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Bauer waits out the wind, takes first Highlander Nationals title
By Bill Kiser, LAKE NORMAN TIMES
Bill Kiser is the editor of the Lake Norman Times. He can be reached at (704)
664-2882 Ext. 13 or by e-mail at editor@thelakepaper.com.
Racing Highlander-class sailboats is somewhat of a family tradition for John
Bauer.
His grandfather and father both raced the small, agile daysailers for decades;
and Bauer has crewed on his father's boats since he was old enough â€-
well, to go sailing.
All that time on a sailboat paid off for Bauer last week, as he won his first-ever
championship division title during the Highlander National Championships, held
last week on Lake Norman.
With his father serving on his crew, Bauer, of New Philadelphia, Ohio, overcame
the shifting wind conditions - and even two days of no wind - to win three out
of six races held and finish second in two other races.
With his worst finish a fifth place in the final race, Bauer was easily able
to fend off defending national champion and Lake Norman Yacht Club member Bruce
Busbey to win the title.
"We've sailed together a lot, but this is the first time that we've actually
won anything," Bauer said of his father Harold, who crewed on his son's
boat last week along with family friend Sarah Paisley. "It really hasn't
sunk in yet - I'm still on Cloud Nine right now. Maybe on the drive home it
will."
Bauer jumped out to the early lead thanks to a pair of wins and a runner-up
finish in the first day of competition, held in light winds.
But the next two days proved to be taxing to the nearly three dozen teams taking
part in this year's Highlander Nationals - little to no wind most of the time,
with bursts at times that teased the competitors out on Lake Norman, only to
disappear.
"Monday was pretty nice, but those next two days were nerve wracking,"
Bauer said. "For 12 hours a day, you're wondering what you're going to
do.
"I don't want that to get into my head, so I didn't try to think about
it. I'd grab a beer, sit around the picnic table with my family and friends,
and talk about anything but that."
However, the final day of competition produced the best sailing conditions yet
- steady winds of 10-12 knots, perfect for Highlanders.
And Bauer took advantage, finishing second in his first race, winning the next
event, then clinching the title with a fifth-place run in the day's final race.
"That was a really nice change of pace," Bauer said of the wind conditions.
"These boats are definitely geared up for lighter breezes, but with the
wind getting up like it did, it turned into a pretty good workout.
"These are flat-bottomed boats, and you want to keep it down to get the
best possible speed out of it. So we were having to work to keep it as flat
as we could."
Two-time national champ Ed Spengeman of Louisville, Ky., finished third, his
worst showing at the Highlander Nationals since coming in third in 2001. Since
then, he had finished first (in 2004 and 2006) or second (in 2002, 2003, 2005
and 2007).
Rounding out the top 10 were Jason Hubbard of Indianapolis, Ind.; Neal Deaves
of Crestwood, Ky., who won the Highlander Nationals' masters division title
the week before; LNYC member John Wigney of Mooresville, James Carey of Wilmington,
Ohio; Gary Vinicky of University Heights, Ohio; and Bob Bauer and Joe Volkert,
both of Westerville, Ohio.
Highlander National Championships Results
CHAMPIONSHIP DIVISION
Total Points (number of race wins in parentheses): 1. John
Bauer, Berlin (Ohio) Yacht Club, 12 (3); 2. Bruce Busbey, Lake Norman Yacht
Club, 24 (1); 3. Ed Spengeman, Louisville (Ky.) Sailing Club, 35 (1); 4. Jason
Hubbard, Indianapolis (Ind.) Sailing Club, 35 (1); 5. Neal Deavs, Louisville
Sailing Club, 40; 6. John Wigney, Lake Norman Yacht Club, 42; 7. James Carey,
Cowan (Ohio) Sailing Club, 43; 8. Gary Vinicky, Edgewater (Ohio) Yacht Club,
46; 9. Bob Bauer, Hoover (Ohio) Sailing Club, 57; 10. Joe Volkert, Hoover Sailing
Club, 59; 11. Dan Hopkins, Berlin Sailing Club, 60; 12. Dick Doyne, Lake Norman
Yacht Club, 66; 13. Skip Webb, unaffiliated, 70; 14. Ken Hopkins, Lake Norman
Yacht Club, 74; 15. John Gibbon, Lake Norman Yacht Club, 76; 16. Bryan Hollingsworth,
Louisville Sailing Club, 80.
