CYC Home
June 25-57, 2010
By Wayne Balsiger
Novice skipper Susannah Carr won the Pacific Northwest Thistle Championship, and the local Star fleet also took to the water June 25 - 27 in CYC's annual Late Days Regatta on Shilshole Bay.
Late Days Regatta Participants gathered for a photo in front of CYC's Shilshole clubhouse.
The Stars enjoyed four races on Friday evening in a 5-7 knot breeze. The Thistles joined them on Saturday with Sunny weather and a 5 - 7 knot breeze greeted the fleets. In the Stars, Derek Decouteau beat Carl Buchan who did not race Friday while father Bill Buchan raced the boat. David Watt finished third, one point behind Carl. The Stars may use the Late Days regatta next year for their PNW Championship. This year the Thistles used it for the PNW District Championship.
In Thistles, after six traces on day one, new Thistler Eric Rayl led, one point ahead of past Champion Chris Gedrose of Portland and two points ahead of Susannah Carr, now skippering her own boat. Ken Lane left early for a family event he could not miss, giving up a top three position.
On Sunday another 3 - 7 knots allowed 5 more races. Susannah and her former skipper Alex Kimball (9th, 2007 nationals) found the correct path in the current to win the last three races and finish 5 points ahead of Gedrose, winning the Championship and Novice Champion trophies. Chris and Iain Gedrose and long-time crew Moni Lampe took the Larry Hanson Family Trophy for the fifth time (two generations in the same boat). Tacoma won the Fleet Participation trophy having the highest percentage of their fleet at Districts. Dave Bogue was honored for a hard-luck award when his mast broke the first day while launching and he borrowed Joe Burcar's mast for racing on Sunday.