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Schedule of Coming Events

Club	Event	Day	Date
AISC	Wed Night-2 #3	Wed	07/23/2008
AISC	Wed Night-2 #4	Wed	07/30/2008
BFSC	Evening Breeze #3	Sat	08/02/2008
AISC	Wed Night-2 #5	Wed	08/06/2008
BFSC	Evening Breeze #4	Sat	08/09/2008
AISC	Wed Night-2 #6	Wed	08/13/2008
BFSC	Moonlight Scrambler #2	Sat	08/16/2008
SSC	Firefly #2	Sat	08/16/2008
AISC	Wed Night-2 #7	Wed	08/20/2008

22 July 2008 Sitting around a dockside table of friends sipping some single barrel George Dickel, I was asked, "You still racing that Catalina of yours, JoyRide?"
"Every now and then, but not much", I answered and continued. "I'm about over racing it though. I'd like to find something smaller I can play around with".

Then from across the table, my good friend Mark Adams asked, "Would you race Red Boat?"

From there, a dialogue developed which would ultimately have me buying Dat Little Red Boat and adding it to my fleet. Red Boat is a little Cal 21, 1973 model, and has a reputation for being rather quick; but more importantly, fun to sail.

Without question, the Catalina 30 Tall Rig offers a lot in space and comfort. Thought to be a "Lead Sled" by many, she actually has a decent turn of speed and performance. Many would argue the Catalina 30 is the perfect boat for Lanier, and for the most part, I would have to agree. However, with all the accolades that can be attributed to bigger boats, as you move up in size I firmly believe the trade off for all that comfort is, well, fun.

Now, don't get me wrong, I enjoy sailing the JoyRide. But, the fact is, it has never been as much fun as any of my previous smaller boats. To be quite frank (or Tom, or Bill, or Jim...), if you don't have a breeze, sailing the Catalina is like going to a bad high school dance and getting stuck with your best friend's fat little sister. Boring!

Now, I know there are folks out there that would bring up the big race boat argument. They are big, fast, and undoubtedly fun. However, that is a completely different issue I might discuss further in another post. But for brevity's sake, let me make this little analogy. Having a big race boat is like buying a super, high-dollar prostitute. However, the only possible way to enjoy her is to have six or seven of your closest friends come along for a free ride, just to make sure you're not over early. Hmmm, to me, that's a problem. I mean, hey, if I can't have her all to myself every now and then, why bother.

Now I'm in possession of Dat Little Red Boat and I couldn't be happier. She needs a bit of cleaning up, but nothing drastic. We've already been out a few times and what an absolute pleasure to sail. She is so well behaved and light on the tiller, she practically sails herself.

After one day of great sailing, I had the boat put away and was getting ready to head home when I turned to take a last look. "Thanks for the great ride Little Red Boat. That was a blast. We are going to be good friends for a long time," I said.

Red Boat just sat quietly in her slip. Turning and while walking back to the car, I smiled. All of a sudden, sailing was fun again.

Kirk Out!

21 July 08 Just returned from a little weekend getaway in Savannah. I love it down there, especially when off the beaten path of touristy crap. A quick drop in to stool 17 for a cold cider at Kevin Barry's is about all I can stand of River Street these days. OK, maybe three ciders, but after that, the blue hair yankees, t-shirt shops, and green hair social misfits of our current youth get the best of me.

Call me old fashioned, but give me a little row house off of Chippewa Square, a park bench, and a box of chocolates, and I would be perfectly happy. And that's all I have to say about that...

Race scores for AISC Wednesday Night 2-2 came in while I was gone. They are up now and awaiting your review at the AISC Website.

And Mike Macleod was kind enough to send the news link which covers the entire recent Soverel 33 Nationals held on Lake Norman. Read all about that here. Good stuff.

Kirk Out!

16 July 2008 OK...We'll try to get some racing in tonight. Hopefully the forecast will be kind. Currently, per the Weather Underground, NE @ 5 mph at 1700 laying down and shifting N @ 4 mph by 2000. It should be Lanier at its best.

In other local news, it would seem everybody's favorite South African, Warren Doyle, took top honors with Shaka in the Soverel 33 National Championships at Lake Norman. As described, the racing was close, as One Design should be, but it would be Shaka in the end. Other Lanier Soverels competing were McLeod's, Five OClock Somewhere, and Postell's Speedster. Congrats again to Warren and Team Shaka!
Kirk Out!

10 July 2008 It's official now, the lake has retreated two feet since its calendar year high of 1057.80 reached on the 24th of May. Per the corps' numbers, we dipped to 1055.79 yesterday. We'll have to wait to see what happens when the numbers come in, but I don't expect a great gain from yesterday's rain, every little bit helps though, I guess.

Rain, wind, and storm, or at least the expectation of it, kept last night AISC racers on the beach last night. Following race committee's lead, most sailors didn't even leave the dock as all eyes were looking west or at their Blackberry radar screens to the approaching weather system that was to hammer us. Admittedly, it didn't look good. And when it was asked of the fleet if we really wanted to race, only one sole raised their hand. The night of racing was abandoned. However, typical of Lake Lanier, the storm never really materialized, and now we have nine races left with everyone tied for first place, or last place, if you're a pessimist.
Kirk Out.

09 July 2008 If you have read my last couple of posts, you may, or may not, have picked up on a couple harmless oversights such as my referencing Sunrise Cove as "Sunride Cove". Or, even as recently as yesterday, my pointing out one's "civil duty" as opposed to the correct explanation of one's "civic duty".

Now, most of the time, I allow my wife, Joy, to proof read most everything I do. She reads lots of books and stuff and is very good at picking my articles apart for errors. We don't always agree on some issues, because sometimes it is simply a matter of style. However, for the obvious, I simply can't ignore it. Problem is I write this silly shit at about 4:00 in the morning before work. So, while at 5:00 AM or so, it is tempting to go into the bedroom and say something like, "Hey, lazy brains, get your ass up out of bed and read this new crap", I opt for the high road and post without editorial review, then I wait for a phone call later in the day. Trust me; it really is the smart thing for me to do. So, if you find my mental errors too, just remember, my editor was probably asleep, and I work for the Gubment.
Kirk Out!

08 July 2008

I certainly hope all had a great time celebrating our recent Fourth of July. I know I did. With the exception of needing to dodge and take cover from the occasional summertime storm, we couldn't have asked for better weather. We actually had breeze, and did it ever get above 90 degrees?

The normal heavy stinkpot traffic appeared to be down, which was good. It is my hopes that, with the price of gas, the smelly bastards will be put away until the next time they can afford to pester the crap out of the rest of us. One of my worries is that some of these poorly trimmed V-Hulled knuckleheads may try and extend their lake time by trading off to some variety of "Lake Lice" (jet-ski). The increases in noise will more than make up for the lack of annoying wake. Truth has it that, if you are a guy and you actually get excited about Jet-Skis and the like, you may be a fag. I read that on the internet or something, so it must be true.

Also, as we prepare to roll into the second half of the AISC Wednesday Series, the Fleet Captain would like to make another plea for those that have not yet done their civic duty as race committee, to contact him and sign up for the available dates. Check out and choose what is available here or at the AISC Website, then and send him an email to help out.... Come on folks; let's get this issue resolved before the end of the week. We don't need this type of ambiguity going into the second half, not to mention, I've also heard that, if people are members of a sailing club and they don't volunteer to help out on race committee, they may have a jet-ski in the closet... (What?...What did I say?).
Kirk Out!

03 July 2008 It is probably a good thing we had no AISC Wednesday racing last night. Down at Sunrise Cove we only had a fart puff of wind to sail in. I'm guessing the wind Gods are waiting till next week when racing resumes. I hope...

The July Lake Lanier PHRF Commitee met and the month's latest certificate data is available on the LLPHRF Website.
Kirk Out!

28 June 2008

The AISC first half final results are in and posted on the club Website.

And just in from the America's Cup media center...