Race Results
Race No. 1: 1. John Bauer, 2. Neal Deaves, 3. Gary Vinicky,
4. Jason Hubbard, 5. Bruce Busbey, 6. Ed Spengeman, 7. Skip Webb, 8. Dick Doyne.
9. James Carey, 10. Joe Volkert, 11. Ken Hopkins, 12. Dan Hopkins, 13. Bryan
Hollingsworth, 14. Bob Bauer, 15. John Wigney, 16. John Gibbon.
Race No. 2: 1. Jason Hubbard, 2. John Bauer, 3. John Wigney,
4. Bruce Busbey, 5. John Gibbon, 6. James Carey, 7. Neal Deaves, 8. Skip Webb,
9. Joe Volkert, 10. Dick Doyne, 11. Gary Vinicky, 12. Ken Hopkins, 13. Dan Hopkins,
14. Ed Spengeman, 15. Bob Bauer, 16. Bryan Hollingsworth.
Race No. 3: 1. John Bauer, 2. Jason Hubbard, 3. Dan Hopkins,
4. Ed Spengeman, 5. Bruce Busbey, 6. Bob Bauer, 7. James Carey, 8. John Wigney,
9. Gary Vinicky, 10. Bryan Hollingsworth, 11. Joe Volkert, 12. John Gibbon,
13. Dick Doyne, 14. Skip Webb, 15. Neal Deaves, 16. Ken Hopkins (on course side).
Race No. 4: 1. Ed Spengeman, 2. John Bauer, 3. Bruce Busbey,
4. John Wigney, 5. James Carey, 6. Bob Bauer, 7. Jason Hubbard, 8. Joe Volkert,
9. Gary Vinicky, 10. Neal Deaves, 11. Ken Hopkins, 12. Skip Webb, 13. Bryan
Hollingsworth, 14. Dick Doyne, 15. John Gibbon, 16. Dan Hopkins.
Race No. 5: 1. John Bauer, 2. Neal Deaves, 3. Bob Bauer, 4.
John Wigney, 5. Gary Vinicky, 6. Bruce Busbey, 7. Ken Hopkins, 8. Ed Spengeman,
9. James Carey, 10. Joe Volkert, 11. Jason Hubbard, 12. Bryan Hollingsworth,
13. Dan Hopkins, 14. John Gibbon, 15. Dick Doyne, 16. Skip Webb (disqualified).
Race No. 6: 1. Bruce Busbey, 2. Ed Spengeman, 3. Dan Hopkins,
4. Neal Deaves, 5. John Bauer, 6. Dick Doyne, 7. James Carey, 8. John Wigney,
9. Gary Vinicky, 10. Jason Hubbard, 11. Joe Volkert, 12. Skip Webb, 13. Bob
Bauer, 14. John Gibbon, 15. Ken Hopkins, 16. Bryan Hollingsworth.
PRESIDENTS DIVISION
Total Points (number of race wins in parentheses): 1. Steve
Hesler, Lake Norman Yacht Club, 18 (3); 2. Ted Mellnik, Lake Norman Yacht Club,
22 (2); 3. Pete Breidenbach, Indian Lake (Ohio) Yacht Club, 23 (1); 4. Norris
Bourdow, Indian Lake Yacht Club, 30; 5. Brian Newman, Lake Norman Yacht Club,
30; 6. Roger Walko, Edgewater (Ohio) Yacht Club, 35; 7. Al Chrusciel, Berlin
(Ohio) Sailing Club, 43; 8. Reid Vail, Edgewater Yacht Club, 47; 9. Craig Rule,
Rockhall (N.J.) Sailing Club, 55; 10. Patrick Rykens, Lake Norman Yacht Club,
58; 11. Chris Kafsky, unaffiliated, 61; 12. Stewart Bridgman, Louisville Sailing
Club, 68; 13. Tom Raymond, Lake Norman Yacht Club, 74; 14. Dennis Kafsky, unaffiliated,
78; 15. Michael Brawley, Lake Norman Yacht Club, 92.
