April Newsletter 2022
Greetings From The Prez
While the season has not yet begun, several thanks are already in order. First, I would like to thank Anne Marije and Bryan for hosting a wonderful party last Saturday night. While e-vite responses were on the low side, it was a great turn out and it sure was nice to see so many familiar faces again. We haven’t had a spring party for several years now after registration went digital and the need for the Spring Registration Party was no longer – but maybe it is time to resurrect the Spring Party?
Speaking of registration, please check out page 3 for the link to register for the Fleet. If you have not already registered for the Class, you can do this at the same time as a link has been provided in Regattaman. Thank you to David Reynolds for getting registration up and running for 2022 season.
I would also like to thank Christina Pandapas for her Fleet Profiles and this month, her write-up of the Baldwin Cup in Newport Harbor, CA (page 3). Christina is often one step ahead of me, sending things to me before I even ask for them. Pretty awesome.
Lastly, I would like to thank Class President Mike Lane for an incredibly informative article on how to prepare for travel regattas (pages 4-5). I asked Mike to write an article about travel prep, as I don’t think I have been to a Nationals, from Chicago to New Orleans, where he was not there. He didn’t just write an article, he wrote a step by step how-to-guide, with all sorts of useful tips. Definitely a worthwhile read. Thanks, Mike! Did someone say road trip?
Upcoming Events
Spring Clinic – May 12th 7-8:30pm, CYC Fantail Fleet 5 will host its annual Spring Clinic the second week in May. Come prepared with questions for the panel or email them to Kim at kpandapas@comcast.net by May 8th
Measurement Days – Sat/Sun May 14/15 Most boats in the fleet were measured ahead of the Nationals – however, if you have work done over the winter and need to update your certificate, let Stefan know so he can plan accordingly: sjthibodeaux@gmail.com
Twilights Commence – May 26th The Twilight Series will start on May 26th, the Thursday before Memorial Day. Scoring will start June 2nd Start time for the Rhodes will be 7:06pm.
Spring Series – May 28th–29th Spring Series will kick off on the Saturday & Sunday of Memorial Day weekend.
East Coasts – June 10-12th
Hosted by Manchester Yacht Club. Let’s start thinking about organizing a tow or two to get everyone’s boats up there.
Marblehead NOODs – July 28th-31st Hosted by BYC, with the Fleet 5 Party Hosted by Jennifer and Steve Uhl on Thursday July 28th
Nationals – August 16th-19th at Chicago Corinthian YC.
Labor Day Party – Sat Sept 3rd Host TBD
Awards Party – Likely Sat Nov. 5th. Details to be confirmed
Short Tacks
Welcome Morgan and Alix!
Joining us on line this summer will be the new owners of Rhodes 19 #1936 Morgan Cuthbertson and Alix Israel.
Morgan grew up sailing in Toronto at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club racing Optis, eventually graduating to race 420s, 29ers, 49erFX, and International 14s. Morgan moved to Boston in 2016, joined the Eastern sailing community in 2019, and currently lives in Marblehead. Alix grew up sailing at Pleon, lives on the North Shore, and is an active member of EYC sailing. Morgan and Alix started sailing together in 2019, competing in regattas from San Diego to Germany, and are excited keep racing together and join the Rhodes 19 fleet in Marblehead!
Gala Fundraiser for Lindsay Smith
Lindsay’s close friends have organized a fundraiser at EYC to benefit Lindsay to help with medical expenses.
The date is Thursday May 19th. Please help spread the word, and click the link below to purchase tickets.
Hope to see you there!
https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fast-mermaid-gala-dinner-tickets-313113329397?aff=efbneb
Great Harbor Rhodes Challenge – Page now live
The event page and registration link for the 2nd annual GHYC Rhodes 19 Challenge on Sunday, July 31, 2022 is now live: https://theclubspot.com/regatta/buCuIwf4Zf
This not to be missed event takes place on Nantucket’s inner harbor with centerboard Rhodes 19s supplied by the Club.
Have you done your homework yet?
The spring clinic “What Do You Suck At?” is just a short three and half weeks away. Kim has put together a great panel of our top skippers and crews to help you iron out those wrinkles and up your game. Come prepared with questions for the panelists, or better yet, email Kim at kpandapas@comcast.net by May 8th with the subject line “Clinic Questions.”
Tech takeover
Anyone who sailed in college has a special place in their heart for MIT’s tech dinghies. A fleet of Techs can now be seen racing Sundays throughout the winter, out of the BYC, thanks to a handful of people including Jud Smith, Tomas Hornos and Jay Watt. To learn more about the birth of the Marblehead Tech Dinghy Association, check out this great article written by Fleet 46’s Joe Berkeley.
Need a crew?
