E-Scow Regatta 2017 – Day 3 Recap
Carolina Yacht Club, Charleston, SC
By Naomi Van den Bergh, CYC Sailing Director
We couldn’t have been luckier with the weather. Today’s breeze was similar to yesterday, yet the current was slack for the majority of the day changing the game. During the first race a left geographic shift came in from Fort Johnson which resulted in the majority of the fleet coming in with sails eased and hiking hard. Principal Race Officer, Tommy Harken, quickly recognized this and adjusted the course accordingly.
“Today was all about boat speed,” according to Jeff Bonnani, T-73. “There wasn’t much current. Clean start, minimizing boat handling, going fast!” was the method Limelight used to claim their victory today. “We are simply the fastest boat on the course,” and the results are there to prove it. They won the regatta with a 13 point lead. Congratulations to team limelight!
Brian Gabriel, T-53 and Wes Whitmyer Jr., M-42 have been battling it out all weekend long. With a 1 point difference T-53 takes 2nd and M-42 places 3rd. John Brown, T-37 had a strong day with a bullet and a second. Unfortunately, their first day’s swimming performance is still haunting their final result, placing them 4th. Will Hanckel, SC-22, typically a top place finisher, pulled off a 5th place despite some deep finishes earlier in the regatta.
Award winners were very complimentary during the trophy awards. The competitors seemed to be pleased with the way the regatta was run. All volunteers did an amazing job pulling off a great event. “This was sort of a practice run for our Race Committee, they will be the same team for Nationals held in September,” Regatta Chair, Walter Prause, mentioned during the awards.
We certainly look forward to seeing everyone back September 8-10th at Carolina Yacht Club for the E-Scow National Championship!
E-Scow Regatta 2017 – Day 2 Recap
Carolina Yacht Club, Charleston, SC
By Naomi Van den Bergh, CYC Sailing Director
What a great day of sailing! The conditions were variable and challenging. We saw light to moderate winds, which were very shifty. The current was a major factor again. Lots of changes took place the second day of racing in “the Mecca of sailing” as Bob Hagler, GA-21 calls Charleston, SC. His team didn’t have the best day and went from 4th overall to 11th. They basically swapped positions with John Brown’s Blind Squirell, T-37 who seemed to have found their nut! Brown climbed up in the fleet with a bullet and a second, and is currently in 4th place. “The race committee is doing a great job!” he says.
“We seemed to be less consistent, even though we had a great day,” Brian Gabriel, T-53 said. They dropped to 2nd overall after their 2 impressive bullets from yesterday. They picked up an extra crew member from CofC for weight which improved their overall boat handling.
Jeff Bonnani, T-73 is happy. After having to come in yesterday to deal with equipment issues, they were able to sail to their full potential today. “We have our new boat dialed in better, the stays stretched, which helped,” Bonnani said. With 2 bullets, a 2nd and a 3rd, they are currently in first place with a 4 point lead. “I like the short line and quick races, which called for very tactical sailing. Whomever caught the last shift upwind right did well,” are his remarks for today’s racing.
So far the Jacques Cousteau award seems firmly in the grasp of Vamoose, SC-55. There’s one more day of racing to decide who wins the 2017 CYC E-Scow Regatta. Stay tuned!
E-Scow Regatta 2017 – Day 1 Recap
Carolina Yacht Club, Charleston, SC
By Naomi Van den Bergh, CYC Sailing Director
The first day of CYC’s E-Scow Regatta was quite interesting to say the least. Cloud coverage and breezy conditions created fun e-sailing, yet also quite some carnage! A strong outgoing tide and shifty wind conditions kept the race committee on their toes.
“It was a good first day for everything to go wrong,” said Robbie Wilkins, SC-55. He was winning the first race by a mile, but unfortunately this race was abandoned due to the top mark dragging in the heavy ebb tide. The next race he was over early at the start, and he capsized as he was clearing the line. “I know better than to jibe the boat going 3kts, I’ve been sailing these boats for 20 years!” he says laughing. When climbing back in the fleet and making a wonderful comeback the last rounding didn’t go too well. The tack line released itself and the kite ended up dragging behind the boat in the water. Their spinnaker that just had been patched tore again, which forced them to come in early and retired for the rest of the day.
Jeff Bonanni, T-73 finished strong in 2nd in the first race scored, but had to retire the second race due to equipment failure. Quite noticeable a lot of the boats had equipment issues. A total of 7 boats came in early due to complications.
We saw some carnage at the upwind mark during the first race. Crayton Walters, SC-3 tried to avoid Sean Bradley, MC-2, but miscalculated slightly, resulting in hitting their stern. As SC-3 was dead stopped in the water Ed Durant, GA-8 ended up T-boning them. It was not a pretty sight, but it looks like it could be easily fixed with the right combination of rubbing compound and a sawzall…
The top 3 of today is looking strong. Wes Whitmyer Jr.’s Slingshot, M-42 and Will Hanckel’s Sloppy Seconds, SC-22 are tied for second place. Brian Gabriel’s Fox, T-53 is leading the pack with 2 bullets.
More to come!