Labor Day Regatta

Lake Norman Yacht Club, Mooresville NC

Aug. 31 - Sept. 1

For those of you who missed it, the 2013 Nationals unexpectedly featured fantastic winds for mid-August in North Carolina.  The event generated so much optimism that 5 Jets returned to LNYC to test Mother Nature once again for an event that wasn't even on the calendar - and they didn't leave disappointed.  

Tim Porter, the new Dist. III VP,  began talking up the regatta a month ahead of time but showed up Saturday morning without the boat he used to destroy the B fleet at Nationals (His excuse, and I quote: "There was a bunch of stuff all over it in my garage so I didn't bring it").  It seems that Tim comes up with some good ones - he missed the last regatta at Lake Norman for a "water polo event he couldn't miss".  This day he was seen desperately trying to break (!) a turning block to unstick his jib halyard on one of his other boats without success.  Tim and his mom Catherine (the Nationals food queen) instead jumped into yet another boat that Tim has never sailed.  Believing that using the #1 sails would intimidate the fleet to a victory, Tim was mildly disappointed when his boat speed was somewhere inbetween a San Juan 21 and a bath tub with a stick. He planned on returning Sunday with the #1 boat from the garage, but threats of protest (more like a lack of crew) kept him out of Sunday's action.

Barry Saunders was back with his once used North sails, along with Nationals crew Todd Ochoa.  Barry has been seeing significant gains in boat speed since the sail upgrade, and they appeared to get better with every tack - even though at times it appeared they were tacking just for the practice.  Team Saunders were right up there with the leaders in every race and hung on for a clean win on Sunday - they would have had another 2nd if Barry didn't decide to do an extra lap in Race 4.  Afterwards Barry admitted that he considered "saving" the new sails and using the old ones for the regatta; saving for what, we're not sure, but lets hope these two continue to race together.

Barry managed to get two new sailors out for the weekend in his second boat - Ben Copp and Sarah Hoyt are both graduate students at Duke University and it was obvious from the get go that these two knew how to race a boat.  They have great energy and were uber enthusiastic all weekend, even when struggling to figure out the Jet.  We don't have any pictures, but let me try to create a vision for you.  Ben is essentially Michael Phelps, except with a shorter torso and without the swimming talent.  Sarah resembles Rose McGowan, except that she seems to not be put off by explaining the intricacies of roll tacking to 3 dudes in a dinner line.  And yes, it is OK that you just looked up Rose McGowan.  It was great meeting them and we hope to see these two youngens again very soon.

Yours truly drove in from Asheville with Nationals crew Meg Russell ready to race #433.  We would have won except that Tom Grace and Paula Pacheco thoroughly schooled us in almost every race.  Taking his cues from the national best seller "Racing Tactics to Not Try During a Race", Hennon won most of the starts but promptly split with the fleet and sailed to the wrong side of the course (unfortunately Phelps and McGowan tended to follow behind).  Compounding the error was thinking the right decision was made until  #717 crossed 200 yards ahead.  What can I say, they sailed fast and smart and deserved to win.  

All in all it was a fantastic regatta with 78 boats in several fleets competing.  The beautiful southerly winds went from 5-10 kt on Saturday to an all out hike fest Sunday morning as some puffs reached into the upper teens.      

See you at the next one!

Chris

Pictures (None yet)
 

Results Posted 9/2/2013

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