October 3
A beautiful Sunday afternoon presented a wonderful fall day for the KBRS racers. Today's winners were Patrick Adams in the Cruising Fleet, and Ron Kinnane in the Racing Fleet. But the drama doesn't stop there because with only one race to go in the Fall Series, the total scores are really close.
In the Cruising Fleet, Patrick Adams leads the fleet with a total score of 12, however Frank Couch and Marino Garci are right on his transom with scores of 13 each and both have the ability to improve their scores by 2 with a win next week. Although, Mark Simpson is mathematically unable to lower his score to first place, he is still in the hunt and could tie for second with a win.
First, second, and third place in the Racing Fleet in pretty much all decided with Screaming Eagle, Ron Kinnane, and Kevin Findley taking those places, respectively. However, there is a battle for fourth place between Viki Cheatum and Alan Loehr with only a single point separating their scores.
Drama is good for racing!
Don't forget about the chili cookoff next week. Race or not, it will be a great day in the Afterdeck... but sadly the KBRS last race of the year. We will all look forward to resuming the races next spring. However, watch for the first KBRS "meeting" at Brooklyn's ( the new old players)
September 26
What a beautiful day! Warm sun, cool breezes, and mild temps kept the KBRS racers happy. The results didn't alter the places much, but most the the racers are now on the board. Tonight's winners were Mark Simpson on the Cruising Fleet, and Ron Kinnane in the Racing Fleet. Congrats to both. Two more races left in the year, so good luck to all.
September 19
The lake was confused at the start of today's KBRS race. Setting the course was quite a challenge with 90 degree wind shift just 30 minutes before the first gun. However, the Race Committee did the right thing by delaying the start and resetting the upwind mark. In the end, it produced a wonderful day on the lake with moderate breeze and warm sun. Today's finish was exceptionally close with the first three boats finishing within 13 seconds. In the end, Patrick Adams won the Cruising Fleet, and Screaming Eagle won the Racing Fleet.
September 12
The first Sunday race of the season couldn't have been timed better The racers showed up to sail on a beautiful September day only to find wonderful breezes and and warm sun. After the race the KBRS sailors gathered at the last cookout of the season to discuss all the fun and a little tactics. Tonight's winners were Marino Garci in the Cruising Fleet, and Ron Kinnane in the Racing Fleet. Congrats to both. The season is 4 races from the end and the stats are stacking up for the series. So far, the Cruising Fleet lead is tied between Frank Couch and Marino Garci... it's stacking up to a great finish. See you next weekend.
September 8
What an unusual evening. It started off dry, added rain in the middle, and ended with stars twinkling at night. Some racers and race committees would have given up... but not in KBRS. In the end, Frank Couch won the Cruising Fleet, Screaming Eagle won the Racing Fleet, and Larry Greenwood won the Multihull Fleet.
September 1
The odds finally caught up with the KBRS racers this week, after seven consecutive weeks of fair weather, we finally had a cancellation from weather - far too much wind. But that didn't blow away the fun at the picnic tables as the skippers and crews hung around and enjoyed each others company until well after dark. Refreshments, stories, and Marilyn's birthday cake were all shared during the fun.
With the cancellation, the fall series now drops to the best of seven races to score and a few of the teams have participated enough to score in the series. The leader of the Cruising Fleet is Frank Couch in Predator II, and the leader in the Racing Fleet is Alan Loehr in About Time. Participation in the next few races will add many more teams to the scoreboard and it looks like there's going to be some tight series scores. See you next week on the race course.
August 25
Has the heat wave been broken? Judging by the Wednesday night race it has. Perfect weather for the last 7pm race of the season. The next 2 Wednesday races are at 6:30pm. Ten boats were out and enjoyed the evening in 7 knot breezes. After the race we celebrated another birthday of one of the crewmembers. Really an enjoyable evening. Winners were Mark Simpson in the cruising fleet, Screaming Eagle in the racing fleet, and Larry Greenwood in the multihull fleet. Two more Wednesday races, then we switch to Sunday afternoons!
August 18
Mother Nature blessed the KBRS again this week with a beautiful evening of light winds, warm sun, and moderate temperatures. It was truly awesome to be on the lake tonight. In the end, the winners this week were Frank Couch in the Cruising Fleet, Ron Kinnane in the Racing Fleet, and Larry Greenwood in the Multihull Fleet.
August 11
Driving up to the NSA parking lot tonight, I noticed the leaves on the cottonwoods were not moving... not a good sign for a sailing club. However, NOAA indicated the breezes would pick up so the crews stuck around - and it's a good thing they did. Right at the beginning of race time, a southern wind filled the lake and the marks were set and the guns fired to start another wonderful Wednesday night KBRS race. It was a beautiful evening on the lake. Tonight's winners were Frank Couch in the Cruising Fleet, Screaming Eagle in the Racing Fleet, and Larry Greenwood in the Multihull Fleet. Congrats to all crews as on a night like tonight we were all winners.
