Cap’n Dick Hartge Regatta: The final regatta of the season is this Sunday, September 27, 2009 with a start time of 11AM so we can get in five races, if possible. Robin and Ruth Hartge manage this regatta on behalf of the Hartge family. We honor Cap’n Dick who built 44 round-bottom Chesapeake 20s, many of which are still actively raced including Stormy, Endeavor, Spirit, Contrary, Mischief, Enterprise, among others. We hope for a good turnout. There will be drinks and dinner around 4 PM. Ruth has promised to bring her fabulous chili and we are requested to bring other dishes, (See Robin’s email) and we hope that anyone on our list help join us in celebrating another successful, joyful sailing season – our 80th since the classes’ founding in 1939.
Fun, Fun, and More Fun: We had a ball on yesterday with perfect weather and nice breezes from the southeast from 8 to 12 knots. Carolyn De Tesserieres, Glenda Blomquist and my wife Judy served as race committee. Jenny Girl renamed Picardy Too was our committee boat for the 20s and Scots. The Ollie refused to give the proper sequence in a timely fashion and we gave up and went to a stop watch and a horn with Carolyn and Glenda on the flags as usual. This caused so much confusion in the fleets and consternation on the committee boat that the Marguerites came out early. We held three races on as long course as possible within the cove. As my powerboat repeatedly dragged anchor, the course even got longer and favored the pin end of the line.
In the first race we had Stormy, Gracie and Aurora. Alex De Tessieres skippered Stormy, along with Doug Logan to his very first win in a C-20 after a poor start since I shouted to him as he sailed by that there were two minutes, instead of one minute to go. He said that he focused on hitting the wind shifts, and held off Gracie, skippered by Jim Reuter with Bob Blomquist as crew. We switched it all up. It was truly a tight race with Aurora, skippered alternately by Jay Addison and Chris Snowber. Aurora was ahead at three different times but didn’t quite cinch a race – they will soon. After the win, Carolynn said it was going to be hard to live with Alex now! He is watching racing videos which seems to be a great way to learn to race fast. We kept looking to see if Bob went out on the trapeze since there were times when it certainly helped. He sort of did.
In the second race, I raced Gracie and Bob Blomquist raced Stormy which was a blast. I confirmed to Bob that he really did need a new jib; and he let me know that Stormy is really tippy and could use some weight in the centerboard. In the race, Bob was last at the leeward mark and went way right, picking up a major wind shift out of West River and creaming the fleet. Of course, Jay and Chris decided to try the same approach in the third race, and ended up dead last when there was neither a 20 degree wind shift, nor much wind.
For the third race I gave the helm of Stormy to Alex, and he and Jim in Gracie duked it out again in another close race. Jim, who said he hadn’t taken the helm in two years, won this one. While I was aboard the Picardy Too for the third race, (dragging again) I learned just how the race committee operates. In fact, I marveled at how Judy, Carolynn and Glenda could carry on a continuous conversation, and still keep track of finishes. The conversation went something like this: them – chat, chat, chat, chat, laugh, laugh laugh. Me interrupting – so and so just finished. Them – we already got it – chat chat chat – laugh, laugh, laugh. They were also recording the finishes of the four Scots who also decided to ad hoc this race on to their schedule. We enjoyed having them on the course too. Anytime Scotties!! So on Sunday, WRSC had five classes racing (505s, A-Cats, C-20s and Flying Scots), and big boat, Popular Island race.
Everyone seemed to enjoy the day and I was especially heartened to watch my nephew and cousin win one.
Ted