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See also: <Regatta Reports 2003-2006>
Flying Scot Sails
Ron, congratulations on winning the Challenger series at the Midwinters at Sarasota. Can you tell us a little about your team and what prompted you to go the MWs this year? Ron: Thanks so much. I am very fortunate to have Tom Hanley sail with me. Tom is from our club in New Jersey and has been my crew since the 2006 midwinters so I’m really lucky to have a teammate that has sailed with me a bunch and, I think, we sail well together. In regards to what motivated us to do the FSMW’s, well, I’m retired and always wanted to sail in the winter when our bay is frozen over and Tom is able to get the time off. We love sailing on Florida waters and that’s all we needed to convince us to give Sarasota a shot.The new venue seemed to be received well by the participants. What were your thoughts on the venue? You guys seemed to have great speed all week. How were you tuned and did you do anything special in your trimming or setup that may be of interest? Crew work is a huge part of sailing the Scot well. Can you go through your upwind and downwind choreography? Who does what during the race?
Now that you are the Challenger Division champ you are now relegated to sailing in the Championship Division from now on. Should Andrew, Al and all the rest of the top dogs need to be on the lookout for 5315 next year? What are your summer sailing plans? Any more traveling regattas planned for you this year?
Ron, again, congratulations on a great event. Do you have any final thoughts?
Flying Scot Sails
Andrew: Thanks Al and Brian. It was a thrill to win and a huge honor as well. We did get ourselves into a few bad spots in a few races but I had a ton of confidence in our speed and in my dad to help bail me out! On the rig setup we set the rake between 28 4'1/2 to 28’ 5”. That is the general “zone” we try to get it in. The forestay tension we set at between 80- 100 lbs. We feel a little better in the light stuff in that range and when the breeze is up in the 15 knots+ we tighten up to 120 lbs. We do have a 1/8' forestay which we think is better in control the sag.
You mention changing tensions a little bit on the forestay. What are you looking for when you adjust your rig settings? Andrew: We look for a few things but, most importantly, what is the velocity doing and how the helm feels. For us, the key was when the wind was up we wanted to tighten up the forestay which brought the mast forward. The effect of this is we lose a little point but the helm becomes more balanced. For midwinters week we found a sweet spot with the rake between 28 4'1/2 to 28 5' 90 LBS on 1/8' Forestay. That said we were one of the heavier teams at 415 LBS.
One of things I noticed is that you adjust the mainsheet a lot. Can you talk us through your thoughts on main trim on the Scot? Andrew: I’m glad someone noticed! Playing that mainsheet is hard work! I am constantly working my main when it is windy 12+. The winder it is the more I will adjust my main. The reason I adjust my main so much in the breeze is to keep my boat on its feet. If you do not adjust your main and just stick it by feathering the boat you will slide sideways. My goal is to let the center board do its job and if you do not adjust your main in the breeze then you will not track upwind and the boat will slide sideways.
How do you divide your crew duties on the boat? Andrew: Usually I sail the boat 2-up so, at the midwinters, upwind my father has one hand on the vang and one hand on the jib sheet and I hike, play the mainsheet and drive. Downwind he is flying the spinnaker with one hand on the guy and one hand on the sheet. We are always trying to sit close together to keep our weight balanced in the boat. One thing that really helps us is the familiarity we have with how the boat is rigged. All the club boats at Bay Waveland YC. are set up so they are all identical. That way we know where everything is on the boat and we aren’t pulling, or releasing, the wrong thing at the wrong time! It also really helps that we sail together a lot!
Andrew, your family has had unequalled success in the Flying Scot class and, as a group, you guys have probably won more FS regattas than any other by a long shot. To what do you attribute the Eagan family success in this very competitive class? Andrew: Well, for sure, we’re proud that we have been fortunate as a family to do so well but there were a lot of folks that made our success possible. Flying Scots were the only boats to sail at Bay-Waveland YC and the Flying scot competition at our yacht club is so tough that it is like sailing a big regatta every weekend. We have all been pushed really hard by the gang here that, by default, we had to get good at it or get left in the dust! We also really like sailing together as a family and that helps us sail well together.
Andrew: It’s a fairly full schedule. We have the GYA Capedeville events and I plan to sail the J22 Worlds in New Orleans. We also have the Flying Scot NAC’s in Connecticut in July and we’d really like to sail the Championship of Champions.
What advice would you give new teams that are trying to “catch the Eagans”? . Andrew: Well that’s a huge compliment to think that folks are trying to catch us and, since I’m as eager to win as anyone I’m not sure I’d let on to how to do it! However I will say that when I know that I'm going to be fast is when I have great feel for the boat. That not only includes tuning and trimming but also knowing the boat is clean and set up properly. I try to sail these boats as much as possible in all conditions so I’m prepared for anything. I guess my advice “be prepared and leave nothing to chance”.
That’s great advice for any sailor. It seems that you come totally prepared when you are going to these events but you obviously really enjoy sailing these boats. What is it about the Scot that has you drawn in? Andrew: Well first off I grew up sailing these boats since I was 7 and we were fortunate in that these were the only boats to sail at Bay-waveland YC. I’ve spent a ton of time in the boat and it is very familiar to me. Heck, I even I taught summer sailing camp in them. Add to that there are 14 GYA Capedevile Regattas throughout the year with about 10- 15 competitive boats and it’s a lucrative draw. Also, following the legacy of my father, Marc, and brother, Marcus, as well as my Uncle Bubby and I’d have to say it would be hard to imagine sailing with Flying Scots in the picture
Well for sure you have had a great mentoring program and a lot of tradition in your Flying Scot career. Speaking of tradition, the class in forming a new tradition with a 2 venue rotation for the midwinters. We were in New Orleans last year and at the Sarasota Sailing Squadron this year. What are your thoughts on the new venue in Sarasota? Andrew: Sailing in Sarasota was wonderful. The gang down there did an awesome job. They supplied a great body of water to sail on, awesome hospitality and just a general feeling that they really wanted everyone to have a good time. We got a little bit unlucky with some rain and a bit too much breeze on a couple of days but the gang there did a great job keeping everyone happy and safe. The venue was so nice and relaxing it reminded me a lot of the sailing back in Bay St. Louis.
