Lights n’ Legends

RJ Kikuchiyo Begins Lighthouse Discussion Series

Eureka Rounds Race Rock - courtesy of Dil Spitz

If you know RJ Kikuchiyo, you know he has a true passion for lighthouses.

He should; for thousands of years those monuments were the vigilant beacons that lit the way, guiding sailors across treacherous seas… and returning them home safe again.

However, with the advent of new electronic positioning systems many think there’s less need for coastal lighthouses. In fact, there’s a chance that major elements of our sailing legacy could soon fade into antiquity.

Well I don’t know about you, but personally I can’t imagine replacing the ATON global waterway system with an “i-phone ap.” I wrote about this issue two years ago, and feel more strongly about it today:

“…navigational aids are part of our history, art, culture and experience. It’s how we plied the oceans and made sense of the world around us.
Maybe its how some of us make personal sense too. Years ago when I was an ”Opti kid” I’d go on overnight cruises with family and friends. In the middle of the night, those choppy waves and shifting gusts can prove pretty scary, particularly if you’re a kid with a type-A personality, spending much of the transit questioning your parents’ navigational expertise.
I’d sit there unblinking, gaze solemnly fixed on the blackness ahead, trying to convince myself the horizon was indeed still out there. In reality, I was waiting until I could see a distant light, a fixed beacon I had memorized. It made no difference what any of the instruments showed. Numbers can lie. Show me the real thing. When that light appeared way off in the distance, a pinpoint in a sea and sky of black, I knew I had my bearings, and I cajoled the adults to give me the helm.
I had my lit beacon; I knew where I was, and where I was going. I could use that beacon, and I could bring everyone home….”

This week RJ Kikuchiyo began a discussion series that explains this all much better than I ever could.

The discussions are hosted by Sailor’s Cove, and the series is called Lights n’ Legends; I understand each of the meetings will focus on the history of a particular lighthouse that’s recreated in SL.

Mega-woots go to Fanci Beebe for helping organize the event, and to The Three C’s (Kitten, Chaos, and Cate) who coordinated a special Leeward Cruise that made landfall in Sailors Cove just as the discussion started. 🙂

I admit the sailing conditions were not-so-great on Tuesday, but a sizable crowd showed up on the Sailors Cove Theatre dock nonetheless. The discussion that ensued was funny, factual, and frankly… rather fantastic. 🙂

Race Rock Light

RJ decided to kick off the series on Tuesday with a discussion of Race Rock Light. In RL, it sits at the entrance to Long Island Sound along USA’s Northeast coast. In SL, Race Rock Light was one of Patrick Leavitt’s first additions as he methodically built Sailors Cove Estate.

On Tuesday, RJ Kikuchiyo told the history of the real Race Rock lighthouse; it made it pretty obvious why it belonged in Sailors Cove too. 🙂

Here’s an excerpt from the notecard you can get at SL’s Race Rock Light:

Race Rock Lighthouse   –   located in New England in the USA in RL

http://www.eastendlighthouses.org/rRock.htm

Race Rock, located at the west end of Fishers Island and the eastern entrance to Long Island Sound, was considered “one of the most dangerous obstructions to navigation on the coast”.

Rising from a depth of seventy or more feet of water, several small spurs of rock broke the water’s surface, while a large rock formation was covered with only three feet of water at low tide. During the early 1800’s, there was hardly a summer month that a vessel did not strike the rock reef with sometimes disastrous results.

The Gothic Revival styled Race Rock Lighthouse marks a most dangerous location with perhaps hundreds of shipwrecks to its dubious credit, including the steamer “Atlantic” in which 45 people perished in November 1846. Its’ completion in 1878 marked the end of masonry lighthouses on wave swept or water-bound sites. Most of all, it is a fitting monument to its courageous engineers, Francis Hopkinson Smith and Captain Thomas Albertson Scott. The construction on the “Boulder” (really a ledge that is 3 to 13 feet below water) required 7 years, thousands of tons of riprap, numerous acts of courage and amazing persistence. Smith also built the government seawall at Governors Island, NY and the foundation for the Statue of Liberty in New York Harbor.

Established: 1878
First lighted: January 1, 1879
First keeper: Neil Martin, appointed December 16, 1878

Light: (1878) fourth order Fresnel lens,
flashing red and white, 10 seconds
Light: (1939) fourth order Fresnel lens, Incandescent oil vapor, white 18,000 cp, red 16,000 cp, 20 seconds
Light: (1978) 300mm lens, 1000 watt lamp,
flashing red, 10 seconds

Fog signal: (1883) fog bell by machine,
double blow, 20 seconds
Fog signal: (1897) second class siren
Fog signal: (1907) third class Daboll trumpet,
3 second blast, emergency fog bell
Fog signal: (1939) first class siren,
group 2 blast, 30 seconds

Height of light above sea level: (1891)
68.5 feet

Lights n’ Legends Transcript June 21 2011

Here’s the edited transcript from Tuesday’s discussion:

