Lansing Sailors Determined to Sail in Hoosier Regatta
Stories like this cannot be made up

Sail Fevre in an August race

By John LeFevre
John LeFevre and Susanna Tellschow left bright and early for Lake Wawasee for the Hoosier Regatta Saturday morning. They had arranged for a Lake Wawasee member to be their third crew for the regatta through e-mails over the last several days. About the time they got to Charlotte, the car starts acting up. They limp the car into Charlotte to Candy Ford, the only place open at 8:30 AM on Saturday. Bad news, the mechanic informs them a piston bearing or something more serious has gone wrong and that engine replacement is likely necessary.

After a few tears the crew decides: "hey it's still early, let's try an alternate vehicle and still try to go". A quick call to Pat Dolan is responded to with "yes - my Envoy with lightning trailer hitch is available". Another quick call to Susanna's friend from Charlotte yields a quick ride back to Haslett to get the back up vehicle. Everything is clicking now. The crew reconnects Sail Fevre to the borrowed Envoy and the move down I-69 is underway, just a few hours later than expected.

The crew gets on the Indiana Toll Road and the low fuel light comes on. "We'll get gas as soon as soon as we get off the Toll Road heading south" says the driver. Well, the excitement of the morning wears on the driver and he forgets to stop for gas. Heading south in tall corn Indiana Amish country, the vehicle suddenly looses power and the driver rolls his eyes in disgust knowing he has emptied the tank of the borrowed Envoy. These new vehicles are not like the V-8's of old where the vapors can get you a few more miles. When they run out, they are out.

Luckily the rig comes to a stop near a nice house in the middle of nowhere with 3 huge new pole barns, 4 vehicles and a John Deere gator Parked in the driveway. Certainly they have some gas. The garage door of the house is open so someone has to be home. After walking around we find no one anywhere on the spacious homestead. All the pole barns are empty too. The wide open garage has a full gas can in it and after a quick examination of their consciences (at this point it is sunny and 70 with a nice breeze building so the decision becomes easier) the crew decides to "borrow" the gas can.

A hand written note of thanks and $2 is left with the can and the crew is once again on their way with only 15 minutes wasted. We pull in to Lake Wawasee and are greeted by our crew along with some very friendly club members preparing the dinner. They all chip in and get us on the hoist and heading to the start line in record time complete with bottled water and box lunches to go. Oh yeah, after unpacking the boat it is noticed both spinnaker bags are empty - maybe someone borrowed them back home? A quick spare is secured with a club sailor and off we go.

We got on the water and it was the middle of the second of three races. We get situated, teach our new crew member how to fly the chute while race 2 is finishing and we are ready to race. Lake Wawasee is Indiana's largest natural Lake and it has very clear water. The wind on Saturday was quite light, maybe 3-6 at best. We got a crummy start getting gas from 18 other boats at the line. We keep pace with the pack and end up beating 2 boats. However, the distance of the fleet from first to last was remarkably tight for a 1+ mile long course in light air. The good news is that the boat is rigged and ready to sail the next day and we don't have to drive anywhere tonight!

The club house at Lake Wawasee is a special place. The original part of the club dates back to when Ely Lilly was a member and it was cleverly added on to about 3 or 4 years ago. We get a special tour from the regatta chair Jeff Smakl from Indianapolis. Jeff also ended up placing 2nd in he regatta. We exchange stories for the next two hours with cold beers in hand and by the time dinner is served and door prizes are given away, the plight of our trip has exaggerated versions being told and I win a special coveted 1999 Hoosier regatta T shirt and a hearty round of applause from the regatta participants.

Sunday races were also light wind. Started out maybe at 5 and occasionally got to 8 with light spots in between. We started getting the hang of getting good boat speed at the start with a large fleet. We hit one start really well only to have a general recall. I had experienced the wind shadows of a large fleet at Pontiac and it is a challenge to work through.

Although we didn't race our best, we learned a lot and the venue for sailing could not be better. Our hosts from the club were extremely nice and committed to putting on an excellent regatta. They also insist that all people traveling get free accommodations and our host couple, Mert and Judy Wolf, were very accommodating. We along with one boat from North Cape were the only Michigan boats represented and we pledged to return and hopefully will convince some other Lansing sailors to join us next year.

Sunfish Wanted

Lift and "Oh m" are Donated

Susanna Tellschow Sails "Oh m" in a recent race

Ron and Jane Marshall have generously donated their beloved "Oh m" to the Lansing Sailing Club for use by members. In addition, Lake Lansing residents John and Cindy Wycoff donated a lift that we are adapting for "Oh m". Having "Oh m" on a lift will mean that members whose vehicles don't have a trailer hitch will be able to easily use this great resource. The lift will be accessed from the North Dock.

Susanna Tellschow has already taken advantage of the opportunity to sail this new Club Boat - racing it on several recent Sunday afternoons.

Members who want to use "Oh m" will need just a brief orientation to learn how to use the lift, where to find and stow sails, and how to work with the boat cover. As with all Club Sail Boats, use is on a "first come - first sail" basis. To reserve "Oh m" for racing, please contact the Vice-Commodore.

Maribeth Fletcher On the Mend

Maribeth celebrating birthday in August

Maribeth Fletcher wrote the other day to report that she fell off a stool in the science lab where she teaches and tore the ACL, MCL, and other things in her left knee.