America's Cup legal uncertainty forces AC Management to end Host City contract with Valencia

As a consequence of the continued uncertainty around the 33rd America's Cup caused by the Golden Gate Yacht Club's legal manoeuvres, AC Management and the Spanish institutions (Central State, Valencia Region and Valencia Municipality) have been left with no option but to revise the terms of their relationship, ending the contract signed in July 2007 that named Valencia the Host City for a multi-challenge 33rd America's Cup in 2009.

The two parties have entered into a new agreement that concludes months of discussions trying to adapt the contract signed after the success of the 32nd America's Cup to the current legal context. Under the new agreement, the organisation and exploitation of the Port America's Cup facilities will be managed by the Spanish institutions from 1 July; the 33rd America's Cup teams retain the opportunity to continue using their bases and the majority of administrative benefits for teams and personnel remain in force until the end of 2008.

Michel Hodara, Chief Executive Officer of AC Management, the company organising the 33rd America's Cup on behalf of the defending yacht club, Soci�t� Nautique de Gen�ve, explains: "Too many issues, such as the dates and participants, remain unresolved until the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court publishes its decision; meaning the July 2007 contract is no longer appropriate. The Spanish authorities understand the situation and we are pleased that we have come to a new agreement adapted to the current context, in the best possible spirit. We thank them for extending the use of the bases and the administrative benefits to the teams.

"This does not mean that we are leaving Valencia. The choice of the venue for the 33rd America's Cup will mainly be based on competitive factors and if Valencia is considered the best place, then a second America's Cup Match will take place here."

Kirk Out!

27 June 2008

OK, the AISC all-star break is over. Last Wednesday night, Buford's Tannery Row was reminiscent of a European "Gut" as the fleet converged on Tabby's Irish Pub for an evening of food, beer, awards, and good times. However, unlike the "Gut" in Naples, Italy (my all time favorite), there were no hookers that I saw, or at least any that would bust a five dollar bill for a good time. And, there were no He-She's running around either, which is probably a good thing because I've seen more than one sailor fall prey to a pretty well done He-She. It isn't a pretty sight, leaving emotional scars deeper than one can imagine. At any rate, we should all thank Tabby's Pub for showing us a good time, and perhaps you will give them more than just a passing thought the next time you are thinking about pulling a pint or two.

For those of you looking for the finally results, I have not received them yet. However, I do expect them soon and they will get posted "spit-spot", once they get in.

So, now it's time to focus on the second half of the season. We were pretty lucky with the wind during the first half. So, with the dog days of summer heading our way, perhaps our luck will hold and we can dodge the expected multiple drifters this time of year tends to yield. At any rate, we know where most of us will be come this next Wednesday. See you there.
Kirk Out!

18 June 2008

Pretty much, the sign says it all. The lake is down to 1057.12 from its 2008 peak of 1057.80 set in early April. While it is a matter of only inches, it has a bearing on how we operate. And as hard as it is to say, the reality check is, it is going to get worse before it gets better. Some boats that were just mere inches away from getting a new bottom will most likely have to wait (with fingers crossed) till next spring. Many that were scheduled to be pulled will have to be told that it ain't going to happen right now. And, of course, for those that have been pulled, I hope they have enough water to splash later.

I certainly wish we could provide some water shed relief for those poor souls out in the mid-west. They have all the water we need and then some. Everything always seems to be in the extreme; extreme rain, extreme drought, extreme alcohol...........
OK, maybe the alcohol I can live with.
Kirk Out!

17 June 2008 I have this post dated 17 June 2008, however, to be perfectly honest (a quality I almost have to a fault), it is late afternoon on the 16th. I was going to write some news this morning, but fact is, I was a touch sober. This crap is much easier to write after a cocktail,...or three. So, seeing how I've just been met with a touch writer's block, I think it is time for another sharp and refreshing vodka tonic. I'll be back in a snap.......... much better.

OK, as already mentioned in the last post, Sunday was Father's Day. I certainly hope every Dad had a great day. I certainly did, because I, along with wife and daughter, got a chance to stretch the legs off Adam, JoyRide's diesel banger. With there being just enough wind to piss you off, it was the only real practical option. So, we put a couple hours on the old boy and took our time going no where slow.

During our travels we came across a raft-up which I quickly recognized as several of the boats of the Barefoot Sailing Club. They had a hook set with several boats strung up together for the day. They were obviously having a good time, swimming and all. But I'm sure, being the good folks they are, there was no pissing in the water. What self respecting sailor would do that?

Earlier in the day, before heading to the boat, I stopped off at the house of my good friend Joey Duran. He needed help with a boat chore, not worthy of mentioning here. However, upon my arrival, I was directed to look at the tree line along the shore. An American Bald Eagle sat proudly on a branch overlooking the waters of Hidden Harbor. Now I usually have at least a couple Bald Eagle sightings each year on Lanier, however this time, I had the SailLanier camera at the ready. Lucky for me, with the help of the Duran float-boat, I was able to pull off this Happy Snap.

Going into this week we have a full plate; the last of the first half AISC Wednesday Night Races, and of course this weekend, the LLSC Reggae Regatta. Whoops! The glass is empty; time for another cocktail. How exactly does the other half live?

Kirk Out!

15 June 2008 Happy Father's Day! Once again my travel schedule to locations with limited to no connectivity has put me behind a bit with regards to informational posts and pointless editorials. So, let's see if we can get a bit caught up.

In Atlanta Inland Sailing Club (AISC) news, one race remains in the first half of the ten race series with the last race being this coming Wednesday. That said the results from race #9 are now up and posted at the AISC Website (finally). When you look at the current standing, you will find many good "Do or Die" situations. For many, it will all come down to this last race. Oh, the suspense!

Also worthy of mentioning is the AISC Midway Awards Party for the first half of racing to be held on Wednesday, the 25th of June. This year it will be held at Tabby's Irish Pub located within the Tannery Row building in Buford Georgia. For those unfamiliar with Buford, GA, the address is, 554 West Main Street, Buford, GA, or just sees their website at: www.tabbysirishpub.com.

That's about it for now. So I better.... Hmmm? What? I forgot to mention, what... Oh, I'm sorry. I teased you with the mentioning of a "pointless editorial". Well, I wouldn't want to let you down.

OK, let me see... Oh yeah, here ya go. For some of you this isn't really news, but for many, I'm sure there are those that have experienced this phenomenon and never made the connection. Quite simply put, if you see someone eating an excessive amount of pistachios, you may want to think twice before shaking hands. Quite simply put, the consumption of these delicious little morsels is known to cause a touch of Anal Itch, in many cases quite severe. If memory serves, it has something to do with an amount of fungus contained in the little nut that causes a moldy bowel, which in turn results in a moldy ass. And everyone knows that a moldy ass itches like Hell.

So, if you are at a party and you notice a bowl of pistachios are being offered up. Then, if later you see some poor sap dragging his ass across the carpet like a dog, you'll know why.

Is that pointless enough?

Kirk Out!

06 June 2008 And another successful night of AISC Wednesday evening racing is in the books. Good weather and pressure came together for a nice night oon the water. As usual, our scorer Frankie A is on top of his game with another quickie turn around on results. As usual, find them at the AISC Website.

And don't forget about the Lake's biggest Down-Island Race and Party, The LLSC Reggae Regatta! Dates for the event are June 20th through the 23rd and you can find here the Event Flyer, the Notice of Race, and of course, the Sailing Instructions. Clcik and pay with Online Registration, and if you need after race event tickets, those can be had with the Online Dinner/Party Ticket Store. As usual, always visit the LLSC Website for the most current and complete information.
Kirk Out!

30 May 2008 AISC Wednesday Nite results for race #7 are up and posted. Find them now at the AISC Website!

A Note from the Editor
NEEDED! Race Committee (RC) and Galley Crew - There are plenty of opportunities for the AISC sailors to do their part and host RC and the Galley Crew, more importantly RC. While the feeding the fleet is an extremely nice and generous concept, the RC operation is critical. The all volunteer concept in signing up for race management duties certainly has its merits, but it also comes with its problems. When people actually volunteer, it is great. And the fact remains, many have done more than their share of supporting AISC operation. Bravo Zulu to you all.