[14:05] RJ Kikuchiyo: The Race is a spot on the border between the Atlantic Ocean and Long Island sound
[14:06] RJ Kikuchiyo: It is called the race, because it has a reputation for fast currents that feed a twice daily maelstrom. If you do not make it into the race at the right time, the current will take you into the hazards.
[14:07] RJ Kikuchiyo: Race Rock was a notorious place, and responsible for many lost lives. It earned a reputation as the ‘graveyard of ships’ on Long Island Sound.
[14:09] RJ Kikuchiyo: btw if you have any questions feel free to holler out
[14:10] RJ Kikuchiyo: The Race Rock Light has many heroes
[14:10] RJ Kikuchiyo: The earliest memories I have of the Race is the roller-coaster style trip every boat has; entering the race at the wrong time can spell disaster.
[14:10] Jane Fossett: RJ, why was Long Island Sound important?
[14:11] RJ Kikuchiyo: the flow of tides from the sound into the atlantic and back twice daily causing a siphon action where the water practically boils.
[14:12] RJ Kikuchiyo: Jane, the Sound is the protected water on the South Coast of New England.
[14:12] RJ Kikuchiyo: Many port towns and harbors are located there, giving access to the merchants and goods available from the industrialized New England of the 19th Century.
[14:16] RJ Kikuchiyo: The race took many ships, and it took 40 years from that point to result in what we see today.
[14:17] Cate Foulsbane: you would think somebody would have seen to it that it got built faster.
[14:17] Jane Fossett: Republicans blocked it in Congress.
[14:17] Cate Foulsbane: hmm
[14:17] Vickie A. Maidstone (vickie.maidstone): considering they had to build it in the water
[14:17] Liv Leigh: 40 years souds like a lot of time for what looks on photo to be quite a moderate-sized, even cute, building
[14:18] RJ Kikuchiyo: ok just handed out a notecard
[14:18] Cate Foulsbane: Lincoln was a republican back then
[14:18] joro Aya: They should just have put a banline around it
[14:18] RJ Kikuchiyo: haha
[14:18] RJ Kikuchiyo: I have been to the race a few times, and there are others who can attest. >.>
[14:18] Boomer Waverider: Foundation was the hard part, I think.
[14:19] RJ Kikuchiyo: The race churns four times a day in two directions.
[14:19] Cate Foulsbane: Two times a day per direction?
[14:19] RJ Kikuchiyo: the locals found names for each of the rocks.
[14:20] RJ Kikuchiyo: Names like ‘Cerberus,’ after the three-headed dog of Hades were given to describe the character of the rocks to the sea (in the case of Cerberus, a scattering of close-to-surface rocks which foamed at the tides’ rush)
[14:21] RJ Kikuchiyo: Long Island Sound was given a name by Adrian Block, the Dutch sailor:  ‘The Devil’s Belt.’
[14:22] RJ Kikuchiyo: The devil had a lot of landmarks in the sound named after him. I guess the wind and current ‘bedeviled’ the earliest explorers – much like coming here today!
[14:24] RJ Kikuchiyo: The devil? the race? All this needed something done. the race was claiming lives and cargoes every season.
[14:27] RJ Kikuchiyo: The US Congress dedicated some funds, but it was soon clear that there was not a chance to raise that light without some effort.
[14:28] RJ Kikuchiyo takes a brief pause to sip gently the apple cider steaming on the sideboard
[14:28] Emily (emillie.placebo): RJ, were there no private donations? Sailor’s or marine/seamanship organisations that could raise funds?
[14:28] Cate Foulsbane: yeah!
[14:29] Emily (emillie.placebo): What I am hearing reminds me of many parallels with the Bell Rock lighthouse’s construction
[14:29] RJ Kikuchiyo: Great question Emily! its true the merchants in the area wanted to improve the access so lots of private organizations funded markers.
[14:29] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): adds a hit of whiskey to the cider for rj while hes not looking ㋡
[14:29] Lily Afterthought (revlilith.wizardly): bad bunny
[14:30] RJ Kikuchiyo: its already hard Bunny! My hurricane lamp runs on rum; now you have twice the burning power.
[14:30] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): giggles
[14:30] ChippyAnn Kamm: Many places have assoc. raising monies.
[14:30] RJ Kikuchiyo: It took over 7 years to built that foundation for Race Rock and 4 months to finish with the formal Victorian lighthouse on top of the rock.
[14:30] Liv Leigh: I just read on a link that the Race Rock lighthouse is deemed obsolete by the coast guard as of June 2011 and may be up for auction?
[14:30] Fanci Beebe-Leavitt (fanci.beebe): oh wow
[14:31] joro Aya: Let’s buy it 🙂
[14:32] Jane Fossett: Patrick already did, Joro 🙂
[14:32] RJ Kikuchiyo: In the years before the lighthouse was finished, many storms ripped apart the efforts made to mark safe passage around the rock. Lives were still lost and the desire to get that passage safer burned in the community.
[14:33] Emily (emillie.placebo): did any one incident serve as the straw that broke the camel’s back?
[14:33] Cate Foulsbane: Committees to oversee the formation of committees?
[14:33] kittensusie Landar: Well, there was that accident with the camel
[14:33] Emily (emillie.placebo): the Bell Rock’s funding wasn’t granted in Parliament until the HMS York sunk in 1804 after striking the bell rocks.
[14:33] RJ Kikuchiyo: Many times, work was completed only to have nature’s fury rip it down.
[14:33] Jane Fossett: camels don’t sail
[14:34] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): but they have humps
[14:34] kittensusie Landar: that’s why the accident happened, no-one told the camel that
[14:34] joro Aya: Camels DO sail. they are not called the ships of the desert for no reason
[14:34] kittensusie Landar whispers: never seen a camel with a sail
[14:34] Emily (emillie.placebo): So was it a collective accumulation of incidents that lead to race rock’s commissioning or was it one notable public incident?
[14:34] RJ Kikuchiyo: Reading the timeline, you can see the foundation built was destroyed again and again.
[14:35] RJ Kikuchiyo: I would be remiss if I did not mention the heroes of the light
[14:35] Emily (emillie.placebo): any records of how many times the foundations were re-laid?
[14:35] Jane Fossett: lets keep it clean, Emily
[14:36] kittensusie Landar *giggles
[14:36] Fanci Beebe-Leavitt (fanci.beebe): omg.. jane.. laffin
[14:36] Emily (emillie.placebo): clean?
[14:36] Jane Fossett: 🙂
[14:36] Lily Afterthought (revlilith.wizardly): tx for the drink.. but goodnight everybody…
[14:36] Emily (emillie.placebo): *is confused*
[14:36] JakeSpeed Northman: historically there were camels brought to North America
[14:36] Liv Leigh: well she s the only one asking questions that do not involve camel’s humps?
[14:36] Fanci Beebe-Leavitt (fanci.beebe): night Lily
[14:36] JakeSpeed Northman: bt they died out
[14:36] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): bye sis
[14:36] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): sleep well
[14:36] Chat Range: Vickie Maidstone [14m]
[14:36] Jane Fossett: <–thinks RJ has the floor
[14:36] kittensusie Landar: nite Lily
[14:37] RJ Kikuchiyo: Francis Hopkinson Smith and Captain Thomas Albertson Scott are the two folks that books have been written about. It’s worth reading up on, the dedication these and their peers had toward making this light a reality after years of adversity.
[14:38] RJ Kikuchiyo: The final cost after 8 years of construction was $278,716.00 – a lot in 1878

