News about Series (Spring or Summer) racing.
Hi ALCA!
This Tuesday is our second to last Tuesday of racing for 2025 – wow has time flown by! After the rain showers clear, we are looking at temps in the high 70s, with NW winds around 9mph. If you follow SailFlow, winds are predicted to be a little higher at 14mph. Michael Kucharski is the Race Chair, on John Hayward’s pontoon. Please sail by the committee boat to check in before the first race. Afterwards we meet at Main St. on Westnedge for results.
Kathy Rubino – ALCA Secretary
Hi ALCA-ers!
Tuesday marks the 6th week of the Summer Series – time is going fast! Dave Stiemsma is our RC and the weather is predicted to be iffy with an 80% chance of thunderstorms. Winds are predicted to be 5-10 mph out of the southeast, and storms may produce stronger gusty winds. As always, stay tuned to any communications about cancellations which will be through email or Facebook. We go to Main Street Grill on Westnedge after sailing, or earlier, if we cancel.
As always, attached are our SSI – if you are a new sailor or know of a new sailor coming out to join us, please review and or share.
UPDATE – 5:30 PM
Due to storms in the area, there will be no racing tonight! Some of us are meeting at Main St at 6:30 pm. Let us know if you’d like to join us!
Kathy Rubino – ALCA Secretary
Good morning!
Yes, it’s another Tuesday and another light wind day! Forecast for race time is mostly sunny, 80 degrees and ENE winds of 6 mph. Dave and Gail Stiemsma are our Race Committee – hopefully Mother Nature will come through with some wind and we’ll race! Please check in with them when you come out to the water, and with these light winds, give yourselves plenty of time to reach the start area by 6:30 pm. After sailing we are going to Main Street on Westnedge.
Please stay tuned to your emails or Facebook for any cancellations.
Later,
Kathy Rubino
Hi Fleet!
It was awesome to have 11 boats on the water last week – can we get more this Tuesday? The forecast is for a steamy 90 degrees, with southwest winds around 7 mph. With this heat and humidity, there is a chance of thunderstorms, so be aware! Race chair is Jeff Daane; we go to Main St. on Westnedge after sailing. Remember to sail by committee boat before the race starts so that they could check you in.
I’ve attached the SSI, and our current committee boat sign up sheet. We do not have a race chair or a pontoon boat for sailing the first two weeks of August (the next two weeks). Races will be cancelled unless we have a Race Chair and pontoon boat for running the races AND getting the equipment in place beforehand.
See you soon – hopefully on the water and not hiding from a thunderstorm/lightning!
Kathy Rubino – ALCA Secretary
Hi All!
So is this the week we actually race? I’m thinking we will, with SE winds forecasted at 5-10 mph. (woo-hoo!) Jeff Daane is Race Chair on his beautiful pontoon. Please sail by the committee boat to check in before the race. See the SSI (Standard Sailing Instructions), especially for you newbies, and these are great to review for all of us. Next, if the race committee abandons a race with no more racing for the night (in other words, “hit the beach”) you will see an additional flag flown below the Abandon Flag. Dave S. sent the photo below in reply to one of our cancellations emails recently. This “A” flag is also used with the Postponement flag to signify no more racing for today.
As a reminder, Fleet 126 is having a single day regatta at Washington Beach in Michigan City this coming Saturday, July 26th. Michael Kucharski can elaborate on the details, and note the time difference, as they are 1 hour behind us.
And lastly, see below for the RC sign up for Summer Series. We need a race chair and a committee boat for the first two Tuesdays in August. If this gap is not filled, we will be canceled.
See you on the water – or at Main St. on Westnedge after sailing for results.
Kathy – ALCA Secretary
Hi Folks!
Let’s try this again! Tuesday’s forecast is for sunny skies, a high of 90 with winds out of the SSW at 5-10 becoming light into the evening. Once again, Dave Stiemsma is your RC with Gail on their pontoon. Please sail by committee boat to check in so that they could mark you as on the water on the attendance sheet. Also, see the SSI (Standard Sailing Instructions, for you newbies), which are great to review for all of us. Also, if the race committee abandons a race with no more racing for the night (in other words, “hit the beach”) you will see an additional flag flown below the Abandon Flag. Dave sent this photo in reply to our cancellation email last week. I’ve copied it below. This “A” flag is also used with the Postponement flag to signify no more racing for today.
