2004 Parramore Memorial Regatta

The POP regatta was held for the 35th time this past weekend. Todd  
Lochner emerged for the first time since nationals last year to tie  
with Dirk Schwenk.The fleet shared the course and the parting with the  
Snipes who were running their Colonial Cup and ACC's. This is the first  
time Todd has won the trophy. Saturday featured big wind and waves  
hovering right around The Jets and Snipes cutoff point of 22 knots. I  
believe the Snipe class is where this rule was modeled from. After a  
hour postponement 3 jets headed out to race on 60 degree triangle races  
in 16-20 knots. The Ratchet won the first race followed by Lochner  
after MJ Parramore made the bonehead move to put the kite up on the  
reach and flipped on the gybe. This move resulted in problems that  
would plague "Gobi" the rest of the day. With no tanks and the sticky  
back off on the transom it was a tough balance to keep the water from  
coming over the bow and in from the transom. This resulted in a DNF on  
the third race as 3/4 of the way up the weather leg the boat completely  
filled up with water.
	Anyway, I digress. The second race featured "The Ratchet" getting a  
early lead and holding it until it came time to put the chute down on  
the final downwind. it would not come down and Lochner and Gobi were  
able to slip by.
	By the third race, more of the fleet came out to play, this was won by  
Yoda followed by Lochner and then Schwenk. Eric johnson and Cathy  
Cottrell showed good speed for a 4th in this race.
	the evening festivities featured chicken and pasta by the angry chef  
and Yuenling beer and fantastic pumpkin cheesecake by Lisa Pline. All  
the Snipes and the Jets wished Dick Kennedy a happy 69th birthday who  
actually attended the first Parramore in 1969. Happy birthday, Dick!  
After dinner we all went over to Kirby and Roberta's for margaretta's  
to celebrate their 1 year annaversary and kirby's 50th birthday.
	Sunday brought less wind and waves and more boats on the line. the  
first race featured Parramore listening to his tactician, Laury and  
going left to round the weather mark first followed by Yoda and The  
Ratchet. By the second upwind Yoda managed to herd Gobi while Schwenk  
maintained third. Lochner finished 5th which put him in a tiebreaker  
with The Ratchet.
	Trophies ran 5 deep for skipper and crew and this year were black hats  
with pink lettering featuring a logo from a 1961 jet blast. Eric  
johnson and Cathy Cottrell placed 6th and won the B division.
	i hope we have no conflicts with this regatta next year. The reaches  
were tight but as long as you did not put up the kite, they were  
fine.The wind did not seem like that much of a issue either. i wish  
more boats had come out for the first 2 races. with the bendy DM-1  
mast, the boat is very easy to de-power. We really need to get 20-25  
boats out for this event next year and it seems we could if we could  
get NJ and Ohio boats out for it.

                            Michael Parramore