Beautiful weather greeted eight Thistles for the fifth Thistle Day of the
year. Racing was challenging in a light and shifty breeze that rewarded those who made frequent adjustments to keep their boats moving.
The races were tight with competition despite the variable wind and long courses. The first race had the lead change about 6 times before boat positions solidified on the second to last leg. Paul Kreitler and Erin Sherer managed with a little luck to be out in front at the end of the first race followed by Dick and Annette Bartz and Kit and Laura Holzaepfel. Dick Harmon and Sarah Geisman came in fourth followed by Ben and Brooke France in fifth. Bob France and Tammy Chapman were sixth followed by John Kittleson, Eric Snyder, and Zack Kittleson. Mark Hess missed the first race as he was showing his family around the lake in his Thistle. Also out on the lake for a tour was the Eiber family in 3010. Their presence on the water brought the total number of Thistles to 9!
By the start of the second race, the wind had settled into a more northwesterly direction that allowed the RC to set a course from 2 to 3. Mark Hess and Ann Filbert had a great start at the starboard end of the line followed by Paul Kreitler and Erin Sherer. The rest of the fleet wasn’t far behind and consolidated up the beat. Kreitler-Sherer managed to round the weather mark first followed by team Bartz, Hess, and Harmon. The wind direction allowed everyone to fly spinnakers downwind between marks 3 and 2. Team Bartz sailed fast down the center of the lake while team Kreitler-Sherer stuck to the rum-line. Bartz closed the lead by mark 2 and managed to gain the lead with a better mark rounding. The final beat had Bartz in the lead until a last minute shift forced team Bartz to tack while Kreitler-Sherer made the finish line on Starboard; securing a second first-place finish for the day. Bob France and Tammy Chapman came in third followed by Hess-Filbert and Harmon. Team Holzaepfel retired from the race, Ben and Brooke France and the Kittleson’s did not start the second race.
Following races, everyone met up on the deck for food and drinks while watching a summer storm roll by. Many thanks to the Interlake Fleet for running the races on Sunday.
-Paul Kreitler
Comments
0 comments so far.