So it turns out that one of Jeff's friends from the car rallying world is also a sailor! Mika Lepisto runs a blog called Sailing Heaven, dedicated to helping people get started with sailing.
We'll be sending him updates as we get ready to go and from the water as we race. Sailing Heaven also has a great list of sailing blogs to set you on course.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
First Sail With The Crew
Last Friday, we got almost the whole crew together. Jack Rackliffe had been called away by work, so the remaining four of us set forth with Rhiannon's sailmaker to test our new sail and begin to understand how we will work together on the race.
You can check out the whole image gallery from the sailing trip here.
Luckily, our boxes of gear from our main sponsor, Columbia Sportswear, had arrived during the week and we were able to test out some of our fair weather gear, like the sun hat Stacy's wearing. We decided to place the Columbia logos prominently on either side of our main boom.
The new sail is a modified Spinnaker, which due to the arcane race rules does not count as a true Spinnaker, so we remain in the "Cruiser-Racer" class. It's a colorful sail, and I'm hoping to find a way to get some photos of Rhiannon under full sail during the trip. It will likely involve a short hop on another boat, or at least a run alongside in the Zodiac.
After our test sail, we got the whole crew together on Saturday for a fantastic meal cooked aboard ship - if we can keep up that level of cuisine, nobody's losing any weight on this trip!
Along with the sail testing, we spent the weekend mounting and wiring up two solar panels to help keep the batteries charged, and two safety floodlights for working at night, outdoor speakers for our listening pleasure, and generally doing a bunch of stowage planning for the trip.
During our test-run, we identified several items that we want to modify before the race, so the to-do list isn't yet getting any shorter. With just a shade over two months until we shove off, good planning and hard work are essential!
Just as happened with the Alcan Rally last February, as we make definite plans and prepare for the journey, it all becomes more real each day.
You can check out the whole image gallery from the sailing trip here.
Luckily, our boxes of gear from our main sponsor, Columbia Sportswear, had arrived during the week and we were able to test out some of our fair weather gear, like the sun hat Stacy's wearing. We decided to place the Columbia logos prominently on either side of our main boom.
The new sail is a modified Spinnaker, which due to the arcane race rules does not count as a true Spinnaker, so we remain in the "Cruiser-Racer" class. It's a colorful sail, and I'm hoping to find a way to get some photos of Rhiannon under full sail during the trip. It will likely involve a short hop on another boat, or at least a run alongside in the Zodiac.
After our test sail, we got the whole crew together on Saturday for a fantastic meal cooked aboard ship - if we can keep up that level of cuisine, nobody's losing any weight on this trip!
Along with the sail testing, we spent the weekend mounting and wiring up two solar panels to help keep the batteries charged, and two safety floodlights for working at night, outdoor speakers for our listening pleasure, and generally doing a bunch of stowage planning for the trip.
During our test-run, we identified several items that we want to modify before the race, so the to-do list isn't yet getting any shorter. With just a shade over two months until we shove off, good planning and hard work are essential!
Just as happened with the Alcan Rally last February, as we make definite plans and prepare for the journey, it all becomes more real each day.
 |
| Test Sail Image Gallery - November 21, 2008 |
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Reflections from PV Seminar #1
The first seminar reviewed the history of the race (it’s the oldest continuously run race on the west coast), the format for this year (four legs), and introduced us to some things we can do as soon as the race ends (hey, no need to rush back to LA? Consider all the wonderful local anchorages).
We got a short course on anchoring in the local conditions (bow and aft anchors are a good idea) and the importance of protecting against line-chafe.
Some interesting safety notes I learned:
As I look over my “things to do” list that grows as quickly as it shrinks I’m wondering which of these tasks can I live without since I doubt everything will get done… but then, that’s what cruising is all about!
We got a short course on anchoring in the local conditions (bow and aft anchors are a good idea) and the importance of protecting against line-chafe.
Some interesting safety notes I learned:
- We will be escorted (using radar) by the Mexican Navy
- We will be in daily communication with our DRYC escorts by radio
- If we are going slower than 4 knots we can use our engine (just follow the reporting requirements we’ll learn soon)
- We can communicate about local happenings through the radio net, channel 22.
- In case of emergencies we can get back to Los Angeles from each of the stops along the way.
