Ensign News – September 2006

Also appears in Motor and Mast

By Bob Anschuetz

The Ensign National Championship Regatta was held in Cleveland from August 12^th through the 17^th. It was a huge success due primarily to the excellent preparations made by Dianne Kube and Wes Kroeze with able assistance from many other Ensign sailors including Kathy Jankowski.

Thirty-five competitors from twelve states came to Cleveland for the event and the weather gods smiled on us for all five days. On Sunday, the first Women’s National Invitational Regatta was carried out in conjunction with the usual club races. Four races were contested and Sue McDowell and Sue Michos were the skippers of the winning boat. Dianne Kube placed second in the field of ten competitors. The following day thirty-five Ensigns headed out onto Lake Erie for a practice race and then the first of what was eventually ten races. Competition was close and spirited, and was interrupted by a storm that brought high winds and rain and led the racers to adjourn to the beer tent.

The following day was not the best for three of the five competitors from Edgewater. Jabiru suffered a failure of the forestay when her stem plate pulled out. That damage finished them for the regatta. Limit Up was involved in a port-starboard collision that caused hull damage that was patched by the fiberglass repair team standing by. Skipper Sherrie Desmond later commented that they now had a skylight, in that cuddy was much better illuminated after the patch was there. Since it did not allow ventilation as well, it did not qualify as a skylight, and she was able to return to the racecourse for the reminder of the regatta. More repairs will be needed later. Vulcan was also involved in a port-starboard collision, which resulted in dismasting Vulcan. Luckily the falling mast struck no one so there were no personal injuries and no call to Elk & Elk. With the help of several competitors, an old mast was returned from storage and stepped and Vulcan was able to return to the racecourse the following day.

We were extremely lucky to have five good sailing days in succession and the visiting Ensign sailors came away with a strongly positive view of Cleveland as a sailing venue. Compliments to both the Edgewater staff and the regatta organizers were profuse.