A periodic newsletter of the Lansing Sailing Club. Copies of previous e-Sheets are in the archives section of our web site at www.lansingsailing.org.
Send info for publication to the Publisher by using the Contact Us page of the Lansing Sailing Club Web Site. |
| In this Issue | Coming Events |
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| Race Committee Reminder | |
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| Sailing on TV | |
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"Wind Dancer" Team Gets Two More Firsts |
Pat Dolan, Gil Chesbro and Gary Marx were aboard "Wind Dancer" to win two of three races on Sunday (September 21) as they close in on a season championship. When a sudden left hand shift hit just before the start of race 1, "Wind Dancer" was on port at the pin, crossed the fleet and never looked back. In the second race, another left shift found by the "Wind Dancer" team enabled them to recover from a pile up at the starting line and climb into second place at the first mark. Then, on the first downwind, good crew work led to a quick spinnaker set that sent the team into a first place position they held to the end. In all there were nine boats competing on a truly beautiful fall sailing day. Mike Moody, with the "Moody's Booty" crew of Ken Knight and Anna Hamilton had a solid day on the water. They finished second in race one, third in race two and then won the third race. In race three, they got an excellent start and continued building their lead to the end. Other top three finishers were George Siegle, Laura Harvey and Sheila Troxel who sailed together for the first time this year in "Fins". They led much of the first part of race 2 and pushed the leaders in the other races, scoring a second in race 2. Terry Kleiman, Lisa Winters and Shelly Kindig sailed particularly well in the first race and ended up third. Blaine Severin had Julie Pierce and Tom Deits crewing and scored at third in the final race. The "Oh m" boat, with Ron Marshall, Jane Marshall and Bob Hill was second in the final race. Results and standings are available from the Race Results page of the LSC web site at www.lansingsailing.org. |
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Spartan Singles Regatta a Huge Success |
The last weekend's "Spartan Singles" regatta, sponsored by the MSU Sailing Club in cooperation with the Lansing Sailing Club was one of the most successful sailing events of the year. Thirty Lasor sailors were on hand Saturday as the fog lifted and the breeze crept in. Indiana University sailor Barret Rhoads won the event, but local sailors did very well. Doug Carlson led local sailors in the "Open" division and included a first place finish among his accomplishments. MSU's Mary Vorel was second in the Collegiate division, propelled by a first, two seconds and a third in Sunday's sailing. Many thanks to the MSU Sailing Club and Lansing Sailing Club volunteers who served on Race Committee, drove safety boats, tabulated scores, picked up lunch, handled clean-up, and did all the other things that made this a huge success. |
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Oracle Beats Alingi in San Francisco Rematch |
Note: The following commentary about last week's Moet Cup rematch of America's Cup winner Alingi against Oracle, the challenger of record, was written by "the Curmudgeon". It is taken from the September 22 "Scuttlebutt" email newsletter. Subscriptions to the newsletter are without cost. Sign up at www.sailingscuttlebutt.com. By now, most readers probably know that after six days of very exciting racing on the San Francisco Bay, Oracle BMW Racing's USA 76 narrowly defeated Alinghi (SUI 64) in both the owner-driver series (3-2) and the pro-driver series (4-3). In the process, Oracle BMW picked up Moët Cup Silver Methuselah Trophy, and the Moët & Chandon Owner-Series Jeroboam Trophy. Plus, Larry Ellison won the Harold S. Vanderbilt Trophy for "excellence in yacht racing as a team principal and skipper." On the surface, it would appear the Oracle BMW Racing Team was the big winner - but I really don't see it that way. After experiencing the event first hand, I came away feeling strongly that the big winners were the America's Cup, the people of San Francisco, the sport of sailing and the entire sailing community. This was a truly breathtaking event. It was much more than just a regatta - it was a spectacular showcase for our sport. Frequently, more than 300 spectator boats swarmed on the San Francisco Bay to see it first hand, and what a view they got. While the course marshals worked hard to make sure the ACC boats had room to 'do their thing,' they did it in such a way to insure that the spectator fleet was still able to get an 'up close and personal' look at these amazing racing machines. Particularly the photo boats. Photo-journalists were allowed to get tightly into the action and came away with shots never possible in other venues. And the conditions on the bay made for some incredible images - bright sun, flat water and 15-20 knots of breeze against a backdrop of the Golden Gate Bridge, the San Francisco skyline and Alcatraz Island. Tasty stuff indeed. But you did not have to be on the water to see the exciting action. Thousands enthusiastically watched from bleachers erected next to the hosting Golden Gate Yacht Club, or from piers, docks or rocks as the 80-foot racing machines short-tacked the city front in the flood tide conditions. And tens of thousands more watched the spectacular daily television coverage produced by the Outdoor Life Network. And just to add frosting to this already delicious package, Larry Ellison hosted a $250,000, 24-minute fireworks show on Thursday night that far surpassed anything previously attempted on the West Coast of America. This dazzling display featured sophisticated, high-tech pyrotechnics fired from three separate barges anchored in the bay. This awesome display of color and technology totally overshadowed anything previously done in this part of the world, and delighted the thousands who witnessed the spectacle first-hand. The America's Cup show has now left the San Francisco Bay, but Alinghi's Ernest Berterelli promised repeat performances next year in Europe, in Newport, Rhode Island, and possibly a return to San Francisco. Personally, I can't think of a better way to promote our sport. - The Curmudgeon Event website: http://ggyc.org/moet/index.htm. |
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© 2003 by the Lansing Sailing Club, 6039 East Lake Drive, PO Box
51, Haslett, Michigan 48840. |