As I look over my “things to do” list that grows as quickly as it shrinks I’m wondering which of these tasks can I live without since I doubt everything will get done… but then, that’s what cruising is all about!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Our new traveler
After years of putting up with our squeaky traveler that didn’t like to travel, we decided we should upgrade to Garhauer, affectionately known as “boat jewelry.”
Before we could install a new traveler, the great task ahead was to remove the original so that a new one with matching through-bolt holes could be manufactured. After a few days over the course of a few months in which we tried all the tools we had to get the 8” bolts out of the traveler and deck, we realized we didn’t have the right tools to dislodge the bent bolts. David Santangelo came with grinders and crowbars to do the job. I guess brute strength works if finesse takes too long.
Garhauer made a beautiful new traveler and delivered it to Rhiannon. We were all set to install it, which required that we remove pieces carefully. Just as the cockpit filled with ball bearings we saw that red warning sticker not to remove the center slider. David took the traveler back, adjusted the size of the holes so our bolts would fit more easily and returned it for a second try.
While we’re sure the holes fit those of the previous traveler, they didn’t quite fit the wood it was mounted to. Undaunted, we went to our neighborhood hardware store for an extra long drill bit and forged ahead with the adage that all ills could be covered with properly applied caulking.
We got the track onto the boat with minimal trouble. When we went to reassemble the end caps, we realized that the holes for the line wheels were a smaller diameter than the other track holes. We removed the wheels to see if we could enlarge them and through-bolt the ends of the track in place when we heard the familiar sound of ball bearings rolling across the deck. We reassembled the pieces by flashlight and even though there were left over bearings, the traveler seemed to work.
The proof was in our sail to Catalina this weekend. Nightmares about ball bearings aside, she worked like a champ, gliding effortlessly and without a squeak. I’m sure we’ll get replacement wheels so we can finish off the project!
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Welcome to our Story
We're the Jolly Roving Tarrs - the crew of the sailboat Rhiannon on the 2009 Puerto Vallarta race, to be held January 31 to February 14, 2009. Forty fast sailboats will race from Marina Del Rey (near Los Angeles, California) to Puerto Vallarta on the Pacific coast of Mexico. The race is sanctioned by the Del Rey Yacht Club.
The race is divided into four separate legs. A boat can win its class in any of the four legs, and can win the race overall. The overall class winners will be determined not by accumulated time but by combined finishing positions in the four legs, as in a regatta. Entries are divided into spinnaker “performance” boats and non-spinnaker “racer-cruisers.”
Rhiannon is a 1978 Kelly-Peterson 44 moderate-displacement cutter, captained by owner Bill Tarr and crewed by Stacy Tarr, Kerry Rackliffe, Jack Rackliffe, and Jeff Zurschmeide. Rhiannon races in the non-spinnaker class.
The race is divided into four separate legs. A boat can win its class in any of the four legs, and can win the race overall. The overall class winners will be determined not by accumulated time but by combined finishing positions in the four legs, as in a regatta. Entries are divided into spinnaker “performance” boats and non-spinnaker “racer-cruisers.”
Rhiannon is a 1978 Kelly-Peterson 44 moderate-displacement cutter, captained by owner Bill Tarr and crewed by Stacy Tarr, Kerry Rackliffe, Jack Rackliffe, and Jeff Zurschmeide. Rhiannon races in the non-spinnaker class.
Meet Rhiannon's Crew
Our goal is to win as many of the individual leg races as possible, and with those wins claim the class win for the entire Puerto Vallarta race. Our team includes five members:
Captain Bill Tarr – Bill began class racing in college on Catalina 15 and Ghost 13 sailboats, racing against UCLA and other Southern California colleges. He later served as Commodore of the California State University Sailing Club and was awarded their “Bluewater Skipper” rating as he moved up to larger boats. As crew and watch captain on a Baltic 38 sloop, he has raced in the Newport to Ensenada and Marina del Rey to San Diego ocean races, winning the San Diego race in their Division.
Bill and his wife Stacy have lived and cruised on their 44 foot cutter Rhiannon for the past 11 years in Southern California and Mexico and have cruised in both Tahiti (2005) and Fiji (2007). Bill is employed by the Los Angeles Unified School District as an administrator.
Stacy Sinclair-Tarr – Stacy began sailing 12 years ago and together with her husband Bill, purchased and re-fitted their 44 foot cutter-rigged sailboat Rhiannon. She has crewed on non-stop sailboat deliveries from Seattle to Los Angeles and Marina del Rey to Ensenada. As a Flag member of the Del Rey Yacht Club (the sponsoring club for the 2009 Puerto Vallarta Race) she has been active in the club’s Race Committee, starting and finishing both long and short distance races. She has cruised with her husband Bill in Southern California, Mexico, Tahiti and Fiji.
