60th Anniversary Regatta

- Bob Wardwell

Skaneateles Country Club, Skaneateles, New York, July 3-5, 1998

The 60th was definitely on our list of must do regattas this season not only for the sailing but mainly for the chance to celebrate 60 years of Lightning Sailing and see many friends and people we had not seen for some time. The Skaneateles Country Club took on the huge task of hosting a 180+ boat regatta and did an excellent job even without the cooperation of mother nature on Saturday.

The fleet was split into racer, club racers and vintage boats, this allowed participants a choice and helped take some of the pressure off. We had planned to have fun, enjoy seeing old friends and relax some. Our crew, Regan Edwards, commented we were going to a big party and there was also sailing. We arrived Friday evening, set the boat up and started the party.

Saturday dawned sort of gray and looking like rain. With a 9AM harbor start we were up early, launched the boat and had breakfast. By the start of the first race there was a light southerly wind, the line was set very well but we thought there was a little more wind on the east (left) side of the course and opted to start close to the pin end. Fortunately we got away clean and worked the left side of the course as the wind went lighter and lighter. We saw a lot of Jody Lutz, Mark Sertl, Larry Macdonald and Phil Grotheer as we moved up the first beat. We stayed left mainly looking wind and managed to round first followed by Phil, Larry, Mark and Jody. On the run we stayed with our strategy of staying on the left side of the course and took the starboard side of the gate. We missed a shift from the west just before we rounded and this allowed Phil and Larry who rounded the Port gate to get up inside us. We held off everyone except Phil who went on to win a shortened race. The top five were Grotheer, Wardwell, MacDonald, Sertl, and Lutz.

The second race was similar to the first with rain thrown in. We again started near the pin and worked the left side of the course. We saw a lot of Jack Huntsman and Scott Finkboner as we approached the weather mark, I think Scott rounded first with us and Jack close behind. We took the port gate and worked the west side of the course for the second beat and were able to catch Scott who stayed on the left side. Fortunately we were able to build a lead downwind for the downwind finish and race to the hoist. Jack was 2nd followed by Scott, Brian Taboda and Mark Sertl. After two races the scores were: Wardwell 3, Sertl 9, Lutz 12, Huntsman 13, Finkboner 17, Hallagan 17, Chandler Owen 21, Phil Grotheer 22, Steve Hayden 24 and Jack Elfman 24.

The only way to describe Saturday night was rainy and muddy but we had great time anyway. I have to give a lot of credit to the club racers and vintage boats who had more rain and less wind and much longer wait at the hoist.

The front moved through Saturday night and Sunday turned into a beautiful day with a good breeze from the North. The first two races we could explain at least in our own minds. We had picked the correct side and had clear air and caught most of the shifts. Our plan in the third race was to start close to the middle, get clear air and try to stay close enough to Mark and Jody to not lose the lead. About 45 sec after the start our plan was scrapped. We were squeezed at the start between Phil Grotheer and George Sipel (I think) and had to bail out early. I seemed like we made a hundred tacks before we found a lane in the middle somewhere. After clearing we found Sertl on the right side looking pretty good but as we continued on a starboard tack the boats on the right fell down and we were able to cross Mark on a shift. As we approached the weather mark the boats that had gone left off the line came in strong, we close and rounded about fifth behind Cal Schmiege, Larry Macdonald, Sean Fidler, George Sipel and Brian Hayes. We were on the outside at the wing mark and had to go low on the run which had us pretty nervous as we watched a large pack move on our inside. Fortunately staying low worked and we held our position rounding fourth or fifth. The next two legs we sailed the shifts and kept and eye on Mark who was two or three boats behind us. After the last leeward mark rounding the wind was pretty shifty and we were able to move into second behing Larry MacDonald who won the last race. Sean Fidler was 3rd follwed by George Sipel and Mark Sertl.

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