I drove 7+ hours through driving wind and rain. The furious forecast for the weekend was for LOTS of wind and not much sun or heat. Most forecasts had the wind over 15 and into the 20's at times during the weekend. I packed heavy. I took everything I owned except shorts.
Friday night I arrived about 10:15. I was met by Chris Craig and Richard Blake who immediately put a drink in my hand and kept me up late. The wind howled all night.
Saturday we awoke to 10-18 West. Five skippers didn't show. Let's just say Cam McNeil and Ted Keller tied for 18th place. Boats were rigged and nerves were checked. The skippers meeting was dominated with a giant chalk board showing the Fenton "figure eight" race course. After a few explanations I think I understood it. Yes it is a total of three windward legs and two reaches. I raised my hand and asked how to reach. Welcome to Fenton. Chris offered to lead the way if I liked.
So let me describe this lake. It is short course racing on a lake that has some sticky outy bits that get in the way of the race course. So there may be a leg where there is land between the mark you are going from and the mark you are going to. And there is no downwind. Local knowledge pays big.
I premedicated knowing pain killers were going to be the old man "vitamin" for the weekend. We launched boats and set off to the first race, my first race with any wind this year.
Race 1 - course 14521 (Ovid, NY zip code)
The RC measured a puff of 25 before the start. But it settled down and we sailed. The line was a bit pin favored but the lake was mostly right side favored. With 20 seconds to go I still hadn't decided where to start. The pin was blocked. I screamed across on port below people, found a hole, tacked with like 5 seconds to go and started about 5 boats up from the pin, second row but with clear air. Company around me included the people I wanted to keep an eye on. I dropped the traveller and settled in for a heavy air race. That lasted a minute or so, which I later found was one of the longer puffs.
People started tacking off the the right. I had no clear lane that way so I stayed left. Lucky me got a great left shift and led at the top mark by 30 seconds or so. Where do I go now? How do I reach? I know the basics but how much vang, where should the boards be, boat balance, rudder handling, and pretty much every setting on the boat was all a learning experience.
I wasted most of the lead on leg 2 trying to figure out how to sail. Leg 2 included my first eye opening blasting reach planed off pretty good for 10 seconds or so. Sail number 2524 started passing people and gaining on me. Leg 3 upwind put us up along and under an island and the windward shore. Puffs appear 10 seconds before they hit you. I had no idea what I was doing still, so I followed from in front and somehow held on. Then at mark #5 I had to again figure out how to sail. The leg starts with a deep dive low in a puff, out away from the high trees, then up high through the tree lull, down low again, then hot sailing across the face of the clubhouse point, then down low again to the mark that you can't see until you pass the club. Mysterious 2524 dude had cleared the fleet and was gaining again. He sails like Ted Keller.
At the last mark I rounded and pulled the windward board to see the outer cover of the board release line had broken. It was now only hanging on the inner core, and only part of that. I picked enough shifts right on the last leg to hold on for a win. Really? First? Nowhere to go but down from there. Stuart Strother finished third and Madman Mike Keenan fourth.
I was not the fastest boat. 2524 was (Who IS that man?).
Race 2 - Ovid course again but twice around
I nailed a pin start, caught some good shifts and led at mark 1. I carried that for 3 legs and let Clark slip inside me at the bottom mark at the end of leg 4. Upwind I had to clear my wind left and took it too far. I lost Chris and Pete on that leg to round fourth. Then I lost another on leg 6. I rounded the island mark with Clark and Richard.
I messed with Clark and Richard that leg eventually getting by Clark. I closed some of the distance to Richard just to see him sail this mysterious secret local knowledge path past some tree at the club and scoot below and through me. I was 4 lengths behind him at the last mark. Upwind I split with him and stayed split. At our first cross I ducked, then crossing 2 he ducked, then I ducked. Very close sailing. Then I got out to the right of him and a nice right shift came from nowhere. I ended up fifth. Pete Comfort on 2524 won the race followed closely by Chris Craig, Clark Wade, and Stuart Strother.
The wind had started building again. At lunch I met Pete Comfort (2524), we laughed at Chris with his head bump and watched some real big puffs roll through. After the RC started to leave the dock and had second thoughts we were under postponement. Then a nice rain cell formed north of the lake. I along with others pulled our boats out of the lake just to protect them. I was 10 minutes from sailing if need be. At this point I turned on the weather radio to hear the forecast of 20-30 with gusts to 40.
After the rain cell passed the wind settled down. We scrutinized weather forecasts and models and hatched various plans. One quickly dismissed called for 5:00 dinner with a 7:00 start that night. We came to our senses and the decision was made about 3:00 to cancel for the day. The next start was 9:00 Sunday.
So at the end of day 1, Pete Comfort led with 3 points, I was second with 6, and Chris Craig and Stuart Strother tied with 7.
That afternoon we measured lulls in the 17-18 range with consistent 22-23 wind. During a great steak dinner put on by the Fenton folks, a particularly impressive line of wind came through. It blew over a boat on a lift. It blew over my 1/2 full rum and coke. The RC measured 35 on the upper deck of the clubhouse protected by trees. It was windy.
