ColumbiaRiverCatalina.org		August 2004

From the Commodore
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

Sailing has really been nice this season.  Between hitching rides with others and taking Celtic Myst out, I've enjoyed some wonderful day sails and overnighters.  Judging from the number of sightings, I'm not the only Catalina owner who has put aside the boat projects long enough to enjoy the real reason why we buy these boats.

August and September are full of organized fun for those who want to hang out with other Catalina owners.  Laura, Sean, and I are looking forward to the upriver cruise to Beacon Rock state park in a couple of weeks.  One of our favorite spots on the Columbia River, Beacon Rock offers great hiking, kayaking, fishing, swimming, or just napping depending on your interests.

Cruising RSVP

Just a reminder that it is a courtesy within CRACA to RSVP the published cruise host prior to attending a cruise.  While an RSVP isn't required to attend, the lack of one might find you the only one on the cruise if the cruise's host only sent out last minutes changes to those that had RSVP'd.

If you are planning to attend the cruise to Beacon Rock this month, please RSVP Jim Elieff at elieffmaan@yahoo.com .

Catalina 25/250 National Regatta

An event occurs every once and awhile that reminds us how much individual effort makes a difference.  During four days in July, the culmination of months of planning and hard work paid off as Gary Bruner (C25, Encore!), Terry Annis (C25, Lematike), and a host of others from Catalina 25/250 Fleet 94 of Portland, put on a landmark regatta for the Catalina 25/250 National Sailing Association.  Through the volunteer efforts of local Catalina enthusiasts, the 2004 regatta attracted boats from as far away as Indiana, and competitors from the East coast.  Participation levels far exceeded previous Nationals due in part Gary's dogged determination to encourage everyone he could get an email address for to attend.

Although most of the heavy lifting associated with running the regatta was borne by the members of Fleet 94, several other Catalina owners lent a hand with various aspects of the regatta.  Some notable examples include:

• Gary Whitney (C28, KA-SL), regatta scorekeeper and Protect Committee Chairperson.
• Bob Gales & Gail O'Neill (C30, Imagine), spectator boat for those wishing to watch the action from the water.
• Dennis & Sandy Thomas (C27, WindChaser), official regatta photographer.
• Dale Mack (C30, Celtic Myst), river tour to teach out of town folks some local knowledge about racing on the Columbia River.

I had the privilege of crewing aboard Terry Annis' C25, Lematike.  With the exception of Terry's son Matt (the "Matt" in "Lematike), Terry, Mike McGrath, and I had raced his boat in the Spring Series, Summer Series, and had  practiced together one night a week about every other week since April.  In those three months we had taught ourselves how to fly a symmetrical spinnaker and had learned while racing against the National's eventual Champion Doug Dillon and third place finisher Gary Bruner (C25, Encore!) where our strengths and weaknesses lay.

In three days of racing, out of towners (including last year's National Champion) struggled to come up the steep learning curve associated with racing in current.  Nearly all the races were run in light air, further compounding the trouble everyone was having with the current.  Even with our spinnaker, the downwind, upriver legs were hard and required intense concentration on all aspects of the boat to sail well.

It was a tough well fought regatta in which our mistakes on Lematike seemed to even out against those of our chief competitors.  The National Championship came down to the last leg of the last race.  We had a good start and managed to find a gear that had us powering away from the field.  We rounded the windward mark first and had a clean spinnaker set in clear air.  I've rerun that last leg over and over so many times since the regatta.  Sailing down the center of the river toward the finish line, we watched Doug Dillon choose a line about a hundred yards north of us and proceed to do what he had shown us all regatta, that he had better speed downwind.  We debated whether we should place ourselves between Doug and the finish line, but somehow the concern about current always won out even as we watched Doug draw closer.  We went on to win second place after watching Doug pass us and pull ahead.  Once home, a quick glance through Bill Gladstone's book "Performance Racing Tactics" confirmed our mistake on the water (cover, cover, cover, always stay between your competition and the mark).  Doug and his crew sailed a great regatta and earned the right to be the 2004 National Champion.  Good job guys!

