June 27–29, 2025 Lake Waccamaw, NC

Weta Trimarans took the stage at the Waccamaw Sailing Club’s Summer Series event this past weekend, with a spirited fleet descending on one of my favorite sailing venues. With warm hospitality, dependable lake breezes, and top-tier local knowledge, the event proved to be both a tactical warm-up and a community-building weekend ahead of the North American Championships later this year.

There is momentum at Waccamaw Sailing Club as they have gone from zero to four Weta’s within their membership this season.  Lately, Waccamaw Sailing Club has been a popular stop for Weta sailors, and this weekend reinforced exactly why. From friendly hospitable members to prime camping accommodations—like Friday night’s campout “upstairs”—and lakeside rental houses offering cool, hero-worthy rest, the venue delivered on all fronts.

Friday offered a preview of what was to come, with a casual afternoon sail in a developing sea breeze.  In the later evening Baxter Gordon and I did a sunset sail, where we dialed in some upwind technique. His improvement was on full display the next morning in our Saturday session—his upwind gains were obvious and hard-earned.

The race committee, guided by veteran local knowledge, timed Saturday’s racing to perfection. Racing was scheduled to start at 3:00 p.m., just as the wind filled in at 8-10 knots. Several Weta crews rigged up for two-up racing: I teamed up with Alex Leanos, who’s still new to the Weta but showed impressive growth throughout the weekend. I got a shot at the tactician role—good fun and a great opportunity to refine my tactics in close racing. Mark Williams and Bill Croughwell also paired up, pending the arrival of Mark’s new boat. With his sailing instincts and speed, Mark is shaping up to be a major contender in the fleet.  The two up boats were very competitive.  Both crews won 2 of the 4 races.  Two races were separated by less than 5 seconds.

Baxter, sailing solo, was untouchable. He smoked us all—a perfect benchmark as we continue refining Portsmouth handicap numbers with the new data gathered. The Saturday night potluck brought everyone together before we retreated to our cool, comfy rental homes to sleep like champions.

Sunday dawned light and glassy. Some sailors hit the road early, while others waited for the lake to wake up. Alex and I went out one-up and explored the lake, focusing on light wind techniques and reading the subtle signs of breeze. Bill and I attempted a go-round, but our efforts were humbled by the members’ calm wind prediction—dead accurate.

Later in the afternoon, the breeze returned. The race committee, ever in tune with the lake’s rhythms, called for racing in classic Waccamaw planing conditions. Bill and I hit the water to wrap up the weekend with a satisfying 3 race blast in 10-12 kts before derigging and packing boats.

I stayed the night and drove back to the mountains Monday, recharged and grateful for a weekend of racing, camaraderie, and continual learning.

As the Weta North American Championships return to Waccamaw later this year, it might be worth considering more flexibility in Sunday scheduling to capitalize on these unique local patterns. If sailors can plan to stay Sunday night, we could get even more quality racing in. What do you all think?

See you back at Waccamaw.