Austin/Dallas 1997 North Americans

John Payne

Three C-15s met early at the Corinthian Sailing Club in Dallas on the Sunday before the North Americans. Our plan was to get in extra practice races before the regular Sunday races. Wind was good -- almost too good, 20 with gusts to 30 -- coming from anywhere. Ed, an experienced dingy sailor and former college sailing coach with a recently purchased C-15, was concerned that his crew and girlfriend Tammy might not be able to get away from work for the NAs. Tom (THE C-15 GUY) Forgue and Karen (SmartGirl) were there, as well as Ryan and me. This was to be Ryan's (age 15) first NA and he was pumped.

Early that day it was great fun, but none of us wanted to push our luck or our equipment too hard into the afternoon when the wind was expected to build even more due to northward movement of a large dense monsoonal weather system which had been stalled over the Austin area for the previous three days. A broken pole fitting was all the excuse Ryan and I needed to yank the boat ahead of that weather front. Before leaving we all met and finalized our plans to car caravan to Austin for the NAs and share a cabin at the marina on beautiful lake Travis.

Monday morning at work I got the call from Bill Smith in Austin. Bill said lake Travis was near record flood levels and the club house itself was in jeopardy. Bill and Leslie's months of groundwork organizing the regatta was floating away. I immediately called Tom (THE C-15 GUY) Forgue who had just talked to Bill also. Tom remembered that the last time Lake Travis flooded like this it took months for the club to reopen thus the option of rescheduling in Austin faded. I offered an insane idea of moving the entire regatta 200 miles north to our club in Dallas -- all in 3 days. After a way-too-long pause Tom said “we can do that”. Luckily Tom is a middle school band director out for the summer and had time to devote to organizing this event.

Tom then called several of the major players. He called Bob Gehrman, C-15 Commodore, as well as Bill and Leslie Smith to see their reaction to the idea. He called Bob Harrington, our club Commodore to clue him in on what we were thinking and check for conflicting events. Bob Gehrman began checking with other National Officers. Bill and Leslie said “Uhhhhh --- Sure!” (Austin people are laid back like that).

True to the Corinthian spirit, Bob Harrington immediately offered our club's help and support. Our luck held -- there were no conflicting events.

While waiting for Bob Gehrman's return call, Tom called Steve Comen. Steve is not only a past Commodore of our club and a very experienced C-15sailor, he was in charge of organizing the (very successful) 1994 C-15 North Americans in Dallas. For organizational matters we depend heavily on Steve's experience and wisdom. Steve was at work (of course), so Tom told the story to Steve's wife Renee (who is every bit Steve's equal in the experience, wisdom, and smarts department). Tom suspected Renee might be his toughest sell on the idea of moving a major championship regatta to a different lake in a different city -- all in three days. Renee immediately went into “planning mode” and within about two whirlwind minutes had figured out how we would provide breakfasts, lunches, and dinners for the entire regatta.

Tom called me back, slightly bewildered but excited about how fast and how well things were going. The next task was Race Committee. Fortunately, the Corinthian Sailing Club is flush with qualified and experienced committee -- including several USSA judges. The club prides itself on well run races every Sunday. Tom had already checked with John Diggins who had done such an excellent job chairing our district championship 6 weeks earlier. Luck held again as John Diggins was willing and able to be Race Chairman. By the time I checked with him later in the evening John had more committee members than he needed.

At about 7:00 Monday evening Bob Gehrman and Tom talked and the decision was officially made to hold the C-15 NAC in Dallas at White Rock Lake -- in three days. Continued phone calls confirmed that Steve would write race instructions and do scoring; Leslie and Bill would do registration and provide trophies and shirts; John Diggins would organize committee; I would organize housing; Renee Comen and Joni Siefrick would organize all meals and drinks.

By about 9:00 PM, the regatta was fundamentally planned and on its way. All we had to do was to take care of the “minor detail' of contacting everyone who might be coming from anywhere and vector them to Dallas instead of Austin. Bill and Leslie came through once again on this. For any travelers in need of cheap housing, we held to out Dallas tradition of opening our home's extra beds, couches, and floorspace to any C-15ers coming in for regattas.

Tuesday and Wednesday, Tom (THE C-15 GUY) was on the road going to all the local sailing “sponsors” collecting valuable treasures for regatta giveaways from Inland Sailing Center (our local Catalina Dealer), the Rigg Shop (our favorite place for bottom jobs), and La Vida Starship (where Tom (THE C-15 GUY) works during the summers). Tom even talked Gus Sails out of a keg of expensive beer (he said it didn't cost much more than the cheap beer).

Thursday afternoon arrived, we had drinks and snacks at the club for arrivals, weighed a few boats, and helped all find available davits for their boats. Ed and Steve Comen sailed together for the first time practicing roll tacks in the light and very hot Dallas afternoon air.

The Corinthian Sailing Club in Dallas is unique. The club has been active for over 55 years and averages 50 sailing Sundays each year. The club literally spawned all the sailing clubs and programs in the Dallas-Fort Worth area as sailors and leaders from the Corinthian club began clubs on the new lakes as they were built. White Rock Lake is small by anybody's (much less Texas) standards -- about 4 miles long by about 2 wide. White Rock is the focal point of a beautiful Dallas park and arboriem about 5 miles from downtown Dallas. Physically, the sail club and all its facilities sit -- literally on pilings -- on the water. The club house is a beautiful (if spartan) functional natural design. Most boats there are dingys, and are stored suspended out of the water in easily hand cranked davits. Along with C-15s, the club hosts a strong Flying Scot Fleet, a Rebel Fleet, Lightnings, Butterflys, the SMU sailing team, and a juniors sailing program. There is even a growing fleet of beautifully restored Corinthians.