Stacy is an independent education consultant to corporations and public school districts. She lives with Bill on Rhiannon.
Kerry Rackliffe – Kerry has been sailing since her dad put her in the forepeak of a 110 when she was six months old – so that Daddy-O could babysit and race with his sailing buddies at the same time! Since then she has owned four boats and sailed extensively in Chesapeake Bay, the Caribbean, San Francisco Bay and Southern California. Her 9,000 mile off-shore experience includes a Panama Canal transit.
She has been sailing with Jack Rackliffe for 19 years.
Jack Rackliffe – Jack was brought up as a power boater, but realized he couldn’t afford fuel for a power boat after graduating from college. He bought a Sailfish and taught himself to sail off of Cape Cod.
An ocean engineering career brought him to Southern California where he single-handed an Islander 30 before meeting the two loves of his life, Kerry and their Peterson 44, Mamouna.
Jack and Kerry reside in Marina Del Rey, California.
Jeff Zurschmeide – Jeff is a novice in the world of sailing, but has extensive experience in endurance automobile racing and extreme adventure rallying. He’s looking forward to a steep learning curve as the junior member of Rhiannon’s crew and he cheerfully responds to his onboard nickname, "Little Buddy."
Jeff resides in Tualatin, Oregon, and makes his living as an adventure and automotive journalist. His work appears regularly in Forever MX-5, SportsCar and Subiesport magazines and the Portland Tribune newspaper. Additionally, his writing and photos have been published in Sticks & Stones Outdoor Adventures, Auto News of the Americas, Grassroots Motorsports, AutoExec, Victory Lane, MC2 and several other magazines, and many online outlets.
Captain Bill Tarr – Bill began class racing in college on Catalina 15 and Ghost 13 sailboats, racing against UCLA and other Southern California colleges. He later served as Commodore of the California State University Sailing Club and was awarded their “Bluewater Skipper” rating as he moved up to larger boats. As crew and watch captain on a Baltic 38 sloop, he has raced in the Newport to Ensenada and Marina del Rey to San Diego ocean races, winning the San Diego race in their Division.Bill and his wife Stacy have lived and cruised on their 44 foot cutter Rhiannon for the past 11 years in Southern California and Mexico and have cruised in both Tahiti (2005) and Fiji (2007). Bill is employed by the Los Angeles Unified School District as an administrator.
Stacy Sinclair-Tarr – Stacy began sailing 12 years ago and together with her husband Bill, purchased and re-fitted their 44 foot cutter-rigged sailboat Rhiannon. She has crewed on non-stop sailboat deliveries from Seattle to Los Angeles and Marina del Rey to Ensenada. As a Flag member of the Del Rey Yacht Club (the sponsoring club for the 2009 Puerto Vallarta Race) she has been active in the club’s Race Committee, starting and finishing both long and short distance races. She has cruised with her husband Bill in Southern California, Mexico, Tahiti and Fiji.Stacy is an independent education consultant to corporations and public school districts. She lives with Bill on Rhiannon.
Kerry Rackliffe – Kerry has been sailing since her dad put her in the forepeak of a 110 when she was six months old – so that Daddy-O could babysit and race with his sailing buddies at the same time! Since then she has owned four boats and sailed extensively in Chesapeake Bay, the Caribbean, San Francisco Bay and Southern California. Her 9,000 mile off-shore experience includes a Panama Canal transit.She has been sailing with Jack Rackliffe for 19 years.
Jack Rackliffe – Jack was brought up as a power boater, but realized he couldn’t afford fuel for a power boat after graduating from college. He bought a Sailfish and taught himself to sail off of Cape Cod.An ocean engineering career brought him to Southern California where he single-handed an Islander 30 before meeting the two loves of his life, Kerry and their Peterson 44, Mamouna.
Jack and Kerry reside in Marina Del Rey, California.
Jeff Zurschmeide – Jeff is a novice in the world of sailing, but has extensive experience in endurance automobile racing and extreme adventure rallying. He’s looking forward to a steep learning curve as the junior member of Rhiannon’s crew and he cheerfully responds to his onboard nickname, "Little Buddy."Jeff resides in Tualatin, Oregon, and makes his living as an adventure and automotive journalist. His work appears regularly in Forever MX-5, SportsCar and Subiesport magazines and the Portland Tribune newspaper. Additionally, his writing and photos have been published in Sticks & Stones Outdoor Adventures, Auto News of the Americas, Grassroots Motorsports, AutoExec, Victory Lane, MC2 and several other magazines, and many online outlets.
