Situated just miles NW of the Minneapolis St. Paul International Airport, tiny Lake Harriet sits directly in the path of incoming or outgoing planes. Never had the sounds of planes landing overhead been so welcome, as flights returned to normal on Saturday, the first day of the regatta. "The sound of freedom" as American pilot and MC1850 skipper Andy Crowe so aptly put it. Camaraderie and patriotism were high as over 40 teams (C, MC, M, and X) gathered on a chilly Autumn day to compete in the DieHard regatta. Tran Alfrey, regatta chair, called for a moment of silence at the beginning of the skippers meeting, setting the tone for the weekend.

Head judge, Denny Lander, and his team did a great job getting in six races for the first time in the history of the event, despite light and shifty winds on Saturday. This allowed for a throw out, which was welcomed by all who had suffered the cruelties that Harriet can offer when the wind is light to medium (including myself, who went for a swim in race one). Competition was high, as the regatta went down to a tacking dual on the final windward leg to determine the overall winner. Many close finishes, including a three way photo finish for the top three spots in race five (won by local Bill Colburn) made for an exciting event. Other race winners were Stu Oltrogge from Clear Lake, Noel Neuman from Upper Minnetonka, and Dave Mott from host club Lake Harriet.

A great party was hosted by M sailors Bill and Susan Kirkpatrick on Saturday night, where our sailing "family" had a chance to swap stories and reflect on the week's events.