A former Marblehead and current New Orleans fleet member has a friend who has moved to Hingham and is looking to crew. He is happy to drive to Hull, Marblehead, Hingham. He is a SYC Opti, 420, Flying Scot ” graduate” and has crewed on J/27’s, J70s, J/100’s,.and more.
If you know of anyone who might be looking for crew this summer, please connect them with Carson Haddow:
504-400-7325
Time to Register!
With 6 weeks to go, it’s time to register for Fleet 5. Your registration with the Fleet not only helps us maintain a current list of active members and Fleet 5 alums, but also helps cover the costs of things such as the end of season awards and the Fleet bar. Whether you are a skipper or crew, if you will be out on the line or at the fleet parties, please be sure to register by clicking here.
If you are doing this on the computer, you should this screen:
Simply click the “Join” Button and you should be prompted to log in to register. If you are doing this on your phone, it looks a little different. Simply hit the three bars on the right to bring up the full menu, hit “Join” and log in.
David as also provided a link to register for the National Class, so if you have not already done so, you can do that at the same time.
Questions? Please reach out to David Reynolds at reynolds.davidc@gmail.com or me at elise.mazareas@gmail.com
MRA registration is not yet active. Keep your eyes open for an email likely coming soon, and we will be sure to put the link in the May newsletter.
Fleet 5ers At Baldwin Cup
By Christina Pandapas
At the end of March, Joe Fava, Christina Pandapas and Fleet 5 alum Jim Raisides packed their bags and headed to California to compete with the Corinthian Yacht Club team at the Baldwin Cup in Newport Beach. The 4v4 team-racing regatta is a spectacular three-day event hosted by Newport Harbor Yacht Club with many of the best teams in the country going at it in Harbor 20s right in front of the club. Conditions ranged from light 5-8 knots up to 12+ in the protected bay’s flat water. The Harbor 20s handle much like a Rhodes 19, so it should come as no surprise that Joe was pretty much always the fastest one on the racecourse.
Twelve teams competed on the water, including New York Yacht Club, St. Francis, San Diego, Annapolis and two Newport Harbor, and quite a few also went head-to-head at a couple of the local bars’ pool tables. After 60+ races in the first two rounds, the field was split into Gold and Silver fleets. Team CYC was in the top six qualifying for Gold but didn’t make it to the final knock outs. Congratulations to Newport Harbor Lightning, who beat San Diego YC in a hard-fought final to take the Cup.
Pictured from left to right: Joe Fava, Christina Pandapas, Will Bailey, Jim Raisides, Duncan Swain, Dan Gabriel, Sam Madden, and Wade Waddell. Photo credit: Pam Bacich
Go Away! – How to Prep for an Away Regatta
By Mike Lane
We all love to sail, and especially to race sailboats. Racing in another venue is a great way to improve your racing skills – and to meet new people with your same interest. You will experience different weather, wind, tides, waves, and learn new ways to trim your sails. Best of all, you will make new friends across the Rhodes Class.
I have sailed a Rhodes in just about every fleet that has hosted a National Championship – although I never did make it to Fairhope, Alabama. I have chartered local boats, driven other people’s boats to the regatta, and brought my own. Along the way I have made most of the mistakes one makes when preparing for and traveling to a regatta. The trick is not to make the same one twice – I am still working on that.
A successful away regatta is all about preparation. Sometimes, no amount of prep can prevent problems and if you travel, sooner or later you will have a story to tell:
- Zane Yoder’s trailer always seems to fall apart on his way to Chicago
- Fred Brehob was surprised to see his trailer tire spinning past him on the highway while driving to New Orleans
- More than one sailor has reported their trailer popping off the hitch and driving itself off the highway into an adjacent field.
- Driving home from New Orleans, Kim Pandapas, Elise Nash, and Alex Felton broke the trailer axle in Scranton PA doing 70 MPH. They had a flatbed truck haul it away to be repaired and drove back a few weeks later to collect it.
- On the way to New Orleans in 2018, my trailer axle bent wearing down my tires all the way past the rubber to the threads. If I had not stopped when I did, my tire surely would have burst on the highway at 75 miles per hour – unless Renee Heffernan was driving in which case it would have been 90 MPH. As luck would have it, there was a trailer store open with a replacement axle and tires within less than 1/2 a mile.
Most Rhodes 19 regattas are a relatively short drive from Marblehead. Here are the typical drive times for the fleets that typically host regattas:
- New Orleans – 24 hours of driving
- Chicago – 16 hours
- New Bedford – 2½ hours
- Hull – 1 hour, 40 minutes
- Hingham – 1½ hours
- Rockport – 50 minutes
So now that you are thinking that you might like to give this a shot, here are some pointers to help ensure that you have a great time.
