2014 Jet-14 July 4th Regatta

Team Berchem/Fosmire arrived at the Lake Norman Yacht club a day ahead of the regatta. Team B/F had only sailed their newly acquired Jet 14 in June and had only sailed her a few times together including the regatta at Kerr Lake two weeks prior. The winds on Friday July 4th were a blistering 12-15+ plus and spent over 4 hours on the water that day still trying to figure out what goes where and what the heck is that.

B/F enjoyed at least 11 fire work displays from their view at the LNYC camp site around the lake that evening. The wind howled all night and awoke in the morning to find over 15+ with beautiful sunny skies, a great day was looming. The skippers meeting was held promptly 11:30 am upstairs in the beautiful LNYC clubhouse and was followed up with more detail back outside on the lawn. Since there was such a fine breeze it was decided to wave the 5 race limit to get in as many races as possible under the time limits for dinner that evening. The first warning on the water was to be at 12:55 pm.

Sadly by 12:55 pm there was a ghost of a breeze. Now here's where things start to get a little foggy. I'm brain damaged and my short term memory's not so hot. I do remember looking at tell-tales all weekend but what happened in between is kinda guess work at best. To the best of my recollection...there was a multiple sounds from the committee boat with the red/whit/red/white answer pennant, a postponement to the races. We bobbed around in the washing machine for a very long time and I was wondering if we'd even get a race off. My gosh there was 7 classes to start this was going to be misery and HOT! If a breeze came up, by the time the race committee got the pin set and windward leeward marks set it was gone again.

I don't know how long we languished in the hot sun, bobbing around like the tidy bowl man, I think it was an eternity. Finally a soft 4 knot breeze ghosted around the fleet. marks were set the line was so skewed that nobody could cross the line on starboard. A windward leeward course twice around. The Ultimate 20's and they J 70's took off on their start like a herd of turtles, followed by the Highlanders and the Thistles and than finally the Jet 14's with San Juan 21's and the Flying Scots. Team B/F went down the line on Starboard with all the steam they could muster pushing all the languishingport tacked boats out of their way and tacked just before the gun and raced out across the line with a commanding lead. Team B/F got into a confrontation/converstation at the weather/reaching mark with a shouting/screaming Flying Scot with no rights, B/F pushed them them out of there way rounded the mark with a small lead in the Jet fleet a kite was popped and off to the leeward mark B/F held their lead to the mark and rounded still in first place. On the way back to weather horns could be heard in the distance. Great they had shortened the course and taking finishes at the weather mark. But as we got there we were told to go yet around another lap. Off to leeward we went yet again holding off other Jet 14 competitors. B/F rounded the leeward mark holding on to their first place and held on to get their very first victory with team Tom/paula licking at their transom followed by Team Hennon and Wells/Meg in 4th. And There we sat again in mesiry once again....frustrated and HOT!

The lake was such a mess I thought someone had flushed the lake and I was scouting the area for the whirlpool. After an eternity a course was set, a MWL1, The U 20's and J 70's started/driffting towards the weather mark once again. Another postponement followed and if memory is correct they finally shortend the course for the U 20's and J 70's. Finally once again a course was set again and the Highlanders and Thistles took off towards their weather mark which wasn't really a weather mark but they were gone and we were gearing up for our start. I beleive that we actually started on Starboard this time Team B/F came up from below the line with all the speed they could muster, nailed the start and were off in the lead once again. Team B/F held off their competitors going to the weather mark round 1st with a fair lead and headed to the leeward mark where they rounded still holding on to their first place position. B/F popped the kite, it was an extremely tight reach and they continued to crawl through the fleets around them putting a fair distance on the other Jets with team Tom/Paul rounding in 4th place. They went high with their jib staying on the right hand of the course. The wind, or what wind there was vanished. Team B/F hardly able to keep the kite flying looked aft in horror to see in the distance a fresh losers breeze was bringing the entire Jet fleet with a ton of speed down the course. There was nothing that team B/F could do but to dose the kite and wait till the competition catch them with the breeze passed them and left them in 4th place. Team Tom/Paula rounded the next mark 1st followed by team Hennon in second Wells/Meg 3rd and B/F last in a distant 4th place. Team B/F had their work cut out for them they actually caught Wells/Meg with the help of an out of control port finshing Flying Scot to take a third and Wells/Meg falling to fourth. Team Tom/Paula finished first with team Hennon close to their transom. Racing/drifting was over and all competitors were sent to the barn for shore activities.

I got to hand it to the LNYC race committee, they really did a great job under the most horrid conditions. Kudos to you all, great job!

The LNYC really put on a terrific party that evening, they fed over 350 very hungry folks in 32 minutes, I can't imagine the herculean effort it must have taken. Fantstic music, dancing followed interupted by a fabulous display of fireworks at dark and than music and dancing went on for quite a while. Great sleeping weather for the campers with night tempatures in the upper 50's.

The following morning started with a nice breeze. The LNYC provied yet again a very nice breakfast with the warning signal on the water at 9:55. With an early start we just might have a fair breeze. A MWL1 was the course. Team Hennon and B/F were pretty much side by side with nice speed going to the weather mark followed by Tom/Paula and Wells/Meg. Unfortunatley once again the breeze was dying and by the time the weather mark was rounded it was Wells/Meg in 1st, Tom/Paula 2nd, Hennon 3rd and B/F bring up the rear. Wells/Meg held their lead with Tom/Pauls 2nd and B/F making their move into 3rd position with Hennon in 4th at the leeward mark. This is where it got really interesting. Team Wells/Meg went to the right side of the course with Tom/Paula in hot pursuit, and I mean they really took a flyer to the right, B/F took the middle of the course and Team Hennon took a LTO on the left side of the course. B/F looked pretty good going up the ladder in the middle, it was looking kinda iffy to the right but the wind left the left side of the course completely leaving Team Hennon struggling. Team Wells/Meg held their LTO on the right, right up to the lay line. When Wells/Meg finally did take it looked really close as to who would reach the mark first B/F or Wells/Meg followed by Tom/Paula. Team Wells?meg crossed in front of B/F as did Team Tom/Paula, however Tom/Paula had tacked a tad low of the lay line and couldn't fetch the Mark. Team Hennon continued to struggle on the left and there was absolutely nothing they could do but continue to eat it. Crew Foshmire called a brilliant shift in the middle of the course and Berchem took off pointing right at the mark. The course was shortened at the weather mark we could see the committe boat standing there ready to finish the fleet. Team Wells/Meg was in great position to take adavantage with teams B/F and Tom/Paul neck and neck. Team Wells/Meg finished with the horn a great 1st place finish, B/F were working magic with their lift shifted their weight to leeward and headed up so high it was unbeleivable as the shot the line to take second from Tom/Paula 3rd and team Hennon 4th.

Teams Tom/Paula and B/F tied for first with 6 points each for three races. However B/F won the tie breaker having taken the 1st first on the course with Wells/Meg 3rd and Hennon 4th overall. Team Berchem/Fosmire snatch a victory from the Jaws of defeat.

I want again to thank our hosts of this wonderful event, the LNYC. Heck nobody can provide the wind, but what they did with the hand they were dealt was simply amazing, thank you all so much.

July 4th Regatta				Race
Place	Sail	Skipper	Crew	1	2	3	Total
1	203	C. Berchem	T. Fosmire	1	3	2	6
2	717	T. Grace	P. Pacheco	2	1	3	6
3	1130	L. Wells	M. Russell	3	4	1	8
4	483	C. Hennon	P. Hennon	4	2	4	10

2014 July 4th Regatta

Lake Norman YC, Mooresville NC