By Larry Hurst and the Waypoint Crew

The Sandusky Deepwater Race is an 11.6 nm feeder race from the Bay Point Rock (R-2), around the north side of Ballast I, to the finish near Put-in Bay. This is the lead-in race for the I-LYA Senior Sail Regatta. There are also Deepwater Races from Cleveland, Toledo, and Detroit. This year, Oban Skye with Jeff Biesenberger and crew, and Waypoint with Larry Hurst and crew, represented HBYC in the Non-Spinnaker Class. Winds at the start were 8-10 NE but diminished and shifted throughout the 4 hours of racing. Waypoint finished second on corrected time just ahead of Oban Skye.

The Regatta, three days of racing on various courses, started Friday morning with sunny skies and winds 8-10 N-NE. The starting area for the JAM and Cruising fleets was between Sugar I and Rattlesnake I. Oban Skye and Waypoint along with Slip Away (Hunter 37 Legend) were in Cruising A. Jolly Mon, with Mike Petsch and crew, from HBYC competed in Cruising B. The course was a 10.8 nm clockwise circumnavigation of North Bass I. We thought we had finished second on corrected time, but it was announced during the awards that we had finished third out of the three boats in our class. Reasonably sure this was incorrect, we requested a scoring review and we found an input error of the finish time. As a result, we moved up to first place. This didn’t last long. Slip Away, the boat that actually finished first found their PHRF-LE handicap rating was entered incorrectly. The end result was that we moved from third to first to second in less than an hour. No daily first award or pickles. We finished 9 seconds out of first. You start to think about what we could have done better.

Saturday the winds were lighter and shiftier. The wind eventually got so light, the racing was abandoned for the day.

The wind on Sunday was light at 4-6 out of the north but steady. The course was to be 9.4 nm counterclockwise around Rattlesnake I and Green I and back to the start. After two hours, the wind got lighter and the course was shortened to finish at Green I. On corrected time, Waypoint finished only one second behind Slip Away. Oban Skye finished third.

Overall, Waypoint placed second in the scoring and Oban Skye placed third. Jolly Mon placed second in Cruising B.

We had a great time sailing with good friends in good weather. Over twenty-five race and support crew came from HBYC to enjoy the racing and social activities.

If you would like more information on the regatta and how to join the fun, let me know.

Photo credits to Mike Petsch.