38 Years Ago At A Lightning North Americans In Sheboygan...

Now that you've registered and are about to get into the car to drive here, it's time to ask..."Where were you in August of '76?"

This is the 4th time Sheboygan will play host to at least one of the Lightning North American Championship regattas. Previously the 1993 WMJs were held in Sheboygan and the NAs in Milwaukee. In 2005 the NAs were held in Sheboygan after the WMJs were held in Milwaukee.

In 1976 regatta was also held in Sheboygan...

That regatta will forever be remembered for the first race of the qualifying series when the fleet encountered a classic Lake Michigan North Easter following the passage of a cold front. To quote the Sheboygan Press from the following Monday:

"The big story of the weekend came Saturday when 30 boats failed to finish the race and an estimated 20 boats were capsized by 10 foot seas and winds around 25 knots with gusts blowing to 30 knots. With 20 boats over, at least 60 persons were in the water causing the rescue operation to concentrate on saving people while boats were abandoned. Of the boats that were abandoned, the last couple weren't found until late Saturday afternoon and one wasn't located until 10am Sunday.

It was a rough day for the scorers, some of them worked, threw-up and went back to work. Some were reportedly ill by 9 a.m. but didn't get back to shore until after 3 in the afternoon."

The second race of the day was abandoned and all sailors accounted for. It is a happy irony that Matt Burridge, who with his Father owned one of the boats that was later found on the beach several miles from the race course, came back to Sheboygan and won the 2005 event without having to sail the last race.

Amazingly, by the next day the wind had blown itself and the waves flattened to the point that the first race of that day was not completed within the time limit and had to be re-sailed.

The first race of the '76 event will never be forgotten by anyone who was here that year.
It's good history to know before we get started this year.  Nobody here is frightened of Lake Michigan. But just the same, we NEVER take its power for granted either. Remember, there was a polar vortex winter here. The lake is about 10 degrees colder than normal. That does not mean it's going to blow 20 every day. In fact, the recently-completed Thistle Nationals also hosted here was a light air event. But do yourself a favor: bring some warm clothes! You can always leave them in the hotel.

It's incredible, but here we are in the last week before the 2014 NAs. The organizing committee is ready. Sail Sheboygan and The Sheboygan Yacht Club are ready. The Race Committee and the Judges are ready. The Measurement Team Is Ready. There was a time when the concluding sentence would have asked, "Is your liver ready?" But that is so inappropriate in these more mature times...

Drive safely. See you soon.

We LOVE It When You Tease US That Way...

We started writing this blog last September when there were something like 300 days left until the start of the 2014 North American Championships being held in Sheboygan, WI. At that time we stated this goal: 100 boats sailing in the NAs.

We have been working hard to convince people to attend. We've promised discounted (free) beer. We survived a polar vortex winter. The ice melted reliably...several hours ago.

About two weeks ago when we were sitting at 80 registrants I offered to personally buy breakfast for the 100th boat to register for the regatta.

Then just two days ago it happened: The 100th boat registered for the regatta. Wow.

I hereby officially invite Lenny Krawcheck and his team to breakfast at Field to Fork in Sheboygan on the date of their choice.

Everyone here at the World Headquarters of the 2014 Lightning North American Championships being held in Sheboygan, WI (Please come!) is beyond excited. We cannot WAIT for you to arrive. We can't wait to start measuring boats!! (This is kind of a sick group we acknowledge...)You know what we all did to celebrate? We went through another draft of the sailing instructions. Then we reviewed the site plan to add some more boat parking slots. Then, we reviewed the number of ATVs we're going to have on hand to be sure we can still get the whole fleet in and out of the water in an hour. Then we got into a spirited discussion about whether or not to order in more bow number stickers.

The fact is: 100 registrations is NOT 100 boats floating out there on August 11. Some teams are going to have car trouble. Someone's mother-in-law is going to recover more slowly than anticipated from another face-lift and they are going to have to pull out. WE NEED MORE REGISTRATIONS.

