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Reichard wins his second Championship
Reichard Kahle adds 2009 to his win at Dayton in 2004. Hefting the loot, he is helped by "Pinky" Rinehart passing the Bell from his win last year. Reichard qwelled any challenge by posting three bullets and two seconds in the last 6 races Saturday afternoon. Well Done.
Five of the six National Champions over the last 10 years were there and getting into the Top 10 was periless, as any mistake was disaster. Chuck Luscomb fell from second to 4th by missing a mark in the last heat. Danny Thomas lost a 20 point lead after the second day to a dying winch; a rare mechanical for top sailors.
Sailing conditions were challenging and the course was long and over 2-1/2 laps looking for lifts and navigating changing lay lines to windward. We had 17 on the line for starts and they all were grueling. If you were not off the line in clear air with the first ten boats, it was questionable that you would stay in the fleet.
Management and execution of the event was flawless. It was a testiment to good organization and planning laced with hard work. There were 54 heats on the water and the Race Committee and the Judges worked them all while us competitors lounged for a third of them.
We had the run and support of the hotel. It was a busy place and a very good party in the hotel and the parking lot tailgating.
The Results and the Event Report is on the Florida Association website along with photo links. This includes all the line scores, a rare view inside a competition. It was a LOT of fun.
Dave Ramos, Rick Gerry and Chuck Luscomb were in a battle for something big over the three days. It came down to the last 6 races. Dave edged Rick for 2nd in a tie breaker and Chuck fell to 4th with that miss on the windward mark. David Brawner was just having fun and cruised into 5th after Danny Thomas fell to a mechanical.
Chris Kakavas of Burlington, NC, won the annual NCR drawing for the hull. Skip Allen of the Atlanta area and being Robin Yachts has been donating these hulls for years.
You may remember some months ago Doug Wotring initiating a chartible fund for one of our very needy members. Part of this effort was a raffle for a short kit by Blue Crab Yachts and Scott Todd of Cambridge, MD. Over 300 tickets were sold with 1/3 during the NCR banquet. Ivor Walton of the Mid Atlantic group in Mount Laurel, NJ, won the kit in an electronic drawing by Emily Walter, the young lady shown in the images above.
To Joe Walter, John Bottensek, Tom Germer and a host of others:
Thanks for the memories of this one.
Ivor's new boat and the Class will gather at the Waterbury State Park just outside Stowe, VT during the week following Labor Day for the 2010 Nationals.
It will be a good party by the Green Mountain Boys of Stowe MYC.
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