The New London Reservoir is a 212 acre body of water with 2.5 Miles of shoreline. The reservoir was built in 1975 to provide water for the City of New London and for agricultural and recreational use. The elevation of the reservoir is 1003 feet above sea level which places is well above the elevation of the surrounding area, due to the dikes which surround the rez on all sides. This allows wind from any direction to flow relatively unimpeded from any direction. It has been said that you can see Indiana on a clear day. Despite this favorable topographic situation the Rez is notorious among Sailboarders for squirrely, swirly, fluky wind.
Several sailors arrived at the New London Reservoir Campground Friday July 14 for a fun sail in light but steady winds. The waters were as clear and warm as ever and some freestyle tricks performed by Mark M. were applauded. Race organizer, Carl cooked up some brats, burgers and 12 year old Scottish beverages for the handful of early campers prior to a small campfire.
Saturday morning July 15 the wind was light and variable from the south topping out at about 6 mph. Most of the remaining contestants arrived and rigged expecting similar light steady winds in advance of approaching afternoon thunderstorms. A short course was chosen, and one race was completed before the lake was becalmed. Carl served up another tasty lunch while our hopes for wind slowly faded. By midafternoon it was decided to stand down and resume racing on Sunday. At around 3:00pm a squall moved through the area delivering 30mph wind, horizontal rain and lightning. Many sailors took shelter in the small open sided structure built by a local Boy Scout troop and petitioned whatever deity they felt could provide salvation. Others retreated to tony downtown Cleveland hotels. Happily the storm subsided after 10 minutes of abject terror. Some impromptu races were held by the more incautious sailors after the storm passed. However the race committee was too traumatized to record (or even observe) the results and retreated to their default position of self-medicating through fermented products. The contestants enjoyed another evening of fine lakeside food and a campfire for the telling of tales.
Sunday everyone woke to a forecast of wind. Though it started with 5-10 mph wind from the west, it eventually built to a very fun breezy day with west wind at 10-15. . Six races were held with Niles B and Mark D duking it out for the top spot. Young Sam D was also right in the mix and has developed into a fine racer. As the regatta wound down the wind continued to build. Foil boards with sails and wings took over the lake and put on a spectacular show until the sun was low.
The New London Reservoir Rendezvous was started by Phil S. on or around 2010. The attached article from the New London Record dated July 14, 2011 refers to the previous year regatta. Information regarding the inception of the race would be welcome.
– Gordon