Nationals and Cap’n Dick Hartge Regatta

Yesterday September 26, 2010, the Chesapeake 20s held their Nationals and Cap’n Dick Hartge Regatta.  The weather was unpredictable which ran the gamut from small craft warnings to moderate northerly with overcast and light rain to gradual clearing.  The racing could not have been better, especially without the oppressive summer heat.  Winds were up and down, with plenty of holes and dramatic gusty shifts from 10 to 18 knots.

Several Chesapeake 20 teams bowed out given the unsettled conditions, but seven hardly 20s held five races in a shifty and verring northerly, challenging upwind mark roundings on the lee shore and dramatic gusts including all out planning downwind in the final race.  Generally, a good start, sailing up the middle on lifts and favoring the right with more pressure appeared to be the winning upwind strategy.  Surprisingly, going right with more pressure downwind paid off (the opposite of upwind).

With Robin’s designations, competitors were:   Captain Sterling "Young Man" Schlegel with his father on the wire and a girl friend;  Captain Ted "High Energy" Weihe with Alex DeTessieres; Captain Andrew "Boom Boom" Resnick; Captain Clay "Yellow Bird" Taylor with his family as crew; Captain Gerhard "Speedy Link" Klose; and Captain Robin “C-20 World Champion” Hartge.  Not on the list was Peter “Too Fast” Bell with his heavy Hartge Yacht Yard crew.

Peter Bell Jr. in #205 Kit had mostly firsts and won the Nationals and Cap’n Dick Hartge Regatta with seven points.  He had excellent starts, powered through the gusts and hit the lifts.  Ted Weihe came in second in #26 Stormy; going upwind faster with her new heavy centerboard with 12 points.  Robin Hartge finished third in “0” Spirit with 14 points.  They were followed in order by: #202 Resolute; #203 Osprey; #49 Endeavor and #32 Contrary.

Robin Hartge did a wonderful job in organizing the regatta, and along with Ruth provided their award winning chili at the after-race social hour.  Jim Capron, former president of U.S. Sailing, not only did a masterful job as race chair but also provided his own committee boat.  Suzanna and one of her many cousins along with Chris Snowber, who took dozens of pictures, provided excellent starts.  Cap’n VK Holtzendorf ran the crash boat in Robin’s powerboat.

The regatta was fitting conclusion for the season which has the hottest anyone can remember which kept down attendance.  Next up is the Fall Meeting in early November.  Stay tuned to a notice by President Clay Taylor.

Ted Weihe
 

West River Billy Heintz Annual Regatta

We thought that we would update those who were unable to make last weekend’s WRSC Annual Regatta.  We had five Chesapeake 20s for all three days: Osprey, Resolute, Spirit, Contrary and Picardy.  Despite fears about Earl, we towed up to SSA in a slight rain and headwinds with choppy seas (got really wet).  Everyone assembled at SSA for lunch and several of us went to APS to buy warmer cloths and in Alex Shafer’s case, some new lines for Resolute.

We got a good start at 1:30 PM.  My strategy was to go directly to Tolly Point and broad reach to Thomas Point.  Alex and his girl friend, Laura, took the middle course.  We knew we had a favorable current – so it was distance compared to current advantage.  Gerhard Klose in Osprey went way out into the Bay and cruised along faster with a .8 knot current and less chop.  At Thomas Point, he got the favorable wind first out of West River.  We all trapezed into West River before hitting the calm off Tenthouse Creek.

Osprey and Resolute were in tight competition with Picardy keeping ahead of Spirit.  At the finish, the race committee wanted everyone to go around a mark off West River Marina which was not part of the SIs.  Resolute got to the mark first with a quick downwind tack and beat Osprey.  But, the race committee saw their mistake and awarded the first place to Osprey.  Finishers in order were: Osprey, Resolute with Laura driving, Picardy, Spirit and Contrary.

On Saturday, a major front came through.  Picardy, Resolute and Spirit ventured out without jibs and it was just too much.  Picardy turned back, and Resolute and Spirit had lunch on Robin’s powerboat.  Wind moderated to the upper teens as we watched Resolute sailing around.  Several of us decided to join her and race in the inner cove course.  We called Robin and he was working on his powerboat, so Resolute, Picardy and Contrary held two very short races with Osprey going back in since he had a very light crew.

On Sunday, conditions could not have been better with winds in the mid-teens.  The wind backed all day.  In the initial race with the weather mark at junction of Rhode River and the cove, the strategic question was, "Would the wind give a lift out of Rhode River or from West River cove?"  I picked Rhode River and it was wrong with Resolute with Sterling Schlegel at the helm getting the lift out of the cove.  Basically, the second race was similar – can’t I learn.  But, by third race, the shift was more pronounced and I went way left and won.  Resolute had all aces except for the second to Picardy.  I had all seconds and a first in the four races.  I am not sure of the other finishes, but Spirit, not racing on Saturday, came in third with one throw out.

The Chesapeake 20 fleet had a great social hour after the races – congratulating Carol McCullough on running a great regatta despite dire predictions from Earl and a major cold front coming across the country.  What a relief to be sailing in 70 and 80 degree weather instead of near triple digit weather we have experienced nearly all summer.  

There are two racing days left in the season: this Sunday with a one o'clock start; and the one day regatta honoring Dick Hartge on September 26th with an eleven o'clock start.  Hope to see you there.

Ted and Suzanna