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Sailing

It is one of those invaluable life lessons:


Changing the sails to get the most out of them can be a lot of fun.

The Tempo Scow (also "Scow Tempo"), was designed in 1963 by Jack Köper. It has a length of 4.725 m (15.5‘), a beam of 1.52 m (5‘), and carries three sails. The main measures 8.5 m², the genoa 3.9 m², and the spinnaker 13 m². It is sailed by a crew of two. With a “ready to sail” weight of circa 100 kg (220 lb) it easily planes in moderate winds.

In heavier winds it becomes quite spectacular, requiring the crew to make full use of trim and trapeze to master the elements. I sailed the H-160 "Flying Banana" from 1976 through 1986 alternating with crews Bas Wulffers and Loek Dijkstra, and it was a blast! Though the number of sailors has dwindled in The Netherlands and Germany, the International Tempo Class Organization is still active in promoting the class. This YouTube video of the Tempo Scow in action brought back some happy memories.

A different place and a different time. With Michigan being known for its lakes, it was only a matter of time before I would end up sailing again. In 2014 I found a place in Rebel 4140, skippered by Kevin Nickels. The Rebel is 16’ ¼” (4.88 m) long, has a beam of 6’ 7½” (2.02 m), weighs 700 lb (318 kg) and carries two sails, totalling 1660 sq.ft. (15.4 m²). The Rebel is a “one design” class, actively managed by the National Rebel Class Association.

After that first “practice year”, we got more serious and won the 2015 National Championship that was sailed on our home lake. While races were won in 2016, we couldn’t quite repeat that overall success at the Nationals on Greenwood Lake, NJ, but did win the fall regatta on Clark Lake, MI.

Of course, what Michigan is really known for is that it is surrounded by the “Great Lakes”. The smallest of these is Lake St. Claire and near the top of that is Anchor Bay. That is where we have friendly, competitive sails with a diverse fleet of sailing yachts, under PHRF handicapping rules. At different times, I have crewed on the Thomas T35 “Night Train” of Chris Herriges, the C&C 32 “Desire” of Michael Clow, and the Olson 911s “Racing Storm” of Dennis Reger. All good fun. Whenever I find the time, I'll be out on the water, trying to adjust the sails as best as I can.