The Sail Fest Regatta October 21 & 22, 2023, at Kentucky Lake was fantastic. This was our 6th regatta and, just barely, our first two-day regatta. All other regattas were cancelled on one of the days due to lack of wind. And when I say “barely”, we almost did not get in one race for the second day, and race 5 was called off.

Brother Kev did a great job of getting the boat ready by ensuring the rig was set to the correct tightness. Secondly, the board was dropped on a lift and play was measured, giving Kevin insight into how to shim the centerboard. Kevin also found that the centerboard contained some damage which was repaired. All of these efforts seemed to allow us to point as high and sail as fast as other boats. This felt like the first time we were pointing as high or sailing as fast as the competition.

We seemed to make fewer mistakes, focusing on boat handling and making the right wind and competitive moves. Starting could use some improvement as it felt like we were not in the front row. That said, on race 4 we started a wee bit late but rounded the windward mark in 1st place. From there we lost ground in the fluky winds. This was a source of frustration. We came in 3rd overall. This makes 2 of our 6 regattas on the podium. Not horrible for our first year racing together in nearly 30 years, and first year racing Flying Scots together.

We’ve got three short videos that are super fun and we are posting full videos for races 1, 2, & 4. It appears the insta360 was not turned on for race 3. So you’ll have to use your imagination based on the results below.

Next stop: Davis Islands Yacht Club in Tampa Bay, Florida – January, 2024. GO GADZOOKS!

But wait, there’s more! We often practice the day before the regatta on the regatta water to get an understanding of wind, current, and shore effects. We use old sails for this practice session, so you’ll see a main with reef points and no windows. We tend not to focus on sail shape on these practice days, instead trying to read the wind on the water and ensuring our boat handling is back in order. That said sailing is fun just for itself!