Day 2
The early night led to an early morning. I showed up at the club just after 7 to find Chris Craig and Richard Blake already ready to launch. Motivations were high. I didn't have any line to repair my board release. So I prayed and sailed with it.
The wind blew all night. We woke up to 15-17 still from the West. The forecasts were for another building wind day.
Race 3 - Ovid course again, once around
Most of us put on good sails. Right on time we started race 3. The pin end was wide open so I took it. Unfortunately the left did not pay. I was fifth at the top mark. I started my recovery at that point. With just a one-lap race it had to be quick. I was thinking if I could just pick up one or two boats I'm still in this regatta. I was fourth at the next two marks.
I rounded the last mark third but in touch with Pete and Chris. I nailed two tacks and got to the right of the leaders. I picked up a right shift and held it all the way up the lake slipping into the lead. Chris Craig ducked below me and went farther right. It was a very close top three but split with Pete following me on my hip out to the left of the line and Chris to the right. It came down to the last puff and its direction to determine if it was going to be me or Chris winning the race. I got my header and tacked to the line. Chris looked like he had me. Then he lost his mainsheet. I won. Chris crossed just behind me on Starboard to pick off Pete for second. And Pete dropped into third. Richard Blake made it back to fourth after a bad start, and Stuart Strother was fifth.
So now I'm one behind Pete overall, and two ahead of Chris. With two races to go it is anyone's game. The board release is holding, mostly because I'm releasing the board from below deck whenever I can.
Race 4 - Same course
In the prestart I kept tight tabs on Pete and Chris. I ended up lee bowing Chris at the start mid line. He local knowledged it and immediately tacked to go way right. I couldn't follow due to traffic. When I could, it took me awhile to get right. Chris was well ahead of me. I stayed right of the lead pack and slowly picked up distance. At the mark I had to short tack it but ended up still able to just round in the lead. I extended a bit on the next leg as the guys behind jostled a bit.
Then came the island leg. I swore nobody was going to get to my left. And they didn't. Four boats passed me on the right. I dropped one more to sit in sixth for a crossing or two. I picked up two before the mark and ended up rounding with Richard battling for fourth. He won that battle and sailed away taking Clark Wade with him. now I'm in fifth. It takes me most of the leg but I catch Clark. After that there was no getting around Richard. He sat on me until the finish.
Stuart wins the race, Pete second, Richard Blake third, then me, then Clark Wade.
Now with one race to go Pete has a 3 point lead. I also have a 2 point buffer on Stuart who is suddenly a threat, and Chris actually dropped to fourth behind Stuart.
Race 5 - TWICE around Ovid course.
At the start I plow down the starting pin. Richard Blake is also over and follows me around the pin - last place or close to it. We duck 8-10 boats with him still on my tail. I find a tiny gap and shoot through the middle of the line crossing a handful of boats. Richard doesn't make it and has to tack in traffic. I'm all a mess from the fire drill. By the time I'm cleaned up I'm on the right shore. I tack, get lifted, and lay the mark. I round first just ahead of Chris Craig, who tells me he also had to restart! We have a good laugh and we drag race leg 2. I hold him off to round first. On leg 3 I dust off Chris but Clark catches up to me. We round together. I catch a shot that somehow misses him and off I go. I put quite some distance on the pack right behind me. I hold them off for what seems like forever. On leg 8 of 9, I cramp up - no arms left. Constant sheeting has taken its toll. I have 30 seconds or so over Pete in second place. That goes away pretty fast after the last mark as I struggle to trim in the freshening 15-20. I manage to hold him off and win by a very small margin.
I won 3 of 5 races, but lost on points. Pete sailed consistently. Chris dropped to fourth letting Stuart in for third overall.
1st Pete Comfort 2 1 3 2 2 10.0
2nd Chris Hawk 1 5 1 4 1 12.0
3rd Stuart Strother 3 4 5 1 4 17.0
4th Chris Craig 5 2 2 6 6 21.0
5th Clark Wade 6 3 6 5 3 23.0
6th Richard Blake 7 6 4 3 5 25.0
7th Mike Keenan 4 8 8 7 7 34.0
8th James Bingham 8 7 7 13 9 44.0
9th Urs Geiger 11 9 9 8 8 45.0
10th Rick Cyrul 10 11 11 9 11 52.0
11th Doug Wyrwicki 9 13 10 10 12 56.0
12th Mike Casler 13 12 12 11 10 58.0
13th Jack Coleman 15 14 14 10 13 66.0
14th Mike Farney 14 15 13 14dns 74.0
15th Julie Craig 12 10dnsdnsdns 76.0
16th Bill McInnes D nsDNS 15 15DNF84.0
17th Gerry Fischer DNSDNS 16 16DNS 86.0
As we are packing up, the wind pipes up even more. Timing was great.
Fenton sailing in a West wind is a mess. There is no rest, no way to catch a breather, no way to take off a sweat shirt. My neck is sore from constantly looking at the sail, the wind, the other boats, back to the wind, the sail, etc. Constant trimming and easing ate up my biceps. For a bunch of old men it was a tough 5 races.
I can check off another place I have seen. The club is great, the people wonderful, and the event should improve with time. I'll be back.
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