If you are having trouble with the Online-registration program, please call Laura in the office. She is ready to help. If you even think you might find a way to get to Sheboygan, try hard to come.  If you don't come, you won't be able to say you saw the WORLD'S TALLEST FLAG POLE in person.
Here's a link: http://mortenson.wistia.com/medias/tejnwpitig

9 days until the first sailing in Sheboygan. Please come! Can't wait to see you.

Just How Badly We Want You In Sheboygan (Volume 234)

We've All Been To A Regatta Where...

We've driven up to the club and it's a ghost town. You get the distinct impression that all the members have taken their vacations that weekend so that they didn't have to share the club. You get the idea that the club just doesn't care if you're there or not. And by the way after what time can't they start the last race? Our organizing committee wakes up screaming in the night from the same recurrent nightmare: Someone got the idea we didn't care. 

The 2014 Lightning NAs will NOT be that kind of regatta. That fact, more than anything else is the big reason you should hook the boat behind the car and drive quickly toward cheeseland. WE WANT YOU. WE HOPE YOU'LL COME AND HAVE FUN. IT MATTERS TO US. Let's see...how can I prove it to you. Hmmm...here's an example. Perhaps this will entice you.

Yesterday, I got an email from Peter Mayer who is the current Commodore of the Sheboygan Yacht Club. He is not a Lightning sailor. He IS the Commodore. Here's what he wrote me:

Bill,

We booked entertainment for Tuesday, August 12th starting at 7PM (immediately after the Lightning meeting), in case you want to add it to your blog and direct it to be added to the Sail Sheboygan Lightning website entertainment tab.  Here is the information:

Tuesday, August 12^th starting at 7:00PM – Redfish will be performing for Lightning participants and club members.  Redfish is classic rock, tropical and country mixed in a blender and served with a paper umbrella. http://www.redfishband.net/

...blender...paper umbrella...I hadn't yet been educated to all things Redfish, so I went to that link and I immediately started smiling. Redfish is made up of two guys: Red...and you guessed it...Fish. Do I really need to say more? I doubt it. But take a look at this:

 Who knew Redfish would even consider a stop in the middle of the WORLD TOUR and book a gig at SYC on a Tuesday night?! If the Commodore of the host Club takes the time to book a band for your regatta, and he books Redfish, you know the Club is behind the regatta. And if you know the Sheboygan Yacht Club (The Friendliest Yacht Club on Lake Michigan and indeed in all of Sheboygan County) is behind the regatta and it doesn't make you throw the sleeping bags into the boat and start checking the trailer lights, then you're farther gone than is good for anyone. You had better register quickly before the regatta fills up completely. PS: I will buy breakfast for the 100th boat to register. We're almost there!!

Thanks to Commodore Mayer...and to everyone who has already registered. Did I mention we hope you'll come?!

Good Regattas Are In The Details...Chapter 2

Trophies...Another Opportunity To Show Just How Much Fun Over Thinking What You Once Took For Granted Can Be!!


If you're like some of us, you've been around the marks a few times. You are no rookie. You've brought some silver or some glass or some terrycloth home from some regattas. If you've been fortunate, or sailed for a REALLY long time, you have a lot of beautiful trophies perhaps so many that you've had to negotiate with a significant other over which ones you can keep. You might even still have a few in your car right now. Your dog might eat out of a one.

After awhile in your jaded 'Ok, let's get this prize giving done so I can start driving home' attitude, you might even start taking the trophy terribly for granted. That's a shame and it is precisely that for granted at which Jason Bemis of our 2014 Lightning North American Championship Organizational Committee (he's also President of Sail Sheboygan one of our organizing authorities) has taken dead aim.