You and your family obviously know a lot about Scots and what makes them go fast. With so many choices for sails why do you choose North Sails? Andrew:We certainly have looked at a bunch of sails over the years from various builders and different designs as well. First and foremost, for me, I think that customer service is number one. I see the North team at events all over the country working hard to help Scot sailors get better. We’ve tested a lot of different sails from different companies and, it seems that, North Sails always comes out on top. Add the customer service along with the fact that we never lack for speed with the North Sails and it’s a formula that, for me, is proven to win.
Thanks Andrew. We’re looking forward to seeing you in July at Cedar Point YC in Westport at the NACS. Andrew: Looking forward to seeing everyone there as well.
Flying Scot Sails
Sat and Sunday were measurement days. It was HOT. Measurement went well and the Juniors and Women's North Americans were held on Sunday. There were 6 women's teams and 16 junior teams which is a great showing for the class. This is proof that the Flying Scot is still the boat of choice in the GYA. The weather over the weekend was great, the sea breeze would come in everyday and a pleasant 8-12 knot southerly breeze would blow in the bay. Then….Hurricane Alex had to come and basically make the week impossible for the Race Committee and the Competitors. Monday and Tuesday were supposed to be the qualification series. Severe Thunderstorms all day prevented racing on Monday. Rain squalls were the mode for the day on Tuesday and it was a long day on the water getting three races in between storms. After Tuesday the fleet was divided into two heats and we were ready for the championship. And so was Hurricane Alex. Wednesday was supposed to be the first day of racing, but again severe thunder storms, heavy wind and heavy rain prevented racing. We were all set for racing on Thursday but hurricane alex no left us with no wind and rain. We did two races which were abandoned on Tuesday and came back to the dock. After a small delay, we were back on the water for one race late in the day on Thursday. John Dane won the race by a good margin in the drifting conditions. Friday came and the RC needed to get two races in for the regatta to event count as a championship. We started the first race at 9 30 in a very light north easterly which shut off just after the finish at around 11am. There were two races in and now no wind and a 3pm drop dead time. We waited and waited and it looked like the NA’s were not going to happen this year. At 230 the sea breeze that we were all expecting for the entire week made an appearance and the sun made a welcomed showing as well. Going into the Final Race, the top 5 were very tight, with Chris Weintjes in the lead, John Dane 2nd, Katie and I were third, Jeff Linton 4th and group very close through 10th. We managed a good start towards the boat end just under John Dane and Chris Weintjes. We were able to work the middle left and round the top mark 4th just behind Jeff Linton and both Chris and John were deep. This opened the door for us to win the regatta if we could pass Jeff and keep enough boats between us and both John and Chris. We sailed a great run to round the gate first and we were able to extend from there and win the final race. We were also able to keep enough boats between us to win the regatta! It was a great result for north as we finished 1,4,5. Top 5:
I asked them a few questions in an interview which is below: Zak – Gary Taylor and I double handed. Gary is my brother-in-law and he just graduated from the US Merchant Marine academy. He has about a month of summer before he starts a year long stint at sea. So I was really glad we could get him out on the water and sail for a week. We've sailed off and on together since about 2002 when he was 14 or 15. Andrew – My teammate was Shelby Friedrichs and it was our first time to sail together, which was a fun challenge. Zak – Gary and I did two full days of BWYC club racing the weeks leading up to the event. We also did some speed testing with Andrew Eagan the Sunday before the regatta. Andrew – Boat Prep was my first priority because my boat needed help. We were sailing club boats, which is always a challenge as they are used everyday for sail camp. Sailing in the Bay was my second focus, especially since it is my home sailing area.
Zak – Stay aggressive. I've caught myself falling into the trap of being too conservative and not trusting my first gut reactions. Which turned into about a two year rut in my performance. I just recently adjusted my mind set to a more aggressive one, especially on starting lines and close mark roundings which has led to much better results so far this year. Andrew – Going over your Scot with an Experience Flying Scot sailor who has been proven to win. This will save you time and help ensure you are going in the right direction. There is no need to re-invent the wheel when trying to get to the top
Zak – We will continue to do weekend club races which will culminate in the 8 boat qualifying series with the top four making the Lipton team. Sailing the NA's this year at BWYC was the best way to practice for the qualifying series and the Liptons. We will have two weeks after the qualifier to test sails, figure out possible crew combos, and figure out which boat to use. Andrew – Have the Lipton Eliminations to find out the top 4 Skippers. Get all 3 boats set up Identical. Go out sailing to test to see what boat performs the best for the Bay Conditions on Labor Day. Sail the boat as much as possible before the Regatta.
Zak – The two biggest reasons are consistency and service. North excels at both. Andrew – It’s a an easy choice for two reasons 1.Customer Service 2. Proven to win.
Flying Scot Sails
Championship Division North 1, 2, 4!!