The problem is, we are quickly approaching the end of the first half of the season and seven Primary RC opportunities remain open (See the Curent List). At this stage of the game, these spots should be filled. It should not be the responsibility of the Fleet Captain to run around at the last minute trying to gather up bodies for RC. The biggest problem with this is the Fleet Captain often has to resort to the well of folks that have already served thier RC Duties.

So, is their a solution? Well, of course. I advocate strongly the volunteer system. All skippers should have the opportunity to select their dates at the Season Kick-Off party. But after that, all bets are off and the remaining slots should get filled on a lottery basis. Simple enough. Will everyone like this proposal? Nope, but those in opposition will most likely be the skippers that have dodged their opportunity to serve in the past. I think they should get their change at the plate too, but that's just me talking.

So in closing I will simple ask, if you have not yet volunteered to sign up for RC Duty, please review the available slots and Contact the Fleet Captain to volunteer.
Kirk Out!

23 May 2008 AISC Wednesday Nite results for race #6 are up and posted. Find them now at the AISC Website!

It is also time to think about registration for the Lake's biggest Down-Island Race and Party, The LLSC Reggae Regatta! Dates for the event are June 20th through the 23rd and you can find here the Event Flyer, the Notice of Race, and of course, the Sailing Instructions. Clcik and pay with Online Registration, and if you need after race event tickets, those can be had with the Online Dinner/Party Ticket Store. As usual, always visit the LLSC Website for the most current and complete information.
Kirk Out!

20 May 2008

The University Yacht Club, in cooperation with the Atlanta Sea Scouts, will host the Brendan Sail Training Program to benefit youths with learning differences. The program has its roots in the Annapolis, MD area, but from June 23rd to July 2nd, this extraordinary program will be available to qualifying children here on Lanier. To lean more or get involved, Click Here or on the Banner above.
Kirk Out!

18 May 2008 The Lake Lanier PHRF Committee met this month to shake out pending applications for New and Renewal racing certificates. Seven updates have been made to the board and these can be found at the Official LLPHRF Website. See all the exciting number crunching there!
Kirk Out!

16 May 2008 Wednesday Nite's AISC race results are up and posted at the AISC Website. See the numbers there by Clicking Here.
Kirk Out!

15 May 2008 Dave Perry, expert sailor and authoritarian on the rules of sailboat racing is coming to Lake Lanier Sailing Club for a presentation. This event is open to all Lanier sailors and each are encouraged to attend. Dave will go through the racing rules, ensuring sailors and officials understand the rules and how to apply them to situations from common to complex (especially starts and crowded mark roundings!). He will also go over how to maximize your winning tactics with increased rules knowledge. Bring your rule books and your questions. Dave will also have his books available for purchase and signing.

The event is expected to sell out. Tickets are only $22.00 a person.
Click Here to reserve your spot via PayPal.

For more info, contact: Mike Stewart svbreeze@bellsouth.net (770) 402-5144

14 May 2008 My appologies to the folks at Barefoot sailing Club. I was asked last week or so to help promote their Open Womens Regatta coming up this weekend. Very busy here with being on the road a lot and unable to keep things quite as current I would like (Sorry Guys). That said, this weekend, BFSC will be hosting their Open Women's Regatta. It is a prime opportunity to get the gals at the helm. Plans are to get three races in with trophies going to the top three finishers. All requests by the ladies for the men to show them their Tits must be obliged. But knowing the likely crews, I would highly discourage such demands. At a nominal entry fee of $15 bucks it is a good deal. A BYOB party will be hosted after the event. Click the banner above for the NOR and more details.

I've also gotten around to working down the pictures from day II of the Cinco de Mayo Multihull regatta. Sunday's event was rather light on the breeze, but it still made for a nice day on the water. I appreciate everyone's patience in waiting for me to get these posted. And many thanks to Ron Goldfarb as he helped to contribute to the second half of these pics. Enjoy them by Clicking Here!

Kirk Out!

09 May 2008 Race Results for the fourth race of the AISC Wednesday Nite series are up. Find them Here! Got to go, way too much crap going on!
Kirk Out!

08 May 2008 Running short on time here, very busy schedule this week and the next, however I wanted to, at very least, post some pictures I took at last weekend's Cinco de Mayo Multihull Regatta. These were taken on day one. I have not yet had a chance to scrub down the ones I took on day two. Ron Goldfarb was on location for Day II as well, so the next set will have some from him as well. ENJOY THEM HERE!
Kirk Out!

02 May 2008 The AISC results for Wednesday Nite's Race# 1-3 are now live and can be seen at the AISC website.
Kirk Out!

30 April 2008 Have we reached the end of the road on water levels on Lake Lanier? Well, I hope not, but on April 21st we gave up a little ground for the first time in a while. We recovered that dribble of water only to again let it go a couple days later. I'm hoping this is not a trend, but the rain will eventually end, and with it, the significant gains in water levels. Currently, levels are at 1057.61, just shy of a seven foot gain. However, as it was pointed out to me last night, per the Corp of Engineers, the projections for lake levels remain flat and steady through the month of May. Not trying to be a negative here, but traditionally, once we hit the month of June, levels run down hill for the rest of the year. So my point is, don't get to comfortable with the gains we have seen since the end of 2007. It is still cool to conserve water, even when your asshole neighbor doesn't quite get it.

The Atlanta Inland Sailing Club (AISC) needs members of it's fleet to sign up for Race Committee and Galley Duty. They have posted the sign up sheet at their website and they wish members to review it and sign up for available dates.
Kirk Out!

28 April 2008

It's Monday, and we leave behind a pretty nice weekend. Saturday was a surprise as rain was expected to spoil part of the day. The rain, however, did not materialize giving the Southern Sailing Club a great day to shove of with its Masters Regatta Open. Some 16 senior skippers (age 50 and over) showed up to play in a consistent 7 knot breeze and 8 mile race. It was a very nice day. Race results will be available at the SSC website. The Sail Lanier camera was on location and caught several Happy Snaps. To view the event pics,
Click Here.

Sunday brought more desperately needed rain, which made for a nice back porch Bloody Mary morning and cockpit Corona afternoon between breaks in the sky. Even though it was a gentle drizzle at the lake, it appears from the radar we are getting a bit more up stream. I'm looking for another net gain on the lake level.

And I've put down some thoughts surrounding our PHRF scoring system, particularly when it appears two boats end up in a tie in a race. To be honest, I have some issues with how some of these results shake out. My comments are really a bit to lengthy for the Sail Lainer home page, so you can find them as a separate featured article. To read more, Click Here. I would love to hear your comments and started a thread in the Protest Room on Starboard Tack, the Sail Lanier Forum.

And I've reworked the page of one boat in the Gallery, the Jannapolis 22/26, Restoration. Plus I've aded another, the hot rocket of a Columbia, Resurgence.
Kirk Out!

25 April 2008 After a disappointing AISC home opener, this week's Wednesday Night, Race Two, was a great ride. The AISC scorer is continuing his tradition of getting out results in a timely fashion. Thanks, Frankie. Find this week's results at the AISC Website!
Kirk Out!

17 April 2008

They (whoever in the Hell that is) say a picture is worth a thousand words. And in many cases I would simply agree. However, if you wanted to illustrate last evening's Wednesday Nite home opener, you wouldn't use the captioned picture here. Condition's last night could not have been more different. However, a few boats did find themselves in a position to briefly reach along, but only by catching a fart or two from neighboring boats. At least it wasn't mid-August. We'll try again next week.

OK, I promised that the New SailLanier Forum "Starboard Tack" would be feature on Wednesday morning. Well, here it is Thursday, meaning it didn't happen yesterday, so what. I'm lazy. Anyway, you will now find the FORUM link (in green for easy identification) on the menu board. You can click there to flip over on to Starboard Tack. As I mentioned the other day, it will start with just a few topic boards which can certainly grow if the need arises. However, to start with, we simply need to get folks to open accounts and start using it. So give it a gander here, hopefully the community will find it useful.

