2006 4th District Championship

The 4^th District Blue Star was held on Lake Michigan just north of Chicago in the dusty little Midwestern berg of Wilmette.  Twenty-three sailors migrated into town from Ohio, Florida, Michigan, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Ireland.  Eight races were scheduled, three for Friday, three for Saturday, and two for Sunday. 

Race 1:

 Friday’s forecast called for southwest winds, 10-15 knots.  So we all barreled out to the course in what appeared to be moderate winds.  I noticed that I repeated the phrase, “…is it me, or is the wind building?” maybe ten times on the two-mile sail out to the course.  My teammate, Matt Pederson, harkens from the great state of Wisconsin.  Wisconsin accents are similar to some of the Minnesōtan accents you may have heard in the movie “Fargo” except a few more “dem’s and der’s, and don’t ya know’s”  are usually tossed into a sentence.  So some of his responses are a bit colloquial, like, “Oh, ida know der Tom… probably not gonna get any windier.” 

 When we arrived, we were on a plane, so decided to drop the pole and set up for the race.  The weather mark was placed at 220 degrees and the line was square to the mark and the wind.  The Race Committee (“RC”) posted Course 4, a downwind finish that proved to be fateful for Matt and me.  We both decided that there might be a gusting zone near the shore so we would protect the right side of the course and thereby start near the RC boat. 

 Jim Babel and Bill Hawk started to weather of us and they pushed Gene McCarthy over the line.  The McCarthy’s hid most of the fleet from the RC.  About that time, Matt said, “Hey dere, dem guys are trimmin’ in, we might wanna think aboot joinin dem, don’t ya know.”  So… we did.

 Matt’s suggestion put us out in front nicely but Jim and Bill would not go away.  Two boat lengths ahead was not a safe enough distance to tack and cross in 20 knots.  Our little strategy of protecting the right was being foiled by the Michigan boys.  Finally, they tacked.  So did we…and we were back into the warm bosom of the plan. 

 Near the mark, we were on starboard and we decided to head back to the right for one more bite.  Matt arose from amongst the waves for the tack when I spotted Babel and Hawk on port.  Time to pay the fiddler ‘ye boys from Michigan, Matt and I both agreed to force them back left.  Between laughs, we screamed “starboard” in unison and as loud as we could.  So long suckers.  They tacked and then we tacked off to the right, the difference was huge at the windward mark and Bill Allen slipped past them into second place. Look who has the last laugh now!

 Downwind, Matt noted, “…probably not gonna get any windier…”  so the pole went up and the mast went forward.  I did notice some death rolls and it did seem a little bit of a wild ride but we had no worries.  The second beat was unremarkable and Bill Allen and Brad Lichter were tight on our tail when we both jibed at the offset mark.  It was a two-boat race.  We both had the pole up and driving toward the finish line when I noticed the rest of the fleet on a hot reach on starboard in what appeared to be big wind.  Matt and I jibed towards the new wind.   For reasons unknown, our boom decided that it was not interested in the new breeze and it retired for the day.  It snapped in two during the jibe.  The spreader bracket ripped off, the jib box split and the mast was cracked at the jib box.  The mast was bent down low, at the spreader bracket, and cracked at the jib box; mangled.  Oddly, the main sail did not tear.  We dropped the main but the force of the wind kept us from drifting across the finish line.  We ate a DNF. 

 Bill Allen and Brad were unable to jibe or tack the boat and finished sixth.  Meanwhile, Babel and Hawk sailed without the pole on a hot reach, touched base on the layline, spun a little pirouette tack, and then came screaming across the lake with Rick Brethorst and Ryan Ruhlman close behind to win the race… They both sprayed gallons of water our way as they sped by our disabled boat, hello suckers…“who has the last laugh now!”

 The wind range had built to nearly 30 knots with puffs over 35 knots.  The sailors hung on waiting for the next start while Matt and I were towed in by Bill Lane and Frank Raymond.  Fortunately, the RC exercised sound judgment by canceling the remaining races that day.

Race 2:

 I started rigging a new mast from stargear.net while Matt drove to Wisconsin to retrieve a boom from Curtis Kasabain.  Curtis, thank you so much.  Since a major thunderstorm was looming on the outskirts of Chicago we spent most our time putting our boat back together, helping other teams upgrade their equipment, and watch little guys in green suits scrub the top of the B’Hai Temple.  At two o’clock, the RC suggested that we saddle up.

 The wind was light and variable.  The course was set for 200 and Matt and I thought it would oscillate throughout the afternoon.  Our plan was to note the oscillation with 1:30 left in the sequence and then set up to drive towards the next shift.  Rob Maine and Chris Rogers were next to us with 1:30 left in the sequence when a 20 degree left shift staggered across the course.  I told Matt that we needed to start near the RC boat and tack to port right away to exploit the left shift and drive towards the next right shift.  A classic example of “round after round” of oscillations, we only needed drink up and enjoy the ride. 

 We tacked towards the RC boat.  Strangely, Rob Maine and Chris Rogers went the other way toward the pin; fools.  At the gun, we tacked to port and started footing towards the next shift.  Rob Maine took a more bold approach, no one ever told him that he couldn’t port tack the entire fleet; so… he did.  Well played gentlemen.

 Rob appeared in first and we were in second.  However, we were much more to leeward when the next wind change stumbled across the course… from the side no less.  It was a thirty-five degree shift… to the left.   Cripes!

