Good times, fluky winds and crazy courses.  Just another weekend in Atlanta.

 

Nineteen skippers from four states came to Atlanta to compete in the first regatta of the 2005 Dixie Cup Series, The 2005 Gone With the Wind Regatta. 

 

It all began Friday night when Skip and Linda Allen hosted a “get together” at their home for the competing skippers.  Munching on snacks, hamburgers and hotdogs, everyone had a great time talking about their lives over the winter months and expressing opinions on current class issues.  Cameron Hunt and Baron Bremer spent hours trying to swing a “ring on a string” across the Allen’s back porch onto a wall-mounted hook.  Cheers rang out when Baron finally met the challenge.  After 500+ attempts, Cameron walked over and placed the ring on the hook.  Of particular interest was the knowledge displayed by Rick Gerry regarding marine reef tanks and its inhabitants.  Skip has a reef tank in his home and Rick gave Skip a few pointers on some problems he is having.  For the remainder of the evening, Rick was personal guide to anyone who had questions about the underwater environment.  Rick you belong at Sea World!

 

Saturday morning brought stiff breezes and cold temperatures to the lake.  While skippers prepared their boats, Skip and Mo Metcalf hastily modified the sailing course to match the direction of the wind.  Unfortunately, like most days in Atlanta, the wind would blow from one direction and then move to another as soon as the course was laid out.  The skippers had come to race.  There was nothing else we could do so the course remained as set.  The skipper’s meeting brought out a few local rules that were new or out of the norm to the out of towners.  No mark judges in Atlanta.  Skippers are on their honor to accept hitting a mark or not.  Also, the upwind downwind course included a gate at the downwind leg.  The skipper could choose whatever mark he wanted to round.  Finally, we planned to sail one large fleet, 19 boats, for the entire regatta.  After racing one heat, it was determined that one side of the gate was exclusively preferred and the logjam of boats required a course change.  The gate became the bottom end of a racing triangle and the jam disappeared the following race.  Throughout the day, wind changes in direction and speed required the skippers to use all of their sailing knowledge and patience.  Starts included the normal beats, sometimes beam reaches and occasionally a downwind run.  However, because of the length of the legs, the fleet was spread out fairly wide by the end of each race.  At the end of the day, Chris Stater made the comment, “It was really challenging out there today, but, it was also really exciting.”  (I think that made the RD feel a little better about the all of the changing conditions.)  As the sailors left for a group dinner at a local sports bar, Reichard Kahle and Chris Stater were dueling for top honors with John Bottensek, Rick Gerry and Carter Cain battling for the next three spots.

 

Sunday morning was a bit warmer but with little to no wind.  Once again wind changes resulted in course changes and entire relocations.  Finally after the racing resumed, tactics, patience and a good bit of luck resulted in a few different leaders on the course.  Reichard continued to lead the pack while Scott Vernon improved on his Saturday performance with top two or three finishes all morning long.  John Rowley had a much better day on Sunday, as did Gerry Cobley and Dick Gerry.  However, by late morning, racing had become drifting and the idea of heading home was an apparent thought in most of the sailors’ minds.  It was time to pack it up.

 

 

After each skipper had competed in twenty-one heats, here are the final results and scores.

 

POSITION                   SKIPPER                                   POINTS

 

1                                   Reichard Kahle                           37

2                                  Chris Stater                                69

3                                  John Bottensek               97

4                                  Rick Gerry                                104

5                                  Scott Vernon                            113

6                                  Carter Cain                               116

7                                  Gerry Cobley                            119

8                                  John Rowley                             136

9                                  Dennis McInerney                     181

10                                 Dick Gerry                                184

11                                 Cameron Hunt                           190

12                                 Baron Bremer                            202

13                                 Pete Kremlick                            211

14                                 Doug Hale                                 216

15                                 Frank Angel                              219

16                                 Jim Donohoe                             248

17                                 Jack Shepard                           302

18                                 John Unterreiner                      302

19                                 Frank Schuester                       311

 

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