This regatta typically draws a large number of participants, so a wide variety of one design class racing is available as well as a multitude of handicap fleets. This year more than 55 boats participated. The participating boats ranged from a Privateer centerboard boat to a Flying Tiger 10 Meter keel boat in the single hull fleet, and from a classic Olympic class Tornado to a modern Corsair Sprint 750 in the multi-hull fleet.

This year's Turnback Canyon provided nearly every kind of wind and weather condition possible for late May. The 10:30 start on Saturday was delayed when all of the competitors were assembled and ready to go but someone forgot to order any wind. At approximately 11:00 a light northerly breeze arrived allowing the start sequence to begin. All classes were shortly sent toward the day's destination at Lago Vista. Light to moderate northerly breezes lasted until early afternoon when a distant rumbling in the west signaled an approaching group of small thunderstorms. The approaching storms soon dominated the wind conditions and the direction changed from north to west to east and back to north. One skipper remarked that at one time his mast head wind fly was spinning in circles trying to catch up to the changes in wind direction due to the storms, swirling winds from the nearby shore cliffs, and direction changes influenced by the his boat rocking back and forth with the boat wakes.

The race committee wisely shortened the course for the slower boats at a convenient mid-way point, allowing those fleets to motor to the evening's destination. The faster boats finished near Lago Vista and most sailors arrived at the anchorage location at approximately five o'clock. More storms, with accompanying rain, arrived an hour or so later but most boats had by then anchored, stored their gear, and were either enjoying the free beer on shore, the food at the meal tent, or listening to the great music provided by one of the bands also under a tent. The local organizers provided five separate tents at the facility, which were greatly appreciated during the downpour that arrived with the last set of storms. Finally about nine o'clock the rains stopped, the skies cleared, and a glorious star-filled sky provided a fine backdrop to the sailors either relaxing on their boats or listening to the final band of the night. Several sailors showed their Texas two-step skills in the grassy area near the stage and sloshed the night away.

The race back on Sunday started with moderate breezes, and the few motor boats wakes at 10:00 am were a welcome sign. However, by about 11:30, not so distant rumblings again announced the arrival of thunderstorms in the area. The storms were accompanied by moderate winds, so other than the nervousness a sailor feels when sitting in a fiberglass boat with a tall metal/carbon mast sticking straight up into the air when lightning is in the vicinity, the storms brought appreciated breezes, lower temperatures, and kept the motor boats away from the lake for a little while.

The storms dissipated by about 1:00 at which time the inevitable happened. The winds went lighter, the motor boat traffic increased dramatically, and the mid-day temperature climbed into the eighties. The fleet sallied in these conditions during the return trip back to the home base. The race committee again shortened the course for the fleets before the area of the lake with the lightest winds and the heaviest motor boat traffic, and the boats motored or where towed the remaining distance back.

Once the sailors returned, it was time to derig, store all the equipment, locate a cool drink, and take a quick dip in the lake to refresh from the long two days of sailing. After all the boats returned hamburgers were grilled for the hungry competitors, door prizes were raffled off to the lucky ticket holders, the trophies were awarded to the victorious crews, and the crowd slowly dissipated as the sun set in the west. Several competitors were overhead to remark how fortunate it was that the following day, Memorial Day, was a day off, it would take them the extra day to recover from all the sun, sailing, fun, swimming, and partying that they had crammed into two previous days, typical Turnback Canyon Regatta - Ray Shull, AYC.

Race Results

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