The regatta started off on Monday, which was the measurement and registration day. Greg and I spent most of the day working with customers and getting our boats ready to race on Monday. The class did a great job to make measurement go smoothly and they worked very hard to make the board measurement as easy as possible. The regatta started on Tuesday and the first race was a very very light air northerly. Kelly Gough with Greg crewing for him lead the race wire to wire to win by a large margin. They were very good at staying in pressure and keeping the boat going fast. Andrew Eagan and I made a nice comeback on the final run to finish the first race fourth. After the first race the breeze died and a nice southwesterly filled in. The race committee set two short races close to shore which made for some shifty, puffy races which kept the fleet close and the scores were all over the place. Ryan Malmgren lead after day one, with Kelly Gough, Harry Carpenter and myself all tied for 2nd 2 pts off the lead. On the way in, Andrew and I were talking about how we did and we both came to the conclusion that the boat did not feel right. We had plenty of speed but not as much point as we would have liked and felt like the boat was not excelerating out of the puffs well. We spent a good hour after racing adjusting the rig to rake the rig back another 1” to get to 28 4 ¾” and have the same shroud tension. Once we made this change the boat came to life and performed just as we had hoped. Day two was another 3 race day, with a nice southeast breeze. Benz Faget hit the right side hard to win his 2nd race of the regatta and we managed to work hard to finish 2nd. Andrew and I were fortunate enough to battle hard and win the final two races to take a 7 point lead into the final two races. There were a few lessons for this day though. #1 stay in the pressure. There were huge changes in pressure and it was imperative to stay in it, especially downwind. #2 While it was important to get right all day, you had to pick and choose your times.. There were too many times when people sailed on a header just to get right. We made big gains, by being patient and waiting for a good port tack angle to work our way to the right side of the course. #3 Work the mainsheet constantly. The boat requires a lot of mainsheet adjustment and those who kept working the sails were very, very fast. Day 3 came around and the weather did not cooperate, so the RC cancelled for the day allowing everyone to enjoy New Orleans. Day 4 There were two races remaining. Andrew and I knew we had a 7 point lead and tried to sail conservatively as possible. We ended the day with a 1-2, and won the regatta by 10 points. There was a nice chop for the first race and we let our speed do the work for us. We were very fast upwind and found that sailing with the vang off and the jib sheet slightly eased for a little power was very fast. I was adjusting the mainsheet through about a 6-8” range depending on how the boat was going and if we were footing or pointing. All I can say is that if you worked the boat, it paid huge dividends. Greg and Kelly finished the day with a 3-3 to finish the regatta in 2nd which allowed North sails to finish 1-2 in the championship division. I want to give a special thanks to Andrew Eagan for sailing with me and for helping with the boat. Thanks also go to Bay Waveland Yacht Club for allowing Andrew and I to borrow the boat for the regatta. Kudos to SYC and especially Larry Taggart for putting on a great event. See everyone at the NA’s in Mississippi! Top 5
Challenger Division: North Sails did really well in the challenger division as well. Letty Eby from Oklahoma won the regatta easily with 7 firsts in 8 races. They were using a North jib. Jim Leggette from Jackson, MS was using his new North Sails for the first time and said “ it turned my old boat into a new boat immediately. I was able to do things I was not able to do before on the course. Thanks for the great sails!”
For complete results, click here. For more information on clinics for your Flying Scot fleet or sails for your boat contact one of our Flying Scot experts! Flying Scot Sails
Great news for North Sails from the Flying Scot NA’s, where North sails were 1,2,6 in the Championship Division and 1 in the Challenger Division! I am happy to report that after an exciting final day of racing, Katie and I defended our title and are the 2009 Flying Scot NA Champs winning on a tie breaker over previous Champ and North Sails customer Kelly Gough. Kelly and I tied with 9 points, beating the 3rd place boat by 12 points . North Sails won 3 out of 4 races in the Championship Division. Brothers Chris and Jon Wright won 3 of 4 races to win the Challenger Division in convincing fashion. Their 23 point margin of victory is one of the largest wins the class has seen in a long time. Chris sailed a great regatta! North Sails also won 4 of the 6 races in the qualifying series. While North Sails did not have the majority in the fleet, we definitely turned heads and people noticed how much faster the sails are! Complete Results - http://www.bhuckaba.com/fssanac For more information on clinics for your Flying Scot fleet or sails for your boat contact one of our Flying Scot experts!
Flying Scot Sails
"Challenge of the Lakes" and NJYRA Regatta -- last Sunday, 6/7/09. The second leg of the 2009 "Challenge of the Lakes" at Spruce Run was EXCEPTIONAL !! SPECIAL THANKS to the folks at HSC, especially to Fleet Captain Dave Stockwell and his wife Sharon for organizing a great "Hot-Dog Lunch" with help from the Fleet # 184 membership -- great salads, fruit, and other goodies !!! Thanks also to Scot sailor Gordon Sell, who is the current Commodore of HSC, for his help and participation in the event. HSC made a tremendous effort to make all Flying Scot sailors feel welcome for the day. When we arrived it looked like the day would be a "drifter" with many frustrated sailors. HOWEVER, the breeze arrived just as the lunch was completed, and it built to 8 - 12, with higher gusts, and with very tricky shifts -- typical Lake sailing !! There were some fine close spinnaker reaches, and some shifty downwind gybing legs, but the races were won, or lost, on the upwind legs -- and in the crowded Mark roundings ! Once again, three different boats won races, but this time one of them also won the Regatta. The shifty conditions also caused some big shifts in scores -- 1 and 9, 2 and 11, 3 and 11, 4 and 12 -- the most consistent boat was Mike Ambrose with 4, 3, 5, which earned Third place overall. Jackie and Bruce Cattanach, long time classy Flying Scot sailors who were visiting from MBC, gained a Third place in the first race, behind HSC hot-shot Gary Nackman who finished Second. The heroes of the first race were Glenn and Dorothy Wesley, of NSC who made "DJ" really fly to a commanding lead and then held on to take the gun -- great sailing. The Mark roundings shuffled the deck almost as well as the shifts on the windward legs in the second and third races, and, as a result, both Gary and Bruce had to count 11's in their final score, and the Wesley's counted a couple of 9's. The normally consistent NSC Team of Greg and Judy Morrison, the winners in the previous event, found the conditions tough -- Greg said they lost their "mojo" -- and they also had equipment problems. The new "Hi-Noone" gained a 6th in the first race, but took a page from the Wesley book to lead the second race almost from start to finish. Bill Foster, of HSC sailing with his daughter Caroline, chased Mike and Brenda and provided some great and very close racing in both the second and third races in which Mike and Bill traded finishes of 1, 2, and 2, 1. Mike Ambrose was a constant challenger for the lead in all races and showed superior spinnaker skills to catch the Noone's in the second race, but Mike N held on to an "inside" position at the rounding and covered very carefully up the next windward leg to stay ahead, but narrowly, at the next Windward Mark. The highlight of the day, as at several recent "C-o-L" regattas was the presence of several GREAT young Flying Scot sailors amongst the Crew -- the future of our Fleets looks bright!! Sam Mandell, who was awarded the "Most Promising Crew" award at NSC in 2008 sailed with his dad Mike, and gained a 4th place in the last race. Mikaila Incantalupo sailed with the Stockwell family in her first Regatta, with Caroline in the Crew, while Andrew Stockwell crewed for Mike Incantalupo and helped him complete his first "C-o-L" Regatta as skipper. Christopher Ambrose was a major factor in the highly competitive sailing of # 4508, and Phil Scheetz took on another young HSC crew to help wrestle the spinnaker on # 4086. Caroline Foster was a dynamite crew for Dad Bill and finished second overall in the Regatta. The full results for the "C-o-L" and the "W-H" Series,will be on the NSC web site soon. The scores in the 2009 "C-o-L" Series are very close, with NSC Teams having the edge so far -- the winners will not be decided until the final two Regattas in August -- be there !! For the first time ever, a Nockamixon Fleet # 163 Team is the NJYRA Champion for 2009, with scores of 6, 1, 2 !! The new "Hi-Noone" was in the groove on Sunday !! For more information on clinics for your Flying Scot fleet or sails for your boat contact one of our Flying Scot experts! Flying Scot Sails
Saturday brought horrible weather with pouring rain and thunderstorms. After about a two hour delay, the fleet headed out and managed to get in one race in a 12-15 knot south breeze before the next line of squalls came in and the RC wisely called it a day. There was plenty of beer and a cook out and everyone enjoyed the post race festivities and camaraderie. Sunday we came to the sailing center to see sunny skies, cool temperatures and a great 12-20 knot, SHIFTY, Northwesterly. The RC did a great job getting 3 races in and the fleet enjoyed a great day on the water. Katie and I used the event as a good tune up for the upcoming NA’s and won the regatta by 2 points over David Neff (owner of Selby Bay Sailing Center and 2nd place at last year’s NA’s) . Mike Miller was 3rd, followed by Jason Werner. This was Jason’s first Flying Scot event. He borrowed my spare boat and raced Scots for the first time. 5th place was District Commodore Hans Noordanus. Top 5:
For more information on clinics for your Flying Scot fleet or sails for your boat contact one of our Flying Scot experts!
Flying Scot Sails
Is there a more suitable name for a low-key sailing club than “Wet Pants Sailing Association”? If so I don’t know what it is. This past weekend I was invited to Sayville, NY to run a Flying Scot Seminar for a great group of 30 Scot sailors on at Wet Pants S.A. in Southern Long Island. The 2 day clinic started at 9am on Saturday morning and we opened the weekend with some on land talks on tuning and sail trim. Saturday afternoon found 13 Flying Scot teams on the water for an afternoon of practice starts, short course racing and a bit of on the water coaching by myself. That evening the fleet hosted a casual cocktail party and barbeque. The evening culminated with a North Sails powerpoint presentation on sail making, sail trim and tuning as well as a video recap of the days on the water sailing. Sunday brought light air and a light rain which afforded the perfect opportunity for an on land crew training session in which we discussed the choreography of tacking, gybing, jib and spinnaker trim and team communication. After 2 hours or so the skies began to clear and the breeze began to build and the teams ventured out again onto the bay for more practice starts and 2 longer races which we videotaped and critiqued (to often racaus laughter) that afternoon. By 5pm the group was exhausted. I was very pleasantly surprised when event organizer John Lubrano presented me with a beautiful table top book on the history of the Americas Cup which was signed with very thoughtful notes by all the participants. It was a very thoughtful and appreciated gesture.
Thanks again to all the participants. We all had a great time and I am looking forward to going back to Sayville but next time I’m going to sail and get my pants wet!! For more information on clinics for your Flying Scot fleet or sails for your boat contact one of our Flying Scot experts!
