September 28, 2009

Annual Meeting, Saturday, November 14:  Please put this date on your calendar.  It’s our annual meeting and potluck dinner from 6PM to 9PM at the club.  If you have any issues, class amendments or other matters to bring up at the meeting, please contact me or one of the officers.  We will review the year’s events, acknowledge winners, and celebrate participation.  We will also be inviting a speaker.  We are exploring a special event with e yacht builders for Saturday, October 17^th at WRSC to try out their e-33 and new cold molded Chesapeake 20.  More details will be forth coming.  Look for their full page ad in this month’s Sail Magazine.

Cap’n Dick Hartge Regatta:  Gerhard Klose not only won his first Chesapeake 20 regatta with Roger Link as crew and coach, but also joined the fleet by purchasing Osprey.  The weather cleared from an overcast and gloomy morning and it became a glorious day with fast moving cumulus clouds, tons of thermals, and some of the most mystifying wind shifts that we have ever seen.  The wind veered from the west to the southwest with shifts coming out of West River and the creek in the cove: there were many false shifts and then some giant ones as you approached the weather mark.  The mark was close enough to shore to present real challenges, one moment enough wind to easily get around, and the next, a deep calm.  Gerhard with help from Roger, the master of shifts, complied three firsts and a second.  Robin Hartge with Andrew Hartge as crew in Spirit was consistent with three seconds.  I did well until the last race when inexplicitly when in the lead, I went right into the cove and did not cover the fleet that went left into more wind and a huge lift.  But, Stormy had plenty of boat speed with Doug Logan as crew – we have really tightened our vang resulting in better upwind speed and pointing. 

Bob Blomquist with his usual crew of Donna and Jim Reuter in Gracie led several times, by going up the middle of the course, they were beaten by boats coming in from either side.  Not to be outdone, Bob has ordered new North sails so look out next year. Contrary with Andrew Resnick and crew, Peter McKibbin, broke their wooden boom and so retired from the regatta.  Aurora was raced by Jay Addison, Chris Snowber and Andrew Sheahan, and they had their moments but likewise picked the wrong side of the course going up wind.

Clay Taylor ran the races and set good upwind courses despite the oscillating wind.  We were pleased to have Laurence Hartge and Susanna Hartge on the race committee along with Glenda Blomquist who kept the score.  After getting the boats put away (just before a stray shower), we had a wonderful potluck dinner to celebrate the season with Ruth Hartge’s wonderful chili, salads and some great desserts.  The chocolate cake by Donna Reuter was to die for.

Fall Series:  In the three Fall Series races, Bob Blomquist in Grace finished first; Robin Hartge in Spirit, second and Clay Taylor in Endeavor, third.

CBYRA Highpoint:  We held six CBYRA-sanctioned one design events; and had three qualifiers.  Based on the scoring system, I won the High Point Award for 2009 in Stormy, with Bob Blomquist, second in Gracie; and Clay Taylor, third in Endeavor.   We hope that more C-20 competitors will join CBYRA next year to increase our participation rate.   We have sufficient members because they also own large boats and race them (too often in my opinion).  I sure would like to find a way to encourage them to race their 20s at major events. 

Ted