[14:38] Cate Foulsbane whispers: yikes!
[14:38] Jane Fossett: was that in Lindens?
[14:39] Emily (emillie.placebo): Laughs so much for keeping it clean…
[14:39] RJ Kikuchiyo: That’s millions of dollars in today’s exchange
[14:39] joro Aya: Is still a lot. there are days that i don’t spend that much
[14:39] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): i spoke the truth they do have humps and i have no idea what yall are talking about.
[14:40] Emily (emillie.placebo): RJ, question?
[14:40] RJ Kikuchiyo: The current lighthouse at Race Rock is not much different from the day it was automated in 1978, a 100-year run for the sage old stone house on the water.
[14:40] RJ Kikuchiyo: sure Emily?
[14:40] RJ Kikuchiyo: he was the lead engineer
[14:41] Emily (emillie.placebo): do we know if the design was based on any earlier designs? or influenced by?
[14:41] Liv Leigh: just found a link about an america’s cup match: charlie barr on columbia beating ‘constitution’ around race rock
[14:41] kittensusie Landar: the Eddystone lighthouse
[14:41] RJ Kikuchiyo: there was a follow-up lighthouse (built at the same time) called Middle Shoals.
[14:41] Sun Seale: is that the one thats haunted ?
[14:42] RJ Kikuchiyo: it has a lot in common with Race Rock, from its riprap and round stone coursework, and the formal stone house on top.
[14:42] Emily (emillie.placebo): i see
[14:42] RJ Kikuchiyo: Race Rock has reports of being haunted for sure. Many of the ghosts from the wrecks from before history.
[14:42] kittensusie Landar: i wanna go there 😀
[14:42] Sun Seale: I’m trying to remember, there re a few of them.
[14:43] RJ Kikuchiyo: Race Rock endures today as a symbol of the heyday of lighthouse-building, and holds a record for being one the most expensive lighthouses built by the US Lighthouse Establishment.
[14:44] kittensusie Landar: The Eddystone lighthouse was built on a rock like Race Rock, but in the 17th century……..
[14:44] Emily (emillie.placebo): Seems like one of the ones that took longest to build too!
[14:44] Sun Seale: Was that the one they moved ?
[14:44] Emily (emillie.placebo): Bell Rock was constructed in 3 years 1807 to 1810

