January 1997

Shackles and Cringles — January 1997

Canadian Albacore Association — Volume XXXVII, Number 1

Albacores on Abino Bay, June 1996

In this issue: Regatta Results · Gloves (page 6) · New Rules (page 9) · Hope: Midwinters

The Albacore Advantage

Canadian Albacore Association, P.O. Box 31828, 725 College St., Toronto, Ont. M6G 4H7

A One-Design Boat

• no unnecessary expense of constant upgrades in design.

A Safe Boat

• large air-filled tanks give excellent buoyancy
• hull shape gives stability on the water
• self-rescue after an unexpected puff is easy

A Light and Manageable Boat

• tongue load of less than 100 lbs gives ready trailerability
• launching and retrieving are a breeze

A Comfortable Boat

• large, open cockpit
• benches on port and starboard sides

A Performance Boat

• seriously campaigned by major sailmakers
• planes in moderate winds
• buoyant heavy-air hull shape

Ideal for Junior Clubs

• 4 to 5 juniors will fit easily
• will stand up to heavy use

A Vibrant Class Association

• well organized and vital
• recognized by the International Sailing Federation
• strong fleets through Ontario, Canada, US, Great Britain, Ireland and Bermuda
• top notch competitive sailing
• junior programs in some areas

The Canadian Albacore Association

The Canadian Albacore Association is responsible for encouraging participation in and maintaining the integrity of the Albacore class in Canada.

1996/1997 Executive

Shackles and Cringles is a quarterly publication of the Canadian Albacore Association.
Deadlines for publication are January 15, April 15, July 15 and October 15.

Editor Eats Crow: Tarts Still in Toronto Area

With abject apologies to JC, who doesn’t need any extra regatta wins and to Chris Gorton (who doesn’t either) we publish here the correct version of the 1996 TARTS and BALLS Regatta.

Incorrect information was published in the last issue of this normally reliable newsletter. The Editor has been flogged and condemned to an evening of conversation with ex-chef Gregory.

Where’s the Family Trophy?

Please call Chris Gorton, 416 423 0845. Discretion assured.

Race Chairs and Fleet Captains — Canadian Albacore Association, 1997

Home addresses and telephone numbers printed in the original listing are omitted here.

The Privates Have a Friday Night Life Too

Mea culpa, yet again. The separately scored results of private boats racing in the Toronto Friday Night series were not included in the last edition of Shackles. We apologize for any loss of face we may have caused.

Friday Night Races — Private Boats Final Standings

Will Lincoln, Chief score keeper. Race placings by date (M = May, J = June, Jl = July, A = August, S = September).

Express Yourself!

The Canadian Albacore Association announces an unparalleled opportunity for international fame!

Submit your design for an Association bumper sticker!

A panel of judges will select the winning entry. Winner takes home $100 (Can) and the knowledge that millions of truckers will be saying, “Albacore, eh…?”

Send entries to Chris Gorton, 14 Chilton Road, Toronto, Ontario, Canada, M4J 3C6.

Oh, Is That How It Works? Sailing Gloves

One in an irregular series

Most of us are week-end sailors and, therefore, lack the tough callouses that protect the professionals even against the damage of a main sheet running through their hands. We make our living at something that requires manual dexterity, even if it is just to dial telephone numbers. We protect that dexterity by wearing sailing gloves for which we pay somewhere between $5 for a Canadian Tire gardening glove and $40 for a top-of-the-line Douglas Gill Amara glove. If we’re lucky enough to be wearing a size that retailers believe to be ‘popular’ then we often get a choice in style or quality. Even if you don’t lose them, few of them last more than a season. Some may last only one regatta if the wind is strong enough and you don’t cleat the main sheet.

I did a survey recently in which I instructed people to tell me the first question that came to their minds when I mention the words, ‘sailing gloves’. Here are the most frequently asked questions and, included in your Canadian Albacore Association membership are, of course, the answers:

Q: Why should I buy sailing gloves? Aren’t gardening gloves just as good?

