It was the best of times. It was the worst of times. I find it so hard to start a regatta summary, so I’ve resorted to memories of my ninth grade English class. A North American Championship regatta can be so many different things to the 20 registrants for this years’ regatta. We had 7 races over two weekend days, expertly run by RC chairman, Ed Vienkowski at Seaside Park YC. We had 4 different race winners of the 7 races. Tim Faranetta beat Dave Magno by one point to win the regatta. Carrie Slavinski and Kevin Flood also won races to take third and fourth, respectively. Yes, the top 8 boats all sail out of Lavallette YC. Not the best distribution for the visiting sailors. We had more boats visit the East Coast, thanks to people like Nick Maida, Laurie Ann Cooper, and Tim Faranetta hosting the sailors in their homes. This makes it much easier to make the long trip out. I am certainly missing some names of volunteers who made this event possible.
Pictures for the regatta can be viewed here at the link below - thank you to Chris Higham for the coverage!
https://mscownorthamericans2019.shutterfly.com/pictures
Below are some impressions of the regatta by Dave Klein (BE-4) , who traveled over 1200 miles each way with his M-Scow in tow.
Sailing:
Something we haven’t experienced: chop. Even in 5 mph there was the constant banging. We got used to it and adjusted our sails like everyone else: a light touch on the main. The lines were long and the horn system pretty easy to get used to.
Announcement - Horn Sequence
“Your attention" - Several (~10) short
3 minutes - Three long
2 minutes - Two long
1.5 minutes - One long, three short
1 minute - One Long
30 seconds - Three short
20 seconds - Two short
10 seconds - One short
5 seconds - One short
4 seconds - One short
3 seconds - One short
2 seconds - One short
1 second - One short
Start - One long
You did not need a watch. (I came back and started Wednesday night on the Blue flag I was so used to starting this way after 7 races.)
The top boats did not have a rear traveler. Getting a tour of their boats they said the jib cars are farther in than normal: 22 from the side and 22 from the mast step. (At home that was exactly what mine measured.)
The race course was rather small, maybe a mile to weather. There was a lot of traffic back where I was in 14th place. The wind shifted quite a bit but nothing persistent. We found the boats do not do 45 degrees because of the waves. This caused a lot of Port tackers at the weather mark that resulted in one good pile up. A tip was to let out the main a little on the top of a wave and pull it in in the trough, squirting the boat ahead.
The Drive:
Pennsylvania is very hilly (four tunnels) so it went by fast. The hardest miles are the first 100 that you have done many times in the past (we have to go 3000 more). The speed was usually 75 mph and that was the top speed seen. A lot of trucks; but everyone is very conscientious.
We tried to avoid the Turnpike because they are as expensive as your gas especially paying double or more with the trailer. Took I39-I74 to avoid Chicago, Indiana, Ohio and most of Pennsylvania tolls and Google says it is an hour longer. It is not longer, asit was stop and go a lot going through Chicago on the way back at Noon. We took the old route in Pennsylvania twice. Through Lancaster and saw Amish and buggies on the two-way. Coming back on a different two-way we just happened to pass and stopped at the Memorial for Flight 93. They had the black box recording and the phone calls people made. It made you tear-up.
There was road work 5% of the route. Seems high, but if you have a 20-mile stretch, that’s 5% of a 400-mile trip; but, is was two lanes in both directions.We spent $400 for gas and $100 for tolls but tolls could have been $370.
Food:
We took our lunches out in the boats on Saturday as they wanted us done by 3 for the Yacht Club Poker Run. One boat stopped on the big judge’s boat to use the bathroom and so they decided it was so rough we should go the shore for a very short break. The course was right outside the yacht club breakwater. Fruit and a bagel for breakfast. You pre-pay for a cash-card for drinks which worked out nice.
No planned dinners (and no tee shirts). We eat at Crabby Richard’s Shack on Friday. On Saturday night, the Bayside yacht club was doing a lobster boil for members; so,we went up to the Lavallette Yacht Club (where the top boats came from) for dinner and the yearly meeting. Good seafood, nice club house and a good view of the sunset. Maybe 200 daysailors on the hard. My wife Jodey had her second Painkiller.
Lodging:
• Steve Alford’s Motel in Indiana
• A mom-and-pop motel that was spectacularly remodeled to your home’s standards.
• Lala’s (our sailing buddy) just remodeled her upstairs apartment for the two nights.
• A Days Inn with a nice pool.
• A friend’s cabin on Grand Lake, Ohio. A 5 by 15-mile man-made lake all of 8 feet deep.
People:
We got to meet our old friends from Canada, especially Fritz and Stefanie (easy to talk with). Lala Cooper, Tom Welsch and the tie-dye perfect match couple (Carrie & Dave Slavinski) which is where I got my hints from. Third regatta with these people.
We saw the lifestyle of New Jersey: the beaches, McMansions, lots of lots the size of trailers, everyone driving very friendly., two amusement parks and stories of the ten other yacht clubs around the bay.