ONE WORLD - First Round

[14:44] Sun Seale: They had to drag it inland like 2 miles or something to keep it from being destroyed.
[14:44] RJ Kikuchiyo: Soon after completion, the Light House Establishment started making lighthouses out of iron. The techniques developed for the placement of the crib and foundation influenced the lighthouses built for generations to follow.
[14:45] kittensusie Landar whispers: You mean Eddystone Sun? no, it’s still there on the rock but rebuilt a few times.
[14:46] RJ Kikuchiyo: As a testament to its builders, the house has stood for 240 years on that treacherous spot guiding visitors past the dangers that had claimed so many before
[14:47] Vickie A. Maidstone (vickie.maidstone): goodness
[14:47] RJ Kikuchiyo: The RL house is in disrepair today, and the property has been put on the list of excess property by the US Government.
[14:47] Vickie A. Maidstone (vickie.maidstone): so Race Rock is the oldest or one of the oldest??
[14:47] Emily (emillie.placebo): That’s a shame.
[14:48] ChippyAnn Kamm: ‘one of’
[14:48] Emily (emillie.placebo): no it doesn’t sound like the oldest, if you take date of completion as the criteria i think.
[14:48] Cate Foulsbane: hmmm
[14:48] Vickie A. Maidstone (vickie.maidstone): ah I see
[14:48] Emily (emillie.placebo): Not really one of the oldest either…
[14:48] RJ Kikuchiyo: Its actually one of the newest stone lighthouses built in the Northeast..
[14:48] kittensusie Landar: Eddystone is over 100 years older
[14:48] Jane Fossett: RJ… it should be a national treasure.
[14:48] Emily (emillie.placebo): Yes. Eddystone and Bell Rock are much older
[14:48] Sun Seale: Excess. You mean it will go up for sale ?
[14:48] Cate Foulsbane: Yes it should, Jane.
[14:48] Liv Leigh: Let me find that link back.
[14:49] RJ Kikuchiyo: Yes Sun, the Light will be auctioned as so many of our lighthouses have, to a new private owner.
[14:49] Cate Foulsbane: Let’s see who will buy it and keep it safe…. Rush Limbaugh?
[14:49] RJ Kikuchiyo: Truly Race Rock light has its place in the hearts and minds of those who ply the waters near her.
[14:49] joro Aya: i think there are some lighthouses in Greece and Italy that are slightly older. Like… say… 2000 years
[14:50] Emily (emillie.placebo): i think joro is right about that.
[14:50] Cate Foulsbane: Good point.
[14:50] kittensusie Landar: Older than that
[14:50] Cate Foulsbane: However, are they still functioning?
[14:50] RJ Kikuchiyo: It is a stable point of reference in a place which has still a reputation for the most terrible currents
[14:50] Emily (emillie.placebo): Its probably…. 3000 years or more
[14:50] Jane Fossett: Alexandria Light was one of the Great Wonders of the Ancient World.
[14:50] RJ Kikuchiyo: At this time, Race Rock is still an active aid to navigation
[14:50] Emily (emillie.placebo): Cate: More a matter of, are they surviving, nevermind functioning.
[14:51] kittensusie Landar: even with satnav?
[14:51] Liv Leigh:

“In June of 2011, Orient Point Lighthouse was declared excess to the needs of the United States Coast Guard and made available to eligible organizations under the provisions of the National Historic Lighthouse Preservation Act of 2000.
Qualified entities were given sixty days to submit a letter of interest and were required to obtain an agreement from the State of New York to occupy the submerged lands on which the lighthouse stands. If no suitable steward is found, the lighthouse will be sold at auction.” http://www.lighthousefriends.com/light.asp?ID=741

