Howdy from Bob Duff July 5, 2008- - - - - - - - - - - - -
In thinking about International One Design yachts for today, I delved into history and came up with this racing picture of my first IOD in San Francisco. It was printed by the The San Franciso Examiner-Hearst Newspaper on May 18, 1959. Click on it for an expanded view.
Out there we call IODs ICs which matches the familiar class ID on sails. Bermuda calls them simply,One Designs. They are truly magnificent! In SF every IC was required to carry an outboard engine with an installed access well for it in the cockpit. Also required was a head just aft of the mast step with through-hull outlets. They were one-design! Some wag explained that if you used the IC head, it might be classified as an ICBM. I never did.
This day Earnie Brown (SFYC) and I with crew on IC #80 FLIRT were running under chute to win in a fairly big IC fleet. The "wonderful" Hearst race committee had established a starting line right off of the Saint Francis Yacht Club on the city front.
Unfortunately, they decided to use that same starting line for all finishes. 281 yachts were racing that day on that absurd course. As we were finishing, dozens of starboard tack STARS were starting coming at us on OUR finish line. It was great for thousands of spectators reported at the club and on the shore line parks. As seen in the photo, it was not so great for us racers and especially for IC #80. We had to turn 180 degrees from our normal finish course with no opportunity to manage the chute. That is not really what you want to do in a yacht race. Thus began my long and happy career with IODs, ICs, One Designs or whatever they may be called all over the western world!
My good friend and photographer Jim Ayer (EYC-RC) headed off for family things this week end and left me without any more recent picture of my beloved International One Design yachts. No offence intended for those super Etchells here today, but nothing, absolutely nothing, is as sleek and beautiful as an IOD. TANGO #16, of course, is my most favorite
Both classes were here today for racing on the MIDWAY line. This is really "The Outer Line"! My last will and testament directs survivors to sprinkle my ashes on "The Outer Line" where I had so much fun with IODs. I refuse to change that will. They had better remember where the Outer Line was! It was fairly close to where the MIDWAY line is now.
Eight Etchells and eleven IODs turned out today for the first races of day #1 of the 3rd MRA series. The weather did not cooperate! Light winds delayed all starts for about 45 minutes. Even then, some starters were struggling in 10 or 15 minutes after the IOD starts.
The eight Etchells started at 12:52 for course pattern C, distance 1.0 nautical miles at 130 degrees and less than 6 knots velocity for what turned out to be their only race. First was Hannah and Gregory Hefler in #1105 CHEMICAL. Second was Don Miller and Bill Douglas in #63 VALKYRIE. Third was Stephen Gaynor in #846 JEWEL. We flew "N" over "A" for Etchells and sent them home. There was no prospect for another race in the dieing breeze.
Eleven IODs started at 13:00 with the same wind and course as Etchells. Victory for Timothy Dittrich in SAGACIOUS #51 was a squeaker leaving Peter Stahle third in #76 SPIRIT. Peter had led the whole day until the last few seconds when Timothy and Bruce Dyson at second with Norm Cressy in #7 GYPSY teamed up with fluky winds to deprive Peter of victory. Peter had a beautiful port tack start and led almost all day. We flew "N" over "A" for the IODs to announce no second race.
To see what has gone on so far this summer in both fleets click:
That hyperlink looks scary, but it works in my tests. Posting is done by Jim Whipple(CYC) and Anne Coulombre(BYC) for the MRA web site. That site provides beautiful data for yacht racers. Today's races will be posted in a day or so- - - - -. I am not familiar with the entire schedule. Just keep this report handy and come back at your leisure to see it all. Adding my stuff to your "favorites" on your Internet explorer gives you a simple two click or so access. No problem.
If you would like to see the IOD web site that needs work, click:
http://www.marbleheadiod.com/
Some of the data there is wrong and stories are obsolete. IOD identification is SAIL #s not HULL #s as shown. Neither numbering system has much significance anymore. Example, Peter Stahle's (CYC) # 76 SPIRIT came here from the Northeast Harbor's 1939 fleet as either #6 or #7. There was a conflict. We had 26 IODs at one point. Knox Robins (CYC then) added one number to her sails yielding #76 and inspiring the SPIRIT name. I would be surprised if any IOD in Marblehead has a brass plate showing hull number.
TANGO #16 is Glass not Wood as listed. Thornton Clark (formerly EYC) and I converted her 1936 Wood to Glass in 1976 for the IOD '76 Worlds Championship. For a short time we carried #108 which signified the 8th glass hull made. Todd Sparling's #107 CITIUS was formed new in glass just before #108 (#16).
ELECTRA #2 was also converted to Glass by Steve Wales (EYC) who elected to keep her old 1936 Long Island #2. The site lists her correctly.
