2007 J/24 Changing of the Colors on Lake George, New York

2007 J/24 Changing of the Colors

September 29 – 30, 2007, hosted by the Lake George Club

Four races on Saturday; one race started and then abandoned in a dying breeze on Sunday.
Photos by Judy Sanders

Place	Owner/Helm	Boat Name	Fleet	Race 1	Race 2	Race 3	Race 4	Points
1	Kirk Reynolds	Sea Dog	146	2	1	9	2	14
2	Aidan Glacken	Mental Floss		4	3	3	10	20
3	Ted Johnson	Vitamin J	28	15	8	4	5	32
4	Alfie Merchant	Witch Way	24	1	18	7	8	34
5	Bill Fastiggi	Beauty	23	28	6	1	1	36
6	Steve Lopez	Elvis		14	13	8	6	41
7	Martin Gallagher	Shifty		10	14	6	12	42
8	Dan Busch	Buschwacker		5	12	27	3	47
9	Tom Doran	Oz	146	11	11	10	15	47
10	Ted Winston	Passage East		8	19	5	17	49
11	Stu Challoner	Spoilsport		18	20	12	4	54
12	John Denman	Airodoodle	28	19	15	18	14	66
13	Eric Leitner	Apple Pie		43	5	16	11	75
14	Howard Coon	Flying Circus		13	29	14	19	75
15	Kiki Werner	PeeWee	51	3	7	2	65	77
16	Bob Kinsman	Dogfish		24	9	17	27	77
17	Pat FitzGerald	Civil War		27	16	19	18	80
18	Allan Ouellette	Last Kid Picked	23	26	24	21	13	84
19	Bob Kraemer	Xingu	28	30	4	30	22	86
20	Ed Gardner	Surprise	51	9	21	33	30	93
21	Rodger Voss	Spirit	24	37	30	13	16	96
22	Al Hobart	Fawn Liebowitz	23	6	2	25	65	98
23	Jeff Earl	Usual Suspect		12	25	11	65	113
24	John Brodie	Crackerjack	24	7	34	26	47	114
25	Patrick Frisch	Zia		56	27	28	9	120
26	Tom Selfridge	t	24	35	26	20	41	122
27	Paul Reese	Dancing Queen		54	22	24	23	123
28	Stephen Fernald	Pit Party		20	33	45	29	127
29	Mike Quaid	Ice Cube	23	49	10	38	31	128
30	Christopher Stone	Aquasition		29	45	35	20	129
31	Nicholas Dambrie	Belafonte		36	37	22	36	131
32	Doug Olsen	Outer Limits		40	17	31	45	133
33	Kyle Lavoy	Uncle Ludwig	24	16	35	47	37	135
34	Chris Follansbee	The Matrix		22	49	44	21	136
35	Arthur Topilow	Tops'l		46	50	37	7	140
36	Ken Herd	Flying Circus	24	34	31	42	35	142
37	Jon Stremmel	Grayhound		23	53	41	28	145
38	Bill McKenna	Bo Rap		41	42	23	39	145
39	Stephen Honeybill	Jag	24	32	39	48	26	145
40	Charlie Krylo	Seaweed	146	17	46	50	38	151
41	Groves Dinning	Brew Ha Ha		21	40	52	40	153
42	Freddie Popitz	Paragamin		39	52	29	34	154
43	Dave Cobbett	High Strung	Ont	42	41	32	43	158
44	Greg Williams	GUP		25	23	46	65	159
45	Russ Cook	Significant Other	146	38	28	63	33	162
46	Charlie Elve	Trucken'		64	38	40	25	167
47	Cyrille Vittecoq	Varmint	Ont	61	36	43	32	172
48	Gail Rebello	Ripped		45	32	54	44	175
49	Nick Jako	Red Stripe	Que	31	65	15	65	176
50	Harold Weisberg	Secundum Artem	42	60	48	51	24	183
51	Caroline Ross	London Calling		50	47	39	51	187
52	Jack Reale	Realething		33	43	60	59	195
53	David Feavearyear	Snitch	78	47	54	58	46	205
54	Stephen Blais	Premature Grey	Que	51	56	49	49	205
55	Nicolas Mabboux	Bay Gull	FRA	52	44	56	56	208
56	Lee Grant	Peace Maker	Que	63	65	34	48	210
57	Charlyn Feeney	Air Apparent		57	59	53	42	211
58	Lambert Lai	Zomby Woof	51	48	65	36	65	214
59	John Dickinson	Cut Loose	24	44	58	59	53	214
60	Jesse Henderson	Rushmore	Que	55	55	57	50	217
61	Jack Reale	Inside Edge		53	57	61	52	223
62	Rich Hacku	Peddler		58	60	55	55	228
63	Steve Jackson	Jako	24	62	51	64	58	235
64	Rob Fraser	Pleiades	24	59	61	62	54	236