Flying Scot Sails
The 2009 Early Bird Regatta was held on May 16-17 at Cedar Point Yacht Club in very “spring-like” weather. And by “spring-like” I mean cool, cloudy and rainy on Saturday and breezy, cloudy and COLD on Sunday. The “less than Chamber of Commerce” conditions was certainly a factor in attendance at this years’ event but 11 hearty Flying Scot teams and 8 game Lightning crews splashed their boats and opened the Long Island Sound season. Saturday featured a noon start time and all 19 teams headed out the Saugatuck River to rendezvous of Compo Beach. PRO Dick Thackaberry set up a 8/10 mile beat in a very nice 8-10mph easterly and 5 very fun races were run. In the Lightning Fleet Josh Goldman, the regatta chairperson, had a “career day” winning all 5 races against some very solid competition. In the Scot fleet I was able to coerce Chuck Swenson to sail and we also had a great day winning all 5 races. The fleet landed at the dock by 5pm and we were all able to watch the Preakness Stakes on the giant projection TV at the club. My horse finished dead last! Dinner was exceptional and featured fine wine, cold beer and more food than should be served at a regatta. Lemon chicken, chicken marsala, 2 types of pasta, calamari and spinach salad. The only thing missing was dessert (Good thing Ched wasn’t there!). At 6am Sunday a cold front pressed through and temperatures plummeted and the breeze kicked in registering 20-25+ and the wind chill registering 44 degrees at the CPYC weather station. After PRO Thackaberry announced that “as soon as one boat flips we are calling the races” the Flying Scot teams voted with their feet, decided 5 races was plenty, and packed it up to head home to tackle the ‘honey-dew” list. Meanwhile 7 Lightning teams headed out to do battle in a shift, puffy NNE breeze. Jay Mueller and Alex Ross, sharing helming duties, had the best day on Sunday with a 1,2,1 but Goldmans 2,1,4 kept him easily in 1st place. Jay and Alex were 2nd followed by Tim Milhiser, in his brand new boat, in 3rd. In the Scot fleet Saturday’s results were the final results. We were followed in 2nd by Neil Farrow and Marcia Ryan. In 3rd was John Cooke with his regular crew Robin Hoffman as well as class newcomer, and brand new Scot owner Stu Weinstein. In 4th was the husband/wife team of Rob and Linda Cohen who had 2 very close 2nd place finishes in race 4 and 5 of the series. In the Scot fleet we sailed with the new AP Main, Snug rig jib and the brand new BR-2 spinnaker, with the 2009 panel layout. Our speed throughout the weekend was very good. We often were matched in speed by team Farrow/Ryan as well as Cooke’s team and the Cohen’s (especially in the last two races) but were able to gain a bit near marks and worked very hard to keep our air clear and a lane to leeward so we could foot when we needed. In the Lightning fleet Team Goldman used the M5/5A+/R2 combo as did Team Mueller/Ross. Team Milhiser used the MF2/JF2/Bruin combo. Results for the Flying Scot can be found at: http://www.cedarpointyc.org/FlyingScot/FlyingScotLibraryRaceResults/tabid/123/Default.aspx Results for the Lightning can be found at: http://www.cedarpointyc.org/Lightning/LightningLibraryRaceResults/tabid/130/Default.aspx
North Facts:
For more information on North's super fast Flying Scot sails contact one of our Flying Scot experts! For more information about our fast Lightning sails, contact our Lightning experts!
Flying Scot Sails
Interview by Al Terhune
Katie and Al used the AP Main and Snug jib to win the event and Eduardo Cordero sailed with three and used the LC-1 and snug jib to finish second. Both mainsails looked perfect and performed well and you can see now how matching the sail with the crew weight really works. North's Flying Scot line is the only one that meets the needs of all customers. Brian Hayes and Josh Goldman used the new BR-2 spinnaker and they were flying downwind! The Top Gun school that was run with the help of the North Flying Scot team and it was a big success. It continues to be a big draw and gets sailors to come to the event and to improve and get better. It is a great program and I highly recommend it!
Full Results : http://www.spyc.org/club/scripts/view/view_clubannouncement.asp?pg=PR&GRP=5564&AID=40511&NS=PR&APP=58 For more information on North's super fast Flying Scot sails contact one of our Flying Scot experts!
Flying Scot Sails
Interview by Al Terhune
On November 1st and 2nd the Lake Norman Yacht Club hosted the 10th Annual Fall 48 Regatta. This regatta is gaining popularity every year and is becoming a mainstay on the Flying Scot Calendar. This year the regatta was won by Geoff Spencer, who happens to also be from LNYC. I was able to catch up with Geoff to talk with him about his big win. Geoff, Congrats again on your big win! I guess a great place to start is by telling us about your crew and what did you guys do to prepare for the event? GS: I had an excellent person crewing for me, Carol Claypool. Carol has a very long history in Scots similar to mine, which made it very easy for me. Carol knows Scots inside and out, and is very good at discussing on the water tactics and helping me make the boat go as fast as possible. Fortunately, Carol and I had raced a club series event earlier in the year, and we won all three races, so I knew we could work well together and she was very talented. The one thing we added to our boat and discussed before the races was the use of a Plastimo 101 Compass. I had used a compass years ago, but had not yet updated the boat with that. The compass was a very helpful tool to help us feel confident that we were on lifted tacks, and not just guessing at it. You sailed a very consistent series, what was your teams approach? GS: The air was overall light; so we wanted to focus on good starts, clean air and consistent boat speed. Of course I ended up with a lousy start in the first race, but we were patient and methodical in picking off one boat after another, and got back up to a decent finish. The second race we were able to start well, and stay with the leaders the whole race. We tried to stay towards the middle in clean air, as many others were playing the edges, and got stuck in heavy traffic. The only time we played the edges was when we were approaching the weather mark. When the air is light, the Scot will not point as well as in more moderate conditions, so you need to over stand the mark a little. We were able to pass many boats that were covered in the crowd trying to tack on the normal layline. Patience is critical in light air! The third race on Sunday we were able to get a clean start again, and find clear air and get out with the leaders again, and eventually finish a very close second, enough to win the regatta. How did you tune your rig and set up the sails for the conditions you sail in Lake Norman? GS: I set the sails up using the suggested methods of the North Tuning Guide. It was light, so we were loose, and I tried to keep the boat driving, not worrying about pointing as much as boat speed. I now have the snug rig, which I believe is necessary to deal with Lake Norman’s motor boat waves that used to toss the older loose rigs many of us sailed before. One of the biggest stories in you winning the event was that you won in hull #24, which was built in 1958. Tell us about your boat, as I know the boat is quite special to you