Big Daddy Reinstates Ulitmate 20's, 5.70's and BAMA Multi-hulls in Big Daddy

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A couple weeks back, when the Richmond Yacht Club issued it's annual Big Daddy Regatta NOR, there was an omission of Multihulls and smaller sportboats from the event.

The very essence of the RYC's mantra was brought into question, on inclusion and that "Sailing IS Fun" was immediately brought to question, and member of the excluded classes rallied in anger. The crux of the issue was whether 22' or smaller boats and multihulls were still welcome vis-a-vis the PRO's issued document.

Direct contact with the PRO at the time proved ineffective. An email returned to one of the dissatisfied members was answered thusly:

Hey Xxxxxxxxx, sorry for the disappointment. One of those responsibilities of the PRO is to decide who to invite. I have a long history of running the Big Daddy (not the Great Pumpkin), I was the chairman of 6, the first in 1988 and last in 2000. We have gotten away from the original intent as Bob "Big Daddy" Klein envisioned it. It originally was a IOR invitational but over the years we've had to change it some. Introducing One designs into a PHRF event was a hurdle at first.

For those new to RYC and or without a historical understanding of the event's origins, it could look like the Big Daddy and Great Pumpkin are the same. They get confused most of the time. XXXXXX runs the Great Pumpkin in completely different way with a very different philosophy. His goals are much different from mine. The Big Daddy does not aim at being the biggest event, but to provide great racing for those boats invited.

Many boats would like to come that don't fit the parameters. We had to cut it off somewhere.

I doubt that the U20's and the 5.70 not being invited to the Big Daddy is any indication of exclusion for any other RYC race. There is the Big Dinghy, Beer cans, and RYC Club races. And considering the inclusivity that XXXXXX has brought to the Great Pumpkin, the U20's will surely be invited along with the Catamarans, foilers, wind surfers, and kite boards.

Given that I had little time to get the NOR together, I am not inclined to make any changes to it. It can always be brought up next year.

Give a call if you would like to discuss it further.

XXXXXX

Members of the RYC were furious, and called together the sailing advisory committee, which rallied other sailors, BAMA member and Jim Antrim to the RYC Board meeting Last Wednesday night. One of the problems with the RYC members was the labeling of the Ultimate 20 as "unsafe", and issue which Jim Antrim shot down like a clay pigeon hanging from string. After members spoke about the unfairness of the decision as well as the randomness of the uninvited fleets, the RYC Board voted to allow the sailing advisory committee to run the event and to allow boats with PHRF and BAMA certs to continue to race. This did not sit well with the existing PRO who then resigned as PRO and promised not to provide any further services to the YC.

The Sailing advisory committee reconvened the following night and in 1.5 hours time, rounded up the 40 volunteers needed to run the event. The disallowed/uninvited fleets were reinstated.

Commodore Susan Hubbard wants to let people know that Richmond Yacht Club IS about inclusion and has not changed course. She notes that at the Sailing Leadership Forum a couple weeks ago in San Diego, a topic of discussion which came up was yacht clubs that were struggling, financially and member wise, primarily due to the lack of inclusion. "We want to see EVERYBODY out sailing" she added.

The NOR and registration has been revised and eligible boats can register for Saturday and or Sunday http://www.richmondyc.org/Calendar/Event/13823~623225~1

"This is the spirit that Bob "Big Daddy" would have wanted" Susan emphasizes!

[Kimmy]

Well, Bates is an idiot. Not sure why they let him PRO a lemonade stand, much less one of the highlight regattas of the season.

[Buzz Light Beer]

Inter club politics is something to avoid like the plague, it sounds like like democracy in swift action won out in this case.

[The Flash]

Volunteers are tough to come by. Glad it's working out, bummed it might've burned some folks.

[IOR Geezer]

Volunteers are critical, but it seems The Board made the right decision.

[K38Bob]

Volunteers are tough to come by. Glad it's working out, bummed it might've burned some folks.

Talked with Tony and RYC volunteers rose to the challenge and had it covered after last nights meeting. Sent a note of thanks to Susan who was great fun on Pelican during Hydroptere speed trial. 6 multihulls so far http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmg...om_report_id=2

[The Flash]

Looking forward to the Daddy pursuit race, but the forecast is looking kinda grim. might be a great day, with little breeze. Guess I'll get a chance to see how the Torqueedo works.

[bowline]

Well, Bates is an idiot. Not sure why they let him PRO a lemonade stand, much less one of the highlight regattas of the season.

You're amongst friends, no need to sugar coat it. Just tell it like it is, we can handle it

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Sunday Results

Saturday Results

Selects from Saturday Reportee to follow...

[familysailor]

Does anyone know why so many of the various class results are still missing from Saturday?
Protests?

