Vicki Palmer, Windward Leg Editor

windwardlegeditor@gmail.com

A Congratulations message from Doug Nelson, Pentwater Yacht Club who sent this message to all his fleet members. Please see the news release below announcing the awarding of the US Sailing One Design Club Award to Pentwater Yacht Club.

This prestigious award was awarded to PYC as a result of the nomination submitted by Chris Conroy, based on our performance of both the Ensign Nationals Regatta, AND the Sunfish Shootout. 

Speaking to Sunfish Fleet 218, I want to thank you all for your participation in, and your support of, all things Sunfish Fleet 218.  Great participation every week, new Sunfish sailors, junior sailors, Fleet 218 supporters, all around enthusiasm!

VERY SPECIAL thanks to Christina, Matt, and Russ Cross for coming up with the idea for the First Annual Sunfish Shootout.  What a great event that was, and I already have sailors asking how they can get in the mix in 2024.  The Sunfish Shootout was a big part of the decision making for the One Design Club Award.  Thanks to all who donated to the cause, sailed in the race, served on the Race Committee, and helped launch and recover Sunfish.

We have great momentum going forward.  Watch for Pentwater Yacht Club 218 Youth Fleet coming this Summer! Congratulations to each one of you for winning the US Sailing One Design Award!

Doug Nelson, Pentwater Fleet Captain

Pentwater Yacht  Club – Pentwater, MI

US Sailing has announced the winners of its annual awards for One-Design Sailing, and the Pentwater Yacht Club in Pentwater, Michigan has been named the 2023 Club of the Year.

The US Sailing One Design Club award recognizes administrative excellence, fleet growth, creative programming, regatta support and member contribution to one design sailing.   This prestigious national award has been given to some of the most significant sailing clubs in the country.   Now the Pentwater Yacht Club is among those who stand out in advancing the mission of US Sailing - to increase sailing participation and excellence through education, competition, and equal opportunity while upholding the principles of fair play, sportsmanship, and safety.

The PYC was recognized as a result of the following three activities.  

• In 2023, the Pentwater Yacht Club organized a highly successful one design regatta, the Ensign National Championship.  Thirty-five boats contended across three days on Lake Michigan in highly competitive conditions.  Leadership of the Ensign Class Association recognized the regatta as one of their best ever.  Over $15,000 was raised by the event which will be used to further sailing education in the community.
• 2023 also saw the inaugural Sunfish Shootout at the PYC.  Sixteen local sailors participated in a unique match race format that engaged the local community and raised significant money for youth sailing.
• The PYC, using its new building and facilities as a springboard, has created the PYC Sailing Academy as the means to develop new programming for both members and the community.  Participation in club sailing activities has increased substantially across multiple fleets as a result of these efforts.

On February 1, the PYC will be recognized formally at the US Sailing National Sailing Programs Symposium in Savannah, Georgia.

Thanks go to Gail Turluck for submitting this exceptional news for publishing in the Windward Leg.

WQ = World-Qualifying (requires Class membership and Class legal equipment)
 I – Invitational (must qualify for an invitation)

 … Here's what’s on the schedule thus far…

Lavallette Yacht Club in Lavallette, New Jersey

May 18-19 – Sailing in God's Country Regatta — on Lake Onalaska, La Crosse, WI

by Mark Kastel

Lake Onalaska is on the West Coast of Wisconsin. Very rugged. Missed by the glacier that smooths out most of the Upper Midwest (the "Driftless Region"). Unlike most Midwest lakes, since we are part of the Upper Mississippi National Wildlife Refuge, it's not surrounded by McMansions, each one with a cigarette boat and four jet skis (we hardly have any powerboat traffic). And it's beautiful with lots of wildlife. Truly a special place to go sailing.

I'm happy to report there was a high degree of interest in attending the La Crosse Sailing Club spring regatta this year with 19 votes coming in to participate from as far west as Lincoln, Nebraska, and as far east as one of our veteran class officers, Tom Katterheinrich, from Ohio, and one friend who will be there from Louisville.

