Fickle Winds Don't Lessen  Enthusiasm during Last Race of Season

by Ken Conrow
Race Director

Despite fickle winds, the final race of the 2001 season was held by Blue Valley Yacht Club on Tuttle Creek Reservoir on Sunday, October 22. The race course was established at about noon with wind from the southeast at about 10 knots, but by 1:00 the wind had backed to ENE and fallen to under 5 knots. The course was reset, but the still falling wind caused a brief delay of the start to allow racers to reach the starting area. The upwind beat across the lake took a half hour in a very light breeze, but a fresh wind filled in from NNW just after 2:30 and had built to 8-10 knots by the time the racers had finished.

Competition was keen, with the first three boats finishing within 2 minutes of one another on corrected time, after an hour to an hour and a quarter of racing. T.J. Ciaffone and Vlasta Kunc took first in a Hobie 16, followed by "Bart" Bartholomew and Doug Gibson in a Clipper 26. Franz Samelson in his Laser got the cleanest start and led for a good portion of the course, but made third place on corrected time. Dick Bailey in his Mariner 2+2, Tom and Monta Manney in a borrowed Catalina 22, and Bob Duteau in a Hobie 16 completed the fleet, in that order.