Lake Erie Interclub Highlights

07-04-09 AS always the Lake Erie Interclub Cruise (erieinterclub.com) was the best of the best sailing events on the Great Lakes. Five days of racing, fun and seeing a lot of friends from Erie, Buffalo and our canadian friends for Port Dover, Port Colborne and Point Abino.

Day 1
We started off in Erie doing a 15 mile modified gold cup that had to be shortened due to dying winds.Nyanza was sailing in class c with the overall winner of the regatta, an Olson 30 sailed by Huntley and his crew....unbeatable in our class but so what, we were going for a 2 or 3. Great start...and upwind leg in 12 knots....
then it started getting lighter and lighter ans chutes went up on the first reach....we managed to pull out a 5 in class out of 12....20 something overall.
This was followed by the Longpointer Cocktail Party (Racers with 25 years)followed by a pig roast at EYC....great event good band.....

Day 2
This is the famous race from Erie to Port Dover starting at 0630 from EYC thru the channel and on to Long Point and the then Port Dover (Approx 43NM). Well Nyanza had a week start deciding to stay out in the middle of the bay...got to the channel and tried to carry it's moe along the north wall only to see 30 boats pass on the south side. I normally get out great...not this year...it was a great ride ...winds building 15-18 out of the South West...Chutes great ride...channel drubbing made all the difference....one more time 5th in class...mid 20's overall.Arrived in Dover, checked into customs and had our ceremonial perch dinner at the Erie Beach Hotel....I will match this perch against any in the world...little small this year at 3 inches....but delicious with celery bread and slaw and fries.....it's worth a trip to Port Dover to try this.

Day 3
The LOng Point Triangle...up to Turkey Poing...Bluff Bar and home....wind 15-18...Nyanza weather......up the shore, Nyanza took off and buried our class..with the local knowledge of shore tacking...turned the coner at 20 true and threwup the new 1.5 of Big N flat spinnaker ......short number 3 hitch to the mark...rounding and changing to the big 3/4 oz chute......flying downwind.....1st in class 3rd overall.
Margarita Party at PDYC followed by another Perch Dinner by Knechtels.

Day 4
Today was unusual for the interclub...we actually started the Dover-Pt Colborne Race in Dover with wind....Nyanza went outside....real smart......way down the line we came back in to consolidae with the Olson 30 and a Heritage 1ton.....should have stayed out but ended up with a 2 in class and a 10th overall....Had a great steak dinner in Colborne put on by the Sugarloaf Sailing Club.....all volunteer team...they sold probably 300 plus dinners and they were great....

Day 5
Last day saw Nyanza in 2nd place in class and 10th overall.....lots of mixing in the overall results....then as happens in the Interclub for Nyanza......disaster....
moving the line toward Abino with no wind the RC manages to get a race started.....windward leg 3 miles ith left over 2-3 foot waves and 4 knots of wind....Nyanza parked on the starting line...all the light displacement boats motored by...one tack up the leg we did not get thru...hobby...hobby...hobby..need I say more....JT tried, Tim Mehl tried and the captain got more and more frustrated....finished 9th and way back in overall....

Final results: 4th in class...20th overall....not one of Nyanza's best performances...oh I did not note we were penalized 6 seconds a mile this year for rudder and new jib.....need I say more.....We had a wonderful awards presentation at the BYC Boathouse where Grafitti took 1st, Lake Shark 2nd...two Erie Boats...
Congratulations to Ted Johnson who was awarded the Rhoades corinthian sportsmanship trophy.........A special event were I get to sail 5 days with my two wonderful sons...JT and David.

Our Crew: Cap Jim, James T. and David D McBrier, Bill Lillis,Peter Reyburn, Tim Mehl, Bob Becker Frank and Chris the Lizard (2 new young bucks).

Cannot wait for next year to have another wonderful time on the Lake Erie Interclub Cruise. (Pictures and videos under photos Erie Interclub 2009)