Lake George boats highlighted in yellow

Regatta summary by Ben McAndrew

Every year since 1978 J/24s have traveled to Lake George on the fourth weekend after Labor Day to sail in one of the J/24 class staples, the Changing of the Colors Regatta. 2007 drew an unprecedented number of competitors, with 70 pre-registered and the regatta capped by the last week in August.

Saturday’s racing started out in 6-9 knots of breeze, later lightening to about 4 knots. All the visiting competitors got to experience the most unpredictable wind direction on the lake — east wind. Left side paid on the first leg of race number one, and boats who sailed to the middle of the lake on the downwind before jibing south kept themselves out of a large wind hole formed to the east. Local sailor Alfie Merchant and crew of Witch Way took advantage of knowledge gained in the prior week�s J/22 regatta, sailed in similar conditions, and crossed the finish line first, followed closely by Kirk Reynolds in Sea Dog and Kiki Werner on Pee Wee. Wind built to about 11 knots and shifted to the forecasted north between races, so after a course reset 64 boats were off again. Local knowledge says go left in this wind direction to avoid sailing a great circle on the right, but such wasn’t the case in race 2. Wind swirling off the mountains on the west shore and cats-pawing across the water on the left side made for difficult and unstable conditions, and leaders arrived at the first mark from the right. Wind built and dropped again, then built again throughout the duration of race two and lunch time, and by the start of race three there were whitecaps and gusts on the water. This time boats that initially went right off the starting line, cleared their air and then consolidated back to the left emerged as leaders at the first windward mark. Downwind, boats that didn’t stray to the right side of the rhumb line made gains on the inside.

Race committee warned at the skipper’s meeting they would exercise liberal use of the black flag to keep the fleet in check, and true to their word after the first general recall of the day in race 4 out came the black flag. Wind built to a somewhat steadier 13 knots and the last race of the day got under way. Right was again the way to go if you wanted to get ahead off the starting line, then consolidate back to the left. A close examination of a chart of Lake George will reveal 200-foot water depths in the racing area, and suggest answers as to why the marks were placed where they were all day. The windward mark anchor must have slipped off the edge at the mouth of Basin Bay, allowing the mark to drag and making the offset mark upwind, and required some boats to take another two tacks to get around it!

Part of the charm of racing at the Lake George Club is the old-fashioned leader board, upon which scores for each boat are recorded on cards and posted on pegs in the correct order. Those who stayed for Saturday night’s party got to see the final outcome of the day after protests were decided, and before retiring for the night.

Glassy water during breakfast gave way to a gentle breeze of 5 knots. Race 5 finally got under way and boats who peeled away and sailed right off the start rounded the first mark in the lead. Stu Challoner on Spoilsport rounded first, with Rodger Voss on Spirit a close second. Shortly thereafter the wind shut down, and an hour later, as the fleet tried in vain to “fly the cloth” — and keep from drifting into the leeward mark — the sailing race was abandoned and the race for the hoist began. Kirk Reynolds emerged the regatta victor, proving that Dacron genoas are still fast, with Aidan Glacken on Mental Floss in second and Ted Johnson on Vitamin J in third.