(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.
