Westlake Yacht Club in the News

Conejo Valley Life, Jan 14, 2005 Young Realtors Regatta Series at Westlake Yacht Club Each year, Joanie Young sponsors the Young Realtors Holiday Series regattas at Westlake Yacht Club (WYC). The series attracts sailors young and not so young, from as far away as Morro Bay, and includes the Trick-or-Treat Regatta in October, the Turkey Day Regatta in November, and the Kris Kringle Regatta in December. 2004 was the ninth year that Joanie Young has sponsored the series. Staff Commodore Franklin Cofod managed each event as Race Captain. The Turkey Day Regatta was held on November 14, and drew 28 sailors manning 17 boats. The day began with very strong winds, gusting to 15 knots, and creating more than enough excitement. Our large C-18 keelboats nearly flew out of the water. At WYC, regatta sailors are always accompanied by a gasoline-powered safety boat. Safety boat duty is usually uneventful; but not this day. Two boats were capsized by sudden wind shifts. Safety boat skipper Dave Freeman did a great job rescuing the crews and righting their boats under difficult conditions. As often happens on the lake, conditions changed radically as the day progressed and winds dropped to near dead calm by day's end. Bob Fleming won the FJ class with Lyle Schlyer crewing. Marilyn Usher, not yet a WYC member, won a combined class with new WYC member Bill Oliver crewing. Charlie Heartherly won the C-13 class. Derek Thomas won in Sabots by virtue of a tie-breaker, with Scott McAfee placing 2nd. Remarkably, Christian Lee overcame capsizing to place 3rd. The Kris Kringle Regatta was held on December 12, drawing 11 boats. Perhaps the others were Christmas shopping. It was another great day for sailing with strong winds early on. But the winds died just before the end of the third race, and it became a contest of who could coast the furthest. Some boats needing to be towed home by safety boat skipper Alan Jeffery. Derek Thomas won the Sabot class, with Scott McAfee placing 2nd, and Diane Kent of Balboa Yacht Club placing 3rd. Stan Reisch and Adrian Mula edged out Ron Shimerling's team for 1st place in the C-18's. Trophies were also awarded for the best overall performances throughout the entire series. Derek Thomas placed 1st, Scott McAfee 2nd, Christian Lee 3rd, James McAfee 4th, and Mark Miller 5th. Derek's name was added to the Young Realtor Holiday Series perpetual trophy as the overall winner for 2004. Event sponsor, Joanie Young, presented trophies, thanked participants and related how she decided to support this series to encourage youth sailing during the holiday season. If you didn't come, you missed out on champagne, sushi, and of course Joan's Famous Hot Dogs. It takes a dedicated team of volunteers to hold a regatta. Thanks to Race Captain Franklin Cofod, race committee members Toni and Gene Burke, registrar Tink Henderson, safety boater skippers Dave Freeman and Alan Jeffery, duty officers Robert Kratt, Carol and Ray Kirschbaum and Karl and Philippa Klessig, and First (and only) Mate Joan Piccioni who fed a hungry fleet. -- Robert Piccioni, Rear Commodore