and is a touching story. GS: I love to share the story of “Misty”, #24’s name. I grew up sailing on Misty with my father; Dr. George Spencer, Jr. Sailing was something we enjoyed as a family, and my brother George often crewed with dad as well. When I grew older, I eventually bought my own Scot, which I sailed in Orlando, Fl and then at Lake Norman. My parents took Misty with them to Florida when they retired, and we sailed her occasionally. My brother decided he wanted to get Misty and take her back to Connecticut where he lived. Misty was showing her age by then, and the balsa core was in need of repair. He had just started the project when 9/11 occurred, and my brother was one of the many who perished in the World Trade Center that day. After loosing my brother George, I sold my boat, as my heart was no longer in it. He and I had raced together frequently, and had become very close through racing the Scot. After a year’s time had gone by, I decided over a Thanksgiving holiday to drive up to Connecticut, and get Misty. I would bring her back to Lake Norman, and try to rebuild her, and find my way back to racing and enjoying sailing again. After many months of hard work, I did rebuild her, and celebrated by racing her with my father in the NAC’s at Lake Norman in 2003, one of the most satisfying sailing experiences of my life. Misty sailed wonderfully, and she was very competitive. I have been racing her since at Lake Norman, with occasional success. Winning this regatta was the first major win I have had since rebuilding her, and was needless to say, very meaningful to me. LNYC has always been a hotbed of FS Sailing, how is the fleet doing? GS: I think the fleet is doing very well. Thanks to guys like Dave Saferstein who has organized many activities like “Rent a ringer”, where more seasoned sailors help aspiring skippers with speed and tactics. We have a very strong group, and they have all been wonderfully supportive of me as I found my way back to sailing and racing at Lake Norman. What model North Sails do you use and why do you choose to race with North Sails? GS: I have the LC-1 Main, and the snug rig jib, and an older crosscut spinnaker. We have a long history with North. I saved a letter in a scrapbook about Misty where my dad wrote a letter to Peter Barrett, buying our first set of North’s back in 1972! Peter won an Olympic gold in the Star class in ’68 with Lowell North. Peter sailed with us once in Cleveland to help us tune the boat. I sail North’s and suggest them to others because of the great support with tuning guides, sailing clinics and longstanding friendships with great people like Greg Fischer. The sails are always fast, consistent, and durable, and by far the leading choice of most racers I see. What are you upcoming plans for 2009? GS: I would like to get a new North Radial AirX spinnaker, as I have seen great performance, and many people using them and speaking highly of them. Besides that, I just hope to keep on sailing and enjoying #24 as long as I can. Geoff thanks for your time and congrats again on winning the Fall 48! We here at North Sails One Design are very proud to have you a customer!
Flying Scot Sails
Report by Al Terhune 69 Boats descended on Toms River Yacht Club this past week for the 50th Flying Scot North American's. 6 tricky races were sailed over three days on the Barnegat Bay. TRYC did a great job running a first class event. Joe Thorpe, Glenn Schafer and their entire team worked super hard to put on a memorable regatta, both on and off the water. Conditions followed the " it's never like this here" adage, as we sailed in 5-15 knot winds from predominantly Easterly directions, especially for the last two days. I am very excited to report that my wife Katie and I were fortunate enough to sail a very consistent regatta to win our first Flying Scot North American title. We sailed with the new AP main, Snug jib and Radial spinnaker. We had plenty of speed and were able to spend our time focused on the changing conditions, this allowed us to sail very fast and win 3 of the 6 races. Josh Goldman and Brian Hayes also sailed a very consistent series to finish 4th. It was a great week for North as we had 7 of the top 10 boats. North Sails won 5 of the 6 races in the championship series! Also, Longtime North Customer Bill Warner, from Toms River, won the award for the highest placing skipper over the age of 55, placing 8th, his highest finish ever at the NAC's. Top 10
Other trophyes presented to North customers are:
Everyone was very excited about our New AP Main. It is performing well across all conditions. It has caught people's attention for sure, and the results of this regatta are starting to show its speed. For more information on North's new AP Flying Scot main contact one of our Flying Scot experts! Flying Scot Sails
Report by Al Terhune
The Flying Scot Racing was very competitive and North Dominated the event. I was fortunate enough to win the event by 1 point over John Luard of Monmouth Boat Club. Mike Miller from Fishing Bay was third. I was using the new AP Main and we were very fast in all conditions considering our lighter crew weight. John and Mike were both using the LC-1. All of us had the Snug Jib and Radial Spinnaker. Top 3
For more information on North's super fast Flying Scot sails contact one of our Flying Scot experts! Flying Scot Sails
Interview by Greg Fisher ME - Both Marcus and I have sailed for quite some time together, whether it be skipper or crew. We understand what each other's duties are on the water, no matter what position we take. The most important aspect of working together as a team has to be the time in the boat where you can anticipate each other's next move. Its also impressive that you sail at a total of 375lbs ( is that correct?) and were still one of the fastest boats in the breeze. What adjustments did you make that were important? How about your steering in that breezy, lumpy condition? ME -We do sail fairly light crew weightwise, but have found that the Flying Scot can be easily depowered when the wind is on. I believe that, when sailing at this weight, both skipper and crew have to be in good physical shape in order to hike and move aggressively around the boat. Steering and sail trim (in and out) needs to be very aggressive in order to keep the boat on its feet at all times. If you heel over too much, you will slip sideways due to the small centerboard. It also pays huge dividends to set the boat up with proper mast rake and rig tension before starting a windy air race. Sailing conservatively has long been one of your trademark sailing styles. Rarely do you see you guys on a corner. That takes patience for sure...how important do you feel this type of strategy is and how do you maintain it? ME -We believe that you should never get caught out on a corner unless you are absolutely sure that you know what the wind is going to do. It is seldom that we go hard one way or the other. We like to keep our options open and be in a position to take advantage of what happens. That's not to say that you can't leverage a little left or right, but always try to protect yourself from a big number, particularly in a large fleet with no throwouts. With this strategy, your finishes will be more consistent throughout the series. You may not win as many races, but you may also stay away from the big numbers.
