A light breeze ripples across the Delaware River in New Castle, raising millions of tiny waves across the river’s steely surface. A few sailboats bob lightly against their moorings, anchored a hundred yards from the shoreline in the early morning sunlight.
The wind and waves would prove crucial to members of the New Castle Sailing Club, who gathered on the shore of the river on July 12 for the club’s 21st annual charity regatta.
Eight sailboats competed in five races during the regatta, the club’s biggest charity fundraiser, which raised $1,200 for the March of Dimes.
Excitement was running high as the sailors piled into rowboats and paddled out into the river to board their sailboats, studying the waves to determine the wind’s speed and direction.
“Sailing is like a thinking man’s sport because there are so many variables involved,” said Norman Yoerg, vice commodore of the club.
A sailor must always be mindful of the wind, anticipating shifts in wind speed and direction, while keeping an eye on other boats and the racecourse to determine the quickest way to the finish line, said Yoerg, 64, of Greenville.
The boats travel about eight miles an hour with a good breeze and the key to winning a race is to move a boat’s sails to catch as much wind as possible, he said.
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Regatta Winners 1st place - Scott Latham 2nd place - Dave Johnston 3rd place - Earl McMaster |
White sails rose against the blue sky as the sailors rigged their boats and began zigzagging across the water before the start of the races.
That zigzagging -- called tacking -- is how sailboats move through the water, because the boats cannot sail directly into the wind, said sailor Scott Latham.
Sailors use the rudder, move the sails and shift their own weight to different sides of the boat to steer the craft into the strongest breezes, said Latham, 49, of Unionville, Pa.
Trying to guess the speed and direction of the wind is like a crap shoot, he said, and sometimes a sailor must react to wind changes in a split second.
“It may look like everybody is going slowly and nothing is happening, but it is like a chess match on the water with everyone trying to position their boat on the racecourse,” he said.
A good starting position is the key to winning a race, said Chris Hamilton, quickly shifting the sails of The Hunter to catch a breeze as the first race began.
The white sails cracked in the wind as the boat skimmed across the water, rocking lightly as Hamilton maneuvered The Hunter toward the race’s first buoy.
The sails are like the boat’s gas pedal and positioning them correctly takes many minor adjustments, said Hamilton, 45, of Newark.
But changing direction in a sailboat is not as easy as spinning a steering wheel, he said. A sailor must move the sail across the boat, ducking under the boom and scampering to the other side of the sailboat as quickly as possible, he said.
Knowing when to change direction in a sailboat is an art and science that takes practice, patience and a little bit of luck, he said.
“We have to be part meteorologist, part physicist and part magician to make this work,” said Hamilton.
Smooth sailing does not come easily, said Hamilton, tugging on ropes and turning The Hunter’s tiller as the boat listed sharply to the right and approached the buoy.
But the payoffs of sailboat racing -- a strong wind at your back, a clear river ahead and a heart-pounding adrenaline rush -- make a sailboat race one of the most exciting experiences imaginable, he said.