We will meet at Main St. on Westnedge after sailing for results.
Also, a reminder to RSVP to Julie or myself for the float party on Sunday the 20th. PLease see the email that was sent last week for details.
Kathy Rubino – ALCA Secretary
Update: Racing Cancelled Due to Low/Variable Winds 5:45 PM
Happy Summer!
Hope everyone had a nice 4th of July and survived the heat! Tuesday’s forecast is for sunny skies, temps in the mid 80s and SW winds 5-10 mph, decreasing to less than 5 mph in the evening. Dave Stiemsma is our race chair with Gail on the Race Committee. Please remember to sail past the committee boat to check in. After racing we go to Main St Pub on Westnedge.
Our Standard Sailing Instructions (SSI) are located HERE… new sailors should familiarize themselves with them.
An additional email will go out soon for the ALCA FLOAT Party on July 20th – please watch for it.
– Kathy ALCA Secretary
Update: Racing Cancelled Due to Low/Variable Winds
Happy Summer!
Yes, it’s now summer and absolutely sweltering out there! For sailing this Tuesday we are looking at yet another hot day, with a heat advisory and temperatures in the low 90’s and a 30% chance of thunderstorms. Winds will be 7mph west winds decreasing a bit, shifting to the northwest (according to SailFlow) and then back to the west. Good times! Nick Harmer is RC on the Lenczycki pontoon boat.
Also – take note that Austin Lake is once again being treated for weeds Monday and Tuesday of this week – see diagram. There has been a “no swimming” instruction for these treatments, and in the past, we had learned that this was more of a precautionary measure to not disturb the treatments. See diagram for areas that are to be treated. It is up to each sailor’s discretion of whether they choose to sail or not. See map below.
Last week was challenging, as the winds decreased and we had to abandon the second race because of lightning and thunder in the area. The Race Committee raised the N or abandon race flag to abandon the race and send boats off the water, however there was some confusion with raising this flag alone, which instructs sailors to return to the starting area. The intent to send everyone off the water did not match with what is on the flag stickers and what was flown from committee boat. There will be a quick discussion of this and about what direction the fleet wants to go for clarification. The officers are suggesting to comply with the rules ( and flag stickers) and purchase the “A” flag, to be flown with either the N or the AP (postponement) flag. You can view the Standard Sailing Instructions here SSI. If you have anything to add, please come to Main St on Westnedge after sailing. ⛵️
As always, see our SSI.
Kathy – ALCA Secretary
UPDATE
Due to persistent storms in the area, light wind and weed treatment and harvesting, our RC has canceled racing for tonight. That’s a wrap on the Spring Series! We do not race next Tuesday – Summer Series starts Tuesday July 8th. Some of us are still planning to go to Main Street at 6:30.
– Kathy
Hello!
Wowie is it great out there today! Tuesday promises to be warmer and even more of the same, with a high of 88 degrees, and southwest winds 5-10 mph. However, there is a 30% of storms, some being of the “pop-up” variety, so keep your eyes to the sky, or better yet, your radar and lightning weather apps on your phones! Nick Harmer is the Race Chair on the Lenczycki pontoon boat. Additionally, the officers would like to emphasize to the new sailors, and remind the fleet as a whole, of our SSI (Standard Sailing Instructions). You will find these on our webpage. Remember, a boat could be DSQ-ed by the RC for not sailing the correct course (which includes going around the marks or through the gates incorrectly) or going through the start finish line except when starting or finishing.
Also the Race Chairman sign-up where you will see that there is one slot of two weeks open (8/5 and 8/12). We will meet at Main St. Grill, 7509 S. Westnedge in Portage. Watch your emails and Facebook for any cancellations and going to Main St. early.
Kathy Rubino – ALCA Secretary
Hi everyone!
Wow – last week was crazy! Kudos to all of you who ventured out in those conditions! Thanks to Wally for helping out when Faith flipped and also to the Race Committee to see that everyone who had gone over were back on two hulls at the end of the evening.
Conditions for this Tuesday seem a bit more tame, with 13 mph westerly winds to start, decreasing to below 10 mph before the night is over. Gusts “only” to 20mph. Our Race Chair is John Koryto this week again – nice job last week!
Afterwards we will meet at Main St, Grill on Westnedge.
– Kathy Rubino ALCA Secretary