News

Officers Denver Sailing Association September 2009

Commodore !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Michael Dannecker
(303) 596-2122
!

From the Commodore......

commodore@denversailing.org
2009
Vice Commodore
Brendan Jordan
(720) 939-1196
vicecommodore@denversailing   The new Committee boat is on the water….. 
.org and has been running great. We plan a fresh coat of bottom paint &
Treasurer a new in dash VHF radio after the Governors Cup. The boat is sitting
Doug Swenson in the slip where the old DSA boat lived & is ready for your
(303) 863-0566
kswenson@interfold.com inspection!! So far so good!
Race Committee Chair
Nick Farina
(781) 956-8637
racecommittee@denversailing.
org

Scoring
Derek Buczynski
(720) 203-3730
jaskola@littletonair.com

Social Director
Jim Ulatowski
720-283-4183 DSA Digs at Cherry Creek…… 
Jim@Juiceplusnorthamerica.co Plans are in the works to break ground on the DSA storage shed &
m
canopy tent after the Governors Cup. Preliminary pricing has been
Port Captain acquired for material costs & a team of laborers is being assembled.
Brian Damman
(248) 321-3322
We are hopeful to have things finished in the fall & ready for the 2010
portcaptain@denversailing.org season. Big plans are in the works to really put DSA on the map in
2010 and step up all aspects of our club from the racing, sponsorship &
Secretary
& Electronic Mail ability to run successful events. Again a big thanks to Cherry Creek
Helene Arendt Marina for allowing DSA to continue to grow & expand.
(720) 261-6056
DSASecretary@yahoo.com
 Register & Pay Online for the Gov’s Cup! 
Newsletter
Karen Swenson
Website features continue to expand! Check it out for NORs, SIs,
(303) 863-0566 Schedules, Scores, Great Picutres and more! DenverSailing.org
kswenson@interfold.com

Webtender As the summer is almost gone - and where did it go - it is time to reflect
Brian Damman on all that was accomplished in 2009 and make 2010 even better.
(248) 321-3322
webmaster@denversailing.org Thanks to everyone who supported DSA both on and off the water!

Your Commodore,
Michael
 
DSA Page 2

How to help………
The 2009 sailing season has been a great one with increased participation in both keel boat and
dinghy racing. We have a lot of racing left with a few weeks remaining in the Summer Series, the
Frostbite Series after that and regattas here with DSA and at many other lakes. Every season we
have some exciting days where the winds pick up and it becomes a challenge to keep a boat upright,
especially dinghys. We don’t call them non-self righting for nothing! While this usually isn’t an issue,
if the wind unexpectedly increases, becomes extremely gusty and the weather is cold, it sometimes
becomes necessary to accept assistance from a race committee boat, a chase boat or the rangers.

Shallow lakes add to the troubles as the masthead of a turtled boat can dig into the bottom, greatly
increasing the difficulty of righting a boat. I’ve buried the mast in Cherry Creek Reservoir a few times
where it took up to 45 minutes in the water to reposition the boat to free the mast from the muck and
right the boat. As the boat goes over, the hull acts as a downwind sail, pushing the boat downwind.
The sail scoops water, turning the boat over until the mast digs into the bottom. The boat can be
pinned between the bottom and the wind on the hull, making it extremely difficult to recover.

With increased participation this summer, many people have been participating in Race Committee
duties who have are just learning the basics of running races much less rendering assistance to
boats. Knowing what to do…and more importantly, what not to do when approaching a boat in
trouble is extremely important for the safety and well being of both crews and the boats.

As we move into the end of summer races and season end regattas, the winds will be more
unpredictable especially near the dam where swirling gusts can flatten a dinghy during a gybe. I
searched and found a great article from which I’ve taken sections for easy reference. Highlighted text
(and my notes with JMA) denotes areas I thought important to stress for our typical conditions. The
entire article is posted to the DSA website as Dinghy Rescue Technique in Racing/Race
Management. http://www.denversailing.org/?page_id=183

Don’t let a little wind keep you from coming out and participating! Dig out those wetsuits and spray
tops and make this fall as exciting and fun as the summer has been.

