ALL RIGHT, YOU GUYS! SHARPEN UP! Peter Jefferson is BACK!!!!

It is at this time of the year that the average Wayfarer looks up from his beer to find himself confronted by the behemoth of Wayfarer racing - the North American Championship, which is being held this year at Windsor's South Port Sailing Club on the Labour Day Weekend.

This year however, the bookies have been hit by disaster. The quoted odds are being hastily revised. Word has come in from Ottawa that Peter Jefferson and his wife, Avis, the 1964 North American Champions, have returned to our class with fiberglass W 1257.

Other figures of interest at this event are 1965 champion, George Blanchard (W283), an avowed "heavy weather with Leo Maarse" man, and the defending champion Don Healy, the first American to take the big title.

Mike Schoenborn (W276), three-time Canadian Champion and Peter Bassin (W421), the 1965 Canadian Champ are also eager to win in this year's big one.

The Big Ten: As I see it, the following are the boats to watch for in this year's North American Championships at Windsor.
...

W 283	George Blanchard	The best bet to win this year has to be George. With ex-North American Champion, Leo Maarse as crew, George has placed every year except last year when he was victimized by some unfortunate events that will not repeat this year.  George was the 1965 champion.
W 276	Mike Schoenborn	Although he has won the Canadians three times, Mike has had no luck with the N.A.C. He has not been able to match Blanchard's consistent high finishes. This could be the year.
W 752	Don Healy	Last year's winner from Detroit. His win was due to consistency, more than to actual brilliance in individual races, and to repeat as champ, Don will need some firsts and seconds.
W 1257	Peter Jefferson	This extremely able sailor from Ottawa's Britannia Yacht Club was the 1964 winner and then retired to England, returning this year with a new fiberglass boat.  Peter has the habit of making any boat into a winner, and by his performances this year, especially in the light stuff, Peter is the prime dark horse in the NAC.
W 1115	Bill Worrall	For my money, Bill should be the best from the U.S. this year. After a 22nd and an 8th in his first two N.A.C. races last year, Bill reeled off three consecutive seconds to reach the brink of an upset which could take place this year.
W 421	Peter Bassin	Inconsistency has plagued Peter who has finally managed to get far enough finished with his new home in Preston to return to his Wayfarer PIPPA.  Peter is often unbeatable but has not been at his best in September.
W 634	Don Rumble	Our Honorary Commodore from North Bay also has shown everyone how, but has so far been unable to put together a winning series.
W 637	Peter Friedenberg	Peter tied George for the runner-up position in this year's Canadians at Bronte Harbour Y.C. His main problems should be the pressure of the big one and consistency.
W 867	Ivar Zalitis	With Harry Jones as crew in last year's NAC, Ivar showed well to finish 3rd. He has not been consistent this year. A long shot.
W 116	Al Schoenborn	We feel that in other years we didn't bring enough beer. Why, just the other dya, we didn't bring any beer and finished 15th out of 17 boats.

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Do you measure in?????

You don't know? Ah! Well you will, soon, if you intend to go to the North Americans. Bill Worrall and the U.S.W.A., who are running the Championships this year, have decreed that all entries must be able to produce a valid measurement certificate.

Soooooooooooooooooooo!  Contact your local measurer now! Any unsolvable queries should be addressed to: 

George Gordan, 95 Cranbrook Rd., Toronto 12.

COMING UP..... AUGUST 5. 6. 7....... NORTH BAY

One of the charms of the North Bay Racing Weekend is that it does not entail the pressure of the North American Championships. Everyone sits back in the beautiful surroundings of clean (Take note, sailors on Lake Ontario!!!) Trout Lake, and lets me win (cheers).

Accommodations are no problem. There is a fine motel - The Dreamland Motel - and if that is too expensive, the local hospitality is out of this world.  One word of caution: we have the first "dibs" on Jamie Wallace's.

The three-day event starts on the Saturday with the 20-mile cruise race, and is followed by a three-race series on Sunday and Monday.

The elite of the Wayfarer racing world is expected to attend this event so we would like to see you there. Who knows? Maybe we'll be able to provide more entertainment like last year when we towed the Committee Boat to the line when their motor failed.
 

GEORGE & JOY BLANCHARD OFF TO WESTERN WAYFARER CHAMPIONSHIPS IN ENGLAND

George Blanchard and his daughter, Joy, will be leaving soon after the North Bay Wayfarer Weekend to go to England to participate in the Western Championships in Falmouth, England.  George and Joy will be sailing a brand new glass Wayfarer, W 1450. (Al's note: I do believe that's the boat that won the first Worlds in 1974!)

The best of luck to you, George and Joy. We know that you will represent Canada well.
 
 

COMING EVENTS
August 5	Trout Lake Sailing Club Cruise Race, North Bay
August 6,7	Trout Lake Sailing Club Regatta, North Bay
August 12	Island Yacht Club Regatta, Toronto
August 14-19	Western Wayfarer Championships, Falmouth, England
August 19	CNE Races, Toronto
August 26	CNE Races, Toronto
Sept. 2,3,4	North American Championships
Sept. 4,5,6	Southern Wayfarer Championship, Lilliput Sailing Club, Poole, Dorset, England
Sept. 7,8,9	National Wayfarer Championship, Lilliput Sailing Club, Poole, Dorset, England
Sept. 9	Ashridges Bay Yacht Club Regatta, Toronto
Sept. 16	Queen City Yacht Club Regatta, Toronto
Sept. 23	Oshawa Yacht Club Regatta, Oshawa
Sept. 30	Bronte Harbour Yacht Club (One of a Kind Races)

...

