Hawaii Yacht Club ~ Rear Commodore, Sail, June, 2012

WOW! What a ride! The Lipton Cup regatta was exciting, suspenseful, challenging and everything we could hope for. Those of you who want to know who won now rather than reading the whole story. . . Ikaika successfully defended the challenge and the Lipton Cup will remain another year in our trophy case. The trophy is in the makai end of the trophy case under a plexiglass case. Congratulations to Tony Miller, and the exceptional crew of Ikaika!

Needless to say, it was a challenging series setting deep water marks with strong currents and strong winds, it was definitely a regatta requiring experience and knowledge from all those who participated. The regatta is akin to a mini-America's Cup, each club sends their best boat, crew and skipper to challenge the defending club.

I want thank Bob Stephenson for acting as PRO for this important event, he was professional and experienced and managed a series to be proud of. I also want to thank the unsung heros, the race committee and all the power boats needed to run it.
Sundancer with Hal and Tish Rainwater, Dan Marvel and Rick Pelton and even though you weren't here, David Thomas, Puhi with Monte Opperman, Kawika Warren, Mikey Bullington and Al Bento, Fountainhead with Mark Olson, Bob Hinman and Ed Zehr setting marks and PJ Value taking photographs during the whole series, Triple 777 with Dylan Rainwater, Ailana Warren and Christina Peters who had to move concrete blocks from boat to boat when we had to reset a mark.

And on shore, Rita Marvel kept the race committee and people at HYC informed, setting up and breaking down the tables for the banquet. Pam Martin, we loved your cookies and brownies and to everyone else who offered to help.

Additionally, I want to thank West Marine for sponsoring a portion of the event by contributing to a delicious banquet of prime rib and mahi mahi provided by our exceptional galley and having Susan Lynch of West present gift certificates to all the skippers.

Although the results seem to favor the Oahu clubs this year, talks with the neighbor island yachtsmen give me a feeling that next year Team Ikaika will need to get that game face on early and be ready for some fierce competition. I hope our visitors enjoyed our lovely club as much as we enjoyed their presence.

The results are listed below.

Don't forget - Friday Night Races start and end inside so you have the same view as the race committee. The galley gives all proceeds for the Friday Night Burgers to either the Sailing, Fishing or Junior programs depending on who is cooking, so come down for the races and eat either a delicious dinner upstairs or a barbecued burger or hot link downstairs.

Aloha,

Marty Loo

April, 2012

There is no way to sugar coat the first race of the season for the HYRA Seasons Points, it was our annual Kokohead Race. After several months off, the racers were anxious to get this year into full swing. Winds prior to the February 25th race had been fierce and a fast race was anticipated. Unfortunately, the winds came in as a lamb and the race became one of endurance. With 0 to 3 knots of wind when the first flag dropped, the 12 boats entered had a less than spectacular start. After an hour of racing the boats had not yet reached Diamond Head and the race committee boat headed for shore.

The course was a single rounding of the mark located near the old Kaiser Estate boat channel for the Class B and twice around for Class A boats. The winds picked up a bit in the later afternoon enabling the 3 remaining Class A boats to have a bit of a challenge. Of the Class B boats only 2 remained in the race.

The results are as follows:

Class A - 1) CaZan 2) Locomotion and 3) Heartbeat
Class B - 1) Whisper 2) Addition

A bar-be-cue and awards presentation followed in the HYC lower area and the racers had an opportunity to commiserate with one another.

The Pokai Race scheduled for March 10 & 11 came in as a lion. The course was Ala Wai, to Diamond Head with a finish off Nanakuli. Anticipation was high and Class C boats decided to join in so they could also be at Pokai that night. Unfortunately, gale force winds in the channels prevented the start of the race and it was postponed. The race has been rescheduled for March 24 & 25. Results will be on the web and in the May bulletin.

Next up is Rabbit Island scheduled for April 7th. The race is from Ala Wai around Rabbit Island and back and it is always an exciting one. April 28th is the Spring Regatta which is the precursor to the Lipton Cup Challenge.

Mahalo to Barbara & Howie Mednick for starting the Koko Head Race and Mark Olsen for being the mark boat in Hawaii Kai. A special thanks to Dan and Rita Marvel for all their help on the committee boat, the finish line and the barbecue that followed. Those wishing to get involved, please let me know as your help and support is always needed and always appreciated.

LIPTON CUP DEFENSE - LET'S ALL GET INVOLVED! HYC must prepare for the defense for the Lipton Cup trophy. The five race event will be held May 5 and 6 with a trophy presentation and banquet held on May 6th. This trophy is extremely prestigious and the club who holds it is revered. Let's all get in there to help Team Ikaika defend the cup.

Challengers are invited to moor their yachts at HYC for the week prior to the Cup challenge and the week after. This will also give our members an opportunity to meet and talk with the skippers, crews and support staff of each boat. Let's show everyone how we spread aloha the Hawaii Yacht Club way.

A Pasta Dinner will be held on Sunday April 29th from 6:00 to 8:30 to raise funds for this event. Tickets for the event will be on sale in the office, galley and with me starting March 31st through April 15th. Cost for the dinner is $13.50 which includes meat sauced pasta, garlic bread and Caesar salad (a veggie pasta dish will also be available). There will be a dessert selection for purchase to finish off your meal and the bar will be offering a pitcher of Miller for $7.00 or $1.00 off on a bottle of red wine for the night.

Mahalo.

March, 2012

Between Opening Day and Valentine's Day, it's difficult to decide which you want more (if you're a racer). Hawaii Yacht Club and Waikiki Yacht Club shared the date of February 11 to bless the boats and hold a fun race. After the blessing, WYC held a three race course depending on boat size and the afternoon was spent with spectators on the Red Dolphin watching the races and racers joining them for the after party on board the RD.

