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| Lake Yosemite Sailing Association Regatta at Lake Yosemite Sailing Association (LYSA), Merced, Ca | May 19 - 20 |
| Story |
| Lake Yosemite Regatta May 19-20
by Darrell Sorensen The Lake Yosemite Regatta brought out some very competitive sailing amongst the Windmills. With shifting winds light to medium and wind that was never the same in different parts of the lake. Upwind runs took skill or just dumb luck to get an advantage. I was sailing McLeod's new to them Windmill 809 that was refurbished over the winter and on the water after 35 years of storage. This was to make sure everything was working properly and nothing would break (which it did) for them. Angus McLeod was teamed up with Keaton Bender, each taking turns as skipper, in the Windmill Bender's recently punched from Dave Nielsen. Wind for the first race was real light, with the lead changing several times between Eric Swenson, Casey Loeffler and Myself. At the finish it was Eric, we were one boat length behind with Casey not far behind. In the second race our boat had a broken out-haul before start and the sail kept creeping forward. My crew Julia was able to tie the sail back on a down wind run, but all this put back in 4th place. Eric Swenson ran off with this one and never looked back. Race 3 treated us to better winds and was another see-saw battle. On one up wind leg I was able to go from 4th to 1st, only to have two boats on my hip wing & wing with the next one not far behind on the next down wind run. They all had a big advantage rounding the next mark where I was hopelessly on the outside. This race went to Casey followed by Eric. That was it for Saturday's racing. Sunday morning the race committee gave us one long race instead of two shorter ones. This was because the temperature was going to be in the mid 90s later in the afternoon with no chance for wind. Casey Loeffler needed a win, with Eric Swenson no better than third to win the regatta. Anything else and Eric would take the win. Julia and I just wanted to win a race, we could also play the part of spoiler. After rounding the 1st mark we were really spread out with Casey well in the lead and Eric way behind. Then after a long slow downwind run we kept creeping up on Casey. At the next mark the wind had vanished, just in that area of the lake. By the time we rounded the mark Eric had also caught up. When we got up to turn 3 (which is a small island) Casey was in the lead, we were second and Eric third (just what Casey needed to win) We cut the island a little close and came to a sudden stop. I had sailed this close to it and cleared with my boat, but mine has the short dagger board, where 809 has a long one. This put us way back into 3rd place. When we got to the 2nd to final upwind leg we were able to find the wind and the others weren't (or maybe just dumb luck) and take over the lead to the finish. Casey and Eric were close behind us at the with Casey beating Eric by only a foot or two. But Eric had the points to win the regatta. I want to make special note that six of the windmill sailors taking part in this regatta are juniors 16 and under. Including second place finisher Casey Loeffler. There was fabulists dinner put on by Lake Yosemite Sailing Association Saturday evening. Everyone in attendance had a great time. There were about 30 boats in the regatta, Day Sailors (11) and Windmills (5) had enough for their own classes. |
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