On the weekend of May 31/June 1, 5 Weta sailors descended upon Lake Townsend Yacht Club for the 48th Mayors Cup. Unfortunately for one sailor, Tom Bews, a broken ankle would keep him from competing. That left the competition to Alan Taylor, Chuck Carroll, Myself, and Bruce Koch. 

Saturday was an extreme day. A prevailing wind of 12-4 knots was irregularly interrupted by wind shear of 20-25+ knots. The shorelines of the famously small lake became funnels, sending wind vortexes spiraling into the course. Each puff could come from as far as 45 degrees from the prevailing winds. They were survival conditions, a test for the tough. First race showed us who’s been practicing the most, Chuck started ahead and stayed ahead, despite some late challenges from Alan. I myself pushed the extremes of how far a Weta could tip sideways without capsizing (at least 45 degrees), while Bruce accompanied me around the marks. Second race of the day was more of the same, although the finishing positions were quite a bit closer around. Chuck held first, Alan second, Myself third, and Bruce 4th. As we waited for the other 2 fleets to finish, the wind found new heights. Racing was abandoned, and the whole regatta retreated to the marina. Flying Scott’s, Wayfarers, and a 420 capsized. All Wetas survived. 

A group effort to derig the boats unfolded, as we watched 25-30 knots roll across the lake. In record time, we had made it up to the shelter and out of the elements. The expedited kebab dinner satiated the appetite we had worked up, but we were still hungry for more racing. With extra time left on our hands we returned to the bnb to settle the score in one game of Regatta. While not noted in the official scoring, Bruce bested Chuck right at the line to claim overall winner of the day. 

Sunday was also an extreme day, but in a worse way. The reflection of the opposite shoreline was occasionally washed away by the mirage of a breeze. Talk of the town was whether or not we would see the forecasted 2-4 knots. Race committee went out to test the wind and decided it was enough to race in. We believe they ran the anemometer while the boat was still moving. So we paddled out. There were occasional times enough air moved to push the jib off of the mast, but it’s direction proved so unreliable a course couldn’t be set. First the course was set to the north, then to the west, then to the southwest. With public favor eroding, race committee set a final mark and sent off one short race. I guessed the first puffs location right and sent it hard towards the right hand shore. With just enough wind for my boards to grip, I escaped the drifting fleet and made the mark before the wind vanished. 2 minutes ahead at the first mark felt like I had finally ditched my slump from the previous day. And then the wind showed me it never plays favorites. Half way down the first downwind I was being passed by both Alan and Chuck 20 yards to my starboard in a wind that would never reach me. We continued to trade places as if rolling the dice in turns. I couldn’t help but be reminded of the previous night’s Regatta game. We sailed downwind on the second upwind, and again on the second downwind. The wind had completed its full 360 degree rotation. Local knowledge prevailed. Alan topped the race as I narrowly beat out Chuck for second. Bruce again demonstrated his ultimate wisdom, abandoning the race after two legs and making progress to shore, a now daunting task for us finishers. 

Final scores can be located at https://laketownsendyachtclub.com/racing/scores/2025MayorsCupWetaScores.pdf

Apologies for the delay

Gareth Ferguson