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OUT OF CONTROL 2000
SASSASS and the HOLY GALE
Dennis Bassano July 2000
Day 1: This year the HOLY GALE started on Saturday, with everybody
arriving, setting up camp and getting familiar with the race course. The LLAMA DELI opened
for lunch at noon, serving fresh fish tacos with all the toppings (I had three and boy
were they good). The LLAMA DELI was open everyday for the rest of the event and alternated
between fish, beef and chicken tacos. That evening, we held the mayor’s mixer, and
the SASSANATOR received quite a workout as a special mix master was brought in to assist
the Judge in the proper use of the apparatus.
Day 2: On Sunday, after the fog cleared (in peoples heads) and a nice
breakfast we held the pilots meeting. Everybody was in attendance and the first written
set of racing rules for SASSASS and the HOLY GALE were distributed. Some new ideas
were discussed, such as umpires at the marks to watch the roundings and a penalty point
system for minor infractions against the rules (instead of disqualifying the yacht).
Some of the benefits of umpires at the marks are 1. By having a vehicle near the mark it
makes the mark easier to see. 2. The person at the mark can get some really good photos.
3. It seems that just knowing that someone is watching is enough to make everybody sail
clean. As there were no penalty points handed out over the 30 races that were held.
The racing got started when the wind came up around 11:00. The Kids got in two quick
windward-leeward races in winds of ten knots or so. Right after the Kids finished we
started with the first round of racing. The racing consisted of five-mile triangle courses
so everybody could get used to where the marks were. Each class was able to get in
two races in winds of 7 to 10 knots. The surface was in good shape over most of the course
but a little rough on the right hand side. After the adults were done racing the Kids had
two more races and then it was time for the salmon feed. The salmon feed organized by the
Oliveri’s, Bassano’s and the Bogard’s was awesome as usual. Salmon cooked
to perfection with a rosemary butter whip (oolala). Sunday was also the first day of the
paraphernalia kiosk. Mary B., Melanie and Dez were the shirt girls and sales were Hot Hot
Hot! Hot is also the word for the conditions in the shirt sales trailer, thanks M, M
and D. If you weren’t there you might still be able to buy some of the
exceptional SASSASS merchandise at the next event.
Day 3: The wind was blowing in the morning so we decided to have the
Enduro at which time the wind promptly died. The wind came up again around 12:00 and we
decided to start off with a couple of Kids races, to test the wind. The Kids were fun to
watch when they race, they all stare at each other, so when one tacks all of them tack.
It’s kinda like synchronized sailing. The wind was of the puffy variety so we
decided to stay close to camp and have windward leeward courses for the adults instead of
going on the Enduro. The wind in the afternoon piped up to 20+ knots and the racing
was fast and furious. But the overall theme of the wind this year was, nice early in the
morning and evening but a little puffy and unpredictable in the afternoon. The racing was
close, in the Kids Class, Erik Smiley and Jared Becher were battling it out and in the
Middle Class, Rod Eicholz in his Soup and Eric Graul in his DN were in a contest of heavy
vs. light. The potluck followed at 7:00, everybody pitched in and made a great meal out of
it. People ate and ate until they dozed off, listening to the late night serenade of MEL
who had allot of help from a cast of others, including Tara Lynn.
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Day 4: This day started of like all the others, wind until 8:30 AM then
nothing until 2:00. We were running out of race days so we tried running the Enduro again.
Because of some “Mystery dunes” that have formed over parts of the Enduro
racecourse it had to be shortened to 50 miles. We were hoping to run two 50-mile
races and find a combined champion. After ten miles of racing (from camp to the second
exit and back) and numerous stops to wait for wind, we called off the race. Twenty minutes
after the cancellation the wind picked back up and the big boats decided to go out for a
sail. We sailed to Dead Dog Dunes and then over to the Calico’s and back a total of
25 miles on the round trip rhunb line. The trip back from the Calico’s (an
upwind 8 mile leg in 15 knots of breeze) was really pleasant and one of the nicer sails of
the week. While we were attempting the Enduro, Beth Gripenstraw and her assistants
Rainy and Karen painted the rear wall of the Llama Deli. And I don’t mean
white. I’m talking the Six Cheetah Saints of SASSASS, Saint Black Rock, Saint Mayor,
Saint Wind, Saint Food, Saint Party and Saint Sail. Each portrait is 6’ tall and
16” wide and a beautiful example of SASSASS spirit. That night was the raffle
hosted by Mel and the Assets all that attended had a great time, you might want to ask
Mary Robertson about the bottle of Grappa.
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Day 5: This morning no wind at all. It’s the last day of the event and people want to know how long were going to wait. We decide if there’s no wind by 12:00, we’ll call it off. People start to pack up their camps and some even leave betting on no wind. The wind came up at 11:00 and we had three quick races for the Kids while the adults started to set up their yachts. By the end of the third Kids race it was blowing 20 and people were ready to go racing. We put up the course three placard, designating a triangle windward leeward course. The Twins were getting ready to finish and now the breeze was up to 25 knots. We shortened the course for the Singles to a single triangle and the race was dusty and scary. The committee decided to hold one last Upper-Middle Class race so everybody would have five races for the event. When the race started the wind was up to 30+knots. There were two large Black Rock sized Psycho Puffs near the race course and the thought of one of them catching me on one of the reaching legs was getting my attention. I knew if I could make it to the windward leeward part of the race I could survive most any puff. Thankfully everyone made it around the reach mark before the puff and finished the race with no problem. It was getting windier by the minute and the puffs were more frequent. We called off the racing at 1:30 ½ hour short of the 2:00 deadline for racing. Forty or so of the members made it into Gerlach for a shower and our last supper at Bruno’s, followed and preceded by farewell cocktails and a game of pool at the Miners Club.
Holy Gale Special Awards:
Mary Bogard Perpetual: For outstanding performance, sportsmanship,
dedication and just being an all around nice person: the Assets, the race committee, the
girls, Allison Gripenstraw, Jessica Ballenger and Marina Oliveri.
The Wrecking Ball: for doing the most damage either to yourself or to
property. It was a tight one this year between Rick Labounty in Flatlander a triple
cartwheel and Mike Grimm for rolling the La Parisian. With the award going to Mike,
because anybody that rolls a bedpan and skins his knee deserves this award. By the way it
looks like the bedpan will get a seatbelt before the next speed run.
This years Holy Gale was attended by a photographer from National Geographic for Kids hopefully the article will come out in Aug. or Sept. There were about 20 kids at our event with 6 of them racing in the Kids class one in the Single division and three running the racing from the committee shack. Some of the others a just getting big enough to reach the pedals. We had a great time at the Holy Gale and we hope to see everybody that was there back again. We realize that the Pac Rim tapped allot of people out financially and time wise this year. The next Holy Gale will be as good as this one was and we hope to see some of our friends from overseas and around the country at the event n 2001. On a closing note, I would like to thank all that helped in the running of the event this year. The Bogard’s, Oliveri’s, Bassano’s, Carter’s, Gizmo, Gripenstraw’s, Smiley’s, Melanie (donated all the Martinelli’s apple cider), Alan, Cousin Bert, Dale Ray, the Assets, Lyons’, Dave, the Judge, Mix Master Mike, All the musicians, Ernie, Ernie, Don, Jim and Benny the dog. And lastly Mark Harris for coming up with SASSASS’ new phrase “All those guys want to do is Party and Sail”. I’m sure I forgot to mention numerous other volunteers. See you on the desert, or for some inTerschelling in October.
Dennis US 2000