FYI...The photo was taken this past Sunday during one of the Southern Sailing Club races. Featured here is Chris Hoffman's C&C 27 making big hole in the water as her tries to close in on JoyRide. Chris doesn't have a name for his boat, but we call it The Hassel-Hoff.
Kirk Out!

15 April 2008 Hey! Happy Tax Day! I know most of you have been waiting all year long to have this opportunity to feed the machine. Well, now is the time - pay up or extension up. It really is like something from the movie, Little Shop of Horrors. You remember the song, right?

Feed me! Feed me! Feed me!
Feed me, Seymour! Feed me all night long.
(That's right, boy! You can do it!)
Feed me, Seymour. Feed me all night long. (Ha, ha, ha, ha ha.)
'Cause if you feed me, Seymour, I can grow up big and strong.

And the monster just grows and grows. It's almost scary isn't it? Well, let me just say this. Kill the monster...with the FAIR TAX! And as my close cousin Forest Gump would say, "That's all I'm going to say about that."

Tomorrow is the first nite of the AISC Wednesday Nite Series. For those doing Race Committee, the Fleet Check-In and Finish Sheets are now available on the AISC WEBSITE- GET EM HERE!

Congratulations to Mike Krantz for being this year�s winner of the BFSC "Around Alone Race" on Saturday 4/12/08. Winn Story punched out into the lead early in the race and maintained it for the most part until the final stretch from the �Three Sisters� to the finish line. Winn stayed left and Mike to a line to the right and wound up in a faster lane just beating Winn out at the finish.
Only four boats made it out for the event, which is too bad, since this really is a great race. But, as they say, "It only takes two boats to make a race." I'm sure the morning window weather guessers just didn't like what they saw when they woke up. In the end, it turned out to be a pretty nice day.

Here is a little more news about the SailLanier Forum. The set up is almost done and I plan to launch it tomorrow morning! The forum will be called, Starboard Tack. Pretty original, huh? It will have a place for Racers, a place for posting Crew Wants and Needs, it will have a place I call the Protest Room for talk about the rules and the like, and it will even have a place for the Cruisers on the lake as well. That is how we will start it, so look for it in the morning.
Kirk Out!

14 April 2008

Happy Monday...Well, my vacation is now over and I couldn't have ended it on a better note than to have had the kind of sail we had yesterday. Joey Duran joined me yesterday for a little Southern Sailing race. We did two races, both to marker 11 and back. Winds started in the high teens and continued to build to the mid twenties. It was certainly a big boat day and having Joey on board was certainly a God send. Joey steered and I pulled strings and the boat beat the crap out of both of us, especially in the second race where the winds really built.

Also, Mark Williams had his camera out for the last of the Barefoot Wednesday Nite Warm-Ups and grabbed a handfull of happy snaps. The pictures were taken with a canvas of sunset sky and are really pretty good. I suggest you take a gander at them here.

I have been asked by a few folks about putting a SailLanier Internet Forum together so individuals can log in and discuss, whatever. Well, I am in the process of doing just that. The plan is to get one out there and see how useful you folks find it. If it is a successful use of our time and resources, we'll keep it. If not, we'll have a good old fashion "Forum Burning" in the back yard. Watch for it in the next few days.
Kirk Out!

12 April 2008 BFSC would like to announce their Third Annual Celtic Crossing to be held on May 3rd, 2008. This annual event is held to remember the contributions the Celtic nations made to Maritime History. This is THE Cruising event on Lake Lanier. There will be a Parade of Boats, a Blessing of the Fleet, and the Celtic Crossing itself. The Celtic Crossing is not a race; but, competition is involved. To learn more, Click Here!
Kirk Out!

10 April 2008

Things here at SailLanier have been a little slow lately and for good reason. The Jockells just got back from a little escape action at Runaway Bay, Jamaica. I though about placing a note on the site and establishing an "Out of Office" responder on my email, but there are plenty of good security reasons for not doing so. In short, any of the above actions simply broadcasts to the world, "Hey! All you would be predators take note. Nobody is home now and my pristine collection of valuable Shaun Cassidy, Bobby Sherman, and Leif Garrett albums are here for the taking. And while you're at it, my 1989 Deion Sanders' MLB Rookie card is in my top left sock drawer. And since you have plenty of time, if you don't mind, would go ahead and make sure the cat has water."

So, as you can plainly see, I had more than one excuse not to announce my departure. However, all that aside, I do have some catching up to do. To start with, as my Air Jamaica flight was taxing down the runway last Saturday, I said to myself, "Self, with these wet and stormy conditions, ain't nobody going to want to sail the Around Alone in this shit". Well as it would seem, I was right. However, they did not cancel the event. The BFSC Around Alone is now scheduled for this weekend, Saturday, the 12th. Come on out and give it another try. Click the above announcement banner for more information.

And as another reminder, don't forget to set your TiVos and DVRs for this Sunday. ESPN2 will be showcasing this year's Acura Miami Grand Prix event at 12:30.
For now...Kirk Out!

04 April 2008

I finally got a chance to work down the pictures of Dogwood Regatta "Day Two". Once again special thanks to Ron Goldfarb and his roaming camera for the contributing to the site. Click Here! (Best Viewed at 1024x768 Screen Resolution)

Also, in other news, Barefoot hosted another Wednesday Nite warm-up race this week. Thirteen boats came out to play and tune up for the new season. The Warm-Up this week was to be the last, however, since the AISC Wednesday Nite Registration was moved and conducted at the Dogwood Regatta Skipper's Meeting, Barefoot will host another Warm-Up race on Wednesday April 9th. Mark it on your calendar and come out.
Kirk Out!

02 April 2008 I just have a few quickie notes today.
1. Racers: Don't forget, tonight, BFSC is hosting the last of the Wednesday night Warm-Up races before AISC kicks off their weekly series. As usual, 7:00 pm start in the vicinity of X mark.
2. Results are in from the Dogwood Regatta. Thanks to scorer Frankie Atkinson for getting them out so timely. They can be found at the AISC Website.
3. Also coming up this weekend is the Barefoot Around Alone Regatta. This is one of my favorite events as it is for single-handing sailors and makes for a good excuse to run to the dam. Unfortunately, I won't be able to attend as I will be out of town, but you should! It's fun, affordable, and all the details can be found by clicking on the banner link.
4. Also, later this month, SSC will host its Master's Regatta. The skipper must be at least age 50 and helm the boat. This is another affordable event at only $5.00. Details for this event can be found at the Southern website.
5. And don't forget to TiVo or DVR your TV for ESPN2's account of the Miami Grand Prix event. Sunday April 13th at 12:30 p.m.
Kirk Out!

01 April 2008 Hey, I won the lottery!!!...OK, hopefully, that will be your only stupid joke you will get all day.

It wasn't but just a few months ago I was talking to a dooms-day forecaster. He predicted a forced moratorium on sailboat racing on Lake Lanier. "There simply won't be enough water to safely navigate the lake next year and maybe in 2009. Everyone is pulling their boats from the lake ", he said.
"Bull Shit!" I would continue, "The Lake is like the damn stock market. It has its ups and downs, but in the end it always comes back up. People are not pulling their boats; they are just moving their investment to safer markets for a while. That's all."

At this, I quickly got that curled brow of confusion look, and then I pushed further in hope of seeing a light, or even a glimmer of understanding. "Don't you get it? For those of us that were able to keep our boats in the water, it's a damn buyers market. If we don't race, we don't gain anything from staying in the water. It's time to sail, sail, sail."

Still getting that stale blank stare, I quickly realized I was talking to someone that has placed his entire retirement in the faith of Social Security; a hopeless case.

So, if we move to the present, here it is, two days after the AISC Dogwood Regatta and my body's still a bit stiff. As expected, it was a slightly smaller regatta than in years past. Many of the boats that would have normally attended were still on the hard. And it hasn't been until just recently that some boats could launch from ramps, making it unrealistic to expect a great number of out of town boats to attend. Having said all that, some 35+ boats made it to the starting line in what I would call, the best weekend of sailboat racing I can remember in a long time.