John Arendt
Portsmouth Fleet Captain

Northbridge Sailing Club:

Rescuing Centreboard Dinghies April 2007
FOREWORD
The following draws heavily on an article written by Don McKenzie of the Northbridge Sailing Club 20
years ago. It has been augmented and updated with the assistance of experienced rescue crew from
BYRA. Jim Beeston May 2007
DSA Page 3
RESCUING CENTREBOARD DINGHIES
Centreboard dinghies are usually of light construction and although they are strong and durable for
sailing purposes, close contact with power boats during a rescue can easily damage them and/or
injure the crew. So the rescue has to be handled with some additional care. Capsizing is a normal
part of sailing, and does not necessarily indicate the need for assistance. Also, if assistance is given
to a racing dinghy which was in no real difficulty and had intended to continue racing it may be
disqualified from the race for receiving outside assistance. Do not move in too quickly. Unless it is
obvious that help is urgently needed, wait to see if a dinghy crew can right the craft after a capsize.
Most dinghies can be brought up again and sailed away sooner than you can get into position and
pass a line. But if the crew are unable to do this after a couple of attempts, it is time to ask them if
help is needed.

Again, unless the crew need immediate attention, try to avoid putting a power boat directly
alongside a sailing dinghy in distress. Apart from lines fouling your propeller, contact between the
craft in a seaway is likely to cause damage, and even in calm water damage is often caused by the
wake of other boats passing by. Fenders are a help, but even then some dinghies seem to have a
habit of getting under them.

APPROACH TO AN UPRIGHT DINGHY

It is usually best to approach the dinghy while heading the chase boat slowly into the wind and
aiming to pass on whichever side will take you past within reach of the bow. The dinghy crew should
have freed off all of the sheet ropes controlling the sails. As you pass, you can take the towline from
the dinghy or get a boathook on to the foot of the forestay. The first thing to do then is to pull the
dinghy gently head to wind and hold it that way. The dinghy crew can then prepare for the tow.

While a dinghy has all of its sails up, try not to pull it across the wind, and never pull it downwind. If
you have to move it downwind to a safer place before preparation for towing can be made ask the
dinghy crew to turn the dinghy on its side and to stay in the water holding it that way while you pull it
clear. Sailing dinghies don't mind getting wet. They are quite used to it although the crew, if
inexperienced, may need gentle encouragement and some persuasion. They can do it quite safely,
as long as they are wearing buoyancy vests which are properly secured.

THE CREW
If the crew have suffered injury or are showing signs of hypothermia, look after them first. If
you need to take them ashore for treatment, anchor the dinghy with a light line and a grapnel anchor,
or, if the water is sufficiently deep, turn it upside down and leave it. An inverted dinghy with its sails in
the water will maintain its position for a long time and can be picked up later. (JMA: This will be
very difficult in Cherry Creek Reservoir and Union Reservoirs as the water is shallow. Use
caution so as to not seriously damage the dinghy.)

TOW LINE
All sailing dinghies should carry a towline capable of extending twice the length of the dinghy beyond
the bow. If the dinghy has no towing ring or the towline will not go through the tow ring, a small piece
of line will need to be tied in a loop and fastened at the bow to provide a lead. After passing through
the tow ring or rope lead, the towline can be passed around the foot of the mast or around a thwart
and the end either made fast or held by the dinghy crew.

SAILS DOWN
The sails, or at least the mainsail, should be dropped before towing proceeds. The dinghy crew
should let go the main halyard, pull the mainsail down and stow it in the boat.
DSA Page 4
DON'T BEGIN TOW UNTIL READY
A tired, cold or inexperienced crew may take a lot longer and these are the ones most likely to need
rescue. The towing vessel must hold the dinghy steady and head to wind while preparations are
made.

TOWING
Sailing dinghies are likely to suffer damage if towed at more than their hull speed, which is likely to be
in the vicinity of 7 or 8 knots. A dinghy that is being towed will be pulled through the wave without any
reduction in speed and dropped in the trough beyond it. Don't tow too close. In calm water, let out
the towline until the dinghy is behind your stern wave. If it is riding your stern wave it may charge
down the front of the wave and attack you. If a sea is running, note the pattern of the waves and let
out the towline until the dinghy is a couple of waves behind you and is moving up a wave at the same
time as the bow of the towing boat is rising to a wave.

The towline must be able to be slipped if necessary. If the towline has to be made fast to the dinghy
make sure that you can slip the tow from your end. If the towing boat has to use a bridle to tow and
cannot slip the tow at that end, the dinghy end must be passed around the mast or other strongpoint
and the end held by the crew.

