April 12 & 13 2025
By: Len Bose
Photos by Len Bose.
This was our second year on the North Lake with this venue providing spectacle scenery, open waterways with no traffic, no flotsam, easy launching, open walkways, and on-site parking. The locals reminded the travelers that the air temperature was a “Dry Heat” and not considered hot. We did have a breeze that stayed under control providing us with long square courses. Nine races were sailed on Saturday with the breeze between 5-11 knots. Sunday’s forecast did not come through as predicted and we could get in four races before shutting off the day.
For me, the true fun “Value” in the Travel Trophy Series is hanging out with the locals and going to dinner with all my DF95 friends. Friday night pre-regatta outings are always the most challenging for me, and this one will be remembered for many years to come. It started with Chris Staiger calling out the play to meet at the “Brown Bear” a short distance away with the starting time at 18:30. Jess Atkinson and Chris Davidson did not hear what the course was and gave me a call on the phone call just as I was completing my happy hour beverage. “Where are we meeting for dinner?” Atkinson asked. My reply was “The Black Cow”, in the background I could hear Davidson “The Black Bear, not the Black Cow” laughing so hard he might have fallen out of his seat. “Shit, why are you guys taking me then?” Was my reply, and that just lit up the fun meter for the night. Atkinson, Davidson, Johnson, Ives, Staiger and myself sitting around the table talking about everything RC sailing past and present. I thought we had pegged the fun meter when Ives called for a course change to a sports bar that’s located where we were staying. Ives and I arrive at a large group of about a dozen customers enjoying their Friday Night Karaoke party, which brought back flashbacks to when I was a bartender, but that other story. These locals were surprisingly good, and it was obvious this was their Friday night hangout. Ives and I had a couple of rounds and called in a night at 9:15 when I said, “I’d better throw in the towel, or I am going to feel it tomorrow.” This leads me to the quote of the regatta, the next day when Ives arrived, I asked how he was feeling, “If we stayed for one more we would have started singing” Ives said. This was the perfect way to start the regatta with a good laugh with Ives and Black Cow jokes coming in from different directions like the desert breeze.
Mike Ferring and his team provided us with a fantastic venue, racing, and another night out with the locals and the traveling competitors. This is why I enjoy RC sailing so much, it’s not all about the racing it’s more about the “Good Times” with good friends. If you have not signed up for Sacramento on May 3rd and 4th start making plans now because life is too short not to hang out with your sailing friends.
Let’s go Sailing!
Results and current Standings of R8 TT: