High water, light winds – LORC Season Opener

LORC ABYC

June 7, 2017

Ashbridge’s Bay Yacht Club hosted the opening regatta of the 2017 Lake Ontario Racing Council season May 27 and 28. It was a challenge – the record high water cancelled the club’s outbound cruise (to create slips for visitors.) Customarily, the boats head back to the host club to celebrate and race on Sunday but this time the weekend was shortened to only one day of racing for most fleets.

Despite some chaos on the Twenty-seven boats raced on Alpha course, with Kevin Brown’s Notorious winning the IRC division, Brian Rutter’s Neptune’s Car prevailing in the Beneteau 36.7 fleet and Hey Jude, skippered by James Rathbun winning the largest division of the event, the J 105 fleet.

Bravo course featured the ever resurgent PHRF fleet of 30 boats, including eleven in the No Flying Sails (NFS) Division. PHRF 1 victor was Jim McGuinness’s Five-Fifteen, with Paul McDonald’s Vertigone victorious in PHRF 2. PHRF 3 winner was Looney Tunes, skippered by Wendy Loat (yours truly) and Nick Bailey. Roel Vanderwaal, sailing Ameila, won the hotly contested NFS division.

ABYC 2One design fleets on Bravo course included the Viper 640 fleet, won by Steve Conger in Zig Zag while Blair Dinsdale and the crew of Journey led the J24 fleet.

The party was excellent. Only the Vipers and J24’s had to get up early the next morning so the rest of us were able to enjoy both Paul James in the afternoon while the Suburban Outlaws provided the dance music in the evening. It was just like old times in LORC when the schedule was all one-day events followed by big fun parties!

Next up is the Royal Canadian Yacht Club Open Regatta with two full days of racing plus a pig roast planned on June 17 and 18. Check www.lorc.org for details and registration.

Photos used with permission from Ronald Miller Photography.

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