Tulip Time Tune Up : Races by Class

Regatta Base

Tulip Time Tune Up

Gull Lake Star Fleet hosted its 49th annual Tulip Tune-up regatta May 18-19 in the coldest temperatures in decades. That didn’t stop 25 dedicated sailors of the Great Lakes region from participating in what would turn out to be one of the finest Tulip Tune-up’s in recent years. The weekend kicked off with the nine-hole golf scramble on Friday morning. The team of Tom VanderMolen Jr., Steve Ticknor, Mike Blackwood, and Tic Ticknor, were the first group off the tee and posted an impressive even par 36. That score looked like it would hold up until the last group of Jon VanderMolen, Rob Maine, Joe Londrigan, and Rick Rundle, birdied two of the last three holes to tie. Todd Gay won the closest to the pin contest. It was another great outing that grows in participation every year. Twelve boats participated in the 3 PM practice races. The wind was out of the east at around 10 m.p.h. Rob Maine and Kevin Murphy won the first race, Joe Londrigan and Jon VanderMolen won the second. Racing started on Saturday morning in record cold temps. The wind was fresh out of the north 12 to 15 m.p.h. This north wind allowed the race committee to set up a long course using the length of the lake. Even with the long windward / leeward course the competition was tight throughout the race. Race one ended in a Londrigan family sweep, with Joe Londrigan and Jon VanderMolen in first, Pat Londrigan and Dave Jackson in second and, the team of Tom Londrigan Jr., and Ashley Boeyen third. Tick Ticknor and younger brother Steve, were the top Gull Lake boat in the race with a sixth place finish. Race two saw very close racing as well. In a building, backing breeze, the fleet got off to another clean start. All 25 boats battled around the five-leg windward / leeward course separated by only a few minutes. Positions changed back and forth throughout the race, but in the end Joe Londrigan secured his second win of the day. Rob Maine was second, followed by Tom Londrigan Jr. in third. Mike Blackwood sailing with Tom VanderMolen Jr., was the top Gull Lake boat in race two with a fifth place finish. Race three was sailed in the strongest wind of the day. The wind was a steady 15 m.p.h. with gusts up to 20 m.p.h. Several boats retired during the day’s final race, but no major problems were reported. Race three saw the closest racing of the regatta as the fleet thinned out. Five boats rounded the last bottom mark virtually at the same time and fought hard up the last two-mile beat. Joe Londrigan flashed his Gold Star form and finished first for a clean sweep of the day’s racing. Tom Londrigan Jr. sailed great and finished with his second, second place of the afternoon. Mike Blackwood was the top Gull Lake boat with a strong third place finish. After day one Joe Londrigan and Jon VanderMolen had a four point lead over Tom Londrigan Jr., and Ashley Boeyen. Rob Maine and Kevin Murphy were third. Pat Londrigan and Dave Jackson were in fourth. Mike Blackwood and Tom VanderMolen Jr., the top Gull Lake entry, sat in fifth. Sunday’s scheduled two races appeared in doubt when the competitors arrived early that morning to find frozen lines on their boats, and steam rising off a pancake flat lake. A light easterly breeze would make racing a real challenge. This determined group of sailors however, started race one despite the difficult conditions. After a clean start the fleet spread out looking for any kind of breeze. Jack Rickard and crew Neal Turluck reached the weather mark with a sizable lead. The fleet caught Jack at the bottom mark, as the Race Committee shortened the course. It was a test of concentration up the last virtually windless leg. Rob Maine prevailed, with local sailor’s Don Parfet and Brad VandenBerg finishing second. Jack Rickard held on to finish third. Tom Londrigan Jr. finished seventh, and Joe Londrigan finished thirteenth. As the sun broke through the clouds the wind disappeared altogether. The Race Committee cancelled race five and ended the regatta. With four races complete and no throw outs, Tom Londrigan Jr. and Ashley Boeyen won their first Tulip Tune-up. Rob Maine and Kevin Murphy finished second. Joe Londrigan and Jon VanderMolen finished third. Pat Londrigan and Dave Jackson finished fourth. Mike Blackwood and Tom VanderMolen Jr., the top Gull Lake boat, finished fifth. The 2002 Tulip Tune-up concluded with lunch and awards on the lawn. The club did a wonderful job of taking care of the sailors and their families, and the locals again showed incredible hospitality making everyone feel at home and comfortable on beautiful Gull Lake. The Gull Lake Star Fleet looks forward to seeing the regulars at next years 50th Annual Tulip Tune-up, and all the new sailors at the 2003 Spring Championships.

Star

Place	Boat	Skipper	Crew	Sail #:	Fleet	1	2	3	4	Total
1	7664	Londrigan Jr	Boeyen	7664	LS	3	2	2	7	14
2	7905	Maine	Murphy	7905	WH	7	3	4	1	15
3	8012	Londrigan	Vandermolen	8012	LS	1	1	1	13	16
4	7602	Londrigan	Jackson	7602	LS	2	8	6	5	21
5	7936	Blackwood	Vandermolen	7936	GL	10	5	3	12	30
6	7634	Schaefer	Pederson	7634	WLM	13	4	8	10	35
7	7739	Parfet	Vanderberg	7739	GL	11	21	7	2	41
8	7228	Ticknor	Ticknor	7228	GL	6	9	5	22	42
9	8017	Gay	Brewer	8017	LS	4	11	11	17	43
10	8036	Rickard	Turlock	8036	WH	15	12	14	3	44
11	7478	Smith	Young	7478	GL	9	15	16	6	46
12	7718	Turner	Klerk	7718	GL	17	16	10	4	47
13	7916	Delaney	Delaney	7916	SLE	19	6	9	14	48
14	7670	Mccarthy	Mccarthy	7670	PPL	5	14	12	19	50
15	7935	Lewis	Barkauskus	7935	LS	14	13	13	15	55
16	7957	Heitzinger	Snodglass	7957	JP	8	17	DNF	8	60
17	8015	Londrigan	Londrigan	8015	LS	18	19	15	11	63
18	7713	Babel	Hawk	7713	GL	16	7	DNF	16	66
19	7660	Brethorst	Wojda	7660	IR	21	18	17	18	74
20	7542	Brethorst	Wilkins	7542	LS	12	10	DNF	DNS	76
21	7216	Vortriede	Kliedohavkis	7216	DR	22	22	DNF	9	80
22	7309	Wysockey	Nichols	7309	WH	20	20	18	DNS	85
23	7533	Covington	Zipp	7533	IR	24	24	19	20	87
24	7185	Chipala	Rundle	7185	JP	23	23	DNF	21	94
25	6661	Korejsza	Ruggiero	6661	DR	DNS	DDNS	DNS	DNS	108
26	6920	Rantz		6920	GL	DNS	DNS	DNS	DNS	108