She is wearing a knee immobilizer and using crutches. Maribeth met with an orthopedic surgeon last Thursday and reports "I will have to have two surgeries. Monday I am having my MCL repaired after arthroscopy tells them the extent of the damage to my knee. Once I recover from that surgery (a matter of months), they will do the ACL and whatever other minor repairs are needed. It may not be until next summer until I am well enough to sail - just in time!"

"Jim is doing all my leg work," says Maribeth. "We miss being at the club and will try to get back as soon as we can."

Moody Racks Up Three Wins

Moody heads off Hurlbutt

Mike Moody took charge Sunday, easily winning all three of the Lightning fleet races. Ken Knight was back in the middle on "Moody's Booty" while Lindsey Vickers sailed in the front of the boat. They got off to good starts in each race and sailed solidly throughout.

"Wind Dancer" had the next best day with a second and two thirds. Chris Miller was at the tiller in the first race to record a second. Gil Chesbro took over in race two and Pat Dolan drove the final race of the day. Gil and Pat both finished third.

Blaine gets help from Doug Carlson to round up "UFP"

Blaine Severin found a third crew member in Tom Vickers, a Lightning sailor from Crescent. Tom Deits was the third person on board. Blaine went 5-2-4 for the day. Tom's daughter Lindsey is a Sophomore at Michigan State and is on the MSU Sailing Team. Blaine got off to a rough start even before leaving the dock as his "Unidentified Flying Pigasus" took off without a crew.

Larry Koster sailed "Shibumi" with newcomer Michael-Salomon Jost and veteran Terry Kleiman. This "Shibumi" crew recorded finishes of 3, 4 and 5. Merrick Hurlbutt posted a second in the final race to go with his 4-5 start in the first two races. To do so, Merrick and crew Adrianne Tuttle and Scott Watkins, sailed with a port side hole in their boat that resulted from a starboard-port incident.

For detailed results and standings, click the link on the "Racing" page of the LSC web site at www.lansingsailing.org.

LSC Volunteers Help With Cedarfest Regatta

Rob Linden and Lindsey finish a roll tack

Fourteen collegiate sailing teams from across the midwest participated in the MSU Cedarfest Regatta held last weekend. A number of Lansing Sailing Club members volunteered their help as LSC provided race management for the regatta.

Mike Moody was the Principal Race Officer, Doug Carlson, Mike Middlewood and Gil Chesbro were in a Safety Boat working the leeward end of the race course. Bob Miller, Alanna Harvey and Pat Dolan worked the windward end of the race course in another Safety Boat. LSC Member Bill Pratt is the MSU Sailing Club Advisor.

MSU sailors won their 2005 Cedarfest Regatta convincingly. For MSU, Rob LInden (06) skippered the "A" Division boat with Cass Hausserman (06) crewing the first six races and Lindsey Vickers (08) crewing the remaining eight races. In "B" Division, Mills Forni (08) drove the boat with Audrey Burskey (09) crewing the first twelve races and Tim Clark (06) the last two races.

Mills Forni and Audrey Burskey after a Saturday win

MSU's "A" Division scores were 3-3-6-1-4-2-3-1-10-2-1- 1-2-1 = 40. "B" Division scores for MSU were 3-5-11-1-1-1-2-1-DNF-5-4-1-1-1 = 52. The DNF resulted when Mills and Audrey capsized competing for a top spot in the finishing order. They would have had the boat upright and still finished in the middle of the pack except that their boat had an inspection port missing and the floatation tanks began to fill with water so a Safety Boat quickly stepped in and towed them to shore.

Pictures from the Regatta are on the LSC Web Site at www.lansingsailing.org. Click on "Pictures" in the navagation bar, then click on "MSU Cedarfest Regatta". Here are the final results.

LLPOA Elects Officers

The Lake Lansing Property Owners Association recently elected new officers reports Sandy Bryson, LSC liason to the group. They are:
   President: Bob Hollenshead
  Vice President: Joe Sheahan
  Vice President for Communications: Chris Dolan
  Treasurer: Dave Stirdivant
  Members at large: Chris Drobney, Vince Gebes, Mike Harvey, Mike Christie, Marv Johanson

Joe Sheahan and Mike Harvey are former members of LSC while Chris Dolan is the spouse of LSC Vice-Commodore Pat Dolan.

Sandy also passed on the report from outgoing LLPOA President Don Kaufman, that aquatic plant management was a major problem for Lake Lansing and other lakes throughout the state. Kaufman noted that a hot summer and minimal rain contributed to a bumper crop of weeds. Harvesting of wild celery was necessary because it does not respond well to herbicides. LLPOA will meet with Progressive Engineering this winter to develop a weed management plan for summer 2006. The harvesting of wild rice had no effect on e coli levels in the lake as was feared by some.

• Oct 9 (Sun): Merrick Hurlbutt, Paul Davis

• The complete Calendar of Events is on the LSC Web Site. Click on "Calendar"
• Tuesdays: Junior Racing/Sailing and Lightning Practice Day (Season Over).
• Wednesdays: Lasers and Sunfish Race (Season Over)
• Sundays: Lightnings Race

• Swedish Match Tour. Professional Match Racing at venues throughout the world.
• America's Cup Racing. Acts 8 and 9 will be held in Trapani from Sept 27 thru Oct 9.