Plenty of wind on Saturday, and scores more on Sunday, made for some exceptional racing. I guess the only real improvement could have been for Saturday's rain to hold off for a while, but hell, we need the water. And as for Sunday's lower temperatures, so what; there was plenty of onboard activity to keep you warm (now if you showed up Sunday in Bermuda shorts and flip flops, then ...). Bravo Zulu to AISC and everyone involved for a great event.

As mentioned yesterday, Photographer-at-Large, Ron Goldfarb, was on location and got some great on the water shots. He gave me a disk Sunday morning of Saturday's activity. I now have them (55 or so), worked down, web friendly, and available in the SailLanier gallery. He is mailing me a disk of Sunday's race action as well. Those should be up soon too. Till then, Check out Saturday's Shots Here!
Kirk Out!

31 March 08

It being the morning after, I don't have a lot of time right now (I slept in, if you can understand that). But, AISC's West Marine Dogwood Regatta was a success. Full report later, along with pics courtesy of Ron Goldfarb to come. Kirk Out!

27 March 2008 Barefoot Sailing Club

A hearty thanks goes out to the Barefoot Sailing folks, Chris Webster, Frankie Adkinson, and Tom Graham, for taking the time to put on last evening's Wednesday Nite warm-up race. 8-9 boats came out to play and it was a beautiful evening. BFSC is set to do another Warm-Up session the Wednesday after the West Marine Dogwood Regatta. Speaking of this weekend's big event, the Dogwood Sailing Instructions have been posted. Get them at the AISC Website.
Kirk Out!

24 March 2008 Based on recent communications, weather permitting, Barefoot Sailing Club will try and pull off the Wednesday Night Warm-Up race this Wednesday. They are still concerned with the lake levels and prospects of people heading home after the race in the dark. This is a valid concern, especially since the lake is now up five plus feet and many previously exposed reefs are now slightly submerged. Not to sound like an old Mother Hen, but, if you go, just be careful sailing home.

In other racing news, US Sailing just wrapped up its Spring Meeting and in one proposal, they are entertaining the idea of making US Sailing membership a requirement for all competing sailors by making it a protest-able issue within the 2009-2012 Racing Rules of Sailing. Hmmm, don't we already have enough big brothers in our lives?
Read More Here.

23 March 2008 HAPPY EASTER EVERYBODY! It is looking like it will shape up to be another beautiful day. It probably won't be as nice as yesterday, but a great day by almost any standard. Yesterday was simply exceptionable. If you didn't make it out, you lost the day.

On JoyRide, Larry Cost and I had the girls on the boats for an afternoon, well, joyride. The mid to high teens that accompanied the wind was making the trip less than joyful for the bride, plus the objective of the girls was to simply to soak up some of that early Spring sunshine. So, we dropped them off at the Cost boat, Pegasus, gave them a little good-bye sugars, and announced that we were off to the damn. They thought we were kidding. Wrong.

Pushing off, reef in the main and the 110 leading the way, we were off. It was a nice sail plan for the, to weather, trip. She was well behaved and quite fast as the knot meter recorded speeds in the low 6s for most of the work to weather. Not bad for a Catalina 30 pigboat. It would have been selfish to ask my old girl to do any more than she delivered.

As we left island #13 to starboard, it didn't surprise us at all to see the blue asymmetrical spinnaker of the Columbia 30, Resurgence, making its run back from the dam. The new line of Columbia isn't of my grandfather's generation; no fat there at all. All the bacon was left in the skillet when they designed this boat. Needless to say, she looked great and very fast. I wish I had had my camera; maybe next time.

Making our way around island #3 to starboard, and now with the reef taken out, we worked to weather as far as we could before making our turn home. As we approached the shore of the park, we noticed a group Mexicans that just couldn't wait for the rest of the reasonable world; they were swimming. It made for a good laugh, because, I'm sorry, but that is just dumb. And dumb people make me smile, a lot. And that is one of the reasons I get so many chances to laugh at myself.

Anyway, tacking over on to port for our reachy reachy run home was nothing short of incredible. It was a hull speed sleigh ride most of the way home with several extended periods of cheating the numbers and sailing up hill. It was just good stuff. Kirk Out!

22 March 2008 I was informed of some good news yesterday by Barefoot Commodore Sailing Club, Lance Jones. He reports that Aqualand Marina has reopened Boat Ramp #6. They are reporting a depth of about nine feet at the end of the ramp. Now, unless this is one of those ramps that never quite got high and dry, I would approach that depth estimate with a bit of skeptisim. It is tough to find nine feet of water in a 5' 3" rise of the lake. But at any rate, that is still enough wet stuff to launch a great range of boats, to include a 16' Tri-Hull Runabout filled to excess with passengers and skippered by Bubbass the knuckleheaded wan-a-be mariner.
I'm off to the boat so, Kirk Out!

21 March 2008 LARC Sailors Take Note: In the past, the LARC Awards presentation has coordinated with the AISC Wednesday Nite Sign-Up party. This year will be a little different. LARC will again team up with the AISC group, but this year's presentations will be made prior to the West Marine Dogwood Regatta Awards Ceremony. So, if you feel you did well enough to bring home some LARC bacon, plan on attending the Dogwood ceremony on Sunday March 30th at Tannery Row, Buford, GA.

In some interesting America's Cup news, the Golden Gate Yacht Club has won its court decision making them the Challenger of Record for the 33rd America's Cup, with racing coming as early as some time next year. Alinghi and Oracle will face off in 40' catamarans in what should stack up to be a historical AC event. Oh yea, by the way, Oracle continues to build its rock start crew. In addition to Russell Coutts, Oracle has also announced James Spithill will also be joining the gang.

To read more about the AC Deed of Gift challenge, Click Here!
To read more on James Spithill and Oracle, Click Here!

20 March 2008 Mark your calendars and set up the TiVo and DVRs, Key West Race Week and Miami Grand Prix coverage is coming to your TV on ESPN2.

Gary Jobson and the ESPN sailing team take you aboard a series of Grand Prix racing yachts at the 21st annual regatta in Key West. Exclusive onboard footage features among others Race Week winner Terry Hutchinson aboard Barking Mad, the new 65 foot speedster, Numbers, as well as J-80s, Melges 24s and 32s in some very powerful winds.

Key West Race Week - Sunday, March 23 at 2:30pm eastern
Miami Grand Prix - Sunday, April 13 at 12:30pm eastern
Kirk Out!

19 March 2008

The Commodore of Atlanta Inland Sailing Club (AISC) is proud to announce West Marine as the title sponsor for this year's Dogwood Regatta. He would like to encourage all community sailors to visit and support your local West Marine Store. The sponsorship is a welcomed addition to the regatta plans and certainly helps to insure a successful regatta. So, if you have not yet registered, time is running out to be part of the 2008 West Marine Dogwood Regatta. Register today!
Kirk Out!

18 March 2008 Lake Lanier Sailing Club

I got the chance this winter to come out and give the LLSC Frostbite Lasers a gander. Dang the water looked cold. Anyway, the club concluded this year's series a few weeks ago. They averaged about 20 boats per starting line and over the eight events got in 30 races (seven of them in one day). David Jackson was kind enough to share the final results with us here.
2008 Frostbite Results

Earlier this month, LLSC also hosted the 2008 Laser Southerns, a Laser District 17 Grand Prix Championships. Thanks again to David for sharing those results as well.
2008 Laser Southerns District 17 Grand Prix

I've always wanted to do some one-design dinghy sailing like that, but at 6' 6", 230 lbs, I'm thinking that Lasers ain't my platform. MC Scow maybe, but I think a Laser would put me in the hospital. It's fun to watch though. Kirk Out!

