written by Paul McGuan on June 25 of 2021 and read by 669
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Milwaukee Bay showed us some of the many faces of Lake Michigan and provided a challenging venue for our McNulty Regatta. The top sailors knew when to switch gears, which was often. The rest showed flashes of brilliance only to have our hopes dashed with changes in pressure and wave conditions. If you come to Milwaukee for the Worlds, grease up that clutch pedal – you'll be shifting gears a lot.
Who knows better than Peter Hall how to get that nose out, grab an early lead, hang on, and feel the hackles extend when something is amiss on the boat. He always seemed to find the right gear even after nearly two years in hiatus. We all chased him around the course like he was the mechanical rabbit at the dog park.
Along with excellent races in a variety of conditions, the McNulty Regatta renewed the friendships and comradery that we sorely missed in 2020. And we also saw some new faces and existing teams elevating their game: Ashley Henderson took over USA 832 from Charlie Kamps. The transition is bittersweet. We'll miss racing with Mr. Kamps, but Ashley, sailing with Arielle Henderson and Hays Formella did the boat proud by sailing a very competitive regatta. Charlie was also at the club and in attendance at the spectacular social event hosted by Dave Baum. The Milwaukee Community Sailing Center sent two teams, one skippered by Dick Kinney and another skippered by Bengt Hagstrom. Bengt is new to the Soling and very competitive, showing those flashes of brilliance I mentioned earlier.
This was more than a sailboat regatta. This is a community that celebrates time spent on the water, at once in intense competition while acutely aware of the beauty and satisfaction that comes with sailing a phenomenal boat, sailing it well and enjoying wind and water. We sail amongst friends who share this passion. The experience skips along the edges of perfection. Then we get together after racing, we talk about how to sail better and the conversations flow from there. We discover we are very much alike and most crews agree that the skippers are all crazy.
The Soling Worlds awaits us this September with big open water, easy access, world class racing and friendships we have cultivated for decades. Milwaukee Yacht Club is ready to provide all of these and as the US continues to make progress in defeating the spread of COVID 19, we feel confident that we can provide a safe event with good friends and excellent sailing.
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