Rinehart Rules at Walt Disney World
Kahle Repeats as Match Racing Champ

by Joe Walter

Photos

Scores

 

Tuesday, November 1
After a full year of planning and preparation, it was finally time for the 2005 EC-12 Nationals to begin at Walt Disney World’s Pop Century Resort. A handful of skippers made their way to Disney early. Some to enjoy the theme parks with family before the competition began and others to get some on the water practice in. Disney “Cast Members” as they call themselves, promised that everything would be ready for our event. They pruned tree limbs that were blocking the view of the lake and cleared thick algae that had been clogging the shoreline. I was very happy to hear from the early bird skippers that the lake was great and there were no problems.

The main field of skippers began arriving on Tuesday afternoon. With 44 boats expected, Rick West and company had planned a tight schedule of registration, measuring, and match racing for Wednesday and nobody wanted to be late. All the skippers, staff, and guests got rooms on the ground floors of the two buildings closest to the race site. Frank Angel had the shortest walk of about 20 feet from his room to his scoring tent. The longest walk from room to shore for any skipper could not have been more than a couple hundred feet. The large manicured lawn had plenty of space for all the skippers and the four-story hotel offered abundant shade.

When I arrived on Tuesday with a trailer full of all the gear needed for the regatta, it was cool and overcast. By the time we had unloaded all the gear into the Race Central Hospitality Room, a light mist began to fall. By cocktail hour, it turned to rain. It seems the rumor that Disney can control the weather is untrue. Still the rain did not stop a crowd from gathering outside the hospitality room to enjoy a cold beer and catch up with old friends or make new ones.

Wednesday, November 2
The rain had let up by morning as assistants, Ron Brown and Ed Atkinson, arrived early to set up the measuring tank. Rick West got started right away with the measuring process while Frank Angel began registering the competitors. The two RDs, Dr. Jarl Wathne and David Brawner, checked all sails on the floor of the hospitality room. All boats were measured for beam widths, waterline length, weight, keel widths, and sails. Rick is compiling a database to help new builders, as well as those of us trying to figure out what we are doing wrong.

As the clouds moved away, the sky soon gleamed bright blue, we thought perhaps Disney really does control the weather. The Chamber of Commerce weather would stay with us for the rest of the week. With the sun now shining, David Brawner got the match racing started on schedule with the first flight at 1230. All the skippers who entered sailed the best of 3 heats against their pairing. Two losses meant you were done while the winners sailed the next boat in their bracket immediately so that the field was reduced from 28 boats to just 8. The second flight was also on time at 1430. Some very good match-ups were sailed in both flights with the all favorites advancing, but with a few surprise showings also making it into the third round. Gerry Cobley, Harry Strunk, Dave Ramos, and me (Joe Walter) joined the usual gang of Scott Rowland, Gerhard Kelter, Kahle, and Rinehard to compete on Thursday.

Thursday, November 3
Clear skies greeted us for the start of Fleet Racing on Thursday. Former Champion, Danny Thomas, unfortunately had to cancel at the last minute. Still, the 43 remaining skippers made this the largest EC-12 Nationals on record. After some brief comments from Frank and Rick at the skipper’s meeting, Jarl Wathne took the helm as RD with the help of David Brawner and the volunteers.

We started out with 3 flights of seeding races with each group sailing 2 heats. The total of the 2 heats was used to set the fleets for the Equal Opportunity Racing System (EORS) then the higher score was discarded. Kelter, Rick Gerry, Skip Allen, Mike Zellanack, Bob Dudinsky, and Walter each scored a bullet in the seeding races. Frank Angel then called a brief timeout to tally the points and set the four fleets, which were color-coded Gold, Blue, Red, and White.

Thursday was the only day that had a consistent wind blowing nearly down the middle of the course. Unfortunately for the rest of the regatta, the high pressure system that hovered over the Southeast made the wind come out of the one direction we didn’t want -- from behind the buildings. Still the course was well laid out and even though the wind was swirling and fluky at times, at least it was wind.

The White fleet took to the water for the real start of the fleet racing. Every skipper, staff member, and spectator crowded the shore for the start -- everyone trying to figure out where the favored end of the line was. When a call for crowd control cropped up, Uncle Frank and his bullhorn eased the spectators back so the skippers had a clear path to walk. The 4 fleets of 14 boats each meant waits as long as an hour for many before their next heat, but nobody seemed to mind at all.