A: Of course, they are…and they’ll co-ordinate so much better with your ski boots.

Q: What’s the advantage of buying a pair where one is green and the other is red?

A: It’s to help you decide which one to put on your port hand and which one on your starboard hand. Every sailor knows that green is on the left and red is on the right. (Or is it the other way around?)

Q: Why do my gloves get stiff and feel like a ski boot the morning after a regatta?

A: Most sailing gloves are made of leather. One of the major drawacks of leather is that it stiffens after it is repeatedly soaked and dried. It is possible to treat the gloves with a chemical softener. Such treatment may reduce durability of the leather.

Q: Why do they make sailing gloves mostly out of leather?

A: Gloves are most commonly made from cow hide, but can also be made from the skin of pig, goat, deer or sheep. Cow leather is thicker and, therefore, more durable. Durability is an important aspect of glove design. The other leathers tend to be thinner. Thinner leather is more flexible, but will wear and tear more readily.

Q: Why are some gloves smooth on the outside and others are rough on the outside?

A: Leather has a “skin” side, which is smooth and a “flesh” side, which is rough. Most sailing gloves are constructed with the rough side facing inward because the texture against our skin makes the glove feel warmer and less clammy. On the other hand, the flesh side is more durable so when reenforcements are added (in the palms or on the edge of the hand) then they are sewn on rough side out.

Q: Why do they have those fussy cloth panels on the back and between the fingers?

A: Those “fussy cloth panels” are Lycra stretch panels. They make the glove fit snugly and give it the flexibility that’s needed to grab lines. All sailing gloves have a stretch panel in the back of the hand; some have them sewn into the fingers. While this improves finger flexibility it also introduces a problem spot (see below).

Q: Why can’t they stitch the damn things properly so that the seams don’t come apart?

A: There are several reasons why the seams are a weak spot.

• Dexterity is increased if the material is cut close to the seam. This increases the risk of seam failure.
• Glove life is increased if the seams are turned inside out after construction. However, the inwardly facing seams then create pressure points that quickly become uncomfortable.
• If the glove is made with nylon stretch panels then the seams form a boundary between two materials (Lycra and leather) that have different stretch characteristics. This puts extra stress on the stitching.
• If the glove is the type that has the finger tips cut off to aid dexterity then the stitching has to stop and should be locked at the end of each finger. Cheap gloves are just cut off and there is no locking stitch. Gloves of better quality are locked with reversing stitches, the more the better.

Q: Are the gloves that are made of the new material worth the extra money?

A: The new material is usually called “Amara”. It’s a synthetic leather substitute that combines flexibility and durability. They don’t harden as quickly as ordinary leather gloves and they do feel better on the hand. Amara is said to have stretch characteristics closer to those of lycra, decreasing the probability of failure at the seams. I find that mine still go at the seams, mostly because the manufacturer puts the stitching as close as possible to the edge of the material. There a slip of half a millimeter usually makes the difference between a failing seam and one that lasts to allow the rest of the glove to display its superior characteristics.

Dennis Wins 1995 Gooderham Series. Nurse Wins 1996

The Gooderham Trophy was established in the memory of Bill Gooderham and is awarded to the competitor with the best results in the regatta’s which make up the Gooderham Series. The award is designed to encourage competitors to travel to different regatta’s across the land and the series of 5 events is designated each year by the Canadian Albacore Association to try to achieve geographical diversity. The award goes to the competitor with the best results who has attended a minimum of 3 of events in the series. A competitor is awarded last place scores for those regatta’s which he or she did not start.