- Line up crew well in advance. Practice ahead of time. Adjusting to a new crew dynamic can be challenging, so spend some time ahead of the regatta working out the kinks.
- Gather local knowledge. Who do you know who has sailed there? Has anyone in your fleet successfully competed there?
- Convoy – Line up other fleet boats to travel with you. There is strength in numbers should something go wrong. It also makes the driving easier as you have people to converse with.
- Prep your boat before you go so you have less to do when you arrive
- Document your settings before you take you boat apart so you can replicate them at the regatta
- How to secure your boat –
- Twist your tie-downs as you connect them. This minimizes the amount of shaking on the road.
- Secure the loose ends of the tie-downs with tape to prevent loosening
- Minimize chafe on your standing and running rigging by taping lines, shrouds to your mast every couple of feet. Jim Raisides and Charlie Pendleton would wrap their mast in plastic wrap.
- Be sure to secure whatever is left in the boat – it will bounce around more than you think
- You can mark your hull at a trailer pad location with a pencil to track whether the boat moves during transport so you will know if you need to adjust your tie-downs
- What to Bring – Use checklists! It is a huge bummer to leave something important behind. Here are some ideas to get you started:
- Spare tire
- Replacement tow vehicle fuses for trailer lights
- Tension gauge
- Tool bag
- Spares kit (cotter rings/pins, electrical tape, extension tiller universals, sail repair tape, miscellaneous stainless screws, soft shackles, mast shims, etc.)
- One Month+ Before Departure
- Make sure that you are a member of the Rhodes 19 Class Association
- Review the class rules and ensure that you have all the required gear (where is your foghorn? – class rule Article XXXII, RE 32.04)
- Get your boat measured and ensure that the measurement certificate is posted on the class web site. There is nothing worse than arriving at a regatta only to find that your boat does not measure in.
- Make sure that you have a reliable, safe, easy to use lifting bridle
-
Prep your trailer:
- If you do not have faith in your trailer, simply ask someone who has a solid trailer if you can borrow theirs for the regatta – just make sure that you have the correct sized trailer hitch ball
- Check trailer lights to be sure you have time to repair, replace
- If you are having problems, a trailer light tester can help you narrow down whether the problem is in your vehicle (blown fuse) or the trailer lights themselves (https://amzn.to/3uW1wI8)
- Trailer registration, plates, insurance
- How will you get through electronic tolls with your trailer? You can get a separate transponder for your trailer (https://www.ezdrivema.com/ezpassma)
- Ensure that your trailer wheel bearings have been recently lubricated
- Do you have a spare tire?
- Do you have the correct size lug wrench for the lug nuts on your trailer wheels? I have made this mistake before!
- Tie-downs – Make sure that you have a plan for securing your boat and mast
-
Put together any extras you might need. These are some good items to consider:
- Extension tiller
- Spinnaker pole
- Windex
- Tie-downs
- Day before departure
- Top of fuel in tow vehicle
- Set proper tire pressure for tow vehicle
- Don’t forget to top off the air in spare trailer tire too
- Empty the boat, including tanks, of any water – always travel with a dry boat
- Day of departure
- Coat front part of hull, keel, cuddy with Palmolive dishwashing soap to make road dirt, dead bug removal easy – especially important when traveling to New Orleans
- During your trip, at each stop
- Check your trailer tires for tread wear
- Check to see if your boat has shifted on the trailer
- Check to be sure that none of your tie downs have loosened
- After arrival, at least one day before the regatta begins
- Clean the road grime off your boat
- If you are feeling particularly energetic and would like to make an offering the racing Gods, then polish your hull
- Take the time to properly tune your rig – don’t leave this to the last minute
- Take a practice sail to ensure that everything is working as expected – and that you have not forgotten anything
Remember, regattas are a marathon. There is a lot more work to be done when traveling than just going out for a weekend sail at home. On top of the extra work, there is less downtime to recharge due to regatta parties, etc. Plan some time to recharge so you are ready to be competitive every day.
I strongly recommend staying with a local fleet member if you can. I have many lifelong friendships that have resulted from these visits. If you are lucky enough to stay with a local fleet member, it is always nice to bring a thank you gift.
See you in Chicago August 16-19, 2022!
Mail Bag
Nothing new in the mail bag this month, but for those wondering about last month’s picture, the three Fleet 5 gentleman pictured are John Todd, Charlie Loutrel and Fred Brehob at Raceweek 1983. Thanks to John Casler for the image!
