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Report courtesy Scowlines ILYA X Boat Senior Championship – North Sails 1,2,3!
ILYA X Boat Junior Championship – North Sails First!
The 2008 X Championship is in the books. The Closing Ceremony at Oshkosh, like the Opening, was full of ILYA tradition and sentimentality. Richard Beers of Delavan commented, "Each year we think we have the best event possible and each successive year the hosting club raises the bar." If one word describes our Inland sailing, it is family and both Junior and Senior championship titles were won by brothers. While Joe and Griffin Rolander had their win secured on Day 2 in the Junior Fleet, Davis and RJ Davis had to sail at the top of their game to win the Senior Championship. The awards ceremony culminated what many regarded as the best X Championship ever.
Davis and RJ Porter finished (with their throw out not stated) with no race worse than 5th. The seven counted races totaled 21. They beat out the Lee brothers who are second for the third year. Third was another Geneva boat, Charlie Morris and Mac Six. George Kutschenreuter and John Barr were fourth with Nicholas and Madeline Clemence in fifth.
Joe and Griffin Rolander complied an even stronger record than the Porters with a total of 15 points for the 7 race series. Good winds on Day 3 gave both fleets their full complement of eight races. Shown with the Rolander gentlemen are John Murphy, ILYA X fleet rep, and Fred Wester, Oshkosh Commodore. W-66, Eddie Cox with Cole Lee ended the event as junior runners up. Addy Ferguson with Hayley Jewett (Minnetonka) were third, Beulah's Kate Klement and Riley Schmidt were fourth and Cedar's Kathryn and Nick Rusher were fifth. The top five in the junior fleet receive those coveted Blue Chip awards.
TOP GIRLS: Addy Ferguson (second from left) and Hayley Jewett - Minnetonka -took the junior trophy and Katie Sacotte (far right) and Stef Leftwich - Cedar - took the senior title.
Haeger Hodgson Trophy. . . The ILYA presents a trophy to the highest ranking skipper 13 or younger. This year's award is presented to Beulah's Kate Klement with crew Riley Schmidt. X Boat Sails
Davis Porter and his brother RJ just won this years GLSS X Regatta by winning the final heat in the 5 race series. Porter is accustomed to winning as he is the current ILYA Jr. Champion. He is also makes his boat go fast – with NORTH SAILS. The North POWERZONE main and the X TREME Jib are the sails of choice for Davis and his brother. Congratulations Davis and RJ Porter on your big win – taking on 64 other boats and winning this big regatta is a major accomplishment! Contact our X Boat experts today for more information on our new X Boat sails.
X Boat Sails
Harry Melges and Andy Burdick were seen down south doing some winter sail testing. They were working on Melges X boat sails while working on the new the New 2007 Melges X Boat. The new 2007 PowerZone Mainsail and XTreme jib will be the feature for the upcoming racing season but they continue to work on and improve these current shapes. Making the fastest sails is an on going process that never ends.
Call or Email North Sails Zenda today so that they can fill you in on their recent findings and so that they can send you their latest X Boat Sails promotional material. Fresh information and tuning cards have just recently been produced.
Report courtesy Mark Bowers Erik Bowers, following up on X Inland and Inter-Lake Regatta victories, has just won his third major X Boat Regatta Championship of the summer sailing season. The 2005 X Boat Blue Chip Regatta was sailed out of the Cedar Lake Yacht Club August 12-13. Erik and crew Addy Ferguson dominated the highly-talented 30 boat fleet in the 5 race series with finishes of 1, 1, 2, 2, 2. According to Erik, “Our speed and pointing with the PowerZone Main and Xtreme Jib made us unstoppable. It’s been a lot of fun.” From all of us at North Sails and Melges Performance Sailboats, congratulations to Erik and Addy on an incredible summer of X Boat Championship Regatta racing. Contact our X Boat experts today for more information on our new X Boat sails.
