Sorry for the slow updates but the Traverse Area Sailing team has been busy (and keeping us busy) attending the Jimmy Talbot Memorial Regatta on Oct 4-5 in Chicago and then USailing's Junior Olympic event in Holland this last weekend.
The Talbot gave us the first opportunity to sail 420's in competition with 4 sailors teaming up to race in two boats: (Eric & Elle Rivard in one and Gus Stauber and Abby Skibowski in the other). The conditions continued to be light and variable (where'd all the fall wind go?) and while the results might have been dissapointing to the sailors, we had great participation and the chance to start racing in 2 person boats.
Andy Wyncoop and Abby Branson sailied the Laser Full Rig Class and
Anna Frick (in her first season of competition) sailed the Laser Radial Class.
After the regatta host families provided comfort food and great fun for our sailors, we owe them the greatest thanks!
These regattas drew much bigger crowds and consequently much higher level of competion! Tougher competition and tougher sailing conditions did nothing to dampen the spirits of the TC Sailors, good humor was evident everywhere!
This last week-end, 7 sailors, 4 parents, Coach Ferris all travelled to Macatawa Bay Yacht Club for the fall Junior Olympic event. This was a USSailing event (as opposed to MISSA) and was well atended. Holland is a cool place to visit, especially at this time of year! There were two opti fleets (the youngest sailor having just turned 8!), two Laser fleets and two 420 fleets.
The conditions early saturday were light to non-existant with lots of time for team strategy meetings and general relaxing on the race course. 
After several false starts, two general recalls and the fleet returned to Lake Macatawa from Lake Michigan and suprise, suprise, there was 8 knots of breeze. The fleet quickly re-formed and we got two races in. Wind conditions in this land breeze were challenging as the breeze cycled from the right, then to the center of the course, then to the left. Good wind sense and some luck made the day
Sunday's racing started earlier in steady off-shore breezes and we got in 4 races before the bright sunny conditions caused enough on-shore thermal conditions to negate the breeze, cancelling the last race. But it was time to call it a day anyway. The TC sailors were steadily improving their standings each race with some of them competing for the top tier finishes.
1 comment:
Hey Andy nice splash in the Face!
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