Trey Harlow and Dave Willis, 2012 Club Champs

Thistle sailor Trey Harlow is the AYC 2012 Club Champ.

After seven races in Thistles at Lake Pleasant Saturday, 5/5, Trey and crew Dave Willis were the clear winners over a field of fleet champions. There is no second place in the club championship, but let’s just say that official numbers (see below) put reigning champ Martin Lorch in that unofficial spot.

The windward-leeward races were run in a wide variety of conditions, from drifting to a couple gusts that must have topped 30 kts. Many thanks to the Thistle fleet for providing the one-design boats and to a flock of race committee people, including PRO Ben Doane.

Besides Trey and Martin, competitors included Matt Davis, Mike Ferring, Greg Woodcock, George Sheller, and Alexia Lorch. Norm Anderson was not able to make the event.

The Class Photo: Fleet Champs & Crew. From left: Greg Woodcock, Dan Perrine, Martin Lorch, Mike Davis, Steve & Christina Campos, Sheila Reed, Alexia Lorch, George Sheller, Champ Trey Harlow, Matt Davis, Mike Ferring and Peter Lehrach. Not pictured: Dave Willis (but he's in the shot above).

Here is the scoring:

The annual AYC Championship Race will be Saturday, May 5, with the first gun at 9:30.

This face-off pits 8 fleet champs against each other in Thistles at Lake Pleasant to see who can hold the Big Cup for the next year. The captains include reigning Champ Martin Lorch (who qualified again by winning C22), Thistle winner Trey Harlow, PHRF Spin’s Norm Anderson, PHRF Non-Spin’s Greg Woodcock, Sportboat’s Mike Ferring, C14 winner Alexia Lorch, Buccaneer champ Matt Davis, and Laser winner George Sheller.

Thistle fleet captain Ben Doane volunteered to be the PRO for the event, sailed round-robin in 8 Thistles. Ben and Trey were kind enough to share their boats and their sailing and tuning tips with the other competitors during an informal orientation at Lake Pleasant Sunday, April 29. In a mixture of light and puffy air, a pack of non-Thistlers tried to identify too many lines while stumbling over the center trunk of the boat and hiking on the too-skinning gunwales, while being guided by the comforting hands of Ben and Trey. This could be interesting.

Race documents can be found here.

Spectators are welcome to watch the race and Ben says he’s still looking for a few more race committee members. Contact him at this email address.

2012 High School Champions Jack Griffin and Luke Marino

Luke Marino and Jack Griffin slipped past last year’s champs to grab this year’s High School Sailing Championship, held at Tempe Town Lake Saturday, April 21.

After three light-air races in the morning, last year’s winning team of Alexia Lorch and Scott Soethe were just two points behind Luke and Jack. After a lunch break, the wind picked up and everyone headed out for one more deciding race. Luke and Jack won, sealing the championship.

Luke is a Washington High School student in Arizona’s Glendale district. And Jack is a student at Ward Traditional Academy in Tempe. They were awarded a perpetual trophy that they can display at their schools and were given individual trophies to keep.

The high school championship is run by the Arizona Sailing Foundation (ASF) and was organized by George Tingom. The Principal Race Officer was Arizona State University student Gerald Byrnes.

While the championship isn’t limited to students who participate in ASF’s Tuesday after-school sailing class, both Luke and Jack are in the program. Three years ago, Jack also won the most improved junior sailor award as part of the ASF Opti Program.

Information on the ASF high school class is available here.

George is already planning the next championship and says that unless a special Tempe event forces a date change, the event will happen Saturday, April 15, 2013.

The annual AYC Championship Race will be Saturday, May 5, with the first gun at 9:30.

This face-off pits 8 fleet champs against each other in Thistles at Lake Pleasant to see who can hold the Big Cup for the next year. The captains include reigning Champ Martin Lorch (who qualified again by winning C22), Thistle winner Trey Harlow, PHRF Spin’s Norm Anderson, PHRF Non-Spin’s Greg Woodcock, Sportboat’s Mike Ferring, C14 winner Alexia Lorch, Buccaneer champ Matt Davis, and Laser winner George Sheller.

Thistle fleet captain Ben Doane volunteered to be the PRO for the event, sailed round-robin in 8 Thistles. Ben and Trey were kind enough to share their boats and their sailing and tuning tips with the other competitors during an informal orientation at Lake Pleasant Sunday, April 29. In a mixture of light and puffy air, a pack of non-Thistlers tried to identify too many lines while stumbling over the center trunk of the boat and hiking on the too-skinning gunwales, while being guided by the comforting hands of Ben and Trey. This could be interesting.

Race documents can be found here.

Spectators are welcome to watch the race and Ben says he’s still looking for a few more race committee members. Contact him at this email address.

