Saturday at the Nite Nationals was a perfect combination of steady wind, sunshine, and fast racing. Congratulations to Chad Rechcygl who won the Gold fleet in a rather dramatic way and to Dick Grota, a literal Grand Master, for his Silver fleet win. It was an early-to-sleep Friday night in order to make Sunday’s first race scheduled for 8 AM. Despite my own groaning at having to get seriously moving before sunrise, it was the right call. Getting on the lake at 7 AM ensured that trailers were able to easily leave the landing before the ice softened too much, unlike last year’s Nite Nationals on Kegonsa where a bridge over troubled landing waters had to be deployed.
Lively winds and rutted ice put tremendous loads on the boats. Other than rigs coming down and a few mast failures, the competitors used good judgement and kept the racing safe. In race eight,Chad Rechcygl, who was leading the Gold fleet in points at the time, had something happen at the worst possible time, his hull broke. As the Silver fleet raced for the last time of the day, Chad faced the prospect of not being able to complete the regatta. However, Nite Class rules allow for equipment substitution. When Toledo Ice Yacht Club’s Alex Chabalowski finished Silver fleet race nine sailing in Nite Commodore John Hayashi’s canary yellow boat, Chad jumped in the boat for the last Gold fleet race, finished fourth, and won the regatta. During prize-giving, Chad credited the help he received from Tom Hyslop for his victory and what it meant to be able to sail with Pewaukee Nite guys Tom Sweitzer and Mark Prange. Another Pewaukee sailor, Dick Grota, made it look easy in both light and heavy air with his Silver fleet win. Also of note was the top female sailor, TIYC’s Anita Bersie Chabalowski, who placed third in the Silver fleet. I don’t think she ever stopped smiling all weekend.
The 4LIYC was represented with Daniel Hearn, Brad Wagner, Lars Barber, and Don Sanford. Daniel finished 3rd in the Gold fleet sailing Joe Norton’s boat. Brad Wagner, who is new to racing this season, won race four on Friday, placed fifth in the Silver fleet, and walked away with the top rookie award. Lars Barber’s mast was one of the casualties of the regatta but he was already making plans to check on the Sitka supply at McCormick Lumber this week for the next one. A big 4LIYC congratulations to Don Sanford who won two races in the Silver fleet and placed second overall.
Thanks to all the competitors, the Nite Class, the Green Lake Ice Yacht Club, John Hayashi, Joe Norton for everything, and to Todd Morgan who helped scout ice and gave a film crew a ride out to the course in his beautiful B Skeeter. A special thank you to Mary Jane Schalk who tabulated and published all the live results from the offshore office!
Don Sanford at the one block where it’s always busy with spectators and paparazzi.
Todd Morgan’s B Skeeter and Tom Sweitzer’s Nite ready for action. Photo: Jim Gluek
Mark Prange 550 and Mike Peters 544 battling it out. Photo: John Hayashi
The snow storm that rolled through the Four Lakes area is now headed east to temporarily cover up any sailable ice they may have. In the good news department, Joe Norton, the Admiral of Green Lake, WI, reported on his Facebook page that the “west end of big Green is still open! East end may blow out if wind comes up. We may have dodged a bullet!”
Co-PRO Joe Norton, event chair Daniel Hearn, myself, and the rest of the race committee of the DN North American championship are patiently waiting for confirmation that some of the only ice in North America is suitable for the regatta. If it happens, we’ll experience some serious seat-time as we drive to Fort Peck Reservoir in northeast Montana, a 15 hour drive from Madison (longer than a flight to Europe!) DN sailors from Nova Scotia, the east coast and beyond are driving west, taking the gamble that it will all work out. They don’t want to miss being part of something historic, the first continental iceboat regatta ever sailed in Montana. Where ever we go, I’ll post my personal updates here. Following along at the IDNIYRA and New England Ice Yacht Association websites.
Great Western Challenge DN racing on Lake Puckaway. Photo: John Hayashi
Lake Puckaway survives recent warm temperatures, rain, snow, and comes through again for ice sailors. The DN Western Region Championship is called on for Lake Puckaway on January 4-5, 2020. Go over to idniyra.org for the latest information.
We are calling on the Nite Nationals for January 3-5, 2019 for Lake Puckaway, Princeton, Wisconsin. The sheet of ice has held up well for all the conditions it has gone through during the past few days. Currently there is 6 inches of ice with about a half inch of water on top. The landings still have thickness and are solid. It has not been fully scouted or sailed since the weather events but will be scouted in the beginning of the week. We have another weather event coming in tonight (Sunday) into tomorrow which could make the decision for us. However, we felt an early announcement should be made. This will be a 2 1/2 day event with races starting at 1 PM CT on Friday. The final call will be Wednesday January 1st at 8 PM CT. Watch the class website and Facebook page for updates and NOR’s.
That is the question and the Nite class is not going to wait any longer. The general pattern for Nite Nationals has been to start the national regatta process in the third week of January. Though we have had great luck the last seven or so years with completing a championship regatta, Nite class board members felt it was time to make more options available. This means that the first eligible weekend to sail a national championship regatta is the first weekend in January. The ability to have those two extra weeks hopefully will open up new regatta venues for the Nite class which we have not been able to sail in the past. So mark your calendars now, January 4th and 5th 2020.
