The Jim and John Show

John Fishbeck and Jim Fletcher lead the way

Thomas Jost tacking his boat

Look Ma! No Hands!

Ten Sunfish sailors were on the water Wednesday, prepared to head back to the Club if the weather turned sour - but determined, if possible, to take advantage of a great night to sail.

After a hot day, the 10 mph wind blowing across the water offered a pleasant temp to sail in.

It was the Jim and John show at the top of the fleet. Jim Fletcher won races 1 and 3 while John Fishbeck won races 2 and 4. Jim finished second in the races won by John while John missed the first race and had a third in race 3.

Lots of the sailors shared spots in the upper half of the fleet. Thomas Jost had a fourth and a third, Julie Pierce had a third and a fifth while Paul Davis put a second place finish on the board.

Dennis Dudley started the evening with a fifth and finished strong with a second and a third. Alanna Harvey also finished strong with a fourth and a fifth.

Stephen Wagner, just learning to sail and participating in LSC's "Learn to Sail" program, worked his way around the course - racing in a singlehander for the first time. "I finished each race and avoiding capsizing," said Stephen. We've all been there when we started out and know what a real accomplishment this is for the first time out.

Results and season standings can be found on the LSC website at www.lansingsailing.org. Click on "Racing", then on the Sunfish logo.

LSC Team Named for July 28 Orchard Lake Cup Contest

A photo from the 2005 Orchard Lake Cup competition

The team of sailors that will represent the Lansing Sailing Club at the Orchard Lake Cup Regatta on July 28th will include seven adult and four junior sailors. These sailors will be deployed on three Lasers and three "Y" Boats (a main and jib boat about the size of a Lightning).

"Our reason for having this race," said Orchard Lake Commodore Karyn Glover, "is to introduce many of our men, women and junior sailors to interclub sailboat racing, and to share our beautiful club and lake with fellow sailing enthusiasts. This is designed to be a fun, social, learning experience for all. We are a learn-to-sail and learn-to-race family club. Hard core racers are encouraged to leave rule books, protest flags, and aggressive maneuvers at home. This is a great opportunity to give the newer racers in your club a chance to compete in an interclub event."

With one member yet to be announced, LSC's team will be:
  Jonathan Ahlbrand
  Doug Crawford
  Pat Dolan
  Charlotte Foran
  Faith Krogulecki
  Wayne Loescher
  Olav and Aaron Messerschmidt
  Susanna Tellschow
  Stephen Wagner

In the spirit of this invitation, most of LSC's team consists of sailors participating in our Adult "Learn to Sail" or Juior Sailing Programs - or have only recently begun racing.

Moonlight Sail Coming Next Week Friday

With a full moon next week, Friday is the evening set aside for a Moonlight Sail.

As usual, bring a small desert to share and the beverage of your choice. LSC provides paper and plastic.

This is also a good time to come early with some steaks, chicken or other tasty morsel to grill for dinner. Come out to the Club and enjoy the evening.

Wolf Lake Sunfish Regatta - July 28-29

Wolf Lake, near Jackson, is having its "Double the Fun" Regatta on Saturday and Sunday, July 28-29. For details, go to:
http://www.lansingsailing.org/Calendar/WLYC-Regatta20070728-29.pdf

Olav Avoids Collisions - Wins Two

Olav won two

George Siegle and Pat Dolan each won a race

Susanna Tellschow flies downwind

In Wednesday racing, Olav Messerschmidt managed to avoid running into the Committee Boat and kept his mast on the boat. With some good sailing, the result was a third and two first place finishes.

Olav didn't avoid problems however. Leading the fleet nearing the second windward mark in Race 3, his outhaul failed. He could only watch as the fleet sailed past. However, he capsized the boat so he could easily work on it and made the necessary fix in time for the final race - which he won.

Race 3 brought a good result for Pat Dolan. He, Susanna Tellschow and George Siegle had a bang-bang-bang finish. George was leading the fleet as the downwind leg began. Dolan had gybed at the windward mark and found more pressure as Siegle went down the center of the course. As Dolan came back to the center of the course, he was even with the leader. It was then that Susanna Tellschow came up fast on starboard gybe in a puff. Dolan and Siegle were on port gybe and Tellschow ended up having to alter course to avoid Siegle. George did his circle as Susanna took over the lead. Going around the leeward mark, Tellschow and Dolan went right, Siegle tacked to go left and Dolan then split with Tellschow as he arrived at the layline to the pin. Dolan got lucky and won by a narrow margin over Tellschow while Siegle came in immediatelya fter the second place finisher. Exciting racing.

Siegle ended the evening with another strong showing, going 1-2-3-2.

Results and season standings can be found on the LSC website at www.lansingsailing.org. Click on "Racing", then on the Laser logo.

Junior Sailors Go Upwind To Cone Zone

Cones for sailors

Our Junior Sailors had cones on their mind Tuesday evening - an incentive to master upwind sailing to get to the Lake Lansing Park and then to the Cone Zone.

Upwind sailing is one of the most difficult skills to master - but every one of these sailors made it to a windward mark and then to the Park's beach. From there it was a short stroll inland for some ice cream.

Several Junior Sailors were at Blue Lake and several had tickets to "Wicked" at the Wharton Center and couldn't make the Cone Zone adventure - but the rest of the group had a great time.

Certificate requirements were handed out at the end of the day - and next week, attention will be given to checking off the skills each sailor has mastered. Tuesday's sailors can cross upwind sailing off their list - although there is still work to be done by most on tiller and mainsheet handling during the tacks.

Safety Boat Lift Marked to Show How High to Raise Boat

Position the blue dot on the deck under the blue hanging ball

A blue band shows how high to raise the lift

Club Boat Director Doug Carlson has marked the Safety Boat Lift to help everyone know where to place the boat on the lift and how high to raise the boat.

First, he has hung a blue ball from the canopy to help with positioning the Safety Boat on the lift. A blue dot on the front deck of the Safety Boat should be all the way forward on the lift and positioned under the hanging ball. This is the optimal spot for the boat to assure any water in the cockpit drains out. Even if there is no water when the boat is put away, strong wind in a rain storm can blow water into the cockpit and it is important that it drain out.

Secondly, Doug has installed a blue band on the post under the wheel. The lift needs to be raised until it is at the blue band.

By lifting the boat to this height, it will be protected as much as possible by the canopy.

One more item to check according to Carlson is to make sure the motor is out of the water. This is usually possible without having to tilt the motor - but if not, tilting controls on the throttle make it easy to raise and lower the motor.

Finally, we ask that those using the Safety Boat make sure that it is left clean. Please rinse out any weeds, muck and dirt brought into the boat by anchors or in other ways.

It isn't easy cranking that wheel, but thanks to everyone for helping to make sure our investment in boats and motors continues to be protected by assuring they are put away properly.