lyra 2010 levels 2010

racing re cap
If you haven’t been to the
Youngstown Level Regatta, be sure
to put it on your agenda for 2011 –
you’ll see why Sailing World rated it
one regatta not to miss! 182 boats
hit the starting line at the 37th annual
Youngstown Yacht Club Level
Regatta on five different courses on
Lake Ontario. Coming from as far
as Texas, California and Canada, the
tiny town of Youngstown, New York
was hopping with activity as skippers
and crews vied for top of their class
in 30 different fleets. Founded and
named the “Level” Regatta by Don
Finkle (RCR Yachts) 37 years ago,
it was recently rated one of the top
fourteen regattas not to miss in
a recent edition of Sailing World
magazine. Racing “level” means
that boats with similar PHRF ratings
are started together, and whoever
crosses the line in first place wins
that race. Many one-design boats
compete, with one of the largest
classes being the Beneteau 36.7s
with 25 boats, followed closely by
J22s with 19 boats. Also competing
were Beneteau 40.7s and 10Rs,
8 Metres, Melges 24s, J100s and
109s, C&C 29s, and a host of other
competitors in all shapes and sizes.
Outstanding work by all the PRO’s
kept the five race courses busy over
the weekend.
Fun for sailors and non-sailors
alike, the Level Regatta is famous
for its après racing parties – a huge
bandstand commands the front
lawn of the Yacht Club where all the
boats raft sometimes as much as ten
deep and Mount Gay rum flows from
under the Club awning. The fun is
NOT over by 8 pm , live bands keep
the party going till almost midnight,
whereupon those who don’t have
racing on their agenda the next
morning make their way up to the
36famous
Stone Jug on Main Street in
Youngstown,to continue on!
LEVELS 2010
LYRA 2010
For the first time in many years,
LYRA, a series of races sponsored by
the Lake Yacht Racing Association,
was held on Lake Erie (it is usually
held on Lake Ontario) and hosted
by The Buffalo Yacht Club as part
of its 150th anniversary celebration.
Boats participated in either two or
three days of racing, many of which
had just finished the Centennial Race
from Port Colborne to Buffalo and the
Freeman Race, a long distance course
race from Port Colborne or the Level
Regatta on Lake Ontario where they
had to come through the Welland
Canal to participate.
Our boat, First Today, a Beneteau
36.7, had been without an engine since
late June, but we were determined
to make the trip from Youngstown
to Buffalo somehow. Many friends
offered a tow through the Canal sounded a little risky to us. With a lot
of encouragement from Tom Lewin,
a fellow Beneteau 36.7 owner, and
one of the key regatta organizers, the
unbelievable last minute assistance
from Glenn Andrews of Andrews
Trucking, Don Finkle of RCR Yachts
and several friends, we were able to
truck the boat to Buffalo.
Although Mother Nature cooperated
for the most part, Sunday’s racing saw
an early termination due to the lack of
air.
REPORT & PHOTOS
MELANIE TISDALE
ON “FIRST TODAY”
The a first overall winner of the
entire regatta (Centennial, Freeman
and day course racing combined,was
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Next year’s LYRA will be back on Lake
Ontario at Port Credit Yacht Club.
FALL 2010
Say you saw it in GAM
Say you saw it in GAM FALL 2010
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