E-Scow Regatta Charleston 2016
Recap Day 3
By Naomi Van den Bergh
Sailing Director @ Carolina Yacht Club
Congratulations to Russ Lucas (BH-8), John Bowden, Elizabeth Mignon, and Sam Rogers for winning the 2016 E-Scow Regatta! The team is “really really happy” with their win. Russ took a year off from sailing and just picked up the tiller again three weeks ago. He sailed the Bulls Eye Nationals with his father, then attended Charleston Race Week and won the Melges 20 Nationals, and now to top it all off he wins Charleston’s E-Scow Regatta! “Each regatta was special. I couldn’t be more fortunate as I get to sail against my friends.” It is hard to find a more grateful sailor.
The last day of the 2016 E-Scow Regatta was perfect. The sun was out and we had 12-15 kts of breeze. There was definitely some tight racing today! “It came down to the last leg of the last race…” a slightly disappointed Robby Wilkins (SC-55) tells me when I ask him when he realized he lost the regatta. Will Hanckel (SC-22) started the day out well but missed a chance for a decent throw-out, and ends in 3rd overall.
Brian Gabriel (T-53) sailed excellent today with a 3rd and 2nd place finish, but due to technical difficulties wasn’t able to finish the last race. Petey Crawford (II-1) climbed back out of nowhere in the very last race with a bullet. “It has been a fun event, with tricky sailing. It was an excellent opportunity to learn,” says Kevin Jewett (GA-21).
Everyone seems to be tired and happy. Lots of great compliments were given towards the race committee again and to everyone who helped making this event great! Everyone is excited about next year’s event. It is believed we can double the attendance as many E-Scow sailors will want to check out the venue and get some time on the water here in Charleston Harbor before the 2017 Nationals held by the Carolina Yacht Club.
Many thanks to all sailors for attending this event and to all volunteers for donating their time and expertise. Until next year!
| 1 |
BH-8 |
Russell Lucas |
Bay Head |
1 |
2 |
3 |
[5] |
1 |
1 |
2 |
10 |
| 2 |
SC-55 |
Robby Wilkins |
Carolina Yacht Club |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
[4] |
3 |
13 |
| 3 |
SC-22 |
Will Hanckel |
Carolina Yacht Club |
2 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
4 |
3 |
[7] |
17 |
| 4 |
T-53 |
Brian Gabriel |
Toms River Yacht Club |
7 |
5 |
2 |
7 |
3 |
2 |
[18/DNF] |
26 |
| 5 |
H-88 |
Phil Zalog |
Mendota YC |
6 |
6 |
6 |
[10] |
6 |
6 |
5 |
35 |
| 6 |
CH-6 |
Ricky Turner |
CLYC |
4 |
[12] |
8 |
6 |
9 |
5 |
11 |
43 |
| 7 |
SC-3 |
Walter Prause |
Carolina |
5 |
4 |
12 |
[13] |
8 |
8 |
9 |
46 |
| 8 |
GA-21 |
Robert Hagler |
Augusta Sailing Club |
8 |
10 |
[11] |
4 |
10 |
10 |
6 |
48 |
| 9 |
II-1 |
Petey Crawford |
Wayzata |
[18/DNF] |
18/DNC |
7 |
8 |
5 |
12 |
1 |
51 |
| 10 |
I-88 |
Steven Lyon |
Lake Geneva |
12 |
7 |
10 |
[14] |
14 |
7 |
4 |
54 |
| 11 |
GA-87 |
Carl Horrocks |
ASC |
9 |
11 |
[13] |
12 |
7 |
9 |
8 |
56 |
| 12 |
GA-8 |
Ed Durant |
ASC |
11 |
8 |
9 |
11 |
11 |
[13] |
10 |
60 |
| 13 |
SC-8 |
Guy Mossman |
Carolina Yacht Club |
[18/DNC] |
9 |
14 |
3 |
13 |
14 |
13 |
66 |
| 14 |
LE-66 |
Mark Schneider |
LEHYC |
[18/DNC] |
18/DNC |
4 |
16 |
12 |
11 |
12 |
73 |
| 15 |
SC-27 |
Palmer Russell |
Augusta Sailing Club |
10 |
[18/DNF] |
16 |
15 |
17 |
17 |
14 |
89 |
| 16 |
I-5 |
Paul Lyon |
Lake Geneva |
[18/DNC] |
18/DNC |
18/DNC |
9 |
16 |
15 |
15 |
91 |
| 17 |
CH-1 |
Chris Creighton |
Chautauqua Lake YC |
[18/DNC] |
18/DNC |
15 |
17 |
15 |
16 |
18/DNF |
99 |
Recap Day 2
By Naomi Van den Bergh
Sailing Director @ Carolina Yacht Club
The weather Gods are giving the E-Scow class a run for their money. After heavy winds and chop yesterday, they are providing these sailors with light air and strong current on the second day of racing. The conditions were challenging once again. Mays Dicky (GA-87) from Birmingham, AL stated “The current was crazy, we’re still trying to figure it out,” as they are used to lake sailing.
