Class Politics just had to come back! Miami OCR

nybozo1

New Member
gotta do it.......last year 114 entries see http://www.rolexmiamiocr.org/2007/results/laser_06.htm

this year twenty sumpin.

and don't tell me they are all in Australia! Just Campbell and 4 or 5 government supported Canucks. Who are getting pretty
good by the way!

and only ONE f-ing USA entry in the dinglings!

Lasers are the heart and soul of one design. Nobody shows. Just something wrong with the system.

Out of 23, yes 23 entries, we have 9 US boats, and 7 CAN boats.

Houston, we have a problem!
 
It's an Olympic year, everyone is off training, resting, or campaigning for funding
 
Ross,

Why aren't you there? Seems the International competition would be of great help. The 23 entrants are still top shelf.

However, having sailed there, I will tell you it is a very pricey place.


mark
 
There is no excuse for scheduling a regatta at a venue where it is unlikely there will be championship sailing conditions.

The typical Miami OCR includes about 50% days where sailing happens at all and 50% raceless days.
Yes, the Bay can produce some of the most fabulous sailing conditions available anywhere on the planet.
In late January and earl February, the odds are very low those great conditions will happen.

Typically the Miami OCR has between zero and two great sailing days.

There are other times when Biscayne Bay is a reliable producer of great championship sailing conditions.

The facilities are adequate and the local hosts are super folks.

The USSailing Midwinter OCR should either be held at another time or it should be held at another place.

There is simply no excuse for the huge annual squandering of our sailing community resources which is called the Miami OCR.
 
There are a number of factors for the low turnout.

1) Worlds start in Australia in a couple of days.
2) Masters Worlds start in Australia in a couple of weeks.
3) Miami OCR is an expensive event (full week off work, expensive lodging/food)
4) Due to the lack of top international sailors and top NA masters sailors (supported by on-line entry list), folks on the fence could see it was a bust of a regatta at the beginning of the month.
5) The "core" of US/CAN sailors who have been on the trail for the last 3 years has decreased as odds of getting an Olympic berth have declined.

For masters, there is a series on the east coast of FL with 7 days of racing in 9. And you could sail the other two days. So with the same number of days out of work, a master can do 80% more sailing by doing the series.

As to the location itself, we had great conditions the last couple of years. Yes, there can be days where a tow is required to/from the course (3 nm from the USSC) and you work on your tan. Seems most venues suffer from this problem whenever they hold a regatta. Miami seems to me to be a solid venue. I've chosen to attend OCR the last 4 years over Mids East because the conditions are just better. Lounging with no wind in sunshine and airprenes beats shivering with no wind and rain in 6 layers of neoprene or a drysuit.

Fred: I'm still in favor of a TX Mids on South Padre Island or similar locale during spring break!
 
Ross,

Why aren't you there? Seems the International competition would be of great help. The 23 entrants are still top shelf.

However, having sailed there, I will tell you it is a very pricey place.


mark

because I have school!

I've done Orange Bowl three times, and it's a great place to sail
 
Fred: I'm still in favor of a TX Mids on South Padre Island or similar locale during spring break!


Back around 2001 and 2002 Ian and I were trying to get Tom Lihan interested in hosting a big spring break Laser event in Fort Lauderdale.

I thought it was alread almost there to begin in about 2004 but...neither Ian nor I stayed around to follow through with the actual scheduling and publicity.

Any interest shown might get the ball rolling again.

Pardon my rant above. I have heard nothing but complaints from those Texas sailors who have trekked to the Miami OCR.
I have heard for years from folks who I believe have their finger on the real heartbeat of USSailing.

"The USSailing folks who want to continue the Miami OCR realy have a hard time being objective. They get to go to Miami and stay in nice hotels for a week or two right in the midle of the Rhode Island winter. They get to see and dine with good friends at that event and for the organizers, Miami as a great winter vacation / contribution to sailing and chance to see old friends while you are at it."

I understand. There is not much incentive for these good folks who contribute so much to running USSailing to call off a very rewarding event and people from all over the planet DO show up and the competition IS top level.

I just feel it could be a lot better for the competitors if the event were held when the conditions are reliable.

And finally..Every venue has "occasional bad events in the middle of their very most predictable good times."

My own Easter regatta has had some really bad days. But in 24 years we have sailed over 95% of the scheduled races and after 20 years we had cancelled only ONE race. I believe the very most major events should be carefully scheduled in places and at times when historically 95% of the time the venue produces competition weather.