Photo courtesy Stacie Carlson
Erik: Sailing for me this year started with spring High School sailing in 420s. I was co-captain of the International School of Minnesota’s team with Chris Loew-Blosser, my former X Boat crew from the past two seasons. Once school was out for the summer, my dad enrolled me in the Lake Minnetonka Sailing School Advanced Race Team programs for X Boats and Lasers. These two programs really helped me improve my starting skills, boat handling, boat speed, and racing tactics. By cross training, I was able to apply things I learned in the X Boat to the Laser, and vice versa. Lindsay Allen coaches our X Boat Advanced Race Team while Gordy Bowers coaches the Laser Advanced Race Team. Prior to GLSS, I focused mostly on my Laser sailing but still raced the “Flying Toaster” with Addy in MYC X Boat races where we won our season championship. In addition to attending Advanced Laser Racing Team classes during June, I also competed in numerous Laser regattas. Those included the Midwest Junior Olympic Regatta (finished 3rd), the ILYA Youth Championships (finished 3rd), and the Mike Plant Regatta (finished 1st). Once July rolled around, Coach Gordy wanted me to focus strictly on the X Boat. I didn’t even sail my Laser again until after the X Inland. After GLSS (finished 8th), we decided to go to the Oshkosh X-treme Regatta on Lake Winnebago (finished 2nd). At that event, we experimented with our tuning and a few other technique things. The X-treme event was a break through regatta for me. My confidence improved a lot because I got my boat speed and starts down much better than in the past. Addy prepared by participating in the Opti Advanced Racing Team program through the Lake Minnetonka Sailing School. In addition, she also crewed with me in MYC races and in Advanced Race Team X Boat classes. Addy raced her Opti in MYC races (finished 2nd in MYC Champs), and also crewed with her dad (David Ferguson) on their MC. You come from a family that has dedicated their lives to sailing. Can you tell us a little bit about some of those who have influenced your sailing and how they helped you along the way this summer. We all know about the talents of your uncle Gordy Bowers and your father Mark. How exactly did they help you prepare with their coaching skills? What were some of the drills and routines along the way that made a difference for you and Addy? Erik: Without question, the two people that have influenced my sailing the most are my dad and my uncle Gordy. I have also learned a great deal from my Advanced Race X Boat Coach Lindsay Allen. Harry Melges also gave some great input on X Boat rig tension, mast rake, and sail trim. Jeff Ecklund has influenced my sailing a good deal by showing me what else there is to do in sailing outside the ILYA, like the America’s Cup and big boat sailing. He always encourages me to sail as many boats as possible because you get the broadest experience that way. Most of the time, my dad leaves the coaching to Gordy and provides the financial, moral and logistical support necessary for me to compete. The two main things I have practiced with Gordy are start/stop acceleration drills and straight line boat speed. Gordy also stresses the importance of the mental approach to racing. He tells me to go into all sailboat regattas calm and composed. He also tells me not to get too hyped up and cocky when I’m doing well, and not to get too depressed and mad when I’m not doing well. Having either of these mind sets makes it much more difficult to sail well consistently, because the racing then becomes an emotional roller coaster. Last and perhaps most important, Gordy tells me that in big fleet starts I only have to beat two boats—the guy to windward and the guy to leeward. After that, the racing gets much easier. What other plans do you have for sailing in the near future? Also, tell us about school and other sports you are involved with. How do you mix all of this together and find that focus you need to be a championship sailor like you are? Erik: This fall I plan on again doing High School sailing in the Laser Radial with Coach Gordy. Last fall, I was the Minnesota State High School Champion in the Laser Radial class. My goal this fall is qualifying for the CRESSY High School National Championships. I also plan to sail my Laser at CORK, and crew with my dad, uncle Gordy, and Mike Woldum at the E Scow Nationals at Little Egg Harbor. We also plan on going to the Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami as a part of the Lake Minnetonka Sailing School’s Exchange program with the Lauderdale Yacht Club. As far as next summer, I don’t have many plans other than maybe getting a Melges 17, sailing my Laser, sailing E scows, and coaching X Boats at LMSS. I am currently a sophomore at The International School of Minnesota where I enjoy studying history, math, and science. Sailing is the only sport I do competitively anymore but in the winter I snowboard for fun. During High School Sailing in the Spring and Fall, I budget my time so that I can get my school work done. If I miss school, I make sure to make up the work. Unfinished school work can weigh negatively on your mind, and you might not sail as well as you otherwise would. Plus, my always dad tells me that school and being a great student are my #1 priority, even though sailing is a very close #2. Tell us more about preparation of your boat and sails? We know you used the all new PowerZone Mainsail and Xtreme Jib from North Sails One Design. Obviously you had the horsepower you needed for consistent championship speed. Give us some feedback on how important the boat and sails are as part of the complete package in winning a big Championship like this. Erik: I have learned that good boat preparation is essential to winning in any class. Before the X Inland, my dad and I wet sanded and polished the centerboard and rudder. My dad also took my boat to Melges Performance Sailboats after GLSS. At Melges, the hull was acid washed, and then buffed and waxed. I think that all these things add up to give you alittle more boat speed to find lanes and get off the line quicker and tack and cross oncoming starboard competitors After we put the boat together at Pewaukee, I made sure all the shackles, pins, and fittings were all tight and taped in order to help prevent any potential equipment failures. The last thing you want at the X Inland Championships is an equipment failure that takes you out of a race or worse yet, the regatta. This year, Addy and I mostly sailed with our rake at 20’ 10 ½”, or about half way between 20’ 10 ½” and 20’ 11”. The boat had less helm and we felt much faster than at the traditional 21’. We also had our side stays a little tighter than we’ve had in the past, and much tighter in a breeze. That eliminated jib luff sag in the puffs, and really helped our speed and point. We also found that the new North PowerZone Main and our brand new Xtreme Jib (bought just prior to the Inland) were rocket ship fast in all conditions. These new sails gave me the speed to break out of some tight situations over and over again during the regatta. In a big fleet like at X Inland, having a fast boat and sails helps immensely because it gives you a little extra speed that can get you out of close situations like crowded mark roundings and starts. If you can get away from those close situations, then you can go the direction you want to go instead of having other people control your race. Who are the top five sailors who have most influenced your racing to this point in your life? Erik: Gordy is number one (along with my dad) because he is one of the best sailors I know, and an awesome coach. Harry Melges is right up there for giving me some really good input into the X Boat this year, and just plain being a great sailor. Lindsay Allen has always been enthusiastic, encouraging, and helpful to me throughout my sailing career. Clifford Porter and Joe Kutschenreuter are awesome sailors who pushed me hard at the X Boat Inland Championships as well as many regattas over the years. I also want to thank my MYC teammates, and all the other kids at Geneva and Beulah for helping me improve my racing skills. Last but most importantly, I want to thank my mom (Susan) because without her none of this would have been possible. Thanks mom! Again, from all of us , Harry, Andy, Charlie, Buddy, Sam and myself here in Zenda at Melges Performance Sailboats and North Sails Zenda we want to congratulate you on the outstanding victory! Thank you for your time Erik and good luck with your future sailing!
