A dozen of the country’s top extreme dinghy sailors slipped
quietly into Cascade Locks, OR, last weekend to do a little tuning and test the
waters at the site of the upcoming 2009 Moth World Championships.
The legendary Columbia River Gorge did not disappoint, serving up two days of
perfect Mothing conditions: bright sunshine, breathtaking scenery, flat water,
and westerly breezes ranging from eight to 24 knots (check out the video!).
After
13 races, Kevin Hall held off a late charge from Dalton Bergan to take the
title. Charlie McKee rounded out the top three, followed by Morgan Larson, Adam
Lowry, and Andy Mack on a leader board that looked like a 49er reunion regatta.
Racing was highly tactical in the moderately puffy, shifty conditions, with lots
of opportunities for passing by tacking and jibing in the right spots. Hall won
the regatta with consistent sailing, stellar boathandling, and good all-around
speed.
Neither a three-knot spring runoff current nor a close encounter with a
200-ft sternwheeler could dampen the competitors’ enthusiasm for the venue.
“This just reminded everyone why Cascade Locks is one of the best sailing venues
in North America, if not the whole world,” said Charlie McKee. “We can’t wait to
come back!”
Next up: the 2009 International Moth Class US Nationals, Aug. 6-7, followed by the
2009 CST Composites International Moth Class World Championships, Aug. 11-15, both hosted by the
Columbia Gorge Racing Association at Cascade Locks.
Thanks to title sponsor Ronstan and host Columbia Gorge
Racing Association for making this event possible. And thanks to Sean Trew for
the
great photos and Kevin Tokstad for the
awesome video! (more cool video from Sean Trew
now playing on YouTube!).
For complete results,
click here. For more information,
contact Bill Symes at bill@cgra.org.
After
13 races, Kevin Hall held off a late charge from Dalton Bergan to take the
title. Charlie McKee rounded out the top three, followed by Morgan Larson, Adam
Lowry, and Andy Mack on a leader board that looked like a 49er reunion regatta.
Racing was highly tactical in the moderately puffy, shifty conditions, with lots
of opportunities for passing by tacking and jibing in the right spots. Hall won
the regatta with consistent sailing, stellar boathandling, and good all-around
speed.