I had a great time at the regatta and want to thank Fleet 94 and all the volunteers for putting on such a fun event.  It is such a rare treat to get to attend a national event in your own backyard.

Photos and the results of the regatta are posted on the Fleet 94 website at:

http://home.comcast.net/~fleet94/

After race relaxing at WYC	Terry Annis presents Gary Bruner and his family their trophy for a well sailed regatta.

Catalina Rendezvous, September 17-19

By now you should have received at least one email notification of the the 5th Annual Catalina Rendezvous scheduled for September.  This event is open to ALL owners of Catalina Yachts, and not just CRACA members, so please help get the word out.  Several exciting workshops are planned in addition to a presentation by Gerry Douglas, Catalina Yacht's Vice President and Chief Engineer.

I hope you'll consider attending the rendezvous.  The Catalina Owners Rendezvous Committee has attempted to strike a balance between optional planned activities and the choice to just kick back and socialize.

Catalina 25/250 Fleet 94 Racing
in SYSCO One-Design Regatta
By Gary Bruner C25, Encore!, Fleet Captain

Okay Catalina 25/250 friends, since most of you told me you had such a great time at the Nationals (or you "wish you had done it"), what say we do another one?

For the last two years, Fleet 94 has had a One Design fleet in the SYSCO regatta. We usually get our own start. Last year five of us were out there; this year we should do WAY better! They will give three trophies if we have eight boats in a fleet, but if we all get out there we could rival the Cal 20s and J/24s! How about it? Rumor has it that Terry Annis (Lematike), Steve Eldred (Plan "B"), Nate Hanson (Leucothea)  and Ray Clift (Buzz) want to play....and me, of course, if I can find crew. Bob Waldron (Courtship) has already thrown down the gauntlet to Terry.

I think we could go out and have a ball, but this one needs to be even more low key than the Nationals. I insist that Terry keep the curtains and toothpicks on his boat!! I suggest that the TRs (tall rigs) race level (no handicap) with the SRs (standard rigs) in this event. If Alice Patten (Tybreaker) and Ray Clift (Buzz) clean up, we may need to look at it in the future, but there are to be no PHRF handicaps this time.  If the majority agreed, we could even decide to race all JAM boats (no chutes), but I am not ready to suggest it, myself.  Please contact me immediately if this is the only way you would play....WE ARE supposed to know in advance if we will have the minimum three boats for a fleet, however, so I would appreciate knowing if you intend to participate. I think that it would be great if those of you who don't want to enter might offer to crew for those of us who could use help....it's a great way to learn!!!!! If you are a complete novice, several of us can teach you the basic rules and the start procedure....just ASK.

The dates for the SYSCO One Design are: Saturday, August 14 (for 3 scheduled races starting at 2 PM, and 2 races on Sunday, August 15, starting at 2 PM (No races will start after 6 PM on Sunday).

The cost is FREE to SYSCO members and $30 for non-members with a $10 late fee for entries received after Wednesday, the August 11th. No entries after Friday, the 13th. You are supposed to send in an entry form from the OCSA race book.  A downloadable version can be found here:  http://sailpdx.com/results/ocsa_entry_form.pdf .

Entries are to be mailed to Phil Campagna, 1402 NE Highland St., Portland OR 97211. If you need more help, or info, Phil can be reached at 503 735 0982 or at bitemej24@hotmail.com.

Please consider seriously coming out to play in this five race series. We have always had a ball the last 2 years, and the more, the merrier.

Vice Commodore's Report
By Jim Himes, C28, R-Time

This months meeting will be held at RCYC. The BBQ’S will be ready for your use. This months meeting is usually lightly attended so I haven’t got anyone to come in to talk to us. Next month we have the Catalina Rendezvous at McCuddy’s Landing.  The Christmas party will be held at RCYC, so be sure to put it on our calendar.

For those of you who have older boats and would like to put in a new cushions I would like to give you some information about the product Catalina Yachts puts out. We recently purchased a second  Catalina 28 for some cruising in Puget Sound. The boat had some of the cushions replaced but was of such poor fit, we decided to put a new complete set of cushions from Catalina on the boat.

