West Coast Sailing Grand Prix

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The Go for the Gold regatta got off to a good start on Saturday with full albeit light wind across the entire course. Richard Leland displayed his lake sailing talent, hitting the shifts up the middle of the course and taking a large lead early. As he essentially walked away from the fleet downwind there was some good natured ribbing coming from Emilio Castelli and Chris Boome calling out from behind “Richard we are coming to get you…..” Mike Rohde was the closest to trying to close the gap but it was never a question that Leland would run away with the first race. “It was nice having a consistent wind, because usually I would have been concerned that one good gust from behind would take me from hero to zero.” mused Leland. Ultimately the top five finishers were Leland, Rohde, Jim Christopher, Buff Wendt and Chris Boome.

Race two brought even steadier and increasing wind allowing everyone in the fleet to be fully hiked out, which was certainly a treat at Scott’s Flat. Emilio Castelli quickly figured out that the right had a favored shift along the shore and although he didn’t immediately look that favored going up the long beat, a nice knock at the top of the course allowed him to tack to the mark with a significant lead over Leland and David Suder who were next around the mark. On the downwind leg, Leland and Suder duked it out with Suder taking Leland up allowing Wendt who sailed a lower course to slip by and take second. Leland finished third with Suder and Boome behind him.

The third race continued to have the same breeze as the second and Emilio continued his same strategy of going right and being the first to the windward mark. Wendt tried to give him a run for his money on the triangle course, but could never quite catch up. The two were close enough to talk about Jim Christopher coming straight down the course unfortunately having a great race, but having missed the jibe mark. With the temperatures in the high 90’s and everyone more than a bit sunbaked, Jim decided he had already done his triangle and was on his way to the finish. It was unfortunate because the withdrawal would play into Christopher’s results later. Top five finishes were Castelli, Wendt, Boome, Rick Raduziner and Leland.

The final race for the day saw a massive shift to the right. At this point in the regatta it became clear why this was the friendliest and happiest race committee most people had ever seen. They don’t change any course marks or the line. Ever. They operate on a “it is what it is” philosophy and are wildly amused by whatever happens as the wind rotates in a 360. So we all tried to start on a reach at the committee boat. Chaos ensued and we had our first recall of the day. After the second try, we figured out the reaching start and were off in much lighter and flukier winds. Jim Christopher after the last race was out for redemption and quickly took out Castelli going downwind after the jibe mark. Mike Rohde was third with Leland and Boome following.

Sunday the typical conditions for Scott’s Flat had returned and we set off in extremely light and fluky winds. The first two races were extremely long, hot and at times with no wind at all. We had a downwind start and were even sent on the triangle course. There were two good quotes that summed the exquisite pain of sailing in these conditions: Castelli upon seeing the triangle course announced “Oh I see this is going to be one of those races.” Then Mike Rohde commented as Raduziner called for room on him and Wendt as they spent ten minutes drifting by the windward mark, “It’s irrelevant, there are going to be at least five more restarts before this is done.” Ultimately Castelli and Boome won those two races. Christopher unfortunately had a breakdown which caused him to drop back to 11th and forced him to use the 13th from his withdrawal as his throw out.

The race committee had indicated that we were going to go in when the wind filled and they decided to send the lasers on one last race. After baking in the sun and drifting for so long this race was a relief and a great way to end the regatta. The right once again paid, but this time Christopher, again, won the race with Wendt and Castelli finishing neck and neck behind him.

Castelli with 11 points was the clearly dominant sailor of the weekend followed by Leland with 19 points, Boome with 21 and Wendt with 22 for the regatta trophies.

The Gold Country Yacht Club had fabulous food, people and regatta. They were extremely friendly and welcoming, so in spite of the drifting I’m sure many of us would come again as it was overall a very fun weekend with a great group of people sailing. Finally, the big discussion of the weekend was about Jim Christopher’s 80th birthday next spring. We want to have a birthday regatta, (on a lake of course!) to celebrate our dear friend and the fact that we all want to grow up to be just like him, a great sailor and impressive person both on and off the water. Years ago in master’s laser sailing the category for 75 years and older was “Olympian”. I don’t know if that was eliminated by the IOC but we think this category needs to be revived. Emilio voted for “bad ass” as that is how everyone at the table viewed Jim and anyone sailing a laser over 75. Dynamo and Yoda were also considered. I think we really need to reinstate this category with some name that exemplifies our most senior of senior sailors and to celebrate that Jim, at 79, is a serious threat, even in wind in his laser.