Recap – Oshkosh Regatta 2019

What do you do when a regatta gets scheduled over a holiday weekend?  You make a holiday of it.  So, we packed up the bus on Wednesday and set up home in Dale and Michelle’s driveway. Thursday morning, we headed over to the Blake residence for breakfast of pancakes and very tasty egg bake.  Then we spent the day lounging on Moose Lake later returning to Lake Ochakee for a spectacular fireworks show.  The next morning, we hooked up the convoy and headed over to Lake Winnebago, a whole hour and a half away, just like a local it wasn’t even a long enough drive to silently ask “are we there yet?” 

We set up the boats in the shade, drank plenty of water and did pretty much anything we could do to stay cool in the near 90 degree temps and high humidity and zero wind.  Who could have imagined the flip in the weather we experienced Friday morning?  Temps in the upper 60’s and 20 mph breeze out of the northeast on Lake Winnebago is not child’s play.  When the breeze blows the length of the lake, the lake enters the digital age, with tall square wave versus the normal analog sine waves of a large deeper body of water. When the waves are square and close together they become very difficult to sail as Matt and I found out with a crazy cartwheel while sailing to weather shortly after our first tack of the first race, who does that?  So, we righted the boat and sailed to shore with our tails between our legs to make repairs.  It wasn’t long before the fleet followed after the race committee postponed the second race.  Here is the carnage as I understand:  Brent and Matt capsize minutes after the start.  Dave Reese falls off and eventually capsizes.  Clay’s new crew fell off and was picked up by Dale, then transferred to the chase boat and eventually put back on Clay’s boat.  I believe there was one other capsize as well.

After a postponement to let the wind and waves ease a bit Dustin and Tyler reigned supreme after three races.

Saturday night was Dale and Michelle organized another terrific potluck dinner at the campground.

Sunday was a bit tamer. Lite and shifty Chris Blake was able to move up in the ranks.  Chris and Matt finally put it together in the last race on Sunday.  Our heroes from Saturday, Dustin and Tyler, completely choked in the light air (they’ll tell you it was mechanical failure.)  In the end Clay and newbie crew Matt finished on top. 

Brent Carlson