October 13-14
Having a regatta rather late in the season is always a little touch and go and this year seemed even more so. Starting about ten days out the weather forecast would vary from not so good to less than good, then o.k., and then back to not so good. Then there were the schedule snaffoos and three of Mohican’s own Jet sailors that planned to sail couldn’t. Two guests that were planning on sailing borrowed boats had to cancel. Marty and Kim Schilke planned on being with us but then couldn’t, same with Ivan Baker, Barry Saunders and our web master Chris Hennon and Past President Paula Hennon. Then, the worst news, the night before he planned to travel west Brent Barbehenn’s father Ed had to be taken to the hospital. We have not had a recent up date but at the beginning of the weekend Ed was doing better but by no means fine. We waited and wanted to hear good news ever since. Our thoughts and hearts are with Ed and all the Barbehenn’s.
At Mohican, things really fell into place. The wind and weather Saturday was just plain beautiful. Partly sunny, autumn colors, wind 4-16 knots out of the south, temps getting into the low 60's. When it was all said and done, 12 boats and crews showed up with many new and old(?) faces which really cheered me up. True, Tim Meany and Mike Lechner in the Edgewater fleet boat could not get enough kinks worked out to actually get in a race and Ben and Amanda Stock could not get out of work as planned and did not arrive until late afternoon, but it was sure great to see them all and they were all a blast to have with us at dinner.
Among the first timers were Melanie Gideon sailing with Joe Minerd, his first Jet-14 regatta at the helm. How did they do? Well.....they finished a leg behind the next to last place boat in the first race. Right behind next to last in the second race. Swamped in the third race. Then sailed mid fleet the last race on Saturday ending up in a pack 8th out of nine. Then with a forecast for wind on Sunday of 15-20 knots gusting into the 40's, they went back out, rounded the first mark five boat lengths behind the leader and were in the pack right to the finish. AND, as I was putting the boat away for the winter I poured five or more gallons of water out of the side tanks from their swamping Saturday. So if you talked to them after we were getting ready to head home, you would have seen big smiles and ...”we had a blast!”
The effervescent Meaghan Beal was back sailing with Seth Parker. Garth Boyd was back in a boat with my sister Barb despite having spent the Nationals sailing in what he called....”an all day rinse cycle of a large washing machine”....and lucky me, Jacqueline Gideon(friends but no relation to Melanie) agreed to sail once more with me. And, up from N.C. the site of next years National Championships were Tom Grace and Paula Pacheco.
The fifth race on Saturday was the Crew race, the crew steers and the helm crews. Mike and John Gemperline who were having a wonderful time and had by most any neutral observer, sailed the best series up to that point, wanted to sail but John had to head home. So Mike came back out for a five minute late start and sailed single handed. Tom Wills in Dan Reiber’s boat, rounded the first mark in third but found the no air side of the course down wind. Tiffany Parker got the worst start, Bryan apparently got the idea that they should shoot head to wind right at the horn....and stay there until they were in irons? With crew work like that, who needs competitors. Anyway, back through the fleet they charged closing in on 4th. Which was Sue Michos, not at all unfamiliar with the helm sailing through the fleet on her own come back. Then there was my sister with Garth Boyd at the helm of her #94. Barb has many years of sailing and racing instruction experience and as Garth is what one might call, quiet, he likely was getting a lot of good advise, a lot. Well it worked. He looked awesome and sailed to a convincing third. Second was Charlie Barker in Ernie Michaud’s #760, hardly a shock as Charlie has been helming his own #1137 up the finish board all season. From the near constant ho-ho’s and laughing we listened to from the two of them all the way around the course they clearly won the having most fun award. The crew race winner was Jacqueline Gideon. What was her formula? Sailing smart and fast. The fast part she just does, she has a gifted touch for the helm. The smart part I don’t really recommend; listen to Marion's suggestions and then as sweetly as you can, ignore them and do it your way.
Saturday evening we had a big Mediterranean theme diner; pizza’s, snacks, spaghetti, desserts of all kinds. The costume party was supposed to begin following dinner, but some could not seem to wait. There was a rule for this regatta that crews that raced in costume would be awarded racing bonus point reductions. This could account for some borderline sailing attire. But mostly some just started early. First, at registration, in walks Steve McQueen. I kid you not, it was the movie star himself, but for some reason, on close inspection he looked a little bit like Seth but had on MY name tag??? It was very confusing, especially for the girls. Then at the hoist during launching the Gideon girls appeared as “Babe’s of the New Year” or “Hot Geriatrics”, hard telling but they had on bibs and diapers and were definitely looking very hot. The race committee appeared in the grim reapers gear and as a counter force, Ernie showed up for dinner in a Boy Scout uniform, Eagle Badge and all. Cara was I believe someone from the cast from Hair, and just when I thought I had seen it all, in walks Popeye and Oliveoil, only Popeye, again, I know this makes little sense, looked like Seth Parker who had been into the rummers instead of the spinach, and Oliveoil.....in what comic strip is Oliveoil a hottie with movie star good looks?? And what would she be sailing with Set....Popeye for??
As I said, Sunday was a little dicey. The forecast was for 15-20 knots with gusts into the 40's. But after breakfast, it looked pretty good but for the occasional honker that blew snow like leaves off the trees. The race committee went out, looked around and decided to give it a go. It was building but we got in one good race with gusts just into the low 20's according to the wind speed indicator on the committee boat. The two Allens sailed away from the fleet and match raced all the way to the finish with the Michos’s taking the win over Bryan and Tiffany.
Thanks to Mike Fulton and Denny Dieball for running great races, again. To everyone, including guests like Sue Michos who carried everything down from the second floor after dinner to get washed, and Mohican members that volunteered on the committee boats and helped with meals. To Jon and Linda Chambers who, could not sail but made time to bring down and prepare lunch for everyone Saturday. And Mary Fulton that cleaned up the whole mess when we were done.
I guess we are like all regatta hosts. As long as we have good support and attendance, we will do it all again next year.
Hope to see you then. Marion Zaugg, Fleet #4
Pictures (None yet)
BOAT # HELM/CREW RACE 1 RACE 2 RACE 3 RACE 4 RACE 5 TOTAL
1 - 1132 Marion Zaugg/ 1 1 4 1 3 10
Jacqueline Gideon
2 - 1159 Bryan Parker/ 5 3 1 2 2 13
Tiffany Parker
3 - 665 Mike Gemperline/ 2 2 2 3 4 13
John Gemperline
4 - 1157 Dave Michos/ 3 4 3 4 1 15
Sue Michos
5 - 717 Tom Grace/ 4 5 7 7 5 28
Paula Pacheco
6 - 884 Dan Reiber/ 7 8 6 5 DNS 39
Tom Wills
7 - 1076 Seth Parker 8 7 9 DNS 6 43
Meaghan Beal
8 - 94 Barb Joudrey/ 6 DNS 8 6 DNS 46
Garth Boyd
9 - 324 Joe Minerd/ 9 9 DNF 8 7 46
Melanie Gideon
10 - 760 Ernie Michaud/ DNF 6 5 9 DNS 46
Charlie Bark
11 - 1041 Tim Meaney DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS 65
Mike Lechner
12 - 698 Ben Stock/ DNS DNS DNS DNS DNS 65
Amanda Stock
Results Posted 10/23/2012
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