Sailing Regatta 2018

No Gusts, No Glory! AUG 18, 2018 RESULTS

For those of you who missed this year’s regatta it was a grand event, which was held on
Saturday, August 18 th , under partially cloudy skies. The conditions however, were ideal for sailing with
14km winds out of the north, gusting to 22km. It was the 15 th annual regatta on the lake and thanks to
additional entrants the most successful! Eight beautiful sails (the most ever) danced and darted down
Dickey Lake, in two different classes of vessels (mono & multi hull), with four in each division. Needless to
say, with these blustery breezes, this was the fastest regatta ever on Dickey Lake.

In the mono hull division, Brian timed the start of the race perfectly in his Laser, getting off to a
quick lead in his quest to be the first winner of both classes (last year he won in the multi hull division).
Most of the other vessels were slow off the mark, devoid of strong air. But the winds on Dickey Lake are
fickle, changing velocity and direction in an instant. After rounding the first marker in the lead and with the
rest of the field closing quickly, Brian tried to accelerate in strong winds, which capsized his boat. His
mast and sails were in the water before he knew it and all we could see of him was a hand, with a pair of
glasses held above the half-submerged hull. There would be no history on this day! Nevertheless
unperturbed, Brian righted his boat and completed the course. At that juncture, Rob Warden took
command of the race, steaming his windsurfer up the lake to win the mono hull crown. Rounding out the
field was Jack Warden in his Pico, Brian in his Laser and Michael Gertler in his Dingy. I really must pay
tribute to both Rob and Michael for their tenacity and for sailing their windsurfer and dinghy respectively in
such gusty conditions. But as they say in sports, no guts, no glory!

In the multi hull division, Danny Norton, competing solo, ran a masterful race from start to finish,
by getting off to an early lead, making good course corrections at the second buoy and concluding with
gusto, well ahead of the competition. Although the Curwood entry managed to catch strong winds down
the middle of the lake on the first leg and beat Danny to the initial marker, they were no match for Danny’s
NACRA the rest of the way and finished a distant third. There were however, two surprises among the
catamarans: the first was how well the Waltons (Scott and Orysia) competed (second place), given their
slow start when they just couldn’t find a puff of wind; and the second was how poorly the Gordon’s boat
performed (last place in the division, when they are often first). Some say it was because Dan reefed up
his sails, while those in the know say he was distracted and befuddled by Judy Snider’s string bikini,
tantalizing tattoos and curvaceous figure.

Naturally, there was good banter over liquid refreshments after the race. It’s always a pleasure to
recant timeworn stories and catch up with old friends. Later on, Danny Norton was presented with the
coveted Herb Walton Sailing Award, his to display until next year, as the fastest sailboat on the lake. An
item of note, was the fashion statement, set by Scott & Orysia by matching their apparel to their orange
sail colours. Perhaps an idea for a new award next year “Best Attire”.

We would like to thank all those who participated, Dan and Danny for their help in setting up the
course, the Waltons for being an excellent rescue boat and of course the Gordons for the use of their
beautiful beach!

Bruce & Eileen Curwood