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2006 GTIYC Fun Regatta—March 17-19

Houghton Lake, Houghton Lake Michigan

The 2006 gtiyc fun regatta was a big hit on Houghton Lake, with 60+ boats registered for the Saturday and Sunday regatta events and an additional 15+ boats enjoying cruising the vastness of Houghton’s 35+ miles of shoreline.

Friday was time for fun sailing and informal race tune-ups. The ice was great with air steady at 10-12 mph. Approximately 30 boats were set up and sailing by mid-afternoon. Three of the C-Skeeters traveled more than 60 miles while enjoying all ends of the lake. Friday evening found Dick Wollam preparing a huge kettle of heart warming Chile and Bob Gray stretched out in a recliner that Jim Dye and Chris Stopple had picked up “for free” alongside M-55 while on the way to Houghton Lake.

Saturday began early with registration in and around a nice warm trailer that had been graciously provided by Larry Belsky. Loretta Rehe, Julie Richards, Skip Stauber and sons Gus and Josh kept the registration forms flying and the Commemorative Tee Shirts selling.

The air had increased overnight to a steady 16mph with long sustained gusts of 22mph. Dick Wollam and Bob Gray set a longer than normal 1-1/4 mile long course to help handle the big air. By noon, there was occasional gusting into the upper 20’s, which made for some horrifying mast bends out on the course and a lot of boats jumping around in the pit area. The roar of sails flapping in the staging area was a little un-nerving at times. Loretta Rehe, extremely experienced in running flawless regatta scoring, really kept things moving. A real blessing in such a cold and wind blown place. Thank you, thank you, thank you Loretta!

Matt Struble gave us a display of his boat handling while performing a 360 spin at the finish line while darting in under the finish line a few feet from the mark.

The long course (7 miles for three laps) had most sailors exhausted by day’s end, with many moans of having trouble holding a bowl of Dick’s chili at the meal party

Sunset on the shoreline again found Master Chef Dick Wollam at the grill, doing his magic on brats, burgers and another pot of chili. Thanks to Al LeRoux for providing a number of cases of beverages. The evening was rounded out with the drawing of door prizes. No one went home without something. Our many thanks go to Bill Buchbinder, Chris Stopple, Bob Gray, Dick Wollam, Henry Schantz, the Gull Lake Club, the Toledo Club, and Don Willman for providing the great gifts. Also, thanks to Randy Rogoski and the West Michigan Club for providing chairs for some very tired bodies.

Sunday dawned with winds just as blustery as Saturdays, sending a number of the boats packing and homeward bound. The more adventurous and daring soon worked their way out to the race course (about 2-1/2 miles off shore), which required a crossing of an ever changing seam about a mile out. Although the lake ice was approximately 15” thick, the daytime suns and high winds were creating an unending movement of the lake’s surface, causing massive ice pushups along the western shoreline and ice heaves and buckles along the seams. Seams crossing this lake can be up to three miles or more in length. One shoreline heave, just South of the launch site, appeared to be 8 foot high and was topped with stones as large as bushel baskets.

The ice and racing went from extremely fast and skittish, to very soft and carnage creating as the sun beat away at the surface. After three races of all classes, Gold and Silver having been run simultaneously, the event was proclaimed completed and everyone scampered to the pits. A large burst of smoke from the home base area signaled that Master Chef Wollam was preparing the closing feast, consisting of super brats, huge burgers and tasty hot dogs for those that had stayed and endured the wind. The awards ceremony brought a lot of laughter as Loretta had fun with Dick Wollam’s sailing on Sunday while using Julie’s sail and number. One of kind (custom made by the skilled hands of Dan Nevedal (thank you Dan)) trophies were presented to 1st place winners. The Gold went to Matt Struble; the Silver to Dick Wollam; and the Sportsman's Bronze to Skip Stauber.

Last but especially not least, a special “thank you” to Jerry Moon for the two day use of his four wheeler ATV. We don’t know how we could have made the many long trips back and forth from the shoreline with officials, helpers, safety cones, and towing broken boats without it. Thanks to all the J boats that joined us and to Jack Jacobs for the use of his ATV. Thank you to GTIYC Commodore John Russell for his photography and support, and to the starting line crew of Loretta Rehe, Dick Wollam, Corey Hughes, Larry Belsky, Scott Westfall, Skip Stauber and Eric Lind. Our deepest apologies if we have inadvertently forgotten to include any of our wonderful volunteers, thank you!.

But most of all, a Fun Regatta couldn’t happen without our most important friends, you the participants, the registrants. Thank you so much for helping us make the 2006 Fun Regatta a great one. The whole GTIYC gang gives you tip-of-the-hat and really big

THANK YOU !

We at GTIYC hope that you had as much fun as we did and that we can do it again next year.