Flying Scot Sails Jim Egan is the new Florida District Champion!
For more information on North's 2008 Flying Scot program contact one of our Flying Scot experts! Tor order the fastest Flying Scot sails and have them delivered to your door, click here.
Flying Scot Sails
Report by Greg Fisher
The 2008 Flying Scot Midwinters Championships were hosted by St Petersburg Yacht Club this past week in a wide variety of conditions. Although only 5 of the 10 scheduled races were sailed there was still plenty of great racing. With breezes of 20-25mph all the way down to 5 mph the 59 boat fleet "had it all". When the scores were tallied father/son team of Marc and Marcus Eagan from New Orleans won the event with scores of 1,2,1,3,6. Chris Wientjes, also from New Orleans, was second. Our own Al Terhune with wife Katie was third with consistent scores of 3,3,4,5,5. Al's finishes in the big breeze was certainly respectable as he and Katie were the lightest team in the top 5. Greg and Diane Kampf from Linwood, Mass won the Challenger Division with scores of 8,3,8,1,9. Ron Kiss and Tom Hanley from Rockville, MD were second overall. For complete results, click here. This was the first year for the Flying Scot Class's "top Gun" coaching program. Each morning before the racing a prerace prep was held where weather, boat set-up and boat handling tips were discussed. After the day's races, a roundtable discussion with the fleet's top sailors took place. Top Gun was well received and many new sailors felt a lot of valuable info was shared in the roundtable/video sessions especially. Brian, Al and I were all very much involved with the program, which appears to have a lot of interest for a repeat in 2009. Overall this was a tremendous event for North Sails. 1,3 in the Championship Division and 1,2,3,5 in the Challengers is a great indication of our latest sails performance over a wide range of conditions and crew weights. This Fall we introduced a new main that is considerably flatter than our main of the past several years. There has been a trend towards sailing the boat with 2 people and our new AP main has quickly proven to be spot on. Of the 7 North boats in the top 15, 6 had the new main. Past North American Champs Marc Eagan and Kelly Gough both sailed prototypes of this new main at the North Americans last year and were instrumental in the AP main development. Our last years main certainly has a place as some teams still sail with 3 (and/or weigh above 415 lbs total). The highly competitive Lipton series sailed in the Gulf Yachting Association for example, sails with a minimum weight of 425 so we will continue to offer last years main and it will be affectingly renamed
LC-1 (for Larger Citizens).
We are also working on a newer jib, slightly flatter than the popular Snug Rig jib.
2008 looks great for our Flying Scot program! Tor order the fastest Flying Scot sails and have them delivered to your door, click here.
Flying Scot Sails
Report by Allan Terhune This past weekend Davis Island Yacht Club hosted the Flying Scot Midwinter Warm-up regatta. The host fleet did a great job of accommodating the 31 boat fleet as they all prepared for the upcoming Midwinter regatta at St. Pete that starts on Monday. The regatta was loaded with professionals and sail makers, including Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, Jeff Linton. North Sails performed well in the 3 race regatta, that was sailed in 0-10 knots of breeze. I was fortunate to win the event with North Sails Customer Fred Strammer coming in 5th place. The regatta was also the final leg of the 6 regatta Florida Circuit. North Sails Dominated the circuit finishing 1,2,3!!
Top 3
 1. Jim Egan 2. Fred Strammer 3. Ron Pletsch It was a good weekend, we are all off to St. Pete for the Midwinter regatta which starts Monday afternoon.
For more information on Flying Scot Sails contact one of our Flying Scot experts! Flying Scot Sails
Report by Greg Fisher Last weekend Fred Strammer,with his Dad as crew, dominated the Florida Flying Scot districts with 5 firsts! Here's what Fred had to say: "Just to keep you updated, my dad and I won the Florida District regatta this past weekend in Jensen Beach. The sails worked masterfully in the 5-15 mph range we had throughout the weekend." The link to the scores: http://www.usscmc.org/files/Flying%20Scot%20Final%20Score.htm Fred had become a great North supporter having won the Lightning Junior NAS with North Sails this summer. He's a Freshman at Brown University and certainly will be a top collegiate sailor too. Congratulations Fred! For more information on Flying Scot Sails contact one of our Flying Scot experts!
