Oshkosh Recap 2012

First off a big thanks should go out to Dale Eigenberger for setting up this regatta on short notice and pulling it off as a great success. Also, thanks should go out to Karl Brogger and Deanna Rybka on the crash boat and the race committee for putting up with all of us and running our races. A total of five races on Saturday and three on Sunday made the first annual Crazy Cat’s Regatta well worth it.

The campsite was a nice, peaceful place for everyone to catch up and enjoy the woods. The only complaint about camping was on Friday night when the mosquitoes attacked every living thing. Welts and complaining arose Saturday morning. But in general, it was a very convenient and respectful campground.

On the way to the regatta, Wes’s trailer broke down. Fortunately they were able to get it fixed on the road and finish their trip to the regatta. However, a few races into the regatta spinnaker issues arose and they found themselves heading to shore early.

The entire weekend was plagued with extreme heat that made it uncomfortable not only to be in all the sailing gear, but also to be working on the boats without the relief of shade. When taking down boats on Sunday it became particularly unpleasant because a large amount of the metal found on the boats would burn your hands when grabbed or touched.

Skippers Guy Selsmeyer and Kurt Korte were the front-runners in this regatta by far. Each race they were swapping places finishing between first and second place in most cases.

There was also tight racing between Clay and Alex Selsmeyer and Team Hearn. At the end of Saturday they were tied. Sunday changed things, however; Team Hearn prevailed for third place after Sunday’s races.

Chris Blake competed this weekend on his new Viper for the first time. He will be one to watch during the next few regattas because his results are likely to improve as he tunes in his new boat.

Only one capsize took place this weekend on Saturday afternoon. Team Hearn tipped over when the wind reached its peak of about 18 knots but were soon back up and underway with minimum time loss during the race.

Dinner was held back at the campsite. Host Eigenberger grilled our brats and hamburgers; it wasn’t all that fancy and most brought a dish to pass. But in my opinion, it was every bite as good as a catered dinner.

Overall, everyone had a great time on Lake Winnebago with the top five finishers being (from first to last): Guy and Debbie, Kurt and Brad, Daniel and Frank, Clay and Alex, Brent and Chris.

There were a few special awards this regatta (made up by Dale) that should be mentioned:

Best performance by an Amateur Sailor – Dustin and Tassi DeFelice
Most likely to be Disqualified – Clay and Alex Selsmeyer
Most likely to Start Early – Guy and Debbie Selsmeyer
Fastest Spinnaker Douse – Nick Hatch
Person who needed audio race signals – Sean

Clay Selsmeyer