Ahoy sailors!
I wanted to wrap up all the information about this weekend’s Ice Breaker regatta in a single post, with notes about racing, social activists, the red flag fire warning, and some info aimed at class members.
Racing Notes
Here’s the missive from Brie Busy, our Racing Vice Commodore:
Greetings Sailors!
Brie Busey
It’s time for our first big regatta of the season; the Ice Breaker Regatta! I hope everyone is excited to get out on the water this weekend.
Our first race will be starting at 1:00 PM on Saturday, and we are shooting for a 3 to 5 race series this year, weather permitting. The current forecast is for the high 70s and sunshine so make sure to bring sunscreen and swimsuits. The first race on Sunday will be set for 10:00 AM. When you arrive on Saturday, please check in with the Race Administrator to register your boat for the regatta.
We look forward to seeing racers of all levels on the racecourse!
The race instructions are attached to this post as a PDF document. And if you’re new to racing at the club, it is good to realize that the wind dictates actual racing time. When Brie says that we’re starting at 1:00 PM on Saturday, that means that crews should have boats in the water and be ready to race if we have enough wind. In actual practice, winds in the afternoon at Big Lake are frequently too light for racing. That means we might need to wait until the evening fill (usually around 5:30 or 6:00 PM) to start.
New sailors are very much encouraged to join us on the racecourse. The Open Fleet, in particular, is very welcoming to novice sailors, and the club boats are available for this purpose.
Social Notes
You don’t need to race to join us for the Ice Breaker Regatta! Any ASC “regatta” is just a chance for sailors to enjoy a semi-organized weekend at the club that also happens to include a racing option for those interested.
Our regattas always include a member potluck on Saturdays. We usually try to have the potluck as an evening event, but on light wind days, we’ll sometimes have the potlucks earlier if we need to move racing to the evening. Here’s a link to a Google Sheet if you want to let others know what you’re planning to bring:
Feel free to bring lawn games, board games, or cards. We also frequently have music jam sessions, so musicians are encouraged to bring their instruments! Swimming, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboards are always popular, but the water is still quite cold, so swimming sessions will probably be short!
We’ll also probably do a bit of sunset sailing on the ASC’s Ensign 22.
Red Flag Fire Warning
The National Weather Service has issued a red flag fire warning for Southcentral AK due to the hot, dry, and windy conditions. For this reason, we will not have our usual evening fire. (Using the stove in the sauna is still permitted.)
Notes for Class Members
We encourage 2022 class members to join us for this weekend’s festivities! The Ice Breaker is a great way to meet new members and get started with sailing. You might even be able to find a crew position on one of the boats, and you can certainly join us for some sunset sailing on the Ensign.
Or you can just hang out, join the potluck, and spend time with fun people in a beautiful place!
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