Race Results
Race No. 1: 1. Steve Hesler, 2. Roger Walko, 2. Norriw Bourdow,
4. Brian Newman, 5. Patrick Rykens, 6. Chris Kafsky, 7. Pete Breidenbach, 8.
Ted Mellnik, 9. Tom Raymond, 10. Al Chrusciel, 11. Dennis Kafsky, 12. Michael
Brawley, 13. Craig Rule, 14. Reid Vale, 15. Stewart Bridgeman (did not start).
Race No. 2: 1. Pete Breidenbach, 2. Norris Bourdow, 3. Reid
Vale, 4. Ted Mellnik, 5. Steve Hesler, 6. Al Chrusciel, 7. Craig Rule, 8. Roger
Walko, 9. Tom Raymond, 10. Stewart Bridgman, 11. Brian Newman, 12. Patrick Rykens,
13. Chris Kafsky, 14. Dennis Kafsky, 15. Michael Brawley (did not finish).
Race No. 3: 1. Ted Mellnik, 2. Pete Breidenbach, 3. Reid Vail,
4. Brian Newman, 5. Steve Hesler, 6. Roger Walko, 7. Chris Kafsky, 8. Al Chrusciel,
9. Patrick Rykens, 10. Craig Rule, 11. Stewart Bridgman, 12. Dennis Kafsky,
13. Tom Raymond, 14. Michael Brawley (did not start), 15. Norris Bourdow (on
course side).
Race No. 4: 1. Steve Hesler, 2. Ted Mellnik, 3. Brian Newman,
4. Norris Bourdow, 5. Pete Breidenbach, 6. Roger Walko, 7. Craig Rule, 8. Reid
Vail, 9. Al Chrusciel, 10. Patrick Rykens, 11. Tom Raymond, 12. Stewart Bridgman,
13. Chris Kafsky, 14. Dennis Kafsky, 15. Michael Brawley (did not start).
Race No. 5: 1. Steve Hesler, 2. Al Chrusciel, 3. Norris Bourdow,
4. Brian Newman, 5. Pete Breidenbach, 6. Ted Mellnik, 7. Roger Walko, 8. Craig
Rule, 9. Reid Vail, 10. Patrick Rykens, 11. Chris Kafsky, 12. Stewart Bridgman,
13. Dennis Kafsky, 14. Tom Raymond (did not start), 15. Michael Brawley (did
not start).
Race No. 6: 1. Ted Mellnik, 2. Norris Bourdow, 3. Pete Breidenbach,
4. Brian Newman, 5. Steve Hesler, 6. Roger Walko, 7. Stewart Bridgman, 8. Al
Chrusciel, 9. Reid Vail, 10. Craig Rule, 11. Chris Kafsky, 12. Patrick Rykens,
13. Dennis Kafsky, 14. Tom Raymond (did not start), 15. Michael Brawley (did
not start).
JUNIOR DIVISION
Total Points (number of race wins in parentheses): 1. John
Mellnik, Lake Norman Yacht Club, 5 (3); 2. Sebastian Hale, Lake Norman Yacht
Club, 10 (1); 3. Allen Crosby, Lake Norman Yacht Club, 13; 4. Elizabeth Chambers,
Lake Norman Yacht Club, 16; 5. Isabelle Hale, Lake Norman Yacht Club, 16.
Race Results
Race No. 1: 1. John Mellnik, 2. Elizabeth Chambers, 3. Sebastian
Hale, 4. Allen Crosby, 5. Isabelle Hale.
Race No. 2: 1. John Mellnik, 2. Allen Crosby, 3. Isabelle Hale,
4. Sebastian Hale, 5. Elizabeth Chambers.
Race No. 3: 1. Sebastian Hale, 2. John Mellnik, 3. Isabelle
Hale, 4. Allen Crosby, 5. Elizabeth Chambers.
Race No. 4: 1. John Mellnik, 2. Sebastian Hale, 3. Allen Crosby,
4. Elizabeth Chambers, 5. Isabelle Hale.
reprinted with permission from Bill Kiser
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