Press Release
Only halfway through the month, the local Rendezvous Yacht Club has had a busy August, conducting the “Community Sail” program along with the season’s two longest races.
Wednesday night races also continued each week.
The month started with the Kettle Falls Regatta won by Bob Algie. Then this past weekend, the club held two events.
The Fall Classic was held on Sunday to accommodate participation in the community sail during the annual Ranier Festival on Saturday.
Jas. Spencer took first place in the Fall Classic, which is the only sailboat race held on the north arm of Rainy Lake.
It started just north of the Causeway, went past Risky and Crowe Islands, turned around the Three Sisters, and then headed down the east side of the bay, returning to finish where the race began.
With overcast skies, drizzle, and strong winds on Sunday, only three crews braved the elements for the long race.
Spencer and his crew of three others claimed first place aboard “Beagle,” his yellow C&C25.
Placing second was Peter Engberg captaining “Wing ‘N It,” followed by Colin Hewitt’s “Ariba.”
The longest race of the season is the Kettle Falls Regatta, which is held two weeks earlier than the Fall Classic.
It starts near Grindstone Island, with a goal of racing to Surveyor’s Island at the American entrance to Kettle Falls. However, the weather did not co-operate this year.
While last year’s regatta was one of the windiest, this year the sailors battled calm air, barely moving at times.
As the boats slowly made their way past Dryweed Island, Algie decided to keep his C&C24 known as “Imagine” farther north in the channel.
This strategy was to keep in clearer air and take advantage of slight shifts when the wind puffed.
For each Saturday race, the committee sets designated “gates” which must be reached by certain times.
In the light air, the first boat did not meet the deadline to get to the Brule Narrows, so a finish line was created as the boats approached the Canadian entrance to the Brule.
When results were calculated, they showed that Algie’s maneuver paid off. He won the race with barely a minute between him and Hewitt’s “Ariba,” which took second.
Placing third was Todd Williams on “Glass Harp,” an Erickson 32.
Meanwhile, the community sail was extremely successful for the club this year. Sailboats were available for free rides during the Ranier Festival.
Club members estimate they gave rides to more than 100 people that afternoon.
If you missed the community sail or would like more information about the club, log on to www.rycweb.org to find out how you, too, can join the local sailing community.