The current was indeed a major factor today, creating a bunch of interesting scenarios at the weather mark. “We should’ve two putted the mark today,” Guy Mossman (SC-8) said after missing the layline by a hair and creating a cluster around the upwind mark, costing their team several spots.
The fleet was split evenly going upwind with a few boats playing the middle. Will Hanckel (SC-22) and Robby Wilkins (SC-55) were among those boats who played the middle and tacked on every shift, just like every book will tell you to do. They are currently positioned second and first in the rankings, so the proof is in the pudding.
The third race was abandoned since the current was overtaking the breeze and fair racing became impossible. The Russell brothers (SC-27) seemed to enjoy their time on the water as well as on land. “Today was a reward for the pain endured on Friday. We had champagne sailing for most of the day, and there was no shortage of good conversation on the docks.” They are looking forward to the cocktail party tonight at one of the old mansions on The Battery hosted by one of the Carolina Yacht Club members, “can’t miss the party!”
We look forward to another beautiful day in the Charleston Harbor with some tight racing guaranteed! The top 3 can still go any direction at this point, and there will be some other tight battles within the rest of the fleet as well.
| 1 |
SC-55 |
Robby Wilkins |
Carolina Yacht Club |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
| 2 |
SC-22 |
Will Hanckel |
Carolina Yacht Club |
2 |
1 |
5 |
2 |
10 |
| 3 |
BH-8 |
Russell Lucas |
Bay Head |
1 |
2 |
3 |
5 |
11 |
| 4 |
T-53 |
Brian Gabriel |
Toms River Yacht Club |
7 |
5 |
2 |
7 |
21 |
| 5 |
H-88 |
Phil Zalog |
Mendota YC |
6 |
6 |
6 |
10 |
28 |
| 6 |
CH-6 |
Ricky Turner |
CLYC |
4 |
12 |
8 |
6 |
30 |
| 7 |
GA-21 |
Robert Hagler |
Augusta Sailing Club |
8 |
10 |
11 |
4 |
33 |
| 8 |
SC-3 |
Walter Prause |
Carolina |
5 |
4 |
12 |
13 |
34 |
| 9 |
GA-8 |
Ed Durant |
ASC |
11 |
8 |
9 |
11 |
39 |
| 10 |
I-88 |
Steven Lyon |
Lake Geneva |
12 |
7 |
10 |
14 |
43 |
| 11 |
SC-8 |
Guy Mossman |
Carolina Yacht Club |
18/DNC |
9 |
14 |
3 |
44 |
| 12 |
GA-87 |
Carl Horrocks |
ASC |
9 |
11 |
13 |
12 |
45 |
| 13 |
II-1 |
Petey Crawford |
Wayzata |
18/DNF |
18/DNC |
7 |
8 |
51 |
| 14 |
LE-66 |
Mark Schneider |
LEHYC |
18/DNC |
18/DNC |
4 |
16 |
56 |
| 15 |
SC-27 |
Palmer Russell |
Augusta Sailing Club |
10 |
18/DNF |
16 |
15 |
59 |
| 16 |
I-5 |
Paul Lyon |
Lake Geneva |
18/DNC |
18/DNC |
18/DNC |
9 |
63 |
| 17 |
CH-1 |
Chris Creighton |
Chautauqua Lake YC |
18/DNC |
18/DNC |
15 |
17 |
68 |
Recap Day 1
By Naomi Van den Bergh
Sailing Director @ Carolina Yacht Club
Seventeen boats registered for the annual E-Scow Regatta in beautiful Charleston, SC. Only fourteen of them showed up on the starting line because the weather conditions were quite challenging and not all teams were prepared for this kind of breeze. With wind speeds well in the upper 20s, the conditions were pretty rough. Bob Hagler, GA 21, from Augusta, GA described today’s experience as “having the snake by tail”, meaning he barely had the boat under control. “We reached a boat speed of up to 19.4 kts according to our Velocitek”. They finished in an honorable 4th place in race one. As they were leading the pack in the second race, looking like they would round the weather mark in 2nd, they capsized and finished in 12th.
