Skamania Coves Report

Write up for Skamania Coves Invitational regatta on August 2-3, 2024

by Jay Renehan

Skamania Coves Invitational is one of those “can’t miss” regattas. The teams who left home in time to make the practice races Friday afternoon got a taste of what was to come. The real Friday treat was the dinner, complete with our hosts’ own Garnier wine. Scott and Cinda Lonsway, owners of Skamania Coves Resort, rolled out the welcome mat yet again for a fantastic weekend of racing and camaraderie.

Regatta Chair Phil Gordon assembled a team of volunteers, including Tasar fleet members Grant Gridley and Claire Siegel-Wilson, who put on a great event. The weather cooperated with wind ranging from perhaps 12-22 for the seven scheduled races, and perhaps a bit more for those who put in for the post-racing wing foiling. Thirteen teams made it to the event this year, some teams pulling their Tasar out of storage for the first time this year and at least one team sailing their first real Tasar regatta. New this year were the helicopter crews hovering over the river to refill their water tanks to help contain the nearby fires. 

Skamania Coves Resort is on the Washington side and slightly upriver of Cascade Locks and is indeed a resort. In addition to resort-quality cabins, there is a luxury treehouse, and of course deluxe and budget camping. There is a private railway crossing to the “Royal” Skamania Coves Yacht Club on a grass field with an easy launch protected from the usual westerly wind. The event hosted by CGRA invites Tasars and Laser Masters and results in an event which is low-key and high quality off the water, with the usual fierce and respectful competition on the water. This event is one that in my mind epitomizes the Northwest Tasar fleet ethos. 

Yes, there were superb planing reaches on the trapezoid courses. Yes, there was a lot of planing and semi-planing downwind on tricky slow waves. Yes, the left side paid upwind… and so did the right some times. The starting lines were good, the race committee flawless. It was warm but not hot, and the water was, as usual, friendly. And yes, there is an invisible rock, we’ll call it “Stasi’s rock,” in the right corner of the racecourse (not recommended). Saturday started with a lighter breeze, building to 20+ knots by race 4. Thanks to fleet members Andy and Jaime Mack (who missed the Tasar regatta due to hosting and sailing in a J70 in Hood River) for providing spares allowing the Renehan and the Wolfe teams so they’d be ready to sail on Sunday. After derigging and grabbing a beverage, we had the usual post-race Tasar debrief, sharing all known and postulated theories on how to generally prepare, sail, and eke out that last bit of boatspeed. I learned I needed to hike harder on the reaches, so I was glad I was there. This was, of course, followed by another fine meal, more Garnier wine, and much merriment.

Sunday started a bit windier than Saturday, but didn’t build as much. The trapezoid courses were interesting with the tight reaches made challenging by the current, and a long downwind directly into the current had teams searching for the groove and working to stay in the sometimes streaky puffs. Most races were extremely close throughout the weekend, I’m pretty sure race 2 had the first 3 boats overlapped at the finish, and Chris/Molly won the first race on Sunday by less than a second. Molly K joined the “hey, let’s see who else can steer this thing” club and steered a number of the races on the Skookum, and a couple of teams were racing Tasars in the Gorge for their first time. The scores show 4 race winners in the 7 scheduled races, and in the end, the top 3 boats were tied, with the team of Molly/Mike and Mike/Molly merely 2 points behind.

Next up:  North Americans and the honor of displaying the perpetual trophy on their wall for a year! 

Results

Photos