Give the North American Championship Trophies a little consideration for a moment...Women's, Masters, Juniors, Blue, Green, Yellow Fleets, 3 trophies per boat...it adds up to more than 125 trophies. The challenge is how to hit a price point that will make the trophy memorable and affordable at the same time?
If you're Jason, you dream it up, you get it designed. You digitize the design and you start getting them cut out of solid aluminum on a multi-million dollar industrial water cutter that just happens to be operating deep within your company. This reporter has been told that each trophy requires 6 minutes of machine time and then some buffing and then some cleaning and then coloring and then some engraving and then some assembly. How can what is being done in these videos be accomplished for the paltry sum Jason has in the trophy budget? Not your problem!!

Check out the first trophy being created in these two videos:

(The path of the cutting head on the digital plotter)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRbEAztBF_U

(The cutting in progress)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCzUMUVJqlQ



Behold the first prototype:

From here, the trophies will be burnished before being shipped to Pioneer Metal Finishing's Portland, Oregon Anodizing and plating facility http://www.pioneermetal.com/portlandor
where they will be given color. I don't know when and where they get engraved, but you can bet they will be beautiful when they are complete.

Perhaps you should solidify your plan to attend this regatta. We're reasonably sure you'll be completely bummed out if you miss it.

Good Regattas Are In The Details--Chapter 1.

The weekend immediately past, we hosted the Midwest District Championships for both the Lightning and the Thistle classes at Sheboygan Yacht Club. It was a great opportunity for our volunteers on the RC and measurement teams to become more familiar with their tasks. More than 30 turned out to 'practice' their volunteer assignment. People who have hosted big regattas will understand what an amazing place Sheboygan is.

Chief Measurer Clausen flew in from PA to supervise Lightning measurement and provide us with instruction on how to properly use the measurement jigs and the right techniques to employ when the boats are up on the saw horses. It should be noted that our facilities/site planning team lead by Mark Wessel had previously built the required massive saw horses to the Clausen-recommended design.

As you will note from the photos, our weather was absolutely perfect...for measuring. No excessive sunlight to make reading the scale challenging, or annoying breaths of wind to impact a fair weight. A relative humidity of 100% at all times. 53-55 degrees...textbook measuring conditions. 20 Lightnings were successfully and accurately measured which removes a chunk of traffic from the measurement line when you arrive. You're welcome.

In addition to the technical measuring techniques, we learned the following:
• Once the process is up and running, it takes less than 10 minutes to complete a boat measurement.
• It's good to have two scales available, both calibrated and pre-approved by the measurer for in the event that one needs new batteries or is impacted by excessive moisture.
• The chief measurer has requested we measure the length of all safety lines.
• We need a platform from which to more safely raise and lower the centerboard while it is on the saw horses. Moving a ladder takes too long.
• Owners and crews learn a lot from watching measurement. They leave with their measurement certificates updated and signed by the Chief Measurer.

Our measurement team observed:
• Most boats have significantly more room than required between the rudder and the skeg.
• Only a few boats have centerboard slots anywhere close to the minimum allowance.
• All the spinnaker poles we measured were within the tolerances.
• Even the oldest boats passed the arc measurements. Nobody was too flat aft or too round forward.
• Many competitors forgot to bring their measurement certificates and/or didn't have class stickers in place. They will have to have these initialed by Mr. Clausen prior to being measurement-complete.

For your reference, the image following is a copy of the measurement control sheet that has been approved and was in use this weekend.

You will note that it remains our plan to spot-check a few sails. This saves an astounding amount of time and makes the whole experience much more tolerable...could we say even enjoyable?! As you can tell from the form above, we will check all sails for royalty stickers. It remains your responsibility to sail with legal sails. Should you fail a spot measurement you will be scored DSQ in every race during which you used that sail.

Bring your measurement certificate. Pay your dues in advance and put your sticker in place. Sort out your safety gear in advance and we will fly through measurement and get into the serious fun.

We have our act together. But that doesn't mean we don't have...needs.

