Wow, it’s nearly August already and summer just seems to be flying by. 😮 When it comes to Columbia River sailing, this time of year sees warm evenings and wonderful north-westerlies at 8kts and more almost every evening now. Take advantage of these fantastic conditions and enjoy some terrific upcoming racing opportunities!
Also scheduled in August is not one, but two chances for long races to St. Helens! Why not enter them both to hone your crew-work for September’s ever-popular RCYC (Rose City Yacht Club) Long Distance Race?! This race represents the 7th (of 9) OCSA Participation & Performance Trophy qualifying events and the standings can still change as boats in the PHRF and One-Design classes duke it out!
Here’s what we have to look forward to for the remainder of this and next month:
Tuesdays/Thursdays: Continuation of SYSCO Summer Twilight series, the 6th OCSA Participation & Performance Trophy event. Please note that the 1st week of August a bye-week, but that’s certainly no excuse to not get out on the water and enjoy some sailing fun!
July 29: CYC Midnight Madness
It’s not too late to register for this terrific opportunity to race at night. To make this happen, only 5 boats need to register, so sign up now – the deadline is noon tomorrow (Friday, 7/28).
August 4: Friday Beer Can Race (sponsored by PYC); warning signal 1830 hrs
August 5: PYC Commodore’s Race
Are you tired of going around the same old buoys in the same old waters week after week? Does it seem like you just get going and then have to change course and rebuild your boat speed – over and over? We have a solution! The PYC Commodore’s Race! This is a long distance, one-day race, starting at Kelly Point heading downriver, going around the red and green buoy north of Sand Island in St. Helens and returning to finish at Kelly Point. The start is at 11:00, the time limit is 8:00 PM, and there are a number of waypoint marks on the course in case we need to shorten course. It’s a great way to spend a day on the water, racing with friends and enjoying more of the river! Please come and join us for a great trip! Registration is available through Regatta Networks on www.sailpdx.org. See you there!
August 12: Saturday Beer Can Race WITHOUT TRAFFIC (sponsored by OWSA); warning signal 1600 hrs
August 19: Free Bowl of Soup charity Beer Can Race has been canceled due to too many conflicting circumstances. We look forward to this great event again in 2018!
August 25: Friday Beer Can Race (sponsored by ISC); warning signal 1830 hrs
August 26 & 27: SYSCO St. Helens Race & Cruise
Come join us for this fun race and cruise event on the Columbia River, with a casual weekend race to St. Helens on Saturday and a leisurely cruise back on Sunday. Open to all SYSCO members and their guests, Saturday’s warning signal will be around 1115 hrs near day mark “39”, a green navigational aid west of the Burlington Northern Railroad Bridge. Sunday’s warning signal is at the discretion of Race Committee (RC), but definitely not before the morning’s first cup of java. Entry is free to all who are both SYSCO and OCSA members; registration should be completed online. All participating boats must register and are subject to late entry bribe provisions. Bandit and pirate boats will be aggressively pursued by RC if, upon consultation with the SYSCO Membership Roster and OCSA Race Eligibility list, they are determined to be renegades. We look forward to seeing you on the water for this super fun weekend event!
As always, further details on these and upcoming events can be found on the SailPDX website or in your printed 2017 OCSA Racebook.
Cheers, and enjoy the terrific sailing weather while it’s still here!
Nicole Sirois
2017 OCSA Commodore
OCSA Membership:
For e-membership, click here.
For membership with printed 2017 OCSA Racebook and/or to purchase laminated Course Charts, please visit one of the locations listed below:
North Sails
7304 Northeast Martin Luther King Blvd Portland, OR
(503) 282-4282
West Marine
1176 North Hayden Island Drive Portland, OR
(503) 289-9822
