photo credit: Steve Kiemele and Margaret Taylor

The racing is done, the boats packed away, and most everyone should be resting at home now.  The weekend of racing was hosted by Nigel Pitt o­n Lake Hartwell in Hartwell, GA this past Saturday and Sunday and only one Team Seacats boat (Chris and Jake) attended.  Although the Alter Cup Qualifiers are open to any Portsmouth handicapped boat with a solid handicap rating, only F18s showed up for this year's area D-n event.  There were six of us duking it out in wildly varying conditions.  Few stayed upright and nobody stayed dry!  Steve and Margaret really braved the conditions to get some fabulous photos - this boat is new and we haven't had time to get the Seacats graphics on her yet!

Saturday eventually saw nuclear conditions with the wind starting the racing at about 12 to 15 knots.  Nigel and Tammy Pitt, sailing a Nacra, had a problem with their spinnaker and had to sail without it in the first race but still managed a 3rd place finish!  Team Weathermark, David Lennard and Mike Krantz sailing a Hobie Tiger, held off a charge by myself and Chris Zander, sailing a Nacra, to capture 1st.  Rick Harper and Glenn Olsen pitchpoled o­n the second downwind leg, but recovered to finish 4th.  After the first race Jeff and crew worked diligently to prepare the course for a second race.

The wind and chop continued to build as the class flag went up with a horn sound barely audible over the howling wind.  The second race saw winds between 15 and 18 knots with substantial gusts - it was getting interesting!  Nigel had previously gone to the beach to sort out his spinnaker problem and was back with a great start at the horn.  Team Weathermark was off and galloping in clear air as well.  The gusts were getting healthier and some caused our boats to pitch upward so hard, our heads were being yanked backwards as we were accelerated 6 feet into the air with the flying hull.  At this point most skippers had their crews handling the mainsheet while they both attempted to maintain control and forward speed in unison.  Team Weathermark, with a second display of heavy air ability, grabbed the lead and never looked back while Nigel and Tammy sailed ferociously.  Chris and I duked it out with Rick and Glenn trading 3rd and 4th place back and forth.  With us closely trailing Rick and Glenn, we split tacks after rounding the last C mark.  We nailed the last tack and managed to get a great lift while heading for the finish line but due to the howl of the wind, I failed to hear Chris' multiple warnings that we were about to hit the finish line pin....we had to do a penalty turn and refinish which allowed Rick and Glenn to capture 3rd, us 4th, and Jack and Becky Wise trailed in 5th.  Dennis Hawks and Tracie Van Houten had retired to shore. 

Jeff Price and  crew attempted to reset a course for a third race but the wind continued to build relentlessly.  Team Weathermark experienced a violent downwind pitchpole while strolling back towards the starting area in between races.  It was getting rough!  Eventually the RC decided to abandon for the day and head back in.  The weather front was scheduled to pass through and by morning we were expecting light and variable breeze.  Later we heard that the same weather we had been sailing in was responsible for closing I-95 due to several different pileups involving 95+ cars!

Sunday was a whole different animal.  In stark contrast to Saturday's conditions, the lake was now glassy and the wind was spotty. The RC, needing o­ne more race to have an official regatta, was desperately trying to start something whenever there appeared to be an opportunity.  They finally did find a reliable patch of breeze and got a short course started.  Nigel and Tammy again got a great start with Team Weathermark, Rick and Glenn, myself and Chris, and Jack and Becky close behind.  Nigel held o­n for the bullet, Rick and Glenn nailed second, Team Weathermark secured third (and the regatta), us in fourth, and Jack and Becky fell to fifth due to a nasty wind shift at the very end of a hard fought race.  Team Weathermark, David Lennard and Mike Krantz, are now qualified to sail in the Alter Cup Championship in Long Beach California in 2005.  The Alter Cup will be sailed by rotating sailors o­n 10 identical Hobie Tigers supplied by Hobie Cat USA.

2-14-05  UPDATE!!! Mike and David were not able to go to Long Beach, CA to compete in the Alter Cup and the opportunity fell to Jake and Chris!  Team Seacats I is going to CA to compete with 20 top teams from the U.S. for the U.S. Sailing Alter Cup Multihull Championship!!!  We are honored to have such a prestigious opportunity and will do all we can to represent US Sailing Area D-n, Team Seacats, and ourselves well.

These photos were taken by Steve Kiemele and Margaret Taylor.   Visit the Photo Gallery for more!

Jake Kohl