Santa Margarita Yacht Club's Ladies' Race
               #2 2008
 

Santa Margarita Yacht Club’s Ladies’ Day Regatta has proven to be one of the most popular successes in Oceanside Harbor. Today, the energy of 6 all-lady crews, from SMYC, Oceanside Yacht Club, and Oceanside Lido 14/Fleet 21, met with a perfectly timed 7-9 knot breeze, to enjoy an excellent day of racing. The fleet of Capri 16.5 boats, maintained by Anne Smith and her staff, were the perfect weapons for the contentious action that would ensue. Several crews returned from the event held June 14th, along with several new challengers. The defending champs, Sue Dijkman and Stevy Mast opened with a narrow win in the first of the 5 scheduled races, which brought an immediate repost by a new team, Patty Mangels and Sunny Chamblee. A fingernail biting pass at the finish line gave Patty and Sunny a bullet for the score sheet in the second race, and they continued to deliver high scores for the 2^nd place trophy by the end of the day. Each of the other teams led at least once, with another new crew combo, Holly Sweet and Nikki Farley, dominating many of the legs of the course, only to be denied. They captured enough points to claim the 3^rd place trophy. The powerful team of Cathy Sweet and Marisa Brown, second by one point in the June event, struggled with the light wind and boat problems, while two of Oceanside Yacht Club’s most experienced big boat racers, Terry Manok and Jan Bessent, dealt the challengers even more grief, earning the 4^th slot overall. Julie and Alex Foley were a new team, Alex had never been in a sailboat, but rose to the challenge today for their first racing experience.

After the 3^rd contest, the racers endured even breezier coaching sessions, from the shore crews, shared over sandwiches and drinks.

Then back on the water after lunch, Lido 14 racing experts, Sue and Stevy, demonstrated the power of One-Design experience, taking the final races, and a regatta win.

Some believe that a good dinghy race is incomplete without a good crash, and today’s action would not disappoint. Future studies may include lessons on Port/Starboard and Vigilant Lookout. Other near-disasters were skillfully, but narrowly avoided.