may 2012 sunfish midwest schedule

there are (2) upcoming Sunfish races in the Midwest Region during the month of May.  the full Midwest region schedule can be found as part of the entire Sunfish 2012 regatta schedule here (.pdf file).

Saturday, May 19th, Northern Warmups (Open)

the 1st Sunfish race of the year for the Midwest region will be held at Wolf Lake Yacht Club (map to lake here). I don’t see a NOR posted on their website yet, you can also follow the yacht club on Facebook for more updates.

Photo by Jeff Fenton

Sunday, May 20th, Just for Fun #1 (Open)

this is the 1st in the series of “Just for Fun” races held at Hueston Sailing Association (map to lake here).

(picture from Hueston Sailing Association)

greater detroit 2012 Sunfish race schedule

the Greater Detroit Sunfish Club (GDSC) has released their 2012 Sunfish race schedule (you can find it with additional information posted at their Yahoo Group).  you can also check them out on their Facebook page.

• April 29th – Watkins Lake
• May 6th – Maceday Lake
• May 20th – Watkins Lake
• June 3rd – Stoney Creek Metropark
• June 17th – Stoney Creek
• June 30th & July 1st – Lakeport State Park – a camping & sailing weekend with an Open Regatta
• July 15th – Stoney Creek
• July 29th – Stoney Creek
• August 18th – Portage Lake
  • this one is part of the Scowfish Invitational (Sunfish & MC Scows)
• September 1st & 2nd – Tawas Bay – a camping & sailing weekend at Tawas Bay on Lake Huron
• September 23rd – Watkins Lake
• October 7th – Big Lake

all Sunday races start at 12:30pm.

I’m going to do my best to meet up with this group for some races this year.

october 2011 sunfish midwest schedule

there are (2) upcoming Sunfish races in the Midwest Region during the month of October.  the full Midwest region schedule can be found as part of the entire Sunfish 2011 regatta schedule here (.pdf file).

Sunday, October 2rd – OktoberFast Regatta

the Hueston Sailing Association (map to lake here) was the site for the (4) “Just for Fun” regattas this summer, and they will hold their final Sunfish race – OktoberFast Regatta, on Acton Lake in Hueston Woods State Park, Ohio.

Racing 1:30pm to 4:00pm – no fees, no trophies, just fun!

Saturday, October 15th – Great Pumpkin Regatta (Open)

this is the last Midwest event of the year, and from what I’ve heard – it’s a pretty great time.  the event is held at the Johnson Slough Yacht Club, in Hinsdale, Illinois.

This is the one you’ve heard about! Loaner boats available. Sail it shore to shore. It’s just deep enough for Sunfish draft. If you capsize, stand up! Lakeside home serves as “host yacht club.” Six races, one day, coffee/donuts, hot lunch, post race snacks, libations, great fun! No matter the weather … 9:00 am registration, 10:00 am start, 5:00 pm packed up/on the road!

sailing log: 2011-09-09 (Lake Michigan)

while up north for a long weekend at Camp Arcadia, I got in a bit of sailing Friday afternoon on Lake Michigan. the wind was pretty strong from the north/northwest (bringing the cold water with it), and waves were medium-sized – enough to be fun on the Sunfish, but troublesome for my brother-in-law on his windsurfer.

my brother-in-law tried windsurfing for maybe 15 or 20 minutes, but gave up as the water temperature was only 53 degrees, and even with a shorty wetsuit on he was just too cold.  so I sailed in towards shore and picked him up, and he and I sailed together on the Sunfish for a while.  I had on a long-sleeved rashguard under my shorty wetsuit, so other than the 1st couple minutes of cold legs while getting the boat started at the beach, it was really comfortable.

here’s a screenshot from my GoPro HD Hero camera as we are heading back in towards shore.  North Bluff is to port and Arcadia is to starboard.

here’s another shot as we run south parallel to the beach, giving you a nice view (ahead of the sail) of Camp Arcadia‘s setting right on the waters of Lake Michigan.

september 2011 sunfish midwest schedule

there are (5) upcoming Sunfish races in the Midwest Region during the month of September.  the full Midwest region schedule can be found as part of the entire Sunfish 2011 regatta schedule here (.pdf file).

