2004 Holt Thomas

Reported by Tom Londrigan Jr.

The 2004 Holt Thomas Memorial in Peoria has concluded.  Unlike most regattas, Peoria was innovative enough to provide the sailors with a few more obstacles, conditions, and entertainment than most venues.  At the Bacardi Cup, I witnessed angry fisherman throw one of their catch at our Class President as he sailed by.  Apparently, he was a little too close for the blurry-eyed fisherman and the recently emancipated mackerel exploded on contact when it touched down in Riccardo’s cockpit.  I thought that was a bit odd.  However, in Peoria this year, many very large (eighteen-inch) Carps or Carp or Carpies (I’m not sure the of the proper plural for Carp) were doing flips and twists to join in the regatta.  At least 5 made it into various boats.

After taking a position on the Starboard lay line, one of these fish leapt into the boat.  Without hesitation or fanfare, Chris Wallner climbed out of the hiking straps and grabbed it with two hands and threw the fish towards George and Lynda Preckwinkle.  The maneuver proved to be of no advantage but Chris’ new Gill gloves (offered on stargear.net by the way) performed above expectations in securing a rather slimy Carp.  After the races, many other sailors were hosing out Carp slime from their cockpit. 

The Peoria fleet was kind enough to contact the Corps of Engineers and asked to have the water level lowered a bit.  Unless you were in the channel (where, of course, barge traffic might play a factor), it was crucial to keep the boat on a significant heel.  Normally, flat is fast, unless your keel is plowing mud.  Nobody struck anything solid except Larry Brethorst.  In a separate incident, his son Rick Brethorst flew the red flag on Larry.  Father and son, nothing is thicker than blood, except maybe a battle for fifth place at the Holt Thomas. 

 Larry took particular pride in the fact that his son could never win the protest.  Why?  Because, as Larry proudly boasts, “I was OCS!”  Congratulations, it is important to find the silver lining.  Oh yeah, over beers Rick and Larry provided testimony of the port/starboard encounter.  Larry’s testimony, who was on port by the way, included the phrase, “I assumed I could cross him.”  I advise that Larry seek counsel next time. 

 Chris and Mickey Neilson handily won the first race.  Second were Todd Gay and Jon Klerk and Fred and Jason Bally of Peoria were third.  Much of the race was decided after the first leg.  However, I too was fighting fiercely for that elusive fifth place. The fourth-place boat was not capitulating.  Both of us were on the port jib, I was to weather and ahead but overlapped.  The other boat, which was initially two boat lengths to leeward, kept creeping to weather until my boom was almost hitting his pole.  I don’t like to touch another man’s pole by the way.

 We were not sailing by the lee and were sailing a bit above the finish line.  I told him that although I was the weather boat, I could not effectively keep clear if he decided to head his boat up as it is a “physically impossibility” to steer the aft part of the boat.  Repeatedly and without hailing or notice, he altered his course to touch his pole to my boom.  I informed him that in this type of overlap situation, I could not possibly keep clear and that he was initiating contact between two boats.  When we entered two-boats from the committee boat, I asked for room and was denied.  He sailed through the finish line, I had to jibe and also hit the anchor line.  We both lost two boats.  I know Rule 11 is tough, but am I missing something here, how can a windward boat keep clear in this circumstance?  Please feel free to set me straight if I am wrong?  By the way overlap was established when we both simultaneously jibed to port.

 Although the crews were hiking on the first leg of race one, by race two it was time for the low side.  The course was shortened to just a windward and a leeward leg.  Gene and Glenn McCarthy won the race with Todd Gay and Jon Klerk in second, and I was third.  On the third race, I had acquired a very large lead only to stop dead in my tracks at the last windward mark.  Meanwhile, other boats were hiking and pouring in from the starboard layline.  I helplessly watched three boats pass by but they showed no remorse at all.  Where is the love?

 Todd Gay won, Rick Brethorst and Bob Carson were second, and George and Lynda Preckwinkle were third.  This was now clearly Todd Gay and John Klerk’s regatta.  On Sunday, only one race was sailed, it was light again and Gene and Glenn McCarthy won with Todd Gay in sixth.  I’m sure another race would have suited the McCarthy’s just fine but it was already almost noon and the RC sent us to the harbor.  Chris and Mickey Neilson “came to” and finished second and I was third. 

 The weekend was perfect, 74 degrees and the most of the sailors were fully entertained on Saturday night by Al Covington’s version of the Rockettes, high leg kicks and all.  Of course, the race committee was seamless, transparent, and all of that but we all missed the 4^th District sailors that were AWOL as this was the last event of the season.  There was a lot of big talk of new boats, sailing the Bacardi, and “stepping it up.”  Stargear.net wants to encourage this attitude and I want to know, “how can we be of service?”