For the 10th consecutive year, the Indianapolis Sailing Club was kind enough to allow the Windmill District 5 Championship to be included in their club regatta August 28-29. This also served as the 55th anniversary of the ISC.
Unfortunately various conflicts kept the KC Fleet 16 group at home (see them next year!) but 7 boats turned out with 4 from Hoover Sailing Club Fleet 60, Rick Beale from Chicago, Chris Demler from Cincinnatti and Allen Chauvenet (out of district) from West Virginia. Courses were triangular (1 or 2 laps) on Saturday and long W-L with an offset mark Sunday AM. Winds were light to medium and shifty like most inland lakes. Two races were sailed Saturday prior to lunch and two in the afternoon with two more Sunday races completing the regatta.
Craig Tovell (back in his Moorman 4200) with teenage (and new Windmill owner) crew Evan Hollins dominated the event with five consecutive wins and did not sail the final race. Craig was challenged in several of the races but found a way to win while in others he jumped out to an early lead and sailed away. Second/Third and Fourth were very closely contested with Allen Chauvenet/Jen Rovenpera (5586) taking the runnerup spot by 2 points over Chris/Cam Demler (5045) and Bernie/Julie Himmesbach (5410) who had their tie broken in favor of the Demlers. Rick Beale sailed with long-time friend and crew Jerry Rezab on Satuday before switching crews with Ed Yingling and sailing with Ed's daughter Grace on Sunday. Dina Tayim and Ziada Edwards, delightful teenagers (Dina a freshman at Ohio State and Ziada a senior in high school) sailing Graham Alexander's boat. Ed Yingling brought his just-completed 5132 out for its first race with his daughter crewing Saturday and Jerry Rezab crewing on Sunday.
The first race saw Tovell jump into an early lead which was slowly extended to a solid win. The Demlers pushed Tovell a bit while Allen Chauvenet thought he was a solid third until the Himmesbachs made major gains on the run to the last mark; once around for the beat to the finish, Chauvenet had just enough of a lead to secure third with several covering tacks. In the second race Chauvenet briefly led Tovell but the latter found the better shifts towards the end of the weather legs and won while Chauvenet turned the table on Demler--only to find the Himmelsbachs ahead of the Demlers as well. Chauvenet finished a few boatlengths behind Tovell with the Himmelsbachs 3rd. In this race Ed and Grace Yingling finished 6th, thus accomlishing their goal of beating someone in at least one race in the first ever regatta for the boat and the crew!
After lunch, Tovell won the first afternoon race easily while the Himmelsbachs continued their excellent sailing and beat both Chauvenet and Demler. This race saw 5-6 boats very close at the leeward mark; Demler became lost in a relative flat spot on the second weather leg and Rick Beale, well placed at the leeward mark, came on to take 4th behind Chauvenet but ahead of Demler. In the final race of the day, Chauvenet made an excellent start and sailed well up the weather leg to take the lead; the top 4-5 boats were very close at the end of the triangle with Chauvenet still leading. Well up the second weather leg, Chauvenet had extended his lead and actually thought he might win--but he then found that some new wind appeared from behind and lifted both Tovell and Himmelsbach above and over him with the results that Himmelsbach took second again behind Tovell.
The Sunday morning races were sailed around a long W/L course and Tovell grabbed the lead at the start and simply sailed away. Chauvenet focused entirely on beating Himmelsbach and after getting a lead sailed to keep Himmelsbach covered on the beat. Demler rounded second but after the offset mark Chauvenet slowly but steadily overhauled Demler on the run to take just enough of a lead at the leeward mark to afford several covering tacks while Demler stayed ahead of Himmelsbach. When Tovell sailed in after this race a first-time winner was guaranteed. Chauvenet again covered Himmelsbach but Demler got into some better wind to take the lead and the same wind reached Chauvenet, allowing him to extend his lead on Himmelsbach and round only a few boatlengths behind Demler. On the long and relatively slow run, Chauvenet caught up to Demler but could not find a way ahead. The boats sailed several hundred hards side to side, only a few feet apart; eventually a series of jibes and counter-jibes took place with the rehash suggesting that neither made all the best moves--but on the water Demler's were better and they rounded just ahead and in a covering position, reversing the situation from the prior race. Demler's resulting win pulled him into a tie with the Himmelsbachs and the tie was broken in Demler's favor because of having the win. Chauvenet would have had regatta second regardless of the outcome of his duel with Demler; thus Demler owes Chauvenet thanks for the win and Chauvenet owes Himmelsbach an apology!!
Everyone had a wonderful time; at the trophy presentation Jerry Rezab presented the ISC with an award from Windmill District 5 while Craig Tovell of course took home the District perpetual trophy in addition to regatta first. The only way we could make this a better event is to have the KC group back next year and get a couple of extra boats from Ohio to provide a 10-12 boat fleet.
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