Photo courtesy Stacie Carlson
Addy: I had never sailed an X Boat before last year. Erik and I started sailing together last summer in preparation for the 2004 X Inland Championship. We sailed in approximately 5 MYC club races and one 5 race regatta leading up to the Inland. I was the medium/light air crew. We won the first race of the Inland last year and finished 11th overall. We were excited about the win and we both thought we could do better in 2005. This year it was a different story. In the winter we planned the entire summer schedule, including practices, sailing school, club races and regattas with everything pointing towards the X Inland. We wanted to be totally prepared for all conditions and all possible situations. I thought crewing on an X Boat was going to be a piece of cake. But, when you are part of a team whose goal is winning the Inland, you have to commit the time and effort. As the summer went by, we got better and better as a team. Light air, heavy air, stormy conditions, tacking duels, long courses, big fleet starts and covering tactics--we did it all. By the time the X Boat Inland arrived, we were confident in our boat speed, boat handling and ourselves. We felt really psyched going into the Inland. You, like Erik, come from a very competitive sailing family. How have your mom, Lucy, and dad, David, helped you along the way this past summer. I know there is a lot of support there. Were they involved in all the coaching for you two this summer? Addy: My parents gave me a lot of encouragement. My mom, an experienced crew, provided me with a lot of emotional support and stressed the importance of practice, focus and having fun. My dad watched the races and afterwards gave me feedback on what I did well and what I needed to work on. I like when my dad offers advice so I can get better. He also explained things on the dinner table using utensils (salt & pepper shakers, forks, knives etc...) the whole family got into it! I would like to thank my coaches from Lake Minnetonka Sailing School: Jessica Haverstock, Lindsay Allen and Gordy Bowers for helping me improve a lot more in my Opti program which spilled over into the X Boat racing. I sail a full schedule in my own Opti. I also sail with my dad in our MC. So scheduling was something my mom and dad figured out with Mr. Bowers so that I could make it all work. I really wanted to sail all 3 boats as much as I could, but still be fresh by the time the X Inland rolled around. You had a 1,10,2,3,2,16,11,5 for finishes. In a 69 boat fleet that is really impressive. What were some of the conversations you and Erik had before and during the races at Pewaukee? Give us a picture if you can of how each day went and what your skipper Erik and you talked about on and off the water. Addy: First of all, thanks! We were pumped up about how we finished each day. Every morning, when we first arrived at the boat, I would help get the boat prepared for the races. Erik was already in his "game-mode" and was really only focusing on the races ahead. I gave him space to concentrate on sailing. Before the starts, we would talk about where we were going to start on the line based on which end was favored, where the wind was coming from, and which side we wanted to go to. Once the race started he would explain what we were doing and why. He did that so that I knew what he was thinking and could anticipate our next move. This helped me out a lot. What are your sailing plans for the future? Addy: I am excited to go with Erik to the X Boat Blue Chip Regatta next weekend and also to be invited to the Opti Blue Chip later on. I am going to continue to race my Opti for as long as possible. I hope to sail in National Opti regattas and to earn an invitation to compete in the U.S. National Team Trials. I will also be starting to race an X Boat next summer as the skipper. I hope I remember all the things that Erik taught me this summer. And of course, I will continue to sail the big MC regattas with my dad. I really like racing sailboats and I hope to race forever. If you could coach other crew members in the X Boat class what would be the top five things you would suggest they work on the most to be a championship crew like yourself? Addy: My biggest tips are: 1.) Sail the boat flat. Flat is fast, flatter is faster. 2.) Move quickly and gently in the boat 3.) Always make sure the jib sheet on the new tack is trimmed in immediately on the new tack. 4.) Listen very carefully to the skipper on the starting line regarding jib trim and 5.) Make sure you always have a good attitude and have fun! Addy, we are keenly aware of how important a crew is part of the team. From all of us in Zenda at Melges Performance Sailboats and the entire North Sails One Design family we congratulate you on your half of the contribution to the exciting 2005 ILYA X Boat Championship win you and Erik Bowers just experienced . Thank you for your time and good luck with your future sailing. Addy: It's an honor to have won the X Inland. My dad and grandpa are on the skipper trophy! Thanks for interviewing me.
Report courtesy Mark Bowers.
