Smoke Signals - Metedeconk River Yacht Club

VOLUME 28, ISSUE 4
SMOKE SIGNALS
LIGHTNING FLEET NEWS
PAGE 7
The Lightning Southern Circuit,
sailed in March, attracted large numbers
at all three venues attesting to the strength
of the Class. Forty-nine crews showed up
for Savannah’s two-day regatta. Saturday
was a wipeout with 40-knot winds gusting
to over 60-knots that made even launching
boats impossible. However, an early
St. Patrick’s Day fair in downtown Savannah,
the traditional Oyster Roast at the
YC and a novel knot-tying contest directed
by Southern Circuit Chair Amy
Linton kept everyone well occupied. As
for the sailing, Savannah’s race committee
squeezed the entire three-race regatta
into Sunday despite a dying breeze that
made finishing against the tide a true test
of skill (and luck). David Starck of Buffalo
took top honors but the talk of the
regatta was why the scoreboard showed
two firsts and two seconds in the third
race. In granting redress for a race committee
boo-boo, the protest committee
awarded first and second race positions to
two OCS boats that just happened to cross
the finish line first and second. Who says
a head start doesn’t help? Metedeconk’s
only entry, Jim Carson, managed a respectable
16 th place.
So, on to Miami where despite
uncommonly light winds and unusually
cloudy skies, all five races were comfortably
sailed on Biscayne Bay. Mrs. David
(Jody) Starck took up where her husband
left off, easily defeating a 53 boat fleet.
Jim Carson turned back a few years to
man the front of the boat for co-skipper
Eric Reitinger (Brant Beach) as they
sailed to 20 th place. Then on to St Petersburg
via famous Alligator Alley. Yes, we
saw alligators. Jim returned to the tiller
for the final series that also served as the
mid-winter Masters Championship. Day
one was a total loss. Following a long
up-wind sail to the starting line, the
breeze completely quit. The lack of wind
and threat of storms kept the fleet off the
water for the entire day. Again Chair
Linton pulled out the fun and games to
keep frustrated sailors amused until party
time. Day two was something else with a
morning 12-knot southwesterly wind
building to a good old Barnegat Bay
blow in the afternoon. One difference -
big waves. Three races were sailed by
the 69-boat fleet. It was a great day for
the heavyweights with Class Secretary
and sailmaker Brian Hayes showing the
way. After a Saturday night party honoring
Lightning legend George Fisher,
Sunday dawned chilly and ominous but
with enough wind to get everyone to the
starting line for what the sailors hoped
would be a couple of quick races to salvage
five of the scheduled seven races. It
was not to be. After a number of recalls,
one race was finally completed as the
wind came in strong, then dropped to
near nothing at a shortened finish. With
the time limit looming and the Fleet edging
toward shore, the race committee
wisely decided another race would be
impossible. Brian Hayes held on to secure
the win. Taylor Lutz, sailing for the
Metedeconk Fleet wound up 14 th and
Jim Carson was 27 th . Jim managed a
third out of 17 Masters behind Dick Hallagan,
Newark NY, and Bill Mauk, Miami.
Circuit winner was current World
Champion, Rolex Yachtsman of the
Year, etc. Jeff Linton, Sarasota FL followed
by Allan Terhune and Brian
Hayes. Complete results, pictures and
details are on the Lightning Class website.
On the administrative side, the
ILCA Governing Board voted unanimously
to table consideration of allowing
GPS enabled compasses on Lightnings,
announced a 1 for 8 North Americans
quota, and awarded the 2009 North
Americans to Sodus Bay on Lake Ontario
in the Finger Lakes region of New York
State.
As reported last month, the local
Lightning season commences with the
annual Long John Regatta sailed on the
Navasink from the Monmouth Boat Club
in Red Bank April 26-27. Metedeconk
sailors are itching to get afloat and are
expected to show up in force. Check the
L i g h t n i n g C l a s s w e b s i t e
www.lightningclass.org for results.
The Lightning Fleet wraps up
spring sailing with their Club Championship
Series, three races each day on May
4, 18, and June 1, (five to qualify and
three drops if all nine races are completed.)
These races are open to other area
Lightnings as a part of the Open Spring
Series although the Championship is
scored independently. The last race of the
series is for the Paul F. Newman Trophy.
Club winner qualifies for the Sail-Off on
August 17 for the Club Overall Championship
that will be sailed this year in
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