April 23-24
Pictures Courtesy of Josh Jones
Perhaps a name change is in order for the Spring Thaw regatta. True, it's the first event on the Jet 14 schedule in a place where northerners can escape for an early tune up. True, three Ohio boats did escape a foot of late April snow. North Carolina had their share of warm weather heating Lake Norman's waters to a comfortable 70 degrees.
But on Saturday the air temperatures were pretty similar to what Ohioans and Charlie Engler of N.J. left on the way down: about 50 degrees. A front had moved into the eastern U.S. bringing in cooler temperatures and reminding one of a better fitting name for the regatta: "The Yard Sale."
No--not the one you missed back home by coming down south. The one you see on the ski slope when a someone crashes and burns. Ski poles go this way, goggles and ear muffs the other and skis sticking up somewhere else. As if every item was up for sale in someone's front yard.
Tom Grace and Paula Pacheco once again hosted a great weekend of racing. Despite the weather, six boats made it down. Unfortunately, Tom had a bad back and couldn't race.
Saturday's racing started off with about thirteen knots but some healthy puffs. The puffs got healthier as the day passed. The race committee got two races off and at the end of the day it was who was left standing. On #962 Barry Saunders' shroud blew and he limped off the course without blowing
Above: Michos luffs up in a huge puff as Saunders (#962) and MacMurray (1145) reach up to the line at the 2005 Spring Thaw.
out his mast. Karen Hugon got caught reading the sailing instructions when a puff came and capsized #884. Bill Buckles got caught misstepping during a tack and swamped #1143. Before the start of race #3, as the wind piped up to 20-knot-plus puffs, Chris MacMurray/Frank Jablonski on #1145 and the Michoses on #1136 were the only ones left and decided to let everyone get their boats back together for Sunday's racing.
On Sunday' the first race began with boats struggling to power up during a lull. By race #2 there weren't many lulls left. Being the last day of a Yard Sale regatta, things started getting knocked down to "wholesale." #1129 Charlie's' Angel found its mainsheet cleated during a tack and went belly-up. Chris and Frank were taking #1145 Yankee Maid for a wild kite ride when a nice puff put
Above: MacMurray and Bajowski just moments before a nuclear puff dumped them in Lake Norman at the 2005 Spring Thaw.
all their gear and boat at a steep discount. Chris noted the photo boat "started circling them like vultures." In fact, you can catch this wholesail liquidation in progress at the website http://www.lakenormanyachtclub.com/News/Images2005/Jet14Regatta/index.htm under photo number 247.
Bill Buckles and Matt Ayers jibed #1134 "Just Say Aauuggh" and planed up to the Michoses' #1136 who had somehow canceled a jibe and doused the kite to remain standing. In fact, the Michoses remained the only boat not capsized and went on to win the Yard Sale.
How could Buckles and Ayers not be smiling?
True, it could have been warmer--like the 80 degrees the previous week. But there's nothing like wiping out in comfy 70-degree water. The fleet has rinsed off some its rain rust and should be good for the season.
- Dave Michos #1136
|
|
Race |
|||||||
|
Place |
Sail |
Skipper |
Crew |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
Total |
|
1 |
1136 |
D. Michos |
S. Michos |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
4 |
|
2 |
1134 |
B. Buckles |
M. Ayers |
2 |
DNF |
3 |
2 |
13 |
|
3 |
1145 |
C. MacMurray |
F. Bajowski |
3 |
2 |
4 |
5 |
14 |
|
4 |
1129 |
C. Engler |
A. DiMatteo |
6 |
3 |
2 |
DNF |
17 |
|
5 |
962 |
B. Saunders |
Chris |
4 |
4 |
6 |
6 |
18 |
|
6 |
884 |
K. Hugon |
A. Roessener |
5 |
6 |
5 |
3 |
19 |
Results Posted 4/29/05
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