North Sails One Design

Congratulations on the purchase of your new C Scow. All of us here at Melges Performance Sailboats are excited for you and your crew. You are in New York and do some serious traveling to do all the events. Fill us in on your schedule for 2006 , your club racing and travels.

CM - Chautauqua Institution, where our fleet is located primarily, is unique in having a rather intense 9 week season that starts in late June and continues to late August. As such, with other a 1,000 lectures, 22 symphony performances, 6 ballets, and 4 each operas and theater productions, plus big name entertainment like Bill Cosby and such, it is just difficult to leave and travel to regattas during that time. However, great to travel before and after.

This year, I am looking forward to picking up my new scow in Zenda and heading on down to the Hog Wild Regatta at Clear Lake, Indiana. This is a great event and superb hospitality. We and they share this regatta, holding it in alternating years, ours known as the Eastern C-Scow regatta. By the way, the winner gets an invite to the Blue Chip.

After that regatta, I will leave the boat there and pick it up a week later to head out to Nationals at Okoboji. This lake and its club are legendary among C-boaters and really looking forward to going out there.

Following the season and into September, I will be going to Lake Fenton for their regatta. They have one of the most unique race courses due to lake geography and it really puts a premium of paying close attention to wind and depth! After that, out to the Polar Bear at Lake Davenport. This regatta, way over 30 years old, is a classic. The conditions on the Ole Miss can be anything. Legs can be hundreds or thousands of yards long depending on the wind and then there is the current. Plus great hospitality and then some.

After that, not sure. Maybe time to head in and put to bed. The winter comes early and with it, a lot of snow. Last year, an average one, we had 244 inches. This year looks to top that.

Lake Chatauqua in western New York has a pretty rich history of scow sailing. Tell us a little bit about that, the size of your fleet and what your season is like there in New York.

CM - Our Chautauqua Yacht Club dates back to the late 1940's, so it really is pretty young given the history of so many in the ILYA. The early fleets were a mixture, with Lightnings dominating the landscape in the 1960's. The scows had always been around but until some advancements in the technology, really weren't all that popular.

With advancements in the 1970's, the C fleet really took off and has replaced the Lightnings as the primarily race boat now, though we have 15 Flying Scots, plus Lasers. The C fleet numbers 35, making it one of the largest around. We will consistenly have over 25 boats on the line in any given race.

Chautauqua Lake, for anyone who has raced there, the "C" Nationals being there just two years ago, is a great sailing lake. We normally have two races on Saturdays during our season, which extends into Labor Day, and one race on Sunday. The two on Saturday are either W/L or 4 legs. On Sunday, an Olympic. As the Scots race with us, though five minutes behind, we try to make a course that allows them to fly all those funny sails they have.

What really gets you excited about the C Scow? We know you have been involved in promoting the C Scow for a long time and that you have volunteered your services as a class officer.

CM - Sailing is about wind management. Few boats that you can use on an inland lake make such great use of it as the C-Scow. I liken it to a lawnmower with a V8. You can race this boat in 5 knots of wind and have a great time. And, as the wind builds, well, there are just much more fun to be had, though it does get exciting - and wet. When I got my first scow in 1994, I was told that I should also have the numbers painted on the bottom.

As for my involvement in the fleet, I have gone through most of the offices in the Club and am still a director. I have certainly enjoyed working on the National regattas we have hosted plus our own Eastern.

As for NCSSA, I have been the secretary for some years. I have seen our organization go through a lot during that time and it seems to have a new vibrancy that is exciting. That plus what is happening at the ILYA level with fleet and our scantlings, looks to be a great future for us.

What is it like sailing one of the new Melges Performance Sailboat C Scows compared to C Scows you have had in the past?

CM - I have had two new Johnson C-scows, one in 1994 and one 1998. I think I got one of the last couple produced. The Johnsons were the favored boat on our lake for many years.

In 2002, I got my first new Melges. What a difference!! This was a race boat, truly. What was so clear was that the Melges folks race! They have taken what they see has worked in regattas both with our boats and others, and put it into a racing machine. Everything works right out of the box and the boat is clearly designed for ease of set up when you get it to that next regatta site. Sure, you can tweak this or that, but the technology is first rate as is the construction. After a day out on the course in pounding weather, the boat takes you home, hardly the worse for the encounter. Mine flexes when it needs to and then just settles down. That is a good feeling when you are flying along 8 inches or so off the water!