HYC and WYC were supposed to hold a friendly "small boat" challenge after the race. One skipper from each club manning a Topper in a short offshore race to see which club would take home the newly coveted Opening Day Beer Can Challenge Cup and which club would have their commodore 'walk' the plank. Unfortunately, the winds did not cooperate and the event was not held. The idea is a good one so we may try to do this next year.

Results of the Opening Day Beer Can Bash were:
Class A - 1) CaZan; 2) Heartbeat; 3) Stardust; 4) Gerontius; 5) Fin; 6) Locomotion
Class B - 1) Ikaika; 2) Meltemi; 3) Addiction
Class C - 1) La Mer; 2) Wasabi; 3) Hazana; 4) Hana Hou; 5) Anklebiter
Multis - 1) Epic; 2) Bobsled

The first Hawaii Yacht Club / Hawaii Yacht Racing Association (HYRA) Season's Points race of the season is the annual Kokohead Race scheduled for February 25. This race goes from the Ala Wai to a mark near Kokohead to Diamond Head and back to Kokohead before it finishes off the Ala Wai. Results will be in next month's bulletin.

The next season point race is Pokai Bay and the Return. We have decided to reward our lovely Pokai Perpetual Trophy this coming fall so all HYC boats wishing to get your name on the trophy get ready to bring it on. The boats race from the Ala Wai, up to Diamond Head with a spinnaker past Barber's Point to finish just before Maile. This race will be held on March 10 and 11 and may have boats from the Kaneohe Yacht Club joining HYC and WYC on our return.

HYC's Friday Night Races continue in full force despite a race where all but two boats opted out for a no wind race one Friday, check out the board for the current leaders.

Let's all get involved! HYC must prepare for the defense for the Lipton Cup trophy. The event will be held May 5 and 6 with a 3 race series. This trophy is extremely prestigious and the club who holds it is revered. Let's all get in there to help HYC defend the cup. Two fund raisers will be held in March and April and a kitty will be placed on the downstairs bar Monday nights. Watch for email blasts and posters, this is a time to help our club shine and help our team compete.

Mahalo for all your help and support, it is always needed.

Marty Loo

Hawaii Yacht Club
Rear Commodore for Sail

February, 2012

Winter never seems as long when you live in Hawaii. While other sailors are sitting by the fire, we are having our Friday Night Races - and we had our first race of the season last month. On January 21, we held our Mid Winter "Fun" Race. This was a short race starting in front of the Ala Wai, going to Diamond Head, Honolulu and return to a finish in front of the Ala Wai entrance. The only catch was a man overboard drill that the racers were required to throw a floating object into the water and circle around to retrieve it after they started and before they finished. After the race was finished, the racers were invited back to HYC for food and a no host bar. Since this race was an opportunity to 'get the kinks out' and the race committee had a few of their own, it was decided that no awards would be presented but race stories, good food and drink were shared by all. As an added treat the entertainment was Daphne and many of the racers stayed to listen in.

Friday Night, January 13 proved to be a different start, instead of a weather leg to Diamond Head the boats had the wind in a direction that allowed many of the boats to have a spinnaker start. Out of the 27 participants, Hawaii Yacht Club had 4 of the top 7 finishers. They were: Ikaika (1), Meltemi (2), Boomerang (6) and Whisper(7).

Next on our schedule are the Opening Day festivities with a race put on by Waikiki Yacht Club. Opening Day is scheduled for February 11. HYC's first official season's point race of the season is our annual Koko Head Race which will be held on February 25, 2012. This race is always interesting as the boats head for a mark set in the Maunalua Bay near Hawaii Kai. Since the racers have to go to that mark, back to Diamond Head and the larger boats return to the Koko Head mark before they finish, those not racing will have several vantage points to see our boats rounding the marks.

In the near future we will be having a skipper's meeting for the Friday Night Race participants. This will give us an opportunity to update contact information and have them join in the discussion about potential changes in the FNR starts and awards. I am hoping to get in touch with all FNR race skippers to have a skipper's meeting in late February for changes commencing in April.

March 10 & 11 is a return to Pokai Bay. More details will be available as the date gets closer.

Rabbit Island Race is scheduled for Saturday, April 7 and the Spring Regatta is on April 21.

Anyone interested in volunteering for the race committee please let me know. This is an exciting place to help out and also be on the front line.

January, 2012

ALOHA SAILORS

January is upon us and it's time to get thinking about the new race season.

Friday night raceing is in full force and I am planning to hold a Friday Night Racers Skippers Meeting this month.

I will be leaving notification on all boats that have raced more than twice last season and notification shall be sent and posted by HYC and WYC club advising them of the time and date. If you are planning to join the races please look online or on the club bulletin boards for the time and date if a notification is not on your boat (due to inability to access your boat).

This year Opening Day is scheduled for February 11 with beer can races offshore following the Opening Day ceremonies.

Our first race of the season is on February 19. The race will be our annual Koko Head Race and notices will be going out this month. There will be more information about this race and post race activities in the February bulletin so stand by.

Prior to the start of the season I am holding a Tune Up Race for everyone to shake out those cobwebs and get a line on what their crews are doing.

I also want our Race Committee to be on board and ready to go. This race will be held on Saturday, January 21 with either a windward leeward course or a modified triangle. Good races for some photo ops too. After the race the barbecue will be ready to go and we can start sharing our race stories for this season.

Once again, I want to thank everyone who voted for me. This year HYC is going to put on some great races and Friday nights will start being a lot more interesting with the advent of boat introductions and announced winners. Basin starts may be right around the corner too.

Marty Loo