We have the weather reports and we have the local knowledge.

The schedulers of events simply MUST include..

We will only schedule an event in a venue after the local conditions have been researched and we know the probability os excellent we will actually have the event we schedule.

I am consistent. When somebody schedules a sailing event in the interior of Texas in September, when except for storms the lakes are almost always flat and shiny 24 hours a day, I complain vigorously and do my best to get the event moved.
 
Warning! Potential thread hijack ahead (sorry, but can't resist)

Seems most venues suffer from this problem whenever they hold a regatta.

I think I misread this... shouldn't it say:

Seems most venues east of the Sierra Nevada/Cascades suffer from this problem whenever they hold a regatta.

?
 
Warning! Potential thread hijack ahead (sorry, but can't resist)



I think I misread this... shouldn't it say:

Seems most venues east of the Sierra Nevada/Cascades suffer from this problem whenever they hold a regatta.
?

Almost. I have drifted in Seattle, The Gorge, Los Angeles and the air movement they call wind in San Diego would not be enough to be called a draft in some Yankee's house by a frail old grandmother.


Here in Austin??
When our water is 54 degrees like it is today...and four degrees warmer than "the Bay" ever gets....
When the lake is this cold, we have lots of days where the wind blows 30 to 40 all day long.
We call that condition "too damn cold for sailing."
I prefer 80 degree water and 10 to 25 mph winds...like we have most evenings in June and July


By the way. Our wind today is blowing from lulls of maybe 25 to gusts of 45 and that wind is from the west. The sky is so full of West Texas dirt and Central Texas Cedar Pollen that the hills across the lake ( 3 miles to six miles from here) are faint outlines in a reddish yellowish haze.
The lake is about half white and as wavy as it ever gets. There are about a dozen guys windsurfing back and forth across the lake and all I can honestly say is they are going VERY fast.

I have been trying to get free for a ride all day and it is now an hour before dark...Phooey
 
Full thread hijact accomplished. Apologies to nybozo1

Almost. I have drifted in Seattle, The Gorge, Los Angeles and the air movement they call wind in San Diego would not be enough to be called a draft in some Yankee's house by a frail old grandmother.

Technically, San Diego is not west of the Sierra Nevada... being to the east, I believe, of Las Vegas.


When our water is 54 degrees like it is today...and four degrees warmer than "the Bay" ever gets....

Not true! Yes, the water is cold right now, around 52 F. But in the Summer it warms right up and can get as high as 58 F! Even the Southern Californians sail withtout spray tops in these balmy conditions... or hats...

attachment.php



I prefer 80 degree water

Yes, I agree that is a good temperature for a bath...


:D
 
Tracy, you SFBayans are a tough crowd. Last summer in SF was the coldest winter I ever spent, as they say.

But seriously, it would be dangerous for newbies to sail in 58 degree water without at least a fleece and spray top and probably more. They may have trouble righting the boat after the inevitable multiple capsizes. Hmm...maybe you don't have inevitable multiple capsizes, since you don't know what a windshift is on that bay.
 
Not true! Yes, the water is cold right now, around 52 F. But in the Summer it warms right up and can get as high as 58 F! Even the Southern Californians sail withtout spray tops in these balmy conditions... or hats...



:D

hey we get 70 degree water!
 
Ross....

Drop everything....except your hiking pants of course...

and go to Miami.
Two things>>>

Olympic campaign and Related US Team qualifying.

And of course. It is a great place to campaign.

ROSS FOR VP


Gotta go to Florida and campaign for delegates
 
Last summer in SF was the coldest winter I ever spent, as they say.

There is a raging debate as to whether Mark Twain actually said that or not.

Hmm...maybe you don't have inevitable multiple capsizes, since you don't know what a windshift is on that bay.

Yet another urban legend... For example, just yesterday the wind was blowing out of the southwest while one of those pesky winter weather fronts approached. Today the wind is out of the west. So, we do have wind shifts!
 
Yet another urban legend... For example, just yesterday the wind was blowing out of the southwest while one of those pesky winter weather fronts approached. Today the wind is out of the west. So, we do have wind shifts!

We steered invariably by Mount Tam when I took the cruising course last summer. Anyway, I mean the sort of wind shift you get on a narrow lake surrounded by trees. Crazy stuff where the wind can come from two directions at once. You haven't lived if you haven't tried it!
 

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