2003 Mohican Chief Regatta

District II Championship Leg 1

Mohican Sailing Club, Mansfield, OH

May 31 - June 1

Gentleman and crew, don't start your engines.  First check your cotter rings and screws on your Jet.  The Wind Gods re-appeared at Mohican Sailing Club.  Perhaps Marion Zaugg jinxed the club by placing a $5,000 bet with a soon-to-be professional meteorologist that the wind would die by late afternoon.  Fourteen boats showed up Saturday for the annual Mohican Chief Regatta.  The wind was howling 20-25 knots, the temperature was only about 50 degrees and the rain was ice cold.  Only one boat was interested in sailing Saturday so we adjourned for an extended Mohican Happy Hour and dinner.  The wind howled louder when we left the club that evening.

Sunday morning, Marion served up his famous he-man breakfast.  Loads of sliced Buckeye garnish remained untouched as not even the Class Prez could find his way west of the Alleghenies.  Racing was more promising as the wind had lightened somewhat and the sun came out.  However, mechanical breakdowns decimated the fleet.  The Wind Gods bestowed limitless lifts then ripped it all away into auto-tacks.  Yes, a few capsizes.

We managed four races.  The early going put the Michos team against Nate Ireland and Ben Stock on #180.  Ireland/Stock couldn't hang on and managed a fourth after banging the right corner on the second beat.  Tom Joudrey and Jonathan Chambers on 120 finished second.  Nate's new spouse Bridgette and crew finished third.

In race two, the Michoses missed a right hand oscillation and rounded in a close second but put up the Doyle Whomper Kite and planed underneath and away from the Jib and Mainers in the rear.  Marion should be glad he didn't double-or-nothing his bet on the wind.  He got stuck at the dock in the repair mode and didn't make it out until the third race.  He was managing a respectable second place.  Then, only one or two boatlengths from the finish, his crew Carol's hiking strap broke.  The regatta brought in some prospective Jet owners: Kent Kristensen and Bridgette Ireland -- both managing good finishes for first efforts.  Tom Joudrey did well in heavy stuff, finishing third, while Ireland/Stock finished second.

The Michos team prevailed upwind and put the spinnaker up every downwind to pad their leads and win all four races.  The results put Michos and Ireland in early contention for the three-leg District II Championship.  The rest of the fleet has their heads bent underneath their decks, getting the longer screws out and through bolting.  Marion, while he can't afford it, needs a new hiking strap and a longer painter line to boot.  Jet Maintenance Memo:: tape those cotter rings!

                                                                                                                            - Dave Michos from the well-built #1136

Pictures

Results Posted 6/1/03

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