[14:51] Liv Leigh: why does it say Orient?
[14:51] RJ Kikuchiyo: Race Rock and Orient Point are within sight of each other, at opposite ends of the race. Orient Point is the southwestern point of the race, or the northeastern tip of Long Island. Race Rock is the southwestern tip of Fisher’s Island.
[14:52] Liv Leigh: Okay so that one is up for sale.
[14:52] Cate Foulsbane: Ok, Race Rock is still functioning…it’s just that gov’t subsidy is over.
[14:52] Jane Fossett: Fishers Island lies East of Race Light in RL; it’s important it’s here in SL.
[14:52] RJ Kikuchiyo: it is still maintained
[14:52] Liv Leigh: Well if it is supposed to function.. they d better do 😛
[14:53] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): What a lovely lighthouse; now i know what y’all are talking about ㋡
[14:53] Sun Seale: Now, most of these light houses are no longer working right?
[14:53] RJ Kikuchiyo: Race Rock is in proximity to New London and Mystic, two huge seagoing communities on the South Coast of Connecticut.
[14:53] Liv Leigh: hehe bunny.. visit in the Race Rock sim
[14:53] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): ㋡
[14:54] RJ Kikuchiyo: Sun, every one of the lighthouses in today’s talk are active aids
[14:54] Sun Seale: Explain “active aids” see I live on the west coast.
[14:54] Sun Seale: <– California
[14:54] Cate Foulsbane: sigh
[14:54] RJ Kikuchiyo: They are considered ‘excess’ by our government who see the GPS and satnav as a replacement.
[14:54] Sun Seale: ah
[14:54] Cate Foulsbane: Aids To Navigation
[14:54] RJ Kikuchiyo: yes not AIDS lmao
[14:55] Sun Seale: is that a joke at my expense ?
[14:55] Fortnight Baxton: Simply put, GPS is easier to track. That’s what they want.
[14:55] RJ Kikuchiyo: Aids to Navigation (ATON) are maintained, even on private property, by the US Coast Guard.
[14:55] joro Aya: Californians always have trouble with the word “active” 🙂
[14:55] Cate Foulsbane whispers: and on a bad day for sun spots, we can just have ship wrecks?
[14:55] kittensusie Landar: no, you don’t have to pay for it Sun 🙂
[14:55] Cate Foulsbane: sigh
[14:55] Sun Seale: oh really ?
[14:55] Jane Fossett: Pilgrims coming to America in 1620 landed in Maqssachuseets because the waters South were too trecherous… The history of America was defined by the coastline and sailing ships.
[14:56] ChippyAnn Kamm: Sun… I listen to Portland Head Light every rainy, foggy day… so it works.
[14:56] RJ Kikuchiyo: So we are running out of time for today
[14:56] ChippyAnn Kamm: Construction began in 1787 at the directive of George Washington, and was completed on January 10, 1791.
[14:56] Chat Range: Bunnie Mills [14m]
[14:56] Cate Foulsbane: thank you, RJ..and forgive the rowdiness of the children
[14:56] RJ Kikuchiyo: next time we will talk about the wonderful Fastnet Rock Light
[14:56] Jane Fossett: Woo!
[14:56] Emily (emillie.placebo): thank you RJ. very imformative =)
[14:57] Vickie A. Maidstone (vickie.maidstone): thank you RJ
[14:57] Bunnie Mills: *clap clap clap*
[14:57] RJ Kikuchiyo: it is also a way out place with wicked weather.
[14:57] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): hands out lollypops
[14:57] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): clap
[14:57] kittensusie Landar: yes, thank you RJ 🙂
[14:57] RJ Kikuchiyo: thank you all for coming!
[14:57] Jane Fossett: RJ Thank you for keeping maritime history alive in SL.
[14:57] RJ Kikuchiyo: hope to have voice next time
[14:57] Bunnie Mills: thanks RJ !
[14:57] laiqua Kipslaiqua KipsWOOT
[14:57] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): waves t rj
[14:57] RJ Kikuchiyo: you guys are great! keep the light on will ya!
[14:57] Cate Foulsbane: Sun, there are lighthouses in CA, aren’t there?
[14:57] kittensusie Landar: RJ, any chance of a talk about Eddystone? since that one influenced all modern lighthouse designs……
[14:58] Emily (emillie.placebo): oh yes. Eddystone would be a great topic
[14:58] Liv Leigh: Applause!!
[14:58] RJ Kikuchiyo: Kitten it influenced a song – I want to Marry a Lighthouse Keeper
[14:58] Emily (emillie.placebo): My father was the keeper of the Eddystone light
[14:58] RJ Kikuchiyo: lol
[14:58] Fanci Beebe-Leavitt (fanci.beebe): thank you
[14:58] Emily (emillie.placebo): And he slept with a mermaid one fine night
[14:58] Jane Fossett: <–mega-woots to Fanci and Kitten for coordinating this event too!
[14:58] Bunny Northman (bunny.mesmeriser): cool emily
[14:58] Emily (emillie.placebo): Out of this union there came three
[14:58] Emily (emillie.placebo): A porpoise and a porgy and the other was me!
[14:58] RJ Kikuchiyo: YAY! (yay!)
[14:58] RJ Kikuchiyo: Emily!~ XD
[14:59] kittensusie Landar: lol Emily 🙂
[14:59] Liv Leigh: ty RJ 🙂
[14:59] Emily (emillie.placebo): thats the shanty Eddystone Rock inspired
[14:59] Jane Fossett: Let’s invite Caledon to the next one!
[15:00] Dunan Hax-Wilder (dunan.wilder): I’m sure they’d love that 🙂
[15:00] RJ Kikuchiyo: oh! just FYI the new Lighthouse Board HQ will be live in Caledon Mayfair
[15:00] Jane Fossett: WOOOOOT!!!!
[15:00] RJ Kikuchiyo: And future events will be posted on the SC website
[15:00] RJ Kikuchiyo: also my blog http://renecote.com/kiku
[15:01] kittensusie Landar: if they’re at the same time as today, we can do more special LCC cruises to coincide.
[15:01] Jane Fossett shouts: Thank you RJ!
[15:01] Fanci Beebe-Leavitt (fanci.beebe): Thank you RJ
[15:01] RJ Kikuchiyo: come again and we will have live voice!

Sailors Cove Hosts RFL Weekend

Fishers Island Yacht Club
and Sailors Cove Estate

Would like to invite you to a weekend
of Great Music and Pure Fun!!!

OUR 3rd ANNUAL:

RELAY FOR LIFE/SAIL FOR LIFE

CONCERT and CARNIVAL!!!

FRIDAY JUNE 17th ~~ 5pm – 10pm slt
SATURDAY JUNE 18th ~~ 10am – 10pm slt
SUNDAY JUNE 19th ~~ 10 am – 5pm slt

Location:
FIYC on Clipper Bay in Sailors Cove

The list of artists is amazing~

FRIDAY June 17TH    
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm  –  LaidBack Celt
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm  –  Blane Sonnenkern
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm  –  Stella Silvansky
8:00 pm to 9:00 pm  –  Paisley Beebe
8:00 pm – 10:00 pm  –  Strummer Vultee

SATURDAY June 18th    
10:00 am to 11:00 am  –  TerryLynn Melody
11:00 am to 12:00 pm  –  TBA
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm  –  Joaquin Gustav
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm  –  NormReynolds Genesis
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm  –  Mamaa Saiz
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm  –  Whirl And Bart
4:00 pm  to 5:00 pm  – Quinton Whitman
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm  –  OhMy Kidd
6:00 pm to 7:00 pm  –  Ichie Kamachi
7:00 pm to 8:00 pm  –  Sassy Nightley
8:00 pm to 9:00 pm  –  Niles Compton
9:00 pm – 10:00 pm  – TBA

