2007 4th District Championship

Report by Tom Londrigan Jr.

Peoria -- The 2007 Great Lakes Championship was hosted by the Illinois River Star Fleet in tune with the 100^th Anniversary of their Yacht Club, the Illinois Valley Yacht and Canoe Club otherwise known as the IVY Club.  Normally, sailing on the prairie in July seems somewhat implausible; little wind and sultry temperatures prevail.  Many would be sailors leave the cover on the boat and head downtown to relish in the sultry temperatures and risqué nightlife.  In fact, the last time Peoria hosted the District Champs, we only recorded two races and one squall.  Jack Rickard was struck by lightning and Pat Londrigan beached his boat, neither have been the same since.

In preparation for anticipated light winds, the Regatta Chairman Al Covington ambitiously scheduled eight races over three days; Al was crossing his fingers and holding his breath for three complete races.  Except for the heat, we enjoyed the best weather for a 4^th District Championship in recent years.  We completed eight races over three days, consistent wind from three different directions (North, South, and West) and three different velocities (light, moderate, and heavy). 

Nineteen boats started the races on day one in a light but steady and consistent North breeze.  Mike Hettell returned from Japan with his son Ross, Dr. Bob Teitge welcomed Darin Jensen to the Fourth District, and two crews arrived from Florida (Scott Pirie and Arthur Ansosov via Ukraine and Siberia).

Greg Smith and TC Belco jumped on to a quick lead exploiting a slow starboard lift.  Those on the right side of the course politely asked for their check and used their throw-outs quite early in the contest.  Rick Brethorst/Arthur Anosov and Todd Gay/Pat Brewer were included in this group… sorry boys.  These two teams seemed to be destined for top finishes and now had no more room for error, don’t worry they turned it around in quick fashion.

Rick was concerned that Arthur might get down on their performance so he peppered Arthur with several upbeat compliments like, “nice jibe” or “good tack” or “good job”, etc…”  Finally, Arthur shortly responded in his Ukrainian accent, “Doan ever tellme ‘goo jub’… you jus’ sail the boat, Rick!”  Apparently, Arthur is all business and the warm fuzzies are not well-received.  On shore, Rick shared with me Arthur’s aversion to on-the-water compliments, so of course I was quite liberal in complimenting Arthur’s every move.  Good job, rigging the jib, good job putting on the cover, good job with that dessert.

In the light wind, Greg and TC seemed to sail higher and faster upwind and lower and faster downwind… a solid strategy.  They were followed Jim Babel and Bill Hawk who were pre-mature starters but we quite unaware of wearing those scarlet letters until after the race.  Jack Rickard and Tom Ferrier were a solid second. 

Rick Rundle commented to me before the regatta that he was going to purchase a gaffe hook to dispose of any wild flyingcarp that may leap into his cockpit in Peoria.  I didn’t give his comment much thought but Rick and Scott Pirie were looking for fourth and close to the finish when a twenty pound over-aroused carp leapt into the cockpit. 

Now, I have written these articles for three years.  Strangely, I have recounted at least four regattas in which fish have jumped into competitors boats.  Each of the sailors reacted differently.  Rick squealed like a little girls at Chuck E. Cheese.  He hopped around looking for the gaffe.  However, he never followed through on buying the hook. Instead, he insisted that Scott pick up the bloody mess and throw it overboard. 

Race two started under similar conditions.  Matt Pederson and I enjoyed a lead but it was fleeting.  Greg Smith and TC made short work of us and Mark Lewis and Matt Simhauser slipped by as well for second.  Greg Smith and TC looked unbeatable and their confidence continued to soar as they took another commanding lead in the third race, in fact we ducked them on starboard and he let us pass a couple times on port, it was quite congenial.  Matt and I were in second and were less than optimistic until Greg and TC politely tacked away and we enjoyed two quick shifts.  Unsure that we could hold the lead, we execute a strict cover.

David Jones was sailing in the regatta and graciously gave us the run of his second house perched in the woods and on the bluff overlooking the racecourse.  Thanks David for the wonderful accommodations.  It was quiet and beautiful; too quiet.  It was a mile switchback drive up to the house.  The drive was no wider than my Jeep’s wheel track.  This dilemma left us to drive home and have our cocktail after we arrived safely.  I am addicted to cable TV.  David is obviously much more refined than I and can do without the television in house; he is a musician (second chair violin in Peoria’s symphony) and an avid reader as evident by the books lying around the house. 

Matt and I spent 14 hours of daylight together.  And when the sun went down, it was just Matt and I again enjoying each others company, quietly… with a bottle of Mount Gay rum.  We affectionately called the house, “the shining.”  It would be in bad form elaborate further. 

