SDYC PV 06

(This is my email log from the J 125 “LUCKY DOG”. Overall we had a good trip! Still after 27 Mexico races there is lots to learn please enjoy)

We started with the wind at 290 at 5 knots. Jon went with the light one
and we were the committee boat start. Good start and stayed with the
light one for a half hour and went to the code 0. Our class wants to go
low of the Cornadoes and I want to go out side? So we are the most right boat just inside the island and looks like we will split them. 1A will
go up next. 1:45pm 10 kts breeze course 175 1A is up lots of kelp.
Anyone know how to pack a code 0? 2:45 and the 2A is up, we are a little slow with our 1st change although forming a routine and will do better. Blue Blazes is south and looks good, Morpheous is just to leeward and ahead. In this close reach Miramar as sailed up behind us and has a bit of waterline on us.
Last night was not as cold as I thought it would have been. Good breeze through most the night. Our first problem was a charging matter that "DR Elec." fixed. So we are charged with a full load for a forty-foot boat. A.M. was hard on us today with light breeze and completing are 1st 24 routine. 12:00 come in and we have 15Knots true wind and all is good. I am off we are trying the staysail.



EMAIL HOME
Hey Baby! Everything going good and we are making good progress towards
PV.

Hello Andrew! Who your best friend? Who my best friend? DONT FORGET IT!

I love you guys

Daddy



CEDROS max speed 15.99 average swell size and pitch black out. As DR said " I cant see shit" Jon C" Then stand up" The guys were rocking last night. 2A up jybeing for the corner of Cedros and I decide to-do a wind check. " SORRY BOB I hope you always wanted a new 2A". We set the 4A, staysail and have never stopped we think we did good last night and wait the daily report. Working with the sat phone is great, I have taken two sales calls and most think I am at work.
All the sails are in the back part of the boat and Jon C is doing a
masterful job running the boat. We gybed away from shore at 6:00 am and it looks like its time to go back to port. Cold last night.


EMAIL HOME

So is Andrew reading the emails? This time will you place a cookie next
to the Bose system. (I hide treats for Andrew and give him clues to find them)

Hello Andrew,
What’s your last name? (I hide an new xbox game next to the Bose System)

All is well on the boat and we might be winning.
How did you do on your spelling test yesterday? Are you taking care of MOM? Remember you’re the man of the house. Sea Ya soon.

Love Daddy.



KELP
Troubles with kelp! Something looks strange at the bottom of the rudder HMMMMM? Last night while doing 10 knots straight down the
line a strange flutter showed on the rudder. Chamberlain and I are on
watch so we grab the kelp stick and start pounding on the rudder. We try to slow the boat down by running deep and wrap the 2A."*$***" Everyone on deck and we get the 2A down and set the 4A. DR and I run down go over the 2A and reset. Just before setting the 2A we back down the boat and take care of the kelp. We lose a half hour. It kind of hurt because we felt we had finally past MIRAMER and BLUE BLAZES was in sight. Of course after we had got back in order it was time to gybe, but we hit the gybe like we new what we were doing. 15knots of breeze most the night with the 2A up and it has lightened up this AM with the 1A up. We are still in the hunt and I am wondering how it looks through the SDYC web sight.




Feb 25 on the J 125 LUCKY DOG. Things have slowed down today with only 6kt of breeze and the 1A up. We have on shorts and tshirts and wonderingwere the breeze is "IN or OUTSIDE" Jon S is doing an outstanding job keeping the boat in order and we feel good on how we have hit the shifts. Last night "KELP NIGHT" we sailed to far into some light breeze and lost some time they’re also. Most of last night we had breeze out of 300 and we gybe past Cabo when the wind shifted to 340. We have started into the gulf in light breeze at 281. We went from 2A, Code 0 and now were back with the 1A wondering how high of course we should sail. The gribs show 15s of breeze out of the North?
Weather is clear and it looks like a warm one today, wait for breeze!
Len Bose aboard "Lucky DOG"



EMAIL HOME


Hun, I Placed a Candy bar in one of my slippers

Hello Andrew, I am sailing down in Mexico and it looks like we might win the race. Craig Chamberlain and Nate will do this race with you and I someday. I miss you and mom very much.