We contacted Catalina and they sent us some samples of fabric to choose from. It took about three weeks from the time the order was place until it arrived at our house. We are completely happy with the product we received. The new cushions had a little firmer form than the originals. The fit of the new cushions were better the originals.

Report from the Rendezvous Committee
By Dave Thomas, C30, Sunchaser (Rendezvous Chair)

I want to thank all the members of the Catalina Owners Rendezvous Committee for all their good work to date.  Here is a brief summary of the decisions from the last organizing meeting.  The following issues were reviewed:

Dinner.  It was felt that the cost of a catered dinner was excessive.  The idea of a potluck for some and reservations at Mark's for others was discussed.  In the end that seemed too complicated.  It was decided that everyone would be on their own for dinner.  We recognized that some would want to eat at Mark's, and would want to eat as a group.  We can identify these folks at registration, and give the information to Mark's so we can be seated as a group.  In effect, those wanting a catered dinner can have one.

Registration Fee.  Without a catered dinner the need for a registration fee was eliminated.  It was felt that other costs could be covered by the sum CRACA was providing for the rendezvous.

Food.  CRACA will provide dessert during the gift exchange which will occur around 7:30 Saturday night.  CRACA will also provide a pancake breakfast prepared by Dave Peoples on Sunday morning.

Moorage.  Friday & Saturday night will be paid by CRACA.

Program.

Friday night:  Registration & check in at the moorage

• On your own for dinner

Saturday:     

•  8:00am    Walk/run.   Registration and check in for arriving boats
• Lunch:      On your own
• 1:00pm    Gerry Douglas presentation
• 2:00pm    Workshops
• 3:00pm    Kayaking, games, socializing, etc
• 5:00pm    Dinner.  Everyone on their own.
• 7:30pm    Gift exchange & dessert

Sunday:

• 8:00am    walk/run
• 9:00am    Breakfast
• 11:00am ------- Cruise home

We will want to have a Q & A  time with Gerry Douglas after his presentation.  That can be ongoing after his presentation for as long as he wants to take questions.

Other workshop presenters include:

• Gary Whitney -- Life Sling
• West Marine
  • We identified possible topics for West Marine: Anchoring, Electronics (batteries & their care, radar, VHF ), Boat Handling (docking & launching, spring lines, backing) and splicing.  We'll nail down the specifics as the event draw near.
• Alder Creek
• Laura Mack -- Skin Care by Mary Kay
• Kathleen Lewis -- Wheel Cover Braiding. 

 Tasks.   We identified the following:

• Contact McCuddy's and Mark's. (Jim Elieff & Dave Thomas)
• Dock Master (Jim Elieff)
• Newsletter, Brochure, Mailings.  (Dale Mack)
• Dessert  (Olga Ginez)
• Gerry Douglas.  (Michael Lewis)
• West Marine.  (Michael Lewis)
• Registration Boat.  (Dale Mack)
• Sunday Breakfast.  (Dave Peoples & Dave Thomas)
• Shirts.  (Kathleen Lewis)

The Catalina Owners Rendezvous Committee will meet again at the August CRACA meeting.

No meetings in September, & December

 

Government Island Cruise
By Dale Mack, C30, Celtic Myst

We don't normally venture out on the Fourth of July, and especially not to one of the most popular docks on the Columbia River, but when Laura said lets spend the Fourth of July weekend at Government Island's East dock I figured we could always anchor if there was no room.  We left on Friday and returned to Tomahawk on Sunday to watch the fireworks.

We moved the boat two times over the course of a couple of days to finally end up on the inside.  Passing wakes make the outside really tough on the crew and the boat (bring lots of BIG fenders).  We had a nice weekend and shared the dock for awhile with the Bittners.  The kayaking and scrolls along the sandy beach were great.

C30, Celtic Myst	Werner & Renate Bittner, C28, Loki
Sean Mack and Sherman	Sean & Laura Mack watching the fireworks
Nate Hanson, C25, Leucothea	The Hanson's (C25, Leucothea) and Annis' (C25, Lematike) share dinner together while waiting for the fireworks.

