Pre-Race Warm Up

JK's Boat #38

Eric's 'Quality First', Sail # 14001

Eric's 'Quality First', Sail # 14001

Craig Macky's #18 and John Kuc's #38, 1st and 2nd duke it out!

Ray Seta's #24 and Mark Hogan's #234

"A" Fleet Starting on Port Tack

The Entire Fleet

JK's #38, Mark Hogan's #234 and Craig Macky's #18

Ray Seta's 24 Carrot

Charles Sudduth's #124, Ray Seta's #24 and JK's #38

The White Rock VIII Boat Line Up

Team Woodlawn

JK takes 2nd Place

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Pre-Race Warm Up

Pictures Proudly Stolen from Our Friends at the Clearpoint Model Yacht Club

Saturday, March 19th - This morning was one heck of a ride with 20 mph winds, but by afternoon we were experiencing the forecasted 5 to 10 mph.   Charles Sudduth worked the crowd and reached the $1000 dollar mark for donations to the Spina Bifida Foundation of Dallas.  This is the largest amount donated to the Foundation in the 8 years this regatta has been running.  I don't have the current standings for the race but it looks like Craig Mackey is in the lead.  We should have additional information tomorrow or Monday. 

This evening 18 competitors and their families had dinner at the Chilli's restaurant next to the Host Hotel.   We called into reserve tables but they left us standing 45 minutes past our reserved time.  Not wanting to wait any longer we pushed some tables together in the bar area and sat down to dinner.     The usual Vic and R/C sailing talk dominated.  (Bet you've read that before).  I'd like to write more but my boat is in pieces and its getting late.  Also, I'm legally intoxicated thanks to Ray, JK, Mark, Mondo and the rest of the gang.   For more information and reports on the White Rock 2005 Regatta visit The Clearpoint model Yacht Club.

Pictures courtesy of The Clearpoint Model Yacht Club.

10:45 PM -  Mark and I have told Eric to just go to his room and be with his wife and get out of the lobby and we'll write this thing. Let me just start with my bonehead move of the weekend. Thinking that I had strong batteries from only 4 races of practices races on Friday, I just decided to start off Saturday with them...mistake #1!  Call it a last place to start the regatta. If that wasn't bad enough then race #2 comes and my rudder servo decides to fry and almost makes my boat go up in smoke. It was a melted piece of plastic when I got it back to shore. OK this is a great start to the weekend, two last places and starting off with some 50 points....what a drag! And to hear all the grief from my buddies only made it better or worse! The rest of the day was about the same and I really don't care about seeing or reading any results tonight. So far the highlight of my weekend has been seeing my little buddy JK race R/C cars last night at an indoor track with another buddy of ours from Dallas. Nothing better that hanging out in the grandstand with your friends yelling JK's a hacker just like back home!  As far as the regatta goes, 27 boats I quess, haven't really been counting, except the boats in front of me and just try to beat JK, Mark, Eric, Bud, and Mondo. I can say that at least I haven't beat yet by the only female skipper (Lea Gregory) here! At least on the water! And Mark here next to me reminding me that tomorrow is another day.

    But let me just end by saying that the WSC's members are all the best dressed and have the best of Team spirit you could ever hope for!

Signing off cause I have to give this back to Eric to SpellCheck for me!!!!   Ray Seta, W.S.C. Commodore '05 

Friday, March 18th - Woodlawn was just inches from being a member short today as a crazed young woman who was weaving in and out of traffic at 90+ overcompensated at the end of one of her three lane cross-overs running into a vehicle just ahead of me!  I just missed the mass of smoke and metal as it veered off smashing into the concrete hwy divider.  The shocked face of the innocent victim in the car ahead was clearly visible to me as she was dragged off into the concrete wall!  So what does this have to do with Vic sailing?  Simple, as horrible and nerve racking as that should have been, the intensity was nothing compared to the adrenalin pumping, heart pounding, and brain draining fatigue encountered during a model sailing race!

This afternoon's practice racing was held along the shore behind the marina to protect the fleet from the 20+ mph winds and white capping waves.  About 2/3 of the 27 participants registered to race were in attendance.   The winds behind the marina were a bit squirrelly but we got some decent practice without having to risk our craft in the heavy stuff just a day before the regatta!  The weather tomorrow looks promising. 5 to 10 and warm.  Sundays forecast is for rain.

More to come in this evenings report but first were going for Ice Cream with the Alabama/Mississippi contingent....

<<50 minute Writing Break>>

This evening 18 of us had dinner at Coulter's B-B-Q next to the Host Hotel.   This has become a yearly tradition with the group.   The usual Vic and R/C sailing talk dominated. 

So far all of the reports from the Woodlawn group have come from me.  Tomorrow I'll ask one of the other Woodlawn members to file a report for the home crowd.  So expect a little different perspective and writing style over the next couple of days. - Good Sailing, Eric Gregory, W.S.C. Victoria Fleet Captain '05

Thursday, March 17th - Eric and Lea have arrived in Dallas, TX a day early to visit suppliers and turn this into a partial business trip.  Hey, what ever it takes to save a day or two of vacation we'll do!   White Rock Lake looks great but the gate is locked so we can't venture out on the dock.  Cold winds are blowing like gang busters out of the North.  Hope this isn't a sign of things to come.  - Good Sailing, Eric Gregory, W.S.C. Victoria Fleet Captain '05

Sunday, March 13th – Light winds started off today's final Victoria R/C practice at Woodlawn Lake.   By the end of the day the winds had simply become overpowering!   Great practice but low turnout with only Eric and Lea Gregory and Armando Rivera taking to the waters.  For The Woodlawn Racing Team this was the final practice before The White Rock Regatta VIII to be held in Dallas, TX March 18th - 20th.  - Good Sailing, Eric Gregory, W.S.C. Victoria Fleet Captain '05

Sunday, March 6, 2005 - Notice to all Victoria Skippers!!!: We will be having a Special Victoria R/C Sailing and Tuning Day on Sunday, March 13th at Woodlawn Lake in preparation of The White Rock Cup VIII to be held in Dallas, TX on March 19-20th and for The Region 5 Championship Victoria Regatta in Tempe, AZ, scheduled for April 2-3rd.  These two Major Victoria R/C events come two weeks apart and will be attended by the following members of Team Woodlawn:  Armando Rivera, Ray Seta, John "JK" Kuc, Mark Hogan and Eric Gregory.  Lea Gregory will make her once a year appearance at White Rock and our Team's "Token Yankee" Tom Kern will skip White Rock and join us in Arizona for the Region 5 Regatta.  This will be the last R/C sail out for a while so come out and wish the Team well before this multi-weekend Victoria R/C extravaganza!   Eric Gregory, W.S.C. Victoria Fleet Captain '05