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2007 Ice Breaker
More Great Racing to Kick Off the 2007 Season!!!
Reports by Sam Rogers of North Sails

If the sailing thus far in 2007 is any indication of what the remainder of the season will be like, there
will be a lot of tired sailors come October. 26 Teams from Wisconsin, Iowa, Indiana, Georgia and
Illinois made their way south of Chicago to take a shot at the Cedar Lake Spring Regatta title. This
regatta, also known as CedarTucky by many sailors, corresponds with the running of the Kentucky
Derby. No matter what the conditions are like, or what stage in the race the sailors are, once the
derby starts, all of the sailors head to the bar at the Cedar Lake Yacht Club to wager on horses and
quench their thirsts. It is this fun social feature and the tight, unpredictable racing that has made this
event so much fun for the last 45 years. With another strong showing this year, it is clear the
CedarTucky is going to be around for a very long time.

PRO Mike Sherin and his assistant Pat Kardos did a great job of getting 3 quality races off on
Saturday. Anyone who has sailed on Cedar Lake knows that it is not easy being on the RC boat with
big shifts making their way down the lake on a constant basis. Race 1 started on time in 12-13 kts of
breeze out of the east. It did not take long for long time C boaters Mark Prange and Steve Schmidt to
jump out to an early lead. Both boats got off the line clean and sailed a great first beat to get into the
front of the tight fleet. The next time upwind, Prange and Schmidt headed for the left shore which
appeared to be a bit favored. However, it was the right side the paid in the end and the biggest
beneficiary was Sam Rogers. Sam rounded right on the tails of Schmidt and Prange. As the boats
headed downwind for the 2nd time, a small storm cell to the north seemed to suck all of the wind from
the racecourse which left the lake flat. The middle of the fleet, led by Anne Porter, John Cochran, Liz
Prange and JP Mull all carried the last bit of breeze down the course and got right in the hunt. As all
the sailors drifted for what seemed an eternity, it was unclear who would be the recipient of any new
breeze. After about 5 minutes, the breeze filled from the NE, and Prange, Schmidt and Rogers were
able to hold onto their positions around the bottom mark. They would remain this way to the finish of
the race.

Top Five Race 1:
1). Mark Prange
2). Steve Schmidt
3). Sam Rogers
4). Joe Sko/Anne Porter
5). JP Mull

Lunch was called early to allow the breeze to settle on the water after a up and down first race. Not
only did the breeze settle for race 2, it came on strong to a steady 12-15. The teams who put their
thirds on were smart in doing so as the breeze built throughout the race. Again, it was Prange and
Schmidt who jumped out to an early lead. Much like the first race, these two boats headed to the left
side only to watch the right side pay off. Around the second top mark, it was Rogers in the lead with
Prange right on his tail…this time however, it was a different Prange. Liz Prange, Mark’s daughter
sailing with her brother Matt, found a new gear and rocketed right to the front of the fleet. The breeze
was now into the low 20’s and the boats we cruising downwind. Both Rogers and Prange rounded the
left gate and made their way up the course with the majority of the fleet in suit. Shortly after the mark,
Liz and her brother Matt found themselves in the lead after Rogers and his team capsized going
upwind. The race would get tight with Liz P, Joe Schaub and Mark Misch all duking it out for the lead.
Liz would hang on to take the bullet making the fleet take notice of her C Scow prowess.

Top Five Race 2:
1). Liz Prange
2). Joe Schaub
3). Mark Misch
4). Sam Rogers
5). Chris Craig

The last race of the day saw steady breeze in the low 20’s with frequent gusts much higher. Not only
is it tough to sail a C Scow in breeze, but when you have to tack on a lot of shifts on a smaller venue
like Cedar, it becomes very difficult. Most of the teams now had third crews on and survival would be a
key to this race. Schmidt, Fred Barkow, Bret Hatton, Rogers and local Cedar Lake Sailor Ben
Carstens found themselves in the front pack of the 3rd race. Positions did not get really mixed up until
the last bottom mark. Rogers held a slight lead over Schmidt, Chris Craig and Fred Barkow. Rogers
got forced to the right gate while Barkow, Craig and Schmidt all headed over to the favored left gate.
All four of these boats would trade tacks, ducks and crossings all the way up the last beat. In the end,
it was Rogers who got to the right side and was able to hook into a nice rightie into the finish. The 3rd
race was extremely tight and exciting.

Top Five Race 3:
1). Sam Rogers
2). Steve Schmid
3). Fred Barkow
4). Chris Craig
5). Bret Hatton

Once the sailors packed their boats up for the day, the Derby Party got underway with plenty of
beverages and the always popular “Pork Chop” dinner. Instead of the always popular Jello Shots
which have been featured in the past, the Cedar Lake Yacht Club introduced fluorescent green and
red drinks which many of the sailors seemed to enjoy.

Sunday welcomed many stiff, tired sailors to steady 24 kts of breeze with gusts into the 30’s. Before
Mike Sherin even had a chance to cancel racing for the day, ¾ of the fleet was packed up and ready
to head home. It was pretty clear the only thing that would get done today would be the trophy
presentation and the always tasty BBQ lunch.

Jeff Annis made his way from Augusta, Georgia, the site of the 2007 Nationals, to part take in the
event and to promote the Nationals this year. One thing is for certain, Jeff has put a ton of effort to
make the Nationals a big hit and if you are on the fence for this event, make sure you make plans to
attend, it is going to be EPIC!!! Another cool feature of this regatta was the Indiana State
Championships took place in conjunction with the Spring Regatta. This format features a team type
format where the top 2 boats from each of the Indiana Lakes are scored against each other to see
who has the best lake in the state. In the end, it would be Team Maxinkucee (T) with brothers Joe and
Steve Schaub leading the way. Lastly, this regatta featured 3, young talented sailors; Liz Prange,
Mark Misch, and Anne Porter. This is clearly a new wave of C Boaters leading the way and whenever
these young guns are on the course, the fleet better take notice.

Top Five Overall:
1). Sam Rogers - 8
2). Steve Schmidt - 11
3). Liz Prange - 13
4). Joe Schaub - 23
5). Mark Misch – 25