Updated 02/16/2007

2006 Area D-North Eliminations for the Alter Cup
Nigel Pitt's lake home on Lake Hartwell, GA
October 7-8, 2006

Nigel and Tammy Pitt Win Area D-North Qualifier
(Please click on photos to enlarge)
 

Seven boats, five Formula 18s and two single handed Hobie 17s gathered for the US SAILING Area D-north Alter Cup Qualifier event on Lake Hartwell hosted by Nigel Pitt. The event was highly contested and through varying conditions, positions were constantly changing on a leg-by-leg and sometimes tack-by-tack basis. Racing started on Saturday with a moderate, slightly spotty breeze and with warm fall sunshine and temperatures in the mid 70s. After a very crowded last rounding of A mark, Rick Harper started the event strongly with a first place and was followed by Wick Smith, Nigel Pitt, David Lennard, Rob Setelli, Garland Ayscue, and Lynn Olson respectively. The wind developed into a steadier breeze as the day progressed and three more races were recorded. Nigel and Tammy Pitt sailed the rest of the day strongly recording three first-place finishes. Overall, Rick Harper and Kip Goodman were in second place followed by David Lennard and Jake Kohl in third, Wick and Wick “Bear” Smith in fourth, Lynn Olson in fifth, Rob and Amanda Setelli in sixth, and Garland Ayscue in seventh.

Nigel hosted the evening with a cruise on his houseboat to a local marina where 35 of us met a perplexed pizza delivery guy where we had to make three passes at a narrow dock landing in a cross wind to first pass the cash and then make two passes of multiple hot pizza boxes. The crowd polished off 9 pizzas while slowly motoring back to the other side of the lake as the sun set.

On Sunday, the competitors awoke to a drizzly overcast day but with a healthy breeze of about 8 to 12knots. The lake was choppy and the Race Committee had to put in some extra effort to properly anchor the committee boat. Once the boat was set, the sequence was started and the boats rocketed off. Nigel and Tammy Pitt continued their run by recording another first place finish but the finish was hotly contested and the top three boats, Pitt, Lennard, and Smith on F18s, finished within seven seconds of each other crossing jibes right on the finish line! The sixth and final race of the weekend got underway and Lennard finished strongly with a first, the Wicks in second, Ayscue in third. Pitt had a spinnaker problem and was forced to idle around the course and finished in 6^th.

The overall results put Nigel and Tammy Pitt in first place with 7 points. They were followed by David Lennard and Jake Kohl with 10 pts, Wick and Wick Smith Jr. in third with 16 pts, Rick Harper and Kip Goodman with 17 pts, Lynn Olson with 23 pts, Rob and Amanda Setelli with 26 pts, and Garland Ayscue with 27 pts.