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Results and wrap up: Warmth, a gentle breeze & southern color.

Catawba Yacht club, in South Carolina, is on a beautiful wooded peninsula that is off a cove on Lake Wylie.   This regatta used to be the “Old Brown Dog” but has been renamed as the Jim Cook One Design Regatta in memory of one of our best sailing friends.   It always takes place on a fall weekend with the trees starting to turn color and the temperatures being a bit cooler.  
Several of the sailors arrived on Friday, set up their boats and went to the nearby Model A Brewery for dinner. After they came back we were entertained with streaming Irish music and a pleasant fire in the club’s fireplace.  Some went out on the dock and saw the recent comet A3, easily visible with binoculars.  While we watched the fire Peggy Menzies and crew Katie arrived from Detroit.  We also had sailors from Mississauga Ontario (awarded the most distant sailors award), and North and South Carolina.  There were 13 boats in all.  

Saturday’s weather was a pleasant 60-70 with winds around 3-5.  Racing held some interesting moments where thought had to be given to how to finish with the other boats on the water – the MC scows.  Despite the best efforts of the RC, there were some kerfuffles with fleets starting and finishing at the same time.
There were four races run the first day.    A consistent highlight at this regatta is the after dinner musical entertainment.  From Ron and Jim playing sailing music on guitar and bass to the Karaoke after everyone has had enough rum.  Fun was had by all.

Sunday started with some winds around 7 for the first race.  The second race proved to be a challenge when the winds abruptly dropped off on the last leg of the race.  There were many changes in position as boats sat stranded.  The last boat finished with 12 seconds to go before the 20 minute TLE!

John and Mary Driver were first with great sailing both days, followed by Peggy and her crew Katie (who were excited to be trying on their prize Wayfarer knit caps on the drive north), and Jim Heffernan and his crew Lynn-Marie – who is always amazingly consistent in his sailing and can out-point everyone (and we still haven’t figured out how he does it.) 

Jim Heffernan was honored with the Jim Cook memorial award, for being a great and humble mentor to everyone.  

Written by: Uwe Heine & Nancy Collins