written by David Baum on July 30 of 2019 and read by 730
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Summer arrived! A tight fleet of 6 Solings from the Wilmette and Milwaukee areas finished 8 races over the past weekend in challenging conditions.
Fleet Captain Tom Elliott made all sailors feel at home and helped keep all on time and happy.
Day One produced medium winds from the SW with gusts and light wind areas crossing the course. The fleet faced oscillating and shifting winds all weekend which put a premium on steady boat handling. Dave Crysdale and crew finished in front after Day One and never left that position for the remainder of the event. Typhoon gave a terrific demonstration of upwind sailing as well as a few broaches throughout the weekend!
This was particularly true Day Two as the winds built overnight as a high pressure system in to the South moved slowly. Winds of 18-25 slowly building throughout the day strained the crews working hard to keep the boats in control and towards the marks. Skippers fought puffy oscillating winds, some finding a broach the best way to regain control… Gear failures (broken main halyard; broken tack, vang, and outhaul) caused two boats to miss one race each. Yet, we all enjoyed the speed and thrill of the day. We were all thankful for the big celebration at the Elliot's house Friday night to recharge sore muscles enjoying BBQ, swimming, music…
Day Three found three boats in close contention with two races planned. Winds moderated but the oscillations and shifts continued. Kennedy took the lead of the first race early on by keeping left and never relinquished his positions. This set up the final race to determine the overall second through fourth place finishes. Team More Cowbell showed speed early but couldn't keep pace while fighting the rest of the fleet. In the end, 834 and 818 finished slightly ahead of 768 with this being their final positions in the event. Congratulations to Team Typhoon for a spectacular display of heavy wind speed and grit.
Crysdale did have a slight advantage as he noted in the awards ceremony that he has been part of Race Weekend since he was 16 years of age! Many thanks to the SSYC race committee and volunteers.
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