SUNDAY June 19TH    
10:00 am to 11:00 am  –  Shannon Oherlihy
11:00 am to 12:00 pm  –  Trowzer Boa
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm   –  Franck Molko
1:00 pm to 2:00 pm   –  Spirited Emor
2:00 pm to 3:00 pm   –  Washedup Sideways
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm   –  Spike Luckstone
4:00 pm  to  5:00 pm   –  Savannah Coronet

~~~  CARNIVAL OPEN 24 HOURS  ~~~

Please join us in this great event
to help raise funds for Relay for Life!!!
Bring your friends!!!

ACA Trophy: Kaz, Lothor, Bolt and Silber Advance!

Takabou with Lothor in chase

Sailors saw Round Two of the ACA33 Elite Trophy wrap up this week with a series of match competitions.

“Elite” Matches
Thursday June 2nd
6am:   Viciously Llewellyn vs. Silber Sands

Saturday June 4th
6am:   Miwha Masala vs. KazumaHs Destiny
9am:   Lothor Vlodovic vs. takabou Destiny
6pm:   Carmen Foden vs.  Bolt Bashly

Miwha and Kaz

In Thursday’s Round Two opener three days ago, Silber Sands emerged the winner in her initial match-up against Cait (Viciously Llewellyn). However, everyone agreed the sims were awful that morning, and the conditions precluded sailors from truly competing at their level of ability. The problem was a grid-wide issue. Hawk, Quirky, Elbag, Equinox and Dennis worked very hard to optimize the race conditions in Fruit Islands, but some things are even beyond their combined, consummate control. 🙂

Saturday the weather cleared, however; the Fruit Islands races were absolutely great, despite a large crowds of spectators! The matches were exactly what they should be: exciting, head-on confrontations between skippers that tested their skill, determination, and raw courage. Here’s how the numbers played out, along with the first-match prestart videos for each pairing, courtesy of Hawk:

6am:   Miwha Masala vs. KazumaHs Destiny

Match 1
1: KazumaHs Destiny   IDKH32 — 00:09:51
2: Miwha Masala   IDMM10 — 00:09:55
Lap Times:
KazumaHs Destiny   IDKH32 — Start: 00:00:20  —  Last lap: 00:09:31
Miwha Masala   IDMM10 — Start: 00:00:10  —  Last lap: 00:09:45

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Match 2
1: Miwha Masala   IDMM10 — 00:09:01
2: KazumaHs Destiny   IDKH32 — 00:09:39[07:11]
Lap Times:
Miwha Masala   IDMM10 — Start: 00:00:03  —  Last lap: 00:08:58
KazumaHs Destiny   IDKH32 — Start: 00:00:17  —  Last lap: 00:09:22

Match 3
1: KazumaHs Destiny   IDKH32 — 00:09:18
2: Miwha Masala   IDMM10 — 00:09:25[07:37]
Lap Times:
KazumaHs Destiny   IDKH32 — Start: 00:00:01  —  Last lap: 00:09:17
Miwha Masala   IDMM10 — Start: 00:00:12  —  Last lap: 00:09:13

9am:   Lothor Vlodovic vs. takabou Destiny

Match 1
1: takabou Destiny   IDTD21 — 00:09:23
2: Lothor Vlodovic   IDLV42 — 00:09:45
Lap Times:
takabou Destiny   IDTD21 — Start: 00:00:08  —  Last lap: 00:09:15
Lothor Vlodovic   IDLV42 — Start: 00:00:01  —  Last lap: 00:09:44

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Match 2
1: Lothor Vlodovic   IDLV42 — 00:09:50
2: takabou Destiny   IDTD21 — 00:10:03
Lap Times:
Lothor Vlodovic   IDLV42 — Start: 00:00:16  —  Last lap: 00:09:34
takabou Destiny   IDTD21 — Start: 00:00:22  —  Last lap: 00:09:41

Match 3
1: Lothor Vlodovic   IDLV42 — 00:09:34
2: takabou Destiny   IDTD21 — 00:09:48
Lap Times:
Lothor Vlodovic   IDLV42 — Start: 00:00:10  —  Last lap: 00:09:24
takabou Destiny   IDTD21 — Start: 00:00:28  —  Last lap: 00:09:20

Bolt

6pm:   Carmen Foden vs.  Bolt Bashly

Match 1
1: Bolt Bashly   IDBOLT — 00:09:04
2: Carmen Foden   ID27 — 00:09:29
Lap Times:
Bolt Bashly   IDBOLT — Start: 00:00:07  —  Last lap: 00:08:57
Carmen Foden   ID27 — Start: 00:00:09  —  Last lap: 00:09:20

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Match 2
1: Bolt Bashly   IDBOLT — 00:09:06
2: Carmen Foden   ID27 — 00:09:21
Lap Times:
Bolt Bashly   IDBOLT — Start: 00:00:02  —  Last lap: 00:09:04
Carmen Foden   ID27 — Start: 00:00:13  —  Last lap: 00:09:08

____

Round Two Winners going to the Finals:

— Silber Sands
— KazumaHs Destiny
— Lothor Vlodovic
— Bolt Bashly

At the end of the match cycle, Hawk announced:

“The Fruit island award for the time trial qualifer for ACA cup will be awarded tomorrow at 11:00am SLT at Eden Victoria sim.  Tunes by Quirky while I get my act together!   Top 8 get gold medals, 9-16 Silver and remaining 8 bronze medals.    Silver Platter to the top three times in the ACA 3.0.    Medals to the the Lite racers for top 3.
“Hope to see you all there…”

The match races on Saturday were truly incredible, and I have much more to say about them, but that needs to wait for another day! If you missed the races, make sure to check your schedule and get there to see the Finals next week; they are going to be pretty wondrous!

KazumaHs Destiny

Beachcat memories

Kentrock's scheduled new HepCat races from Spoondrift !

This week Trudeau Yachts released HepCat, a new catamaran that will replace the venerable BeachCat. Before BeachCat goes out to pasture, however, I thought it deserved one final lap-around-the-block here. 🙂

BeachCat Legacy

Verken Raven does Cat Tricks

Four years ago the Flying Tako ruled the waves, and new, serious sailcraft were rare. The 2007 TruCor BeachCat helped change that. It was a radically different design that was full of fun and exciting to sail. That impression was shared by the whole sailing community, and BeachCat became an instant hit, grid-wide.

