September 2017 Papoose Article

Racing in July took place on all weekends except for July 16, due to lack of wind. As reported last month, on July 1 Joe Fleming and Don Okner went head to head in their Lightnings. The following week, July 9, brought four Lightnings and one Snipe to the course with John Marx as race official. In the lightnings, Brent Cherry won two races with Perry Anderson second in both races. Don Okner and Joe Fleming traded for third and fourth position. Howard Gooblar did not finish in his Snipe.

The wind on July 23 was only 4 mph out of the east-northeast but was enough for three Lightnings to compete. Tim Mackey ran the races in which Joe Fleming edged Rich Miner out for first place in race one and Rich making a comeback, taking first place in race two. Brent Cherry was third in both races.

The month ended with four Lightnings competing on July 30. Rich Miner was first in race one, followed by Perry Anderson assisted by his crew Margaret Anderson and Shirley Miller. Don Okner came in third, with son Marty handling the jib and grandchildren Sadie and Lukas crewing in their first sailboat race. In race two, Perry Anderson took first place, Rich Miner was second and Joe Fleming came in third. Joe’s son (also Joe) and wife Julie were his crew.

Our junior sailing program also ended successfully with a group of young sailors completing the course and leanring skills that will last a lifetime.

Our final regatta for the year will be the Commodore’s Cup, to be held on September 3. Regattas are open to all LMCC members with a sailboat of any type. The races are timed and handicapped so that slower class boats can often win over the classes that are generally faster. If you have never sailed in a race, this is a great opportunity to give it a try—you may just want to join as a member once you do.

The following are the Race Official assignments for September and October:

• Sep 03 -- J. Miller--Commodore's Cup (Sunfish Fleet)
• Sep 10 -- C. Gill / A. Hopkins
• Sep 17 -- B. Cherry
• Sep 24 -- M. Marussich
• Oct 01 -- J. Fleming
• Oct 08 -- H. Gooblar / H. Jelinek

We still have two, well used Sunfish and one Snipe for sale, as well as a double deck Sunfish trailer. Rumor also has it that John Marx is selling his Lippincott Lightning. If you are interested in any of these boats or the trailer, call John at (973)729-0313.

Whether you are an experienced sailor, a novice or if you are interested in social events, we offer it all! There is still a lot of sailing to do this year. Come join us and get in on the fun! You can visit us on the web at www.lakemohawksailing.org. For more information, email us at lakemohawksailing@gmail.com, or write us care of PO Box 29, Sparta, NJ. Until next month, smooth sailing and God bless America!

Don Okner