2007 Wrap Up

J22 Fleet # 1 kicked off the 2007 season with a bang at our annual Dave Cool Icebreaker Regatta.  23 boats turned out for this annual rite of spring equaling our best turnout ever.  We were blessed with great spring weather and some very good early season racing conditions.  We also had a nice cross section of sponsors and we really appreciate them supporting our fleet and the 2007 Dave Cool Icebreaker. Thank you ! 

 

PROUD SPONSORS:

 

http://www.hellyhansenusa.com 

http://www.iniki.com

http://www.absolut.com

http://www.companycasuals.com/GeeTeez/start.jsp

http://www.kattack.com  

 

From the big turnout on Friday night all the way through to Sunday afternoon, it felt as if we were picking up right where we left off.  It was good to see old friends again – and their kids (everywhere :).  It was easy to see that the momentum from the 2006 Wealth Enhancement Group J22 NA’s carried forward into this year.

 

Saturday arrived with temperatures in the upper 70’s and breeze around 6 – 12 mph.  After the skippers meeting we went into an onshore postponement allowing everyone just a bit more time to make final preparations.  The postponement was short lived and after 30 minutes we were eagerly sailing out to the course.  After a long winter, I think everyone was glad to see our fleet on the water once again.   

 

Fleet 1 enjoyed (2) competitive races on Saturday.  Lake Minnetonka lived up to its reputation with shifty conditions and dramatic changes in velocity.  The conditions were challenging – even for the best teams in our fleet.  We got our first race in shortly after going out.  Sailing in clean breeze and on the staying on the favored tack were important keys to good finishes. 963 bested the fleet in the first race, with 820 and 1311 rounding out the top 3.

 

Then we went into a lengthy postponement while we waited for the forecasted conditions of 10-15 to materialize.  Finally the breeze did build and we got our 2^nd race in to finish the day.  865 found their way to the front of the fleet and never looked back.  820 took another 2^nd by holding of a hard charging 513 and 1311 on the last leg. 

 

820 and 865 were the top 2 boats of the day with 963 and 1311 tied for third.  Only (4) boats had less than 10 points after 2 races, demonstrating how the tough conditions challenged racers to produce consistent finishes.    
 

RACE 1

Place	Sail #	Name
1	963	USA 963
2	820	Aquavit
3	1311	Norwegian Woody
4	651	Shadowfax
5	865	Old Skool

 

RACE 2

Place	Sail #	Name
1	865	Old Skool
2	820	Aquavit
3	513	Let's Boogie
4	1311	Norwegian Woody
5	1543	Oranje

 

Standings after Saturday Races

1	820	Aquavit
2	865	Old Skool
3	963	USA 963
	1311	Norwegian Woody
5	1048	Speed Buggy

 

Following racing we all congregated at the club for Kattack replay and another Racers Roundup.  Matt Johnson, John Dyer, and Jon Noller were all asked to stand up and field questions from the Fleet.  As experienced J22 crew go, this was a very talented group.  Several questions about sailing in the breeze were discussed, but J22 rig tune seemed to dominate the conversation.  Many within the fleet felt proper boat setup was the key to speed and point in Saturday’s races. 

 

Absolute Vodka sponsored a great post race party – and with plenty of food and beverages.  Everyone seemed to really enjoy warm spring evening with many spouses and guests joining in the festivities.  

 

Sunday morning proved to be even warmer and the forecast looked promising.  But once we hit the main lake the breeze had come down to about 2 to 8 mph and 2 races seemed like a stretch. We went straight into sequence with the warm air temperature and the cold water temps making conditions very challenging.  The old saying, “Never give up” came into play again this year….with the final race testing the stamina of the most patient of sailors.  865 and 513 were the race winners – with 1071, 963 and 486 all posting strong performances.  These were very tough conditions and the fleet often becoming widely spread apart.

 

I overheard two comments that seemed to sum up the day, “The J22 is a great beginner boat – but this is not a great beginner fleet !” and “Our best ride of the day was the tow back to the dock !”  That summed up the day for some...while others seemed to thrive in the light air. 

 

After racing we gathered for the awards presentation.  Steve and Marilyn Cool graciously awarded new J22 1313 owner Doug Mann the spirit of Dave Cool award. Through this event, Dave’s spirit lives on in our fleet and for that we should all be grateful.  We miss you Dave Cool. 

 

Congratulations to all of the race winners and the top 3 boats for sailing well all weekend.  And congratulations to our winner:

 

2007 Dave Cool Icebreaker Champion

865 - Old Skool

Lars Hansen, Jon Noller, and Rod Komis

 

Thank you to all of the sailors, our sponsors, and Steve and Marilyn Cool, for making this another great Cool Icebreaker.  

See you on the water ! 

  

George Hansen

J22 Fleet # 1 Captain

 

RACE 3

Place	Sail #	Name
1	865	Old Skool
2	963	USA 963
3	1071	Irish Temper
4	506	H. K. Phooey
5	486	en fuego

RACE 4

Place	Sail #	Name
1	513	Let's Boogie
2	865	Old Skool
3	931	De Stijl
4	1071	Irish Temper
5	486	en fuego

 

WYC Series Results ( Dave Cool Icebreaker )

PROUD SPONSORS:

 

http://www.hellyhansenusa.com/ 

www.iniki.com

http://absolut.com/

http://www.companycasuals.com/GeeTeez/start.jsp

http://www.kattack.com/