If you were going to reccomend the C Scow to someone new in the sport what would promote to that person?

CM - Promoting the boat is simple. I would just say that it about as much fun as you can have with your clothes on. When you read "Sailing World" and see how some of those boats fly across the oceans, well, you can get some of that feeling right on your own lake in one. And learn from others, whether they are champs or not. C-boaters are glad to share on what they find works for them, or doesn't. And if you need help, just ask. Oh, it is competitive all right, but the helpfulness in any fleet is enormous. I have often had suggestions yelled out to me as I was sailing along and I needed them too. Fleets are interested in everybody doing well, it just makes the racing that much of such a great experience. Go for it!

Thank you for your time Chris. You have a been a valuable friend to many in the C Scow Class over the years and I know there are many sailors out there who appreciate your supporting this exciting class of scows. From all of us at Team Zenda have a great racing season this year!

2005 C Scow Lake Lotawana Fall Regatta
Austin Chamberlin, powered by North Sails,wins tie-breaker over Jon Martin with four others all within four points

41 teams from 6 states made this year’s C Scow regatta at one of our most fun venues, Lake Lotawana.

Local sailors Mark Frashier and Jon Martin did a fantastic job organizing the event. Paula Martin and her team did a great job getting in four races. The Missouri Yacht Club had their usual spectacular food with their big KC steak dinner on Saturday night and the famous MYC brunch on Sunday. Nelson Runkle did the scoring for the sailors and at first claimed victory at the regattas end but was then corrected that in fact the “Wide Load” MO-96 finished 27th  . Lots of housing for out of town sailors was provided by the MYC families. The weather was great; temps in the 80s, winds were 5-10 M.P.H. for the whole event. All the races were fair and square.

I like this quote from Dave Cooley MO-36 that I received in an email this morning – “It was like fighting Mike Tyson this weekend”. I agree it was some of the toughest but most fun sailing I have done all year. Very close racing, any one of six boats could have won the event up till the last beat. Only six points separated the top six boats.

We have been pushing our guys from the southeast scow world to come and tryout the Lotawana venue and this year they sent three C Scow teams up which was really cool. Now you KC boys and girls need to go down to Augusta and return the favor.

Race winners were Spencer Brackman and Terry Gammill for race one. Race two was won by Austin Chamberlin and Andy Manz who sailed right through four boats in the last two hundred yards of this race to take the win. Race three was won by Jon Martin and Katie Prideaux sailing MO-44. EHood and George Silvey won race four.

This is how tough it was. Jeff Annis and Beth Schappell had all top ten finishes but finished seventh.

Escaping off the starting line was the key to doing well this past weekend. The top seven boats consistently did this and the next couple of boats after the top seven had moments of break away speed but had consistency problems. Also, not over trimming the mainsail in the light air was key to doing well. When the puffs came , a slight ease , the crew coming from leeward or middle to the top deck or crushing the boat down as we call it was the fast thing to do. The top teams were very consistent with constant angle of heel and eased mainsheets going upwind. Downwind it was all about intercepting the dark water. Long skinny lakes like Lotawana you must perform well in the first couple of minutes of the race or you get shot out the back quickly. The rich get richer here. The best way to deal with that is to go out and practice before every race. It worked for us and the other top teams.

Congratulations to the young guns who tied for first in this event . Austin Chamberlin and Andy Manz won this event on a tie-breaker with close friend Jon Martin and Katie Prideaux.