The Minnetonka Yacht Club/Lake Minnetonka Sailing School Advanced Race Teams consisting of Erik Bowers and Addy Ferguson sailing M-11, and Robbie Allen and Jack Carlson sailing M-44, clinched both Senior and Junior Fleet Championship titles respectively. It has been 35 years (a generation) since the Minnetonka Yacht Club X Boat fleet has captured both Senior and Junior Fleet Championships in the same year. In 1970, David Gluek was Senior Fleet Champion and Tom Burton was Junior Fleet Champion. In fact, only 5 ILYA member yacht clubs have ever swept the X Boat Inland Championships. Those include Minnetonka (3 times, 1968, 1970, and 2005), Nagawicka (1973), Pewaukee (1982), Lac Labelle (1985), and Geneva (1995). A total of 117 teams competed this year, with 69 teams racing in the Senior Fleet and 48 teams racing in the Junior Fleet. This years Junior and Senior Fleet rosters boasted one of the most skilled groups of young sailors ever to challenge for the X Boat Inland Championships. There were eight races sailed in each division on separate courses for a total of eight Championship races. This was the first time in the history of the X Boat Inland Championships that eight races were scheduled and sailed. One throw out was allowed after six races were completed. On Day 2 the wind clocked over to the ENE with a 5-15 mph breeze. That direction and wind strength on Lake Pewaukee is very shifty and challenging, with fifteen to twenty five degree shifts the norm. Erik and Addy finished 3rd in race 4 and 2nd in race 5. In race 6, M-11 got hung up on the windward side of the midline start boat and had to gybe around to restart. They came back strong passing 53 boats to finish 16th, and followed that up with an 11th in race 7. At the end of day 2 and 7 races, Erik and Addy were in 2nd place overall, only one point out of first. On the Junior Fleet course, Robbie and Jack finished 8th in race 5, 24th in race 6, and 6th in race 8. Junior Fleet race 7 scheduled on day 2 was abandoned, and would be re-sailed as the final race on day 3. At the conclusion of racing on day 2, the M-44 was tied for 3rd overall, just seven points out of the Junior Fleet lead. Conditions on the Junior Fleet course were flat with no breeze for the start of race 7 which was abandoned on day 2, and re-sailed on day 3 as the final race. The pre-start drama was high with no less than four boats having a shot at the title. They under went postponement for awhile but finally got a start off around 11am. Robbie and Jack were seven points back in third overall, tied with Harris Buddig sailing I-59. They both trailed the leader, Robbie Johnson, sailing OO-11. Christopher Banholzer sailing K-505 was second, only four points behind Johnson. At the start, M-44 and OO-11 came off the windward end while K-505 and I-59 came off the leeward end. At the weather mark, Robbie and Jack rounded 3rd, followed by Robbie Johnson in 5th, Harris Buddig in 8th, and Christopher Banholzer in 19th. Under the extremely shifty conditions, the positions were changing by the second. At the second weather mark, Robbie and Jack had fallen back to 6th, I-59 was 7th, K-505 moved up to 8th, and OO-11 faded to 13th. M-44 passed two boats downwind and came through the gates in 4th. Robbie and Jack passed one more boat upwind to finish 3rd in race 7 and claim Junior Fleet X Boat Inland Champion status with 39 total points, a two point gap over Banhholzer in K-505 who finished 8th in the last race and second overall. OO-11 finished 13th in race 7 and third overall, three points behind M-44. I-59 finished 7th in race 7 and 4th overall, four points off the pace. In the end, it was a clean sweep for the Minnetonka X Boat Fleet. The Principle Race Officers and support race management staffs of both fleets did an outstanding job to complete all eight races in challenging conditions. Mr. Terry Bishoff on the Junior course, and Mr. Chip Mann on the Senior course conducted all races in a highly professional manner. Special thanks to Commodore Howie Halaska and the entire Pewaukee Yacht Club for a job well done. The 2006 Inland Lakes Yachting Association X Boat Championships will be hosted by the Minnetonka Yacht Club, so mark your calendars now.
NORTH FACTS: Erik and Addy sported the brand new North PowerZone mainsail and North Xtreme Jib which really helped their speed and pointing. Congratulations to Erik and Addy Ferguson-winning the X ILYA Champs is a very prestigious thing! These newly designed North X Boat Sails won 6 of the 8 ILYA championship races - now that is dominating speed. These new sails are fast - you better have the new Norths on your X boat for 2006! North Sails Zenda also donated two brand new Xtreme jibs for the final award raffle. For full speed - get North Sails on your X boat! PowerZone Main and Xtreme jib = Speed! Contact our X Boat experts today for more information on our new X Boat sails.
See also: Interview with 2003 champion Zachary Hester By Eric Hood
Commodore Dennis Menasco along with regatta co-chairs Maureen Berkowitz and past D.L.Y.C. commodore Richard Beers welcomed the large group this past Wednesday during opening ceremonies that also included a seminar from Melges Boat Works and Andy Burdick. 147 teams with 66 teams in the Senior division and 71 teams in the Junior division participated this year. I have been involved with junior sailing for a long time and it sure felt good to see how far our I.L.Y.A. youth sailors have come over the last ten years. The I.L.Y.A., the development committees, sailing schools and coaches have a lot to be proud of. Just watching how the young sailors handled the big winds this past week was really exciting. From front to back of the fleets all of the teams are really sailing well. I predict we will see a lot of young sailors from this group sail to the top of our sport in the years to come.
