WHEN THE SKIES CLEARED A RACE BROKE OUT: June 23rd Race Report

Photos by Lisa Duret

The perpetual rain cleared for just enough time (but no more) for nine sailors and nine volunteers to enjoy a couple of hours of sunny regatta-related fun with excellent winds.   The races were very close, and the feast on the Committee Boat first class.   We welcomed back Sarah Cartwright & Arlene Truex who crewed for the first time this year.

The Committee Boat crew is prepared to start the race.  Then they'll feast.

The gourmet team of Jack & Sandi Miller, Steve & Gretchen Fisher and Harry & Sandy Meshberger along with Cindy Bartlett dined with flowers on the table and a menu of chicken and egg salad (which came first?), cheese & fruit, crackers & beer cheese, and muffins for desert. Meanwhile Jim Riffle and Lisa Duret fasted on the safety boat, and Bob Orben observed strategies from “At Last”.  Beth Auld saw to it we had volunteers, Kevin Preuss organized the race and assisted Matt Bartlett in setting up an excellent course.  Thanks to all for making the race possible!

Bob motors over to observe the action at the 2nd mark

The race starts were near simultaneous with only laggard Schroeder, not quite timing it right in the first race, but not making the same mistake in the 2^nd.  Eager-beavers Cartwright and Auld crossed the line before the starting horn in the 2^nd race and had to re-start (“the first shall be last”).  Later, Cartwrights’ speedy Thistle crossed the finish line first even though they started last (“the last shall be first”). Got that?

The field converges on the 1st mark

Brand new sails may have done the trick for Kevin Preuss coming in 1^st in the Laser class in the 1st race.  Jim Voelz took first in the 2^nd race.

Handicaps mucked up the official finish order of the International class versus what was observed on the water.  On a handicapped basis John Auld/Phil Bush finished 1^st in the 1^st race and Tom & Sarah Cartwright finished 1^st in the 2^nd race.

Cartwrights in the Thistle

Auld and Bush in the Y-Flyer

Tom and Arlene in the JY-15

All of the races were close with about a 2 minute difference in the first vs. last to cross the finish line, and few cases of split second differences in the two, twenty minute races.

A pop-up thunderstorm threatened sailors returning to their docks, but fortunately sails were down when the strong winds blew through. That also put the kibosh on our usual outdoor protest meeting.

RACE RESULTS:

First Race:

Laser Class:  Kevin Preuss 1^st, Jim Voelz 2^nd, Matt Bartlett 3^rd

International Class: John Auld/Phil Bush 1^st, Tom Schroeder/Arlene Truex 2^nd,  Tom Cartwright/Sarah Cartwright 3^rd.

Overall on Handicapped Basis (not for scoring):  Kevin Preuss 1st, Jim Voelz 2nd, Matt Bartlett 3rd, John Auld/Phil Bush 4th, Tom Schroeder/Arlene Truex 5th,  Tom Cartwright/Sarah Cartwright 6th

Second Race:

Laser Class:  Jim Voelz 1^st , Matt Bartlett  2^nd, Kevin Preuss 3^rd.

International Class: Tom Cartwright/Sarah Cartwright 1^st, Tom Schroeder/Arlene Truex 2^nd,  John Auld/Phil Bush 3^rd.

Overall on Handicapped Basis (not for scoring):  Jim Voelz 1st , Matt Bartlett  2nd, Kevin Preuss 3rd.

Tom Cartwright/Sarah Cartwright 4th, Tom Schroeder/Arlene Truex 5th,  John Auld/Phil Bush 6th.

WELCOME BACK! June 2nd Race and Sock Burning Report

Photos courtesy of Donna Mount and Julia Schroeder

Sock Burners

Grateful for sunny skies to go with the wind, sixteen sailors and seven race volunteers cast off from terra firma to participate in the “Memorial Day” trophy race, our first race of the season.  Highlights included a new sailor, return of several sailors who were absent last year due to boat issues, strong and gusty winds, and many capsizes. After the race we celebrated the start of barefoot and sailing season by burning our socks, enjoying snacks and scuttle butting for several hours at Truex’s “GYC Home Port”.  Poetry was read, and plenty of “yarns” spun (and burned).

