Sail Column June 11, 2002
GLORIOUS
SAILING!
by Dan Muss
This
past weekend was as perfect as weekends can get for sailboat racing on Deep
Creek Lake. There was good wind and sunny skies. Race commander, Tom Scannell,
had a tough time setting a course because the wind, both days, was out of the
southeast, a difficult direction for this lake, but he managed to get good
windward and leeward legs for all three races.
In
Saturday’s first race there was a remarkable sight at the leeward mark as most
of the Flying Scot A Fleet arrived there more or less together. The rule for
rounding leeward marks gives the boat on the inside
the right-of –way. As most of the fleet arrived there together there were as
many as 8 boats strung out, each boat in the line having to give way to the
inside boat. Of course they were all going slowly as their sails interfered with
the other sails in the line. Dodd did quite well by seeming to slow down as she
approached the mark, letting the pack round in a great wheel and she slipped
inside after they had past; and she had relatively clean air.
In
the Flying Scot B Fleet race on Sunday Bertsch was out in front by a bunch
approaching the finishing line when the fifth boat, sailed by the Kemp brothers,
tacked onto an unfavorable course away from the finish line. Bertsch could not
cover the Kemps and let the other boats go. The Kemps picked up a superior
breeze on the other side of the lake and came roaring in for a first place
finish.
Flying
Scot C fleet had a great weekend of racing with the lead changing hands many
times. But the event of the weekend for me was our “Hail-Mary” start in the
Sunday race. I was approaching the starting line on the starboard tack with the
rest of the fleet behind me and I was about 15 seconds early. So I bore off down
the line but I had misjudged the direction of the line and, when the starting
horn went off, I was over early. I had to get back on the other side of the line
without interfering with the other boats that had started properly. I was,
however, able to jibe around, come up to the line on the port tack just behind
the last boat starting. Just as I crossed the starting line on port I got a big
lift and we surged forward as all the other boats were forced to tack onto port.
I wasn’t in front but I was up with the fleet having had to go back and start
over.
In
the Saturday race Peters fouled me at the start. He did his penalty turns as
soon as he could. That, however, did not stop him; he finished first. That’s
good sailing.
Race
Results
Saturday,
Race 1
Laser
A Fleet
First
Place, Eric Silverman
Second
Place, Bruce Spinnenweber
Third
Place, Peter Frey
Laser
B Fleet
First
Place, Lucy Kammer
Flying
Scots A Fleet
First
Place, John Meredith with crew Tony Cominski
Second
Place, Mo Willey with crew Vicky Willey
Third
Place, Ray Gauthier and crew Joni Palmer
Flying
Scots B Fleet
First
Place, Ralph Kemp and crew Ed Kemp
Second
Place, Larry and Debbie Anderson
Third
Place, Tom Kammer with crew Heidi Kammer
Flying
Scots C Fleet
First
Place, Ed Peters with crew Barbara Peters
Second
Place, Barbara Elster and crew Jim Mumford
Third
Place, Dan Muss with crew Marilyn Filemyr
Saturday,
Race 2
Laser
A Fleet
First
Place, Eric Silverman
Second
Place, Bruce Spinnenweber
Third
Place, Keith Spinnenweber
Laser
B Fleet
First
Place, Lucy Kammer
Flying
Scots A Fleet
First
Place, Mo Willey with crew Vicky Willey
Second
Place, John Meredith with crew Tony Cominski
Third
Place, Ray Gauthier and crew Joni Palmer
Flying
Scots B Fleet
First
Place, Larry Anderson with crew Debbie Anderson
Second
Place, Jack Seelig and crew Loni Seelig
Third
Place, Darlene Miller with crew Ray Miller
Sunday
Laser
A Fleet
First
Place, Eric Silverman
Second
Place, Bruce Spinnenweber
Third
Place, Keith Spinnenweber
Laser
B Fleet
First
Place, Ryan Schubert
Flying
Scots A Fleet
First
Place, John Meredith with crew Tony Cominski
Second
Place, Ray Gauthier and crew Joni Palmer
Third
Place, Harry Carpenter with crew Carrie Carpenter
Flying
Scots B Fleet
First
Place, Ralph Kemp and crew Ed Kemp
Second
Place, Dave Bertsch and crew Ronn Downey
Third
Place, Gary Schubert and crew Alice Schubert
Flying
Scots C Fleet
First
Place, Ted Rissell and crew Carol Muss
Second
Place, Dan Muss with crew Marilyn Filemyr
Third
Place, Ed Peters with crew Barbara Peters