Day 1 saw one very light air race testing the mental toughness and skills of our X Boat teams. Day 2 saw one medium-heavy air and two heavy air races. Day 3 today races were cancelled due to high winds. PROs Chip Mann and Jack Stritt postponed for a while with hopes the winds would calm slightly but it became apparent this would not happen. The regatta finally called official and over just before lunch today. Here are some results and race winners from the Senior Division. Top Ten – Senior Division – 66 boats M1 – X1 – Zachary Hester and Adelaide Hester 2-5-1-4 =
12 Here are the race winners and top ten from the Junior Division Top Ten Junior Division – 71 boats B11 – Fiddis – Anne Haeger and Lindsey Kent 3-3-3-10 =
19
Special thanks to Larry Kmiecik who handled all of the scoring duties. Complete scores: Juniors || Seniors Also, special thanks to Lois Stritt, Barb Miller and their teams who ran the food services program for the 400 people in attendance. Nice job to all of the young sailors. Your skills are at a very high level and you should be proud of your accomplishments. Keep up your practice, work hard and focus when racing, listen and learn from your coaches. That is all for now from Delavan Yacht Club and the 2003 Inland Yachting Association X Boat Championships.
2003 INLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS By Eric Hood Interview: Zachary
Hester
EH - Tell us about your sailing season leading up to the championship held this past week at Lake Delavan. How often have you been club racing and what kind of practice schedule did you maintain? ZH - Near the end of the spring high school 420 season, I sat down with my coach and scheduled my summer sailing. I decided to focus on the Laser Radial in June leading up to the ILYA Youth Championship and the X-Boat in July finishing with the Inland Championship. During May, June and July, I participated in the Minnetonka Yacht Club X-Boat races when I was not sailing in regattas. EH - How many years have you been sailing the X Boat? ZH - I crewed for my oldest brother on an X-Boat for a year before I began to skipper in 2000. EH - Who were some of the people who influenced your sailing and your sailing success? What influence and how much help did you find from sailing school and your instructors? ZH - Cappy Capper, head of the Lake Minnetonka Sailing School, has
brought in great coaches like Zak Fanberg, Eric Oppen and Tim Krech.
I
have also participated in clinics offered by Bill Allen and Gordy Bowers EH - I have noticed from pictures I have seen of your club racing and the championships that you have had a couple of different crew members. Tell us about your team members and what you think is important when it comes to selecting the perfect crew. Also, what was your combined weight for the championship series? ZH - My sister, Adelaide, has always been my main crew, but I have
had
various friends, neighbors and a visitor from Sweden fill in for her
when she had other commitments. But my sister has always sailed the EH - You seemed to sail with a lot of confidence at the Inlands this year. Whether it was the light air race or the heavy stuff you were fast and had the ability to pass seemingly at will. Tell us about your mental preparation for the championship. ZH - After coming close to winning in 2002, I approached the 2003
Inland
with the attitude that I was going to do my best, stay focused and
have
fun. I always made sure that my boat was properly rigged. Once racing EH - How about your boat preparation? What do you feel is important for prepping a X Boat for championship sailing? ZH - We have always kept our X-Boat in great shape. Before every
regatta we wash and polish the bottom and check the mast rake and side
stay tension. Each morning before racing I brought my boat over to
the EH - How about your sails? Tell us more about your choice of sails and what you think is most important when it comes to sail trim in big fleet sailing like the Inland X boat Championships. ZH - I had three sets of North sails for my X-Boat. I used one for
sailing school and MYC races, another for non-Inland regattas and a
2002
set for the 2002 and 2003 Inlands. Working with my coach I had marked EH - We saw you restart race 3 when you were over within a minute
to go
on the start. Smart move on your part for sure. You went
on to win
that race by a huge margin. Tell us what was on your mind from beginning ZH - I started race 3 a minute early by mistake but was able to reach
back above the committee boat just as the gun for the start was fired.
After rounding I noticed that I was lifted above everyone below me
and
in a position to gain from starting at the committee boat end of the
line. From there to the windward mark I continued to stay on the right
side of the course adding to my advantage. From the 1st rounding of
the EH - What else would you like to say about your season, the class, the championship, your team mate and what it feels like to be the champion in this tough class. ZH - This year I have been able to race X-Boats and Lasers and begin
to
learn how to sail the 420 for high school sailing and sailing school.
I
have had lots of fun and have made great friends sailing competitively Again, congratulations on the great , well earned victory. We wish you all the best in the years to come. Thank you for sharing your time with the sailing community.
2003 WYA CHAMPIONSHIP By Andy Burdick David Driscoll Wins X WYA - North Sails Power the Victory! Congratulations David on winning
the X WYA Championship. North Sails were the winners choice as North
X boat sails continue to 'represent'
the winners this Summer.