August 4
Mother Nature brought a cool front across the lake at mid-day providing nice breezes and a 15 degree temperature drop prior to race. Both were very welcome to the eleven boats participating in the KBRS race tonight. Although the wind was a little tough for some of the boats to handle initially, it calmed and gave the racers a beautiful sunset at the end. As usual, that's when the party began. Tonight's winners are Marino Garci in the Cruising Fleet are Kevin Findley in the Racing Fleet. Already looking forward to next week.
July 28
What a fantastic night for a race! At first, the crews were worried that
there wasn't much wind, but by the start gun the evening breezes filled the
lake and produced beautiful conditions for our weekly mid-week break. This
was also our second "cookout" of the year. Actually, it really wasn't a
"cookout" since we traded the burgers and dogs for cold sandwiches, which
really tasted good in the high temps and elevated humidity. As usual, the
skippers and crews brought in large quantities of side dishes to compliment
the cool sandwiches and beverages and stayed well after the sun went down
chatting with fellow KBRS participants. Based on the volume of voices and
laughter, everyone seemed to have a great time.
Tonight's winners were Bob Born in the Cruising Fleet (did he have his engine
running?), Kevin Findley in the Racing Fleet (no, we can see Kevin's prop),
and Larry Greenwood in the Multihull Fleet (wow, did you see that thing fly?).
Once again, there were some exciting finishes with multiple boats overlapped
as they crossed the line. The Race Committee had the best seat in the house.
Congratulations to all and see you next week.
July 21
Exceptionally fresh breezes and several competitors made for a lively race
tonight. The race finish was especially exciting with so many boats
fighting to cross the finish line in such a short interval. The Race
Committee was very busy. With the lake level finally dropping, the crews
felt comfortable enough to remain on the docks for a while after the race
and enjoy the camaraderie that only comes with weekly and friendly racing.
Tonight's winners were Marino Garci and Bill Coffman (tie) in the Cruising Fleet,
Screaming Eagle in the Racing Fleet, and Larry Greenwood in the Multihull Fleet.
July 14
What a great night for a race. Winds were 15+ and clear skies. Thank Goodness we were racing in the evening as the humidity was pretty high. Tonight's winners are Patrick Adams in the Cruising Fleet and Screaming Eagle (barely) in the Racing Fleet. Congrats to all.
July 7
Tonight was the final race of the Spring Series. In contrast to the rest of the week, it turned out to a beautiful night with light winds and fair skies. With the end of the Spring Series, it is now time to announce the winners of the series:
Cruising Fleet: Alan Loehr - 1st place, Marino Garci - 2nd place, and a tie for 3rd between Patrick Adams and Frank CouchRacing Fleet: Screaming Eagle - 1st place, Kevin Findley - 2nd place, and MOBY - 3rd place
Multihull Fleet: Larry Greenwood - 1st place
Congratulations to all. Next week starts the beginning of the fall series. Come out and enjoy the fun!A note of explanation regarding the Colossus Cup: Since it's schedule has changed from what KBRS members approved at our meeting, it will not be included in the KBRS standings.
July 4
Hurricane Alex did the Colossus Cup racers, and with them the KBRS racers, no favors today as constant rains and potential threatening weather canceled the long race. The Colossus Cup is the oldest sailing cup in Kansas but yet was no match for the remnants of the hurricane that came up from the gulf. Oh well, better luck next year. One more KBRS race left in the Spring Series. Check out the stats on the website for the scores.
June 30
Mother nature couldn't have provided a better evening for a sailboat race. Blue skies, mild temperatures, and a 13 mph breeze gave the eleven boats a fantastic opportunity to break up their week with a sundown on the lake. Tonight's winners were Alan Loehr in the Cruising Fleet, Kevin Findley in the Racing Fleet, and Larry Greenwood in the Multihull Fleet. Congratulations to all.
June 23
Three shots early tonight signaled a race cancellation by the Race Committee due to high winds. With this cancellation, the 2010 Spring Series has been reduced to the best of 4 races and quite a few more teams are now on the scoreboard. To date, here are the top 3 finishers in each fleet with qualifying teams:
Cruising - 1) Alan Loehr, 2) Marino Garci, 3) Frank Couch
Racing - 1) Screaming Eagle, 2) Moby, 3) Ron Kinnane
There are only a few more races left in the spring series, so there are a lot of opportunities for the scores to change. Good luck to all.
June 16
The weather broke just enough this week to allow the weekly Wednesday night
race to occur. A total of 14 boats participated tonight and they were
rewarded with good winds and fair skies. The Race Committee set up a
rarely-used F course providing both a lap with a jibe mark and a
windward/leeward lap. In the end, the winners were Kevin Findley in the
Racing Fleet, Alan Loehr in the Cruising Fleet, and Larry Greenwood in the
Multihull Fleet. What a great evening on the lake... let's do it again next
week.