Welcome aboard new sailor Ian Palmer!  He and Sam Tadd lowered the average age of our sailors by about a decade, crewing for captain Steve Tadd in the mighty Thistle after repairs kept it and them dry-docked for a season.  Welcome back Sam and Steve!  Likewise, we are happy to have Steve Willment back in the well-equipped and well-pedigreed Laser he acquired to our delight, from legendary sailor Tom Jennings (now sailing in southern seas).  

Steve in the well-pedigreed Laser

Our volunteers got quite a workout as the strong winds made anchoring difficult.  We appreciate the hard work of Beth Auld, Cindy Bartlett, Donna Mount, Bob Orben and Mimi Riffle.  Thank You! Thanks also to Jim Riffle and Bernice Rains who kept a watchful eye on us from the “Safety Boat”.   And thanks to Kevin Preuss for organizing the race and Beth Auld for organizing Committee Boat volunteers for the race.

In the first (trophy) race John Auld/Paul Hass, Jim Voelz and Tom/Ben/Jeff Cartwright were out front after being first to round the first mark and enjoying favorable winds on the way to the second mark.  Jim Voelz recovered quickly from a capsize or two, but nevertheless was able to come in just a few seconds behind John Auld/Paul Hass on a handicapped basis.  Well done John and Paul on coming in first. The Cartwrights were also doing great until, even with the three of them hiked out, they lacked the weight to counterbalance the wind on the tall sails of the white Thistle. So they took on water and then capsized, dashing their hopes for a trophy-finish.  Steve & Sam Tadd and Ian Palmer, also in a Thistle had even less weight to counterbalance the wind, were able to finish without capsizing, but chose not to tempt fate and returned to port after the first race.  The Cartwrights also returned to their dock after the first race since their bailing efforts weren’t quite enough to keep their craft from being compromised.

Righting the Thistle was done quickly.  It was the bailing that took some time.

In the second race Matt Bartlett smoked the field, finishing more than 3 ½ minutes ahead of next-to-finish Tom Schroeder/Phil Bush and Jim Voelz.    Matt, Tom & Phil expressed appreciation to Jim for his couple of capsizes that facilitated the finish order.   The last of those capsizes occurred just a few feet from the finish line allowing Schroeder/Bush to eke out a 2^nd place finish.

Jim recovers from capsize at finish line that allowed Tom & Phil to finish ahead of him.

Tom and Phil all smiles, and dangerously close to "high five syndrome"  Long time blog followers know what that is.

There was no let-up in the decibels being emitted from chatter during the protest meeting on Arlene’s patio.  Finally a loud shout of “time to burn socks” was required to get the talkative group to drift to the fire pit at the shore.  Prior to the first sock to be tossed in the fire, cheers for warm weather’s return were shouted and the following poem was read by Tom Schroeder:

My socks ….they stink!

They’re the source of that odor (sniff)…  I think.

So I’ll set them ablaze, and wait a few days.

Then I will know; was it my socks, or B.O.?

Peggy and Phil toss sock into the fire (caught in mid-air)

Thanks very much to Arlene for hosting our gathering and to everyone who pitched in snacks (and socks).

Race Results:

First Race:

Laser Class:  Jim Voelz 1^st, Matt Bartlett 2^nd, Steve Willment 3^rd, Kevin Preuss 4^th

International Class: John Auld/Paul Hass 1^st, Tom Schroeder Phil Bush 2^nd, Lance & Bianca Snider 3^rd, Steve & Sam Tadd & Ian Palmer 4^th, Tom, Ben & Jeff Cartwright, 5^th.

Overall on a Handicapped Basis

John Auld/Paul Hass 1^st, Jim Voelz 2^nd, Matt Bartlett 3^rd, Schroeder/Bush 4^th, Lance& Bianca Snider 5^th, Steve Willment 6^th, Kevin Preuss 7^th,  Steve & Sam Tadd & Ian Palmer 8^th, Tom, Ben, & Jeff Cartwright 9^th.

Second Race:

Laser Class:  Matt Bartlett 1^st, Jim Voelz 2^nd, Steve Willment 3^rd

International Class: Tom Schroeder Phil Bush 1st, John Auld/Paul Hass 2^nd, Lance & Bianca Snider 3^rd.

Overall on a Handicapped Basis

Matt Bartlett 1^st, Schroeder/Bush 2^nd, Jim Voelz 3^rd, John Auld/Paul Hass 4^th, Lance& Bianca Snider 5^th, Steve Willment 6^th