By DOUGLAS W. MOTLEY – Senior Writer
Lake Gregory Yacht Club’s 19th annual mid-winter regatta (held in mid-summer due to the mid-winter series of massive snowstorms that delayed many other mountain area events) attracted a record number of remote-control sailboat skippers to Lake Gregory’s north shore on Saturday, July 8.
Skippers guide their boats through the chilly water of Lake Gregory.
Twenty-six registered skippers from as far away as Yuma, Ariz., competed against one another in eight races for each of the three competing fleets. Lake Gregory Yacht Club Fleet Co-Captain Henry Johnson told the Alpine Mountaineer, “This was the most skippers we’ve ever had. While we experienced typical ‘lake wind’ shiftiness, we completed eight races for all fleets.”
The three competing radio-controlled fleets consisted of the Dragon Flite (DF-95) twin-sail, 950 mm model; Victor (V-32) twin-sail, 32-inch model; and the Laser single sail, 41.5-inch model.
Johnson added, “A common ‘equal opportunity curse’ was the lake weed which affected all boats but particularly the DF-95s with their deep draft ‘torpedo-shaped’ keels.”
Fleet Co-Captain Henry Johnson holds the timer as boats approach the start line.
The first race was on at 11 a.m., as skippers lined up along the lakeside railing, each equipped with a hand-held, wireless remote control to guide their watercraft around and past a series of buoys to reach the finish line.
Capturing third place in the Laser category was Zach Johnson from San Diego, with second place going to Randy Long from Lancaster and first-place to Ken Long from Los Angeles. In the V-32 race, Dennis Sharp from Crestline took third place, while second place went to Dave Endert from Yuma and first-place honors were awarded to Gary Roszyk from Skyforest.
Gary Roszyk of Skyforest receives his first-place plaque from Fleet Co-Captain Henry Johnson.
In the DF-95 category, third place went to Mike Shaw from Huntington Beach, second place to Joe Legg from Camarillo and first place to Larry Grant from Los Angeles.
Larry Grant from Los Angeles gets his first-place award.
According to Johnson, the Lake Gregory Yacht Club is a recognized host club for the Southern California Yachting Association, which sanctions the club’s events. “Lake Gregory attracts very fast, competitive sailors from all over Southern California. Several of the skippers brought spouses and ‘significant others’ to Crestline who are staying overnight or several days to enjoy Lake Gregory,” said Johnson, who added, “A special shout-out goes to the awards picnic caterer Connie Johnson who organized feeding over 40 folks at the awards picnic at the end of racing.”
Former LGYC Commodore Rick Dinon commented, “It was really gratifying to see so many people from all over Southern California, and especially from Yuma.”
It was gratifying to watch such an exciting regatta at our very own Lake Gregory and yes it was HOT!
There is a rotten smell coming from the collapsed Lake Gregory Yacht Club building. I called the County but the owners of the yacht club need to examine what is going on inside. It appears they are trying to sell the property ( thank goodness ) but what is stinking inside should be investigated. We deserve better.
The black birds dive bombing into the collapsed yacht club are indeed crows. So until the yacht club is bulldozed the neighborhood will refer to the clubhouse as “the crows nest.”
The smell coming from the collapsed yacht club building now is so bad in this heat that we have to stay indoors. What do I tell my kids? Should this yacht club accept any responsibility? The storm was 5 months ago.