(Lake Dillon, CO)- At a mile-high, there is no question that Dillon YC’s
annual “Dillon Open” that is sailed on the Dillon Reservoir west of
Denver high up in Rocky Mountains, is the longest-running highest
altitude regatta in the world. Yet again, a great of brave sailors on
J/22s and J/24s look forward to sailing in one of the world’s most
challenging sailing venues. Ringed by 10-14,000 ft snow-capped mountain
peak off the north, west and south, the winds can be capricious and
unpredictable at best, if it’s from any of those quadrants. About the
only “normal” breeze that whisks across the lake comes from the
southerly quadrants since the winds would not be swirling down off huge
mountain peaks, down the slopes and on the lake surface. The winds from
the “hard” part are famous for “helicopter” puffs (seemingly
mini-tornados) as well as vertical puffs- a.k.a. violent “micro-bursts”
that drop out of the sky and knock boats flat out-of-the-blue, so to
speak. Nevertheless, the sailing and the vistas are spectacular!
Eight
J/22s, the biggest fleet in years, are registered to sail the event. In
fact, a few “rock stars” from afar will be in attendance; namely Reed
Baldridge from the College of Charleston YC in Charleston, SC. He will
be up again the smart local teams, such as Tito and Mateo Vargas on BABY
DOE, Mike & Robyn Kline on NAUTI-MOOSE and Phil Cooper’s SWEET
BABY-J. Similarly, the J/24s have none other than past J/24 World and Etchells-22 World Champion Vince Brun sailing on Frank & Vivian Keesling’s THE DUMPSTER. The long-distance award goes to Brad Dober’s STRAIGHT JACKET, a boat and crew from Corinthian YC of Philadelphia in Pennsylvania! No question, the “family award” may already go to the Peters family (John, Susan, & Niko) sailing aboard their appropriately-named- HARMONY. For more Dillon Open sailing information Add to Flipboard Magazine.
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