This post is addressed to anyone out there who HATES to attend regattas primarily because they don't plan to sail. We understand. It's is completely dull to stand around the beer keg every afternoon watching otherwise normal people do the karate chop dance with their hands as they relive riveting mark roundings and hair-raising crossing situations experienced at 3 knots.
Consider this an online hug.
We understand.
We care.
We have needs too.
 And we know sailors. There is no way they will meet those needs.

So here's an offer:
If you are a sailor and you are hesitating about coming to the 2014 Lightning North Americans because you have a significant other that would rather drink Drain-O than sit around a regatta all week doing nothing...if you are in fact the person who would rather drink the Drain-O, please send an email to toddwake@aol.com and indicate that you or someone you know would be happier to attend IF THERE WAS A MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION THEY COULD MAKE TO MANKIND (or at least sailor kind).

Our committee has this regatta organization pretty firmly in hand. But that is not to say that if you are an amazing ATV driver, or regatta score keeper, or world-renowned rudder measurer we couldn't put you to work. Do you think that if you came to Sheboygan and you were an incredible beer tapper or a 7' boat measurement saw horse mover or mark anchor line coiler. we couldn't find work for you? Think again. We have a handsome roster of volunteering cheeseheads (who are also handsome) who are going to be here in cool long-sleeved technical shirts helping out with the regatta. We have the famous Hard Hat Hank and Esther Callahan coming in from Michigan to volunteer. But we can always use more help. Think about it, isn't the primary reason we're hosting this regatta to ward off boredom? 

We can help you too!!

If you would like to spend some time helping out (stranger things HAVE been done) just... raise your hand.

Room At The Inn...and Other Options

Where once there was an enormous pile of road salt there is an enormous resort with a beautiful beach and a water park. Where once there were diesel commercial fishing boats, there are now sport fishermen and people kiteboarding. There has been a transformation in Sheboygan County as people have discovered what a friend we have in Lake Michigan. 

It’s a wonderful thing that Sheboygan has gotten to be a popular summer destination. But it does pose its challenges to those organizing say a 100 boat North American Lightning Championship. Be alert! Hotel room availability is going to look limited.  Unless you realize what is going on, you might get frustrated. And this blog's sworn enemy is sailor frustration. 

So to ward off any of that nasty stuff here's the skinny. Friday and particularly Saturday, August 8 and 9 the closest hotel rooms are going to appear (and perhaps actually be) filled because of an auto race at nearby Road America. A lot of those rooms will be opening up for Sunday night, August 10. So, don’t bum out if you try to punch a week's stay into a search engine and end up looking thwarted. You probably can’t get a whole week starting Saturday. Here's a thought: If you cannot find a local room on Saturday night, consider stopping North of Chicago (Racine, Milwaukee, Fox Point, Mequon, Grafton, Port Washington) and arriving in Sheboygan early on Sunday morning to measure and register. Start your hotel stay in Sheboygan on Sunday night. Please start to make your arrangements now.

As another option for the WMJs and for the time when the room inventory is tightest, we have arranged for housing at Lakeland College http://www.lakeland.edu/About-Us/where-is-lakeland

it’s a beautiful campus and only 20 minutes drive from the club.

• Lightning sailors check in Wednesday August 6, Check out Monday August 11 - 64 single beds available
• Accommodations are at the Brotz Hall and building is air conditioned
• Reservations can be made via email to Jim - Jim Bajczyk <BajczykJA@lakeland.edu>
• Guests check in and pay at front desk at Brotz Center - 10am - 10pm - Cash or Visa, MC and Discover
• $15/guest/night and guest must provide their own sheets or sleeping bag
• Pillow with pillow case and blanket are provided

Info on Brotz Hall: http://www.lakeland.edu/Campus-Life/brotz-hall?highlight=WyJicm90eiIsImhhbGwiLCJicm90eiBoYWxsIl0=  

If you haven't seen it, there was a blog post regarding housing for the NAs

on this blog last Fall. Check it out: http://www.squareboatnas2014.blogspot.com/2013_10_01_archive.html

As always, PALEEZZEE call either Todd or myself if you need any help with these logistics.