Fourteen boats tuned and checked oscillations for an hour Saturday while two squalls
rolled in, sending everyone to the beach. By the time things cleared up, it was too
late. The RC decided to call the races for the day.
Posting an hour earlier start for Sunday, three races were sailed in 3-15kts and shifty
conditions. In the first race, Clinton Edwards and Tommy Meric took 1 and 2 in a photo
finish with only about a foot separating the two. Race two was even closer between the
same two boats but for the 2 & 3 spot this time with Hank Saurage taking the lead only
150 yards from the finish line! Chuck Barnes from Orange Beach, FL kept waiting for
his break but the fours kept coming.
The last race provided several major oscillations, spreading the fleet out and allowing
for major gains and losses. Realizing a righty was coming in at about a minute,
Hank Saurage set up early enough to own the Committee Boat end, and lead a quarter of the
fleet away from the line in single file. Clinton and Tommy both got caught up on the wrong
side of one or two of the oscillations while Hank and Todd Edwards capitalized on
every hint that the Laser fleet could drop. Meric had stayed within striking
distance up to the last mark of a long Olympic Course, but fell victim to a major lefty,
losing five boats on the last leg.
Results:
POS SKIPPER R1 R2 R3 Total 1 Hank Saurage 3 1 2 6 2 Clinton Edwards 1 2 5 8 3 Chuck Barnes 4 4 4 12 4 Bishop Stieffel 5 6 3 14 5 Todd Edwards 6 7 1 14 6 Tommy Meric 2 3 10 15 7 Peter Sladovich 9 5 8 22 8 Ann Edwards 7 8 11 26 9 Chris Evans 10 9 7 26 10 Jerry Blouin 8 16 6 30 11 Johnny Potts 11 10 9 30 12 Jim Brunson 12 11 12 35 13 Steve Evans 13 12 13 38 14 EJ Gammage 14 13 16 43 15 Alva Carbonette 16 16 16 48
*note - the SI's changed the tie breaker to "Horse Racing" or who finished ahead of the other more times.