8-23-07 Newport Beach, CA Lido 14 Class Championships. TEAM GAUDIO/SWAIN ARE THE 2007 LIDO 14 CHAMPIONS. This team found the bell and rung it HARD Sailing faster and smarter then the rest of the 52 boat fleet.
The competitors were relieved to find overcast skies with the breeze in the 7-10 knot range. After the two previous days of hot sun and light shifty breeze the sun was starting to wear on everyone.
Going into the last day Dina and I were in 13 place exactly in the middle of Gold Fleet. Our boat is hull #13 and our goal from the beginning of the year was to finish in the middle of the gold.“ Hey Dina, get more bananas”. Looking over the fleet the boat yard was still very quite. We had four teams behind us in the standing that normally beat us. Another four in front of us we had beat this season. The odds looked good for us to hold onto lucky thirteen place. With a little luck we might even make the top ten.
As the day goes on we hang and then lose our grip, start too get tired and drop down to 14 place. Eric Heim and Ryan DelPrado gets on fire and closes the day going from 10 to 4th place. Team Heim/DelPrado stayed focused with top ten finishes all day. My good friend’s John Fradkin and Ruth Schock sailed very well and moved up one place from 8th to 7th. Lisa and Bob Little sailed from 7th to 2nd place with a 3,4 2,6 place finishes. It was a very competitive day on the water with a number of items to watch and learn from.
(Roy Woolsey; " I am just glad to be here!")
If you are writing about this event you have to write about Roy Woolsey, who is 90 years old, sailing with son, who could be around 60 years of age, this would place the average age on the boat around 75 WOW! What more can be said than I only hope I am so lucky! There are many parent and child teams on the water and to me this needs more attention. The teams I know about are Christophe & Chris Killian, Sean & Mark Hunter and Jimmy and Peter Newbre. Now with the Killian family father lets son drive and Christophe is fast becoming and A fleet sailor. Sean & Mark Hunter have been one of the most consistent teams attending all the events and showing a true passion for the sport. Peter Newbre is one of the top sailors in the country and with an older crew would have placed in the top five of the championships. After congratulating all the contestants on their results the proudest competitors were those parents. To me, this one of the best features the Lido 14 fleet offers. To be as fortunate as the Freddie & Fred Stevens and sail in the top ten with your father is a good thing or even so Lucky as Woolsey and sail with your son at 90 years of age “ Lucky as a Woolsey” wonder if that saying will stick? If you listen to Roy you will hear him say " I am just glad to be here"
A big shout out has to go to Bob Yates and his crew for producing and outstanding event. WELL DONE BOB! And THANKS AGAIN. Also Thanks to everyone getting in his or her boats and joining in the fun this year. I had a great time and feel I have become a better sailor because of all of you.
More Lessons, I was the giver and taker of verbal abuse, from and to other participants who feel you are tacking on them/tacking on me. It reminds me of the drunken baseball fan yelling in the background and shows little class. From now on I might let out a little quack and figure “It sucks to be me”. To ask another competitor not to play the shifts and then throw some smack their way is weak. Therefore as long as I am not tacking just to tack I will just reply, “ It sucks to be you”.
The other lesson learned was water you can never have enough. One of the best things I heard this weekend was from my crew Dina. "We are going to sail better next year right?" Yep, and I am glad she wants to come back for another year. I have one of the best crew in the fleet. Thanks for all your hard work this year Dina! We will be at the WOOLSY regatta September 23 and I would like to get some feed back on how many boats would like to sail twilights in the month of September at 5:30 at M mark?
"In my last news letter I said "Steve Potter from the state of Washington. “Len, Thank you for the emails its what gets me going the first part of the year when we cant sail yet’ It was Jim Sterner from Washington. Steve did write and asked to be placed on our email list.
8-22-07 Newport Beach, Ca Lido 14 Class Championships. A warm southwesterly breeze of 6-8 knots greeted the competitors of the 50th Golden Anniversary. With 52 boats on the water in Newport Beach and teams made up of Junior Sailors, Senior Sailors, Family and all female teams you have covered almost every combination possible. Blend this all together and watch our sport grow stronger.
Place everyone in one room at BCYC for the Anniversary party and you have some of the best stories and laugher enjoyed by all age groups. Tom Leweck was the master of ceremonies and introduced a number of speakers, that sailed in 50’s through today, with the bottom line all leading to “ The years spent sailing Lido 14’s are some of or fondest memories" watching the husband wife teams attending and laughing at all the memories brings a big smile to your face. I look forward to those upcoming days!
OK, on the race course on this light shifty day Team Gaudio/Swain are in first with a close battle with Team Robertson. The list of talented competitors is lengthy and the competition is tough. Only one-way to get the true feeling of what I have been describing this year and that is dust off your old Lido, or go purchase one and join in our fun and or memories!
Lessons from day one. When sailing to the finish line, in the bottom end of the turning basin, you need to pick a side. Trying to sail up the middle yesterday I lost 9 boats in the last two races while sailing to the finish line.
Need to keep these short and go to the boat!
08-21-07 Newport Beach CA Lido 14 Class Championships. IT”S TIME, ITS NOW and ITS BIG. The Golden Anniversary 50 years of Lido 14 Championships started yesterday. The forecast is hot and 7-9 knots of breeze. The fleet, of 52, was split up in four groups with all groups racing each other once for a total of three long races. Vicki Sodaro is this year’s event PRO and is working hard to run a good event with fifty-two boats in a very confined area. Something like a square peg in a round hole comes to mind.
Most of the competitors were very quiet around the dock yesterday with everyone working on their boats like the start of the Indy 500. The top seed’s were walking around with confidence and smiles. While myself, wanting desperately to make it into the gold fleet was bunched up as much as walking into a gay bar. For example; my crew Dini brought our lunches onto the boat and they had BANANAS in the bag, I said “TAKE THOSE OFF THE BOAT NOW” she looks at me like “ This is going to be a long day”. Then I said wait Dina; we have the number 13 as our hull number, BRING THEM ON.
With the light breeze and the number of boat the quotes where down to a minimum.
I head John Papadopoulos give some grief to one competitor for not allowing John to finish race two. Although I sure John was frustrated with himself because he over stood the finish by a day and a half. My favorites are still the father son teams with hearing the intensity of the father and the freedom of spirit of the kid. “ Don’t push me dad, I will get the pole up. Another was Lisa Little commenting on her skipper and husband Bob Little’ I don’t know why he has to be so uptight” I must have said I was sorry to Dina 12 times yesterday after asking her “ JIB IN” she would always reply ‘IT IS”
The feel good quotes keep coming in from Stu Robertson to Kurt Wiese” Len thank for doing what your doing with the fleet” There was also a new one from Steve Potter from the state of Washington. “Len, Thank you for the emails its what gets me going the first part of the year when we cant sail yet’
Who is going to win Team Gaudio/Swain although its not over to its over and it all starts today.
Thoughts: Craig Leweck spoke Sunday night at the opening event at Lido Isle Yacht Club. “ Seeing 50+ boats show up and seeing all the familiar faces makes me want to get back into the boat” To Jim Karagan walking up to me” I still have my Lido, I think I will join you next Wednesday night”. This is what’s it all about!
SEA YA!
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