Farr 400 test sailing with spin pole

We have tried something new with the Farr 400.  Adding a spinnaker pole for handicap racing under the ORCi rating system.  The idea was to be able to sail competitively in the range of 6-14 knots.  The 400, Sonnenkonig is sailing here on the first try in 8-9 knots of wind doing 7.75-8.6 knots at 158 true wind angle. We start racing today, Monday, June 24 in Punta Ala, Italy.  We will see how we go.  But at least in this condition it should be fast...

Stand by

Dee

Flying Jenny 7 Wins Second NYYC 158th Annual Regatta

FJ Sailing Team mastered the light airs off Newport RI during the 158th NYYC Annual Regatta.  We only got in two races over the two day regatta as the sea breeze was late to show each day.  On the first race, Jenny and Vesper went al the way out to the left side.  This allowed Interlodge to get over to the right and hit the big right shift to lead at the first mark.  Jenny forced Vesper over about 2 minutes fromt he layline, we continued to the just under the layling where we found a good shift back to the left and was able to get some back on the Interlodge.

Downwind the race was diecided as Interlodge gybed off to port and we continued in the lefty we had going into the mark.  When they came back we had more wind and a good shift.  It also helped that they cought their spinnaker on the mast and ripped it.  We slid on by to win the race, Interlodge second and Vesper third.

After waiting almost 3 hr on the ast day to get a race in the start was 30 minutes before the limit.  Vesper with their third figured that if they pushed us to third they would win on a count back tie.  So right off the start, Gavin started to match race us.  We did our best to hang tough to be second to Vesper at the top mark and closed in on the run.  Maybe they that made it easier for them to push us back and they did.  After about 15 tacks we round the last top mark 4th about 1 minute behind.  There was better breeze ont he right side going upwind and as the fleet ahead headed off to the right facing downwind, we gybed to port and sailed all the way to layline.  As we approached the finish it was apparent we passed everyone except Vesper but, we had the starboard advantage on them.  We finished overlapped and corrected on Sled by 13 seconds to get the second place we needed to win the regatta.

There is some great footage on YouTube at

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xSaY0ASEojE&feature=relmfu

Blue Class 2 - IRC 2 (IRC - 5 Boats)

1. Flying Jenny 7, IRC 52 52, David and Sandra Askew , Annapolis, MD, USA - 1, 2, ; 3

2. Vesper, TP 52 52, Jim Swartz , Park City, UT, USA - 3, 1, ; 4

3. Interlodge, IRC 52 52, Austin and Gwen Fragomen , Newport, RI, USA - 2, 4, ; 6

Leukemia Cup, Annapolis, 2012, Team Premier, Farr 400

All photos from Sandy Askew

Best day sailing in Annapolis, ever for me.  Great boat in the Farr 400, Team Premier.  Great crew with a bunch of locals, Dave Askew, owner of Flying Jenny 7, Ian Gordon and Emerson Smith from the Farr office, Matt Beck, our insurance man, Ted Haarland from Annapolis Rigging, Mike Beasley from Beasley Marine and one one transplant, Chris Hosking from Newport.  They all gave a hand for the cause of racing well  and raising money for cancer research.

The main goal here is to raise money.  We set about it sending mails out to the wild marine people and industry.  The reaction was very positive.  In Fact, Team Premier was the top fund raiser of the regatta, the big win.  A big thank you to all that did donate.  It is not too late to donate your share at http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/deesmithFarr400/lcr.

The racing was fun.  There were 3 races, all in a 10-20 knot Northwester, very shifty and puffy.  We had two good starts but one over the line early, but we did win each race against 2 Farr 40's and Stray Dog, GP 42.  The boat went really well upwind and down.

We sailed under PHRF and won each race by many minutes.  The races were all about 4.7 miles long, so there was a lot of action. 

This week it is off to Newport to sail Flying Jenny 7 in the Annual Regatta.

Dee

Support the Leukemia Cup with a Donation!