They were not the only boat to capsize today. Petey Crawford, II 1, from Detroit, MI was one of the other unfortunate ones... “You can’t win a regatta on the first day, but you certainly can lose it on the first day, and I did!” With a DNF and a DNC they are on the bottom of the results list today. He smiles his misfortune away as he sees another boat, Paul Lyon, arriving in the parking lot having stopped to visit his son on the way to Charleston. “How beautiful is this,” he says, “They just show up after the first day of racing, and I’m tied with them!”.
Russ Lucas, BH 8, from Bayhead, NJ is giving me some pointers on what works well on the boat. Conclusion is: “Keeping the boat as flat as possible is key.” Lots of compliments were thrown towards their closest competitor Will Hankel, SC 22, “He was hard to catch today. Their boat was so well sailed!”. Both teams are currently tied for first place. Russ is happy to see new faces on the water and to see the fleet grow. To put his effort in to grow the fleet he invited his niece to crew, Elizabeth Mignon, she’s a freshman at the College of Charleston.
Everyone seems to be very happy to be at the Carolina Yacht Club. Lots of great remarks were made towards the race committee and the regatta chair. Shawn Burke from Atlanta, GA said it best: “Tommy Harken did an excellent job, not only at this regatta but also during Charleston Race Week. Walter Prause does an excellent job putting this event together and of course the venue and the sailing area is unbeatable.”
| 1 |
SC-22 |
Will Hanckel |
Carolina Yacht Club |
2 |
1 |
|
3T |
| 2 |
BH-8 |
Russell Lucas |
Bay Head |
1 |
2 |
|
3T |
| 3 |
SC-55 |
Robby Wilkins |
Carolina Yacht Club |
3 |
3 |
|
6 |
| 4 |
SC-3 |
Walter Prause |
Carolina |
5 |
4 |
|
9 |
| 5 |
T-53 |
Brian Gabriel |
Toms River Yacht Club |
7 |
5 |
|
12T |
| 6 |
H-88 |
Phil Zalog |
Mendota YC |
6 |
6 |
|
12T |
| 7 |
CH-6 |
Ricky Turner |
CLYC |
4 |
12 |
|
16 |
| 8 |
GA-21 |
Robert Hagler |
Augusta Sailing Club |
8 |
10 |
|
18 |
| 9 |
I-88 |
Steven Lyon |
Lake Geneva |
12 |
7 |
|
19T |
| 10 |
GA-8 |
Ed Durant |
ASC |
11 |
8 |
|
19T |
| 11 |
GA-87 |
Carl Horrocks |
ASC |
9 |
11 |
|
20 |
| 12 |
SC-8 |
Guy Mossman |
Carolina Yacht Club |
18/DNC |
9 |
|
27 |
| 13 |
SC-27 |
Palmer Russell |
Augusta Sailing Club |
10 |
18/DNF |
28 |
| 14 |
LE-66 |
Mark Schneider |
LEHYC |
18/DNC |
18/DNC |
36T |
| 14 |
I-5 |
Paul Lyon |
Lake Geneva |
18/DNC |
18/DNC |
36T |
| 14 |
CH-1 |
Chris Creighton |
Chautauqua Lake YC |
18/DNC |
18/DNC |
36T |
| 14 |
II-1 |
Petey Crawford |
Wayzata |
18/DNF |
18/DNC |
36T |