STAY TUNED FOR MORE RESULTS & STORIES
2008 Pan-Pacific Trapseat Championships will take place May 17-19, at Whiskeytown, CA. Contact Mike Strahle at trapseat@c-zone.net for more information or visit their club website @ www.whiskeytownsailing.org. This will be a great event one you will not want to miss.
Mike Stahle & Mike Corlett won the 2007 Pan-Pacific Trapseat Championships at Whiskeytown, CA. The races were hotly contested but in the end Mike Stahle and crew were victorious. Top 4 finishes were: 1. Mike Strahle / Mike Corlett; 2. M. Hitchcock / Carl Strahle; 3. D. Demarest / Roboat Lackey; 4. Allison Nicola / Chico David.
Kelowna, BC, CANADA The Multi-hull World Championship of the International Federation of Disabled Sailing (IFDS) was held at the Central Okanagan Sailing Association (COSA) in Kelowna, BC, Canada, on July 6th - 9th, 2005. Four days of racing featured blistering heat, heavy winds, torrential rains, no wind, and easy five knot breezes. And just as the competitors had it all on the water, so did they have the entire range of evening entertainment on shore, including Jazz, Country, Karaoke, Gaelic Folk, a Woman’s Barber Shop Quartet, Radio Controlled Model Boat Racing, and Opera!! From the Opening Ceremonies featuring a parade of athletes led by the RCMP and a piper in full dress, to the Closing Ceremonies on the dock, COSA rolled out the welcome mat to ensure that athletes, judges, classifiers, technical delegates, and a cadre of volunteers had a truly memorable experience. And memories are what Danny McCoy of Ontario and Larry Robinson of Vancouver will enjoy for a lifetime as they bested the field in ten races capturing the Prestige ‘Spirit of Sail’ Trophy emblematic of IFDS racing excellence. Following behind Danny and Larry were Mike and Carl Strahle of California, and John McRoberts from Victoria with his crew Ben Carter. Both teams were tied with 20 points at the end of the competition but second was awarded to the Strahle team on the tie break. Forth place belongs to Corky Aucreman of California with crew Tyler Churchman of Kelowna. Nigist Sewnnet and Karen-Ann Xavier of Toronto rounded out the trophy round with a solid, if not, occasional risqué performance. The Multi-hull Worlds also featured a few thrills and spills. The team of Bob Jones and Bob Johnson of Seattle, nick-named “The Sponge Bobs” showed the competitors and the throng of spectators just how well they could flip and then right a Hobie 16 with Trapseats. Not to be outdone, Nigist and Karen-Ann attempted to put a twelve foot wide Hobie into an six foot space at the start line. Tim and Jen French of Florida, the recipients of the ‘fender bender’, commented that, “the manoeuvre definitely would have worked if the girls were sailing only one hull. This is the second ever IFDS Multi-hull World Championship with the first being sailed in 2002. The inaugural World Champions were Mike and Carl Strahle, inventors of the Trapseat, an adaptation to a Hobie 16 which permits disabled skippers to enjoy a catamaran experience. Trapseats were developed twenty years ago after Mike was injured skiing. Since then, Trapseat sailing has enjoyed increasing popularity supporting at least one major regatta each year for the last decade. The competition was preceded by a training camp with the competitors getting practical on-the-water experience along with technical land-based rules, strategy and tactics training. COSA’s full-time Coach, Devin Rubadeau ran the two-day Canadian Yachting Association sponsored camp. The club ‘tag-teams’ delivered again as Devin’s Dad Ron Rubadeau, Event Chair, then served as PRO for the competition, while Steve Brunsden covered mark-set and his wife Margaret managed the food service! Returning again from 2002 was the ‘world famous’ COSA Beach Crew headed up by Randy Newton, and the always hospitable and hardworking bar tenders, Harry and Lynelle Weston. COSA is a small club by most standards (120 boats) but provides a first class facility which is completely wheelchair accessible. It is located mid way on beautiful Lake Okanagan (130 kilometres long) in the city of Kelowna, B.C. (150,000 pop). But while small in number, COSA has huge heart as they support one of the largest Learn to Sail programs on the continent (1300 student sailors), have an active disabled Sailing Association (70 members) and have recently established more than fifteen different credit courses that high school students can take for graduation credit. They even have Sailing 11 and Sailing 12 as replacements for the local Physical Education curriculum! Most importantly they have knowledgeable and skilled sailors and superb volunteers that do everything from bartending, to boat repair, to late night clean ups, to beach crew! When they race, at least one World and two North American champions are on the line for each start. For more event information and photos, please visit the COSA website: www.cosa.bc.ca
Article by: Mike Strahle e-mail trapseat@c-zone.net The
sparkling waters of beautiful Whiskeytown Lake, in Northern California was the
site of the 2004 Trapseat Internationals, and it was the “Best Western” Regatta
this year as the event was hosted by the Best Western Redding Hilltop Inn, in
Redding. Although the weather averaged around 100 degrees (36 Celsius for the
Canadians), the wind was up during the entire event, July 13, 14, & 15. Two
teams from the CYA (Canadian Yachting Association) John McRoberts/Gilles
Ladouceur and Dale Keith/Gillian Thompson came in force with eight other
Canadians (the COSA to California road/beach crew) led by ISAF recognized race
committee and Principal Race Officer (PRO) Ron Rubadeau. Four American teams
filled out the rest of the field, including US Sailing Team ranked Paralympic
Sonar class racers Mike Strahle (yours truly) and Martha Hitchcock. My
crew/brother Carl, Hitchcock/Carter, McNeil/Lackey, and Tubbs/Tubbs comprised
the four American teams racing.
Skippers and crew drifted into the Central Okanagan Sailing Association (COSA) facility on Saturday and Sunday. Monday was the first day of training camp. The goal was to create a safe, competitive, satisfying racing environment for all participants. Coaches Devin Rubadeau and Cindy Hardie, along with Canadian Yachting Association representative Kathy Campbell, briefed skippers and crews about racing regulations, trapseat sailing skills, local weather features, and practiced racing starts. The camp had teams practicing in boats most of the time. Much of these two days involved sailing buddies from around the word catching up on all of the news, scandals and stories. The Strahles shared their legendary gin martinis. Many competitors are now suspicious that the martinis are a secret strategy to minimize the capacity of their competition. On Monday, the training camp started with traditionally calm waters. The wind continued to build until the afternoon, it surpassed 20 knots. Only three teams were out on the water including Antero and Marko (Finland), Jeff & Jared (USA) and John McRoberts (Canada). The others were stuck on shore watching. It took hours for the smile to subside off of Jeff’s face that evening. “That wind was FUN”.
The final day of the training course was capped off by the opening ceremony. Befitting a world championship held in Canada, the opening ceremony was lead by a piper and Royal Canadian Mountie decked out in red surge. As each team of athletes was presented, their country's flag was raised on the newly installed flag standard. The ceremony was conducted in both of Canada's official languages, English (MC Ron Rubadeau) and French (MC Gilles Ladouceur). Greetings from Prime Minister Jean Chretien were delivered by Senator Ross Fitzpatrick. Member of Parliament Werner Schmidt, Kelowna Mayor Walter Grey and COSA Commodore Steve Brunsden also extended warm wishes to all competitors. A spectacular sunset created a dramatic backdrop for the wine and cheese reception which followed. "Just Jazz" performed light jazz tunes as dignitaries, officials, competitors, sponsors, volunteers and supporters mingled.
The mood changed somewhat today. Instead of casual arrivals, morning coffee and friendly chatting, the competitors were focused. Today was the reason that everyone had come for - to race. The evening before, the strategies started. Everyone was sizing each other up. They had watched each other during the training camp and now all of the information was being shaped into who the competition was going to be. Some teams were extremely confident, even cocky. Other's were humble although their sailing biographies boasted their accomplishments. Still other's were just quiet. The day promised to be hot and sunny. Usually in the Okanagan, that can mean very little wind. Every team knew that in order to take the all- important first win, they were going to have to do everything right. Hit the line exactly at the right time, with the most speed and in the best position, read the wind - however light it might be- and don't make any mistakes. Some of the skippers were not familiar with sailing Hobie 16's with trapseats. Others had met their crew less than 48 hours before. Mistakes did prove to be costly during that first race. An odds-on-favourite Finnish team got off to a perfect start, only to bump another boat and be forced to take a penalty 360. Later in the race, a little trouble with a mark would cost them again. One of the heavily favored teams, Mike Strahle and his brother Carl from California, seemed to have everything in hand. They too experienced the challenge of mastering unfamiliar boats, thanks to the assigned random boat rotation. As they were about to slice over the line in first place, the boat didn't respond exactly as expected. Hitting the mark resulted in a penalty 360 knocking them down to fourth place. The rest of the afternoon consisted of a hot, sweaty and disappointing wait for wind. The blazing sun perched high on cloudless, blue skies forced temperatures to near 40 degrees Celsius. Even some of our visiting California residents found the heat unbearable. Many took to the lake for a refreshing dip while other's found sanctuary in the shade of trees or tents. Everyone quenched their thirst with liters of water and slapped on sun screen to protect themselves from the rays. Some teams will be suffering from tender, pink skin tomorrow. One of the host club's creative volunteers (Campbell Sinclair, right) even created a "Wind God" to which several offerings almost created a puff or two of wind. At 4:40 pm, the day's racing was called with only one race complete. The leaders had their confidence reinforced while the pack considered new strategies. Many were pleased to have the first race under their belt. Tomorrow will be a new day. A delightful Italian-themed dinner, accompanied by local singer Ellen Churchill, renewed the relaxed atmosphere. No doubt every competitor, organizer and volunteer will be wishing for better winds in their prayer's tonight.