Thornton and I decided eventually to revert back to #16. Code flag "T" is TANGO which stands for transportation, "do not cross before me" and of course, Thornton.
POMPANO #45 and SAGACIOUS #51 are original Wood 1939 Marblehead boats. The table is okay on them. Ask former commodore Jon Wales or Ted Cook of EYC for some of their IOD memories. I have a few myself. POMPANO #45 was known as DRUMMER BOY when owned by Jud's Olympic Gold Medal winner father Dave Smith (EYC). She is back to her original name when owned by some famous sailors way back and Joanie Thayer's (CYC) parents.
SAGACIOUS #51 was my first Marblehead IOD owned by Carlie Needham (CYC). Her name then was SAGA which Ted Cook (EYC) has kept for his newer glass SAGA #151. He declines to even put new SAGA back in the water.
My first IOD was FLIRT #80 pictured above. I raced with Ernie Brown (SFYC) out there on SF Bay. I had left 22 Square Meter sailing for a time at Chicago Yacht club in the late 50s when I entered the nuclear weapons business with U of C. I have raced back there many times in invitational events including with past EYC commodore Jon Wales and Carol in the 1969 Worlds Championship. EYC rear commodore Phil Smith and Ren Greenlaw (EYC) were the other crew with us. We did not win! My former wife Debbie crewed there with wonderful Russ Cohn (CYC). They did not win either. I remember that a Bert Damner of some club in S.F. won that year and he has not been heard from since.
For a look at the recent Etchells 2008 Worlds Championship click:
I knew that our Jud Smith(EYC) was in the hunt there at my old Chicago Yacht Club - Belmont Station. The Belmont Harbor picture displays major changes since I raced there in 22 Square Meter yachts 40 years ago.
Well, Judson Smith (EYC), Henry Frazer & James Porter were third in USA102 from ORIENTAL. Bill Hardesty, Erik Shampain, Steve Hunt & Jennifer Wilson in USA979 from San Diego won it all in a fleet of 83! Somebody ask Jud to explain that ORIENTAL thing and how he wiggles up there ahead of all those others. He may say Doyle Sails designed by Jud Smith. I think much of his success stems from early training by his father Dave in IODs and Frostbites and at Pleon!
The EYC Communications Committee posted the RC Assignments 2005 spreadsheet on July 2nd. It is really for 2008 and shows the colorful schedule for most events this summer.
The Comm. Comm. announced on Tuesday the Junior Olympics in Rockport, MA for August 11/12/13. It is not on that schedule spreadsheet.
Blessedly, no password is needed, but brace yourself when you click:
You can see that Brad and I are scheduled for most events. Susie and Jim McCully and a few others show as scheduled here and there. Some folks submitted availability offers in the spring which do not show yet. Irregardless, please advise your availability for any events to Susie or Cheryl. If you prefer, click rduff19@comcaast.net and tell me. I will pass it on. Simple, but no promises!
Other mysteries include identical e-mail addresses at the bottom of each page. It does not really matter to me but there is no explanation! Then, Anne Coulombe (BYC) is not listed there along with Jim Whipple (CYC) who is there. Both perform weekly scoring jobs for MRA and work every race day as I understand it. Jim's presence on our roster got me some grief when I transgressed by sending my racing e-mails to "outsiders". That and other events cause my trying to mark all my blogs CAVEAT LECTOR and/or CAVEAT WRITER.
Next Saturday July 12th we go back to the TINKERS Line for VIPER 640, SONAR, J24 and RHODES 19 fleets. Crew call is 10:00 for the 12;00 warning gun. My informal schedule suggests Nick Burke(EYC-RC) on the mark boat. Also noted are Jim McCully, David Soule and Bob Cushman (all EYC-RC). Brad Marvin and I show for the signal boat with no indication yet of PRO. My best guess would be Susie Schneider (EYC-RC-Chair.). She always does great job.
Rona and Dana Woodward plus Phyllis and Gordon Vinyard will be race committee for the ANNUAL EASTERN YACHT CLUB CRUISE going south as far as Newport, RI. The Vinyard's motor yacht HAWKE will serve as the race committee signal boat. The Rendevous is Pocasset Harbor July 12th. Disband is at Marion July 18th.
See you next Saturday July 12th. Meanwhile, tell your friends about my blog with:
If you click on that here, it will take you back onto yourself. That does not seem very smart! Paste it into your e-mails to your friends.
I have heard today that an accident destroyed an EYC race committee computer. It is needed for posting results from Friday's EYC ANNUAL REGATTA into the easternyc.org site. That explains why those results are not available there. No forecast has been made of getting that fixed. Maybe they should use my blog!
