12 July 2026 Race Results

It seems we have a pattern of Sundays being calm days at Lake Angelus. For this week, the fifth week of LAYC racing, very light wind was predicted as early as the preceding Thursday, promising yet another drift race.  The pre-race text message chain had very mixed views on embracing the predicted very light wind, but Jim and Jay were most optimistic, so the race was a go.  In the end, five boats started, Jay, Jim, Brian, Tom and Tim.  Mark passed, enjoying the same still air on Lake Michigan in the Chicago-to-Mackinaw race.  

At the start, there was a modest wind from the east.  The race was delayed for 5 minutes to allow Tom and Tim to arrive, although problems with hearing the starting horn caused them to start late.  Jay took the lead with Jim and Brian back a bit.  Tom and Tim were further back because of their late start.  The wind held as the first four boats rounded buoy #2 and then yielded to still air progressively from west-to-east, trapping Tim north of buoy #2.  Jay managed to get north of the island before being caught by the calm.  Jim and Brian headed for the south pass where the calm caught them.  Tom, and eventually Tim made slow and steady progress through the north pass.  

By this time every crew was caught in still air.  The entire lake was like a mirror.  Drifting was the order of the day.  Gradually a light breeze began to appear, although not enough to save the day.  The race was called at 1:30 with Jay in the lead, heading toward the finish but still SE of the island.  Jim and Tom had rounded Buoy #5, and Brian Buoy #4.  Tim was heading for Buoy #4, but well back.

As such things go, the wind gradually picked up over the course of the next 45 minutes, allowing Tim and Jim to finish the course, and all boats to sail home.