When the dust settled, after all the recounts and lawsuits were resolved, we had more sailors able to participate on May 18 and 19 than the prior weekend (which included Mother's Day) — although it was pretty close. Most of the sailors said they could make it either week (maybe we would've had a bunch of mothers joining us).

At any rate, some of our club leadership favored the second week as the chances of having any spring flooding resolved by then, the later date, and having the club cleaned up and in tip-top shape were higher.

So please plan on joining us and encourage others in your fleet as well. It's a gorgeous spot in the Mississippi River Valley. Often, the wind venturis down the valley and we have better velocity and a more stable breeze than the surrounding Midwest. The lake is shallow and warms up pretty quickly and in May we have no weeds. The level of the lake is controlled by the Army Corps of Engineers lock and dam system so there is minimal if any current.

You are welcome to camp on the club grounds Friday and Saturday evening (if you're making it more of a vacation, and it's worthwhile spending some time in our neighborhood, I can help arrange for you to continue camping Sunday night.

We’re planning our usual all-organic dinner with grass-fed steaks and as much local ingredients as possible (last year we had fresh asparagus). If you need an alternative, please let me know.

I will be asking everyone to RSVP a few weeks before the event so we can make sure we have the right amount of food for everyone (I joke that this is a artisanal, gourmet meal masquerading as a regatta). All my sailing friends know that because of some health challenges I travel with all my own food. So you get to have the same quality I eat every day at least once a year!

If you have any questions, or need help in any way, please let me know. I've encouraged Leland to come up early or stay late as he's a cycling enthusiast and we have some great opportunities up here. But there's lots of other outdoor recreation and historic options making vacationing here worthwhile (Native American Indian mounds, phenomenal wildlife — were in the migrating flyway with eagles all year round, etc.).

If I don't see you in Florida for the Masters and Midwinters/Nationals, I hope to see you this May.

Mark

by Vicki Palmer

For those who have a Sunfish Fleet at your Club, here are some tried-and-true tips to share good, and even important, news with your local fleet members in the monthly or bi-monthly newsletter.

Bob Naylor of the Arizona Yacht Club’s Sunfish Fleet 749 wins our Editor-Supreme recognition who continually keeps his local fleet updated with important and fun news. We’d love to see more of you become Editor’s Supreme!

Recognize a Series winner - preferably with a photo, if possible. 

Congratulate someone who just purchased a new boat. Having a photo of this member sailing or rigging their new boat would be a perfect touch!

Introduce any New Members with a brief biography of who they are, where they learned to sail, etc.

Include Helpful Reminders

• Calendar of Events – Series races, major local Club event for all boats, local after-the-series social event, etc.
• Especially promote any upcoming major Sunfish Class event to be sailed at or near your Club and what they have to do to sign up. Join the Class, for example, if it’s a world-qualifying event.
• Encourage members to join ISCA/USSCA and share the website link to join.
• The importance of having a sail number and where to get an official number from the Sunfish Class Office.
• For those with an Adopt-a-Boat Program, explain how it works and where folks can sign up.
• Encourage fleet members to read the latest ISCA/USSCA Newsletter, Windward Leg, which contains Class news and might even include a feature about a local Club event.

Helpful Information

• Sunfish boat(s) For Sale notification – provide link, description, price, etc.
• Coaching/mentoring help available, and provide contact info.
• Share a tip just learned off the website – rigging tip, repair tip, etc.

A Most Innovative and Highly Beneficial Idea

October 1, 2023
 
 by Gail Turluck

Hueston Sailing Association closed its 2023 racing in an all too familiar fashion with the lake so full of wind holes that being in the back could lead to anxiety attacks and being in the front could lead to, uh, anxiety attacks. It was, nonetheless, a glorious day to be on the water as summer pulled us with its sweaty embrace into October and brought an anemic companion wind along for the slow ride.