Saturday, Sept 3rd – Summer’s End Regatta (formerly Mayor’s Cup Regatta)

this one-day event will be held by the North Shore Yacht Club in Highland Park, Illinois.  it is a multi-class regatta, with Sunfish, Buccaneer 18′s, Lasers, and more. the notice of race can be found on the club’s website (here), and a map to the site (here).

Saturday, Sept 3rd and Sunday, Sept 4th – GDSC Open Regatta – Labor Day

the Greater Detroit Sunfish Club (GDSC) (also check out their Yahoo Group, it’s sometimes a bit more up-to-date) hosts an annual camping trip with Sunfish racing to be held over Labor Day weekend.  they have mixed things up a bit this year, as it has been moved to Tawas Bay, Michigan, with racing to be held on the Tawas Bay which is part of  Lake Huron.  many from the group will be camping at the Tawas Point State Park, but the group will be launching their sailboats from the public ramp next to Timberlane Resorts, where some of the group is also staying.

my family camped at that state park last summer – it is a pretty nice park, and a absolutely beautiful area, but sailing is not really feasible from the state park and campground area, as the water is very shallow for several hundred and up to a few thousand feet off the shoreline.  I also sailed on Tawas Bay that weekend, launching from the same ramp the GDSC will be using.  it seemed like a great place to sail, so hopefully they can get in some great racing.

Saturday, Sept 10th and Sunday, Sept 11th – US Sunfish Masters Championship Regatta

the 2011 US Sunfish Masters Championship will be hosted this year by the Lake Bluff Yacht Club, who also had the same event back in 2006.  the racing will be held on the waters of Lake Michigan.  the official notice of race (NOR) can be found here.

(photo from Lake Bluff Yacht Club)

Saturday, Sept 17th and Sunday, Sept 18th – Midwest Sunfish Regional Championship #2

this event will be held at Devils Lake Yacht Club in Manitou Beach, Michigan.  it is the “Bruce Goldsmith Memorial Regatta”, and typically includes 2 fleets – Sunfish and Lightnings.  this is the event I was able to attend as a spectator (and photographer) in 2009.

Saturday, Sept 24th and Sunday, Sept 25th – Clark Lake Fall Regatta

this 2-day event will be held by Clark Lake Yacht Club in Clark Lake, Michigan.  a couple things from the notice of race:

Note:  5 boats minimum required for individual start –3 boats minimum for a fleet! Rebels, Interlakes, Sunfish, Wayfarers, Buccaneers, and Snipes!

sounds like a great time!  the official notice of race can be found here (.pdf file).

august 2011 sunfish midwest schedule

there are (9) upcoming Sunfish races in the Midwest Region during the month of August.  the full Midwest region schedule can be found as part of the entire Sunfish 2011 regatta schedule here (.pdf file).  the 1st weekend of August is going to be a busy day for Sunfish racers, with (1) race event on Saturday, and (4) different race events on Sunday!

Saturday, August 6th – Douglas Lake Regatta (Open)

this regatta is put together by the Douglas Lake Sunfish Fleet 700, and the event will be held on Douglas Lake in the northern part of Michigan’s lower peninsula (Google map).

Beautiful, large inland lake.  Good sized racing fleet.  Lots of room for launching and recovery.

Sunday, August 7th – Lake Charlevoix Open Regatta (Open)

this is fairly close to the race the previous day on Douglas Lake, so it’d be a great way to get 2 races in in the same general area.  Lake Charlevoix (“3rd largest inland lake in Michigan!”) is beautiful – I spent several vacations up there with my best friend back in the ol’ high school days, although back then we were cruising around on jet-skis.  the event is hosted by the Charlevoix Yacht Club, and racing will be held at the northwest end of the lake.