Clue of the day I wear these every morning.
Sea Ya Pal.

Love Daddy



Feb 26& 27. RUDDER HUMM Long hard day yesterday very light breeze out of the southwest and we hard or 2A up and moving fine. Looking at our grib we see a 15 k of breeze from the North so we gybe over to starboard and head into the swell. About four hours into it the wind dies to nothing and the guys go swimming. After inspection the bottom foot of the rudder is gone and open carbon. Strange the rudder is still performing well and we are hitting our polars. Light breeze and splitting from our Competitors have left things a little hot on the boat. Today’s report to the RC I am tempted to report that or position is doggie style. I feel we got flushed yesterday and it now time to check in. Gribs say 10 knots today’s lets hope?


EMAIL HOME

Hello Babe.
Hard day on the boat today wind went light and it looks like I made a
bad call on a wind shift. So things are hot on this little boat with 7
people. I am looking to finsh within the next day and a half.

Hello Andrew,
What’s new on Commando? Its warm were I am racing and it’s making me think its time to get the pool warm and start swimming and a trip to Catalina. Looks like I have to get back at it.

Daddy





Feb 27. BAD DOG Well that had to be the hardest lesson to lean in sail yet. From in the hunt to deep deep last. When you make a mistake like this it’s hard to look at the crew without feeling very bad. Well lots of crow to eat now. Lessons leaned is to not leave the fleet at the end of
a long distance race, stay between the mark and your comp. Truly the
hardest is letting down your crew when you were so close. Thank you all for reading my post. Just wish I could have close this deal.

EMAIL HOME

America West #6007. Things a little better today although it still hurts.
I will be able to use Craig Cell when we get in. We should be finshing
within six hours. I will try to give you a call latter to night.

Love ya

Len

Hello Andrew, I will try to give you a call tonight before you go to
sleep. Are you keeping mommy safe? I will see you soon.

Daddy




REMARKS

The owner did an outstanding job preparing the boat by allowing Jon Shampain and his son Eric do all the work and that was a HUGE job. There never is enough time that can be spent on a boat before a big race like this. Time is well spent when you have to redo the boats rating, let say AMERCAP. You have to have the boat ready for the measurer and make sure you are taking advantage of every weight gain you can, all within the rules of course! Another area that I always seem need for improvement is in food prep, and storing the food. To little or too much food and water is always difficult. More time is always needed for electronics, working on the boats polars, remembering how to use the routing software, when to sail by your gut feeling.
My big mistake this race was not sailing far enough into the gulf before sailing to the left side of the course.
I do look forward to the next time and will hope to reach the level as Cap. Kirk has on the BAYWOLF.

"Q" THE CONCEPT MARINE 55/ TIM KERNAN

Have you ever taken a double take on an object from a great distance? While you approached such an object you are going through your personal checklist of features. It then feels like evermore before you can think of the right thing to say?
Well, that’s what happened to me as I approached "Q" for the first time last year and met her owner Mark McIntire. I believe I said, “ Sexy Boat, Does she have a sister”?



The Family

Not really the best choice of words and yes she does have a number of other sexy sisters. “Q” is one of the first designs from Tim Kernan, working for himself. PELIGROSO is the big sister at 70 feet and cleaning up the racecourse the past season. OUTBOUND YACHTS yachts has contracted Tim for a new 56 design and the family’s little sister is the COLUMBIA 30. Another boat being built is for that sailor who wants to go power with the 48-commuter style yacht due to hit the water before summer. Tim Kernan is the hot new designer on the block and you really need to see this family on the water to truly understand what I will be trying to describe to you here.