2002 INLAND CHAMPIONSHIPS By Eric Hood Interview: Daniel Thompson See also interview with Junior Champions Andrew Bohl and Andy Colombe
DT: I began sailing at the age of 6. My grandparents lived on Powers Lake and had an old butterfly. My dad would take me out on the butterfly and put me on MCs as a crew in heavy wind. When I was eight my dad taught me how to sail on the old butterfly and had me sail back and forth across the bay. When we moved to Minnesota in 1993 my parents enrolled me in sailing lessons at White Bear yacht Club. I started taking opti-racing classes in 1996. I have attended sailing school there ever since. In 1998 I began sailing X-boats by crewing for Andrew Keane. I sailed with him for two years and he taught me a lot. In 2000 I got my own boat and began learning how to control the much larger X-boat verse the optis that I had be racing. EH: Tell us a little bit about your long range planning, practice and preparation going into this event. DT: Since this was my last year I spent a lot of time practicing. I told my coach that I really want to take advantage of the time in sailing school. I told him that if said different later to tell me to keep going. I practiced Monday through Thursday 9 through 12. I also took five two-hour lessons with Gordy Bowers that were very rewarding and very helpful. He is an excellent sailor and a very good teacher. IU spent as much time as I could sailing and took the club races very seriously. I also crewed on a 420 so that I would be able to learn from my skipper and have more time on the water. I went to as many regattas as I could. I used these events as practice and to see how other sailors were doing. EH: What was your daily routine at the regatta leading into the first race of each day? DT: My routine at Inland was pretty simple. I wanted to have fun and to do well. I got to the event early and made sure my boat was totally ready before the mad rush of boats started. I then went and had fun with my friends but got back in time to get enough sleep. In the morning I got breakfast at burger King and arrived at the yacht club about an hour and 45 minutes before the race started. When I got to the yacht club I got all my gear ready and near the dock. This way I could get it on a taxi boat with ease. Than I sat on the end of the dock for about 20 minutes watching what the wind was doing. Next I made sure my crew was ready. I always try to make sure he is happy and having fun. The most important thing I did was leave the dock with confidence and sail with confidence. I knew that if I could stay calm and confident I would do well. The last thing I did was to wish all my friends good luck. EH: Tell us about your crew, how you worked with them, your combined weight and where you positioned your crew along with your position when racing. DT: My crew’s name is Sam Madill. He is the younger brother of my friend Parker. He is eleven years old and very dedicated. He was my crew this year and last year. Before he sailed with me he had no sailing experience. I liked that because I could teach him how to do things the way I wanted them done. At first I just told him what he should do. Like trim in, sit out, or sit in. In sailing school I told him why we did each drill and how it would help in the races. If he made a mistake I told him the correct way to do it and why. Most importantly I made sure he had fun sailing. As time went on he learned to sail and became a better and better crew. Together we weighed about 225 pounds. I had him sit right up next to the side stay and I sat as close to him as I could get. In light air when he was on the low side he would sit as far forward as possible and I would sit right up next to the front of the cockpit. In order to sit that far forward and to be able to steer easily I bought a fatso jr. tiller extension and did not cut it down at all. It is a little long and made me thing about tacking more but it was definitely worth it. EH: How did you prepare your boat for the big championship? Is there anything special you did to prepare your boat for the event? DT: I believe a clean boat is a fast boat. I scrubbed the inside of my boat until it was spotless. I have tried in the past to clean the deck with a sponge or scrub brush only to destroy the brush or sponge. My solution is to power wash the deck. This works very well and does not require lots of labor. I than washed the sides of the boat with water and finished of the job by rubbing the sides and bottom down with rubbing compound. I than checked all the screws, bolts, pins, and shackles checking for damage and replacing any damaged parts. I also modified my Hiking straps to Dan Crears lay out. This kept my straps up off the floor and in an easy to reach position with out using a bungee that gets in the way. EH: What about your sails? How was your speed ? Could you shift gears in the changing conditions? How important were your sails , how important was teamwork, how important were tactics and race consistency during this event? DT: At Inland I used a set of 2000 North sails. I find these sails to have very good speed and I have lots of experience with them. I was able to change gears very quickly and with easy. I think that it is important to have sails that are not blow out but I don’t think brand new sails are necessary. As always teamwork is very important. If the crew can do all his adjustments by himself that the skipper can keep looking outside of the boat. Tactics were very important. The wind was petty shifty and it was very important to remain consistent. EH: At what point during the regatta did you feel that you really had a chance to win this event? Early, midway or towards the end. What was a key turning point in the regatta for you and your crew? DT: I really had no idea how I was doing after the third race. After the first and second race I was winning but after that I stopped counting. I think that winning the first race was very helpful. I proved to my self that I could beat all the people out there. This kept me going if I had a bad start and had to catch up. After the last race I had no idea how I had finished. I thought top three but had no real idea. EH: Tell us a little bit about the conditions and courses at Okoboji. The Seniors had 65 boats and the Juniors had 54 a great turnout. Did you use the other fleet to make observations about the conditions of the day and how did that help you? DT: I think that Okoboji is a very fun lake to sail. I think this because it is very challenging. When the Interlakes regatta was there in 2000 I had had a hard time getting through the waves and thus spent lots of time practicing sailing in lagre waves. Getting back to this year I think we had great conditions. The first two races were in 12 to 15 mph winds. The first race was a lot of fun because I noticed that the wind kept shifting from one side to the other about every ten minutes. The fact that we started late helped me relize this. The judges would set a line and then before they started a sequence it would shift again. In the third race the wind was lighter, about 5 to 10 mph, and large shifts kept coming from the right side of the course. It was very windy before the start of the fourth race but the wind died down a little during the first up wind leg. The last leg there was big shift from the right side of the course. The firth race was very interesting because it was the first race with major wind shifts coming from the left side. I did not use the other fleet at all because they were most often downwind of us. EH: What are your future plans for sailing? DT: In the future I plan on sailing lasers, 420a and maybe some MCs. I would also like to sail in collage. EH: Again, congratulations on your big win at the Senior Inland X Championships this year at Okoboji.