17 March 2008 AISC RACERS TAKE NOTE! As we are getting our boats and crew ready for both the 2008 Dogwood Regatta and Wednesday Night Series, there has been a small change in the schedule that affects the Wednesday night crowd. The Wednesday night sign-up party, originally scheduled for the 9th of April, has been moved to the evening of Friday March 28th. Yes you are right that is also the night of the Dogwood Skipper's meeting. Since the Dogwood Regatta really is the kick off event for AISC, it makes perfect sense to kill two carp with one dough ball. So mark your Calendar; 28 March 2008, Dogwood Skipper's Meeting and Wednesday Night Sign-ups.

What an eventful weekend. I went from looking into a crystal ball on Saturday yelling, "Auntie Em! Aunti Em! Here I am, Aunti Em! I'm here Aunti Em!", to putt putting around on Joey Duran's float boat in what turned out to be a simply beautiful day on Sunday.

It is also nice to report, the rain continues to fall in all the right places. Last night's midnight measure put the lake at 1055.31. That is 4.6 feet above the mud level of December 16th. While we still have a long long away from anything close to full pool (I don't even think in those terms anymore), every little bit helps. HOWEVER, it is more important than ever to exercise a bit of vigilance as many of the previously exposed hazards are currently awaiting you just under the surface. So be careful out there kids. Kirk Out!

13 March 2008 I'm constantly looking for items of interest which are appropriate for SailLanier and its users. I came across a site I thought was pretty cool a couple of years a ago and completely forgot about it. It is hosted by the sailmakers of UK-Halsey and provides nice and clean animated racing rule quizzes. They have just released their 24th quiz in the series and I thought I would pass the link along. It seems the perfect thing to do between Coffee and Lunch breaks. Kirk Out!
UK-Halsey Race Rules Quiz

08 March 2008 Man, today is going to be a busy, cold, and windy day. As I write this, at 5:00 am, from my little old Florida room office, the wind is already trying to come through the glass. And it's only suppose to build as the day goes on, and then, they are calling for possible snow later. If you head out in this crap, the fun factors will obviously depend on the size of boat and number of crew. I'm guessing a fun factor of about 2. Be careful out there.

In other sailing news for the community, the Lake Lanier PHRF Committee recently met and provided me with the latest in updated and new PHRF Certificates for our racers. If you have a certificate pending, look for your numbers at the LLPHRF Website.

As a country, we do not have a Hall of Fame to appropriately honor our sport and the individuals which have done great things. There are plans to establish such a venue at our sailing capital in Annapolis, MD. However, it seems the parties involved can't quite get their act together. If interested, Click Here to Read More.

07 March 2008

OK...Be it shame, guilt, or that cheap Irish Whiskey he drinks, the Barefoot Race Commodore has updated the official position on the BFSC Wednesday Nite Warm-Ups. He says..."After reviewing light tables, lake level predictions, Ouija board and our lucky mood ring, we have revised the Wed night warm-ups. The first race, March 19, will not happen. The second will be tentatively held based on available light. If it isn't, have a nice evening sail on your own. The final race will be held."
Here is our updated Notice of Race.

How High's the Water Momma? She said it's three feet high and ris'n....(my apologies to the late Johnny Cash) That's right folks, since our all time low on Dec 26, 2007, we are up just an Opti mainsheet above three feet. So folks, keep conserving water...at least until the DNR ramps are almost ready to open. After all, we need owe it to ourselves to keep the stinkpot traffic out. Kirk Out!

05 March 2008 Now that the LARC Series is behind us, we can start to concentrate on the next big set of events; First and foremost is the AISC Dogwood Regatta and Wednesday Nite Series. Get registered today! And remember, There are 2 ways to get registered for the events.

1. As a full paying member of AISC ($145 Dues), your dues cover your entry into both the Dogwood Regatta and Wednesday Nights. Members still need to complete a Dogwood Registration Forms to arrange and pay Dinner Tickets, T-Shirts and the like, but the entry fee is already covered.

2. Non-Members of AISC can still participate in the Dogwood Regatta by completing a Registration Form and paying the event fees for the regatta.

Get complete details at the AISC Website!

AN UPDATE FROM CONGRESSMAN NATHAN DEAL ON LAKE LANIER

As you may know, Secretary of the Army Pete Geren took a positive step forward in early February in resolving our current drought situation, by announcing that work will soon begin on the update to both Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint (ACF) and Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa (ACT) water control manuals. I am encouraged to see that this process, which could take as long as three years to successfully complete, is now being actively pursued. This long overdue update represents a fundamental component of getting our current water situation under control and establishing a long-term plan for water resources throughout our area.

Additionally, as you know, I have introduced legislation that would alleviate the current water crisis by allowing states suffering from droughts to be exempt temporarily from the Endangered Species Act, which in Georgia is threatening our low water supply by taking away large amounts of water from north Georgia and sending it downstream to protect mussels and sturgeon in Florida . Specifically, the bill, H.R. 3847 would amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to allow a state to be exempt from the Act when the Secretary of the Army or a Governor declares that drought conditions are threatening the health, safety and welfare of residents in a region served by a river basin managed by the federal government. I am proud to have the support of the entire Georgia Delegation as cosponsors of H.R. 3847.

04 March 2008 I just received a note from the Race Commodore of the Barefoot Sailing Club they are regrettably cancelling the Pre-Wednesday Nite Warm-Up sessions they originally scheduled for later this month. Citing safety concerns due to low lake levels, they now think it best not to go forward with these plans. He says they may hold one informal session, possibly, the Wednesday before the Dogwood, but that has not been confirmed. I'm sure I will get word from the folks at Barefoot if this should change.

On a more serious note, I will share a recent experience.
It is simply a habit. I check my bank account balances everyday. This past Saturday morning I woke up, rinsed my hangover off with a cup of hot coffee, and logged into my credit union. There it was, a $106.61 Visa Debit Charge from a Wal-Mart in Lansing, IL. Now, I know Friday night was a powerful one, but I know I didn't step foot in Illinois. Then, there was another one, $155.86, this time from a Wal-Mart in Country Club Hill, IL. Crap!

Immediately, I called and had my Visa Check Card stopped, but not until over $261.00 of my beer and whiskey money had been sucked from my account forcing me to drink Old Milwaukee for the remainder of the weekend (not bad actually-when did they get rid of the 14 oz cans?).

Had I not, over the years, developed the boring habit of checking my balances everyday, I wouldn't have discovered the fraud until it was way to late. I guess being an Internet banking geek finally paid off, confirming that my life isn't really so boring after all. Well,...OK, maybe it still is. Bottom line is, keep an eye on your accounts, be vigilant with your debit cards, and simply be careful out there. It could happen to you too. By the way, I spoke with my Credit Union on Monday, reported the incident, and the money was back into my account before the last Old Milwaukee fell. It will be Bass Ale tomorrow.
Kirk Out!

03 March 2008 Happy Monday! Going into the first full week of March, we leave in our wake a fine and gorgeous weekend. Evidence of Spring Fever was everywhere, which is a condition that feeds our ambition for the weekend, but does little to motivate our need to return to their chosen vocation.

The 2007-2008 season of LARC racing came to an end this past Saturday. Fifteen total boats came out for a great day of very busy sailing. The Barefoot Sailing Club (BFSC) hosted the last event and was provided with ample wind for the day. The short "D" to "X" mark legs made up a 6.29 course and kept everyone on their toes, as the 10-18 knot breeze made for some tiresome, but exciting racing. With no long legs to rest on, single-handing my Catalina 30 simply wore my ass out. I'm getting to odd for this crap. Then, to add insult to injury, I didn't find out until after I had checked myself in to the hospital for a little R&R, that my insurance doesn't cover "Sailing Stupidity". All the results are now posted to the LARC Website. Congratulations to the Southern Sailing Club (SSC) for taking top honors in the Club on Club competition, and hats of to all the individual winners. Thanks for participating!

The Lake Lanier Sailing Club (LLSC) host the 2008 Southern Laser Regatta, a International Laser Class Association sanctioned event. While I do not have any details regarding results and the like, I can say that the two day event was well attended. And by the looks of things, they enjoyed the Breeze on Saturday.