The Design & Deck Layout

Always on the lookout for that perfect performance cruiser I was attracted to the helm of “Q” immediately. Stepping behind her twin helm station and imagining myself in a following sea I started to grin. The cockpit is well laid out with an open transom with shower, radar mast, outboard davit, anchor windless remote and a designed place to store your outboard. Looking forward you start to notice the functional design and location of the electronics and winches and deep comfortable cockpit seats. Kernan added a new touch by adding a starboard settee storage area with workbench. It very easy to step out of the cockpit and walk forward to the mast, this may not sound like much although if you have ever been on a long watch, in a large sea, this feature makes changing gears much easier therefore safer. Ballenger Spars built the aluminum mast with Navtec rod rigging, full batten main with luff track and boom basket. “Q” custom carbon rudder system was built by ACC. ACC is the name of the company in Santa Cruz where you go when you have a J boat and your bearing and steering system has come apart after two years. Next you will notice the eight self-tailing Anderson self-tailing winches along with her Profurl roller furling and fixed bowsprit with integrated anchor system. The bow provides for a watertight bulkhead and large storage area.
With crew and guests forward of her duel helm she is driven effortlessly while everyone is well protected from the weather from her dodger. The engine controls panel, and Navtec controls for the backstay and vang are within reach of the helmsman.




Construction

The Concept Marine 55 was designed for builder Mark McIntire to be a fast, lightweight cruiser for his family. The objective was to create a simply built boat that employs optimized design rather than exotic (expensive) materials to achieve lightweight and high stability. Hull construction is vacuum-bagged e-glass/PVC foam/epoxy. Deck construction is vacuum bagged e-glass/balsa/epoxy. Balsa core in the deck eliminates the need for localized core reinforcement in high load areas. Weight is kept close to the lcg to minimize pitching. Raised saloon layout gives the interior an open feel and provides ample area below the sole for tankage and machinery.



Interior

On stepping below you are at once taken by the warm, welcoming and spacious nature of the interior. The large custom ½ inch compound pilothouse windows keep the interior bright. The ceilings are finished out with upholstered panels. The teak and holly sole throughout the boat is warm and pleasing to the eye while still being very practical for a sea going yacht.

To starboard is the main head with a large stall shower and bench seat that features auto thermo water system. Vacuflush head with 35 gal. holding tank. Plenty of ventilation with two opening ports, sinks, mirror, storage, and lighting are all abundant throughout.

Across and to port is the guest stateroom with privacy door hanging locker and huge double berth, two opening ports and changing seat.

Continuing forward is the main salon with the dinette to port that features a very large U shaped dinette that is raised to provide panoramic views and the perfect platform for entertaining. The salon features a Clarion stereo with Sirius radio and six Polyplanar speakers along with a flat screen TV.

Across and to starboard is the navigation station with plenty of room for books, electronics, autopilot controls, and custom navigation chair.

To the port side looking forward is a substantial U shaped galley featuring two deep stainless steel sinks, custom countertops, three burner Force 10 stove and oven, microwave oven, Glacier Bay refrigeration and freezer. Two opening ports for cross ventilation. The galley blends in perfectly from the salon, which makes it easy to entertain throughout.

Moving forward from the salon, there is a door to the owner’s cabin with a queen-size berth to port and two full-length hanging lockers. There are a number of large drawers below the berth to make easy access to this storage area. Across, on port, there is a slatted bench seat, Glacier Bay air conditioning. Next forward is the owner’s head and shower.

There is a watertight bulkhead at the forward end of the owner’s cabin, which makes into a large sail locker and storage area.



Conclusion

My experience, moderately priced boats marketed as “ dual-purpose performers” tend to reflect compromises in performance or amenities, but that not the case with this ULDB 55. Compared to similarly sized cruisers, the Concept 55 is a moderately priced, sturdily constructed, well-appointed yacht that benefits from a top designer. Cruisers will travel quickly and in comfort. With proper preparation these same cruisers will find themselves at the top of the fleet in long distance races. While a minimal crew is trimming the chute and the boat is touching 20 knots downwind “with the mast dry”, meals can be prepared in a spacious area while the off watch is viewing DVD on the flat screen and enjoying a well prepared meal. In this case, there doesn’t seem to be a compromise between “performance” and “ going in style”.