Every February, LESC hosts the GWB regatta which is a part of the Flying Scot District Series. They invite other classes, including some very talented youth sailors, to participate. Fleet 29 has participated for the past three years as a part of their travel series.
Fleet 29 had Six teams attend the event. Jim Geompel on El Gato, Raymond Gresham on Temporary Insanity, Bill Holsetein on Black Jack, Fisk Hayden on Ole Yella, Daniel Paulson on The General and Mike Loughlin on Irish Juan.
Last weekend’s forecast would have messed with any RC in the business. The winds were forecast out of the West Northwest with speeds of two miles per hour. Saturday, the RC sent everyone out in what appeared to be favorable winds as there was pressure across the lake. Winds appeared to be around 8kts from the predicated direction.
Quickly reacting to the pressure available the RC called for an E4 from the Sailing Instructions. Start>Mark A>Mark B>Mark A>Mark B>Finish. As every person on the course did not complain at the distance in the beginning between A and B, the grumbling started on shore. With the time limit of sixty minutes on the SI, the RC was only able to finish the top 11 Fly Scots the first fleet which the SJ21 shared the course with.
With time expired, our fleet did not get a race in. But what did happen was a battle with Ray Gresham and Fisk Hayden. The Fleet finally is getting a glimpse of Temporary Insanity’s speed and skill from SC after the repairs made after LMSA in January. Both boats have strong sailors with great execution on the downwind leg battling down to the leeward mark. Irish Juan showed strong upwind speed in lap two catching both Temporary Insanity and Ole Yella at the top mark on lap two. Unfortunately, the bottom fell out and the race became a drifter.
On Sunday, with the same forecast as Saturday the RC sent the teams out again. This time the only racing that did happen was between El Gato and Irish Juan using the gate as marks. Only to have both boats penalized and disqualified for hitting the marks. After two and a half hours of sailing around the RC pulled the plug on day two.
Hats off to the RC and the shore team of LESC for providing food and drink of the sailors both days. It is tough to manage the wind during a regatta and they did an excellent job with the situation. Thank you to Lake Eustis for making all of us feel at home.
In the end, the decision was made to score the San Juan 21 fleet where they were at the time of the finish. First place went to Raymond Gresham’s Temporary Insanity, second to Fisk Hayden’s Ole Yella and third to Mike Loughlin’s Irish Juan.
The decision was made to not include this regatta score in the series so the standing will remain as is until the Mt. Dora Regatta.
Thank you all that participated in the San Juan 21 Travel Series.
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