oompanyc
Member
24 boats showed up to compete at the Rehoboth Bay Sailing Association in Delaware this past weekend, June 21-22nd, 2008. Sailors travelled from at least 6 states for the competition including Delaware, Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia, New York, and New Jersey. Among the competitors was former Sunfish Regional champions and place winners, in addition to one former North American Continental Champion David Davies, whom shared the hotel costs with me over the weekend.
The group of competitors were treated to beautiful sunny weather and wind conditions that increased each day as it progressed between a range of 7-15mph, with the occasional gust over 20mph. Race Committee Chairman Dave Racine setup excellent Modified Olympic courses with each leg being approximately a half-mile for races totaling 3 miles in length. The starting lines were very square to the wind, probably one of the finest jobs of line-setting that I have personally witnessed. The benefit of the squared starting lines was that we did not have 1 general recall for the entire regatta. In addition, I would like to thank all of the people involved with the regatta for their excellent hospitality. I especially enjoyed the Saturday evening meal which highlighted Pulled-Pork, veggies, breads, and some fine dessert selections.
On day 1, the fleet managed to complete 4 competitive races all decided by less than 100 feet distance separating first and second, with 2 of the races won by just boat-lengths. However, at the end of Day 1, Brian McGinnis amassed four first-place finishes to end the day with 4 points total. 2nd place on Day 1 went to John Meier of Virginia totaling 12 points, 3rd place to Steve Evans of Delaware with 16 points, 4th place to Sarah Lester of Delaware with 20 points, and 5th place to Chris Raubacher of Delaware with 24 points.
The interesting element of the day was the upwind dynamic; each layline provided sailors with a small lift as they approached the mark on that tack. However, when in doubt, I tended to choose the right side as it seemed their may have been a slight velocity benefit on that side. Each race brought with it a little more wind and waves as the day progressed, I can recall sliding back my gooseneck slightly before each new race. Consistent downwind speed throughout the day was the necessary edge that propelled to cross the finish line first in all the days races. One thing I noticed is that I personally sailed with much more vang on then the other sailors, I think this contributed to my downwind speed advantage.
Day 2 was very similar to the first day as far as the weather conditions go, the only difference being that we were not on the water as late on Sunday as the previous day. Soon after reaching shore at days end Sunday, I noticed the wind howling again as it had around 3-4pm the previous day. With the wind starting at around 7mph for the first race, Brian McGinnis managed to pull off another 1st place finish, virtually clinching the regatta unless something catastrophic was to happen. Brian McGinnis finished the regatta off with a throw-out race of a 7th place, followed by a 2nd place finish in the final race to complete the regatta with 7 points total and earning him not only the Regional Championship, but qualifying him for the 2009 Sunfish World Championship currently destined for Nassau, Bahamas. The next 2 races really became a dogfight for second place in the regatta. Steve Evans pulled off a 2nd place, then 1st place, in the last 2 races to come from behind and capture 2nd overall in the regatta with 15 points. John Meier stayed consistent throughout and held on for third just a few points behind.
Photos and Results coming soon!
The group of competitors were treated to beautiful sunny weather and wind conditions that increased each day as it progressed between a range of 7-15mph, with the occasional gust over 20mph. Race Committee Chairman Dave Racine setup excellent Modified Olympic courses with each leg being approximately a half-mile for races totaling 3 miles in length. The starting lines were very square to the wind, probably one of the finest jobs of line-setting that I have personally witnessed. The benefit of the squared starting lines was that we did not have 1 general recall for the entire regatta. In addition, I would like to thank all of the people involved with the regatta for their excellent hospitality. I especially enjoyed the Saturday evening meal which highlighted Pulled-Pork, veggies, breads, and some fine dessert selections.
On day 1, the fleet managed to complete 4 competitive races all decided by less than 100 feet distance separating first and second, with 2 of the races won by just boat-lengths. However, at the end of Day 1, Brian McGinnis amassed four first-place finishes to end the day with 4 points total. 2nd place on Day 1 went to John Meier of Virginia totaling 12 points, 3rd place to Steve Evans of Delaware with 16 points, 4th place to Sarah Lester of Delaware with 20 points, and 5th place to Chris Raubacher of Delaware with 24 points.
The interesting element of the day was the upwind dynamic; each layline provided sailors with a small lift as they approached the mark on that tack. However, when in doubt, I tended to choose the right side as it seemed their may have been a slight velocity benefit on that side. Each race brought with it a little more wind and waves as the day progressed, I can recall sliding back my gooseneck slightly before each new race. Consistent downwind speed throughout the day was the necessary edge that propelled to cross the finish line first in all the days races. One thing I noticed is that I personally sailed with much more vang on then the other sailors, I think this contributed to my downwind speed advantage.
Day 2 was very similar to the first day as far as the weather conditions go, the only difference being that we were not on the water as late on Sunday as the previous day. Soon after reaching shore at days end Sunday, I noticed the wind howling again as it had around 3-4pm the previous day. With the wind starting at around 7mph for the first race, Brian McGinnis managed to pull off another 1st place finish, virtually clinching the regatta unless something catastrophic was to happen. Brian McGinnis finished the regatta off with a throw-out race of a 7th place, followed by a 2nd place finish in the final race to complete the regatta with 7 points total and earning him not only the Regional Championship, but qualifying him for the 2009 Sunfish World Championship currently destined for Nassau, Bahamas. The next 2 races really became a dogfight for second place in the regatta. Steve Evans pulled off a 2nd place, then 1st place, in the last 2 races to come from behind and capture 2nd overall in the regatta with 15 points. John Meier stayed consistent throughout and held on for third just a few points behind.
Photos and Results coming soon!