Facebook

Login

Support Sailonline

If you haven't already - join the SAILONLINE YACHT CLUB!

Please also consider making a donation - all amounts are greatly appreciated!

Board » Flag Officers » Races » GRAY WHALE MIGRATION RACE

Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 Next

Posted by
RainbowChaser


Users avatar

Posts
2656
Registered at
2009-06-14 09:44:50
2013-10-26 16:06:34 - Re: GRAY WHALE MIGRATION RACE
NEW LINKS IN 2013

Wild Whales.org

Alaska Fisheries - Gray Whale management
______________



--- Last Edited by RainbowChaser at 2013-10-26 16:06:53 ---
Posted by
javakeda


Users avatar

Posts
73
Registered at
2013-03-01 03:18:22
2013-10-29 22:13:16 - Re: GRAY WHALE MIGRATION RACE
One of the lesser known advantages of Southern California living is the ability to go to local headlands [Point Dume, Palos Verdes] at certain times of the year and watch gray whales swim by.

Yes, it helps if you bring a 'soccer' chair, binoculars, and patience. But there are parks on both headlands with picnic areas and great ocean views. It's hard to beat that kind of serenity.

Where are these headlands?

Note that NOAA publishes free marine charts of US Coastal waters.
For those of you with mapping software like CPN, I recommend downloading charts for the areas the Gray Whales will cover.

Here are links to RNC charts by USCG District:

-- 17th USCG District, Alaska

-- 11th USCG District, Washington and Oregon


-- 13th USCG District, California


Note that each of these links take you to an 'agreement' page. That's a hoop you have to jump through before you get the charts.

________
edited to make links out of urls

--- Last Edited by RainbowChaser at 2013-10-29 22:30:06 ---
Posted by
RainbowChaser


Users avatar

Posts
2656
Registered at
2009-06-14 09:44:50
2013-10-31 10:36:40 - Re: GRAY WHALE MIGRATION RACE
First Waypoint S - Mount Westdahl

On Unimak island - this is a choke point for Gray Whales coming south (or going north in autumn) and an area where killer whales take every opportunity to predate on the Grays :-(
________
Posted by
RainbowChaser


Users avatar

Posts
2656
Registered at
2009-06-14 09:44:50
2013-11-01 10:36:45 - Re: GRAY WHALE MIGRATION RACE
Posted by
javakeda


Users avatar

Posts
73
Registered at
2013-03-01 03:18:22
2013-11-14 01:32:21 - Re: GRAY WHALE MIGRATION RACE
RACE REPORT:
Take a tip from Financial Portfolio Managers to make it through the Blue Goo!

Financial writer George Appel, starting the second paragraph of his book, "Technical Analysis: Power tools for Active Investors", makes this very simple statement:

"It's not how much you make that counts; it's how much you manage not to lose."

That, in a nutshell, is the best strategy for dealing with Blue Goo.
The key is to keep the boat moving in the general direction you want to go.
Letting the boat stop -- or even worse, go backwards -- carries a heavy penalty.

OK, great, but how do you do that ... actually?

Here are five things I did to get javakeda through the Blue Goo south-west of Middleton Island:

1) Forget about routers!
The True Wind Speeds are too slow.
The changes in True Wind Direction are too numerous.
The interpolation errors are too significant.
Under these conditions, router output is simply garbage with three decimal points.

2) Forget about setting DCs with TWAs.
Indeed, forget about DCs at all!
The wind direction is changing too rapidly to make TWAs useful
And the wind is changing too randomly to set a DC and hold any hope of accuracy.
Hand-sailing pays big rewards.

3) Pick out where you want to go and set a COG for that target's Rhumbline.
With Middleton, where I wanted to go was obvious. It was Middleton Island itself. That was the mark I needed to round.
And it was on the other side of that blob of blue in front of me.

