Report
Dr. BoB Cotton
14645
Seventeen competitors from Memphis, Nashville,
and Jackson Mississippi gathered at beautiful Lake Arkabutla for the
annual Hernando DeSoto Regatta staged by the Delta Sailing
Association. The passage of a strong cold front Friday afternoon set
the stage for two days of racing in a cool north breeze. On
Saturday, a NNW wind blew 10-20 mph with gusts into the twenties.
Success depended on staying in phase with the oscillations and
keeping the mast out of the water. In regard to the latter, 4 teams
spotted the rest of the fleet an advantage by capsizing: Mandy
Hofmeister and Bill Baxter (the younger) in the second race and Max
Shelton and Chan Owen in the first race. As a matter of fact, Chan
managed two separate capsizes on the first leeward leg as he worked
to orient new crew to the subtleties of heavy air seamanship. At the
end of Saturday's 3 races, Bill Killebrew and our team led the pack
with 5 and 4 points, respectively, followed by Frank Bermel (13
points), Batton Kennon (14 points) and Ian Lacour (17 points)
rounding out the top five.
As usual, the Memphis fleet provided
unparalleled hospitality. For Saturday night's gala, sailors enjoyed
a sumptuous feast of world class barbecue in the main ballroom of
the Hernando Hilton, followed by spirited efforts to achieve a
variety of body movements enjoyed by all. Several members of the
group also danced.
Sunday morning was cold and breezy with the
wind building to 10-15 out of the NNE. We blew the first start,
fouled another boat, and arrived at the weather mark at the back of
the fleet. Luckily for us, Mark Stanley pulled our chestnuts out of
the fire by spotting new wind filling in from the east. Bruce
Campbell (the "anti-Bruce") facilitated a flawless gybe-set,
allowing us to sail over top of the fleet on our way to third place
around the leeward mark and eventually a second for the race
following a bullet by Mandy. Bill Baxter (the younger) rejoined the
event for the final 2 races, finishing first in both. Going into the
final (6th) race, we were tenuously in first with 13
points followed by Bill Killebrew with 14 and Frank Bermel with 18.
We finished a conservative 4th in the last race, behind
the aforementioned Baxter in first, Bill Killebrew in second and Ian
Lacour in third. Lynn Jones rounded out the top five. Over the best
five-of-six-race series, we managed to eke out a first with a
one-point margin over the Killebrew team.