Sailing in light variable breezes off Bronte Harbour Y.C., July 8 and 9, Mike Schoenborn with Mark Millen (on Saturday) and Richard Lye (on Sunday) sailed WARATAH (W276) to his second successive Canadian Championship.  It was Mike's third win in this event, extending his last year's record from two.  Peter Friedenberg of Bronte Harbour and George Blanchard tied for the runner-up honours, with George taking the edge by virtue of a better total when all four races were counted. A top contender until the last race was Peter Bassin the 1965 winner, who ended in fourth place. Here's how it happened: 

FIRST RACE: Only once around in light winds in order to finish before the BHYC annual regatta. Don Rumble (634) from North Bay, John Green (W745) of Windsor and Mike Schoenborn arrived closely bunched at the first mark.  John fell victim to an adverse current and hit the mark, while Mike was rubbed out by some Rumble-running and reaching to finish second to Don.  Good work on the free legs also paid off for George Blanchard who placed third ahead of Pete Friedenberg and Sid Atkinson (W618) from TS&CC. Stan Yeo (W627) was 6th, North Bay's Don Paine in his new yellow (yay!!!) fiberglass (booo!) W1338 CYSTO 2ND came 7th and Al Chovil (W439) CAPRICE from RCYC 8th.

SECOND RACE: What started out a beat became a close reach on the first leg. Al Schoenborn (W116) and Peter Bassin (W421) fought this one out after a vacation at the tail end of the fleet in the first race.  Peter took the lead on the first leg of the second round and did not let up to win. Al was second, followed by Mike S., Peter F., George B. and Don Rumble.

THIRD RACE: Mike S. led this one all the way. Al S. after riding his spinnaker into second place after once around, died on the off-shore tack to finish 12th.  Peter B. also lost some ground to the inshore boats but held third at the finish behind Peter F. who came from nowhere to finish second.  John Green took fourth place in the race, moving up six positions on the last leg by taking the tack that took him closest to the mark. George B., Ivar Zalitis (W867) of TS&CC, Don Rumble and Ed Pollock (W977) of Burlington followed in that order.

FOURTH RACE: The overall picture was a little clearer going into the final race.  One race was to be dropped. Mike S. with a first, a second and a third was the man to beat and only Peter Bassin had a chance to beat him with a first and a third in his best two races. The tactic was for Mike to cover Peter, who needed a first to win. Mike stuck with Peter throughout the race, finishing 5th while Peter was 8th. Meanwhile Al S. (that's me) had enough of getting nailed by inshore boats and went inshore with George B., Stan Yeo, Pete Hanson and Bill McKitterick (W322).  Subsequently, this group, led by George B., arrived well ahead at the first mark.  SNOOPY sneaked by to leeward of George on the run to move into the lead at the second mark. The final leg was largely a parade with little change in positions on a close reach. 
At this point the race committee pulled a real adrenalin-mover: they had the finish mark picked up and moved to windward of the committee boat i.e. 250 feet to windward with the leading boats only 100 yards from the finish. We laid the committee boat however and were able to do without voicing the numerous colourful phrases that had crossed our minds.
George B. finished a close second, while Pete Hanson and Stan Yeo also got in ahead of the champion Mike Schoenborn.  Sixth place went to John Green,  In seventh was a man who was a wonderul example of Bronte Harbour's cheerful hospitality, W322, Bill McKitterick. Bill was beset by hard luck throughout the series, twice having his main halyard break prior to a race, yet never once grumbled, an example I hope some day to be able to follow.

Speaking of Bronte's hospitality, I want on behalf of our class, to reiterate George Blanchard's "Thank You!" to Doug Schneider who ran our races ably, well and almost alone, to his horn, to Peter Friedenberg's wife and her 'Kitchen Staff'. All of us who were there certainly hope you'll have us back next year for this event.

BLANCHARD WINS CONESTOGA CENTENNIAL REGATTA

George Blanchard, sailing BONNIE (W283), finally ended Peter Bassin's stranglehold on Kitchener racing, by taking the Conestoga Lake Centennial Regatta at the Conestoga Sailing Club, June 10 and 11.  George, with his crew Leo Maarse, never looked back after taking the first race of the four-race event. Two seconds in the succeeding races held off a late charge by the defending champion, Peter Bassin in PIPPA (W421) who finished second with his wife Maggie as crew.  Peter won the second and fourth races, while the third race went to the fast-improving Peter Friedenberg of Bronte Harbour Y.C.

The scoring system used in the regatta was an interesting one, new to Wayfarer sailing in Canada.  Under the system used, bonus points were awarded for high placings on a graded scale as follows.
 1st - 0 pts. 2nd - 3 pts. 3rd - 5.7 pts.  4th - 8 pts.  5th - 10 pts.  6th - 11.7 pts.  7th - 13 pts.  8th - 14 pts.  etc.