Sailing World NOOD change to Bayview One Design Regatta

The 2012 Bayview One Design Regatta on June 1, 2, and 3 brought more than a name change to an annual 3 day regatta that for ever was a Sailing World NOOD regatta and the start of the summer racing season on Lake St Clair in SE Michigan. Bayview also branched out to more traditional dinghy type designs but the Cals with 21 boats still brought one of the largest classes to the party although that is something we are used to as we attract between 11 and 16 boats for a Tuesday night beer can race.

To the Cal 25 holmebrew it also brought an apologetically written reply to my race invitation from my foredeck who said he would be participating in a warrior dash with a new girl friend (darn kids). This left us with three 200+ pounders and a combined crew average of 54 years old so it was determined that I would leave the safety of the helm and do bow, mostly because the strength of the fore deck will not support anyone else. That put Mark McCrindle on the helm, Mike DeLano, best friend and long time sailing partner at trim, speed, tactics and hot box (our winches are located on the cabin top so this position is REALLY BUSY!), Bill Peseski on main trim and Wally Tsuha as the utility infielder.

The organizers at BYC teamed up with the group at Crescent Sail Yacht Club to run Course Circle A, which had Lightning, Thistle, Express 27, Cal 25, Cat 27 classes. We decided to relocate the boat for the series to a local lakeside park only a few hundred yards from the start instead of what was at times a 90 minute slog upwind so this was our best tactical move all weekend and made it easy for all of us to get in/out without a long sailing commute to terrific course conditions.

The weather forecast was for some big breeze. On all days we had a couple of great opening races, with the 3rd on each day being on the upper limits. In fact, on Sunday’s last race, we had all we could handle. My team had a great time laughing downwind as we sailed the kite in 25+ except for the last run on the last day where I refused the set as it neared 30+. Sailing with such talented sailors makes this sort of racing so much fun. Never a nervous moment, OK, there was that broach where we wiped the Windex off the mast but other that that things went just fine.

The lasting memories from this series are too numerous to mention but the close racing from so many competitors in all conditions deserves a special shout out. If you have ever sailed on a course with small one designs in heavy air they, along with their rescue boats make a mess when they turtle especially around the top and bottom marks. New comers to the class, many who crew of high performance high profile boats not racing in the BOD come away saying the same thing; “WOW that was Fun! Why don’t we do that more often?” And my reply is always the same, “We do, every Tuesday night, please join us.”

J. David Holme