LPRC 2000 and some local knowledge
By Skip Wattigny
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The Lake Pontchartrain Racing Circuit (LPRC) was established in 1985 by four Gulf Yachting Association affiliate clubs: Pontchartrain Yacht Club, New Orleans Yacht Club, Southern Yacht Club, and Tammany Yacht Club. The intention was to hold a series of races on Lake Pontchartrain sponsored by all four clubs, which would determine a lake champion and eventually grow to an event of national prominence. Held for years during the last weekends in October and the first weekends of November, the LPRC began as a four-week event. Regatta entries have ranged from the first year's 96 to a high of 132 with an average now of some 100 boats. About 20% of the entries has come from outside of the Lake Pontchartrain area, including sailors as far away as Lake Michigan and the West Coast. This year 68 boats vied for honors in seven classes over the weekends of October 28-29 and November 4-5. Along with perpetual trophies for each of the two divisions (spinnaker and non-spinnaker), more than 150 individual trophies are presented over the course of the regatta. The winners of each race in each class receive trophies after the day's racing. Pontchartrain's unique sailing conditions are a result of the lake's size (630 square miles), shallow water (12-14 foot depths), surrounding marshlands, weather influenced by the Gulf of Mexico, and a daily tidal range of 10-12 inches. What current there is only exists near outlets but can run up to three knots. The shallow depth allows the water to change temperatures quickly, influencing winds that are generally from the southeast, and usually moderate. Even with consistent winds, sailors expect the wind to shift 20-30 degrees regularly if not periodically. The fall weather brings combinations of light air coupled with calm seas or heavy winds, rough conditions and an infamous chop. The temperatures can be a balmy 80 or a frigid 50 degrees, which really is cold for a southern sailor. There is a mix of courses, from custom courses to point-to-point, so almost any boat can find its conditions in at least one race of the series. At a lively skipper's meeting at PYC Oct. 27, sailors old and young gathered to stretch the truth just a bit and reminisce on the triumphs and challenges of their sport. Lubricated by gumbo and grog supplied by major sponsor Mt. Gay Rum, the bragging rights to the 2000 LPRC began. Sport boat owners and crews were easily recognizable by their smiles, bright and flashy and highlighted like a bad highway billboard. If the predicted weather materialized, it was going to be their regatta. The displacement boys, walking around in a sullen mood, were already planning their excuses. A light‹less than five-knot‹southeasterly was not what the heavier boats wanted to see. A restless night for the race committee and the fleet lay ahead. Saturday morning dawned with a golden tinge in the sky and heavy dew on the grass and decks of the fleet. The parade of racers began to funnel out of the bayou and into the lake as the steady streams of boats wound their way from the many hidden slips and marinas. The day quickly heated up, dried the dew and evaporated the haze. The fleet found the temps in the seventies early in the day, with eighties predicted. The quick heating created a slight northeast breeze and teased the sailors with ripples on the surface. Approximately two miles off the Mandeville lakefront, the committee boat waited with the 8.8-mile gold cup course posted on their stern. With the best effort of the RC, the races were off, only to find that the first beat turned into a tight spinnaker reach for all but the first five boats of the A Fleet after a 120 degree windshift. Was this a sign of things to come? Glimmers of wind generated sparkles off the water but not much else. There was some confusion in the fleet as some competitors didn't pick up on the committee boat flags. The second race, another 8.8 mile gold cup, began mid-afternoon with a cooling 5- to 8-knot breeze. As the race progressed, the sun began setting and with it the wind died. PYC and Mt. Gay did their best to soothe the minds and spirits of the sailors with hot food, icy drinks, and spirited music. Sunday was a repeat of Saturday: haze, heavy dew, temps in the eighties and the predominant southeast winds. The delay caused by a lack of wind frustrated both crews and race committee alike. The 18-mile course sent the fleet to New Orleans along the causeway. The only decision seemed to be hug the causeway or tack away. A second day of frustratingly light winds, high temperatures, and flat water challenged the fleet's perseverance. Sailors gathered at NOYC for comfort and an opportunity to see who had made the right decisions. At the end of the first weekend, first place leaders had begun to establish themselves. In Class A, the Melges 30 Tiburon had pulled off two firsts and a second. SudPack, a custom Judel/Vrolijk 40 with Scott Sonnier onboard, took three bullets in Class B. Not to be outdone, Steve and Caron Choate's Wavelength 25 The Bear duplicated the feat for Class E. |
 Skip Wattigny photo Sailors awakened with the prospect of another light air day on the second Saturday. The racers exited the harbor, working their way past the centuries old lighthouse and Southern Yacht Club. They gathered several miles offshore and began their trek back across the lake to Slidell on another 18-mile course. A daylong spinnaker course challenged the fleet to make the most of light airs while the predicted rain clouds were forming. The fleet managed to beat the rain, which started at 3 p.m. and continued through the night. Another hot Mt. Gay Saturday night warms the sailors. Tammany Yacht Club fortifies the crews with fried catfish and southern music. A single sliver of turquoise in the eastern sky greets the sailors and was the only sign on Sunday morning that dawn had come. High slate altocumulus clouds created a canvas for the scattered stratocumulus clouds that were rushing to the northeast. The vastness of the lake crowded them to both shores and seemed to signal a change in the conditions. After three days of light air frustration, the crews headed for the Highway 11 bridge and the final race. The last day began with the competitors checking the standings and Saturday's results. Tiburon finished second and held on to the lead in Class A. SudPack posted a sixth but was still at the top of Class B. Awapuhi, a J/92 owned by Mark Palermo, held on to first in Class C, but a crowd of three boats‹Invisible, Dream Cookie, and J Spot‹were only a point behind. Each of the three trailing boats had managed to post a bullet while Awapuhi was sailing a more consistent regatta. The J/30 Zephyr improved as the regatta went on, posting a 3-2-2-1 record. The Bear held on while sinking a sixth on Saturday. Cool Change, Wayne Connelly's Hunter 34 was at the head of the Cruiser/Racer Class while the Endeavor 43 Stargazer, owned by Stuart Phillips, was leading the non-spinnaker fleet. The race committee got the closing race off on time with a twice around windward/leeward course. The fleet gave a valiant effort, but Mother Nature controlled the day. While the RC was able to start the Class A boats in the 2- to 3-knot southerly, it took the racers more than two hours to reach the first weather mark, which was a mere three miles away. That was the good news. Two hours later the remainder of the fleet was still trying to get around the first mark. Only the Class A boats were able to finish within the time limit. Sunday's racing, and the 2000 LPRC, was part of the history books. The highest honor awarded each year is the Green Jacket for the overall spinnaker winner and the Red Jacket for the non-spinnaker champion. This was not the year of gear busting bragging rights. This was the year of the light air challenge, what could be considered by sailors the most difficult sailing conditions. SudPack and Stargazer earned every right to their boat of the year trophies and now have a full year to savor the victory. |
For full race results see www.pontyc.org
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