Fleet 50 Lightnings and the 2005 Special Olympics
by Joe Warren Frank Gallagher and I participated in the Maryland Special Olympics program this summer as coaches. Starting on June 20, the program included five Monday night races, a racing afternoon on July 24 at the marina, and the regatta at St. Mary’s on July 30/31. Frank and I sailed in almost all Monday evening races, the Sunday marina race and the St. Mary’s regatta. The Special Olympics program is designed for those who are learning disabled. The athletes come from about a dozen Maryland counties and Northern VA. Ages range from about 12 through late 20’s. This year, about 50 athletes were competing in the sailing program, and 70 in the kayaking program which had three competitions: the 125, and 250 meter, and 125 meter slalom races. This is the 7th year that St. Mary’s college offered use of its dorms, dining hall and boats. Dinner on Saturday night and Sunday breakfast is in the dining hall while lunches on Sat and Sunday were provided at the competition site on the banks of the St. Mary’s river. All food and dorms are provided free to the coaches. Special Olympics sets up three levels for sailing competitors. Level I restricts the athlete to controlling the jib only. Level II-- one athlete is to control the helm 50 % of the time and the second athlete is to control the jib 100 % of the time. Level III athletes are to completely control all aspects of sailing. An on-board coach offers advice only. Both Frank and I sailed with Level II athletes. Caroline Rodon was on the helm in my boat and Katie Ward did the jib. The very experienced Joe McCracken took the helm on Frank.’s boat and Ryan Morrisey handled the jib. At St. Mary’s we also sailed with one coach-- Jim McCracken with Frank and Ellen Cooper with me. Lightnings are ideal for four people, and, we were closely matched on weight. We had several close races on Mondays; often the rules came into play due to Hobie 16’s that were also racing on the same course. On Sunday, we started off the dock sailed up the channel and out to the river around a mark, then back to the dock. Frank caught up to and sailed over us at the nearest (to the marina) red daymark. I did the same a few hundred feet away from the dock; Frank’s boom was just inches away from us during the last 200 feet and we edged ahead to win by a half boat length. A lot of strategy and several rules came into play during this race. The weather on Saturday morning at St. Mary’s was ominous—dark clouds and thunder to the east. But it stayed there and we had no rain or storms either day. Winds were from the Northeast at 5-8 kt on Saturday and about 3-6 on Sunday—and shifty both days. While teams Gallagher and Warren were battling it out, all the Flying Juniors owned by the college and about 15 Hobie 16’s competed. Dave Dalbec was a coach for a level III sailor in an FJ. The Hobies used a separate upper course. The race set up for the monohulls followed the standard rules of racing with 5- minute starts and all the usual penalties. Team Gallagher got off at the gun on the favored pin side in the first race. We played catch-up the rest of the way, but couldn’t quite make it. We started on opposite tacks during the second race—I thought winds would shift to the right after the start; they didn’t, and team Gallagher rounded the windward mark first. We tried to cover and played catch up. It worked for a time as we were just astern and beam-to-beam several times. We lost him rounding the leeward mark—he went inside--- and we couldn’t catch-up. Another close start during the 3rd race. We lost them again but on the last leg we guessed right about the wind shift and got a nice port tack lift to within 100 feet of the finish line; we tacked over and finished well ahead. Caroline and Katie were very excited. On Sunday, Allen Flanigan, coordinator of the sailing program, replaced Ellen as coach; she had to leave Sat. evening. Before the first race we were practicing changing sides by the helmsman and lost track of the time. A very late start and we couldn’t catch-up. During the 2nd race we split from team G in the hope for a wind shift. It didn’t come and the winds got very light. BIG MISTAKE in match racing! At least we salvaged one win. Caroline who had never been on Lightning before this summer showed a lot of improvement. Advising Caroline throughout several races, I realized just how much there is to learn. And I ended up learning some lessons, too. Everybody on the Lightnings got a medal. Second place doesn’t feel bad. And , there is the unexpected. As I was preparing the boat for trailering a man came up and said he was watching the Lightnings; he was impressed that we moved so well in light air. I started explaining a few things about the boat and then on the spot he offered to buy my boat. It will stay in the fleet. Return to Short Story Contest Index
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