July 24th Race: MORE WIND THAN WE HOPED FOR - YIKES!

Photos courtesy of Kevin Preuss, Lisa Duret and a mystery contributor

After two low-wind races, we really needed a race with some good winds.  We got plenty of wind all right, including some significant capsizing gusts.  Some sailors opted out after sizing the situation up.  Others took the gamble and half of them paid for it with capsizes.  Tom Schroeder's "turtled" boat required assistance from Good Samaritan, Matt Claymon on his jet-ski, to get righted.

Step-by-step photos of the righting process are below.

 

Thanks to Margaret Powers, Arlene Truex and Bob Orben for doing a great job officiating the race.  They stayed anchored in the gusty wind, so well done!   The Voelz family set up a nice long race, appropriate for the winds.  Our safety boat was well staffed also with Jim Riffle at the helm and Kevin Preuss and Lisa Duret assisting and taking some great photos.  Thanks as usual to Beth Auld and Kevin Preuss for organizing. And special thanks to Matt Claymon for helping right the turtled JY-16!

We had fun re-living the exciting race and settling a finish line protest at Arlene's after the race.  Thanks very much Arlene!

Shortly after the start of the race toward 1st mark, all on same tack

 

Boats on different tacks toward first mark.  A gust hits the Thistle (middle)

 

Cartwrights round the first mark (orange flag), while others converge on it

 

Catey and Elizabeth (left) and Tom and Sarah (right) are hiked out and managing the gusts as they head for the second mark

Cartwrights round 2nd mark with Hales right behind

 

Hales round the mark as Tom and Phil approach it, about to meet their fate

Then Laura rounds the mark, just in time to watch Tom and Phil capsize

The strong gust put Tom and Phil in the water before they could stand on the centerboard to prevent the boat from turning completely over.  The centerboard would not stay up, so the only option to right the boat was a line tied to the mast and a pull from a boat or jet ski.  Kevin and Lisa on Jim Riffles pontoon feed out a line for that purpose.

 

Good Samaritan Matt Claymon shows up on his jet-ski and offers to pull the righting line since the jet-ski is more manueverable than the pontoon boat. His generous offer is accepted

 

Matt applied steady pressure to the line which goes up over the gunwale of the boat and is tied to the mast.  Tom and Phil are behind the boat pushing on the submerged gunwale and pulling on the other gunwale.  Shortly after this photo, Tom made his way to the cockpit and lowered the centerboard.  Phil stepped on the centerboard to apply more leverage.

And the boat is righted.

Tom climbs back aboard

Phil's turn

Rescue work completed, Matt departs. Thanks Matt!

Race Results:

 

July 5th "July 4th" Trophy Race Race Report

 This was the "July 4th" Trophy Race (we don't sail on holiday weekends like we did in days of yore since the lake is too busy, but the eons-old traveling trophies still refer to the holidays).

We welcomed a new sailor, Nick Zachidny who crewed for John Auld.   Tom and Sarah Cartwright in the tall-sailed Thistle finished first in both low-wind races, even after applying the substantial handicap for the speedy Thistle. In the second race they were able to sail back to their dock and de-rig the boat while most of the other sailors were still trying to make it from the third mark to the finish line after the wind had died. Kevin Preuss finished 2nd in both races.  In the last race, Auld/Zachidny, Schroeder/Bush and Laura Garrett all finished within seconds of each other. With the low-wind race over, the fickle Grandview wind finally showed up to speed the tired participants back to their docks.

Thanks to Jack and Sandi Miller and Harry and Sandy Meshberger for a flawless job of officiating the race and Jim Riffle for watching over us in the safety boat.  Kevin Preuss not only filled his official role as race chairman, but he and Lisa Duret also set up and took down the course.  And Beth Auld as usual made sure our Committee Boat was well staffed. And it certainly was.

We wished Jim Riffle a happy birthday at the protest meeting after the race. Bernice Rains made jelly filled cupcakes since Jim has a well-known liking for jelly filled baked goods.  Thanks Arlene Truex for hosting us!

Race Results: