2003 Cottonwood Regatta
Catawba Yacht Club
Lake Wylie, SC 29710
April 26-27, 2003
| Boat | Skipper | R1 | R2 | R3 | R4 | R5 | R6 | R7 | Total |
| 14941 | Barden | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 7 |
| 13957 | Marriott | 3 | 6 | 1 | 10dnf | 2 | 1 | 2 | 15 |
| 14695 | Waldkirch | 5 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 19 |
| 15141 | Bridger | 2 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 4 | 5 | 4 | 21 |
| 14318 | Sawyer | 4 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 10dsq | 24 |
| 14620 | Wright | 6 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 30 |
| 13941 | Zakerski | 8 | 10t | 8 | 10t | 7 | 7 | 6 | 46 |
| 13848 | Little | 7 | 10t | 9 | 10t | 9 | 8 | 7 | 50 |
| 10958 | Apperson | 10t | 10t | 7 | 10t | 8 | 10dsq | 10t | 55 |
10t = A dnf for not finishing in the allotted time.
Report - Photos
The 2003 SELD season began on Saturday, April 26 at Catawba Yacht Club with the Cottonwood Regatta. Nine Lightnings competed in the two-day event. Pierce Barden, from Wilmington, NC, Fleet 511, posted five bullets in seven races to win the event.
Day one saw the race committee work very hard to have four races. Conditions ranged from drifting to thunderstorm warnings with everything in between. Beats turned into runs and runs turned into beats. Pierce Barden always seemed to be at the right shift at the right time and won three of the the four races.
While the Lightnings were racing, the club was slow cooking a pig over hickory coals. As we sailed into the club to put away for the day, a ten piece bluegrass band kicked off the club party. Bar-b-que, suds, and genuine country pickin' were the perfect remedy for a challenging day on the water.
On Sunday, mother nature served up a rare set of "perfect" sailing conditions. Winds were a consistent 7-10 out of the north with temps hanging right around 70 degrees. Three races were held. Barden put up two more bullets to secure first place. Pete Marriott charged from sixth to second with an ace and two dueces. Richard Waldkirch sailed posted three treys to finish third.
Avis Bridger unveiled her new boat, 15141, and made some noise. With two dueces and all top five finishes, she earned 4th place.
It would be remiss not to mention three other racers: Jill Zakerski, Len Little, and Dennis Apperson. All three sailed in their first SELD regatta and did a great job. Congratulations and keep coming back for more.
Ron Wright
14620