The OktoberFast Sunfish Regatta did witness some lovely gusts that clocked in at 9.9 mph, but the dreaded lulls were numerous and nasty. Just ask those who got off to good leads in the three-race afternoon. One of those was Laura Peters who sped out in front in races one and two and appeared to be untouchable, only to fall into downwind crevasses where she watched the ENTIRE fleet sail down on her in one of those 9.9ers. Then in race three, Jerry Brewster, who must not have been paying attention to what happened to Peters in the first two races, soared out to a big lead in race three, aided by a windward leg where he was on the layline from start to mark. After leading that race all the way to the final downwind mark, he too succumbed to the stampede of boats coming up on him in a breeze and ended up in sixth place.

So who managed to manhandle all this windy/windless drama? None other than the season’s most dominant Sunfish competitor Brian Callahan. He parlayed what he called “three bad starts” into sterling finishes and took all three bullets. It wasn’t without some fortunate moments for him. In all three races he had to recover from those bad starts where he was nearer the middle of the pack than the front. In all three he caught the unlucky leader of the moment near the end of the race. In all three he somehow crafted a moment to exploit and won the race. An overlap, even by a small margin at a mark, can make a huge difference.

In the light air, some of those mark roundings involved eight boats! In a day of the blessed and cursed, there were some who glimpsed glory. Tom Katterheinrich, visiting from Lake St. Mary’s, ended up in fifth place overall after snagging second place finish in the final race. Bill Molleran, who holds the club record for most OktoberFast wins, sailed a consistent top four finish for third place. Peters, after putting up two threes, started at the starboard and westward end of the line in race three only to see the wind shift back to east and bury her even before the windward mark could be reached. Ian Mahoney, visiting from the West Coast, got his moment in race one with a top five finish as did Ken Wright and Kevin DeArmon. Newer Sunfish guy Bob Fletcher surprised with a sixth in race two and keeps flashing signs of great skill. Louisville’s Colter Bean got the Top Junior award. Colter came with dad Chad Bean. It was their second straight Sunfish regatta at our lake. Colter finished 11th in AuGusto! and 16th in OktoberFast.              

1. Brian Callahan, Hueston Sailing Association – 1,1,1 – 3
2. Mike Stratton, Hueston Sailing Association – 2,2,4 – 3
3. Bill Molleran, Hueston Sailing Association – 4,4,3 – 11
4. Laura Peters, Hueston Sailing Association – 3,3,7 – 13
5. Tom Katterheinrich, St. Mary’s Boat Club – 6,9,2 –17
6. Dominiek Everaet, Hueston Sailing Association – 9,7,8 – 24
7. Kevin DeArmon, Hueston Sailing Association – 8,5,12 – 25
8. Ian Mahone, Hueston Sailing Association – 5,14,9 – 28
9. Jerry Brewster, Hueston Sailing Association – 12,10,6 – 28
10. Chad Bean, Louisville Sailing Club – 11,8,10 – 29
11. Bob Fletcher, Hueston Sailing Association – 15,6,11 -- 32
12. Ken Wright, Hueston Sailing Association – 10,18,5 – 33
13. Charlie DeArmon, Hueston Sailing Association – 7,11,17 – 35
14. Stephen Cook, Hueston Sailing Association – 16,12,13 – 41
15. Scott Eversole, Hueston Sailing Association – 14,15,16 – 45
16. Colter Bean, Louisville Sailing Club – 13,13,DF – 46
17. Bob Taylor, Hueston Sailing Association – 18,15,16 – 49
18. Brendan Draper, Hueston Sailing Association – 17,19,14 – 50
19. Jackie Guntle, Hueston Sailing Association – 19,17,18 – 54

ISCA/USSCA Class Administrator

8070 Willow Tree Way, Alpharetta, GA 30005

www.sunfishclass.org    sunfishoff@gmail.com  404-451-7743