together a standard TL2 course (see below) in the cove using the Coast Guard white “can” as one of the three marks. A TL2 course begins with a triangle around three marks, followed by an out-and-back tack. It was such a good course that it was repeated for a second race. Congratulations to Bobbin’ Along for two wins, and thanks to all the boats for turning out on this great day. Full results are here.
While we’re passing around the thanks, let’s have some thanks for the crews that assist on every boat. Some are experienced, some out for their first sail, but all are critical components of making a boat operate smoothly and safely. Particularly in a race, where the captain may have their hands full with a mainsheet and tiller, the crew can keep their eyes on the other boats and traffic, the wind, looming lobster buoys, the jib sheets, the flags, countdown timers, and the course. Whew! You may have noticed that our captains are often looking for crew, so please don’t hesitate to volunteer and come out. It’s the best way to learn.
August 24, 2024
Light and variable winds were on deck for Saturday's single race. A short L2 course was chosen, but still took an hour for our four racers to complete. Congratulations to winning captain Jeff Haley who navigated the shifting winds skillfully.
Full results are here.
August 17, 2024
What a great day on the water! Some of the most ideal winds since, well, perhaps June. Four boats joined the club Committee Boat off the east end of the break wall for three races over three different courses. And the fun had just begun. A whale chose this moment to appear in the center of the race course and remained there for perhaps an hour. That brought a crush of whale watchers including the Dolphin whale watching vessel, the Flyers Long Point Shuttle, and various small craft. Our racers dodged boats, wake, and the occasional whale tail. Bobbin’ Along had the whale, at one point, only 20 feet off her bow.
Everyone raced superbly this fine afternoon, regularly clocking around 5 knots per hour speeds, and the results show close finishes all round. Congratulations! And of course special thanks to the crew of the Committee Boat.
Results are here.
August 11, 2024
The race was postponed to Sunday due to a Small Craft Advisory on Saturday. In contrast, patience was the watchword of the day, as shifting winds left our three racers in periods of near calm before picking up again. And woe to those who got left in a windless “hole” especially as one of those holes kept moving around the starting line.
But fresh southwesterly breezes filled in and brought life to the course over the two races. The first race started as TL3, but was shortened to TL2 once the boats got underway. The second was shortened still further using a L2 course. And while we always note that it is important to watch and know your signal flags, this week we’ll remind you how important it is to watch the water around you for the telltale signs of wind - where it is, and where it isn’t. A few extra tacks to stay in the wind paid off this week.
Congratulations to Bobbin’ Along for two wins in the first day of Series II. Complete are results are here.
2024 Saturday Races Series One
Final Results:
Individual Race Results
August 3, 2024
Lessons from a difficult day in the harbor. Be forewarned, this is going to be yet another tale of why knowing your flags and markers are a critical skill.
Five boats braved the brisk and gathering winds on Saturday. A triangular course was set around Coast Guard (CG) buoy #1, a yellow tetrahedron, and the PYC buoy “F”. But most of the boats didn’t know the difference between CG#1 and CG#2 (the “nun”, and the “can” respectively). So some boats turned at one buoy and some boats continued to the other. Due to the confusion, the race was abandoned.
For future reference, the nun refers to the rusty orange buoy with a tapered, cone-shaped top. The can is a cylinder with a flat top. In our harbor, it is white.
A second race was attempted but was again fouled by mis-understandings, this time related to flags. Many of us are used to relying on the courtesy horns to let us know when the race is starting. First a one minute warning that the countdown will begin in one minute. The a horn indicating the five minute countdown clock has started. Yet another horn blast at the four minute (i.e. 4 minutes till the start) mark allows everyone to synchronize their timers, and finally a starting horn at the beginning of the race. But there are problems with horns, and we encountered many of them on Saturday.
The increasing winds not only drowned out radio communication between boats but also the horns. Then one racer’s timer malfunctioned, another racer confused the one minute-to-countdown horn with the actual countdown-horn. Ah, but the flags displayed on the committee boat, if anyone had been paying attention, could have fixed all of those mis-communications.