Another great season of racing at Tempe Town Lake draws to a close. Click here for the scores for Spring 2012 and click here for the combined Fall & Spring series scores. Congratulations to Spring 2012 Skippers: Matt Davis, Alexia Lorch, Greg Dean & Joe Barnett. And congratulations to Fall/Spring Series Skippers: Matt Davis, Alexia Lorch, George Sheller & Clay Poulson.

Rain, hail, cold, big wind, to warm air drifter, Lake Pleasant served it all up in one weekend. The scores for the spring series, Fall 2011 & Spring 2012 combined & The Fireball Fiesta Del Sol Regatta are posted on the results page. Close racing with-in the Non Spin Fleet for the spring, decided on the 2nd tie breaker.

Congratulations to the Spring 2012 Series winners: Steve Campo, Dianna Andress, Norm Anderson, Mike Ferring & Trey Harlow.

Congratulations to the 2011/2012 Series champs: Martin Lorch, Greg Woodcock, Norm Anderson, Mike Ferring & Trey Harlow.

Spring 2012

Fireball Fiesta Del Sol

2011/2012

Lake Pleasant served up another foolproof weekend of racing, Go to the Race Results page or click here for the scores.

The hottest little boat on the water are bringing their WESTERN REGIONAL event to Lake Pleasant the 14th and 15th of April!  For more information contact Clay Paulson at cm_poulson@yahoo.com  or go to the Fireball NA Page.

The Fourth Annual Arizona High School Sailing Championship is scheduled to be held on 21 April 2012 at Tempe Town Lake.

Last year Alexia Lorch won and her crew was Scott Soethe.  She is was junior at Xavier College Preparatory and Scott was a student at Brophy College Preparatory.  A perpetual trophy to display at the school of the skipper for half the time until next years race (the other half of the time to be displayed at the school of the crew) was presented after the races.  Individual trophies were presented for the winners to keep.

This year’s competition promises to be great.  For more information and to get your race documents visit this link: http://arizonayachtclub.org/arizona-high-school-sailing-championship/

Results from this Sundays’ Tempe Town Lake Racing are posted on the race results page or click here.

And the winner of Big Bass Days is, oops wrong event. High winds, rain and cold. Old Man Winter served up an exciting weekend of racing on March 18&19 (scroll down to see both of the pictures below). The scores are posted on the results page or you’ll find them by clicking here.

Chris Smith, Craig Quist, and Sheila Reed blast along on Chris's J/80 on a wild Sunday ride. Photo shot using a GoPro camera mounted on the stern rail.

Or, if you like your horizons level and your boats heeled, try this one.

The results from Week 6 of racing at Tempe Town Lake are posted on the results page or by clicking here.

Lake Pleasant again serves up varied weekend of racing with winds from 25kts to 0. See the results on the results page or click here.

A great day of mid-winter racing in Tempe! Results can be found on the race results page or click here.

Week 4 of racing at Tempe town Lake are posted here and on the Results page.

The results from the 1st week of racing at Lake Pleasant are posted here, or go to the race results page.

A super day of a racing at Tempe Town Lake. Results on the race scores page or click here.

The scores from week two of racing at Tempe Town Lake are posted here.

The scores from the 1st week of race are posted here. It’s not too late to sign up and get in on the fun.

Where does one start about this year’s AYC Birthday Regatta and Leukemia Cup?

Oh, wait, that’s easy…

THANK YOU JOE AND KATHERINE MOTIL! WOW! What a fabulous Regatta!!!!
…and…of course…
Thank you MOTHER NATURE for fabulous weather!
Thank you ANDREA & DOC CAROE our Race Management Team (PRO)!
Thank you VOLUNTEERS on Race Committee!
Thank you VOLUNTEERS on Shore for keeping everything running so smoothly!
Thank you DAVE CHRISTENSEN and WENDY LARSEN for scoring and shore support!
Thank you SILVIO BERLUSCONI (aka RICK JOHNSON) and TEAM GRAVITY GANG for Friday Dinner!
Thank you FUND RAISERS for raising over $25,000 (and still counting!) to CURE BLOOD CANCERS!
Thank you LEUKEMIA LYMPHOMA SOCIETY for such a great mission for us to join in!
Thank you ULLMAN SAILS for sponsoring the FRIDAY CHALLEGE!
…and last but not least…
Thank you SAILORS for coming from near and far to create and enjoy our wonderful “Desert Vibe”!
Thank you ARIZONA YACHT CLUB for hosting such a great Regatta…AGAIN!

Few things are perfect, but by most accounts the 2012 Arizona Yacht Club Birthday Regatta and Leukemia Cup was pretty darn close.

Take a look for yourself… (photo’s Courtesy of Tom Erickson-Sailboat Shop)