|
|
Click
here to view the 2009 race resuts
Click
here to view the 2008 race resuts
Click
here to view the 2007 race resuts
Below are the races results for 2010 as they occur.
The 2010 Konocti Cup
(Scroll down for race results)
Firsthand account written by Tom Burden, Layla
#92
Layla Heists the Konocti Cup
Indecision is Second as U20s Dominate Marathon
The folks at Clear Lake always knock themselves out running an excellent
regatta with all kinds of extras, like a great barbecue Saturday evening,
full-spread Sunday Brunch trophy presentation and a bottle of local wine
for every competitor. This year was another great running of the 26.2-mile
aquatic marathon (the regatta shirt reads “Over 30,000 Miles Sailed”).
Saturday the weather was so perfect that it was easy to follow Rule Nine
in the Sailing Instructions (Having fun is mandatory). Bell-clear skies,
lush green springtime foliage, mid-70s temperature, just enough wind—If
this doesn’t do it for you, you should sell your boat and buy an
accordion instead.
Five U20s raced in the 20-boat Full Cup (a relatively paltry turnout for
our fleet). Sailing were Preston and John Todd on MoJo, Steve Leonard
on Viola (with new carbon mast), Tom Hughes on Too Tuff, Phil and Denise
aboard Indecision, and Layla, with Annie and me. The competition stacked
up as Ben Landon’s killer Thompson 650, a Melges 24, a Henderson
30 and two Wylie Wabbits.
With 8-15 knots of wind at the start, Indecision rounded the first mark,
an island, in the lead, followed by Too Tuff, then Layla, who immediately
pulled a disastrous kite shrimp. We had all kinds of Asymmetric near-death-experiences,
yet somehow managed to keep in touch with Indecision and Too Tuff.
First Parking Lot
Drama happened at Mark Five, which turned into a vortex that swallowed
Too Tuff and Viola. Within seconds Too Tuff fell back from twenty yards
behind us to hundreds of yards back, as the wind turned off. Too Tuff
desperately tried wing-and-wing as zephyrs floated down from the peak
of Mount Konocti. Meanwhile Layla was sailing pedal-to-the-floor in ten
knots of pressure. But just as we began to reel in Indecision, we managed
to foul our kite once more, allowing Phil to pad his lead out to 200 yards.
Mark Seven Miracle
Indecision sailed rhumb line from Mark Six, near Monitor Island, to Seven
at Lakeview Point at the bottom of the lake. In general, the right side
has more wind, so we seized an opportunity by sailing all the way to Clearlake
Park when Indecision shaded to the left side. Sure enough, the breeze
started shutting down as the Nevada boat moved down course.
We gybed at the layline for Mark Seven, and there, at the mark, were all
of the faster boats, just parked in a 150-yard wide hole. I turned to
Annie and said, “It’s a little miracle, and it’s just
for us!” But we still needed to execute—to get in and out
of the hole. Fortunately, we had a plan, courtesy of John Andrew.
The Cinderella Pivot
Two years ago, John had out-foxed us by sailing around to our left, gybing
at the edge of the wind, and coming in very hot, just as close as he could
carry the kite. Momentum and apparent wind boosted Cinderella Story through
the doldrums, while we wallowed with a limp kite.
I’d rather be lucky than good, but this time Team Layla made good
on our excellent bit of fortune. We executed the pivot on Phil, wove through
the parked Wabbits, and then climbed straight back out, never mind sailing
toward the next buoy. Phil decided to head straight for Mark Eight, and
lost a hundred yards. That was the ballgame.
Pat Brown’s Melges 24 was first monohull, narrowly outpacing the
T650, but corrected out 15th (Bill Erkelens broke the course record in
the Tornado Cat). We finished fifth behind the two Wabbits, who needed
an eight-minute margin but got only five minutes. Indecision was right
behind Layla for second overall in the Konocti Cup. Congrats to Phil and
Denise! The Henderson had run aground after Mark Eight and motored home
with no damage except a scuffed keel bulb.
Thanks to the Konocti Bay Sailing Club for their meticulously-organized
regatta. It was a great family weekend, both on the lake and ashore. No
results or photos posted yet.
|
Standing
race rules & triangle race instructions as Adobe Acrobat.
Race
start rules and flags
