Big Inland 2000/Day Six/Friday/August 18, 2000

Try And Beat Me If You Can………Brain Porter (I-49) with brother John on jib and George Beukema in middle came-back strong to take a commanding lead today with a 1,1,2. And they did it by staying ahead or with Buddy Melges (I-1) and Rob Evans (M-1) who pushed them hard in Race Three and Four….which doesn’t even sound remotely easy. And it wasn’t…..as Evans lead at the first mark in Race Three by a large margin….and Buddy won Race Four in his very disciplined yet comfortable style - up against these guys plus an unusual attack of powerboat chop. After four races it is Porters by 15 points, then Buddy 7,9,3,1 and Evans 10,7,2,3 four points apart, Tom Burton (M-9) is seven more back with a 2,3,6,18; Chris Jewett (UM-1) fifth with 5,5,15,8; Bill Allen (M-4) 15, 6,12 (recovering from an early start requiring him to sail half the length of a long line to round the end), 5; David Ferguson (M-67) 17,12,10,9; Rick Roy (V-26) helming Biwer’s boat 12,8,8,20; Hans Meyer (V-77) 20,19,9,4; and in tenth Lance Puccio (H-7) 31,13,16,6. Gordy Bowers (M-11) and Art Larson (I-26) dropped back with ocs calls.

Brian, John and George lead Friday’s opening race wire to wire. Wind was north, sometimes more east or west depending on the phase and where one was. Like this all day with mostly more wind in the second race, less in the last, but good moments in all for a good hike or short plane. W 3 ½ courses were set into Williams Bay, legs about 1 ¼; leeward gates provided an additional tactical aspect. The middle race was surely the most interesting. Evans, around first as his reward for picking the left (west) side of the beat with a leeward end start, planed quickly to the offset, then set; second came Porters, Jon Schloesser (J-80), I-1, Larson, Paul Kobs (UM-44), Jule Hannaford (M-7), Brant Nelson (UM-11), Jason Sutherland (GL-31), and V-26. Porters gybed first for the middle wind-line, Buddy came-up to test Evans’ lead. By the next top mark, it was I-49, I-1 and M-1. Down the lake the match continued with Evans in a close pass of Buddy, more gybes, and around the gate. Porters lead again at the top turn now with M-1 then I-1. The tacking continued down the last run as this group of three pulled further away from J-80, UM-11, X-11, M-67. M-7, V-77. At the finish Porters, Evans and Melges lead the rest by over four minutes. This is an impressive contest among 75-starters.

Over in the 65-entry MC fleet, Andy Burdick (2028) leads with a 10,1,4,1. Second is BJ Best (1930) of Cedar Lake placing 3,9,5,11, eighteen pints back. Third is dad Bob Burdick (1945) 31,11,1,4 with 62pts. Fourth Rick Trester 15,24,3,8; 70.7pts; Kent Haeger fifth 42,2,2; 72pts; Dan Fink (1877) 14,12,18,9; 77pts; Kevin Neal (1762) 2,8,8,40; 77pts; Paul Wood (1779) 17,19,22,3; 81.7pts; Brian Heimsch (1615) 25,18,9,6; 81.7pts; and Kelly Reese (1828) 11,27,7,14; 83pts. Like the E’s, three races were sailed, two on the Fontana course with the third on the middle E-course (which for many proved more shifty and lighter than the west course). W 2 ½, typically of 5-6 mile length. Off the line in MC race one today (1-15 mph), the fleet experienced a favorable right (east) for the first three-quarters of the leg, only to be disappointed by a lefty (from the west) up near the mark as Eric Hood came first. By the next beat though Hood lost his lead to Andy Burdick who came in strong from the right for the win. Downwind the advantage was to take to the sides and avoid the middle of the course. The next back-to-back race, though, proved the undoing of some of the top guns as Scott Slocum (2029), Zack Clayton (2015), and Hood all took ocs scores as they jockeyed at the leeward end and didn’t return on the hails. Again a huge right (east) shift shuffled the fleet on the second windward leg with the wind becoming lighter throughout the race. Friday’s third race typically favored the boats on the left (west) (going into Conference Point) with more wind and a better angle, but again the second time to windward favored the right (off Cedar Point). Sailing into the "Bay" is always challenge, even for the local experts. Back-to-back races are planned for Saturday morning. E’s at 9:00am; MC’s starting at 9:30am. Forecast is southeast on the light side……………………M. Kurzawa