Greg and TC were super nice to us a dinner.   Greg even offered to put us up in Gull Lake next year.  When we returned to “the shining”, and were left to peculate for a few precious quiet hours, it was apparent that we were being buttered up by the boys from Michigan.  It was clear that they were bent on taking us out, all work and no play makes Matt a dull boy.

On Day 2, we started on a South wind 10-14 knots.  It was race to the river channel.  I knew it, most sailors knew it.  We were unsure if Greg and TC knew it though.  Still reeling from our night at the shining and swimming in our paranoid delusions, we tack on Greg and TC’s bow in both Race 3 and four to send them to the unforgiving left side.  It worked and Greg and TC’s scores suffered.  Despite these set backs they invariably climbed back for decent finishes. 

Stargear.net partner and “World Champion beyond reproach” Joe Londrigan showed up Saturday to help Rick Brethorst and myself.  Joe spent a great deal of time boosting Rick’s confidence with a few “atta boy’s” and “good jobs” before the race.  Joe reserved a few choice “what were you thinking” and “you suck “comments for Matt and I; of course, we never question the master’s methods.  In Yoda-speak, “win, you shall” to Rick or “chicken, you will choke” to me.

Rick Brethorst and Arthur Anosov made monkeys of us all by dominating the day.  They were sound tactically, faster upwind, and particularly faster downwind.  Great job, Rick and Arthur!  They scored two firsts and a third.  On the third race, they had a nice lead and let us alone to focus on Todd Gay and Pat Brewer.  We squeaked by and won with Todd in second.  After the race, Arthur stood up, raised his hand, and shouted to me, “great jub Tom!”  Excited over winning, I quickly waved and thanked him before I realized that Arthur just dropped a healthy dose of Ukrainian sarcasm on me; I had been had.

Todd Gay and Pat Brewer were equally tough on day two scoring two seconds and third.  Sure enough, day one did not faze Todd and Pat in the least bit and they were back in the hunt to win the regatta.  Going into the last day, Matt and I led Greg and TC by five points and Todd and Pat by only five points.

 Sunday brought 15-18 knots with higher range gust descending from the bluffs near “the shining.”  I decided to grab the hiking pants but took the wrong size.  I am a large, at best, and when I started to put on the pants while sailing to the racecourse, I realized that it was an impossible task… Did I gain some weight?  I draped my bare ass over the stern and slowly wriggled into the now wet hiking pants, not a pretty sight.  When I was done, I asked Matt to look at the tag. It was a medium.  I was being severely squeezed and my circulation was limited.  Matt finally said in a steady but consoling voice, “listen, it you start to talk goofy, I am going to need to take your pants off.”

Hmm, at the time it sounded a little odd, in retrospect it sounds terribly odd.  I think three nights at “the shining” was catching up with Matt.  Fortunately, a fourth night was not in the cards.

At the start of the seventh race, we saw an opportunity to push Todd Gay and Pat Brewer into the committee boat and cut off his start, with our paranoid delusion firm in control, we did not hesitate.  We won the race in a building breeze with Patrick Gudat and Roger Huber in second.  Patrick kept the pressure on and it seemed to me that he was cheering us on by shouting “go, go, go”!  I turned to Matt and said, “hey, isn’t that nice Matt, not only is he rooting for us but he paying for Bill Hawk’s damaged tent.  Peoria has the nicest people.” 

It seems that the hiking pants were talking.  Patrick was really yelling for us to “go” or tack and get off his wind!  And, apparently he is not paying for Bill’s tent.  I feared that Matt might misconstrue this episode for “goofy talk” so I kept my mouth shut for the rest of the race. 

Greg Smith and TC Belco were third but now were mathematically eliminated.  The wind was building and we raced one more on Sunday.  We all had great fun, I kept my pants on, and we all enjoyed three days and eight races of solid racing.

Thank you Beth Brethorst and the rest of the RC for seamless work, thank you Maui Jim’s for giving out wonderful gifts to the winners, including their top of the line sunglasses and other items.   Bill Mitchner gave out half hulls to the top five overall, stargear.net distributed daily awards of sailing bags, gloves, sunscreen, hats, visors, and the Sea Scouts washed boats and pushed trailers.  Good Job, Al and the rest of the Illinois River Star Fleet! 

 Editor correction:  Oh yeah, apparently Gene McCarthy is still alive and contrary to my last report he is not 105 years old.  He is somewhat younger, not significantly though and for reasons unknown actually sailed around most of the buoys this time.