Notice Board
Still looking for a mast – My O’Day Rhodes 19 was dismasted in a storm at the end of last season. We’re still somewhat new to the boat, and to racing, so I’m hesitant to commit to investing in a new mast. As such, I’m hoping to find someone who may be parting out a Rhodes, or perhaps upgraded to a new mast. Any suggestions, recommendations would be most appreciated. Best regards, John Springer jmspringer@me.com ”
Race ready Rhodes 19 Dinner out is FOR SAIL – Dinner Out has been raced competitively in Fleet 5 and has a resume that includes several top 5 Marblehead Race Week and East Coast Championship finishes. Boat has received great care and continually upgraded with all work done by Greg Dolan, Chris Small and Kenny Harvey. Boat includes: Bottom and keel faired and repainted by Chris Small. Boat has only been dry-sailed since bottom/keel job and contains no anti-fouling paint (ie bottom and keel are smooth as a baby’s bum), New boom by Kenny Harvey, New rudder designed by Jim Taylor and made by Chris Small, New rails by Greg Dolan, Includes trailer in good condition, Tent and rudder covers for dry-sail storage, Suit of Doyle sails, racing condition. $10,000 firm. Please contact: Joe Fava (617-880-9807 or joseph.c.fava@gmail.com) or Elise Nash (781-504-5598 or elise.mazareas@gmail.com)
1977 On the Road Rhodes 19 trailer – New, upgraded axle and tires, including spare (2018). Some rust. Interested? Contact Mike Lane at lanmik@gmail.com
Rhodes 1475 for sale – Many of you probably know the boat – Wootzl – Fred’s old boat. Sail #1475(?). The hull number is 408229. It’s reported that the main, jib and spinnaker are all in good condition. It comes on a trailer. There are a number of accessories that come with the boat as well. The boat will take some LOVE to get it to racing standards but it’s an “opportunity.” Asking $4,000. If you know of anyone looking who may be interested, please direct them to Jim Norgaard. (508) 277 6167 jimnorgaard@mac.com
Clear Out Those Old Sails – Reclaim all that space in your garage, attic or sail locker. Please consider a tax-deductible donation of your old sails to either Sail Salem at www.sailsalem.org or Courageous at www.courageoussailing.org.
Nahant Fleet Needs Sails – The Nahant Sailing Program (NSP) has 6 Rhodes 19s that are used to teach kids and a twilight program for adults. The majority of funding comes from an annual fund raiser by The Friends of Nahant Sailing. The Rhodes sails need replacement, so if you have or are purchasing new sails, please consider donating your old ones to “The Friends of Nahant Sailing.” Not only will it help the program grow, but the donation is tax deductible. Please contact Bob Cusack at (781) 581-1159 or rjcusack@verizon.net if you are interested.
Savanah Fleet Looking for Sails – The Savannah Fleet is interested purchasing used sails. Our boats are not looking to compete at a national level but our club racing is very competitive and we want to refresh the sail inventory. If you know of any of your members that are looking to purchase new sails and looking for a partner to reduce their overall cost, we would be very interested in sails that are in good shape. Please contact Doug Powelson, Captain, Fleet 49 at dpwlsn@gmail.com or 912-665-5485
Looking for Sails – Chad Atwood writes: Where can a person find a nice set of recreational sails for my Rhodes 19. Thanks, Chad Atwood: 443-995-6773 or chadattwood@gmail.com
Please mail postings and updates to elise.mazareas@gmail.com
Racer’s Resource Board
Dave Whittier of Stuart Marine in Rockland Maine is the exclusive builder of Rhodes 19s. Call Dave at 207-594-5515 for pricing on new boats, used boats, repairs and parts.
Doyle Sails at (978) 740-5950 for new sails and repairs.
Chris Small – Full restorations and glass work- csmall9021@yahoo.com, (978) 500-9021.
Seacoast Specialty Marine Call Greg Dolan at 978-255-2769, click on seacoastspecialtymarine.com, or visit on Facebook @seacoastspecialtymarine.
Neal Lewanda – Repairs, fiberglass/gel coat, rudders, keel work, etc. – neal@lewandamarine.com, 978-525-2700
Benjamin Parker of Aequoris Yachts and does glass work and boat repair. Contact Ben at 58 Gregory Street, Marblehead (207) 319-3583 or benjamin.parker@aequorisyachts.com.
Waterline Systems provides a complete range of services. Call at (401) 682-1661.
Cape Cod Shipbuilding makes Zephyr extrusions and a full range of mast and boom hardware and fittings. Call Dick Landis at (508) 295-2240.
The Trailer Shop – Located on 87 High St. in Danvers for any trailer repairs. Call Dan Sullivan at (978) 750-6799
Sailor’s Tailor www.sailortailors.com for boat covers, rudder bags and marine stitching.
The next Fleet 5 Newsletter will be published in May. Newsletters are distributed by email. To request being added to (or removed from) Fleet 5’s distribution list, please contact Elise Nash at elise.mazareas@gmail.com To respond with comments, suggestions, and/or news, email Elise Nash at elise.mazareas@gmail.com