DN North American Championship Day 1
Getting to the starting line this year has been a bit like surfing. You watch and move when the right wave finally lines up.
The championship first gathered at Lake Wawasee in Indiana, where we were put on hold for several days while we waited to see what the storm would bring. It delivered snow and shut that option down. At the same time, Green Lake in Green Lake, Wisconsin, was quietly forming hard black ice, so the call was made to relocate.
Once on site, we faced another postponement due to sustained below zero temperatures.
Day 1 finally arrived yesterday, Wednesday, January 28. Sunny, but cold. We delayed the skippers meeting and qualifiers until 11:00 a.m., hoping for some moderation. It was still below 10°F.
The wind was brisk and unsettled, swinging and shifting across the course. It was fascinating to watch the top sailors catch on to the shifts almost immediately. In conditions like this, the wind becomes a moving puzzle and the best sailors solve it fastest.
The race committee was efficient and set the course. Qualifiers were banged off quickly.
The scoring team hit the jackpot when Green Lake resident and long time DN sailor Joe Norton let us use his enclosed Ranger UTV with a heater. It fit the three of us, Nina Fleming, Ann Foeller, and me, and made a long cold day more manageable.
Joe’s generosity did not stop there. On the postponement day, he hosted a tour of his Norton Boatworks shop where he has been restoring classic wooden boats for many years. He is famous for it, and the tour drew a full house. Afterward we all went to lunch together. It was a great way to spend a postponement day.
Commodore Rob Holman kept making the rounds and checking on sailors and volunteers to be sure everyone was OK in the cold. I will not lie, this was one of the coldest days we have spent out there.
We were done by about 3:30 p.m. and happy to be off the lake. Thanks to the entire race committee for sticking it out under demanding conditions.
Last night we held the Annual Governing Meeting after a long cold day.
For today, Thursday, January 29 in Green Lake, the forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and northwest winds around 5 to 10 mph. Lighter winds should help a bit but also slow racing down a bit, and the sun makes a real difference on days like these.
Racing is wisely delayed again today, with racing planned to begin at 11:00 a.m. for Day 2 of the DN North American Championship.
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