Update from the Richmond Riviera
Model Boat Racing in Richmond
We love it when our friends send us great stories, photos and videos. This one is brought to Latitude Nation courtesy of the East Bay’s Chris Sullivan. Chris is an avid RC sailboat racer, especially in the One Metre Class. Last week, Chris organized a bit of informal COVID-19 RC sailboat scrimmaging at the Richmond Yacht Club.
Chris races model boats that are as large as a Wheeler, which Chris and his son Evan were recently repairing in their garage. Wheelers are, according to the American Model Yacht Association specs: 79 inches in overall length, 63 inches at the waterline, with a 15-inch beam and carrying 2,000 square inches of sail on a fractional rig. The minimum weight of the boat is 30 lbs. The keel bulb weighs in at 19 lbs.
The informal racing on May 25 took place using boats of the much more compact DragonFlite 95 class, which are about 38 inches long. The boats cost less than the price of a new El Toro sail, which reminds us that Chris and Evan Sullivan also appear in this month’s Racing Sheet. They were part of an extremely anarchic bit of UnRegatta fun that happened May 9 in El Toros.
Evan Sullivan and his dad are both participants in RYC’s venerable Junior Sailing Program. This parent/volunteer-run program takes place between October and April. Evan is a top competitor in the Advanced El Toro fleet. Chris helps out as a mark-boat volunteer in one of the Boston Whalers. Both father and son traveled to Kaneohe Bay last August, where they raced in the El Toro North American Championships.
The Economics of Big-Boat Navigation
Chris also strongly recommended that we watch the fantastic interview below with Stan Honey and Sally Lindsay Honey. We love listening to and learning from both Sally, currently chairperson of US Sailing’s Safety at Sea Committee, and Stan, who requires no introduction.
In this interview, Stan describes his approach to big-boat navigation in a refreshing new way. He also covers lots of other fascinating topics ranging from why he loves Cal 40s to the National Football League’s electronic first-down line — which Stan helped invent. Sally discusses 5O5 racing, where she was one of the first female champions. Host Gary Jobson even pokes fun at the fact that Sally has two Rolex awards to her husband’s single Yachtsman of the Year watch.
It’s an entertaining video if you’re looking to fill some time on a Friday.
Real Beer Can Racing Is Back
Yay! Richmond Yacht Club has brought back Wednesday night beer can racing. There has been a ton of behind-the-scenes work performed by tireless folks including Standing Race Committee chair Fred Paxton, Laura Muñoz from the YRA and others. They have written a Notice of Race covering this series, which is currently for RYC club members only. We look forward to competing in the non-spinnaker division on June 10.