1995 Results

1995 Series Regatta’s: Warm Water Regatta (Conestoga Sailing Club) · Centennial Regatta (Peterborough Sailing Club) · Balsam Lake Open (Balsam Lake Sailing Club) · PABAR (Pte. au Baril Sailing Club) · Toronto Island Open (Toronto Island Sailing Club)

1996 Results

1996 Series Regatta’s: Warm Water Regatta* (Conestoga Sailing Club) · OHCC Open (Outer Harbour CC) · Balsam Lake Open (Balsam Lake Sailing Club) · PABAR (Pte. au Baril Sailing Club) · Fanfare 96 (Nepean Sailing Club)

* Due to lack of participation, there were no results declared.

New Event in 1997 — July 4th Weekend

The Toronto Area Sailing Clubs invite Albacore Sailors from far and wide to enjoy a typical weekend of racing in the Outer Harbour.

This will include:

• Friday July 4th — Friday Night Race — 7 pm start with awards following at our local watering hole.
• Saturday July 5th — Outer Harbour Centreboard Club Regatta wtih dinner following — An All-day regatta with details to be announced
• Sunday July 6th — Harbour Master Race — 2 races back to back — Time TBA

Cost: Fee for OHCC Regatta (around $40 Cdn) plus food for the weekend and a token gift for your accommodation billeter.

This is a chance for our competitors from the US and Ottawa areas to experience some of our regular summer events. To keep costs down, we would like volunteers for billeting our guests. For volunteers for billeting or information about the regatta, please call Heather Wroldsen at (416) 481-8503.

The New Racing Rules of Sailing

The Racing Rules of Sailing for 1997-2000 were approved at the ISAF Council meeting on 8 November 1996.

The following documents are available at www.sailing.org/rules/:

• 1997 - 2000 Rules Online
• 1993 - 1996 Rules Online
• Old Rules to New Rules Conversion Chart
• List of nations publishing the 1997 - 2000 Rules

For information, interpretations, and explanations of the new rules, the ISAF endorses the following:

• The Rules Made Easy — an interactive, multimedia guide to the rules on disk.
• 1997 - 2000 Racing Rules for Sailing — in print from the ISAF. Publication date: End January 1997.
• The Rules In Practice — by Brian Willis. Full text of the rules and interpretations. All new edition of this classic book. By an ISAF International Judge and Umpire. Available February 15

CYA Rules Seminars

Instant Rules Book

Tear out pages 9 to 20. Fold in the middle and staple.

Editor’s note for this archive: pages 9–20 of the printed issue carried a fold-out booklet reprinting the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing 1997–2000 — the Introduction, Part 1 (Fundamental Rules), Part 2 (When Boats Meet), Part 3 (Conduct of a Race), Part 4 (Other Requirements When Racing) and the Definitions. That verbatim rules text is not reproduced here.

Advertise in Shackles and Cringles

The best way to reach Albacore sailors world-wide

• 1/4 page = $45
• 1/2 page = $60
• Full page = $100
• Back Page = $125

Mail, fax, E-mail or slip your ad to Editor, Shackles and Cringles (address on page 2 of this issue)

1997 Albacore Regatta Schedule (as of 97/2/05)

G = Races designated for Gooderham Series.
The Gooderham Trophy was established in the memory of Bill Gooderham to encourage Albacore sailors to travel to regattas across Ontario, and is awarded annually to the helmsperson who achieves the best result in the series.

Harbour Master Scoring/Admin: Ian Aukema (Ph.) 416 225-3108 (Fax) 905 851-6460

1997 Toronto Friday Race Schedule (proposed 96/12/12)

Friday Scoring: Will Lincoln (Mooredale) (H) 416 759-6095 (W) 905 479-2434 x2603

Midwinter’s

Mid-Winter Albacore Regatta
March 11-14, 1997
Sarasota, Florida

The Dates

The dates have been set to accommodate the Canadian Spring Public School break as there are often teachers wishing to attend or who are willing to drive cars and boats at least one way to Florida. We had originally hoped to sail with the Fireball Fleet, but the dates already set for Davis Island were fixed and did not work for many Canadians polled. Perhaps next year we can try again.

