07/01/12 Wow..what a week it was.this year we had two nights in erie with a day race in the lake. Greg Eddins, my boat boy for this year did a wonderful job getting the Hink ready. You know...things like 4 coats of varnish and lots of stainless cleaner. After working registration..69 boats this year and an 8pm skippers meeting I went for the band inside EYC and my good friends jim and Susie whistler from buffalo. Morning came to soon with no wind...not a good sign for Nyanza. Race one..sat around for three hours waiting for wind...we wanted the race cancelled but it was not to be..five knots of wind..seven mile course..hard for the HINCKLEY..result was 5th in class and 30th overall. Not a good way to start the series. Heading for the club I attended the Longpointers Chairmans cocktail party at the lighthouse where my son jim was awarded his 25 year hat. To be a Longpointers you have to have sailed in the Interclub cruise over 25 times. Today Peter reyburn and Chris Wolford are tied at 48 times. Chris caught Peter this year. Pete has been sick and could not sail on Nyanza this year. He was missed by everyone but we sent him a lot of text. Oh yah.....this years crew...Cap Jim, James T, David mcBrier, Tim Mehl, bill Lillis, bob (beans) Becker, Peter Groh from Cleveland who is the purchasing agent at donjo shipyard in erie and Greg Eddins our BMW (boat maintenance worker) for the summer. Jim whistler sailed on Saturday with us. More to come...it gets better. Cap jim Race two was Erie to Dover...started out in light SW winds with the big N chute and headed for the channel. Never seen so many boats in the channel at one time. Doug Beers caught a few pictures of us slipping up the south wall. Almost made it all the way thru until we ran up against three small boats and had to sail into the center a stop. Finally got moving again. We made it past gull point and stayed high which worked great. Wind filled from the west and off we went. Rounding Long Point around noon we hardened up to 85-90 degrees with the chute and speed to dover doing 8 knots with no seas. Took Second in class and 9th overall losing in class to the laser 20 Outlaw. Hard to beat with a Hinckley. Race Three was a 24 mile Long Point Bay Race....a big down wind start followed by a close reach with chute to bluff bar and a 10 mile beat back. Lots of wind and Nyanza was flying being thisd boat to finsh, 1st overall and first in class. Wow. Definately got everyones attention. Very shifty on the beat back and we were able to catch every shift and stayed in sync. Those that did not got hammered. After a good Daquiri party and fish fry in Dover we were off to Port Colborne. Race four started in light downwind air....started to fill and Nyanza who was outside was able to head toward shore and pick up more wind. Dreemer who was outside about halfway up the course could not do it and stopped. Finished with very fresh wind and took a first in class and a fourth overall. As always we had a great steak fry at Sugarloaf marina and headed to our B&B for a good nights sleep. Race Five was another race with wind from Colborne to Seneca Shoal and back to BCC at Point Abino. Big chute down and a heavy close beat to the finish. Nyanza wins her class and takes a second overall. What a series...lots of wind which Nyanza loves, great crew work, no mistakes, great food...the traditional Fillet sandwiches cooked by Mike Preston on the Port Dover Race and great friendship. Just to sail with my two sons is a special treat each year. David said he is getting to old to run the fordeck. Cannot understand that. Pete Reyburn did it for 30 years. Final results NYANZA Overall 30-9-1-4-2 finishing 4th overall right behing Outlaw and out of the money. NYANZA in Class 2nd behind Outlaw. We needed a 17th on the first day to have won the Interclub.....all we needed was some more wind. It was one of Nyanza's greatest showing......Thanks