Flying Scot Sails
Report by Allan Terhune The Flying Scot ACC's were sailed this past weekend at Toms River Yacht Club in NJ. 29 boats sailed the 5 race event with very shifty winds ranging from 5-15 knots. Consistency was the key to this event as every boat had at least one race outside the top ten. My wife and I were fortunate enough to recover from a tough first race to win the event by 5 points over Dan Neff and his wife Christine. Ralf and Christine Coffill from Long Island were third and Flying Scot builder Harry Carpenter with Carrie Carpenter and Melanie Dunham were fourth. We held a very good post race clinic on Saturday that went on for over an hour at the keg. Many of the competitors asked questions and picked the "hot shots" brains for about an hour.
Toms River did a great job hosting the event, which is a good warm up for the North Americans which will be held there next July. The ACC's in 2008 will be held in Selby Bay, MD in September.
Top Ten
1. Allan Terhune, Jr. - North Main, Snug Rig Jib and Radial Spinnaker 2. Dan Neff - North Main, North Snug Jib 3. Ralf Coffill - North Main, North Tight Jig, North Cross Cut Spinnaker 4. Harry Carpenter 5. Dave Neff 6. Hans Noordanus 7. John Luard, North Main, Loose Jib and Radial Spinnaker 8. Mark Beaton 9. Hugh Haggerty - North Loose Jib, North Cross Cut Spinnaker 10. Dan Vought - North Main, Snug Jib and Radial Spinnaker.For more information on Flying Scot Sails contact one of our Flying Scot experts!
Flying Scot Sails
Report by Allan Terhune This past weekend there was a 3-class regatta in Toms River, New Jersey. Flying Scots, E-Scows and Ensigns were racing, with Scots and Scows getting ready for their respective Nationals this month, and the Ensigns preparing for their Nationals which will be in Toms River this August. The conditions were perfect with 10-18 on Saturday and 6-12 on Sunday. It was a good tune up for all and a great regatta for North Sails. Flying Scot For more information about the Toms River Tune Up regatta don't hesitate to contact Al Terhune!
Flying Scot Sails This past weekend we had a clinic at Fishing Bay Yacht Club, site of the upcoming 2007 Flying Scot NAS, in Deltaville, Va. It was a great bunch with 20 boats at times on the water and racing. We did an "around the boat" discussion for about an hour Saturday morning where we talked primarily about gear changing and sailing in big breeze. This was particularly apropos as the breeze was up near 18mph and higher when the fleet hit the water.
Thanks for all the hospitality to the members of the FBYC Scot fleet and especially Mike Miller who drove me around all day in the power boat and organized the entire seminar! Also thanks to Jon Deutsch ( www.jdeutsch.com) for the pictures. COOL! To watch the video of the clinic, click here. Note that it's a 25MB file. You will need Windows Media Player to see it. High speed Internet connection is recommended. Have a clinic organized for your fleet at your Yacht Club! Click here form more information on North's successful Racing Clinics.
For more information on Flying Scot sails, contact the North Flying Scot experts. |
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Ron Kiss and his crew Tom Hanley, from Lavallette Yacht Club in New Jersey, sailed an awesome series at this year’s Flying Scot Midwinters to win the Challenger Series (even with a mishap or 2). We asked Ron if he’d share some of his secrets and thoughts on the event.
I saw 1 boat flipped over all week and it turns out it was you! What happened and how do you flip and still win the regatta?!
We couldn’t be happier than when our customers do well. With so many choices why do you choose North Sails for your Flying Scot?
What are your sailing plans for this summer? 
The Flying Scot North Americans were hosted two weeks ago by Bay Waveland Yacht Club. BWYC is on Bay St Louis which is on the Southwest Coast of Mississippi. There was a worry that the regatta would not happen due to the oil spill in the gulf, but Bay St. Louis remained clean and over 50 boats were able to enjoy the beautiful venue. BWYC has a fantastic club house that was rebuilt after Katrina. It was amazing to me how much of the area was still undeveloped since Katrina about 5 years ago.
Another great success story for North Sails is that Bay Waveland Yacht Club won the award for the top finishing fleet. This is scored by totaling the points for the top 3 boats in each fleet. BWYC boats all used North Sails, and they are the defending GYA Lipton Cup Champs. Congrats to Andrew Eagan, Zak Fanburg and Randy Santa Cruz! They finished 4th and 5th in the regatta and both are past US Sailing Mallory Cup Champions…
The Flying Scot Midwinters were held last week at Southern Yacht Club in New Orleans. For those of you who have not been there, the new club house for SYC is quite impressive. It is functional, yet very classy and upscale. They did a great job rebuilding the club. 
This past weekend, the Selby Bay Sailing Center and Flying Scot Fleet 42 in Edgewater, MD hosting the annual Summer Solstice Regatta. 27 boats attended the event the two day event. 
The 2009 Flying Scot Midwinters were hosted at the St. Pete Yacht Club. Attendance was down as expected, but the sailing was fantastic. The Flying Scot class is very diverse with boats at the regatta with at least 8 or 9 different brands of sails represented. North Sails did very well powering the 1st and 2nd places, proving one more time that when performance matters, North is the only way to go.
This past weekend the Toms River Yacht Club hosted the Jeff Lines Memorial Regatta for the Flying Scots and The Toms River Tune Up for the E-Scows. The Flying Scots were able to use this regatta as a warm up for the North Americans, which will be in Toms River in July .The E-Scow fleet were out with their new A-Sails working on their techniques as their nationals are coming up in a few weeks in New York. 
We then videoed the 4 races of the Piankatank Regatta that were sailed that afternoon. It was a perfect day as it was quite shifty, and obviously breezy...so we got lots of footage of sailing in the tricky conditions. When the racing was over it was Hans Noordanous who won the day and with North Sails.
After the hour long video review the gang had a great dinner.
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