2019 Lake Erie Interclub

June 22, 2019  Lake Erie Interclub Series...........well it was one of the more interesting years as Nyanza tried to put a good crew together to complement a host of McBrier Sailors.........
Captain Jim, Jt McBrier and his son Alex and David McBrier (Lebron) and his junior lebron Will. .....add Jeff Eastman and Chris Lesak (The Lizard) only to find out that racing to Dover Sunday Chris did not have a current Passport............okay..........bring on too too tall Bobby Ryan Bruce 6'8"a very good racer from Chris Bloomstines boat Mesego who elected not to go. ...........
First day June 23 race in the lake in Erie..........a modified gold cup with 3 mile legs and no wind.....guess what...Nyanza took DFL...yah thats last place. Good way to start the 5 day series...don't you think. 
Day two June 24 we cannot start in the bay to Dover.........no wind..........finally started the race out off the Peninsula. Dying breeze......no way to make the time limit as we were 6 miles from Long Point at 11 am.........Nyanza being smart we started motoring and ended up on the wall at the Port Dover Yacht Club.......to stay in tradition we all  went to the Erie Beach for the famous perch and pike dinner. 
Day three June 25 we get the race started around 10:30 out to Nanackote Shoal........Nela Eastman on board also......wind getting
very light and Nyanza continues to lose ground. Make it around the corner and one mile up the course the wind died. Oh well....motored in early aand got a great dock for the rum party and fish fry. 
Need to mention.....Heather McBrier the event coordinator also had a problem...her passport had expired.......lucky she made an appointment at the Peace Bridge and got a new one....the show must go on. 
Day four June 26 saw 18 knots out of the southwest and its time for Nyanza to take off with her new Big N 3/4 oz. chute. We sure as hell did.....perfect start going balls to the wall..only problem we started with the class in front of us......wow.......so take it all down and head back for the line......spotted our class 5 minutes and took athird in class after sailing very well...its a joke though....1-2 in our class were J80 planning boats.......give us a break.
Arriving in Port Colborne who is there to greet us but Jim Whistler and his lovely wife Alice from Buffalo. Jim will sail tomorrow with us.
Day Five is another 20 knot day starting with a chute out to Seneca Shoal/ jibe and down to departure buoy in Buffalo and a big beat to weather to Point Abino......We did very well and took anothe third to the J80's. 
Finishing at the Canoe Club we had a great trophy presentation......Nyanza took two 3rd flags and took 4th in class and 14th overall. The highlight was that david was awarded the Rhoads Trophy.....the best for Corinthian Service to Yachting and the Interclub. The Cruise is 65 years old and it has been awarded 31 times.......we now have a father Son Rhoads....I received it in 1990....just a few years ago........it made me very proud since he has worked very hard on the Interclub for years..........Stoped at the Gregories hose and visited before Jeff Eastman and to to tall Bruce and I headed out at 11pm for erie.............some how his was not our year for the Interclub.......right off Abino light the impellor burned up on the engine..no wind/rolling old seas......had the spare impellor and yooman thanks to engineer Jeff Eastman who put in a new one in one of the hardest spots on this new Westerbeke I have ever seen......one hour  later....off we go to Erie arriving at 0900 at EYC.............NOT YOUR NORMAL NYANZA INTERCLUB BUT WE ALL  HAD FUN IN TH^@ND YEAR. Thanks to everyone who makes this happen. 
Check it out at www.erieinterclub.com