4) Use the Wx Inspector's VMC tool to refine the COG course.
By using the VMC to the next mark, I was able to maximize progress toward that mark as the wind shifted.
At first I was on a starboard gybe, and the VMC course took me to the left of the Rhumbline to the mark.
Then, I flopped to the port gybe, and the VMC course took me the the right of the Rhumbline to the mark.
The deviations, left and right, averaged out and produced a total progress toward the mark that was greater than if I had just held on the Rhumbline.
[Not surprisingly, the gybe point was when the wind crossed the Rhumbline.]

Note that the stars were perfectly aligned for using these techniques.
They don't always work as well as they did here.

5) Use hand-routing to improve on Wx Inspectors VMC courses.
Note that I did NOT say to use a router for this. The observations in '1)', above are still valid. Routing software is useless here.
But before there was routing software, navigators routed by hand.
In Blue Goo, conditions are changing too rapidly for a 'rigorous' hand-routing.
But it is still possible to do some SOTP hand-routing and gain a little more.

In the Middleton blob, I found myself with very light airs to port and more pressure to starboard. The VMC course was taking me more to port that seemed best. I made a SOTP 'routing' decision to head directly for the 3kt wind line, and THEN figure out how to round the mark.
Actually, I spent some time with the 12hr time-slider and the polar working out when to stop heading for more pressure and start heading for the mark. That's the hand-routing part.

The result was that javekeda rounded Middleton well ahead of the rest of the fleet. The lead that rounding produced allowed me to hold off the charges of rumskib and garagiste and eke out a win.


--- Last Edited by javakeda at 2013-11-14 14:04:17 ---

--- Last Edited by javakeda at 2013-11-14 14:06:03 ---

--- Last Edited by javakeda at 2013-11-14 19:35:57 ---
Posted by
javakeda


Users avatar

Posts
73
Registered at
2013-03-01 03:18:22
2014-03-16 01:00:04 - Re: GRAY WHALE MIGRATION RACE
Because I am a subscriber, not sure if this link will work for the non-subscribers:
Ventura County Star

If it doesn't, I'll try to post an alternative.

This is to an article in the Ventura County Star [a 'stellar' local newspaper] covering the trip back north for the Gray Whales.

As this article indicates, the GW migration is important to many of us here in SoCal.

I truly appreciate SOL honoring this migration with a race.
Hope that race will be run again in future years.
_______________

--- Last Edited by RainbowChaser at 2014-03-16 23:40:56 ---
Posted by
RainbowChaser


Users avatar

Posts
2656
Registered at
2009-06-14 09:44:50
2014-03-16 23:42:24 - Re: GRAY WHALE MIGRATION RACE
Hiya javakeda - that link only loads the paper's index... doesn't go to an article. I can't see anything about Gray whales in the index shown, either.

Posted by
NZL_Scotsman


Users avatar

Posts
251
Registered at
2008-10-04 07:59:40
2014-08-11 00:44:22 - Re: GRAY WHALE MIGRATION RACE
We have two windows for the race this year, early October or mid November. I'm planning early October at the moment, but let me know if you think mid November is better.
Kevin (NZL Scotsman)
SRC Member
Posted by
RainbowChaser


Users avatar

Posts
2656
Registered at
2009-06-14 09:44:50
2014-08-11 11:47:50 - Re: GRAY WHALE MIGRATION RACE
The N-S migration starts around the end of October so perhaps November would be better but... with climate change a SOL start from Bering earlier in October would not be unreasonable :-D



--- Last Edited by RainbowChaser at 2014-08-11 11:50:11 ---
Posted by
captjack1942


Users avatar

Posts
239
Registered at
2008-01-18 03:24:03
2014-08-13 05:07:31 - Re: GRAY WHALE MIGRATION RACE
Well is is August here in central Cal, but we have both Grays and Humpbacks here around Monterey Bay. You'd think the Grays would be up north now, but there is a huge amount of small fish and krill here now.

Page: Previous 1 2 3 4 Next

Please login to post a reply.

