Lewis & Clark Sailing

Fall semester comes to an end

Good showings at four North-West regattas has made this the most successful semester the Lewis & Clark Sailing Team has ever had. The team has traveled farther and more often than ever before, and is building a solid base of sailors so that its presence in NW Sailing will continue far into the future. Thanks and congratulations to everyone who took part in sailing, racing, and reconstructing the program and making it what it is. We could not have done it without you.

North-North '04
October 17, 2004
This weekend five LC sailors traveled to Seattle to compete in the North/North regatta. After a number of organizing failures the sailors were able to charter a boat from the UW. Saturday's Light winds, cold air and rain made for a classic NW fall regatta. With a shaky start Junior Kyle Eaton and sophomore Karen Coffman (A fleet) were able to pull the afternoon back together with a 5th place finish. Alan Worf 07 with the help of Pete Mitchell 07 and Lisa Arnold 08 (B fleet) moved steadily forward through the fleet with great consistency. Sunday's weather started off no different than Saturday but turned into a steady breeze around 8 knots. By late afternoon winds built to 25 knots and provided for some great sailing.

North to Frosh/Soph
November 21, 2004
A five hour drive with two boats in tow brought six sailors and one coach to Bellingham to compete in the Frosh/Soph regatta. After chipping ice from the boats racing began in light shifty winds on Saturday. Floating marks and unpredictable winds added new challenges for the entire fleet. Winds built Sunday and remained steady at 8 knots. Alan and Morgan (A Fleet LC2) held solid finishes between 5th and 7th while Kevin and Pete(A Fleet LC) held strong in the middle of the fleet. Congrats to Nick Peach and Kacie Guthrie (B Fleet LC2) on an excellent first regatta.

Study Break: Team Racing
December 12, 2004
Three LC sailors attended a PSU team race during finals week for the wettest study break ever. Winds held at 25 knots (a welcome change from the districts light wind dominated fall season) and kept sailors on their toes with 20 degree shifts all day. Survival conditions limited team race plays but helped separate the experienced from the beginners. Most sailors went swimming in the Willamette waters with a river full of questionable debris. Three LC sailors joined WSC sailors and were able to fend off most of the competition with a number of 1,2 and 1,3 finishes. Over all the sailors finished third of seven and were thrilled to spend the day on the water and away from books.

Halloween at Outlaw
October 31, 2004
Five sailors set out early Saturday morning for the fall champs in Eugene. In light winds and a lake dropping by a foot per day six races were completed. Sailors Kyle and Karen (A fleet) moved up and down in the fleet all day with a few strong finishes. Sailors Alan and Morgan (B fleet) showed consistency in the top half of the fleet. Sunday showed similar conditions with larger shifts and more frustration from the fleet and race committee. Both fleets improved their finishes on Sunday rounding out in the top half of the fleet overall.

Fall Break Outing
October 10, 2004
Eight sailors traveled to Cascade Locks with 2 FJs for the teams first outing of the season. The team spent two days and one night in Cascade Locks. Most of Friday was spent hiding from the rain and waiting for wind. After many hours of waiting Alan and Kyle became eager with the first signs of a breeze in the late afternoon. Quickly the wind became too much and the sailors were forced to retreat (some much slower and wetter than others). With heavy rains and winds that were lifting tents the sailors decided to split one hotel room for a warm shower. Saturday's winds built from 6-15 knots throughout the day. Sailors rotated off the beach and were able to spend the entire day on the water.

Spring Team Racing in Portland
February 5-6, 2005
The Lewis and Clark Sailing Team kicked off the spring season this weekend in the Viking Cup Team Race. Sophomore Karen Coffman and junior Kyle Eaton joined PSU captain Jeff Causey and a local Portland sailor to become 'Team Omega'. The team was undefeated after six races on Saturday. Light winds on Sunday afternoon forced the Regatta to end at 2:30 before Team Omega had a chance to finish its battle with PSU's team. Nevertheless, they ended up placing second over all with a record of 6-0, 2-1. Congratulations on a job well done, and thanks to PSU and WSC for hosting the event.