Also, the opening at the east end of the 520 will be closed on and off for the next few years as they rebuild the bridge. Watch for signs or go to the west opening.

Want to upgrade your racing skill set?  Here are some links:

Sail Tip – Telling Tales

Spinnaker Trim

http://www.usaj22.com/index.php/tips

http://www.northsailsod.com/class/j22/j22_tuning.html

This CD set is excellent for advice on crew assignments/tasks:
https://www.northorder.com/merchandise/j22-cd.html

• A Neptune boat may enter a race if it is under the direction and control of a Club certified Racing Skipper.
• Race Crew – ANY CLUB MEMBER CAN PARTICIPATE AS A RACE CREW.  Racing as a crew member can be as exciting as skippering.  Good crew work is required for success in a race.  Crew positions can become as specialized as those of any sport.  We encourage all interested club members to learn the various positions and the boat handling skills that are part of each position.  The club has a new Race Crew Certification which gives the holder more recognition amongst the racing community and is also the first step towards Race Skipper certifications.
• There are two levels of Race Skipper certification.
  • Level 1 Race Skippers are certified to take a boat to a local race (local means in the normal Neptune sailing area) and for winds under 12 knots.
  • Level 2 Race Skippers are also certified to take Neptune boats to “away” regattas such as Leschi and Shilshole (if given permission by the Club Board) and in higher winds.  A defined process for gaining Race Skipper certification is available upon request.

How do I get involved?

Friday Night Races

• Friday night races are sponsored by Anthony’s and take place just outside the marina starting at 7:00pm  June through August.
• All Neptune boats are entered in Friday evenings (PHRF).
• Friday races are against other PHRF classes. Often Neptune’s boats are the smallest and least expensive boats in the race. Because of the potential liability and legal issues for the Club if we hit a million dollar boat, we try to arrange crew matches that include at least 2 experienced racers on each boat. There is still a good chance of finding a ride at the last minute on Fridays  – but it may not be strictly “first come first served”.
• Guests are welcome as crew – BUT skippers are encouraged to make club members their crew if there is interest.
• The boats will leave the docks at 6:30pm.
• Race Crew members may sign up in advance to show their intention but this does not guarantee a boat
• It does not take any special training or certification to crew. It is a club goal to give all interested members as many opportunities as possible. The Policy of the Club is that Club Members have priority over guests for available crew positions.
• Racing Skippers may sign up in advance to show their intention but this does not guarantee a boat. The intent of the Club is to give all Racing Skippers a chance to Skipper and polish their skills. In the event that there are more interested Skippers than boats at the dock at 6:00pm then the racing Skipper who has gone the longest without Skippering in a race shall have first choice.

Wednesday Night Races

• Wednesday night races are part of Seattle’s J/22 Fleet 21 one-design series.  Races are held at 7:00pm off Kirkland May-August
• The J/22 Fleet is member-run, this means that Neptune Sailing Club usually takes responsibilities for setting the course, starting the race, recording and reporting results. Accordingly, race crew must be familiar with the 5-4-1-Starting sequence, have an adequate starting horn and be able to set a race course with the Fleet buoys.
• Certified racing skippers can reserve a boat for the Wednesday night races on the sign-out sheet posted in the clubhouse. Reservations can be made 14 days in advance of a race. In the event that there are more teams interested than boats available, reservations will be rotated so that members have equal opportunity to race.
• In the event that a boat is not reserved, a Skipper may show up and take a boat and race. In the event that there are more interested Skippers than non-reserved boats at the dock at 6:00pm then the racing Skipper who has gone the longest without Skippering in a Wednesday night race shall have first choice.

Other Races

• Neptune occasionally participates in other Lake Washington races such as Mark Mayer, Meydenbauer Spring regatta, SYC Lake distance races.  Permission for participating in these races must be obtained in advance from the Race Chair and the Board because these involve taking a boat away from the membership for an extended period.
• Off-season, Neptune occasionally participates in Shilshole races (Star & Bar, etc). In this case, special approval from the Neptune Board is required to take a boat to a weekend regatta.  To participate in an away weekend regatta, a Level 2 Racing Skipper Certification is required to take a boat to the regatta and coordinate the entry, boat delivery, crew, etc.

e-mail Dan if you are interested.