2006 25th Annual Century Cup Regatta
Elon University, NC

By: Cameron Hunt RD

 For the fifth year in a row the 19 Captains attending the Twenty-fifth Annual Century Cup Regatta held by The Piedmont Model Yacht Club at Elon, NC on June 17-18, 2006 were blessed with good weather and enough wind to race 28 heats. The 2 fleet promotion relegation heat system was used. Each captain sailed in 2 seeding heats and at least 12 fleet heats. Their best finish in the seeding heats was carried forward and one addition throw out for the fleet heats was allowed.

Five captains registered bullets and eight scored second places.The top four captains at the end of Saturday’s sailing maintained their leads on Sunday with third and fourth and fifth and six places changing for Saturday to Sunday.Finishing just out of the plaques was Bob Mersereau in sixth place.There were anxious moments when Reichard Kahle was demasted in the next to last race and ended up in the lower fleet.He was given redress by the committee and was able to finish the next two heats and lock up first place.

Lunch was the pizza from a local establishment and fruit distributed by Linda Angel (Frank’s boss).Rick “Rainman” West our esteemed EC 12 Class Secretary had been designated to bring the wind to Elon and he did an outstanding job. The rain had come earlier in the week as Alberto passed by filling the lake.We had light and variable wind from the SW for all the heats.The changing winds of Elon gave all points of sail as the boats traveled down the course.The tradition of “It always rains on Rick” was not fulfilled this time.

We were honored to have one of the PMYC’s founding fathers in attendance. Don Gilliam, who has been having some serious health problems the last few years felt good enough to stop by an spend a few minutes with us. Everyone was delighted to see him up and about.

Thanks to all the skippers and wives for making this a fun event. Also a big thank you to Frank Angel for all his preliminary work, expertise, and acting as starter and mark judge; to Linda Angel for being an excellent score keeper, being in charge of lunch and putting up with “Uncle” Frank. Paul Bowen spent several afternoons at the lake removing the worst of the goose droppings. I also want to thank Dan Scudder assisted by Vance Kinlaw for removing the marks from the pond, thereby saving a trip to the hospital for Frank or me.

All in all, the fleet was very close with only a very few points separating most of the finishing positions as the scores below reflect.

 

Finish Captain Score State

1.

 Reichard Kahle

 20.6

SC

2.

 Gerry Cobley

 31

NC

3.

 Rick West

 45

 SC

4.

 Jack Wubbe

 48

 FL

5.

 Rick Gerry

 58

 SC

6.

 Bob Mersereau

65 

 NC

7.

 Winston Mathews

 91 

 FL

8.

 Dennis McInerney

 99

 NC

9.

 Jim Utley

 122

 NC

10.

 Alan Fernald

 125

 NC

11.

 Scott Vernon

 132*

 GA

12.

 Dick Gerry

 136

 SC

13.

 Doug Hale

 138

 NC

14.

 Peter Kremlick

 143

 SC

15.

 Vance Kinlaw

 151

 NC

16.

 Dan Scudder

 152

NC

17.

 Carl Olbrick

 164

NC

18.

 Jim Donohoe

 182*

 SC

19.

 Paul Bowen

 195

 NC

 

* Did not sail Sunday