We had great weather and great racing at Lake Eustis this weekend. The wind was steady all Saturday and most of Sunday, growing shifty only during the second race on Sunday. That gave us close, exciting racing both days. Ray Laguna and Dean Grimes on 5770 clearly came out on top, finishing first in all four races, but I like to think we made them work for it.
On Saturday we had five Scots racing. In addition to Ray and Dean on 5770, they included Dave and Jay Asaibene on 5179, Chris Erichsen and Reinhard Schlip on 5339, Randy Boekema and Joe Lobato on 5697 and Todd Hunter with me on 5810.
Both races were tightly contested, with boats frequently side-by-side like NASCAR at Daytona. Ray and Dean were sometimes able to stretch things out a bit upwind only to find the fleet compressing on the downwind. And, in the first race, Ray and Dean bumped the weather mark on the first leg to give the rest of us the best chance we had all weekend to gain a lead over them. They sailed off to do their 360 while the rest of us chased each other down the course. Then, as we neared the leeward mark we found Ray and Dean blasting in on a higher angle from our left, having made up the ground they lost with their 360. Thus they recovered from hitting the mark and recaptured a lead which they held – with short exceptions – for the rest of the race, finishing first. Chris and Reinhard on 5339 came in second, followed by Todd and me on 5810 in third, Randy and Joe on 5697 in fourth and Dave and Jay on 5179 in fifth.
The second race on Saturday was much like the first, with close quarters racing both up and down, and just enough chance that the lead might change to keep Ray and Dean on their toes all the way to the upwind finish. Ray and Dean finished first. Todd and I managed to hold on for second. Chris and Reinhard came in third, with Randy and Joe fourth and Dave and Jay fifth.
Sunday was more of the glorious same, both with regard to the quality of the racing and the ultimate dominance by Ray and Dean. Six Scots raced, including the entire fleet from Saturday – with Ernie Tosi sailing with Chris Erichsen on 5339 and Tony Tussing with me on 5810 – and we were joined by Anne Ireland and Lori Lantzy on Anne’s 5366.
In the first race, Tony and I were over early at the start and had to bear off to round the pin before starting again. The error was mine entirely – I’m time and distance challenged – but I don’t entirely regret it since it was the only time all day when we were out in front of the fleet. We tacked to port after we restarted and headed right. Through clean living more than skill, our split to the right kept us with the fleet and we were able enjoy the tight racing in spite of my error at the start. The breeze was puffy and building all the way to the downwind finish. Anne and Lori got caught by a gust and capsized on the second weather leg. Ray and Dean crossed the finish line first. Chris and Ernie followed in second. Tony and I were third, with Randy and Joe beside us but just back in fourth. Dave and Jay were fifth, and Anne and Lori were unable to finish.
There was apparently another starting incident in the second race on Sunday. Tony and I did not see it, and no one was over early, but Chris Erichsen did ask me to note for the record that it was not Ernie’s fault (sounds like there’s a story there). However, Chris and Ernie recovered and sailed fully in the hunt the rest of the way. After more wonderful racing and in an increasingly shifty wind, the fleet finished upwind and close together. Ray and Dean, in a tiresome repeat of all the other races, were first. Randy and Joe crossed ahead of Tony and me, and frankly seemed to enjoy that fact all too much. Tony and I were third, just – and I mean just – in front of Chris and Ernie, who finished fourth.
Chris and Ernie were coming on so strong that Tony swears they would have had us if the finish line had been ten feet further away. I don’t know about that, but I do know all I could hear at the end of the race was Chris’s bow wave on our quarter. It sounded like a tsunami.
Dave and Jay finished fifth, and Anne and Lori were DNS because they were sorting things out from their capsize.
All in all, the racing this weekend was so much fun that you almost didn’t mind seeing transoms rather than bows. Almost. I wish everyone could have been there!
The next racing weekend is October 25 and 26. See you then!
George
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