The GPWC (Grosse Pointe Windsurfing Club) held it’s 10th annual regatta Saturday June 20th 2009 at Patterson Park which is on Lake St. Clair just north of the mouth of the Detroit River.   The Grosse Pointe News ran a nice article about the club’s event.    I believe there were 16 registrations which was a bit light but during a recession one has to expect a bit of a down turn in attendance.  The competition was tough with 10 Prodigy racers and the remaining being longboard racers.    This is a one day event and racing got started about 11:15 in very gusty conditions.  An 8.5 downhauled and outhauled to the max was still prone to being back winded in the gusts. Shortly after the start of the 3rd race a huge long lasting super gust hit that leveled the fleet.      After lunch the first two races were ran in winds that had lightened up with smaller gusts.     However right before the last race of the day the winds picked up considerably again.  In the final race of the day Scott Haas sailing a Sailworks Retro 6.5 on his Prodigy bested the rest of the Prodigy division that had all stuck with the 8.5 Comp one design sail.    Â
Don Wolanchuk from the Detroit metro area sailing a Sailworks Retro 8.5 and a Mistral Equipe took overall in A-Fleet.  Complete results will be found here pending their arrival from GPWC.  Though we were all spent and tired we also were all pumped up with adrenaline from a day of high wind sailing. Some very nice trophies were presented and I believe everyone got at least one raffle prize. In the raffle Nat Sidall won a hair-do and ear rings.  So he should be looking good at his Higgins Lake Michigan regatta held the first weekend after Labor Day weekend in September.    Thanks much to the GPWC crew for hosting another great day of windsurf racing and camaraderie.
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Scott – #H