Sunday, August 7th – Lake Bluff Regatta (J Sheppard Memorial Regatta)

also on August 7th, this event will be held at Lake Bluff Yacht Club. additional information can be found at their Facebook page.

located in Lake Bluff, Illinois along the shore of Lake Michigan north of Chicago.  This provides an excellent place to enjoy sailing and learn in many varied sailing conditions.

Sunday, August 7th – Fun Sunfish Regatta #3 (Open)

this is the same day as the Charlevoix Open and Lake Bluff Regattas above, but will be down in Ohio.  similar to the Fun Sunfish Regatta #1 held in June and #2 in July, this race will be held at Kiser Lake State Park in Ohio (map of state park here, .pdf file) and is hosted by the Kiser Lake Sailing Club.  the lake is popular for sailing as motorboats are not allowed on the lake.

Sunday, August 7th – Just For Fun #4 (Open)

again, this is the same day as the Fun Sunfish Regatta #3 above (and the Charlevoix Open and Lake Bluff Regatta).  the Hueston Sailing Association (map to lake here) already hosted Just for Fun #1 (May) and the Just for Fun #2 (June).  this is their 4th race in the Just for Fun series.  once again:

Racing 1:30pm to 4:00pm – no fees, no trophies, just fun!

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Friday, Aug 12th to Sunday, Aug 14th – Midwest Regional Championship #1

the 1st regional championship for the Midwest Region will be held at Wawasee Yacht Club on Lake Wawasee in Syracuse, Indiana (Google map).  Friday night begins with registration and a welcome party, with racing to begin on Saturday morning and continue on Sunday. the NOR can be found here (.doc file).

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Saturday, Aug 13th to Sunday, Aug 14th – GDSC Open

the Greater Detroit Sunfish Club (GDSC) is trying out a new venue for this regatta – Wolverine Campground (.pdf site map) in Genessee County near Columbiaville, Michigan. most of the club members are camping, but the park is available for day-only passes for those who don’t want to camp for the whole weekend.

Our late-season camping weekend will be on August 13 & 14 this year.  We are trying a non-holiday weekend at a new venue for the second regatta to see if more boats will participate…The site will be an easy 1-hour drive for most members. It features a large lake/reservoir, shaded campsites and a nice swimming area for families.

Saturday, August 2oth – Scowfish Regatta (Open)

this is a regatta for both Sunfish and MC Scow sailboats.  it will be the 6th annual regatta for the MC Scows, and the 10th annual regatta for the Sunfish.  the event is being held at Portage Lake Yacht Club in Pinkney, Michigan. the NOR can be found here (.pdf file).

Sunday, August 28th – Fun Sunfish Regatta #4 (Open)

same venue and general info as the Fun Sunfish Regatta #3 on August 7th, see above for more details.

swim & paddle with HRWC

the next 2 weekends offer some chances to get together with the Huron River Watershed Council (HRWC) for some local activities (details here).

this Sunday, July 17th, is “Swim Baseline Lake” (hosted at the Michigan Sailing Club).  this is a community swim from the river channel through Baseline Lake, approximately 1 mile of swimming.  advance payment & registration is required.

also on Sunday, July 17th, there will be a “Paddle Instruction” on the Huron River, hosted by REI, from 10am to noon.  more information is also at REI’s website.

REI will provide a recreational and family oriented paddle instruction at Gallup Park in Ann Arbor. You can enjoy learning to paddle in a kayak or a canoe provided free of charge by the Gallup Park Livery. Free, all the basic strokes (forward, reverse, sweep, draws, stopping and braces) are covered.

the following weekend, Saturday, July 23rd and Sunday, July 24th, there is an “Overnight Paddle“.  this event is also free, but advanced registration is required.

Meet at Island Lake State Recreation Area at 2 p.m. on Saturday just below Kent Lake Dam to leave boats and gear. We will then caravan to the take out point at Huron Meadows Metropark and leave cars. Our shuttle will bring paddlers back to put-in.  Camping that evening at Island Lake State Recreation Area Canoe Camp. Continue on the next day to takeout at Huron Meadows Metropark.

junior sailing program

I just found out about this: Portage Yacht Club is offering a learn-to-sail day camp for juniors at Portage Lake, near Pinckney, Michigan.  the club is offering “beginner” and “intermediate” sessions, both to be sailed in a Laser Pico, built by Laser Performance (maker of both the Sunfish and Laser).

