Lake Washington Sailing Club - Dinghy Delta Ditch 2012

2012 Dinghy Delta Ditch

2013 Date is set: Sat. 8/10/13

Event recap:

The 8th annual Dinghy Delta Ditch was the 2nd exceptionally light air affair in the history of the event. The long range weather report leading up to the event called for light and variable wind. However with a couple days to go the weather report switched a much more favorable 10-15 out of the west. Unfortunately it turns out the long range forecast was more accurate and a fluky northerly breeze dominated the majority of the day. As evening closed in a light westerly breeze did eventually fill in allowing the fastest spinnaker boats a shot at finishing while the slower boats called it quits and were towed the majority of the way into the finish.

Luckily unlike the previous light air affair the chase boats were well prepared for this scenario and every boat was towed in within an hour of dark and the after-dark sailors were provided with red and green glow sticks to supplement their coast guard mandated flashlights for navigation. Lots of cold water was on hand to help the participants through the long day and a large spread of food was waiting for them when they pulled in.

Extra props to go Doug McWilliam's on his Flying Dutchman and Jim Margeson on his Laser for lasting as long as possible only being towed well after sunset when the wind died again. Jim is our "unofficial" winner of the Open A fleet being out in front and the last to retire from that fleet. Congrats to Dan Clark on his Thistle and Ryan Nelson on his 505 and their crews for their determination and focus that got them to the finish.

A big thanks goes to everyone who participated for hanging in through a long day. We were glad to see so many happy faces at the end of the race. Just as importantly, a HUGE thank you goes out to the volunteers who made this event a success. It takes a lot of people to make an event like this go. From the registration crew in Rio Vista, to the shuttle crew, to the BBQ crew, to the Lake Washington dock crew, to of course the on the water tow boat crew, all of whom did a great job in tough conditions, we're blessed to have such a supportive club of volunteers.

Results are posted:

2012 Dinghy Delta Ditch results

Saturday July 21st

Want to try something different? Sail the Dinghy Delta Ditch regatta. It's an experience like no other!

This regatta is different than most, instead of sailing around the bouys like we always do, why not try something a little different? How about a 30 mile sail through the delta? The NOR is now posted so check it out at the below link. It includes the entry form. Remember to pre-register before July 14th!

Because this is a one-way event, the main thing that makes this event more difficult than others is the logistics of getting people, boats, their cars and their trailers/dollies all in the right place at the right time. The easiest way for this to happen is for every sailor to bring a support person who will drive their car/trailer from the start to the finish while the race is being run. That said, we realize that many who would like to race won't have that kind of support. As such we will provide, just like we did in previous years, for a shuttle to take people back and forth between the start area and the finish area. By launching your boat or putting it on a disassemblable dolly (like a seitech) you will be able to leave your boat at the launching area, drive your car/trailer to the finishing area and then take a shuttle back to the starting area all before the skippers meeting. The shuttles will then take all of the dollies back to the finishing area, so that you'll be all prepared to pull out when you finish.

Also see the supplimentary information below the NOR section to help you plan for the event.

Take a look at the NOR (Entry Form Included) and mail in your Entry today:

PDF:

Take a look at the Sailing Instructions and Course Sheet: