Frostless Frostbite Regatta
Pass Christian Yacht Club hosted eight sailors in near picture perfect conditions. Spring temperatures in the mid seventies and 8-12 kts in race one were just what Gilly Chamberlain ordered to set an early
precedent. Hitting the early shifts earned him a short lead that he expanded at every mark, mirroring each move Bishop Stieffel made. Todd Edwards had a small problem on the last beat, capsizing and losing two boats. Todd made up for it in 15-18 kts in race two and three, manhandling the rest of the fleet.
Gilly opened up a big lead at the first mark of race four Sunday, but sailed 10 boatlengths past an offset mark before returning to round it - not quite far enough for Todd, in second at the time, to catch him. It just so happened that a PHRF mark, identical to our leeward mark, was about 20 boatlengths to leeward and left of our mark. Again, Gilly sailed away from the correct mark another 10-15
boatlengths and at the last second jibed and this time barely beat Todd there. He remembered the course for the last round and eventually won race four by thirty or so lengths.
Bishop finally saw his first lead in the regatta halfway up the first leg of the last race, and determined to hold on to it, began pounding Clinton Edwards back towards Gilly and Tom Mathews. This almost lost his only chance at a bullet as Gilly got by Clinton and nearly ran Bishop down on the last leg. Guess sometimes you can be too careful.
This was Gilly's first win since the class was revived in '94. Congratulations Gilly!
PL Skipper Total R1 R2 R3 R4 R5
1 Gilly Chamberlain 5.50 1 (3) 2 1 2
2 Bishop Stieffel 7.75 2 2 3 (5) 1
3 Todd Edwards 8.50 (5) 1 1 2 5
4 Clinton Edwards 13.00 3 (4) 4 3 3
5 Kippy Chamberlain 23.00 4 5 5 (DNC) DNC
6 Tom Mathews 26.00 (DNC) DNC DNC 4 4
7 Ann Edwards 28.00 7 (DNC) DNF 6 6
8 Melissa Warren 28.00 6 6 (DNC) 7 DNF