Sunday was bit different than the day before. It was almost as if the creator of the Universe decided somebody needed a rest (me), and toned things down just a bit. It made a great day for just hanging out for a lazy day at the lake. In the early going, a touch of breeze littered the lake here and there. This brought a few boats out, but, to sail, you had to play connect the dots to keep the boat moving. It did begin to fill in a bit later in the afternoon, but just enough to make for a nice relaxing afternoon cruise. It made for a nice way to end the weekend. Kirk Out!

20 February 2008 The Southern Sailing Club Burgee

This past Saturday, The Southern Sailing Club(SSC) hosted the 4th LARC Series race. Race Commodore Paul Warner set a course, which, by any other standard, would have been just enough to piss you off-2.75 nm. Kind of like coming home, after a hard day at work, only to find the better part of an inch of scotch in the bottom of the bottle -- just enough to piss you off. However, like in the bed time story "The Three Bears", Baby Bear would have said, "This race course is just right!" With a 1300 base time, the small fleet sat through two postponements awaiting the wind to fill in. It filled in as expected with micro-bursts of 3-4 knots, which was enough to get the fleet off on their pursuit start.

The nice thing about a pursuit start is the lead boats can carve a course for the others to follows, or not. So, when two other boats got in hot competition for the same piece of dirt, the rest of us said, "Hmm, I think I'll go, hmmm, that way."

With one more race in the series, SSC still holds the lead in the "Club on Club" violence part of the competition. Find your Race #4 Results at the LARC Website. Kirk Out!

14 February 2008 Happy Valentine's Day Ladies-I've gotten each of you exactly what you want, a Wednesday Night Notice of Race. It can be found at the AISC Website. You can kiss me later. Kirk Out!

13 February 2008

The Atlanta Inland Sailing Club (AISC) has just released it's information regarding its 2008 season and membership details. In short, they are making it easier than ever to enjoy all that AISC has to offer. Get the latest at the AISC Website.
(Wednesday Night NOR Cooming Soon!) Kirk Out!

12 February 2008 It never seems to fail. I have weekend Navy duty and the sailing is great while I'm gone. This past weekend was no exception. It's been the story of my life for the better part of my 10 year reserve career. But now, with the better part of 21 total service in my back pocket, retirement looks better and better...

I've had two sailing reports to come in regarding last weekend's festivities. Thanks for the content gentlemen. Otherwise I would have had to just lie about what actually happened. See the below reports from the University Yacht Club and the Lake Lanier Sailing Club Laser Fleet...

University Yacht Club's annual Hot Ruddered Bum

The Saturday wind forecasts for the Hot Ruddered Bum Regatta were accurate as light morning breezes increased to a steady 15 to 18 knots by race time. During the last of three races a gust of 31 knots was registered on the committee boat. Other than a few broken whisker poles and a torn sail here and there, all survived and enjoyed some of the most exhilarating sailing the lake has seen in some time.

Thanks to Ed and Janet Gaito for generously allowing the Race Committee to use their Hatteras cruiser, Misty, as the committee boat. Also thank you to Robin and Trish Terrell who handled the registration and scoring duties and to Pam Eastman who helped the Race Committee set the course buoys on her boat Get Reel. Finally, thank you to the UYC Maritime Foundation for its continued sponsorship of this event.

The Race Committee did an outstanding job. Two of the best, Tom Graham and Edith Collins were in charge and the three races went off without a hitch. The Tom Graham patented windward- leeward course, with two windward marks and a leeward gate, was used. This set up worked well as there was very little down time between races.

There were some hitches on the boats. Knock downs and round ups were common. Those who had smaller sails in their inventory generally used them to good effect. After the second race a hand full of boats called it a day. Mercifully, the R/C shortened the course for the third race to 3.1 miles. It was howlin' - no spinnakers were flown in the last race.

Results should be up soon, go to the UYC Website and click on the Race Results tab to get the race-by race scoring and the overall results.

Lake Lanier Sailing Club's Frosbite Series (Lasers)

Got an email yesterday from David Jackson about posting a few pics from Sunday's Frostbite Laser Series. Saturday was breezy, but Sunday was just an out right blow. And conditions like that are a dinghy sailors dream. So, thanks David for the pics, and if you'll note, one of them made it as SailLanier Banner no. 21. To see a few more pics from the event, Click Here!
Kirk Out!

11 February 2008

I got an email from Congressman Nathan Deal the other day which highlighted some initiatives for the lake and I thought I would share....

... Legislation to Alleviate Water Crisis
As you well know, Georgia is facing one of the worst droughts in its history. As a resident of North Georgia , I personally understand just how crucial our water resources are to the community, economy and livelihood of our region.

I have joined with the entire Georgia Congressional Delegation in efforts to hold the Federal Government accountable for proper management of Georgia ’s water resources.

I lead Delegation letters to U.S. Army Secretary Geren and to U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Hall regarding the continued water releases from Lake Lanier .

I also joined the Delegation in a letter to President Bush in support of Governor Perdue’s request of a major disaster declaration in Georgia as a result of prolonged drought conditions.

Additionally, I have introduced legislation that would alleviate the current water crisis by allowing states suffering from droughts to be exempt temporarily from the Endangered Species Act, which in Georgia is threatening our low water supply by taking away large amounts of water from north Georgia and sending it downstream to protect mussels and sturgeon in Florida . Specifically, the bill, H.R. 3847 would amend the Endangered Species Act of 1973 to allow a state to be exempt from the Act when the Secretary of the Army or a Governor declares that drought conditions are threatening the health, safety and welfare of residents in a region served by a river basin managed by the federal government. I am proud to have the support of the entire Georgia Delegation as cosponsors of H.R. 3847.

05 February 2008 Somebody alert the community militia and post the guards at the levies. They could breech at any time, and we can't take any chances. The Gub'mnt might blowing them up!
All kidding aside, the lake is up to 1051.99. That's a slice above its December low of 1050.79. It reminds me of the punch line of a old worn out joke, "What do you call 1000 lawyers on the bottom of the ocean?..... A good start." We have a long way to go before we get back to reasonable levels, so don't get any ideas about pressure washing your house or firing up that sprinkler system.
That said, I've been planning to place a "Lake Level" link on the site for some time now, so, with some prodding from "Stickman", I have. You can find the link on the left "Menu" bar. So, depending on if you are a "glass half empty" or a "glass half full" kind of person (all puns intended), you can check there to see just how bad or good things really are.
Also, worthy of sharing is a picture perfect description of exactly how miniscule the Lanier Water Shed really is. I have known for years that, even though our lake is the largest of the Corps lakes, it has the smallest water shed. For a better understanding of just how bad it is, Click Here.(Large File...)

04 February 2008 I can't recall the exact number, but it seems it was 14-16 boats made it out for the LLSC 1064. A moderate postponement gave way to a teaser breeze, which got the fleet off and running directly into a drifter. Patience prevailed though, as things did freshen to complete the day on a positive note. Good time and good food were had by all. It was a beautiful day!

This coming Saturday, we have UYC's Hot Ruddered Bum. In an effort to build participation, they are waiving the $10.00 late fee for registrations received after The January 31st cut off. Which means, there really isn't a registration cut off date any more, so come on out and play. The folks at UYC are claiming the very best regatta party food ever provided, GUARANTEEED. Cobalt glass trophies, three deep-all fleets. NOR-Registration

02 February 2008 OK! After Tweaking the video the best I can, I believe that I have it set to stream the best way possible. I don't expect it will be selected for viewing at the 2008 Cannes Film Festival, but then again, who pays attention to that artsy fartsy stuff anyway. At any rate...Enjoy and Thanks for using SailLanier.com.

01 February 2008 Wow! February is here. And it only seems like yesterday that it was still January. February, in 2008, is more special than most. It is a "Leap Year". And guys, you know what that means? Yeah, one more day in the 328 shopping days before Christmas.

See You at the 1064! Kirk Out!