Bob Dudinsky won the first race of the regatta. With his bullet in the seeding races and a 2nd and 6th for the other heats, he took the outright lead for day one. Mark Rinehart was just one point back in 2nd place, while Rick Gerry and Al Sellers were a close 3rd and 4th respectively.

The third round of match racing took place during lunch. While Kelter, Kahle, Rinehard, and Rowland each advanced to the semi finals, it was far from a cakewalk for any of them. The racing was very close and exciting. Tight pre-start turning duels, lead changes both up wind and down, and close finishes made for some great thrills.

Except for the Awards Dinner planned for Saturday night, free evenings allowed for the skippers and their family and friends to take advantage of what Disney had to offer. There was no shortage of activities with four theme parks to choose from, along with great restaurants, and shopping areas like Downtown Disney, or just hang out by the pool. The fireworks and light shows in the evening, visible from our hotel, added to the grandness.

Frank Angel stayed up late Thursday night to redistribute the skippers into 3 fleets. This made the fleet sizes a little larger, but we hoped more heats could be sailed. The color-coded fleets were renamed White, Red, and Yellow. The blue clothespins kept breaking and after some poor performances in the Gold fleet, Frank demoted them to Yellow.

Friday, November 4
Friday’s wind was out of the ENE, which meant it came from two different directions as it tried to go around the buildings. Wind shifts of 180 degrees where not uncommon as we sailed from the start line to the windward mark, and back down the course. Fortunes were won and lost as skippers searched for the best wind. Some who hugged the shore would make huge gains over those who sailed for the middle of the lake, only to see the results reversed in the next heat as the middle would then become the best place to be. The patient skippers who kept an eye on the shifts steadily moved to the front of the fleet.

More match racing during lunch saw Rowland and Kahle advance to the finals while Kelter and Rinehart would sail in the consolation round on Saturday. Some very good racing was done throughout the 3 fleets. At the end of the second day of fleet racing Rinehart had moved into a comfortable lead with just 34 points. Dudinsky dropped to 2nd with 55 points and John Bottensek, Walter, and Kahle rounded out the top 5.

Saturday, November 5
Great weather stayed for the third and final day of sailing. The wind, though, was still a source of anguish as it tried to sort out which direction it would blow. The leader board would shift yet again as racing began. Some like Kahle, Bottensek, and Cobley would climb higher in the standings, while others like Walter and Dudinsky slipped back. Rinehard remained solid throughout the regatta and with two races to sail, it was clear that he would not be caught. A trashcan full of ice water, poured on him from the third floor of the hotel was his reward.

Unknown to most at the time, Kelter and Rinehart agreed to sail each other’s boat for the consolation match. The pink boat proved to be very fast as Kelter took the win for third place. Kahle and Rowland would sail three very exciting races to determine the Match Racing Champion. It was some of the most exciting racing of the event with tactics and boat handling playing a major role in the outcome instead of just boat speed. Reichard would prevail in the end for the second time in a row. With 16 full races and a total of 57 heats sailed in the fleet racing, and more than 60 match races sailed, it was time to head to the awards dinner at Disney’s Coronado Springs Resort and Convention Center.

The bar at the banquet hall opened early at 6:15, which set the evening off to a good start. Disney put out a fantastic spread of steak fajitas, marinated chicken, and catfish, along with salads, veggies, breads, and wonderful desserts. After a great meal and plenty of camaraderie, it was time to hand out the awards. Gifts and thanks were also given to all who made this incredible event possible. The Class Secretary, Rick West, took the podium for a short time to field some questions from the audience and the evening was closed with a round of applause for all the skippers who sailed like true sportsmen for the whole event and for the staff who kept it all running smoothly.

I wish to thank all the skippers who came from far and near to be here, including Woody Cook who crossed the big pond from England to sail with us. I want to thank all the volunteers who helped measure boats, run errands, and call the marks throughout the five days: Ed Atkinson, Doug Bowe, Ron Brown, Nick Quinn, and Dick Ruffe. I want to thank David and Jarl for doing an amazing job as RDs and for keeping everyone focused on sailing clean and having a great time on the water. I must thank Frank and Rick for the unfathomable amount of work they did before, during, and after this event, and Kent Farndell who was my right hand man throughout the planning and who was instrumental in getting us in the door at Disney. I need to thank Christina Bantug and Roberto Cruz with Disney for bringing it all together with the help of their wonderfully supportive staff. And last but nowhere near least, the three ladies who really made this event possible for their hard work, support, and patience with us big kids: Merrilee West, Linda Angel, and my bride, Janet Walter.

Thank you all very much, and I hope you all had as much fun as I did!