The International Power Boat Association navigation contest season was started with Queen City YC’s hosting of their First of the Season Contest on the weekend of Jan 17-19. 28 contestants and their crews from seven area yacht clubs arrived at QCYC’s clubhouse on Portage Bay for the first contest of the 2014 IPBA season. Compliments to Queen City YC for providing a full-fare weekend from the Friday Night Social to the Awards dinner Saturday and ending with breakfast Sunday morning.
The weather was exceptional for January considering the major complaint was one of the sun interfering with landmark spotting on the southbound legs. On the up side, there was no doubt that the flat water, lack of wind and good visibility on the non-southbound legs contributed to the high number of very good scores produced over the 17.9 nm course on Lake Washington.
Of the competing clubs represented, Seattle YC seemed to have found the secret to mastering this year’s First of the Season contest by capturing 1st, 2nd, 5th and 7th places overall. Taking top honors was Scott Strandjord, SYC, aboard REDEMPTION with the least error of 0.3484%. He was very closely followed by Todd Prodzinski, also of SYC, on ZORRO in 2nd Place Overall at 0.3626% error and John Murphey of Meydenbauer Bay YC on STURDY GAL in 3rd Place Overall at 0.3733% error.
The Team Trophy is awarded to the club having the least average error of their top four contestants which was won by the Seattle YC team of Scott Strandjord, Todd Prodzinski, Steve Hazlerig and Kim Lorenz with an average error of 0.4978%. Taking the Novice Trophy as a first-timer in this contest was Reed Smith of MBYC on FOUR SEASONS with 1.3298% error.
Participating in this well organized sport of Navigation Contests is an excellent way to make boating an all-season event for you. In addition to learning more about your boat than you thought you needed to know, you also have the opportunity to interact with other boaters on a social and competitive basis (Heavy on SOCIAL). For more info, please checkout the International Power Boat Association website at www.ipbalogracing.org . On a more personal level, feel free to contact Bill Anderson at 425-641-0317 or Mike Henry at 360-377-6639.
