Fun Regatta was Fun

[JOHN RUSSELL]

  The annual Grand Traverse Ice Yacht Club’s Fun Regatta was held March 15-16th, 2008 at the Whitewater Township Park on Elk Lake, Michigan.
  Sailors from throughout the Midwest joined Michigan ice boaters for a weekend of fun, sailing, racing, and enjoying the huge sheet of ice that covered Elk Lake.
  Early arrivals sailed on Friday, a warm, sunny day that ended with standing water on the ice.
  Clouds and warm temperatures changed to colder, cloudy weather on Saturday, with refrozen surface water covering pockets of water beneath, making for tough sailing conditions. Racing was canceled but many sailors iceboated, with others enjoying Dick Wollam’s delicious chili, hot dogs, brats, and hamburgers. Door prizes were given out later in the day to lucky sailors and their families.
 Sunday dawned cold and clear, and the ice on Elk Lake rated by some to be a ‘7’, refrozen and hard. The entire lake could be sailed with no pressure ridges or cracks, allowing many sailors to tour for miles without mishap.
 Racing began mid-morning, with 70 boats in four fleets lining up on the starting line. Eric Lind and Loretta Rehe scored  18 races during the day, with results of the top three winners listed below. The first-ever Opti Central Lakes Region Championship for the young racers was held in conjunction with the Fun Regatta, with 13 junior sailors racing for the coveted cup.
  The Fun Regatta is historically the last large gathering of sailors for the season, celebrating the sport and the people who participate. The GTIYC welcomes all to join us next year for another fabulous weekend of fun on the ice in Northern Michigan