Rank	Boat Name	Sail No	Helm	Crew	R1	R2	R3	R4	Nett
1	Fugen Movin	MO-31	Austin Chamberlin	Andy Manz	5.0	1.0	8.0	2.0	16.0
2	Rotten	MO-44	Jon Martin	Katie Prideaux	4.0	5.0	1.0	6.0	16.0
3		I-45	Eric Hood	George Silvey	8.0	3.0	5.0	1.0	17.0
4		W-17	Steve Johnson		7.0	4.0	3.0	5.0	19.0
5		C-52	Greg Staffaur		3.0	8.0	6.0	3.0	20.0
6	MOFO	MO-4	Eddie Robison	Sandy Jones	2.0	7.0	2.0	10.0	21.0
7	FOR SALE	CH-1	Jeff Annis	Beth Schappell	6.0	9.0	4.0	8.0	27.0
8	Livin' It Up	MO-6	Spencer Brackman	Terry Gammill	1.0	12.0	11.0	4.0	28.0
9	LocoMOtion	MO-2	Greg Clagett	Bill Dwyer	13.0	2.0	14.0	7.0	36.0
10	3 lil' Birds	MO-36	Dave Cooley	Jim Martin	15.0	14.0	7.0	11.0	47.0
11	Co-Defendants	MO-808	Brian Tillema	Eric Johnson	11.0	13.0	10.0	20.0	54.0
12	A Little Help Here	MO-17	Buck Reabe	Amy Valmassei	9.0	21.0	19.0	9.0	58.0
13	Club 101	WO-101	Mark Long	Roberty Rimel	14.0	11.0	9.0	25.0	59.0
14	Papa Movin	MO-33	Howard Chamberlin	Mary Voitenko	23.0	10.0	12.0	22.0	67.0
15	Rocket	MO-66	Gordan McBride	Gary Schroeder	24.0	15.0	15.0	15.0	69.0
16	Bucket	MO-26	Bob Cooley	Robin Cooley	17.0	17.0	22.0	14.0	70.0
17		I-32	Ed Durant		20.0	16.0	17.0	17.0	70.0
18	Jedi	MO-888	Jeff Harriman	Aaron Custer	16.0	6.0	21.0	28.0	71.0
19	G'dego	MO-100	John Binaggio	Dave Prideaux	12.0	24.0	24.0	16.0	76.0
20	Chili Dog	MO-59	Scott Tillema	Hillary Graves	22.0	19.0	25.0	21.0	87.0
21		C-10	David Ginsberg		25.0	20.0	13.0	30.0	88.0
22		LD-5	Rick Kuebler		18.0	23.0	16.0	32.0	89.0
23	Rookie	MO-13	Brett Voitenko	Swezy	21.0	18.0	DNS	12.0	93.0
24		KC-12	Lynn Adkins		31.0	22.0	27.0	13.0	93.0
25		MO-22	Ed Stratemeier	Spanky	10.0	26.0	29.0	29.0	94.0
26	Brewzer	MO-99	Mark Frashier	Steve Fritz	19.0	27.0	26.0	24.0	96.0
27	Wide Load	MO-96	Nelson Runkle	Smack	26.0	25.0	20.0	26.0	97.0
28		KC-8	Scott Griffiths		28.0	29.0	28.0	19.0	104.0
29		LS-10	Hayden Davis		35.0	28.0	18.0	31.0	112.0
30	Big Johnson	MO-3	Rob Reid	Laura Kelly	30.0	34.0	30.0	18.0	112.0
31		LD-31	Don Wagner		27.0	32.0	23.0	33.0	115.0
32	Young Stud'	MO-9	Mat Cartier	Patrick McFadden	34.0	30.0	DNS	23.0	129.0
33	MO Beta	MO-111	Chuck Foshee	John Schmitz	37.0	33.0	33.0	27.0	130.0
34	No Excuses	MO-7	Roger Hibbard	Dick Pals	29.0	35.0	31.0	38.0	133.0
35		SN-84	Chuck Towle		33.0	31.0	32.0	39.0	135.0
36		MO-71	Sonny Trefz	Kelly Pfefferkorn	32.0	40.0	34.0	37.0	143.0
37		SN-01	Tony Towle		39.0	39.0	36.0	34.0	148.0
38		SN-18	Pat Towle	Doug Bennett	36.0	37.0	35.0	40.0	148.0
39	Toy Maker	MO-00	Chuck Falkenburg	Peet Robison	38.0	38.0	DNF	36.0	154.0
40		CH-8	Brian Slater		41.0	41.0	DNS	35.0	159.0
41		MO-84	Mark Killen	John Killen	40.0	36.0	DNS	DNF	160.0

For more information about the fastest C Scow sails, contact the North C Scow Experts!