Friday morning rose clear, hot, humid, and windless. Tom (THE C-15 GUY) spent much of his personal energy weighing boats and measuring sails. We prepped our boats with growing dread as the heat and humidity climbed higher with the sun. To be sure everyone had an opportunity to transition from Austin to Dallas, the first race was not scheduled until just after lunch. We were becoming concerned about Bill Brydson from Austin. We were sure he planned to attend, he just hadn't shown. Right at noon he showed up -- with an overheated transmission. We all ate lunch slowly, watching the few thermal patches of wind on the lake try -- but fail -- to build a consensus of direction. About 2:00 PM the optimistic and hopeful committee left the docks.

Immediately after we launched, the fleet was met with an odd brief rain shower from the one small cloud in the sky. It was wonderfully cool, and in hindsight I see it as a sign that the weather was going to get much better. By the time the first race was set and off, the wind had filled from the south and continued building the rest of the regatta.

On our boat, the first race was not great. We went left at the start and met up with the middle of the fleet at the first mark. We were never able to break into clear air after that and finished mid fleet. At least the committee made up for my terrible mistake of leaving our water bottle at the dock by giving out drinks to all the boats. That Gatorade revived me as the wind began to build. Wind in the next race was about 10, building to the point where all upwinds were full out on the wire during the last race that day.

All day Friday I had been unhappy with our mainsail shape. It was a new North which had arrived by air freight only two days before the NAs. Out of the bag it looked great but on the boat it seemed to sag, and the only way I was able to point with the fleet was to crank it in so hard that the top batten hooked inward -- a recipe for mediocre performance. I remembered that it seemed unusually easy to raise and hook-in the main so we measured the distance between the main halyard shakle and lock ball. Too darned long! Something had slipped. We went for the quick and dirty solution (my personal style) of tying a knot in the wire halyard around the shakle. This took up the inch necessary to make the main go up all the way. Sailshape looked great after that -- and our place in the fleet progressed.

Saturday the wind was strong enough for full out trapeze sailing all upwind legs. It was fun and exhausting sailing but not overpowering -- although one older boat snapped a shroud and broke a mast. I remember once being on starboard when a port tack boat quickly ducked us -- then a very surprised boat on their windard hip (the 505 boys) didn't see us until almost too late. Their skipper took his only option, which was a crash tack into a capsize with his crew full out on the wire. It really was an excellent piece of sailing as there is no doubt a serious collision was avoided, I am thankful for his skill and experience. I hope that I can think of and do something like that so quickly in a similar situation.

Saturday, the four leaders of the regatta extended their point separation from the fleet. Claudia had a 1,3,1. Avert, consistently one of the very best sailors anywhere, had a 2,1,3. Walt Prue (winner in 95, 2nd in 96) was doing quite well with 5,2,2 once he figured out the local lake. The 505 boys had 4,4 and a DNF due to the aformentioned capsize. Fortune was not smiling on Bill and Leslie Smith who seemed to be having one of those regattas we all seem to have occasionally where every decision somehow turns out wrong. They were doubly disappointed as they had done so well on this same lake a few weeks earlier winning our District Championship. Tom (THE C15-GUY ) and Karen (Smart Girl) also couldn't seem to get a break. Maybe it was the heat that wore them down -- it certainly took its toll on me. Ed and Steve Comen had a couple of good races as Ed began to tune in his skills on the C-15. Our boat finished Saturday races in a tie for fifth place with Bill Brydson, who was staying with us at out house.

Several times Saturday the leaders of the Cabrillo fleet finished in the top third overall. Fifteen year old Barret Sprout, who we dubbed “Hollywood” with his Dad as crew always seem to work to weather extremely well. Hollywood has made amazing progress as a skipper since we saw him in Vancouver in 96. Watch put for him! Also new C-15 sailors Sam and Samantha Fields seem to always make up lots of distance on those downwind legs. They are very dedicated sailors and going to be tough very soon.

Sunday rose hot and windy. The accumulated strain of the previous hot days on the water made us all sore and tired. With the excellent work from the committee we easily got in the two last races. No one asked for more. Overall results are in the table below.

In summary, I am extremely proud of the way the people of the Corinthian Sail Club in Dallas came through and rescued this regatta from the Austin flood. We are thankful for all the preparation work the Austin people had. It takes personal time and dedicated effort to pull off something like this, and we owe our sincere gratitude to all those who worked this regatta -- both in Austin and Dallas. We each should pay back this effort to the sport of sailing by volunteering to help out in a pinch where ever we sail.

Racing is great, racing is fun, and racing is what these events are all about -- but -- the icing on the racing cake is truly the times we are together, talking, laughing at ourselves, and entertaining each other with stories, lies, tips, and ideas. I am sorry for those of us who could not attend this regatta, and encourage each of us to never miss another like it. I know Tom (THE C-15 COMMODORE GUY) is already working toward commitment to time and place for the 97 NAs (Atlanta?). Watch for me and Ryan -- we'll be there.