About the PV09 Race
In 1966, several skippers from the Del Rey Yacht Club decided to establish a sailboat race to Mexico that ended at Puerto Vallarta in the splendid shadow of Banderas Bay. “The course to Puerto Vallarta is a skipper’s dream and a challenge to his navigation. There is an ocean to sail, a cape to pass, a sea to traverse, islands to skirt and a bay to glide into,” said race founder Gerry Blankfort.
Over the past 40 years, this event has evolved into one of the most recognized sailboat races in the world, bringing together hundreds of sailors. The race attracts some of the most famous blue water racers in the world. Such well-known yachts as Ticonderoga, Windward Passage, Ragtime, Sorcery, and Roy Disney’s Pyewacket take turns vying for the elusive elapsed time record. In 2007, Doug Baker broke a twenty year old standard by skippering the Magnitude 80 to victory in 3 days, 15 hours, 51 minutes and 39 seconds.
The Puerto Vallarta race now includes both spinnaker and non-spinnaker classes, making it one of the best ways to race a well-equipped boat down to Mexico with similar boats, at a time of year to enjoy the best Mexico has to offer. In 2009, this event will be the first long distance Mexican Regatta to offer a series of four separate races stretching from Marina del Rey to Marina Vallarta, with stops in beautiful anchorages down the coast of Baja California.
An innovative scoring system computes each boat’s handicap and corrected time based on actual time sailed. This system equalizes the speed potential between different sizes and styles of boats to place the emphasis on each crew’s sailing skill.
The first leg of the race is from Marina Del Rey to Cedros Island (376 nm) with a layover in Turtle Bay. The second leg starts outside of Turtle Bay and ends at Punta Lazaro (220 nm) with a layover in Santa Maria. The third is from Mag Bay to Cabo Falso (152 nm) with a stop in the new marina at Puerto San Jose, and finally, the last race is across the Gulf of California to Puerto Vallarta (286 nm).
Due to limited slip availability in Marina Vallarta, this race is limited to 40 entries. As of the end of September, 35 entries have been posted.
The Puerto Vallarta race format gives skippers a chance to test their competitive racing skills while still being able to enjoy some of the most beautiful sights that Mexico has to offer.
You can find out all about this race at the www.pv09.com website.
Over the past 40 years, this event has evolved into one of the most recognized sailboat races in the world, bringing together hundreds of sailors. The race attracts some of the most famous blue water racers in the world. Such well-known yachts as Ticonderoga, Windward Passage, Ragtime, Sorcery, and Roy Disney’s Pyewacket take turns vying for the elusive elapsed time record. In 2007, Doug Baker broke a twenty year old standard by skippering the Magnitude 80 to victory in 3 days, 15 hours, 51 minutes and 39 seconds.The Puerto Vallarta race now includes both spinnaker and non-spinnaker classes, making it one of the best ways to race a well-equipped boat down to Mexico with similar boats, at a time of year to enjoy the best Mexico has to offer. In 2009, this event will be the first long distance Mexican Regatta to offer a series of four separate races stretching from Marina del Rey to Marina Vallarta, with stops in beautiful anchorages down the coast of Baja California.
An innovative scoring system computes each boat’s handicap and corrected time based on actual time sailed. This system equalizes the speed potential between different sizes and styles of boats to place the emphasis on each crew’s sailing skill.
The first leg of the race is from Marina Del Rey to Cedros Island (376 nm) with a layover in Turtle Bay. The second leg starts outside of Turtle Bay and ends at Punta Lazaro (220 nm) with a layover in Santa Maria. The third is from Mag Bay to Cabo Falso (152 nm) with a stop in the new marina at Puerto San Jose, and finally, the last race is across the Gulf of California to Puerto Vallarta (286 nm).
Due to limited slip availability in Marina Vallarta, this race is limited to 40 entries. As of the end of September, 35 entries have been posted.
The Puerto Vallarta race format gives skippers a chance to test their competitive racing skills while still being able to enjoy some of the most beautiful sights that Mexico has to offer.
You can find out all about this race at the www.pv09.com website.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)