Battle Stations at the Ottawa Skiff and Cat Grand Prix

by Stephanie Mah on 15 Jun 2010 For the last seven years, the Nepean Sailing Club has hosted the Ottawa Skiff and Cat Grand Prix on the tea coloured water of Lac Deschenes.

The sailing area itself is already a bit weird and wonderful (with rapids and shoals down one end). The wind is equally varied: either light, puffy and shifty, or doomsday nuclear. Last year's edition was relatively tame, but the year before saw the gear testing weather, with carbon bits busting left and right off the high performance boats, and a boat going for an unintended white-water ride down the rapids while the sailor looked on from a safety boat.

The seventh edition had a depressing forecast for both days (3 knots and raining), but it didn't deter over 50 boats from making the trip (because the other thing the regatta is known for is a lot of free booze, and great social atmosphere). The host club already has very strong I14, Tornado fleets, and they were joined by 49ers, 29ers, F17s, F18s, Contenders, and an A-cat.

Saturday opened up with overcast skies and about three knots of breeze which would drop when the sun came out. After a delayed start, it was two races of flaccid spinnakers and bored sailors. But in the third race, things took a turn for the BP Deepwater Horizon. Within a few minutes, the breeze went from 3 knots to over 20, and the course suddenly looked like God took a giant flyswatter to each and every boat. One member of the RC recalls that he had his head down for just a minute to quickly set the finish line for the 49ers, and when he looked up there wasn't a single one on its way 'because they were all over along with everyone else'.

Brent Beninger, who got to head up this year's carnage fest, thought it was just a momentary squall and waited on his capsized I14 for it to pass, but it didn't, and pretty soon the rescue boats were zipping all over the course trying to figure out who to help in the breeze that was just getting stronger (wind graphs showed 30 knot gusts). Most entertaining of all, was the strong F17 and F18 fleets that stole the crash highlight reel, pitch-poling spectacularly around the photo-boat. With the instantly building high wind, the cats came out of nowhere like the four horses of the apocalypse, and put on a brilliant display of impossible boat-handling and wicked crashes; splattering around a photographer carrying motorboat that had no hope of keeping up with these sailing speed machines.

Abandonment then became the theme of the day, as the race was called off. Also abandoned was a 29er as the sailors were close to becoming crewsicles, and an F17 which had its rig securely stuck in the mud (it was towed in upside down the next day). Having rigged for a light wind (and let's face it, having lots of carbon), various boats had lines and fitting go snap, crackle and pop, with a very unfortunate I14 sailor getting blown into the shoals and having a shroud busted and part of his daggerboard sheared off. At the end of the day, no one suffered any serious injuries and the free rum and beer soothed any damaged egos.

Sunday opened with better wind but it came with rain and only 10 degrees, so people were slow to get out to the course. The breeze hovered at around 7 knots (with some giant holes and lulls) but it was probably a relief for most as no one wanted to go swimming or fixing again. Congrats go to the Louis-Philippe Ethier and Maxime Loiselle who won the Cat fleet, to Matt Dubreucq and Trevor Parekh who won Skiff A (I14s and 49ers), and Emily Tsang and Lauren Laventure who very convincingly won Skiff B (29ers and Contenders). To see the full results http://www.osrf.ca/gp_files/results/Ottawa%20Skiff%20Grand%20Prix%20June%202010.htm!click_here

Many thanks to the sponsors, The Chandlery, Beau's, Mount Gay Rum, The Ottawa Sun, Fogh Marine, and the individuals who made this all happen; Brent Beninger and the Race Committee headed up by the swell Greg Dargavel (if we AP we'll do it from shore so you guys aren't bobbing around out there.)

Everyone is looking forward to next year's edition and whatever it may bring. Hopefully it's another blow out, since a regatta without breakage is like a hockey game without a fistfight!


Photos courtesy of Luka Bartulovik @ Kalu.ca