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a lack of something

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The Big Daddy Gets Light





The 2014 edition of the tribute to Bob "Big Daddy" Klein will go down as the Revenge Of The Ultra Lights, a deep contrast to the IOR invite West Coast Season Opener of decades past. With gentle zephyrs giving way the late arriving north westerlies on Saturdays crews on the deep water course watched the mid day breezes fade and then evaporate as the fickle winds stalled out forcing officials to pull the plug on the race already underway. Midway through the 1st race, US16 radioed into command central, withdrawing as her led bulb, began digging a trench and with not enough breeze to dig her own way out and tide still dropping, the prudent thing was to motor off while still able to do so.

On the South Hampton Course, the smaller boats too had light air, but the Wabbits, J-70's, Ultimate 20's, Express 27s and PHRF E and F found just enough wind to continue racing after a semi long postponement and course modification. The big winner of the weekend would be Colin Moore on his Wylie Wabbit "Krazy" who took 2 bullets on Saturday and 8th in the Mono Hulls in Sunday pursuit.




The breeze made a short cameo on Saturday for the South Hampton course sailors, it was, actually not bad for a bit!




The lack of wind did not deter folks from having fun, as attested on Saturday by the gang in the SF 30 fleet, who took the postponement in stride, and formed a 5 boat raft up, san's ground tackle, and got an early start to the merry making and festivities. We'll get a short story on the group up soon, you will love the concept and attitude that pervades through the group!

John Clauser skipper of Bodacious+ .This might his first real major pickle dish. He defeated about 80 mighty or so fine yachts. Bodacious set a code zero on the Marin side of Raccoon Straits, then like Willies in four wheel drive, zoomed to the finish. The right way was Alcatraz 1st then the Straits, work the north side, exit on the north side, then the ebb is a little less of a problem as you head for Pt. Richmond.
The host club’s staff commodore, Dave Rasmussen, placed second. His boat Sapphire overhauled Kame Richards E 37 Golden Moon on the reach to the finish line.

Those that went counter clockwise all died horrible deaths from no wind and all that water coming out of the south bay

*

Sunday's Pursuit race started on time and there was an even split, with wind out of the south west and 1/2 the fleet choosing clock wise and the other 1/2 choosing CCW. The gist of the matter was the CCW rollers got the benefit of the current through Raccoon Straits and the clockwise boats stalled. The ID 48 "Bodacious Plus" was 1st to finish in the monohulls while Peter Stoneberg on his Prosail 40 "Shadow" snuck inside of "Smart Recruiters", Jerome Terniynck's Extreme 40' to claim 2014 multi division bragging rights.

Smart Recruiters Should have gone all the way to the Marin Side they only went 80% ran afoul of one of them damnable Corinthian Yacht Club holes and had current push back. Anything worth doing is worth overdoing. Shadow, with a wee bit more sail area sailed over them with code zero and disappeared off to the Potrero Point finish line. Here they finally made it to the breeze and blasted off to at 16 knots for most of the way to CoCo County

*



Kame rock hopping alongside Angel Island. He was 3rd overall in the one hulled boats. Another Express 37 had close encounters of the Hard Rock kind.*


* Words and photos courtesy RYC Racing

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The Kids Are Alright

The answer to "How do we get kids interested in big boat sailing? is:
"Take them along."

For the second year in a row about 20 juniors crewed aboard entries in the
Big Daddy Pursuit Race hosted by the Richmond Yacht Club
For most of the kids the fun part was getting around Alcatraz: bumpy,
crowded, tactically challenging and being out in the middle of San Francisco
Bay on a hazy day.



On Mike Josselyn's Ultimate 20, Uhoo The kids helmed, set the kite and trimmed.
The big thrill was rounding Alcatraz, lot of racers lot of ferryboat traffic and some threatening rocks.



Chris Nash sailing the family Hawkfarm got some help from his son and grandson.




Pineapple Sails' Kame Richards is coaching a youngster in the finer points
of driving an Express 37 upwind. He's no stranger to kids on board. He won his midwinter division with a 4 year aboard. He's also created and runs a youth sailing program in Alameda. Kame and crew finished 3rd overall.






RYC Juniors Nolwenn and Hoel Menard take turns helming Sy Kleinman's Swiftsure,
Images courtesy David Maggart






Lining the rail aboard Sy Kleinman's big Schumacher design Swiftsure are a
bunch of Big Guys and two juniors.Swifty won the pursuit race last year with a first grader aboard. A kid on another boat complained to his friends "We got beat by a six year old."




Gordy Nash is driving while a grandniece does the tactics.




One of Kind of Blue's three happy smiling juniors. They went clockwise, got caught in ebb, ran out of wind by Alcatraz and DNF'd.




Bodacious+ won with a code zero and some clever moves going through the
Raccoon Straits. They were the first monohull out of 65 starters.
John's junior tactician was trained in extreme hiking.

Photos and verbs RYC Racing

[Runs_with_sissors]

Great to see all the kids out!