Hallagan Conquers Conditions, Competition at Caz

6/20/08

Nineteen Lightnings met at Willowbank Yacht Club on Cazenovia Lake, just east of Syracuse New York, for their annual Lightning regatta, the Caz Flash Bash, on June 14th and 15th. The sailors caught up, tuned up and registered for the regatta early Saturday morning. Since thunderstorms were threatening three races were planned before lunch.

As the fleet left the dock they sailed in a westerly of four to seven knots. Cazenovia Lake is only about a half-mile from east to west. The west shore, where the weather mark would be located was well sheltered by green rolling hills. It would certainly be a challenging morning.

In the first race, the mark-set boat got the top mark a bit far to the right, then the wind went a little further left. The result was a kind-of reach to reach race with little passing. Dick Hallagan was able to get tacked off the starting line and lead the parade all the way to the finish for the bullet. Bob Bush followed in second.

In the second race the mark-set boys got the beat squared up. The breeze was still light, especially on the second half of the leg. The pin was well favored at the start and a few boats from that end were able to cross the fleet and looked very good early. Ed Seyerline's plan was to start in the middle and dig right, where he thought there would be more wind. Ed was correct and led by a hundred yards at the first mark. Bob King went from third to first on the run and extended his lead up the second beat, until the wind died to almost zero. Again the right payed off and Dick Hallagan and Kirk Reynolds got back into the race. There was not enough air to fly the kite on the run to the finish. Dick and Kirk stayed low downwind and finished one and two. King was third and Dick Tuttle had a great finishing leg, and moved up to fourth.

In the third race the wind filled in a bit. For the first time we saw the left side pay upwind. Bob Bush and Kirk Reynolds came off the left and rounded first and second, just ahead of a pack of 7 or 8 boats. On the next leg the right side was again favored and the boats that stayed with it were able to claw back. Notably, Bob King and Clay Murphy moved into contention for the race. In the end Bush held on with Murphy passing King on the last tack to the finish, they went 2-3. Hallagan dropped back a bit with a seventh.

In the forth race it was again Reynolds and Hallagan fighting for the lead at the first mark. This time they were followed closely by Jed Dodge. After a long race they finished that way - Reynolds then Hallagan then Dodge. At the end of Saturday Reynolds led with his consistent finishes of 3,2,4,1. Hallagan was biting at his heels, especially if two races were sailed which would have provided a throw-out, with finishes of 1,1,7,2. King was a distant third with scores of 6,4,3,5. Bush was two points behind King and Murphy was one behind Bush.

Sunday, when the sailors arrived, there was no breeze. To some who had one too many free beers the rest was welcome. To others, especially those who needed a throw-out, the stillness was not appreciated. Finally, after a wait of over an hour a light north-westerly appeared. There would only be one race and it would decide the regatta. Hallagan and Reynolds both rounded the top mark near the front, along with Bush and Murphy. King rounded in 16th. The breeze was small-lake shifty which meant a lot of passing and being passed. At the final Leward mark Bush led followed by Hallagan, Reynolds, Murphy and King - in that order. The first three boats took the gate that was further right and the fouth and fifth place boats split with them. Murphy and King guessed correctly and were sailing in more pressure up the last beat. In the end Murphy got the Bullet, Hallagan was second, King third, Bush fifth and Reynolds 6th.

The final race had settled it. Hallagan won, appropriately. Reynolds finished second, King third, Murphy fouth, Bush fifth. The top five all thanked Willow Bank for hosting the event and Dave Bull for doing a great job as PRO.