A major high pressure system parked over northwest Iowa and it remained in place during the 3 day ILYA Championship. A real shame as nearly 50 C scows came to race for the seasons major championship. Boats from all around the country drifted through 2 races that at times had solid breeze and at other times say the Okoboji, Iowa lake smooth as glass. In the end two races were officially completed.

The winner after two races was Tom Eckert of Cedar Lake, Wisconsin. He just beat out Dale Norton and Steve Avery from Okoboji. Norton and Avery tied for 2nd overall but Norton squeeked out the tie breaker as he inched past Avery in the last race in the last 50 feet of the race.

Carl Zinn from Minnetonka won race 2 of the championship. A real honor to win a ILYA C class race and Carl was quite gracious and excited after the win. Saying that it was one of his sailing career highlights. Congtrats Carl!

The 2nd half of the Big Inland promises to have wind. Forecast is 15-25mph winds for the next three days! Hang on and watch melges.com for updates.

For more information about the fastest C Scow sails, contact the North C Scow Experts!

Your sailing has really progressed over the last 5 years. In 2003 you were a winning A scow crew in the Black Tie. This year you were the winning crew in the C class. What types of things have you dedicated yourself to in order to progress so quickly?

Jim - Well, first let me say I have had the good fortune to sail with two great racing teams. I had an opportunity to sail with some of the best- and I feel I was able to contribute as a part of those teams.

Over the last three years I have doubled my commitment to sailing. I have doubled my regatta attendance, doubled my practice time, and worked twice as hard keeping my equipment in top condition. I believe all the doubling has brought me a little more speed and lot more fun on the water.

You race a C scow very competitively with a crew that does not have a racing background. How have you gotten him in "tune" to competitive racing?

Jim -Chris Wickham and my other crew have brought a level of enthusiasm that really helps them get up to speed quickly. Chris really makes an effort to learn - and by listening well he has accelerated his performance.

We have committed ourselves to learning and practicing. With additional practice we have acquired skills and knowledge more quickly. Learn-Practice-Execute is how we have organized our approach.

As you know our companies - Melges Performance Sailboats and North Sails Zenda - promote the sport of sailing. Do you feel the "pros" need to be present on the race course too in order to promote competitive racing?

Jim - The opportunity to sail against the best is one of the reasons I am in the sport. If you win and the best aren't out there - you really haven't won anything.

On the Tour de France last year the riders slowed to allow Lance Armstrong to get back on his bike after his fall. Cyclists know that a victory when the "yellow jersey is down" isn't a victory. I believe scow sailors feel the same way.

With Melges and North at the regatta the sailors have first class service with a personal touch. Whether it is advice and guidance about the racing, or getting a replacement shackle - having the red Melges van on site means someone is going to be there to make sure you are at 100%.

Just recently, at a major regatta, a "pro" gave his mast to a sailor who had damaged his mast. While the "pro" was out of the regatta, the amateur was able to continue his regatta. I think we can all learn something from this.

What is more rewarding? Crewing on a championship boat or steering your own boat to a championship?

Jim - I have really enjoyed learning by crewing for several different skippers. Each of them has unique talents. With 5 other people on the A boat you can learn a lot quickly.

Crewing is my focus for 2004- and then steering my C boat whenever I get the chance. Next year and beyond, I plan to take the accumulated knowledge, add to it, and move towards a championship level on my own boat, on a much more consistent basis.

Jim - 2004 I plan to attend 9 regattas...2 A class, 6 C class, and my first MC regatta. By starting the season early (Midwinter's in Florida) and ending the season in October, I am able to keep balance with my non-sailing activities. The next 4 months will include 5 of these regattas. The great support I receive from the family and crew makes this possible.

Thank you for your time Jim. Keep sailing fast and keep progressing in the sport.

Report by Andy Burdick
Rush Creek Yacht Club - Dallas, TX.

Peter Keck Crushes Competition!

