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Show ' 1 'he Canvas Can toward the crew explaining that hypothermia is a severe danger. Olpin estimated that an unprotected swimmer could only last 15 minutes in such cold water. The crew, which as it turned out includes Park City Planner Bill Ligety, admits despite the wetsuits that they are cold. They have righted the boat twice only to have a gust catch the main sail flipping the opposite hull into the air. They are frustrated but determined. h ' - - -v .;' V " . - . V-. 1 ? r," ' 4 ' - I " ' By Nan Chalat The sky above Timpano-gos Timpano-gos was alternately bright blue and ominously grey. The wind blew down from the snow-covered peaks across Deer Creek Reservoir in powerful gusts and there were white caps breaking against the distant rocky shore. In the middle of this blustery scene, a fleet of sailboats bobbed up and down near the starting buoy for the first race of the season. The 10 minute horn sounded, racers synchronized synchron-ized their chronometers and checked their lines, the five minute flag was raised and they began jockeying for position. Finally in a great powerful gust, they hauled in their sheets and were off. Deer Creek Reservoir in April is no place for the fair weather sailor. The wind, though regular enough to set your watch by, blows hard and cold and the water temperature hovers around 45 degrees. But in a climate where summer is just a " , - -. S ft e-t' . i t : . ; I ' - j x . 1 ; ... ..,.rr Or-?. .... . ' I i ' ; ' ' " - : A : - ;: ! "; - : . : i ij ; " v-y : . ! L - f ' - fleeting season, April separates separ-ates the armchair yachtsmen from the real boatmen. When the first winds of spring stir the tassles on their wool caps they start thinking about halyards and hull design. They wait impatiently im-patiently for the ice to thaw while checking their sails and wetsuits for repairs. And before the last snow has disappeared, they are out on the lake claiming that the steady cold winds of April, unaffected by wanner (hernials, (her-nials, are the best of the season. From a distant b.ink above the sailboat beach the colored sails of Hobies. Nacrasand Windsurfers look like any other summei regatta. Cutting swiftly around the buoys, flying a hull and hiking out the captains of the vessels make it look like a cinch. One expects the spectators to be sipping cocktails along the shore and exchanging yacht club gossip. But upon closer inspection the scene is quite different. The people along the shore are bundled up in wool shirts and windbreakers and are anxiously scanning the race course for capsized contestants. contes-tants. A race official paces back and forth among the spotters with a radio, which is used to notify the chase boat. Scott Olpin picks up the dispatch and points driver Kevin Maxwell toward the overturned boat. They speed o Miracles Utah SkiSail Race Results Class: Hobie 18 First Dave Jensen and Skip Shirf (Park City). Second Bruce Lindsay and James Rutterrneyer. Third Cory Sheffield and Norm Williamson. Fourth Steve and Jay Christiansen. Class: Nacra First Bob Wade and Bruce Bottomley. ' Second Bob and John Casuel. Third Bill Ligety and Chuck Fields (Park City). Fourth Phil and Paul Ouzts. Class: Windsurfers First CB Schmaltz. Second Peter Doggett Third Dana Doggett Fourth Richard Rave-nough Rave-nough For more information about the Utah Sailing Association, contact Commodore Com-modore Bruce Bottomley, 486-9707; Vice Commodore, Rick Bleyl, 581-0078; SecretaryTreasurer, Secre-taryTreasurer, Bob Wade, 295-1322; Publications, Joe Piltz, 322-0371; Race Committee, Com-mittee, Randy Sorenson, 532-7681, 649-4196; Robert Harper, 376-9615. Both sailors are defectors from the Flying Dutchman Fleet and are trying to sail a 16' Hobie for the first time. The double hull has thrown them for a loop. Much of the attention is centered on the four Nacra sail boats whfse sleeker hull design and center boards have given them a reputation to challenge the Hobie 16s. Gaining everyone's ultimate regard came the windsurfers, windsur-fers, an unofficial addition to the event. For sheet audacity auda-city though first place went to waterskier David Maxwell of Salt Lake. There were some who questioned his sanity but none challenged his bravery. By 3:30, crew members and spectators alike were wind beaten and cold but the event was not over. Sunday morning, they shed their wet suits and took over the Nastar run at Park City Ski Area. Their winnings on the reservoir had to be backed up on the slopes. The irony of the weekend was that the skiing required less clothing than the sailing! Such are the vagaries of the mountains. The SkiSail Event was a Bill Ligety better idea 18 years ago and has become the traditional kick-off of the Utah Sailing Association Racing Season. According to the Association, the 1981 season will include more sponsored events, lower dues and a new separate Saturday and Sunday series. The overall results for last weekend's race follows. Behind Be-hind the statistics though are several close finishes and startling upsets as First Place sailors lost their lead on the slopes to the previous day's soggy landlubbers. Dave Shearer and Alan Knok for instance placed First in the Hobbie 16 Class but only 10th in skiing pulling them down to a Fourth Place win overall. For those warm-blooded commodores waiting for warmer war-mer seas be forewarned that the season has begun and by mid-June, these hearty sailors sail-ors will be unbeatable. Overall SkiSail Race Results Class: Hobie 16 First Richard Kennedy and Brian Seeholtzer (Park City). Second Mike Watts and Ralph Morrison (Park City). Third Todd Hicks and Doug Stewart (Elko, Wyo.). Fourth Dave Shearer and Alan Knok. Fifth Keri and Debby Ferre (Park City). Sixth Ed Fulton and Gary Fisher (Salt Lake City). Seventh Rick Barnes and Jim Ostler. Eighth Richard Connelly Con-nelly and Terry Morris (Park City). Nineth Harry and Sydney Reed (Park City). Tenth Mike and Carol Tucket. Eleventh Steve Osgu-:horpe Osgu-:horpe and Caroline Troun-son. Troun-son. Twelvth David and Mary Tuckett. See 198 1 Race Schedule on page 7 i ' A . r' 1 . I .- "1 ; . 1 J" ' 1 - i ' i . im-.xi ....... h&'m ,-. v.:.v.;:iv., . t. ir l .& : ... : : : 1 v r V , , -:zX . : A i ,.T.. ..V.-'- ... ...... ..."".-. r.-wint. ' - .- . . - " - ' -" "''". , " " i "i '"'- " - ' ". -r" " .1 "i. ... . ' . -v . ...... . - . ....... . . : .-a ' - ' - v ' jl t , - jy " f. 1 "."'i v . - - ! f I ' - ? . . .. .. Hi'! . " . ' |