Sunday – Double Handed Training – Video

Sunday was the final class for Dan’s Double Handed Spring Training.  The kids had a blast and a couple of them are starting to train for the Bemis Qualifier in July.  Here are a few short video clips from their practice.  Enjoy.

Saturday at RYC: Dan’s Ladies 420 Team Rocked the Box…

The RYC 420 Ladies had such a blast today!  Key goals for the class today: rudderless sailing, box drills and a champagne toast to our awesome Coach – Dan Brandt!  It has been an amazing journey so far and just keeps getting better.  We have officially closed out Session 2 and are already looking forward to Session 3 which starts on June 9th.  Feng Shui, recipes, and best of all, a special friendship – Dan’s group has it all…  Enjoy the pictures 🙂

 

Above: Dan explaining the Box Drill and the concept behind rudderless sailing, (and yes…this particular part of the chalk talk had a lot of blank stares and raised eye brows!)

 

So a lot of the Ladies quickly figured out rudderless sailing – pretty amazing!  Left: Inge and Ornaith.  Right: Kristen and Karen S.

 

Sailing in the FJ’s!  Left: Margo and Trina.  Right: Leslie and Nancy.  Nice work Ladies!!

 

Left: Elisabeth and Janet have the situation under control.  Right: Trina and Margo – smooth as silk!

 

Left: Karen K. and Amy enjoying the gorgeous day.  Right:  Sandy (our single-handed superstar) and Inge get ready for the box drill!

 

Left: Jibe-ho Mom!  Linda and Erica in the Box.  Right: Linda on the trapeze with daughter Erica on the helm!

 

 

The Ladies – Rockin’ the Box!  Simply amazing!  We’ve come a long way, haven’t we!  Also – special thanks to our second crash boat, Steve Kittle and Steve Lake.  Many thanks for choosing to spend your Saturday with us!  You guys are great!

 

Coach Dan Brandt insisted on a few group photo’s – so here we are…  OMG…Bunny Ears?  Really Dan … you want us to do that?  OK… for you…

Skiff Fest 2012 Final Results

RYC Teams held their ground on Sunday.  Sunday started in light winds, but as the fog pushed in the winds increased to 15 knots.  Final results:

• Mike & Haydon 8th
• Joe & Harry 9th
• John & Brett 10th
• Maria & Will 12th

Congratulations! 

  

Left: Joe and Harry.  Right: Mike and Haydon.

Skiff Fest 2012 – RYC’s 29er Fleet competes in Santa Barbara

As of Sunday morning, the current standings are:

• Mike & Haydon: 8th
• Brett & John: 10th
• Joe & Harry: 11th
• Maria & Will: 13th

The kids are getting geared up for a day of shifty wind at 5-9 knots.  Their focus was on getting more aggressive starts in the larger fleet.  Go RYC Teams!

 

Maria & Will, Mike & Haydon, Brett & John, and Harry & Joe.

  Sunday morning…

    RYC Team Parents!

Sunday’s Group – 420 Sailing in the Breeze!

There was no shortage of breeze on Sunday!  Coach Dan Brandt and the 420 Sailors sailed hard and fast.  They got a lot of practice with the spinnaker in the heavier wind.  They had the company of some the top kite boarders in the world during the afternoon – it was fun to see them come flying downwind at 20-25 kph! 

The kids did a great job out there!  Go Ladies!!

 

Left: Erica and Alyson head downwind. Right: Lauren out on the wire with Erica steering.

 

Left: Alyson and Lauren.  Right: Erica and Alyson.

 

Left: Playing with the kite boarders.  Right: A few last minute tips from Coach Dan Brandt before they head downwind in the breeze.

   

   

 

29er’s and the forgotten vanilla milkshake, plus the human mai-tai lady…strange but true…

Great day for the 29ers and Coach Dan Brandt – nice breeze, lots of boats on the water, and a super cute puppy.  The only sad tale of woe was the forgotten vanilla freezy, but we don’t want to talk about that…it’s a very sensitive subject!  We did see the human mai-tai lady which was actually kind of funny!  (No pictures though!)