Fresh wind, big fun at the 2004 C Scow Black Tie Championship this year. Peter Keck from Lake Beulah won the championship going away as he never placed out of the top 3 in the four race series.

His crew of Jim Petersen and Mary Anne Ward proved to be a winning combo as the three sailed together in 3 of the 4 races. The breeze was up but very manageable and very fun. Perfect C scow conditions!

In the first race on Friday afternoon the RC at Rush Creek gave the fleet a real treat. In the 20mph breeze we had a reach! What fun! We have been sailing windward-leewards now for some time but on this day we had a creative RC. It was a blast! Big speeds were achieved.

The team of Keck and Petersen got around Andy Burdick on the second windward beat to win heat #1. Burdick was second and Steve Avery from Okoboji, IA. was third. Avery had Harry Melges on board crewing on his new 2004 Melges C. Melges had Steve working hard and going fast!

That afternoon we had another great race in similar conditions. Keck showed off his heavy air technique winning heat number 2 by a country mile. He was never challenged and he made the rest of the fleet wonder what they had to do in order to compete in upcoming races. Fletch Avery from Okoboji, IA. sailed a wonderful race to get 2nd, 3rd was Dave Cooley from Lake Lotowana, 4th was Eddie Robinson sailing with his crew and 3rd crew for 22 straight years now. Wow!

" These were Harecut conditions", Keck said. "In the breeze you have to have one of these sails to go top speeds. We sailed smart but, we had jets upwind and downwind all day. Jim Petersen and Mary Anne Ward were a great team for me though too. What an awesome day of C boating"!

Could anyone catch B-2 and Peter Keck?

With the forecast for more breeze on day 2 the RC decided to start the first race at 830 am. Good decision by Brad Davis and his team.

Two boats sailed with just 2 people. Burdick and Keck. The rest of the fleet took 3rd crews in anticipation of the "texas breeze". The breeze never reached 15mph. Burdick ran away from the fleet in the 3rd heat while Keck sailed an incredible race to get 3rd. At one point he looked to be 6th but he and his crew battled to maintain a solid lead in the championship. Louis Hill from Minnetonka sailed an excellent third race to get 2nd. Past Inland Champion David Strothman finished 4th in this race while Fletch Avery was 5th.

What turned out to be the final race of the event took place Saturday morning. The breeze built again and all boats had 3 now. Steve Avery and Harry Melges were winning the entire race. Smarts and speed kept them in front until the final upwind beat. At the last leeward gate Avery and Keck rounded virtually together. Then, David Strothman rounded followed by Burdick going to the opposite gate. Burdick's move to go to the starboard gate proved to be beneficial. He got around the first three boats to go on and win his second race of the day. Keck was a close second, Avery held on to third and David Strothman as 4th.

Saturday afternoon was big breeze so there was no racing. The RC did a great job to get two races in right away in the morning. The C fleet had 4 excellent races.
Sunday morning arrived with fresh breeze. The RC postponed for a period but all could see that the breeze was only going to build beyond 25mph for the day.

Keck was the Black Tie Champion! He and Jim Petersen sailed the best and deserved the victory. As we know, Peter Keck is a 7 time C Inland Winner and a multiple time National C champion. His skills are still razor sharp and he proved it this weekend in Dallas.

Keck is the qualified for the Blue Chip! Congratulations.

Upcoming events include the Springfield Tune-Up this weekend and then Cedar Lake, Indiana Icebreaker May 1 and 2. The Nationals in Chautauqua, NY will be a first class event too. See you there!

Get out there and sail fast!

For more information about the fastest C Scow sails, contact the North C Scow Experts!

Lake Eustis hosted the 5th annual C Midwinter Championship this past weekend. Lake Eustis is just outside of Orlando and is a fantastic lake for scow sailing. This year the fleet contained many of the top regatta C sailors in the country. So, while it was a twenty boat, it was a strong twenty boat fleet.

Martin Zonnenberg from Eustis ran a great event. He kicked off the event with a racing clinic run by Melges Performance Sailboats and North Sails Zenda. Most of the fleet participated in the 4 hour race clinic.

Clinic races were run that afternoon in sunny, warm weather. Winds maxed out at 10mph but that was enough for the kick off day. Up to 8 races were run that afternoon - almost a regatta in itself.