June 9
After number of cancellations early in this race series and two days of
storms and rain, the KBRS fleet was blessed with steady wind, warm temps,
and clear skies. Twelve boats came out to enjoy an evening of racing
around the marks and afterward an extended social hour provided by the long
days of June. Tonight's race winners were: Larry Greenwood in the Multihull
Fleet, Alan Loehr in the Cruising Fleet, and Screaming Eagle in the Racing
Fleet. Congratulations to all the winning skippers and crews. See you on
the lake next week.
June 2
Beautiful bottoms! The good winds tonight during the weekly KBRS race
provided a dozen crews an opportunity to show off their new bottom paint.
They really shimmered in the water and afternoon sun as they cruised by.
The course remained fairly steady during the entire race and delivered a
fantastic night of racing around the marks. In the end, the Cruising Fleet
was won by Marino Garci, and the Racing Fleet was won by Screaming Eagle.
Congrats to the winners and all racers as it was a real treat to be on the
lake tonight. See you next week.
May 26
This spring is really stacking up to be a challenge to schedule Wednesday night sailboat races. Today makes three weeks in a row that the race was cancelled - this time due to lack of wind. But all was not lost as it was also the first cookout so the racers met at the Afterdeck and enjoyed burgers, dogs, and refreshments. Hopefully next week the weather will cooperate and we can enjoy a race. Hope to see you there.
May 19
The score at this point is Mother Nature - 3... KBRS Racers - 2. Once again
thunderstorms forced a cancellation of the weekly Wednesday night race. But
fear not, fair skies will soon be the norm and we can all resume having
fun. Next week is the first KBRS cookout of the season, so bring the
goodies and enjoy the camaraderie with your fellow sailors, burgers and
dogs will be provided. See you next week.
May 12
The early call to cancel the race a few hours before the scheduled start
was a good one, it kept KBRS racers off the lake and the roads. As wave
after wave of storms rolled through the area, it was good to know that the
crews were not enticed to be on the lake. Although the Race Committee is
responsible to facilitate the race, it is ultimately the skipper that is
required to protect crew and craft. Although I miss all the fun of the
Wednesday night race, I sure didn't miss being on the lake during the
storms. See you next week.
May 5
Ah - the sounds of spring. Birds chirping, mowers humming, and Marilyn
screaming when the boats get too close (it was hilarious). It was a
beautiful night for evening sailing on Cheney Lake. Although the breeze may
have been a little light, it was steady and stayed with us throughout the
race. The course posed some challenges for the skippers and crews... which
is really the favored side of the course(?), will the wind shift and leave
us stranded if we try to catch the wind coming out of the cove(?), what the
hell is that "30" doing behind the committee boat on the leeward mark
rounding(?). In the end, the winners were About Time in the Cruising Fleet and
Screaming Eagle in the Racing Fleet. We all have to be thankful for days on
the lake like this. See you next week.
April 28
What a bummer. 40+ knot winds kept the KBRS sailors off the lake tonight, but it wasn't a total loss. A handful of those typically found on Cheney on Wednesday nights in the summer convened at Players to enjoy each others company. As usual they had some laughs, a few refreshments, and dinner then departed. A good time was had by all. Oh well, there's always hope for next week. See you there.
April 21
What a great day for the first race. Overcast skies kept the temperatures mild and seven boats responded by coming our for the initial race of the season. Shortly after the end of the race the rain started pouring down scattering the crews to their cars and homeward. The first place finishers tonight were Marino Garci in the Cruising Fleet and Screaming Eagle in the Racing Fleet. Congrats to all, and I already look forward to the race next week.
April 11
KBRS meeting was held. The 2010 schedule was approved. It was suggested that we create a "standard" by which the race committee could cancel a race due to low wind velocity. The motion was to give the race committee the latitude to cancel the race due to low wind velocity if the wind was less than 3 mph as measured by the weather station. The motion failed to carry.
Standard starts vs. reverse handicap starts were discussed. Race committee will have the option to have a standard (all boats start at the gun) start, or a reverse handicap start. Race committee is asked to indicate which type race they will conduct at the time they sign up for race committee.
We will get a banner or flag to indicate from the committee boat when a standard race is being conducted.
Trophies for the 2009 Fall series were awarded as follows:
Cruising Fleet First Place
Bob and Sheryl Born Booty Hunter
Cruising Fleet Second Place
Tie Patrick Adams
Cruising Fleet Second Place
Tie Allen Archer Joyride
Racing Fleet First Place
Screaming Eagle Douthit/Olsen
Racing Fleet Second Place
Ron Kinnane Traveler
Racing Fleet Third Place
Kevin Findley Fascination
MultiHull Fleet First Place
Larry Greenwood Ninnescah Flyer
Alan Loehr
aloehr@aloehr.com 316-648-8188