I am very pleased to announce that Dee Smith Yacht Racing and Team Premiere will be racing on the Farr 400, for this year's 20th Anniversary Leukemia Cup, in my home town of Annapolis, to be held over June 1-2, 2012. Dee Smith Yacht Racing and Team Premier are committed to raising more money and set higher goals for the 2012 Leukemia Cup.

As some of you already know, that in the past I have dedicated our sailing and fundraising efforts to an old friend Mark Rudiger, who lost his courageous battle to Lymphoma a few years back now.

This year I would like to dedicate the regatta and fundraising efforts to two, very dear sailing friends, Rob Moore and John Cook who lost their battles with cancer earlier this year.  Both guys were avid sailors.

Rob was a good mate, on and off the water and we had the pleasure of racing in many classes over the last decades in and around San Francisco, down the coast of Mexico, Hawaii, just to mention a few of our ocean going escapades.  His camera was never far from his side, and we all looked forward to reading his sailing expose's in Latitude 38 every month. On a personal level, loosing Rob to lung cancer, the same form as mine has been a hard pill to swallow this year. 

My other sea faring buddy John Cook, an English gentleman of the highest caliber, owner of the TP52, Christabella, lost his brave battle with stomach cancer only a few weeks ago in the UK. I am honored to say that I raced many seasons aboard the Christabella, and John was one of the first people to bring me back on board to race again after my recovery. 

They both had a real passion for our sport of sailing and will be truly missed on and off the water.

The Leukemia Cup continues to raise huge amounts of money, which is used to keep funding cancer research in the hope of a cure, and development of medicines and technology that will keep Stage 4 Cancer patients, such as myself alive. The success of this year’s cup is dependent on strong community support and corporate leaders. Dee Smith Yacht Racing and Team Premier are making significant contributions of time and resources as well, but we need your help in making the 20th anniversary Leukemia Cup the best ever.

Please help me help keep this science working....  

Go to this site to make a donation http://www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/deesmithFarr400/lcr

Yours in good health! Dee Smith  

Sponsored by:

Bert Jabin's Yacht Yard

www.bjyy.com

Caribbean Tour

I am getting plenty of sun being down for now over two weeks.  It started when I arrived in St Thomas with Joc just over two weeks ago to sail on the Farr 400 Blade in the 39th International Rolex Regatta.  We had a great time sailed ok to finish fourth.  I will be making a full report on this regatta in a Seahorse article.  I have never done this regatta, but it is now on my top 10 list and I plan to get back as many times as possible.

Then we cruised the whole 15 miles to Tortola for BVI Regattas.  There was no breeze the first day so we motored to the Bitter End on Virgin Gorda.  What a great place this is.  Again, I can’t believe we have not been there….

The first series were two races, one around VG and the other back to Nanny Cay, Tortola.  We were third in the race around and won the blast sail back averaging around 15 knots, our sister was second.  So much fun to sail the 400 in a breeze….  Speeds to 20, it was hard to see the other boats behind..  With the first place we won the top prize for the 2 race regatta. 

Then it was more of a battle in the 3 race series of 9 races with really good 5 boat fleet.  The races were very close, too much to tell right now, will report on the race side later.  But we sailed well, tied for 1st the first day, tied for 2nd the second day but ended up a close third.  Very competitive class

Now, in St Barths, sailing on Decision.  This is a new Carkeek 40 owned by Steve Murray.  They asked if I can help get the new boat up to speed.  It was an easy question to answer.  We start sailing today through Saturday. 

I will report more soon, I hope,,,,,

Farr 40 Oz Championships

What a way to end a great trip! It was wonderful to be in Sydney to help launch the First Farr 400 in Australia. During the week I was asked to join the Kokomo crew as a fill in Tactician for Michael Coxon, who blew his back out in the Etchell worlds the week before. The driver was going to be Neville Crichton, but while trying to lose some weight to get me in, blew his back out too. So the back of the boat was set only 2 days before the regatta. Ivan Wheen took over the helm just a few days after he was a member of the winning Etchell crew.