The picture above on the right shows Verken Raven showing off  ‘Cat Tricks‘ soon after BCat was released. (But Please Note: Verkin is a trained professional; do not try those stunts at home!)

Vin demonstrating turning radius

Vin Mariani sails a small catamaran in real life, and he fell in love with the BeachCat, helping JT with beta tests that made the boat’s handling more realistic. BeachCats were Vin’s ‘platform of choice‘ for a series of great articles he wrote on SL racewind; he followed them up with a an homage to the boat titled The Secret Life of BeachCats.

However, most skippers wanted to sail the boat, not write about it, so many people organized BCat fleet races including Bea Woodget, JC Kepler, BennyThe Boozehound, Julia Ceres, Hay Ah… (this list is very long).

Did I mention the BeachCat was FAST? Although Slanty liked to argue the point, PHRF testing showed BCats had faster race lap times than nearly any other boat in the SL fleet; it was roughly 27% faster than a Tako! The boat was so fast, sailors had trouble getting the race buoys to rez ahead of them!

BCat’s speed and agility made it a good choice for Hotlaps competitions, and for many months sailors tried their luck to break the solo speed records at different clubs. M1sha Dallin, Bea Woodget, and Liv Leigh were the fast lap divas in BeachCat, leaving Pensive Mission, Jane Fossett, Francois Jacques, and just about everybody else in the dust. 🙂

However, although it was a great solo racer, Beachcat was really designed for crew. Two sailors could work together in a race, or sail it just for fun. In fact, in early versions of BeachCat the jib only popped up if a second sailor came aboard to help control it. 🙂

To try out those options, in October 2007 a bunch of sailors got together to organize crewed BeachCat races. Many sailors joined in, and J Trudeau worked with the fleet to refine the BCat’s racing options.

courtesy of Dil Spitz http://www.flickr.com/photos/dilspi/with/508397865/

The crewed races turned out pretty great, and they set the stage for other crewed regattas that followed.

However, now that little BeachCat is lowering it’s sails and coming out of the water for the last time. It had a wonderful run.

In tribute to those four years, as well as all the sailors who had so much fun sailing the boat, I thought I’d end this note with a repost of an article from BeachCat’s racing heyday, way back in October, 2007. 🙂

_____________

Wednesday BeachCats

This article was originally posted to SLSailing.com on October 25, 2007

As many sailors will recall, the original TruCor Beach Cat was launched seven months ago as part of a charity fundraiser jointly sponsored by NYC, SYC, MBYC, and KS. The boat was an instant success, and bright beach cat sails are a common sight skimming across the waters of Second Life. The skipper and crew animations, bright colors, and the boat’s tendency to capsize make it a great choice for a casual sail, either alone or with a friend for crew. In fact, from the beginning the beach cat was designed for two people. With a solo skipper, the boat was fun and fast with its single mainsail.  When crew came aboard, they loaded a separate HUD that could raise and control a jib.  Both skipper and crew balanced the boat by shifting position on the net, or hiking to windward on the trapeze harness.  My favorite part about this is how the beach cat determines the balancing effect of the skipper and crew by estimating how much each avatar weighs based on the sailor’s height and gender.

I know you’re all wondering: “What does it do with Chaos Mandelbrot’s Penguin?” Believe it or not, I know the answer to that question! Chaos keeps a spare human AV in his back pocket; it fits the harness jacket better and it doesn’t get feathers on the net.

When you add crew and a jib, the Beach Cat develops explosive acceleration.  That fun little boat suddenly transforms into a sailing rocket controlled by a two-person team. So it’s no surprise over the past few weeks sailors have been meeting on Wednesdays in the Bismarck Sea to race their crewed Beach Cats.

Even before the first race boat hit the water, the response was so enthusiastic on the SLSF Forum that the group decided to split into two convenient racing times, 11:00am and 5:00pm.  Although the group is very young, the races have been great fun so far and many sailors have pitched in to develop the Beach Cat as a one design SL racing class. There’s a lively discussion of gestures, racing rules, and racing upgrades in the Forum Beach Cat Racing thread.

Yesterday’s races continued this trend. Schnoogge Broome once again served as guest Race Director for the 11:00am races; he was capably assisted by NYC’s own Cynthia Centaur. A flock of Beach cats (a “pride” of cats?) descended on the start line, skippered by Sallysue Cahill, Jogi Goldblatt, M1sha Dallin, JeanCarlo Kepler, Cynthia Centaur, Jane Fossett, Schnoogge Broome, and Glida Pilote. Most Beach Cats were crewed, but a few sailed solo, using chat commands to manage the jib.

The first race used the tried-and-true NYC B-1A race course that circumnavigates the beautiful Bella Lavella Island in the southwest United Sailing Sims. SallySue Cahill (with crew Svar Beckersted) and Cynthia Centaur (with crew Francois Jacques) crossed over the start line first, more than half a minute ahead of the third boat, solo skippered by Jane Fossett. Fossett quickly made up for the poor start, however, sliding past a number of collisions on the course to take the lead during the long broad reach going south past the Eastern shore of the island. Fossett took the first race,  finishing more than a minute ahead of JuanCarlo Kepler, with the Centaur-Jacques team in third place.

