All posts by gya-admin

Qualification series for the GYA applicant to the 2016 U S Adult Sailing Championship

The Gulf Yachting Association announces that the qualification series for the GYA applicant to the 2016 U S Adult Sailing Championship will be the 2016 J22 Midwinter Championship, to be held March 17-20, 2016, at Fort Walton YC, FL.  The top GYA  team will qualify to apply via resume to the Adult Sailing Championship Finals, and will receive the Norton Brooker Trophy.

The finals for the Adult Sailing Championship are scheduled for October 12 – 15, 2016, at St. Francis YC,  San Francisco, CA, in J22s, crew of 3.

Please see the U S Sailing website www.ussailing.org for more information or contact Karen Reisch  at 985.727.2869, or  kreisch1856@gmail.com

Viper Racing Opportunities-GYA Sailors: Get Your New Vipers To Miami and Charleston!

Viper640

The Viper 640 Class Association
4051 E Desert Crest Dr.
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253

February 3, 2016

GYA Sailors: Get Your New Vipers To Miami and Charleston!

As GYA clubs and member sailors take delivery of their Viper 640s, they should start making plans to participate in some of the Class’ more important and fun regattas. Yes, there will be the GYA Viper 640 Championship Series, starting with the Viper 640 Gulf Coast Championship sailed during the Opening Regatta in May, but there’s a lot of southern Viper sailing to do in the meantime. And, by sailing in these earlier regattas you will have the opportunity to learn your boats, get tips from Viper veterans, and start enjoying the fun and camaraderie that the Viper 640 Class Association embodies.

The first regattas to put on your schedule are in Miami during early March.

  • The EFG Winter Cup – March 6-7, sailed out of the US Sailing Center Miami in Coral Gables. This is the final “qualifying regatta” for the EFG Viper 640 Pan-American Championship and is a great tune-up for northern sailors who have had their boats under wraps for the winter. This Sunday/Monday event is followed on Tuesday by the Miami Scorch, an informal race across Biscayne Bay where the fleet congregates at a great, waterside Cuban restaurant in No Name Harbor for a fun-filled lunch before sailing home. There’s that word again: fun.

 Information and registration for the EFG Winter Cup is at http://www.viper640.org/events/efg-winter-cup-2/.

  • The EFG Viper 640 Pan-American Championship – March 10-12 finds the Viper Pan-Ams sailed as part of Bacardi Miami Sailing Week sponsored by EFG. The Viper 640 Class holds a series of qualifying events in the U.S., Australia, and Europe where scores carry forward to this Championship regatta. Sailed out of Coral Reef Yacht Club, this three-day event attracts most of the top east coast sailors with others drawn from the west coast, Canada, Europe, and even Australia. Part of the Pan-Am Champs experience is being part of Bacardi Miami Sailing Week, but it’s also sailing with the veteran Viper sailors. Learn more about Bacardi Miami Sailing Week and register online at: http://yachtscoring.com/emenu.cfm?eID=1548
  • Charleston Race Week – April 14-17. Renowned for being top-flight sailing and top-flight hospitality, the Viper 640 fleet’s next stop is Sperry Charleston Race Week. Three days of competition in Charleston Harbor and three nights of beach parties and Low Country hospitality ashore. This year, CRW is also scheduled to be the 2016 Viper 640 Atlantic Coast Championship.

Your GYA boats are starting to be delivered so don’t let them gather dust! There is still time to register for all these events. If you have questions about registration or logistics, contact Viper 640 Class Administrator Ed “Buttons” Padin at epadin@padesta.com. Need a boat? Contact Rondar Raceboats’ Dan Tucker at dan@rondarboats.com.

Olympic Day 2016

Olympic Day 2016 Potential Host:

There are nearly 500 organizations already registered for Olympic Day 2016! This year, only the first 2,000 registered hosts will receive an Olympic Day flag and Team USA stickers for their celebration!

Do you have an event in June 2016? If so, we encourage you to tag Olympic Day onto the existing event. There is no cost to register for Olympic Day.

If you do not have an event planned for June 2016, we encourage you to register to host an Olympic Day celebration. Olympic Day officially falls on June 23rd, however, organizations may host an event at any time during the month of June. Events may range from a large event in your city to a field day at a local school to a sports club hosting a play day.  Click to see more event ideas.

Olympians and Paralympians will be notified of events within their areas for possible* attendance at your event.

To register to host an Olympic Day celebration in 2016, please click the button below, or go to https://olympicday.fusesport.com/registration/364/January/. For more information on Olympic Day, please visit www.teamusa.org/OlympicDay.

For any questions regarding Olympic Day, please email us at OlympicDay@usoc.org, or call the Olympic Day Hotline at (719) 866-4535.
Go Team USA!

The Olympic Day Team

*An Olympian, Paralympian, coach or hopeful is not guaranteed for an event.

Viper 640 Crew Weight & Size Analysis

Viper640The Viper 640 Class Association
4051 E Desert Crest Dr.
Paradise Valley, AZ 85253

Viper 640 Crew Weight & Size Analysis
2015 North American Championship

 

January 25, 2016

 

During the GYA Board of Directors meeting earlier this month, the Viper 640 Class Association was asked to canvas sailors regarding the total crew weight they race with. To meet this objective, the Class sent an online survey to the 50+ boats that participated in the 2015 North American Championship regatta held at Larchmont Yacht Club from October 15-18, 2015. A total of 39 competitors responded to the questionnaire providing final standing, total crew weight, and crew headcount.

It should be noted that the conditions for the event ranged from 12-15 knot range the first day to winds in the higher teens with gusts in the low 20 knot range for the remaining days. Because the winds were from the north throughout the regatta, the sea state was relatively flat throughout (1-2 foot seas). That being said, for the most part, the personnel making up these crews are the same people most of the Viper owners sail with on a regular basis, so this data is applicable for most events.

The highlights are as follows:

Crew weight

  • There is a wide range of crew weights that is competitive in the Viper 640.
  • The average of all crew weights at the 2015 North Americans: 550 lbs.
  • Crew weights ranged from a low of 490 (#10) to a high of 650 lbs. (a new Viper sailor finishing 48th)
  • The winning crew weighed-in at 610 lbs.
    • Of the nine respondents within the Top-10 finishers, the average crew weight was 568 lbs. Of note, only two of those crews weighed below 550. Range: 490-610
    • Of the 18 respondents within the Top- 20 finishers, the average crew weight was 550 lbs. Range: 490-610
  • These weights are largely in keeping with the same survey conducted after the 2014 NAs in Long Beach, where there were also strong breezes and 2-3 foot seas. In that study of the Top 15 finishers, crew weights ranged from 510 to 590 lbs.

Crew size

  • 33 of 39 boats sailed with crews comprised of three sailors
  • Of the six 4-person crews, most were two men and two women, one was three women and a man
  • There is no statistic that indicates one crew size is better than another as the third placed boat was sailed by two men and two women.

The following is the detailed data on a boat-by-boat basis:

Viper640CrewWeightAnalysis

If anyone has question on this data, please contact Viper 640 Class Administrator Ed “Buttons” Padin at epadin@padesta.com.