Interview: Andrew
Bohl/Andy Colombe
AB: Thank you Mr. Hood. I appreciate that. EH: Give us a brief history of your sailing career. How old are you, when did you start sailing, what club or clubs have you called your home club, how many years of sailing school have you attended and what other boats besides the X boat have you sailed? AB: I have been sailing for about ten years now (ages 5-14). I wasn’t that great of a sailor early in my career. I never even got a trophy at an Inland because, growing up on Pine and Beulah, I never really got a whole lot of big lake or big fleet experience. Between age nine and eleven I won some small regattas like the BOP’N (Beaver, Oconomowoc, Pine, North) three times and the Pine-Pewaukee twice. It was over the last year that the big picture started to make sense to me. My parents met sailing on Lake Beulah, so it was fitting that I started my sailing career on Beulah. We moved to Pine Lake when I was seven and hadn’t really gotten into Optis. Before we moved I had been a substitute crew for a lot of people but hadn’t had a permanent job. I crewed for three people (Mike Keoper X-10, Rorie Petri X-15, Carrie Petri X-55) before I got my own boat. I haven’t had a lot of sailing experience away from X-Boats. I currently crew for Augie Barkow on a C-Boat, I have fourthed on E-Boats, and, my personal favorite, I have seventhed on my Dad’s A-boat. These experiences have helped with my X-Boat sailing. EH: Tell us a little bit about your long range planning, practice and preparation going into this event. AB: I had a new crew this year, so I went out about 4-5 times before the season races started to practice and sailed both of the spring regattas (White Cap and La Belle Tune-up). Once the sailing season got really underway, me, my crew, and the rest of the Pewaukee fleet were sailing five times a week between season races and sailing school. My crew and I went out the day before the inland started for about two hours to get comfortable with a new body of water. EH: What was your daily routine at the regatta leading into the first race of each day? AB: I normally got up about two and a half hours before the race was supposed to start. I would shower, get dressed, and then eat some breakfast. Excluding any problems in the morning, we’d get to the yacht club about one and a half hours before the race. My crew and I would get taxied out right after the hour gun was blown off. We’d hurry up to raise our sails and get out on the water at least forty-five minutes before the race. We’d normally sail at least one upwind and one downwind leg before the race to check where the shifts come from. I’d check the line at least twice a side and look up the lake about three to four times before the race. EH: Tell us about your crew, how you worked with them, your combined weight and where you positioned your crew along with your position when racing. AB: My crew’s name is Andy Colombe. He turned eight at the inland and is fairly new to sailing. He’s in his second year of sailing Optis. We weigh about two-hundred and thirty pounds together. At the inland, excluding the last day, my crew was mostly on the low-side. I would sit anywhere from butt-over-the-edge on the high side to sitting on the hiking straps to keep the boat at the proper heel. We were always sitting as far forward as possible. EH: How did you prepare your boat for the big championship? Is there anything special you did to prepare your boat for the event? AB: I didn’t really do anything too special for the inland. I Tefloned my boat, sanded my rudder and centerboard, and pressure washed my boat. I checked all fittings to make sure they were working properly and didn’t exhibit excess wear and tear. EH: What about your sails? How was your speed ? Could you shift gears in the changing conditions? How important were your sails , how important was teamwork, how important were tactics and race consistency during this event? AB: My speed was great out there. I think that a big part of that was that my mast rake was always at least at 20’11”, if not at 20’10”. I think that my sails had a big part to do with my victory because I think that my Norths had a lot better sail shape and had much better bag when the wind lightened. Consistency was everything, as evidenced by my not winning a race and winning the regatta. Tactics were important, but boat speed was the key! EH: At what point during the regatta did you feel that you really had a chance to win this event? Early, midway or towards the end. What was a key turning point in the regatta for you and your crew? AB: Coming into this regatta I didn’t really think I could win. The goals I set for myself were to get to Blue Chip (Top 5) and to win a race. Though I only achieved one of my goals, I’m not complaining about winning the regatta. I really felt I had a chance to win it in the fourth race when Annie Haeger, the 2nd place overall boat was back a bit. When I took that 5 point lead into the fifth race I was very confident I could win. EH: Tell us a little bit about the conditions and courses at Okoboji. The Seniors had 65 boats and the Juniors had 54 a great turnout. Did you use the other fleet to make observations about the conditions of the day and how did that help you? AB: We saw a little bit of everything at Okoboji. It was very satisfying to win a regatta with such varying conditions. I tried to use the other fleet to determine what kind of wind was coming down the race course, but that only worked for the first day because of the wind direction. EH: What are your future plans for sailing? AB: I plan to sail X-Boats for at least one more year, if not two. I have a C-Boat that I plan on taking over next year and I might be sailing an E-Boat next year with two other X-Boat sailors from Pewaukee. My ultimate goal will be to crew on my dad’s A-Boat, but I have plenty of time to think about that. EH: Any other comments or feelings you would like to talk about? AB: I would like to congratulate my cousins from Lake Beulah, Annie and William Haeger, for sailing a great regatta. They really made the racing exciting for me. I would also like to congratulate Daniel Thompson and his crew on a great season and regatta. EH: Thank you both and congratulations to both of you.
