This weekend was the first of 3 regattas hosted annually on home turf. The Southeast Regional Championship was attended by 40+ scow crazed sailors in varying conditions throughout the weekend.
As my 2nd year in the scow I am finally starting to get my bearings and slowly (read extremely slowly) move up the ranks. The regatta consisted of 5 races total, 3 on Saturday and 2 on Sunday. It is unusual for us to get in the prescribed number of races at Eustis but this weekend we were successful in doing so. After Saturdays 3 races I was tied for 11th with good friend Dave Moorhouse. I was consistently moving up throughout the day with a 20th, 15th, and 11th. Feeling good about the day I did what most sailors do after a tough day of racing...party!
Sunday started out with great wind for the first race and declining wind down to almost nothing for the final race. My race finishes were a 30th (egads!) and a 20th. The 20th place finish in the last race was miracle since I was in almost dead last around the first windward mark. Many of the boats went out to the right on the first downwind leg and got hung out to dry...thanks guys! By the end of the regatta I was in 17th. Nothing to brag about but a small victory for me. Last year in the same regatta I was in the mid 20's with even fewer boats. After reviewing the results I was not unhappy with the placement due to the caliber of sailors ahead of me.
While the racing was great, the highlight of the weekend had to be watching David Moring drift away from dock only to realize his pirate flag had jammed up his halyard...think long rope to raise the sail. David then did the unthinkable. He dropped his mast on the water without assistance, jumped in the water and then freed the jammed halyard. Then with some assistance raised his mast and sailed off to the course. Nice work David, I can think of 20 easier ways to handle the same problem but none with that kind of panache!
Zack Clayton of Quantum Sails took the overall victory with National Champ Jamie Kimbell of Melges Boatworks in 2nd. Close friend and Lake Eustis's own David Morning took 3rd.
.JPG)
