Updated 02/16/07

Alter Cup Area E Qualifier
Catamaran Racing Association of Michigan
Caseville I
June 22-23, 2002

by Roger Cochran

Ah, Caseville. Land of bikinis (especially this year), long beaches and paved parking lots. This regatta saw CRAM's first Formula 18 fleet with four Nacra F18s making their debut.

Ginger and I were race committee this year for the Alter Cup Area E Qualifier. It doesn’t get easier than one start, does it? Well, yes, when the wind shifts 90 degrees just as the boats arrive for the first race. Actually, the winds shifted late, but then again, so were the boats for the first start. Anyway, we were off to rotate the entire course 90 degrees as the boats patiently waited. Doug and Shelly were running mark boat and were a great help in picking up marks, moving them, etc.

Anyway, after a delay we got the races running. What started as 8-10 knots before the races gradually died down into the 4-5 range. We did get a race off and the wind stayed relatively steady. Then just before the second race, another 45 degree shift. Can you say persistent shift? So, we sent the boats to the beach and adjusted the course once again. Before the wind was finished it rotated another 15 degrees. The second race started off in light air and gradually lightened more. We shortened course at A mark, and the first boats made it up there in a reasonable time. Then the breeze went to zero. I mean zero. When the boats near C-mark can hear the Race Committee splashing at A-mark, it’s light. The boats quietly ghosted up to the finish. Then the fun started. You see, there was a current drifting toward the leeward mark. So now you have boats going for the committee boat and ending up at the leeward pin. Or I should say ON the leeward pin. Several boats hit it, including Eric Kennedy and Glenn Koenigbauer. Glenn was beating Eric, and hit the mark. Ahh, a perfect opportunity for Eric to take Glenn out at the finish (or so he thought). But noooo, Eric hits the mark also. I was losing track of how many times these guys finished.

After finishing everybody, we towed in as many as we could. I expected a lynching when we got back to the beach. Luckily, the racers blamed the floater on mother nature and other than a few comments about long courses (any course is long when your speed is zero), I was not accosted.

The party was in full swing when we got back to the campsite with Jim and Kris Karnes doing the shrimp boil. Thanks, guys. Awesome party. The new no keg rule didn’t seem to be any problem, but Beer Man was missed. The party went late, with beer bottles turning into boats as we discussed rules late into the night.

Sunday was much better, with a forecast of 8-15 knots steady. It was steady, but never made it past 9 knots. It didn’t matter though. Everybody was happy just to be moving. Oh, remember that late off the beach thing? I announced that races were starting at 10:30 regardless of who was there. Funny thing – all the boats were out by 10:00. That worked. We got two more races off and called it a regatta.

Congratulations to Alter Cup Area E Qualifier winners Bill Westrick and Tom Crowe.