US 12 Sailing
Tim Wright reports that August 1 provided the US 12 skippers and observers with some of the best weather for sailing and watching this year. The wind was strong, but not too strong, and the low humidity made it very pleasant on the walking path. While many boats were emptied during the day, the crash boat never had to rescue anyone. Some boats were involved in tangle-ups and equipment failures, but everyone got their boats to shore without aid from the dinghy. The sailing was tight and there were many “photo finishes” during the afternoon. In all, it was a very good day to be sailing
Tim Wright won the day with nine firsts, Don Cundy edged out Bill Hagerup for second, and Paul McBride came in fourth. John McClun sailed well in fifth. Jerry Leach and Don McBride were very close for sixth and seventh, and Jim Opie and Paul Wallace rounded out the fleet. The racing was close and exciting. The racers demonstrated that they all are getting better at starting, with many starts making official scorers Bonnie McClun and B.B. Wright work hard to call the line, ensuring no one was over early. It was a wonderful day of sailing and we hope others will join us as the season continues.
US 12 Spring Series Awards
Awards for the spring series were ceremoniously presented on August 1, with Tim Wright topping the list, Bill Hagerup earning second-place honors, and Don Cundy landing an impressive third.
Soling Regatta
Unlike last week, August 6 was, for the most part, weed-free. There were six weed calls, and we should credit Tom Greig with the day’s top weed. He boasted it weighed forty pounds, but we think that was a slight exaggeration — more like a few ounces. We tried to take a verification picture, but Tom is much too shy — or didn’t want to be caught in his fabrication!
It was great to see some familiar faces returning to the bay. Bill Malay works extremely hard at keeping the Boat Museum’s building program on the straight and narrow, leaving little time for sailing. He was back today.
New skippers, Nelson Steiner and Clint Wolcott, launched their newly built boats. Clint had electrical issues that kept him sidelined for much of the day, but Bob Brennan came to the rescue helping Clint get back on track.
The Dax is back!! About a foot taller than when he last sailed, Dax Rivera joined us for a few races. Jackson O’keefe came at the end of the day, and we hope that he and his brother will join us next week.
Out on the Water
Tuesday had one of the best showings of the season, with twenty-three boats launched. No complaints when we split the fleet to more manageable starts.
The Sailor Class was led by the McBride Brothers — Don leading and Paul close on his heels. Paul Wallace put in a strong performance placing third. In third place for the season, John Russell sailed to the fourth spot.
Jay Burns, class of 2018, finally finished his boat this year and had some good races, placing second, fourth, and a couple of fifths. Jack Minaham, Bruce Brown, and Nelson Steiner had some strong race showings as well, but, like the rest of us, need to work on consistency.
The path to the top two places in Master Class is well established, with Tim Wright in first and Rick Lalley close on his heels. After that it’s a free-for-all. This week, Dan Masessa jumped into the third spot with Rick Gates and Tom Greig providing a serious challenge. The rest of us show occasional spurts of brilliance but all too often can’t find that elusive wind.
Join the Fun
If you don’t want to build a boat, we’ll help you find a used one. Don’t want to sail? Just come and watch — we put on a great show every Tuesday and Thursday starting at 1:00 PM, weather permitting. Be sure to bring your camera.