31 January 2008 This coming weekend is the LLSC 1064 Regatta. Since the event name is directly connected to the lake level of the day, perhaps we should was just nickname it the 1051. At any rate, it should be a fun race at a reasonable price. And whether the lake is at 1051, 1064, or full pool, there is enough water to race. You might not get to wash your car, water your grass, or power wash your driveway, but at least you can sail. And who wants to do yard work anyway. NOR and Registration Form

You may or may not have noticed, but Sail Lanier is now doing the website for the Atlanta Inland Sailing Club (AISC). We (me, myself and I) are happy to do it. The format for the site has been up for a few weeks now; I hope you find it useful. You will also note, there is not yet a membership application posted for the 2008 season. Be patient, the current guard is looking at some potential changes to improve matters for the upcoming year. Stay tuned.

And finally, while staying at home and waiting for the Direct TV guy to deliver and install my dish (LOVE IT!), I had a chance to look at and play with the video clips that were taken of Race #3 of the LLSC Laser Frostbite Series. I'm too large to race one very effectively, but it sure looks like it could be fun to do...in MIAMI. At any rate, I've completed the movie, and sound track. Now I'm just try to play with format to optomize the streaming video portion. It should be out soon. Kirk Out.

28 January 2008 Alright! Another weekend in paradise. Saturday brought the LARC #3 and about 7-8 knots of breeze. It made for a great beat to mark #11 and the sleigh ride back reduced the apparent wind and warmed things up nicely. Finishing through at "F" mark was a little different (can we just agree not to do that anymore). I mean striking a whiskerpole on a 30 foot boat while single-handing and needing to...well, do I need say more. It was big fun though. Frankie has already pushed us the scores for the weekend and they can be found on the LARC website.

Laser Frosbite 2008

I spent Sunday as a spectator to the Frostbite Laser group again. They had a touch more breeze with the presence of fresh whitecaps, plus better temps than from the day before. The water is still rather cold, as many figured out--again. I would have loved to have been out there, but there is something to say for watching from a dry boat, with warm clothes, and a cold crisp beer (another Silver Bullet please). I had my camera again and took a few Happy Snaps, but I mostly took some movie clips. It will take some time, but I hope to have a You Tube posting available soon.
Great weekend...Kirk Out!

23 January 2008 I do love the optimism of others. I was at Sunrise Cove the other day checking on my boat when I came across a dock neighbor doing the same. It had been raining a bit that day which, being absent of beer or rum, gave us the perfect opportunity to engage in conversation.

"Boy, this rain is something else", he said.
"Every little bit helps", I replied.
"The lake's come up what, 2 feet or so?" he asked.
"Well, I don't know about two feet, but it has come up a tad", I said.
"Yeah! It's up a bunch. Last week when I was here..."

I just let him go on. I've know this guy for years and there was no sense trying to reason with him. So, we just exchanged a few pleasantries and departed; me to continue checking my boat and him to go hit his crack pipe again.

Fact is, the lake has come up a bit from its all time low of 1050.79 on 26 December 07 to this weeks high of 1051.41. That makes it just a spit or two more than a half a foot. Now, obviously the Corp has found this increase a bit too generous and has allowed us to slip a bit since then, but what else would you expect.

Now, even though the lake is still low, that is no reason to ignore a couple of upcoming events. Two annual classics are just around the corner; LLSC's "1064 Regatta" is scheduled for 02 February and UYC's "Hot Ruddered Bum" is set for the 9th (to honor my birthday no doubt),so make plans to attend both. I would do both, but the Navy has already scheduled a party, just for me. Get your race info below.

LLSC 1064 NOR 1064 Registration
UYC Hot Ruddered Bum NOR & Registration

14 January 2008 Well, it would appear that, despite the low water levels, folks are still able to get out and enjoy a bit of racing and cruising. Since the beginning of the year, there have been a fistful of events and nobody has died due to tragedies involving thin water. So, for those of you with boats still in the water, there is no excuse to ignore a couple of annual events that are coming up on the horizon. First is the LLSC 1064 Regatta on Feb 2nd. Go ahead and mark this one on your calendar, NOR expected soon. Then there is UYC's Hot Ruddered Bum Rgatta to be held on Feb 9th. This is the first event used in the scoring of the LARC "Sailor of the Year" and always a great time, so attendance is a must. Get your Hot Ruddered Bum NOR here.

11 January 2008 Racers...Good day. To make a point and, to a greater extent, create some sense of urgency, sometimes it is best to draw a comparison between two completely separate but important issues. Sailing, racing in particular, is no different. For instance, certain elements of race preparation could be compared to, lets say, a young single person out for a bit of bar hopping on a Friday night (Stay with me now). This is a gender neutral issue, but in this example we'll talk of a guy going out for a hot run of the town. His name is Joe. Joe has been working hard all week long. With the end of the day, come choices. He could either stay at home with his fat disgusting roommate to watch another six episodes of "Law and Order" reruns, or he could hit the bars and drink his memory of the past week away. He does the later.

Well into the night and after a few beers, he has just about cleared his memory of Wednesday when he notices a fine and gorgeous little gal who has already been noticing him. One thing leads to another and she ends up buying him enough beers to expunge the rest of the work week. Things are going well for Joe as she starts nibbling on his ear. Soon the limitations of the bar drive them to seek an alternative location. Joe talks her into her place because back at his place his roommate is probably in his underwear drunk on the couch. Plus, the main toilet has been stopped up for three days now. Not a pretty sight.

At her place the hormones are raging, and just before the point of no return Joe realizes, he doesn't have a condom. "Oh my God", he say aloud. Then the furry of activity unfolds as Joe seeks to resolve and undo his lack of preparation so he can hopefully finish what he has started.

Well friends, going into a new race season without a fresh and or current PHRF certificate is no different. Why in the world would you want to, say arrive at the skipper's meeting of a regatta only to realize that you had not renewed your greatly needed PHRF standing. Guys and gals (see, I told you this was gender neutral) it is a new year. For many of you, the new racing season has started and you have no current PHRF cert. Do yourself a favor and get it taken care of now. It will be like keeping a condom in your wallet or purse, ready when needed. Kirk Out!

08 January 2008 Alright, once again Uncle Frankie has done a great job of turning those LARC results around. As a matter of fact, I had them yesterday, but was just too damn lazy to post them. Alright, alright, I'll agree; there is a difference between lazy and drunk. So what's your point? Kirk Out!
Get your results here.

07 January 2008 A belated Happy New Years to you all. That said, 2008 brings us another year full of racing, cruising, and tinkering around; what else are sailboats good for. While our Yankee brethren are patiently awaiting the spring thaw, Dixie sailors wait for no weatherman to give the OK for sailing. This past weekend kicked off the year with the first of five LARC Winter races. LLSC hosted the event, the Saturday forecast cooperated (sort of), and all had a great time. With limited personnel available to run a proper RC, LLSC resorted to a pursuit start. This kind of start is fine; however it does come with its limitations when it comes to course selection. This is especially true when the course must be set without any wind to gage a proper windward leeward direction. The wind did fill in as scheduled, but from the wrong direction making "E" buoy a leeward mark on a broad reach. The rest of the race remained a reachy reachy bang from "E" to "B" for a couple laps. Results should be posted soon, so check back in often.

Frostbite Lasers

On Sunday, the lake was full of Lasers as LLSC started its 2008 Frostbite series. Unlike the day before, the forecast just didn't quite deliver leaving the 29 or so dinghies with drifter conditions and temps in the mid sixties. No wind or frost; what's up with that. Getting in three races, the fleet roll tacked their way from start to finish. Only one sailor (to remain anonymous) found the conditions a bit too challenging and dumped his rig for a quick and full swim in the 47 degree water. Later reports indicated a possible equipment malfunction with a hiking strap. But it is the position of this editor that this young buck might have been showing off for some bonny lass; taking his actions a bit too far. At any rate, SailLanier was on location with camera in hand and took a pile of "Happy Snaps". To view them, Click Here. Kirk Out!