THE CAPSIZED OR INVERTED DINGHY

Sailing dinghies which are on their side or inverted are best brought upright by their crew while a
power boat stands clear. If you have to go alongside, do so on the leeward side because once
alongside, you will probably have to stop your motor to avoid damage or injury to the crew who may
be down in the water or to avoid stray line around the propeller. Then if you need to get clear, the
powerboat will usually have greater windage than the capsized dinghy and will be able to drift clear
and start the motor. If the power boat is on the windward side and has greater windage, it may
be quite difficult to get clear.

If the dinghy is on its side and it is possible to grasp hold of the mast at the masthead, hold
the mast at deck level so that the sail will not catch the wind, and use the mast to hold the
dinghy away from the power boat. Do not hold it at water level or the mast may puncture the power
boat. See if it is possible to drop the mainsail with help from dinghy crew in the water while holding
the mast at deck level.

If the dinghy is inverted, it can be extremely difficult to right it from a power boat. A boathook thrust
down into the water to catch the shroud some distance from the deck or a lightly weighted line passed
around the shroud and allowed to sink to where the shroud meets the mast, may help to get the mast
up to the sideways position, but in many cases the mast will come up underneath the power boat.

The safest course will be to approach the bow of the dinghy while moving upwind, take the
dinghy towline as you pass or send over a light line to be secured to the bow of the inverted
dinghy by its crew, and head very slowly into the wind, anchor the power boat and stop the
motor. In a short time, both boats will lie head to wind safely and clear of each other, while you figure
out the best way to get the dinghy upright. Both boats will then be under control while the job is being
done.

Unless it is absolutely necessary to move it clear from some danger, never tow a sailing dinghy
while it is upside down. The drag on the mast and sails will inevitably cause some damage unless
towing is done at dead slow speed.
DSA Page 5
HEAVY WEATHER
In really heavy weather, the safest position for a sailing dinghy in trouble is upside down, assuming
that the water is deep enough for the mast to clear the bottom. If it can also be anchored, it will
be safe for hours, and almost certainly until the weather abates. In such circumstances, the wisest
course is to pick up the crew, anchor the dinghy until conditions improve.

THE BURIED MAST

In more reasonable weather you may be asked to help a dinghy that is on its side with the masthead
buried in the sand or mud on the bottom. A gentle tow will be sufficient to pull the mast out but the
towline will have to be fastened directly to one of the wire shrouds supporting the mast at the side of
the dinghy and not led to or through the tow ring at the bow. In such a case it is very important to
make sure that the towline is passed under the hull of the dinghy and made fast to the foot of
the shroud that is under water. If the towline is led over the hull of the dinghy and made fast to the
uppermost shroud, any force applied to the towline will tend to heave the dinghy upright before the
masthead comes clear of the bottom, and the mast will probably break.

RESCUE MANAGEMENT IN EXTREME WEATHER CONDITIONS

When the wind regularly exceeds 15 knots the possibility exists of large number of boats being in
some difficulty at the same time. If it regularly exceeds 25 knots it is highly likely that this will be the
situation. When there are significantly more boats in the water than there are rescue boats to look
after them special management arrangements are needed to ensure that all are attended to as soon
as possible and in priority order. These arrangements are described below.

(JMA: If you are manning a chase or RC boat in these conditions and are not familiar with
rescue techniques, power boat handling or other rescue and race management details, it is
necessary for you to talk with the PRO or other RC officer. )

Look after the Crew First

People have priority over boats and if the crew is injured, showing signs of hypothermia or frightened
they should be taken on board the PB first and their condition assessed. If they need urgent attention
the PB crew should explain the situation to the PRO and seek direction as to how the crew is to be
taken for the necessary attention. The PRO may allocate a different PB to this task.

The boat should be left in the water for attention later. If necessary and if a suitable anchor and tackle
is available the boat should be anchored, marked to indicate the crew has been taken off The PRO
should be advised of the identity of the boat and the action taken.

Only Give Assistance if it is Urgently Needed

In extreme weather conditions the safest place for a dinghy is upside down in deep water with the
crew either sitting on it or hanging on alongside. If the boat is not damaged experienced crews will
usually prefer to stay in that position until the wind strength reduces, then right their boat and sail
home. Even if that is not their preferred course of action, in a situation where there are many boats
to be attended to the PB crew should ask them if they can wait and leave them where they are if
possible. The PRO should be advised of the identity of the boat and the action taken in each case so
it can be followed up later.

