Potomac Cup 2011 Wrap-Up

As we arrived at Leeslyvania State Park on Saturday morning we were greeted with an amazing sunny day, a great turnout, and even a bit of wind!  Even though the breeze didn't cooperate for the entire weekend, we still had a great crowd, some challenging racing, a couple of "mini labs" with Alan Terhune and some other Lightning experts, and a great party--all of which add up to a fantastic 2011 Doc Gilbert Potomac Cup.  A special thanks to all of our volunteers for making this event happen!

This was a fantastic event, with lots to report, so here is a quick summary of what you'll read when you scroll down to the details below:
    •    Thanks to all of our volunteers, our out--of-town visitors, and to Fleet 50 for a great regatta!
    •    Trophy rundown for the top 5 as well as special awards.
    •    A few details and observations from the races.
    •    Important reminder: No Gas Regatta in Annapolis next weekend (attend if you can!), as well as Fleet 50 Spring Series #5 on Sunday.

Now, on to the the details...

Thanks to our volunteers and all who made the trip!

To start, I want to give another shout-out to all the volunteers that made this regatta possible.  Rick Welch did a great job recognizing these individuals in his post; it should also be added that Rick did a fantastic job as Regatta Chair!  I just want to second Rick's recognition of all of our volunteers and emphasize that this regatta (an "on-the-road" regatta for us) only works with such a great effort from all involved.  Equally as important for a great event are all those who sail, so we were thrilled to see 22 Lightnings and 6 Flying Scots on the racecourse (and at the party!) over the weekend.  Fleet 50 made a strong showing, accounting for 11 the 22 Lightnings present.  We were also very happy to welcome all of our out-of-town visitors, including teams from NY, NJ, PA, MD, and over half the Poquoson VA fleet.  In the same spirit, a special "thank you" to Alan Terhune, who volunteered some of his time on shore to give us some tactical tips, as well as to the on-the-water volunteers (Steve Constance, Charlie Wardwell…and I'm forgetting a few here) for giving tuning tips to all of us.


Racing details and trophy rundown

The racing details are below, but first, congratulations are in order to Alan Terhune & crew for taking first place in these tricky conditions!  Justin Coplin & crew took second, with Stephen Constants & crew close behind.  Nabeel Alsalam (sailing with Craig & Stefano) was the top Fleet 50 boat, in 4th place, and Ron Buchanan (sailing with brother Bucky Buchanan and long-time crew Jeff Ullman) secured another spot for Fleet 50 in the top 5.  As Rick pointed out in his write-up, this is the first time in recent memory that we've had a couple of Fleet 50 boats in the top 5!  Moreover, we had 4 Fleet 50 boats in the top 10, as Rick Welch (sailing with Lisbet & Aaron) finished 7th and Pat McGee (sailing with Paul Maher and Laura Lake) took the 9th-place spot.  The scores are posted here .

So we did have a bit of breeze when we first arrived on Saturday, and it looked like we would be able to get in the scheduled three races and be back on shore in plenty of time for some celebration.  Once we were out on the water, though, we all saw the initial W/SW breeze die off, only to be replaced by an inconsistent N/NW breeze that required a total reset of the course.  The RC, chaired by Bruce Bingham & Taran Teague and supported by a great group of volunteers, did a great job of resetting the course and sending us off on our way for the first race.  Everybody struggled against the current and outgoing tide in making any upwind progress across the breadth of the river, with those boats that pressed left winning out over those who tacked to the right and ended up in the "corner of death" on the first leg.  Getting to the windward mark early was not necessarily a good thing, though, as many in the first pack (our boat included) became a demonstration of what not to do in terms of rounding the mark and the offset.  The combination of fierce current/tide and light wind resulted in boats drifting down into the offset and spinning their way back into the middle of the course before recovering and rounding.  I've honestly never had so much trouble getting around marks…it was like you had to keep pointing/turning right in order to eventually go left around the marks!  Lesson learned: in light winds, be careful about being trapped on the inside of the pack on the lay line and be especially mindful of the current.

Race 2 on Saturday saw another complete wind shift, and the RC aptly reset the course with the windward mark out in the river to reflect the new southerly wind.  There was still a bit of a righty in the breeze at times, though, and together with the current it seemed that the boats who could quickly set and then jibe in towards the cove (and out of the current) at the windward/offset mark did the best overall.  The RC made a valiant effort to reset the course again for yet a 3rd new breeze in the late afternoon, but it never filled in and racing was abandoned just after 4:00 in favor of Yuengling (thanks to our sponsor!) and the traditional steak & salmon feast (thanks volunteers!) on shore.  

Sunday morning saw a few sailors emerging from their tents with groggy eyes and the rest drifting into the park on a sunny but absolutely windless morning.  I guess the combination of a great party and skepticism about wind meant that quite a few boats were late leaving the dock…too bad, as a great breeze filled in just before the scheduled start time for those boats that were out there on time.  The RC took the egalitarian option and postponed until the stragglers made it to the racecourse, which gave us one race in an easing breeze--specifically, a race that highlighted the wisdom of Alan Terhune's advice to not go too far to any one side in a light/variable wind.  Those boats who took a quick jibe out into the river (to the right of the racecourse, looking upwind, or favoring the north side) seeking the current and immediate pressure found themselves stranded as boats came out of the cove from the S/SW to pass a whole pack on the final leg.  Lesson learned (for me): last week's advice to seek clear air in these conditions should not be taken to extremes!  And, one should always look to see where the leaders are going, just for a quick mental check!  Race 4 on Sunday was started in a very light breeze but then eventually abandoned we all found ourselves drifting downriver, away from any mark of the course and even farther away from the beer and hot dog cookout that awaited us ashore! 

In addition to the top 5 trophies discussed above, we awarded several additional trophies and recognitions for various accomplishments in the regatta.  Here is a quick rundown on the additional awards:

• Greatest Distance Traveled: Mark & Katie Boaz, from Texas!  Notable mentions here include Chandler Owen, driving in from TN, and Jim Dillard's daughter, who flew in from Maine!
• Extreme Sailor Award (for largest gap between best and worst finish): Ron Buchanan & crew (2nd and 17th)
• Middle of the Fleet Award: Joan Hurban & crew
• Doc Gilbert Top Fleet 50 Boat: Nabeel Alsalam & Crew