AYC Fleet 53 hosted a fleet of 24 sailors and guest for a Friday night party with live entertainment and a first rate dinner served up by the staff of Arrowhead Yacht Club. We had perfect weather Friday night with a beautiful sunset on the porch of AYC. AYC is a special place located on a point right in the middle of Lake Winnebago, MO. The Lake is one of the smallest on the MC circuit. Launching is from two ramps and we have a fantastic loading area. This little lake is a blast in all conditions and particularly fun in heavy air, which is common for our fall regatta. In heavy air, we just don't get big waves. Forecast all weekend for Heavy air so we might see if this is true. AYC 53 has one thing right every time... Free Beer and Midwest Hospitality.

Day 1

Forecast for Sun and 20 to 35MPH winds. We start racing in winds clocked by our PRO, Bob Cooley at S 18 to 20 mph. Bob is a life long friend of mine from Lake Lotawana and nobody knows more about racing sailboats than he does. We are safe with his sound judgment. The wind was out of the South and we were set for a W 2 1/2 with about a 1.3 mile weather beat. We had white caps, but as promised, relatively flat water. No swells to deal with coming downwind. With 24 Registered sailors, we had several sailors team up and had 13 teams on the line to compete. Fleet was anxious with a general recall 1st try. 2nd try, Aimee and I got busted with an OCS. Can see quite a bit from the back of the fleet. The front of the pack was tight and lead changes all the way up. The leaders went left early and back to the right about 1/2 way up. Harry and Michelle Drake were too much to handle and they won this one. This race was led by Bob Cantrell and Beth, Justin Adams and Gary and Ann Schroeder. Chuck and Tony Towell was at the front in his new blue racer, #1154. Winds gradually picked up and with gust to 25, we postponed race 2. Time for the good stuff, Free Beer and Falkengolf. This is a Lotawana designed time killer. Results of Falkengolf tourney;

1st place; Harry Drake and Scott Griffiths
2nd place; Mark Long and Mark Tatum
3rd and beyond; Nothing else matters.

More free beer and races cancelled for day with steady 35 mph winds. Off to Aimee and Mark Long's lakeside house for a free party, more free beer and margaritas. This margarita machine borrowed from our friends at Lotawana make 2 gallons of margarita's in less than 10 seconds. 2 Horsepower, nothing can touch it.

top 5 day 1
Drake
Cantrell
Schroeder
Adams
Towle, C

Day 2

Race 3

Forecast for Rain and 12mph winds. Winds at race time N 12-20. Another physical day. Short Starting line caused for lots of positioning. Left side of the course had more pressure and the right side of the line was favored. Justin Adams took off to a quick lead chased by Mark Long, Harry Drake, Greg Long/Tom Nitz Team and Bob Cantrell. Mark Tatum, Jack Schwindler and Scott Griffiths all close behind. Making efficient tacks got Justin to the mark 1st, followed closely by Mark Long. Mark Tipped over to weather with the first 20 MPH puff on the downwind leg. Mark was the first of 4 boats to go over in this race, but no prize for this 1st. Justin was smart and strong in this heavy air. He led all the way and Bob Cantrell was close behind. Both stayed safe and finished 1 and 2. They are two of the strongest and biggest sailors in this fleet. Breaking news on this one, the team of Greg Long and Tom Nitz made the right choice to team up. They had more boat speed than anyone. Problem with this boat was that there was so much hot air and smoking that the tactics were not focused. But, boat speed was great, look out. Now they know they are fast enough to win.

Race 2

Driving rain, white caps and N 18 to 20MPH. This stuff is awesome. Could not have asked for a better set of race conditions. Start was won by Justin Adams with Mark Long and Greg Long/Tom Nitz Chasing. If you did not see "The Crash", you heard it. Mark Long ejected, tiller broke, boat moving quickly on its side. Cooley to the rescue. Justin Adams was just too much on this race. He got in front and sailed smart and fast. He stayed away from the corners and in between the wind and the competition. Watching him sail you notice that he is flat in the water and not up and down in the puffs, he anticipates them coming and tacks on the headers. Today, the wind was shifting just enough require you to get in phase. Once you miss a lifted tack, you lose a boat. The lifts were more apparent at the North End of the Lake and you could see the leaders tack as much in the last 500 yards as they did the 1st mile of the beat. Fast today was full vang, Full Cunningham and traveler out. Boards 3/4 down on upwind was fast. Rain was fast. Broken tiller is slow. Greg Long/Tom Nitz team chased to 2nd place, great finish in tough conditions. They would win this regatta if they knew how fast they were in race 1. Just too much chatter but they had fun. Good thing about Long/ Nitz is that you always know when they are on starboard. Gary Schroeder sailed great on this race, very smooth. Gary finished in 3rd. Jack Scwhindler was 4th followed by Cantrell and then George Silvey.

All you can eat brunch buffet and trophies. Trophies are very cool polar tec fleece embroidered. Paulla Martin toughed it out for a 1st in women's. She is contender to win in any normal conditions, she was helped in race 3 by secret weapon, Dean Martin. He helped get them to 8th in Race 3. She is very important part of sailing in this area. She taught me to sail and several others in the area as junior sailors. She is regular PRO at Lotawana. A real Gem to sailing and a great person. Good Job Paulla. Equally impressive was 1st place Ancient Mariner, Aldo Mariotti. Aldo is a Winnebago Treasure, He is responsible for teaching most of the sailors at Winnebago to sail. He toughed it out today and earned this 1st place. He is a big part of our Midwestern hospitality and an inspiration to all. Keep it up Aldo. By the way ALDO is 120 pounds soaking wet and finished single handed.

A whole new respect for sailors. Getting out in driving rain and wind is as exhilarating as any sporting event can be. This was a tough fleet of Sailors.

Thanks to fleet captain, regatta chair, way's and means chair and social chair, Aimee Long for arranging everything. She put together a 1st rate event. Thanks to our Ski Club, Winnebago Water Wizards for all of the help.

Come and see us next year.

Mark Long
MC 1942