 

Report from the
Sand Island Cruise
By Gary Jaeckel, C30, Mistress II

July 17 - 18. Attached are some pictures from the Sand Island Cruise. Again Mistress II seems to have been in the wrong place.

No one from the club showed up for the cruise, but we were invaded by about fifty go fast boats on Saturday.  They were having a Poker Run and stopped at Sand Island for lunch. 

There were some very impressive boats including Fountains, Scarabs, Cigarettes, Dansis and others I don't know a lot about.  One of the owners also had a helicopter that landed on the island for a while.

The crew of Mistress II had a great time.  We beat our way down from the mouth of the Willamette River on Friday with a nice manageable breeze.

The weather was great!  Our typical visit to Sand Island includes nuclear force winds and sleepless nights but we were blessed with a nice breeze all weekend and calm nights.

Despite the fact no one showed up we persevered with our activities and the winner of the Caribbean costume contest is shown in one of the attached photos.

Commodore's Note:  As we plan the cruising schedule for 2005, I'd like your input on whether you think there are some months the club should not plan cruises for.  If so, which months would you drop from our schedule?

I'd like to see everyone get in the habit of sending an RSVP to the cruise host if they plan to attend the cruise.  The number of RSVP's would make it easier for the hosts to decide to follow through with hosting the cruise or simply plan for a family activity on their own.

 

Government Island West Dock Rumor
By Jim Elieff, C30, Fortune

Marilyn and I visited the Government Island West dock in late July just for the day. One of the park rangers said there are plans to construct an H-shaped dock , similar to the one at St. Helen's in the near future.  The new dock would be located just west of the existing west dock . They are working on the permits now.

Flotilla Heads to Beacon Rock
By Jim Elieff, C30, Fortune

Cruise Itinerary
Date	Day	Destination
20	Fr	Camas
21-24	Sa - Tu	Beacon Rock
25	We	Portland

August 20 - 25.  Marilyn and I are looking forward to the Beacon Rock cruise. We plan on going to Camas on Friday night and onto Beacon Rock on Saturday morning. 

We would welcome anybody that  would like to form a flotilla and head upriver together.

We plan on coming back on Wednesday in time for the CRACA meeting at RCYC that night.

Contact me (elieffmaan@yahoo.com) if you like to travel upriver together.

Beacon Rock Notes:

• Beacon Rock is 30 nm upriver from the I-5 bridge.  Plan on about 6 hr. 40 min. motoring straight through.  It takes about 4.5 hrs to motor back.
• Moorage Fee
  • < 26 ft  is $10/night
  • 26 ft to 35 ft is $13/night
  • > 35 ft is $16/night
• Bring quarters for the showers (3 minutes for 50 cents)
• Great place for dinghies, kayaks, or small sailboats

• Water is available at the top of the boat dock ramp

• Camp sites, boat ramp, and picnic area available

• The walk to Beacon Rock is very doable if you want to hike to the top

 

