Sail Racing: It's (not) About Winning

843-971-0700
www.OSAsailing.com
Charleston Harbor Marina @ Patriots Point
24 Patriots Point Rd., Mt. Pleasant, S.C. 29464

August 2010

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Hello Friends -

Racing is my passion; I guess I'm not alone. There's a popular joke, "What do you call 2 sailboats in the harbor?" A: "A race." The reason for racing's popularity, as I've come to understand, is not about the winning. (OK, it is about the winning.) But the foundation of racing sailboats is a love of the combination of technical skill (sailors are by and large sharp people) and camaraderie (it's fun to hang out with sharp people).

Late Summer and Early Fall are race months all over the northern hemisphere. We get the rust out of our bones in the spring, we play and cavort in the summer, and now we're ready to test our mettle -- perhaps find out how ready we are for an extended winter cruise where the sun always shines.

In the next 3 months there are 3 amazing Regattas in Charleston. Competing in these will be private sailing yachts, non-profit organizations and schools. We invite you to join Ocean Sailing Academy/Ondeck yachts for some world-class instruction in race tactics and first-class fun.

14th Annual Leukemia Cup

October 1 & 2

For the first time in Charleston, formidable Farr 40s will be contenders in a local regatta. Three of these stunningly fast and agile racing yachts will race to raise funds for the Leukemia Cup, a signature event that combines the joy of sailing with the important task of raising money to cure cancer. 100% of all proceeds from OSA/Ondeck student and sailor participation on our Farrs will be donated to the Leukemia Cup, to which Charleston sailors and community have donated over $1,000,000 since the first annual local regatta 14 years ago.

Four OSA/Ondeck instructors from the Virgin Islands who have raced and trained sailors weekly for 2 years on Farr maneuvers will captain these yachts known for speed, the Lamborghinis of sailing vessels.

The weekend before the event we will conduct 2 days of training. Donation is $250/person for training and race.

Call us: 843-971-0700

MELGES 24 REGATTA

Charleston Harbor Challenge

September 18 & 19
2010 Quantum Sails Champship Series

OSA/Ondeck, known humbly as the premier performance sailing academy in the Southeast, is pleased to announce the Charleston Harbor Challenge which will be hosted at the Charleston Yacht Club from September 18-19, 2010. This event is an exclusive Melges 24 regatta and part of the 2010 Quantum Sails Southeast Championship Series. Plan to hit this as a tune-up on your way to the Melges 24 North American Championships the following weekend.

"We are pleased to sponsor this year's Harbor Challenge. As we all know, September is a great time to be in Charleston. Strong sea breezes and plenty of sunshine make it an ideal venue for a Fall event. We are pleased to welcome all M24 sailors to our great town." - Ned

This summer fantastic sea breezes have built into the 15-20 knot range just about every afternoon. Dependable September is always windy. Chris Hamilton, the social chairman for the event, is planning a great party as soon as racing concludes on Saturday. Dockage has been arranged at the Charleston City Marina, the cost of which is included in the registration fee.

There are already 8 boats committed and we hope to have a total of 15-20 boats. So put this event on your calendar. We hope to see you!

If you have questions or need to arrange storage after the event please contact Steve Kopf at 484/459-8200 or at skopf@peventuresllc.com
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We're holding a 6-day Melges Race Clinic before and during the Regatta. The first 4 days of the clinic will train you, and the last 2 days you will race under expert instruction.

Here's a synopsis of last week's Melges Clinic (July 27 - Aug. 1) summarized by Ned:

"We had 3 students that had never raced the Melges 24 before. One was a 17 year old from Savannah who grew up racing 420s but had never sailed anything larger than 16 feet. The second student was an ER doctor who had taken Basic Keelboat 1 & 2 with us 2 weeks prior and is scheduled to take Basic Cruising in September. The third student has taken Basic Keelboat 1 & 2 with us and gone on several deliveries with our Captain Scott Sale.

"The week started out with light breezesTuesday through Thursday, so everyone had a chance to learn the workings of the Melges 24; they practiced every day at different positions. Friday we settled into our normal positions for racing with everyone practicing their specific role. The breeze was a bit stronger, gusting up to 20 knots, which was good preparation for the racing which was to take place Saturday & Sunday.

"Saturday and Sunday we raced in the Carolina Yacht Club Regatta with Dave & Dabney (my World's skipper) driving. Saturday it was blowing 10-15, gusting to 20. We sailed very well and only made one mistake per race, which gave us a score of 2nd in the first race, 3rd in the 2nd race and 2nd in the 3rd race, for us a total of 7 points and sitting squarely in 2nd place overall. This was quite an achievement for these students who just learned how to sail this boat 4 days prior.

"Sunday we sailed in a bit lighter breeze, which has a tendency to make everyone's speed and skill level less of a factor. Nonetheless, we won the one and only race that was sailed on Sunday. Overall, everyone was extremely proud of the success these students had with such little time in these high performance boats."

Clinic Dates: September 14 - 19
Prerequisite: BK 1 & 2
Cost: $1890

10 Days Offshore Racing & Cruising

Combine Coastal Passage Class
with the
OFFSHORE CHALLENGE RACE:
Alice Cup to Bohicket

The Perfect Offshore Sailing Month: October

Half price for past Coastal Passage graduates
wanting more Offshore Time*

·October 15 - 22.

This is an unusual class/voyage opportunity. Some who join us on a coastal passage come along purely for the enjoyment of sailing without desiring this course certification; others get the cert. Either way, it's a great opportunity to experience open water sailing in a very strongly supported environment...
a magnificent experience however you approach it!
This 10 day sailing opportunity entails offshore coastal cruising for significant distances with brief layovers in various ports-of-call... (read on)

·October 23 - 24.
Race in the Alice Cup. Race to Rockville on the 23rd. Race back to Charleston, tanned, tired and victorious.

Price: $3780. ($1890 if you are already certified in U.S. Sailing's Coastal Passage)

Prerequisite:
Bareboat Cruising if certification is not desired
Coastal Navigation if certification is desired.

Certification Offered:
Coastal Passage

*If you've taken the U.S. Sailing Coastal Passage Making class in the past, we invite you to come along on this trip for half price. As always, you may take any U.S. Sailing course we offer for the second time at half price. (No test required second time around.)

Wednesday evenings this summer

practice your skills through racing.

CORA Series #2: August 11, 18 & 25

OSA has student crewed vessels competing in the CORA Wednesday night races. The boats you'll see are Colgate 26s, our Beneteau 423 and others.

Basic sailing experience is needed but no prior racing experience is necessary. Each student crew will sail with an instructor on board for guidance during the race.

Colgate 26

Farr 40

The Farr 40 is a thoroughbred racing yacht with a strong, lightweight hull and carbon mast. This famous racing yacht is ideal for our performance sailing short course races, charters or sailing regattas.

Call us to reserve a spot in this well attended series.

We'll have an instructor onboard to coordinate the crew. 843-971-0700.

Cost: $75 per race.