Sailing practice fun in sunny, warm Oriental North Carolina. March 2022.
iblog.iup.edu/iupsailing
Author: Sherwood
Assoc. Prof. of English
Co-director, Center for Digital Humanities and Culture
TA Mentoring Coordinator, Graduate Literature and Criticism
Congratulations to Sam, Ben, Sam and Archive, who competed in their first every college sailing regatta at the Erie Yacht Club this weekend. The sailors had great wind conditions and had the chance to fully immerse themselves in college racing, with competition from some very seasoned competitors out of Syracuse and RIT, as well as nearer clubs like Penn State, Pitt, and Gannon. Already we are talking strategy for our October race at Penn State / Prince Gallitzin.
https://scores.collegesailing.org/f21/battle-lake-erie/
Saturday, September 18:
It was a beautiful day for a regatta at the Erie Yacht Club on Presque Isle Bay on Lake Erie. By the start of racing the wind filled in at NE 8-12 knots and was consistent through most of the day. The RIT Tigers got off to a great start in the early going and sailed strongly through the whole day, holding down the number one slot. Syracuse and Pitt battled for second place, trading leads a couple times, but by the end of the day the Syracuse Orange began to settle into second. At 12:30 we broke for a catered lunch generously provided by the Erie Yacht Club foundation. After lunch the wind built to 12-15 but then started back down to 8-10. We finished 14 races, the last two in dying air. The race committee, comprised of many Erie Yacht Club volunteers, kept the course square through the day. All races were W2s because the wind is expected to be light tomorrow, and we wanted to get through as much of the rotation as possible today. Racing will reconvene at 10AM tomorrow with four more races to complete the rotation.
Sunday, September 19:
Another beautiful day on Presque Isle Bay on Lake Erie. Racing started at 10:00 AM with four more races to go to finish the rotations. The first race went off in 5-10 kts from the NE, and a couple holes scattered through the course. By the second race the breeze was up to 8-12 and pretty much a repeat of yesterday. We finished two B Fleet races and then each fleet finished off the day with a W4. Even though there were only four races today there were a couple close rivalries to watch. The battle for first place tightened and went down to the last race with the RIT Tigers holding onto first place by one point over the Syracuse Orange. In another rivalry, the Penn State Nittany Lions did their best to catch the Rochester Yellowjackets, but Rochester was able to hold them off. Of course, the day wouldn’t be complete without a capsize, which happened in the very last race of the regatta. All the teams were on the road home by 1:00 PM. Thanks to all the teams for their sportsmanship, and a big thanks to all the volunteers from the Erie Yacht Club who were on the water in every capacity both days. Thanks also to all the team members from the host schools — Gannon University, Mercyhurst University and Penn State Behrend — for their contributions to prepping the boats and keeping the regatta running smoothly.
IUP Sailing Club offers you the chance to pursue your official, US Sailing Small Boat Certification. You can get started by pursuing your crew-level badge from the sailing club; then level up to “IUP Skipper” before taking the US Sailing certification challenge.
Read US Sailing Start Sailing Right or view the sailing club slideshows – Sailing 101, 102, 103, 104
IUP Sailing club invites new and returning members to the first session of spring “shore-school.” The lake is still frozen, but you can get a head-start on the sailing season by learning the basics through shore school. In the first of four half-hour sessions introduces teh wind, boat physics and nomenclature, capsizing and basic knots. Have you ever wanted to learn to sail? The IUP Sailing Club is open to all members of the IUP community (students, faculty and staff.) Weather permitting, the club sails each Sunday at nearby Yellowcreek State Park.
Club meeting begins at 8pm in HSS 112. Shore school at 8:30pm.
For more information visit our blog https://iblog.iup.edu/iupsailing
write IUPSailing@gmail.com
or find us on Facebook.
Thanks to the sailors from Penn State Erie and Pitt who traveled to YC for our Messabout Regatta this weekend. Congratulations to Penn State … and to all those who braved the strong winds. (You may be interested in the data from the weather station at the base of the park windmill). Thanks also to all the volunteers, especially Dan, Will, Terri, and Savelle Brown for taking care of the safety boat, the grilling, and the race scoring! We want a rematch next year, after we’ve fixed our boat.
The IUP Sailing Club recognizes the Corinthian spirit as inherent to good sailing and good citizenship. Each year it may recognize one or more members as models of that spirit. Seniors Karl Richter (Safety Science) and Philip Dorn (Hospitality Management) received the innagural award in May 2016.
According to US Sailing, “The Corinthian Spirit” entails “Good sportsmanship, rules compliance, helping other sailors, putting your crew first, good behavior, and prioritizing values all add up to the Corinthian Spirit…. It provides the framework within which sailors can pursue their own personal goals and have fun with friends.” (US Sailing)
Karl Richter has been a member of the club for eight semesters, serving as Fleet Captain, Educator, and Equipment Manager. As a club officer, he participated in regattas and devoted over 160 hours of service to the club and Yellow Creek State Park. He instructed IUP students in learn to sail and helped facilicate outreach programs.
Philip Dorn has been a member for four semesters, serving as treasurer and 2016 club president. Phil has volunteered over 60 hours to club projects and work at Yellow Creek State Park, including construction, landscaping, and leading sailing outreach programs.
Both sailors have represented IUP at regattas in the Mid-Atlantic Sailing Association.