Leave the Boat on the Nearest Beach

If it is necessary to take the boat in tow don't attempt to tow it back to the club. If the crew is OK leave
both them and boat on the nearest beach, inform the PRO of the action taken and return to duty on
the course.
DSA Page 6

Cherry Creek Junior Open 2009

Saturday, August 29, 2009
A GREAT EVENT FOR THE KIDS
31 junior sailors on 22 sailboats
Juniors from Cherry Creek, Standley
Lake, Chatfield Reservoir, Bow Mar, St Pete’s Florida & Dillon
Reservoir attended.
Great racing was had by the five fleets of boats on the water. Although the breeze was
not very cooperative the wind did manage to hold long enough to get three good races
off. The kids were kept happy with a fresh supply of food and drink, both on and off the
water. The racing was finally called at 3:00 pm as the breeze was almost non existent.
The racers were happy to get ashore and dig into ice cream sundaes and gather awards.
A great day of racing and fun. A big thanks to the Community Sailing Crew of Brandon
Kass, Ryan Gates and Phillip Ryan for their assistance along with Jim Ulatowski from Juice
Plus. It was great to have Brendan Jordan, Brian Damman, John and Helene Arendt out
there lending a hand with Race Committee too. A special thanks to Derak B. for keeping
the scoring on pace. I was
Fleet # of Entries Winning Skipper very grateful to all the kids
420 6 Jordan Nelson
and parents who attended to
Laser 5 Ben Schoeffield
make this the best Junior Open
Pico 5 Cameron Holland in some time. I was truly
Pram 6 Austin Williams impressed with all the kids and
All Scoring available on DenverSailing.org/Scores/Junior Open 2009
their ability!
Look forward to seeing all the racers back on the water next summer!

Rank Skipper Rank Skipper

Laser Fleet - 11 Entrants U20 Fleet - 8 Entrants

2 Fletcher Avery 1 Jim Ulatowski
3 Kurt Robinson 2 Marty May
4 Matt Cassady 3 Mark Allen
6 Joanna Foote 4 Clifford Begnaud
6 Tom Downing
PHRF A Fleet - 8 Entrants PHRF B Fleet - 9 Entrants
1 Michael Dannecker 9 Mike McKeever
DSA Page 7

Signed up for race

committee?
To be eligible for a trophy each competitor must serve as a
member of the on the water race committee at least once
during any series of the season.
Contact Nick Farina at nick.farina@gmail.com with any scheduling issues.

SUMMER FROSTBITE
SERIES SERIES
DATE DAY EVENING RC RACE
DATE DAY
COMMITTEE
Tom Welsh &
9/2 Wednesday Tom Downing &
Curtis Rist 9/20 Sunday
Steve Alexander
Nick Farina &
9/3 Thursday Todd Brophy &
Justin Elliot 9/26 Sunday
crew
Stephen Everist
9/9 Wednesday 10/4 Sunday
Frank Keesling &
& Mike Everist crew
William Tracy & Tom Downing &
9/10 Thursday 10/11 Sunday
Lee Burkes crew
Fletcher Avery & Ray McCleery &
9/16 Wednesday 10/18 Sunday
Ben Donahue crew
Brendan Jordan Geoffrey Zahn &
9/17 Thursday 10/25 Sunday
& ??????? crew
DSA Page 8
Fleet Captains
Laser
John Martin
(816) 547-4298
jdmartin44@hotmail.com
Lightning
Nick Farina
(781) 956-8637
nick.farina@gmail.com
J-24
Mike Dannecker
303-596-2122
michael@dacoassociates.com
Santana
Fed Wolf
(303) 399-2911
fredandbarb@interfold.com September 12 and 13, Cherry Creek Reservoir
Snipe
Blaine McCleskey
(303) 664-5061
absail@att.net Register & Pay online at
Portsmouth
John Arendt DenverSailing.org/Gov's Cup Registration
(720) 261-6056
johnmarendt@yahoo.com
U20 & PHRF The early registration deadline has been extended
Jim Ulatowski
(720) 283-4183
Jim@Juiceplusnorthamerica.com
to September 6, after which a $20 late fee will be
charged.

Denver Sailing Association 
605 E. Ninth Avenue 
Denver, CO  80203