In the second race on B-1a, the Cahill-Beckerstead boat showed it’s stuff, winning with over 20 seconds to spare. Fossett, Centaur-Jacques, and Kepler came in far to their rear.

For the third race, Director Broome chose the NYC Tako Cup 2007 Course. M1sha Dallin was first across the start line, with the rest of the pack in hot pursuit. Fossett and Dallin took the turn together at the red marker in New Georgia Sound, then fell parallel overlapped on the reach leg going south. In a remarkable demonstration of short attention span, Fossett then continued on the old B-1a course, missing the turn in Vella Gulf. Actually, Fossett may have made a brilliant, intentional team sacrifice to deprive the Dallin boat of victory.  It partially worked; M1sha followed along all the way to the green markin Kula Gulf before M1sha realized Jane Fossett had no idea where she was going.

Whether you believe that explanation or not, the Dallin boat flipped around in Kula Gulf and quickly got back on course, expertly making up the lost time and finishing first. The Centaur-Jacques team was a minute behind, folowed by the Kepler boat.

The final race of the morning returned again to the B-1a course, and this time Schnoogge Broome joined in. The first leg of B-1a is an upwind beat that moves from Bismarck Sea across the Bougainville Strait on the way towards the first mark. Although the beach cat has nimble handling, the forceful acceleration on close haul headings can make this passage pretty treacherous. It’s therefore no surprise that even the most experienced teams had a tough time. Cahill-Beckersted tacked at the Northeast corner of Bella Lavella and then suddenly capsized when their sails swung over.   Without a moment’s hesitation they jumped to right the boat again,  but it was too late. The Centaur-Jacques boat had an upwind strategy and were running in the Cahill team’s footsteps.  There’s a memorable moment in the race when Svar casually looked aft… to see Cynthia Centaur barrelling full steam into his stern.

While they sorted out the damages, Schnoogge Broome was having a great run and crossed the finish for first place. JeanCarlo Kepler came in second, and Cynthia Centaur finally limped in for third place. What a great morning of races!

The 5:00pm races were equally exciting. Lyssa Varun, Bea Woodget, Sallysue Cahill, Hpathe Boucher (unregistered), Pensive Mission, and Jane Fossett skippered race boats. Four races were run, all on B-1a.

The races showed remarkable team coordination and skill, although the Cahill boat sadly suffered from connection problems.

Fossett led the pack across the finish line in the first three races, with the Mission, Woodget, and Varun boats alternating for the other places.

In the fourth race, however, the Mission team woke up and really showed their stuff.  Wow! Pensive took charge, adroitly weaving among the boats on the upwind leg with a dancer’s grace.

There was no stopping Pensive; he must have been thinking of that beer waiting for him over at Mowry. Pensive was through the crowd and in open water after he reached the first red mark.

In the long downwind run across the southern end of the island, Pensive had established a commanding lead and went on to win a full minute ahead of Lyssa Varun, who took second place.

What a great night of sailing!

GO CATS!!

ACA33 Trophy Series Advances

Woots! Here we go; the ACA33 Trophy series is getting in gear for the next rounds! Here’s the schedule for the “Elite group” semifinal matches:

Thursday June 2nd:
6am:  Viciously Llewellyn vs. Silber Sands

Saturday June 4th
6am:   Miwha Masala vs. KazumaHs Destiny
9am:   Lothor Vlodovic vs. takabou Destiny
6pm:   Carmen Foden vs.  Bolt Bashly

The Intermediate Group will sail fleet races on Sunday June 4th between 10am to 2pm. The eight skippers will have two competition groups, seeded by first round rank:

Group 1
Cher Bravin
 Laycee Deed *
Elbag Gable
 Jimboo Shelbyville
* alternate if cannot sail- VitorCr Resident (17th seed)

Group 2
Kurt Calamity
Naeve Rossini
 joro Aya
Bea Woodget

This morning Cait and Silber went head-to-head to kick off the first match in the Semifinal Round. They are both pretty incredible sailors, but poor grid conditions made it hard for them to display their true skills. Silber took the win, after Cait withdrew due to extreme lag in in the Second Match. Here’s Hawk’s summary of the set, and his video of the prestart from each race:

LDeWell Hawker:
“The match between Caity and Silber is over, with the win going to Silber 2 to 0.  In match 1 Caity crashed, and we had a re-start as crash was early in the pre-start.   Match 1 started successfully with Silber taking the start, and lead the entire way with a significant lead by the yellow mark.   At that point it seemed as if…Caity lost control and passed by yellow eventually crashing.   The match was ended, decision to Silber.

Match 2 Started sucessfully with Silber taking the start and gaining a lee foul against Caity. Shortly after Caity retired from the race.”

Match 1 start:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

Match 2 start:

Vodpod videos no longer available.

See you on Saturday for the next three Match pairs!