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BYC skippers, crew set sail for inaugural Eagles Cup Race
by John Moris of the Iosco News
EAST TAWAS - They speak their own language, using words such as helm and grind, jib and tack.
And they would have liked to have a stronger “sea breeze” during Saturday’s inaugural Eagles Cup sailboat race on Tawas Bay. As it was, the wind speed out on Tawas Bay by race time - at 1 p.m. - was about eight knots. Members of the Tawas Bay Yacht Club (TBYC) would have preferred wind speeds of 10 to 15 knots.
In all, 16 boats were entered for the inaugural race - the fourth race of the season for the local yacht club in its Ladd McKay summer racing series.
Saturday’s races were set on a 7.4 mile triangular course. There were three sets of fleets - one spinnaker fleet and two main and jib fleets. They sailed under the handicap sailboat racing system, called Performance Handicap Racing Formula (PHRF). The PHRF is roughly based on the waterline length of a sailboat’s hull, its weight, depth of its keel and the size of its sails.
“In order to make it a fair race, we have to handicap it,” said Neil Ericsson, TBYC treasurer, “just like in golf.”
The sailboats are given a formula-based number. For example, one sailboat has a racing number of 72, while another is rated at 172 - the smaller the number, the faster the boat. The sailboat rated a 72 will have to give the sailboat rated a 172 a handicap of 100 seconds a mile. They keep time in seconds, which means just because a boat crosses the finish line first doesn’t necessarily mean it is the winner.
Ericsson, who in 1995 returned from a five-year sailing trip around the world, has been sailboat racing for the past 35 years.
“I grew up on the bay,” he said, “so I enjoy being on the water. Sailing is a commune with nature. Racing is competitive - it sharpens your skills.”
In the 11-boat jib and main fleet, which ran in two heats, Do A Kahlua finished first with a handicap time of 4,293.8 seconds (or about 71.5 minutes). Second place went to Looney Bin in 4,407.4 seconds, third place went to Sirena in 4,440.6 seconds and fourth place went to Archimedes in 4,451.8 seconds.
In the five-boat spinnaker fleet, Outrageous was first in a handicap time of 3,707.4 seconds, followed by Egress in 3,783.6 seconds, Whiplash in 3,848.2 seconds, Invincible in 4,094.2 seconds and Whirlwind in 4,651.4 seconds.
Rounding out the jib and main fleet were Glory Days in fifth at 4,660.6 seconds, followed by Hells Bells in 4,662.6 seconds, Desperado in 4.768.0 seconds, Whisper in 5,018.4 seconds, Northern Cross in 5,137.2 seconds, Dream Weaver in 5,535.2 seconds and Rateka in 5,705.4 seconds.
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First Annual Tawas Bay Eagles Cup Race
Past Commodore Paul Hurst receives the Tawas Eagle Cup Trophy donated by Kristine Viers and Kenneth Spahr of the Tawas Bay Eagles #2588. The trophy will be awarded on June 24th in conjunction with the Ladd McKay Race Series with sailboats from TBYC, Tawas Marina, State Dock and Jerry’s Marina participating. All proceeds will be donated to local charities.
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New TBYC Chef and staff
Rod Nimtz (left) and his staff will be available all season to provide weekend food service to members and their guests. Rod
is also planning on having “box lunches” available on Saturday and Sunday. |
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Spring
General
Membership
Meeting
The first 2006 General Membership Meeting was held May 20th
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