1947 - GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY REGATTA - 1997

Cazenovia, NY, Fleet 164, June 14-15, 1997

Dickk Hallaganen

In 1947, Willow Bank Yacht Club started Lightning Fleet #164 on Lake Cazenovia, which is 20 miles southeast of Syracuse, NY. The Lightning Class which was started in nearby Skaneateles, NY, was now expanding everywhere in the post World War II years. Fleet #164 has brought continuous years of Lightning sailing to Lake Cazenovia and Central New York, totaling 50 years. Gone are the founders, but not to forget, their names were: Hal Murray, Jack Tuttle, Harold Bentley, and Don Sanford. Many of their sons and daughters attended the Saturday evening banquet. Today the Lightning Fleet #164 is kept active with names like: Bull, Tuttle, Murphy, Roth, Taylor, Meira, Homala, Ryczek, Jenner.

The annual CAZ-FLASH-BASH Regatta was an attempt to commemorate those 50 years, and many old-timers were around this weekend. The Saturday evening dinner was a real big deal: steak, raffle, old movies, speeches, music, dancing, etc. Good-time had by all.

As for the sailing, the recent World Championship in Montreal caused a few skippers to be ³sailed out² and were no-shows. But eighteen skippers showed for the review. Saturday the winds were ³up² - 15-25 mph and Sunday the wind was ³down² - 0-5 mph. It was a test of hiking like hell one day, then butt-dragging the next. Some old guy with FIN on his mainsail had a real good weekend. (Heikki and Antero, this one was for you.)