 Hyde Perce and Chuck Nevel were directly to leeward when I heard Hyde repeatedly pounding his tiller extension, or maybe Chuck’s head, on the deck.  Matt and I correctly interpreted this rhythmic thumping as a bad omen.  Sure enough, only two other boats rounded behind us at the windward mark; oscillation… my ass.

 Downwind was a fetch.  Most teams rounded the right gate to protect against what appeared to be a persistent shift to the left when the next wind shift reeled across the course; twenty degrees to the right; persistent shift my ass.  Cripes!

 Chris and Mickey Neilson dropped 10 boats, Rob Maine lost the lead, and dogs and cats were living with each other.  The last leg served up a night cap of a near shut down of the wind; the “piece de resistance.”  Nice.  Now, my life is complete.

 The RC called us a cab and sent us home for the night.  Greg Smith and TC Belco had the drunken breeze figured out and won the race. 

 Gull Lake sailors now had won the first two races but the regatta was still in jeopardy.  As we had only completed two races and needed one more to mark an official series.  The RC set the alarm an hour earlier for us on Sunday.  We enjoyed a wonderful party at Jack and Bonnie Rickard’s that night and the earlier start time saved a little bit of the Wilmette fleet booze.  No matter, we were dizzy already.

 We all enjoyed beautiful action shots from professional photographer Fried Elliott.  Fried came to Wilmette to practice for the San Francisco Worlds and his handiwork can be seen at:

 http://www.friedbits.com/PhotoBits/Sailing/Star/index.php

 Race 3, 4, and 5

 Rob Maine and Chris Rogers were winning but with only two races finished and a throw-out race after four, it was nearly impossible to determine the leaders.   One thing was dead-on though; we were mathematically eliminated by posting such stellar scores of a DNF and a 15^th. 

 Sunday was early but beautiful; 12-18 knot winds from the northeast.  In the past, on mornings like this, Tom Belco and Chuck Barnes would stroll through the parking lot and Tom would bellow, “starrrrmania.”  Tom is a little guy with a lot of energy.  His son TC Belco is a big guy with an unflappable demeanor.  On Sunday, I heard TC Belco exclaim, “Good morning starshine, the Earth says… Hello!”  But nobody was standing near him?  What does that mean?

 TC didn’t really say that, but I wish he would.  It could be TC’s own way of carrying on the Belco morning tradition.  It is also my second favorite quote from the movie “Charlie and Chocolate Factory.”  My favorite quote is, of course, “…don’t touch those squirrel’s nuts, it will make them crazy.”  So true, so true.

The northeast brings nice rolling waves and steady breezes.  The windward mark was set for 50 degrees.  Matt and I were unsure of how the wind might develop so we started about 1/3 of the way down from the RC.  We were looking to sail conservative, you know, because we had so much to lose.  The wind held steady most of the leg and we rounded in first with Todd Gay and Pat Brewer close behind.  The race remained unchanged for us.  Todd Gay and Pat Brewer finished third.  Bill Allen and Brad Lichter moved up to second and Rob Maine and Chris Rogers climbed back from deep to finish fourth.  It seemed now that the battle lines were being set between Maine/Rogers, Allen/Lichter, and Gay/Brewer.

 The RC set the line 10 degrees favored to the pin.  Matt and I won the pin and after a few minutes tacked and crossed the fleet on port.  At the mark, Hyde Perce and Chuck Nevel were second.  While Matt and I lost our lead at the leeward gate and dropped to fifth, this was, for the leaders of the regatta, the turning point.  Todd Gay and Pat Brewer hung in the race, passed a couple boats, including Matt and I, to finish second behind Hyde and Chuck.  Rob Maine and Bill Allen could not overcome their deficits from the first leg and took a tenth and a seventh, respectively. 

 The last race required Gay/Brewer to protect a one point lead over Maine/Rogers and a three point lead over Allen/Lichter.  They were undaunted.  Matt and I hit the pin again and won the race.  Bill Allen and Brad Lichter took second but could not put any boats between him and Todd Gay and Pat Brewer.  Todd and Pat sailed a very consistent regatta and kept a level head during crunch time. 

 Good starts, speed, teamwork, boat handling, and tactics are all necessary skills but in no way represents what it takes to win a series.  Winning a series requires all of the aforementioned.  But, most importantly, it requires a clear focus on remaining consistent, avoiding letters for scores, making wise choices with the big picture in mind, and not folding when the pressure mounts.  Todd and Pat put a check mark by each of these items and packed up the trophy as a reward.  Way to go guys.  Todd and Pat are the first Springfield team to win the District Championship in Chicago since Joe Londrigan won it 16 years ago. Thanks for putting us back on the Lake Michigan map.

Bill Allen and Brad Lichter were fast and tough to beat but that devastating 35 knot gust in the first race cost him the trophy, he was a hundred yards from the finish.  Rob Maine and Chris Rogers were equally consistent and it was a joy to see Rob in the boat.  Hyde and Chuck were recovered from the thumping and finished fourth.   Jon VanderMolen and Steve Ticknor continued to step up their program and finished fifth.

 Thank you Wilmette fleet for a wonderful weekend.  Now, my life is complete.

 By the way, Matt Pederson really doesn’t talk like that… however, Chris Neilson does don’t you know.