California Districts
- Final Results
4 races/1 throwout
May 28, 2005
Mission Bay Yacht Club
1st - Jeff Coppens, John Lyon, Larry
Schmitz 3 points
2nd - Scott Finkboner, Jennifer Lyons, Bruce Cameron 7 points
3rd - Pete Bellin, Tim Jehle, Richard Hoffman 9 points
4th - Ed Petit de Mange, Paul Tarantino, Tom McKenzie 11 points
5th - Mike Brewer, Dick Brewer, Katie Ham 12 points
6th - John Northrop, Jolene Northrop, Jolee Northrop 12 points
7th - Kirk Johnson, Edna Johnson, Mike Kirk 19 points
8th - Dan Gravatt, Donna Gravatt, Valerie Bilbo 24 points
A picture perfect Memorial Day weekend greeted
the San Diego fleet for the 2005 California District Championship. Early
morning coastal overcast kept the temperatures in the low eighties throughout
the day.
The clouds burned off on cue at 10:30 am allowing
the ocean breeze to fill at 7-10 knots from 215 degrees, left of the 270 degree
prevailing ocean breeze. In the first race, the majority of the fleet
sailed left along the Mission Beach shore to the filling wind. It paid and
the leaders emerged from the port layline. The left corner paid for the
first three races until the cloud cover returned in late afternoon along with a
40 degree right shift.
Jeff Coppens, with crew John Lyon and Larry
Schmitz, teamed up to win the event scoring three bullets and one second. Scott
Finkboner, winner of the past 10 district championships, finished second, with
Jennifer Lyons and Bruce Cameron as crew.
Three East Coast Lightning sailors recently moved
to Southern California: Ed Petit De Mange, Tim Jehle, and Paul Tarantino. Tim
crewed for Pete Bellin and finished third. After winning the third race,
Pete could have tied the event in the last race with a bullet, but an OCS put
him deep in the fleet and fighting back the entire race. Ed Petit De Mange
teamed up with Paul and they were competitive in each race and finished fourth.
STORY TWO
Fifty
thousand spectators lined Mission Beach on Saturday to view the 2005 California
Districts. Ok, so maybe they all
showed up to the beach due to the typical perfect San Diego beach weather, low
eighties, breeze from the SW at 7-10 knots, and not a cloud in sky; but they did
have a great view of the California Districts.
The ocean course starts 1/2 mile offshore Mission Beach directly out from
the historic wooden roller coaster constructed in the early 1920s.
The coaster is joined with an arcade, pool, and shopping center all
within walking distance from the club. A
good evening hangout, and a bonus, the coaster makes a good reference point when
trying to find the leeward mark!!
We
had eight boats from Mission Bay compete in four races for the championship.
Competing in my third Districts, I was able to recruit John Lyon to crew.
Before he and his wife started their family ten years ago, John was an
active participant in the Lightning fleet and has won several District and
Circuit championships. Our other crew, Larry Schmitz, is a successful PHRF skipper.
Having three skippers on the boat is a big plus given one condition,
everyone can get along!!! We did, and in the process, captured first place.
Our chemistry worked with John calling upwind tactics, Larry downwind
tactics, and I chimed in when a spinnaker takedown was called, "Hey guys,
this is only the jibe mark!!" Their
takedown changed quickly to a crash jibe and disaster was averted.
We had a great day of close racing on a course with a wind
out of the Southwest. Scott
Finkboner placed second and Pete Bellin placed third.
Ed Petit De Mange, a recent East Coast transplant, finished fourth and
was competitive all day. He, along
with two other East Coasters who recently moved to Cali, Tim Jehle and Paul
Taratino, all had the same thing to say, "The West Coast is a great place
for Lightnings, we need to get more boats out here." Guys, we couldn't agree more.
