The 2009 4th District Blue Star was held on beautiful Gull Lake, in Richland Michigan, August 7,8 and 9. Twenty three teams representing six fleets from around the Great Lakes participated in the 80th sailing of this District Championship. Weather and wind are always major players in the story of any regatta, and this event saw the complete spectrum of wind strengths. As always the RC and volunteers at Gull Lake Yacht Club did an outstanding job of managing the courses making the racing fair and efficient. Gull Lake is one of the best spots in the world to sail Star’s mostly because of the spirit of the people, but also because of the Lake itself. Gull Lake is a small 3,000 acre lake with deep clear water and big green trees guarding her edges. Winds act in very unpredictable ways which always produces dramatic racing.

The regatta opened on Friday morning with a steady southerly breeze of 6 – 9 mph. The RC was able to run three good races under the sunny skies, and the results at the end of the day showed the event would be hotly contested by no less than eight different boats. With the racing on this small lake so tight, one mistake can easily cost a boat 10 places or more. Tommy Londrigan Jr. and Stuart Hall of Springfield, Ill were the leaders at the end of the day, but a slew of local boys, including the V3 Racing Team, were in hot pursuit.

Saturdays racing was postponed on shore as strong rain moved through the area in the morning. By mid day the rain had moved out and the wind moved in. We sailed three races, two in 12-17 mph and one in a dying late afternoon breeze. The wind was very shifty as the unstable atmosphere parked overhead. The fleets finishes were erratic as the sailors tried to pick the right shifts to make way in. Londrigan and Stuart held on to the top spot with local hero’s Greg Smith and TC Belco capitalizing on their consistent finishes, and V3 Racing still hanging around the lead….Can you say PStar!!!

Sunday brought the strongest breeze of the regatta, and the warmest temperatures. Heat indexes were near 100 degrees as the winds fanned up to 20 + mph. The direction of the wind was not ideal for the shape of the lake as the weather mark would end up tucked under a large hill with huge trees. The drama that was generated however was second to none. No position was safe as competitors entered the final 300 yards of the weather legs. Boats could be going in the same direction on opposite tacks on opposite sides of the same puff. (Say that ten times fast) The spectator fleet of almost 50 powerboats were treated to spectacular action. Londrigan and Stuart struggled a bit in the shifting winds but Rob Maine and Howard Ferguson, Chicago, sailed patiently and smart and put on a huge late charge for the title. Rick Brethorst and Arthur Anasov, Springfield, had a great day moving up several spots in the standings. V3 Racing and the PStar’s were solid in every race in all conditions and were not eliminated until the final race. In the end however, Tom Londrigan would win his 6th Blue Star, a humble and deserving champion.