Vallejo 1 - 2 Change of Date

[Wylieguy]

When was the Vallejo 1 - 2 date changed? I have set up my October racing schedule around the original date and now I have a serious conflict and probably won't be able to sail this SSS race for the first time in many years. Pat - "NANCY"

 

[BobJ]

VYC changed the date of their Change-of-Watch and that took priority. (Edit - see my post #15 - not VYC's doing.)

There is a silver lining: Since they haven't dredged for awhile, the VYC entrance is a problem again for deeper-draft boats. On the 12th we would have been arriving at low tide, after fighting an ebb going up. Now we'll have a flood for the sail up and high tide when we arrive. Sunday morning (the 20th) will be low water, but not as low as the afternoon of the 12th would have been.

We'll miss you though Pat - hopefully you can do some juggling and work it out.

 

[Travieso]

This really sucks, lets move the race to Benicia or to the Vallejo marina instead

VYC changed the date of their Change-of-Watch and that took priority.

There is a silver lining: Since they haven't dredged for awhile, the VYC entrance is a problem again for deeper-draft boats. On the 12th we would have been arriving at low tide, after fighting an ebb going up. Now we'll have a flood for the sail up and high tide when we arrive. Sunday morning (the 20th) will be low water, but not as low as the afternoon of the 12th would have been.

We'll miss you though Pat - hopefully you can do some juggling and work it out.

I just saw this thread, when was this announced?

We set our calendars in December, I have a tough negotiation as this always lands at or near my anniversary. In addition I have been working with the YRA to run a sportboats regatta and purposely worked around the SSS calendar to schedule it on, wait for it, Oct. 19th. BTW, this also conflicts with the Yankee Cup, which decides the YRA championship for the boats that are running that series.

Please reconsider. If VYC didn't know when their biggest event would be, lets move the venue elsewhere.

dan

 

[Philpott]

Yikes. My son, Second Lieutenant Max Dickey of the United States Air Force, is home on leave that weekend. Sail or Firstborn Male Child?

 

[BobJ]

Both? You can race up single-handed and Max can help us on R/C, then come up to Vallejo with us and double-hand back with you on Sunday. How many times does a son get to fire the shotgun for his mom to start a sailboat race?

As to a change in venue, we'll have 60+ boats to berth and 100+ dinners to provide. Vallejo Marina is almost completely shoaled in. It sounds like Benicia Marina's entrance isn't much better. Not a lot of options here when the needs of the entire group are considered.

 

[Travieso]

Better way of updating the membership....

I don't know when the changes were posted on the website, but I don't know if I would have even noticed had Pat not posted on the forum. An email blast for this type of change is probably in order. Perhaps the board was planning on that and Pat just checks the website way too often.

Changing venues is much more palatable than changing dates.

 

[Wylieguy]

I sail about 50 races per calendar year - and it's a scheduling dance that I figure out when YRA publishes its annual calendar in January. I know a Wylie doesn't need the number of crew a sloop does, but it does need quality crew since that one or two are critical because sail trim is everything and needs constant attention by someone who knows what to do. So I reach deep into the calendar to line up the best. All of this amounts to a schedule locked in months in advance. The crew I ask often give up other opportunities. When changes occur, it's more than just missing a single race; it's often a series.

I was excited because I could sail the SYC Twin Island Series (3 races over 3 months) this year for the first time in several years. With 2 races in, I'm in 2nd Place. Since the Vallejo 1-2 was the week before, and because it's an important race in my racing life, I lined up crew for the "2" months ago. I don't think he can make the date change. I'm screwed. Juggling won't work. I have to give up one of two important races. If I decide on the Vallejo race, I have to find competent back-up crew. I have to tell my SYC crew they're not sailig the final race in a series they've sailed two races. It's sucks.

Of course I understand. I've been involved at all levels of race management and have had to change race dates for various reasons. I do think someone should remind the Vallejo YC that changes such as this affect dozens of skippers and an equal number of Sunday crew - and for some even more. - Pat "NANCY"

 

[BobJ]

I don't know when the changes were posted on the website, but I don't know if I would have even noticed had Pat not posted on the forum. An email blast for this type of change is probably in order. Perhaps the board was planning on that and Pat just checks the website way too often.

Changing venues is much more palatable than changing dates.

The schedule got resolved with VYC on Thursday afternoon and Matt updated the SSS Home Page and Calendar at 0500 on Friday. Changing the venue for a weekend-long race and dinner of this size is very difficult. Personally I thought six weeks' notice was ample - it sounds like six months' notice wouldn't have been enough.

 

[breezetrees]

Well I will add that I was happily surprised. I have to work on the original date and now I can go. I'm happy the races get run either way, thanks race committee for your work.

 

[Travieso]

Its not the first time VYC pulls this stunt. Lets move the venue this year. I don't care about dinner and doubt that many racers give much weight to YC food when deciding to go racing. Like Pat (and I'm sure many others) the racing calendar was set early in the year. There are other options than changing the date. We just need a place to moor or anchor the boats overnight, YC not required.

 

[bluewater_ny]

Question: I have a big problem getting my crew to Vallejo since we both live in Los Gatos. Is it possible to have her onboard for the Vallejo I, provided she doesn't do anything but watch me struggling, without her ever touching neither line nor tiller, acting as ballast or anything else that would be considered participating in racing?
Cheers
Paul

 

[BobJ]

Sorry Paul - the only other person you can have aboard is the imaginary one that appears sometimes during solo TransPacs (usually due to lack of sleep).

However, others will be figuring out crew shuttles up to Vallejo on Saturday - it's a common problem. She might be able to ride up to Vallejo with one of the folks from the Race Committee, or with another V2 crew.

Can anyone help Paul out?

 

[Travieso]

Question: I have a big problem getting my crew to Vallejo since we both live in Los Gatos. Is it possible to have her onboard for the Vallejo I, provided she doesn't do anything but watch me struggling, without her ever touching neither line nor tiller, acting as ballast or anything else that would be considered participating in racing?
Cheers
Paul

Paul, the ferry to Vallejo from the SF Ferry building is quite enjoyable assuming she can get to the city (plenty of public transit options for that). If she times it right, she'll get to sail right through the fleet and be ready to meet you in Vallejo.

 

[Mewes]

And, for $5 there's a Solano Transit bus from Del Norte BART to the Vallejo Transit Terminal located on the hill above the Ferry Terminal. It's a fast ride.

 

[BobJ]

After several e-mails it is now clear that Vallejo Yacht Club did not cause the date conflict. Their Change-of-Watch was always scheduled for October 12th. When I called their manager a couple weeks ago to confirm our visit and plan the menu, I misinterpreted his comment that their Commodore had taken ill as the reason for the date conflict. In fact, our race was never on their calendar. Regarding changing the race date in past years, I have no knowledge of that but I can see how that could happen, and it may not have been VYC's fault then either.

My apologies to Vallejo Yacht Club and to those who now have a race date conflict.