Doublehanded Race: August 15, 2009

Okay, I've got some catching up to do. I owe you some race reports and I'm a week behind. So let's get started with last Saturday's Doublehanded Race.

Thirty teams of two were entered in North Cape's annual Doublehanded Race. This year the race was one weekend later than our traditional slot of the Saturday after the Bay Week regatta. We had moved to accommodate a request from Ford Yacht Club to avoid the same day as their regatta. We'll evaluate whether there is any real conflict for the future. But as it turned out this year the Saturday after Bay Week was rainy almost all day long and might not have been that great for the doublehanders. Saturday August 15th, however, dawned bright and warm if not just plain hot. A nice day? Well, yeah, if lack of wind was not a concern to you. Cris and Leanna Hastin and Helene Weber joined my on Foghorn for Race Committee duties. We, and 30 boats worth of racing partners, set up at the West Mark and looked for some wind to attempt the 15 miles for PHRF boats and 10.5 for the Jammers. It was light pretty much everywhere but we could see some wind just to our south and it appeared to be making its way in our direction. John Greiner drifted by the committee and lobbied for a two-hour delay because of the light wind because John really doesn't like light air (remember that for later!) But on the RC boat we felt that the 4 knots of wind we were seeing was enough to get things underway and the forecast didn't really promise a whole lot more later that would make a postponement a worthwhile gamble. So at 10:00 AM we had the sequence underway. Three classes of PHRF and three more of JAM got moving off the line, and, if not spritely, at least they were headed in the right direction toward the first mark of the course, the Harborlight. A five mile leg that started off the wind and eventually became a weather leg and seemed to go on forever for the racers. Back on the start line the wind was light but steady, generally four knots, sometimes five, occasionally six. Bet those out on the race course would have loved to have seen that much for most of the race! Club members stopped on by in powerboats to see what if anything was going on, wandered out on the racecourse and would report back on their return: not much happening out there on the lake. After a couple of hours or so boats were around the Harborlight and heading for their second marks, R10 on the channel for the spinnaker kids and the East Mark for the white sails fleet. Another long leg, at least in time if not distance, and then a turn for home and the finish at the West Mark. By this time the wind had gotten to a pretty solid 6 to 8 at the finish line. Out on the race course it was lighter but somewhat better than it had been earlier. A downwind leg and finally the agony was over after six plus hours for most of the fleet. No speed records were set on this day.

Maybe next year we should look at an option that provides us with an alternative course that uses some of the marks closer to the shore. It might mean a few more legs and resulting sail changes for the shorthanded crews but in conditions like we experienced it could mean a much quicker and more interesting race.

In JAM C, Todd Hartmann and Ken "Yoda" Kania Jr. took the measure of the class with Dan Sadoski and Melissa Schmitt of JRSC in Look Far in 2nd and Rich and Cindy Cherry bringing Full Ride home in 3rd.

JAM B went to Les and Ryan Lashaway in Mega over Jonathon and Tim Vosler in Aftermath2 in 2nd and Elizabeth and Tim Swisher borrowing Tyrannous to come home 3rd.

In JAM A, Bill Sommers and Gary Bernard brought Breakaway home in 1st only 11 seconds in front of Jim and Chris Davis's Orange Crate in 2nd and Rodger Dutton and Dale Roberts in 3rd in White Star.

PHRF C saw Jody Kjoller and Charlie Johnson 1st in Jody's Kirby 25 named Roschambo for the occasion. 2nd was Norm and Jim GLadieux's Saving Grace with 3rd going to Jeffrey Gordon and Max Frati in Presto.

PHRF B found John Greiner and grandson Brian Goldberg on board Red Cloud in 1st, Dick Frazier and Jamie Matuszak in Sweet Carmela in 2nd and Paul Hickman and Ben Mercer gaining 3rd place aboard Splash Dance while owner Laszlo Goda was busily occupied preparing his famous Hunky Turkey dinner for the racers after the event.

In PHRF A, Steve Attard and his daughter Kristen brought home Viva Las Vegas in 1st. Fritz Peterson and Jim Meehan's Heartbreaker approached the finish line overlapped with Mark and Lynne Melchior's Full Tilt. Both boats rated the same and were racing for position. With Heartbreaker on starboard to Full Tilt's port approach, Full Tilt was forced to give way and Heartbreaker finished 2nd to Full Tilt's 3rd.

Overalls went to Mega in JAM and to Red Cloud in PHRF. Remember how Greiner said he hated light air and couldn't be competitive in it? Uh huh, right John.

The Doublehanded Race also awards flags to the highest placing male/female crews. In PHRF the winners were Steve and Kristen Attard of Viva Las Vegas and our JAM winners were Jim and Chris Davis of Orange Crate.

Thanks everyone for coming out on a slow but challenging day and for sticking with the race. Hope to see you next year on a faster course!

Kent Gardam