Race Day One arrived with light air but a lot of sun and 80 degrees. Shifty, shifty. A port favored start allowed Jim Gluek, Chris Craig and Joe Schaub to jump off to an early lead. As we raced around the track the crews rarely saw the high side of the boat. At the last leeward mark Gluek rounded first, Andy Burdick was right with him then there was Joe Schaub, Chris Craig and some others close. The breeze shut down and Schaub snuck out to the left and looked good right away. Burdick had gotten by Gluek but what happened next surprised many. The breeze went way left but there was not wind on the water so it was hard to read. Eric Hood was leveraged to the left and he reached in just behind the race winner Schaub. Burdick barely hung on to third. Gluek went from 1st to 9th on the final leg.

Race Day Two started much the same way. Sunny, warm and very light air. In fact we were able to just get part way around the track this time. Eric Hood rounded the first mark first, Burdick a close second, JP Mull was in the hunt as was Scott Tillema. Now drifting the fleet limped along for about 40 minutes. Burdick snuck by Hood but it did not mean a thing as they called the race off which was an excellent decision.

In the afternoon the RC ran a fluky race which really made the regatta results interesting. Tom Keenan, Gluek, Burdick, Tillema and others were close at the first leeward mark. The breeze was light but you could see a big line of breeze far right. As the leaders tacked on one another midway up the second beat Eric Hood took advantage of the others narrow vision. He hit the right hand breeze and took off like a rocket. He had a major lead and went on to win posting a 2,1 in the first two races.
Gluek finished second, Burdick third. Schaub had a 5th so at the end of day two we had Eric Hood leading with a 2,1. Schaub had a 1,5 and Burdick a 3,3. Chris Craig was just behind Burdick. Keenan, Gluek and a few others were tight going into the final day.

Race Day Three saw a carbon copy day. Sunny, warm and light air. However, just before the start the wind went a bit more right and the velocity increased. Finally, some hiking!
Burdick had the start of the fleet in the middle of the line. He tacked to port and had a 75 yard lead at the first mark. Jim Petersen from Lake Geneva rounded second and Gluek third. These three boats ended up having a very close race as the upwind and downwind shifts could mean hundreds of yards at times. The max. wind velocity was around 15mph which made the racing great! Burdick with Austin Chamberlin from Lake Lotowana hiking hard, very hard won the race. Jim Petersen with Chris Wickham sailed a great race to finish second. Gluek with Zak Clayton crewing was third. Hood finished 6th so now the regatta was tight. One more race to go with great breeze and sun!!!

A port favored line allowed Hood to start first and increase his lead right off the bat! He port tacked the fleet and continued up the lake on port in a big lift. Burdick struggled to tack and actually had to duck 4 boats in order to pop out on port. Hood, Gluek, Keenan, Tillema and others raced up the lake on a nice port lift. As the race progressed the fleet got tighter and tighter.

The last leeward mark found Schaub, Hood and Tom Keenan battling for room at the right hand gate. Gluek, Tillema and Burdick then rounded the same gate mark. Burdick broke early after the leeward mark and Gluek folded with him. Others extended on starboard. In the end the pack flip flopped. Burdick went on to win the race, Gluek was second in the race. A very, very tight race for 6 boats!

Top 6 in this years C Midwinters.

1st: Andy Burdick - Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 3,3,1,1

2nd: Eric Hood - Lake Geneva, Wisconsin 2,1,6,6

3rd: Jim Gluek - Pewaukee, Wisconsin 9,2,3,2

4th: Joe Schaub - Maxinkuckee, Indiana

5th: Tom Keenan - Lake Fenton, Michigan

6th: Chris Craig - Lake Fenton, Michigan

Thank you LESC for hosting a great regatta. Same weekend next year! Plan your 2005 regatta calendar now - come to the C Midwinters! Over 80 MC's racing this next week here - this place is great!

Next C Championsip - Black Tie Regatta - Dallas, Texas - Mid-Arpil. Watch melges.com and ncssa.org for details.
For more information about the fastest C Scow sails, contact the North C Scow Experts!