SAIL for the CURE September 25, 2004 Organized by the Oregon Woman's Sailing Association About the Event Our common opponents is breast cancer, so Sail for the Cure® was designed as a fun event for the whole family that emphasizes boat-handling skills and cooperation rather than competition. Previous year's events included creative games such as Bingo, Q & A, and Boggle.  This year's event is sure to be just as fun and exciting! After the sailing event, join us for the post-event party with food by Bugatti's Restaurants and live music.  A silent auction (opening at the morning check-in) will be sure to tantalize you with items such as sailing clothing, classes, massages, wine and goodies, and other fun things. Who can Attend? Everyone from non-sailors to novices to expert sailors are invited.  If you would like to participate but don't have a boat, let us know on the registration form.  We'll do our best to match people who need boats with boats that need people.  If you have a boat but need crew (or can take crew), let us know on the form.  A few rules:  each boat does need to have a woman acting as skipper (no necessarily the helmsman), everyone must provide their own lifejacket (boats may have one you can use; check with the skipper) and children must be accompanied by an adult. Registration Fees Early registration, through September 8:  $20 per person (children age 12 and under are $12 and allowed by skipper permission only) and includes a T-shirt. Event Day Registration:  $30 per person (children age 12 and under are $22 and allowed by skipper permission only) and includes a shirt if supply allows (there is no guarantee). Breast cancer survivors will receive a Sail for the Cure baseball cap (additional hats will be for sale) and all net  proceeds will be donated to the local affiliate of the Susan G. Komen Foundation. Register by Mail Mail registration form and entry fee (please make checks payable to Oregon Women's Sailing Association) to: Oregon Women's Sailing Association Sail for the Cure PO Box 17615 Portland, OR  97217 Deadline to enter: September 8, 2003 Be sure to enter by this date to guarantee your T-shirt and avoid the late fee. For more information, call the Sail for the Cure Hotline at 503-249-2152, send an e-mail to evineyard@peoplepc.com, or visit our Web page at www.owsa.net. Event Day Schedule 10am - 12pm:  Event Check-In.  Pick up your Sail for the Cure packet and T-shirt, check out the silent auction items, and register if you haven't already (no on-the-water registrations will be permitted).  Day-of-Event registrations are $30.*  Tomahawk Bay Moorage Picnic Area, 515 NE Tomahawk Island Drive. The skipper's packet will include instructions on how to do this year's event. 1 - 3pm:  Sail for the Cure.  The Columbia River near navigational buoy #14. 3 - 6pm:  Post-event Party.  Food, music, silent auction and fun prizes!  Tomahawk Bay Moorage Picnic Area. * We cannot guarantee T-shirts will be available for later registrations. Silent Auction Bring your checkbook!  Last year's silent auction included items such as sailing and kayaking classes, clothing, sailing equipment, wine and goodies, massages, haircuts and pedicures, framed photographs, a gas barbecue, gift certificates and more!  At this year's auction, you can expect and even better selection of goodies. The auction will open during the morning check-in at 10am.  A bidding sheet listing fixed amounts will be beside each item.  Write your name beside the amount you want to bid for that item.  Note that there will be a "Buy It Now" price, which means that you are guaranteed to get that item.  Be sure to take a quick look and start your bidding before you head out on the boat.  When you come back for the party, don't forget to check your items! The tables have a range of closing times stating at 5:15pm, so be sure to look for a sign on each of the tables.  When the table closes (a 15-minute warning will be given), go to the cashier who will be set up nearby, and see what you've won.  Once you've made your payment, someone will retrieve your item for you.  Cash or checks only and items must be purchased and picked up by 6:00pm.  Please make arrangements with the cashier if you will be unable to claim your item(s). Donating to the Silent Auction Have something you'd like to donate to the cause?  Maybe a service, gift certificate or theme basket of items? Call 503-287-3161 or send an e-mail to jschu@teleport.com and our donation committee will contact you.  Please make arrangements to donate by September 18.

 

Cruising Schedule

• August 20 - 25, Beacon Rock (Jim Elieff)
• September 17 - 19, Catalina Rendezvous (Dave & Julie Thomas)
• September 25, Sail for the Cure
• October 23 - 24, Coon Island - East Dock (Dave and Helen Peoples)

Catalina Newsletters of the Northwest

Checkout these links to Northwest Catalina newsletters and local racing:

Catalina 22 Fleet 20 of Portland www.C22pdx.org Catalina 25 Fleet 94 of Portland home.comcast.net/~fleet94/ Sail Portland www.sailpdx.com

Catalina Assoc. of Tacoma and South Sound (CATSS) home.earthlink.net/~catss/CATSS Web Page.htm Catalina Association of Puget Sound (CAPS) capsfleet1.com/News Letters.htm Small Yacht Sailing club of Oregon (SYSCO) www.sailpdx.com/sysco.htm

August

• 14 - 15, SYSCO One-Design Regatta
• 20 - 25, CRACA Cruise:  Beacon Rock
• 25, General Membership Meeting @ Rose City Yacht Club

September

• 17-19, Catalina Rendezvous, McCuddy's Landing
• 25, Sail for the Cure
• No Monthly Meeting (next meeting in October)

See the calendar