Races

Next Race: 00d 00h 00m

Current Races:

Panama Canal 2026


Sailing in the Panama Canal isn't the best idea, and organizing a race there is simply impossible and unfeasible IRL. In SOL, we have slightly different rules, so why not? A 36nm, frantic race awaits us, and the fast Dehler 30 OD will help us navigate the Panama Canal with grace.
Race #1999
INFO by brainaid.de
Dehler30 OD PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
SPQ1 - SPCH - SYC
Race starts: Jan 03rd 13:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Tasman Double 2025 - Hobart to Sydney

With Hobart astern and celebrations behind them, the fleet turns north for Leg 2 of our Tasman Double Series. Over 625 nautical miles, our SOLers aboard their mighty Super Maxi 100v2s return to the Tasman Sea, where shifting weather, demanding seas, and nonstop decisions shape every mile. The race back to Sydney rewards those who read the conditions best, manage their speed wisely, and stay focused until the final approach.
Race #2000
INFO by brainaid.de
Super Maxi 100v2 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: TD - SYC
Race starts: Jan 02nd 02:00 Registration Open!
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Cape Town to Rio 2026

Welcome to South Africa and RCYC's classic transatlantic Cape2Rio Race from Cape Town, South Africa, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. First run in 1971, this run is buddied with the IRL, Cape2Rio 2025 arranged by the Royal Cape Yacht Club with the cooperation of the
Iate Clube do Rio de Janeiro Despite this being announced the 2025 race (starting dec. 27) it is the 2026 SOL championship kickoff. This virtual version, will be raced once again in Mark Mills' 74ft speedster, the stunning C2R74.
Race #1996 INFO
by brainaid.de
C2R74 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking:
OCQ1 - OCCH - SUPBUD - SYC
Race starts: Dec 27th 12:00 Registration Open!

▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

ORCV Melbourne to Hobart 2025

Welcome to the legendary Westcoaster, a true test of endurance and seamanship that’s challenged sailors for over 50 years! Spanning 435 nautical miles, this iconic race takes the fleet from Melbourne, across the wild Bass Strait, and around Tasmania’s rugged west coast to Hobart. Organized by the Ocean Racing Club of Victoria, this year our SOLers will be racing the sleek and powerful Dehler 46—a fast, elegant regatta cruiser built for both speed and adventure. Get ready for an unforgettable offshore classic!
Race #1952
INFO by brainaid.de
Dehler 46 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: SYC
RACE CLOSE: Friday,
January 2 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Dec 27th 02:30 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Tasman Double 2025 - Sydney to Hobart

Christmas in Summer? Indeed! Kick off the first leg of our two-leg Tasman Double series in the classic 625nm Sydney to Hobart race, this year in the upgraded SuperMaxi 100v2. Inspired by Neville Crichton’s legendary Alfa Romeo II and her near-sister Wild Oats XI, these yachts blaze across online and real-world waters alike. Feel the thrill even in storm-force winds as you tackle the Tasman Sea—dock in Hobart victorious, or at least in time for a well-earned post-Christmas drink!
Race #1953
INFO by brainaid.de
Super Maxi 100v2 PARTICULARS
WX Updates:
0430 / 1030 / 1630 / 2230
Ranking: TD - SYC
RACE CLOSE: Saturday,
January 3 at 2300 UTC.
Race starts: Dec 26th 02:00 Registration Closed
▶ Flash
GO TO RACE

Go to race archive

SYC Ranking

  1. Sailonline Yacht Club Member KaSToR
  2. Sailonline Yacht Club Member WRmirekd
  3. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CriticalHippo
  4. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rafa
  5. Sailonline Yacht Club Member vida
  6. Sailonline Yacht Club Member bonknhoot
  7. Sailonline Yacht Club Member CollegeFund
  8. Sailonline Yacht Club Member Sax747
  9. Sailonline Yacht Club Member rumskib
  10. Sailonline Yacht Club Member sassy63

View full list

Series

Mobile Client

SYC members have the benefit of access to our mobile/lightweight web client!

The mobile client