2001 G.L.S.S. Championships at Lake Geneva, July 9th & 10th, 2001. (73 boats)
UM 11 leading the entire fleet into
the windward
M1 - Zachary Hester leading the left
group up the first
V700 - David Driscoll with his new 2001 North X Boat Sails
X-19 - Will Rosenheimer of Pine Lake
sailing fast
For more information on X Boat sails, contact the North X Boat experts. |
1st – Davis Porter
Erik, congratulations on your rock solid 2005 X Boat Senior Championship victory at Pewaukee. You and your crew Addy Ferguson were very consistent with four top three finishes and a race victory also in the tough 69 boat fleet. We know there are lots of X Boat sailors, as well as other younger and older sailors who would like to hear more about your summer of sailing leading up to this great victory. Can you tell us a little about your summer of sailing and how you and Addy prepared for this championship back on Lake Minnetonka in Minneapolis?
Addy, the X Boat is a two person boat and you were 50% of this great Championship win this year at the 69 boat ILYA X Boat Senior Championship. How long have you been sailing with Erik Bowers, your skipper? Tell us about your summer of sailing with Erik and the time you committed to practice and club racing in preparing for the X Boat Championship at Pewaukee?
The Pewaukee Yacht Club on Lake Pewaukee, Wisconsin was this years host for the 2005 Inland Lakes Yachting Association X Boat Championships held July 28-30. With over 500 sailors, coaches, families, friends, and volunteers in attendance, this year’s event was destined to rank amongst the biggest and best ever. Pewaukee Yacht Club has a great tradition of hosting major youth championships, and again put on a fantastic show from the opening ceremonies through the closing awards.
Day 1 saw a 6-12 mph breeze out of the WSW. Erik and Addy came from behind to win the first race of the regatta for the second consecutive year. They followed with a 10th in race 2, and a 2nd in race 3. M-11 was 3rd at the end of the day’s racing, just four points out of the Senior Fleet lead. In the Junior Fleet, Robbie and Jack finished 14th in the first race, followed by a 2nd in race 2. M-44 came from behind after re-starting to win race 3 with a tacking duel towards the finish that expanded their lead with each tack. According to Coach Lindsay Allen, “Robbie and Jack really stepped up in race 3. All of their training through our Advanced Racing Program paid off as they extended their lead with each and every tack. They even thought they were OCS at the start, re-started and still won!” Race 4 saw the M-44 finish 5th, placing them in 2nd overall at the end of day 1, only one point back of the Junior Fleet leader.
The stage was now set for some very exciting racing on the final day of the X Boat Inland Championships. Day 3 brought light and shifty conditions with a slightly moderate building breeze out of the ESE at 4-10 mph. In the Senior Fleet, Erik and Addy could finish no worse than 2nd overall regardless of what might happen. In order to win however, M-11 had to finish 8th or higher and beat Joe Kutschenreuter sailing B-3. Joe was the regatta leader by a point at the time. This was a very big challenge because Kutschenreuter’s worst race was a 9th up to that point. According to Coach Gordy Bowers, “Erik and Addy were very prepared mentally to compete for the title. Their boat speed, decision making and tactical execution were second to none. I was confident in their focus and determination to win.” At the start, Erik and Addy had clean air about a third down the line. Soon they tacked to port and were able to and cross all starboard tackers. Much to everyone’s surprise, Kutschenreuter was OCS from further up the line with a minute to go, and had to reach down to the midline start boat to restart and go. By then, Erik and Addy were gone, finishing 5th and winning the X Boat Inland Senior Fleet Championship. Kutschenreuter made a stunning comeback and finished 11th in the final race, and 2nd overall. Erik and Addy ended up winning by three points, with a total of 34 points over the eight-race Senior Fleet Championship series that included one throw out.
Delavan Yacht Club on Lake Delavan,
Wisconsin was this year’s host for the 2003 Inland Lakes Yachting
Association X Boat Championships. D.L.Y.C. one the oldest member clubs
of the I.L.Y.A. was established in 1892. Sitting on 5 acres beautiful
land this was a great spot to host this year’s championship.
With over 400 sailors, coaches, families and friends you need a big
place. D.L.Y.C. also has a great tradition of hosting major youth championships
and other major I.L.Y.A. Championships from the past.
We saw four of the five scheduled races sailed in each division on
separate courses for a total of eight championship races. Interestingly
we had different race winners which really speak well for the group
and the sailing skills of these young sailors.
Senior Judge Dr. Tom Hodgson gave us a fun awards ceremony assisted
by regatta co-chair Richard Beers and the I.L.Y.A.s Youth Committee
representative Candace Porter. Of course as always at all major events
the I.L.Y.A.s Executive Sec. Jim Smith was also key in preparing the
large awards ceremony.
Congratulations Zachary to you and
your sister for the solid Senior
Championship victory this past week at the 2003 X Boat Inland
Championship. The sailing community certainly would like to hear
more
about your season leading up to this championship and the championship
run itself.
EH:
EH:
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