 

 

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

   

  And last but not least…

RYC Juniors – it’s BAYS time again! Are you ready?

BAYS Series May 2012

Sunday’s Double Handed Class – Learning About Rig Tension…Nothing to Get Uptight About Though…

Light winds in the morning – heavy winds in the afternoon.  The Double Handed Group focused on rig tension and rake in the morning – and then practiced adjusting the tension for all different types of wind levels.  From there is was out on the water!

 

Left: Dan talking about rig tension and all of the steps involved.  Right: A little bit of light wind in the morning.

 

Left and Right: Erica and Alyson get a little wind.

 

Left and Right: Berky and Lauren in a very light area!

 

Left and Right: The wind picks up in the afternoon – finally!

420 Work Day Party!! A Clean and Sparkling Success!

Saturday was our first official “420 Work Day” party in the small boatyard.  A group of the 420 Ladies and their assisting junior coach – Erica, teamed up with our awesome leaders Coach Dan Brandt and Assisting Coach Dave Rasmussen to work on our Club’s 420 Fleet.  We cleaned the boats, replaced broken hardware, repaired the jibs, spliced and installed new bridles, secured the boat racks and Dan even removed the swamp/sod field that has been growing and thriving under the boat racks.  (I won’t mention the part about the ducks chasing and quaking at him due to his removal of their napping ground…it’s a story too scary to repeat!)  Our Work Party only required 2 additional trips to the hardware store…and as most of you know, every major boat project requires a minimum of 3-5 extra trips to the hardware store to get the right part, (you know it’s true, don’t you!), so we figured we did pretty well. 

The boats look great and the small boatyard even better!  Many thanks to Dan and Dave for leading the party and to the Ladies 420 Team Members – Sandy, Susie, Karen, Linda and Erica, for spending their Saturday morning helping!  Nice Job Everyone!!

 

Left: Dave and Dan at work.  Right: Erica scrapping off the old stickers – prepping the boat for cleaning.

 

Left: Susie and her magical pink gloves…  Right: Linda repairing a jib window.

 

Left and Right:  The Ladies busy cleaning the hulls – Go Ladies Go!

 

Left and Right:  Working hard!

 

Left: Farmer Dan.  Right: A very clean and sparkling small boatyard!

The Elvstrom Regatta and Ukuleles – What Do They Have in Common?

RYC’s very own Drake Jensen!

First the Elvstrom Regatta (coming from our weekend reporter – John):   

We missed the “Rocket Dog” Mark Halman at this event , the 2012 Elvstrom / Laser District 24 Championship. But our good friend Christine Neville was  their crushing the Radial fleet with all bullets. But it wasn’t a cake walk on day 2 as it was on day 1.  She had to fight through the fleet in each  race. Now she leaves  for Germany with our support to compete at the  2012 Women’s Laser Radial World Championship. “Go Go Christine.” Christine said she really missed having Drake to sail against as he raced in the Standard fleet, a flub by me in projecting conditions. Instead of taking heed in the faith of some, I relied on the forecast. Drake the “Friendly Dragon,” struggled upwind in the big rig against 20kt winds, the same winds of which he is so comfortable in the radial. He was not  able to finish the third race of each day, once due to rig failure. But he did well against this powerful contention in the races he was able to finish. Of the 14 boats he had finishes of 11-5-DNF-4- 5-DNF, putting him into an overall 9th.

 The other contestants representing The Yacht Club Built for Fun in the Laser was “The Sultan of Swim” and our new ILCA D24 Secretary, Nick Burke – 6th place and Will Lowe – 12th place.

And now the ukulele part.  Most of you know that Drake battled cancer in 2010 and 2011.  He fought hard and came through like a champion.  During his cancer treatment, the Make a Wish Foundation started working with him.  What an amazing organization!  Drake’s wish was to meet his favorite musician, Jack Johnson – a famous ukulele player.  Jack Johnson not only hung out with Drake, autographed Drake’s ukulele, but also had him up on stage to play with him during a concert.  And to make this just even more cool – all of this took place in Hawaii.  Pretty neat, isn’t it?

So – the next time you see Drake, ask him to play his ukulele for you.  🙂