The Laser Pico is a fun, durable, confidence-inspiring, rotomolded boat that can be sailed by everyone. It’s ideal for entry-level sailors and is equipped with a removable jib and reefing main sail for easy rigging.

Laser Pico (photo by Laser Performance)

discounts are available if you bring your own boat, if it’s appropriate for the class.  classes run Monday through Friday, 1:00pm to 5:30pm, on various weeks throughout the summer – but the last beginner level week is going on right now, and the last intermediate week is next week (July 18-22).  the courses are based on US Sailing course materials, and will be taught by a certified instructor.

see the Portage Yacht Club site for more details, prices, etc. (and sorry for the late notice!).

july 2011 sunfish midwest schedule

there are (4) upcoming Sunfish races in the Midwest Region during the month of July.  the full Midwest region schedule can be found as part of the entire Sunfish 2011 regatta schedule here (.pdf file).

Saturday, July 2nd and Sunday, July 3rd – GDSC Open Regatta (Open)

this is the annual regatta held by the Greater Detroit Sunfish Club (GDSC) (also check out their Yahoo Group, it’s a bit more up-to-date) over July 4th, and for at least the last few years, it has been held at Lakeport State Park, located right on the shore of Lake Huron, only a few miles north of Port Huron.

this is usually one of the GDSC’s most heavily attended events, with most families camping at the state park for the weekend.  due to the late notice, if you would like to attend – your best bet is to probably join the GDSC Yahoo Group, and let them know, so they can get you visitor pass information for the state park.  last minute update: it looks like the lake level or all the spring rain has made several campsites un-usable… several of the GDSC members are still planning to camp, and most likely sail, though – so don’t let a little rained out campsites hold you back!

Saturday, July 9th and Sunday, July 10th – Sam Meyers Memorial Regatta (Open)

this is another 2-day regatta, hosted by the Pymatuning Sailing Club at the Pymatuning State Park in Linesville, Pennsylvania, to honor the late Sam Meyers.  this is technically a race in the Mid-Atlantic Region event, but is close enough to the Midwest if you’re willing to travel that far.  it is a multi-class event, with Sunfish, Laser, Force 5, Hobie 16 and Hobie 18 sailboats racing (if enough pre-register).

Sam Meyers Regatta

Sunday, July 10th – Just for Fun #3 (Open)

this is the same day as the Sam Meyers Regatta above — the Hueston Sailing Association (map to lake here) already hosted Just for Fun #1 back in May and the Just for Fun #2 back in June.  this is their 3rd race in the Just for Fun series (one more in August).  once again:

Racing 1:30pm to 4:00pm – no fees, no trophies, just fun!

Sunday, July 17th – Fun Sunfish Regatta #2 (Open)

similar to the Fun Sunfish Regatta #1 held in June, this race will be held at Kiser Lake State Park in Ohio (map of state park here, .pdf file) and is hosted by the Kiser Lake Sailing Club.  the lake is popular for sailing as motorboats are not allowed on the lake.  per the Midwest schedule notes:

2:00pm Start. Open to all, no fees.  There are trophies, relaxed atmosphere, short courses, numerous starts, FUN!

sunfish sailing on Kent Lake [video]

here’s a short video I put together from my sailing adventure a few days ago on Kent Lake at Kensington Metropark in Michigan.  you can see the frustration I was having with the weeds, see a few dead fish go floating by, but also at least a decent bit of sailing that afternoon.

this is my 1st time mounting the GoPro HD Surf Hero video camera out on the lower boom – I kind of like the perspective it gives.  watching the video, I can also see that the camera angle/view gives more of an idea when I was getting into the weeds, as there were times out on the water that I didn’t even realize I was getting close to a weed cluster.