Top racers set sail for Lorain regatta
Stephen Szucs | The Chronicle-Telegram
LORAIN — When racing a sailboat, it’s best to duck when the boom is swinging your way.
This tip, known commonly throughout the regatta racing world, was one of the first passed along by veteran skippers Lynn Ensinger and Brad Balmert, who took a break preparing for next week’s 2008 Allstate Interlake Nationals in Lorain to describe some of the art behind their craft.
“Sailors are technical people,” Ensinger said. “As relaxing as it is, you’re always doing something. But the boom is called a boom because when it hits you, that’s what it does — boom.”
The national race is a big deal for the Lorain Sailing and Yacht Club, which will be hosting the event for the first time in 21 years. More than 200 people from Indiana to Maryland are expected to take part.
Among them are sailors Ensinger called the best of the best.
“There’ll be lots of good sailing — these sailors are top notch,” she said.
The regatta will feature identical sailboats that will race on a mile-long course outside the Lorain harbor.
Balmert, a professional sailor, said crews will “tack,” or drift out to the course flag in a zigzag manner before rounding it and using the wind to take a straight course back to the beginning.
After 35 years of sailing, Balmert has finished as high as third in the national event, and he admitted that every race continues to be a learning experience.
“What makes one sailor better than another is skill level and tactical ability,” he said. “It’s kind of like NASCAR — all the cars are the same, but the better drivers are always the ones that rise to the top.”
The race was originally to be held in Traverse City, Mich., but arrived at the shores of Lorain after the Traverse City sailing clubhouse burned down in a kitchen fire several months ago.
Lorain Mayor Tony Krasienko said the city is looking forward to welcoming racers.
“(The regatta) highlights this huge natural resource to our north and is an attraction we can use to bring more people to Lorain,” he said. “It shows the unique position, we, as a city, have to attract people to our area.”
Spectators will be allowed to board spectator power boats for free to observe the racers. The junior and women’s national championships will take place at 11 a.m. on Wednesday and Thursday, while the national-and-master-class national championships will begin at 10 a.m. on July 25 and run through July 27.
“We’re going to put on a good show,” Ensinger said. “If you haven’t ever seen a race, it’s something you’ve just got to do.”
Contact Stephen Szucs at 329-7129 or sszucs@chroniclet.com.
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Filed by Stephen Szucs | The Chronicle-Telegram July 18th, 2008 in Top Stories. Popularity: 3% |
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