Recap – Green Lake 2021
The weekend began like so many of them do a long drive, a rush to get as much set-up on our catamarans before the dark and mosquitoes set-in, followed by the traditional Wisconsin Friday night fish fry. Yes we love our fried fish.
Saturday morning was a beautiful morning to complete boat set up, though number of boats in attendance less than expected, and charge batteries on the both the support boats. It seems sailors have the hardest time remembering to turn off all of the electrical systems. Initially there was no real panic to get the support boats launched as the wind was light and spotty and only the most optimistic could interrupt the forecast as “adequate” wind for sailing. As the morning progressed and the support boats remained on shore, a few sailor’s couldn’t contain their enthusiasm and pushed off in 3-4 knots of breeze. These poor souls would latter claim there was good wind in the morning, neglecting the fact while out there they only had to stay in the patchy breeze vs sail around a race course. But it makes them happy, so who am I to say. Plus we need material for campfire stories after dinner.
Eventually all the motors where started and eventually Dustin, event organizer, spread the word that we would start a race. Claiming an 8 mph breeze. I don’t know if this was CRAW calibrated wind-o-meter, or if he was taking wind readings with the chase boat still in gear. Or a combination of both. Regardless, all boats pushed off and it was actually a nice sail out to the race course, sunny, not too hot, n ot to cool, a beautiful day. Well the wind gods didn’t play ball. The boat loitered around, Dustin’s arm went numb hold the CRAW wind-o-meter to the sky searching for breeze. Finally, at 3:04 pm the breeze filled, but it was just enough for everyone to sail back to the beach before shutting off for the day.
Saturday night we grilled burgers, roasted corn and enough an evening of food and drink around one of the best bonfires of the summer.
Sunday, finally a bit of breeze. Our race committee was early to bed and early to rise, they had the course set by 9 am. So the fleet set off to get as much racing in as possible. Green Lake is a great lake, but with the wind out of the south presents a number of challenges to race committee and sailors. The trouble is the depth prevents the RC from moving the weather mark away from shore, the hills and point make get around the weather mark a real challenge. Editor’s note: When I worked the RC at the Red Gear Championship in Florida last May we set the weather mark 1-1/4 miles for shore and we received complaints it was too close shore. This weekend the weather mark is 150 yards from shore. I think I will start a go fund me to raise money to buy Dustin 150 ft of nylon line. My goal is $25.
Regardless, we did get 4 solid races in on Sunday, weather mark was a bit of an equalizer, but everyone faced the same challenges. It would bunch the fleet at one rounding as spread them out on the second. Regardless there were passing lanes out there, unfortunately, Mike and I never found them, with 3 straight 4th place finishes. With a 5 to 6 hour drive ahead of us, and talk in the morning of sailing until 3 pm, and considering a 5th place finish to be preferred to 4th we retired after 3 races. And yet here I am writing this article. Where is the justice?
All in all it was great weekend to get together in late September.
Until we meet again, Brent.
Brent Carlson