The Event

Over the years the CAA and the USAA have alternated organization of the Mid-Winters’. The last Mid-Winters’ was held in 1990. Now back by popular demand… the Mid-Winter Albacore Regatta has been revived to give sailors the opportunity to get the cobwebs out of their boats and bodies in the warm winds and waters of Sarasota Bay off Longboat Key in Florida. Canadians have always been welcome and over the years a number of boats have regularly made the pilgrimage south.

The Mid-Winter Regatta represents an early season training opportunity and, most of all, a week of fun and fitness. Given that the Worlds’ Championships will be hosted at Hayling Island, England this summer, why not organize your campaign now and practice in the warm waters off Sarasota? So, get your holiday plans organized immediately and plan to be on the starting line next to our friends from the US Albacore fleet. Those already committed to going are Matt Edwards, Barnie Harris, Daphne Byron, Rosemary Helmer, Chris Gorton. We are working on Heather Wroldsen, Joanna Byron, Don Oakie…. So why not add your name to the list. It is a vacation to be remembered and certainly not to be missed!!

The Races

The racing program will consist of 8 races, 2 per day with 1 drop. Racing begins on Tuesday, March 11 and finishes on Friday, March 14, 1997. Monday can be used to play, fix your boat, laze around or tour local areas.

Venue

The Sarasota Sailing Squadron will be our host for this event. The Club is located on the east end of City Island, at the northern end of Longboat Key. They have a large lawn and parking lot area which will easily accommodate a 25+ boat fleet.

Directions

From Canada: Take 401 west to Windsor and cross the Bridge into Detroit. Watch for signs directing you to Interstate 75 (I-75) and go south.
I-75 south will take you through Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, Tennesse, Georgia and finally into Florida. The easiest way to get comprehensive instructions is to become a member of the Canadian Automobile Association and phone the Road Map Services group and ask for a tryptik which gives you a detailed set of instructions (including enlarged sections of local maps along the route) for navigation. Once you’ve done this you’ll see how straightforward the I-75 route south is. Once you reach the outskirts of St. Petersburg area follow the local instructions, given below.

Local Instructions: If coming south on I-75 from Tampa, take State 780 exit west to downtown Sarasota. If coming south on US 41 (Tamiami Trail), turn right and go west on State 780, which crosses Sarasota Bay as a causeway. At St. Armand’s Circle (a traffic circle) merge right and go North toward New Pass Bridge and Longboat Key. Do not cross New Pass Bridge, but when you come to the Bridge, bear right and continue until you see the Sailing Squadron on the left near the end of the road.

Flying

While we have not checked recent schedules others have historically booked flights into Sarasota. Flights are also available into Tampa International Airport which is 55 miles north on I-75. With advance knowledge of who is arriving when we can probably arrange pick-ups at the airport by those who have driven down. Alternatively, organize a week-long car rental with your associates with car pick-up at the airport. Flights during this school break week sell-out early so we recommend you call your travel agent and book a flight today!

Accommodations

You can camp or rent a motel. The Sarasota Yacht Squadron has a large lawn which can easily accommodate 30+ tents. Both USAA and CAA members have usually camped. Also, showers and hot water for washing and cooking are located on the premises. We’ve had some great BBQs courtesy of the Canadian contingent who continue to amaze our American counterparts with our gourmet skills. We swear they come first for the food and second for the sailing.

For those who are less adventuresome and prefer their creature comforts, you could rent a Winnebago and park it in the parking lot or rent a room at one of the many local motels. Also, if you regularly review The Globe or The Star there are often condominiums available for rent on Longboat Key during this time of year.

Registration

Fees have not been finalized, but will likely be US $45-50.00. Forms will be mailed to those who indicate interest by calling, faxing or writing:

Boat for Sale — The Boat Buyer’s Authority. On your local newsstand. Or call 1-800 BOAT ADS.