2010 Interlake National Championship - Russels Point, Ohio

Interlake Nationals, Indian Lake YC, Russell's Point Ohio.  July 29-31.

Not three weeks before the big dance my crew informed me that work demanded he stay.  It is always good to have business, but in the current economy of Michigan it is a rarity so that meant I was hunting.  Fortunately longtime friend Hank Boissoneault from Sandusky was able to break away at the last second.  Hank is an outstanding sailor whom I have long wanted to sail with.  I was going to get to dance!

We decided that Hank would drive my boat.  I've been doing a lot of crewing this year, and have enjoyed the change.  We tried but failed getting any practice in.  So we decided that goal number one was FUN and to take it from there.  We had a blast.

In R1 we enjoyed great boat speed/pointing but let ourselves get too far to the left and tacked into too many headers.  We still ended 4th of the 40 competitors.  After a debrief we decided to count to at least 5 before tacking.  In other words, get into pond mode.  It worked!  R2 had greater velocity changes in which I "aggressively played" the vang (as Skip would say) and we counted before most every tack.  This allowed us to use the Buddy Melges approach, "Win the start, get a lead, extend."  Bullet.

R3 was solid with a third but it was the tacking duel in R4 that I'll long remember.  On the downwind finish we got into an incredible tacking duel with Steve Aspery & Co.   Hank set it up beautifully.  All regatta we enjoyed superior downwind speed.  Careful not to catch him too early we did so with about 8 boat lengths to go.  We rolled over Steve with both of us on port gybe.  Of course he luffed us hard but we made it over him (with our spin ragging).  Hank's aggressive trim of the main kept us clear and shot us ahead.  Steve's boat just squatted when we took his air.  Then Hank called for a gybe.  Now we were on starboard and Steve had to gybe to keep clear.  Then we gybed back to port then almost immediately back to starboard.  Then the main was trimmed in to keep it clear of the RC boat as we finished 2 feet ahead of Steve to take 2nd.  This all happened within 30 seconds.  Perhaps less.  I'm not sure of why the final manouvers.  I was just trying to keep up with the spinnaker.  I am sure that what Hank did was brillant and that my final "hour glass trim mode" as we crossed the finish line created a vortex that sucked us across the line into victory.  That was OD racing.  Steve immediately congratulated us and thanked us for "a good time."  Likewise Steve.

After day one the standings where Scott Savage 6 pts; Hank/Bob 10 pts;  Steve Aspery 15 pt;  Jimmy Ward 23 pts.

Day two saw a big corn hole tournament as the wind failed to fill in.  Good thing there was lots of good food and beer on hand.

Day three.  R5  Variable winds.  We won the pin only to sail into a hole and park.  After watching Brad Huntley sail where we wanted to and lead the race with Sjoerd Vanderhorst hot on his heals.  We mounted a comeback to 8th while Brad found his own hole near the finish line to finish third with Sjoerd winning.  R6 had more of the same.  We connected the dots: hole to hole to hole and scored our throw out.  We new we couldn't blame the equipment because both Sjoerd & Brad sail the same Dieball Sails we do and they had it going.  Heck, Sjoerd won this race too! 

Then it was our turn.  The winds built from 2-4 to 18 kts.  We shifted gears and were

launched.  It was another Buddy Melges story.  The winds kept building and we flew with a boat speed advantage neither of us have ever had before.  We played the middle-right and watched the lead boat from the left (Craig Tovell using Dieball sails) take our stern 50+ yards behind.  The run seemed instantaneous.  Then the winds got angry.  Cannonball puffs in the thirties with consistent wind in the mid twenties.  We would not have started a race in these conditions...  Fortunately I had Hank on the stick.  There was never a moment of fear or doubt.  Intense-yes.  Hard work-absolutely.  But way fun.  We extended.  That ride and the bullet was a great way to end Interlake Nationals.

Congratulations to Scott & Rick Savage from Hoover SC who won this event.  They sailed smart and consistent.  We took second while Sjoerd's back to back bullets pulled him to third.  Congratulations also to Indian Lake YC for pulling off a fantastic event both on and off the water.

We had fun.  Goal met.  Thanks again Hank.

Bob Sagan, Interlake 1411.

FINAL RESULTS