All Photos courtesy Of Larry Kmiecik
Regatta Report by Bob Armbruster
Summary of the 2019 — J Class R4CR
Class: J Class
Chevrons: Red
Date: May 11, 2019
Location: Lake Barrington, Illinois
Host Club: Chicago
# of Entries: 7
Winds: 6 to 10 mph
Races Completed: 7
Scoring System: Low Point, Single Fleet
Regatta Committee: Regatta Chairman Bob Armbruster, RD Don Zielinski, Asst RD Ralph Niedzwiecki, Trophies and Photos by Larry Kmiecik, Food by Pat Armbruster, Course Layout by Jeff Gros and Allan Thorsen.
Seven J Class yachts from Illinois, Wisconsin and New York State gathered on Friday at the Lake Barrington Shores marina for a day of fabulous racing. Four Shamrocks, a Ranger, a Whirlwind, and an Enterprise frequently changed positions as they challenged each other throughout seven races. Unfortunately, two skippers, one from Ohio and one from Illinois, became ill on the evening before the race and could not sail.
These majestic model yachts were sailed by nine different skippers. In the J Class, the boat, not the skipper, is entered in the regatta so multiple skippers can sail a single boat. The additional skippers increases the level of fun and camaraderie.
After launching the 7.5 to 8.5 foot long, 80 to 125 pound J boats from the dock or from the sandy beach, the skippers, race committee and spectators gathered on the rooftop deck of the marina boat house. The rooftop gave us a high, grandstand view of the course and a clear sight of all the marks. The deck also provided a festive location for lunch. Late afternoon rain sent us indoors for trophy presentations and dinner.
Winds were coming from behind the skippers, so the marina boat house and large trees along the shore created channels of wind from multiple directions and varying in strength from light to strong as the yachts moved through the long, triangular, Olympic course. The race committee set one mark in a protected end of the lake, delivering wind with swirls and lulls near the mark.
The excellent performance of the J skippers is reflected in the close scores among the top three positions. Ron Schloemer’s consistent sailing carried his Ranger to the Regional Championship with 18.6 points. Bob Armbruster and Rich Mieling sailed Bob’s Shamrock into second place with 20 points. Clark Fremgen drove the Whirlwind for a Third Place trophy, also scoring 20 points, but missing second place on the tie breaker criteria.
Our thanks goes out to a great Regatta Committee and eager volunteers for a well organized, delightful regatta.
2019 — J Class R4CR Results
Place Score Skipper Sail # Yacht
1 18.6 Ron Schloemer 211 Ranger
2 20 Bob Armbruster and Rich Mieling 19 Shamrock
3 20 Clark Fremgen 97 Whirlwind
4 26 Jeff Gross and Dick Chvojka 184 Shamrock
5 30 Allan Thorsen 152 Shamrock
6 36 Mark Fleckenstein 104 Shamrock
7 52 Ken Quast 16 Enterprise
DNS Doug Rieger 160 Ranger
DNS Ken Young 183 Shamrock