CLUB SPRING SERIES REGATTA FOUR  24MAY08

            It looks like I can predict weather at the Mansfield Hollow pretty well. Everything was as I predicted, right down to the left to right air flow with big shifts. We were all pleased to see Dick Laffargue, back from FLA where he spent the winter sailing his soling.  He was finally able to get his keel set up right on his IOM. The balance point was wrong and the bulb needed to be set on a 3 degree up angle to keep the IOM from doing nose stands. This adjustment helped a lot to get his hull sailing right. Now that the boat was right, Dick could spend some time getting the rig right. Unfortunately he and Fran Gowash had a collision, which left Dick’s boat with a significant crack in the side of the hull. The boat started to take on water, but Dick was able to recover the boat before something really bad happened. So now it is a few nights in the shop with fiberglass and epoxy.

            For me the sailing was great fun, I actually smiled and laughed a bit. My boat is finally sorted out and going well, and the goofy wind shifts always helps the back markers and frustrates the steady sailors. Don’t get me wrong, sometimes the winds settled down and we had some full length downwind runs and regular tacks on the upwind segments, but there were too many periods where we would start a regular downwind run, only to interrupted half way by a broad wind shift. Nevertheless, it was a good day at the lake with a variety of winds and gentle, warm sun light. Bob Shluger brought his grill and cooked some of our lunches. Thanks Bob, the onions were great.

NEXT REGATTA  -  MANSFIELD HOLLOW SITE  - 14 JUNE