Setting sail at LOW Regatta

Contributed
Published: May 1, 2008

The 27th annual Sailing Regatta was held April 26 and was well-attended, with nine entries in the Flying Scot Class and six in the Sunfish Class.
Lake of the Woods sailors took first and second in both classes.
The wind was very fickle and generally light, challenging the race committee of Larry Huntsman, principal race officer, Suzanne Lentine and Bob Doan, who were up to the challenge. Thunderstorms held off until after everyone was back-ashore.
During the first race, the Flying Scot lead changed hands several times as sailors scrambled to find isolated patches of wind and adjust to wind direction changes. LOW teams of Jimmy Lee/John Rush and Hans Noordanus/Mike Klopf finished one-two, with the Schermerhorns from Selby Bay, near Annapolis, Maryland taking third.
In the second race, wind direction and strength allowed the colorful spinnakers to be broken out. Noordanus/Klopf won this race while the Gillinghams, also from Selby Bay, overtook Lee/Rush on the final leg to claim second.
The third and final race was also won by Noordanus/Klopf to clinch first place overall. Dick Schultz, who traveled 300 miles from coastal North Carolina, and crew Alden Newcombe, the sailing club’s head junior sailing instructor, finished second for third overall. Lee/Rush finished third for second overall while other LOW teams of Dan McFarland/Eric Schrier and Sam Wilson/Larry Sisk were 7th and 8th overall.
Meanwhile, the Sunfish Class was also having very tight racing. LOW’s Ed Hoffman led the first race most of the way, only to be overtaken by LOW’s Jean Westholt who held on to win in a very close finish.
Similarly, in the second race, Westholt won another squeaker over Hoffman, and then went on to win the third race for a perfect score for the regatta. Even more remarkable is that she did this coming back from an injury last fall and a recent ailment.
Overall, Jean Westholt was first, then Hoffman, and Ken Wray and Jacob Donkerslott, both of Rockville, Maryland, and LOW sailors Bill Wemmerus and Dwight Westholt.
Following the races, there was pizza and refreshments, sponsor prize drawings and an awards ceremony. Many sailing club members helped with the regatta. And others, Larry Ervin who brought his pontoon boat for the photographer and spectators and Sparky Watson who ran safety with his pontoon boat. Without all of their help, the regatta wouldn’t have been the huge success that it was.