THE 1997 WOMEN'S NORTH AMERICAN CHAMPIONSHIP

North Cape Yacht Club, LaSalle, Michigan, August 6-8, 1997

Mansy Hofmeister, 1997 Women's North American Champion

The original plan was that I would crew for my good friend Kathy Connell and Jan Thompson would be our third. Unfortunately, this plan was abandoned when Kathy called me with some bad news. She would not be able to sail due to surgery necessary to remove scar tissue from her lung after a serious bout with pneumonia. Kathy encouraged me to find a third and go anyway. I prefer to crew and was really looking forward to crewing for her. But, never the less, Plan A was not to be. Plan B - ask Kathy Osborne to join Jan and me. She accepted.

Having fun was our number one goal, number two minimizing mistakes and doing our best was third. We ventured up to North Cape Yacht Club feeling pretty good. Kathy, being nervous about her lack of experience (less than 2 years), arrived 3 days prior to racing. She drove up in an old, but very comfy, motor home and picked Jan up at the airport (because I couldnšt quite get there). Thanks a bunch Kathy! William, myself and the kids arrived with the boat before they returned from the airport and set it up. It turned out to be the trip from ____ to the airport. They drove into North Cape Y.C. like Thelma and Louise on a mission. And on a mission they proved to be. They parked the rig and after a brief break, joined me at the hoist for a couple of hours of practice.

The fact that we had never sailed together meant we really needed to practice. We felt better after our couple of hours, but, the real practice began the next day when Jon Singsen, our beloved guru Lightning Class Coach, arrived. He set up a "Rabbit" start, about which we knew nothing, and ran several instructional races. He followed boats and coached as many teams as he could on everything from roll-tacks and roll-gybes to wind, weather and tactics. We had never been "coached" like this and were like school kids, we ate it up! Jonšs dedication and love of the sport and the fact that hešs just a "nice guy" made the whole experience an incredible learning event. In looking back we really believe that our pre-series practice was what afforded us success. We felt pretty "tuned-up" and ready to start the series.

The first race was started in very light conditions. We had pretty good boat speed off the line thanks to our weight, or lack of it, and the fact that we minimized our tacks. Joan Hurban started at the pin and was in breeze and moving on the left side of the course. We had seen it fill from this direction while out practicing the day before. Joan tacked out for more and we noticed that she was really headed on starboard tack trying to get left. We also noticed that the breeze was working its way to us and decided to stay put and work on our boat speed. This worked because the breeze went so far left that eventually we were fetching the mark. Many others in our fleet had seen Joan moving and tacked out left to join her. We got lucky, they had all over stood. We were the first womenšs boat to the weather mark entangled with the masters. We ended up with quite a lead and finished first with Bonnie Nickels in second. The winds never got any better, and that was it for the day. Of course, it filled in nicely around 5:00.

Remembering races for me is like childbirth, I just block it out when all is said and done. I didnšt keep a log, as Jon suggested, and now, wish that I had because wind direction during the series is a blur to me. I do know that on the first day Bruce Goldsmith told us that it "never blows from this direction here." I do remember the next day presented more of the same, light air. I remember being more nervous on the second day with the feeling we had more to lose after our finish on the first day. My crew did a good job keeping me calm and in the first race of the day, we finished second behind Kim Logan from Florida. Bonnie finished close behind in fifth. It was a shifty, light air race that the race committee changed course and then shortened at the finish line. The pressure intensified (not air pressure). The race committee ran a second race and after a dismal first beat we were in about seventh at the leeward gate. Looking up the lake, we noticed that the masters who went right were dead in the water. Everyone ahead of us went for the port gate we went for the starboard gate and headed hard left to try for a salvage job. Bonnie Nickels went with and us and displayed phenomenal boat speed. Bonnie finished first we finished second. End of racing for the day, we all headed in, relieved after a grueling day of racing.

Going into the last day we had 5 points, Bonnie 8. Fortunately for us the race committee could only manage one race due to a 12:00 cut-off. We had to finish at least third to hold our position. Sailing very conservatively, we managed to do just that. Bonnie had found the groove and finished with another bullet. Kim Logan in second and us third. It wasnšt pretty, but it did the trick.

Thanks to everyone who made it possible for us to sail. Bruce Goldsmith for his invaluable help with housing and babysitters. Karen Johnson for introducing me to Robin McCree. Robin McCree for so graciously watching my children. My children for allowing me to pursue the sport I love while they sit on shore (what guilt!). Jon Singsen for his most valuable words of encouragement and advice (we all learned so much)! To the other 8 boats who pushed us and offered fun and very competitive sailing without any yelling. It was just good, clean sailing. To my husband, who makes it all possible with his encouragement and support and advice. And to my crew, Jan Thompson and Kathy Osborne who kept me calm and made it all possible. Also, a heartfelt thanks to everyone at North Cape Yacht Club whose hard work made this one of the all time great events.