Then there was a recall. But was it a individual boat recall, or a fleet recall? Again, the flags held the answer. All our racers have heard this from our Commodore many times, but we’ll repeat it here. Learn your flags. They are on the website. Horns can be confusing or inaudible. The flags are official, and they rule.
Lastly, some great news. A good samaritan found our lost racing buoy and notified the club! It was way out around the tip at Hatches Harbor and has been retrieved and reinstalled at a new location.
July 27, 2024
The Saturday Series continued with three races near the eastern side of the breakwater. With ESE winds, the on-the-water race committee set a windward/leeward course using our A and D cylinders and the committee boat/start line leeward of A. The first two races were L2, with the racers sailing to windward, rounding D, rounding A, rounding D and finishing. The third race was shorter, with the racers rounding D and then finishing. Bobbin’ Along, with Rich Waldo at the helm, took the first and third races. Skipper Rob Casper in Shakit won the second race.
Race results can be found here.
July 20, 2024
We finally were able to resume racing with fair winds for our Saturday race series. A 1.74 mile course was set in the cove using standard racing course W3. Three boats were lucky to be on hand for the first race, with newly minted racer Kevin Box sailing his cat boat Gratitude with experienced racer Kevin Grice on board (both Kevins are only in PTown for a short while). Meredith Goff and Sue Roderick were in a Flyer’s Rhodes for the day. Joel Shaw was in Selma Rose with his experienced crew of Ben and Frank. Gratitude won the first race and Selma Rose won the second.
Race result can be found here.
July 13, 2024
Canceled due to weather.
July 7, 2024 (postponed from July 6)
It's been a slow opening for the 2024 race season. After the first weekend was cancelled completely due to high winds and bad weather, the second weekend was deferred till Sunday. And while Sunday brought out four boats, it didn't bring along much wind. But the participation is the fun, and even in low winds there can be challenges. The first was some confusion among the racers about flags, so we have helpfully repeated the chart of flags used by the PYC at the bottom of the email sent to PYC members. It's also found on the "Resources for Racers" page of the website.
As for the race, we won't mention any names but the start of the race had one boat crossing the starting line too soon, another boat demonstrating flag confusion, and yet another playing tag with the committee boat.
Eventually everyone was on their way setting course for the yellow tetrahedron (#1). But the fickle winds were not to trusted, and just when you thought you could make that mark, well, there were more than a few captains who had to make unplanned tacks to get there. And in light winds some of those tacks took real time to accomplish. Those captains who did a better job of planning their tacks - looking at Sparkle Marie here - ran the course in far better time than the rest of the pack. As the clock ran on - nearly an hour for some to complete a 1.2 mile course - Summer Om wisely decided to make a run for her mooring. The winds continued to drop, and everyone needed a bit of engine power to get home on the flat water.
The race results can be found here.
The Provincetown Independent had a journalist on board the committee boat for this first race, and her take on the day can be found here.
June 29, 2024
Cancelled due to weather.
2024 Sunday Race Series
Final Results
TBD
Individual Race Results
August 18, 2024
Canceled due to lack of participation from larger boats.
August 4, 2024
Canceled due to Small Craft Advisory.
June 21, 2024
It was an unusual day to say the least. While winds seemed meager from shore, out on the water we had nearly perfect conditions. Boats were making 4-5 knots on the longer course set for our Sunday series designed for larger boats (but open to all boats). From the starting line to marker “A”, then to “B”, around G3, and return it was nearly a 5 mile course. Three boats crossed the starting line, but one unidentified boat after following along for a while, drifted off. That left Donna Turley in Welcome and Jeff Lick in Bobbin’ Along in the race for marker “B”. That was easier said than done, as marker “B” was nowhere to be found. (Please contact us if you find our lost buoy!). The boats circled the area, suffered about 15 minutes of negligible wind, then regained a lovely breeze back to G3 and to our various moorings. Needless to say, the race was abandoned due to the missing race mark, but we have a good story to tell and we had fun!
July 7, 2024
Cancelled due to lack of participation from larger boats. However we did run the Saturday Series postponed from the previous day. (See above)