Souvenir comes from behind to win A7 by 19 seconds over Galilee.  In light NE winds averaging around 4 kts. OD Mark Stata set a nice 6 leg W/L course starting near the breakwater.  Souvenir trailed through the first two upwinds, finally passing Soundwave, who corrected to third place, in a slingshot maneuver around the second upwind mark.  Witchcraft took the start with a port approach near the pin and led in corrected time into the first downwind mark.  Galilee earned line honors by leading actual throughout after the start.  Souvenir now leads the A series with 14 points, just one point ahead ofWitchcraft and Soundwave with only one race to left in the series.

With a first and two seconds, Obelix, wins Soling 7 in light southerlies on Course 1’s less than 1/2 mile legs.   USA 835 earned first in the second race and takes second overall.  Kim Manion, in her third race of the season with Ty and Amy Kretser aboard, won the third go-round.  Thanks to OD’s Mike and Robin Jenkins, Darcy Sutherland and Craig Meyerson.

Souvenir takes second place in the 17 ½ hour 60 mile grueling light, very shifty winds of the overnight Lake Champlain Race, correcting just 8 seconds ahead of Avena.  Dunder earned line honors and the trophy.  Galilee corrected to fifth place.  The first leg west from Carlton Prize to the rounding at Garden Island ledge featured a beam reach southerly wind start in which some of the competitors carried spinnaker and others did not.  The downwind leg 8 miles to Point au Roche had multiple lead changes, as did the upwind 15 miler to Schuyler Island reef.  After rounding Juniper Island and the south ends of Four Brothers, the boats heading right a performing numerous jibes made hefty downwind gains on those running the New York shore.  The only time the winds reached slightly above ten knots during the race was with a north shift during the approach to and around Crab Island.  The wind died down again after the fleet rounded from the west the north end of Crab Island.  The last leg from Crab Island to the finish at Carlton Prize  started as a downwind in northerlies, then shifted into a southerly upwind, and ended in a westerly downwind for the final approach around Providence Island to the finish at Carlton Prize.    Full results at http://www.mbbc-vt.org/2012Race/337.htm.

Galilee ghosted to victory by staying right on the 3d and final upwind 1-mile leg of course 1 in the dying breeze of PHRF A6.  Soundwave second; Souvenir third.  Witchcraft maintains a one-point lead over Soundwave and two points over Souvenir in the tightly contested A Series.  Two races remain.

Souvenir leads VSC’s 4 boat contingent in LCYC’s Odziozo’s 24 boat spinnaker fleet, finishing 2nd of all non-sports boats, just 26 seconds behind Avena, and third overall.  Freya finished 7th, Galilee 8th and Real Escape 14th.  The sport boat Buffalo Theory took line honors and the cup.  For details go to http://lcyc.info/files/2012OD_0.html

In steady winds of about 9 kts, the spinnaker fleet had yet another very closely contested finish.  ODs Andy Sajor and  Mr. McNichols set Course 3 with upwind leg of approx. 1.15 nm to a drop mark, then a broad reach to G jibing into a tight reach back to the drop mark starting pin located just north of C.  These three legs were followed by 2 upwind/downwind times around.  Withccraft started early and had to re-start.  The rest of the fleet split tacks, with the right side being favored.  Real Escape pinned Galilee on the left, while Souvenirfollowed by Freya rounded the upwind mark first and second after favoring the right side.  Galilee gained on the first reach but the two leaders rounded G without chance in place.  Freya had an excellent tight reach under spin, and took a commanding lead which aided her victory.  The winds veered about 10 degrees, which resulted in the left side being favored more and more on the subsequent two upwinds.  After jostling actual places, Galilee took line honors followed by Souvenir and Soundwave. Freya corrected first 34 seconds ahead ofReal Escape, 37 seconds ahead of Souvenir and 41 seconds ahead of Soundwave.