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MFA Race Report for November 9th, 2025
MFA Race Report for November 9th, 2025
Kara and Tom Speyer must’ve had a heck of a time squaring things up as the day started offwith wind trending left as shown above from American Yacht Club’s Weather Underground feed. That’s why pin end was favored in the three races run! Also note the oscillating speed. This meant shifting gears: Power up (loosen the outhaul) and sail fat in heavier air and big chop, and tighten up the outhaul in lighter air and flatter water. In 666’s case, loose was 10” offthe boom, tighter was 7” off the boom to the foot.
In Race 1, a triangle, Field and 666 battled for the pin. John got the edge so 666, being to leeward in bad air, had to tack further left to clear his air. We rounded the windward mark and paraded around the second leg reach. The third leg was dead downwind finding both of us on port with Bahar not far behind on starboard. On a run in a Dyer, it is conventional that you get your weight forward and have a bit of windward heel to get your sail up in the breeze. Slowly, 666's weight-forward-standing-position ground down John, achieving the inside overlap at three boat lengths from the mark allowing 666 to ride home to the finish on one long port tack.
Race 2 found Field and 666 tangling again at the pin but John got there a few seconds early and had to bail so 666 led wire to wire. Crucially, John clawed back for another second, never say never.
Race 3 was a triangle/windward leeward with a windward finish. As 666 approached the pin on starboard, Field was just ahead but 666 was low and other boats in the fleet drove right over me. 666 was road kill thanks to Dagastino, Carla, Bahar and others, and he had to bail, a process during which he smashed into Samantha, and did a 360 penalty turn as a result. More or less DFL, 666 resolved to recover. On the long windward 3rd leg, he broke far right to what he hoped was an ebbing tide and better wind. At the windward mark, 666 was in 8th with Joe Just and Dag four boat lengths ahead of me on the run. 666 had speed, but the clincher was the “up up up” tango they did that, which slowed them down. 666 was now just nose hair behind at the leeward mark. 666 went left a bit to clear his air, then tacked back right as they covered. The move right paid off, and he caught them on the last leg for a very satisfying 5th.
Races were called off a bit early as a nasty-looking wall of rain approached and everyone got soaked, some more than others as Russel Raymundo became a newly minted Jacques Cousteau Club member on the way back in!
End of the day A-Fleet standings: LaBronze Bahar (3,4,1) was in third with 8 points , 666 added Silver to his sparse hair with 7 points (1,1,5) and John Field (2,2,2) made that claw-back count and took Gold. B-Fleet found JeffSorenson in 3rd, Joe Just in 2nd, and Gerard in 1st.
At the after race party, Joe and Jackie delivered the hot goods spectacularly (there outta be an MFA cookbook) and Bahar did a great chalk-talk.
See you soon,
-- 666 (Scott Guerin)
MFA Race Report for November 2nd, 2025
MFA Race Report for November 2nd, 2025
-Scott Guerin
On opening day of our 67th season some 23 racers “braved” the sunny upper 60’s temps and modest winds to show up for the induction ceremony led off by Tim Baron’s taser-delivered safety briefing and fleet captain John Field’s welcome. A full clutch of about-to-be fledged nestlings needed tending at the docks: that line goes there? this goes where? But eventually, given help by the club’s newish and old timers, the group stepped gingerly into their boats and off they flew.
Welcome shout outs to Alex, Pauline, Jeremy, Russell, Jacob, Ali, Moritz, Brad, Aislynn, Adam, Tess, Sarah, Declan, and Nora. You have started your MFA journey —ban that word please — and 30 years from now, may you finally be one with your boat and have opinions as strong as Bahar’s!
Mighty Melissa Bontemps steered Lucky out to the course and called the races. This reporter was RC Pro, and Beach Point Ideal sailor and newcomer (but as yet MFA uncommitted) Elissa joined Bulent Cetin (Nora’s dad) on the good ship for the day.
As is typical early in the season, the wide range of experience showed, especially at the starts of the six races we ran. The point being is that:
staying near the line is super important, pros recommend 2-3 boat lengths,
testing which way the current is pushing will tell you a lot about positioning in the last 60 seconds, pros check the drift at the marks on the sail out and on the line
knowing whether pin or boat end is favored and on which tack, pros check 2-3 times pre start, and
Sighting the line gives you a sense of being over or too far under the line at the gun, pros still are called over, some more than others!!!
There is no better way to understand both the start tactics and evolving strategy of a race than to see them from Lucky or a crashboat. PLEASE VOLUNTEER!!!!
This Pro can’t recount the races except to note the shifty east to southerly winds made square lines and other marks hard to deliver perfectly. When we get those GPS-driven motorized marks second-hand from SailGP, it’ll make it a lot easier. But from the Pro’s perspective, if an upwind leg splits the fleet and they need 2-3 tacks to get to the mark, then that’s what it’s all about. (deep cut Billy Joel.)
Standings:
In A-Fleet, Bronze went to Jurgen, Silver to Bahar, and Gold to John Field.
In B-Fleet, Bronze went to Billy Z, Silver to Stephen DiGregoria, and Gold to Carla for the day.
Thank you crash boat pros and volunteers who oversaw the flock around the courses.
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