Sunny skies and mirror-flat water greeted competitors at 7 am … 8 am … 9 am. At 10 am, COSA Learn To Sail instructors rallied their junior students. Each of the students paired up with a competitor and prepared to join in on a wind chant. Our “wind god” was placed in the center of our semi-circle. Half of the group chanted a deep, rhythmic tone, while the balance of the group followed the leader in a traditional (?) wind dance. They were confident to guarantee 12-knot winds. By 10:30, gentle puffs of air could be felt only the hair on your skin. By 11 am, the second race of the event was about to get underway. With anxious competitors wanting to make the best start possible, several boats were over the start line, which resulted in a general recall. On the second attempt, three boats were over early but the race was on. David Cook of Victoria, BC was the leader at the first mark. It wasn’t long before the Strahle team from Redding, California took over and led until the finish. After the race, David Cook complimented them for racing an excellent course by saying “They have the knack of getting every ounce of power out of every gust of wind. They did a good job.” Principal Race Officer, Ron Rubadeau, pressed the teams hard by running four races before lunch. Teams were on the water for 3 hours, which is well below the five-hour maximum standard set by the International Foundation for Disabled Sailing, which sanctioned the race. After a quick 60-minute lunch break and turn around, the teams were on the water for race number five of the day. An attempt for a sixth race failed when the winds subsided. Official judges were put to work hearing two protests following the racing. One resulted in redress and while the other was dismissed. The theme of the evening was British Isles Day. At great personal expense, the organizing committee recruited the Queen (alias Margaret Brundsen) to dish up the shepherd’s pie. Scottish comedian, Ian Middler, garnered easy laughs. The Celtic musician, beach crew Paul Evenden, lead the gang in sing-a-longs and wheel chair jigs. Dozens of volunteers were up forming creative line dances.
The organizers are catching on fast. By 9 am, a more aggressive wind chant was conducted by the Junior Learn To Sail instructors and students. By 10 am, competitors were scrambling to make the starting line. Today was almost a perfect day for sailing - sunny skies, steady winds at about 6 knots, very competitive races but still extremely hot. For the third day in a row, temperatures at the club peaked at or over 40 degrees Celsius. Average temperatures are usually 28 degrees at this time of year. Environment Canada is still trying to figure out why we had wind on the lake during a day in which a high system sat stalled over the area. We credit the summer breeze to our "Wind God" and the chant. Four races were conducted before lunch. Each race was competitive. The Kelowna Yacht Club hosted an all American food theme with subs in the afternoon and a steak and chicken BBQ in the evening. The "Mike Perkin's Trio" entertained in the early evening offering smooth jazz to match the sweltering heat. The stiffness of the competition from that days racing was evidenced by the number of protests heard by the official judges that evening. There were brief experiences with nudity on the beach that evening. Of course, the participants were under the age of two. One of the guests insisted that diapers be put on the young lad because he was making some of our men feel a little inadequate (or so the story goes).
Everybody is too busy celebrating to write up this entry. The final day was so dramatic, it couldn't have been scripted any better. Stay tuned for more information about the exciting finish. Congratulations to Mike and Carl Strahle of Redding, California for their 2002 World Trapseat 16 Championship. It took 16 races of exceptional sailing to win this event. We are proud to call you "champions".
When I was first approached with the offer to bring my Hobie 16 and race in the Trapseat event last year I was quite honestly less than enthused. I'm embarrassed to admit it now, but it just didn't seem like "my cup of tea." Besides the 9 hour drive, I was bothered by the possibility that racing with the disabled may turn into disabled racing, if you know what I mean. Some how all the satisfying year of teaching disabled skiing got lost when it came to sailing. Until this year... This year I decided to go for it, and I am soooo glad I did! Not only was the competition some of the fiercest I've experienced in recent years, but the food was great and the sailors were superb. Well, most of them at least. I'm not too sure about John "Jonhnny Mac" McRobets, Carl "Got a Light" Strahle, Danny McCoy, Marko "Rocky Horror" Dahlberg, or John "Masthead Fly" Ross-Duggan. These boys in particular seem like "good sailors gone bad"!!! The organizers for this first-ever event were Ron Rubadeau and Gillian Thompson and Kathy Campbell fo the Central Okanagan Sailing Assn. (COSA). I kid you not when I say that the organization and running of this even was absolutely flawless! It was incredible! Everything went off without a hitch. Everything! While the number of sailors was lower than a typical Continentals or Worlds, the organization requirements of classifying and serving the needs of these sailors with disabilities was immense. I won't use up the space here to highlight the extent of planning, but suffice to say that nothing was left undone. Everything had already been thought of and provided for! Monday and Tuesday were reserved for practice races and seminars. This gave us time to get acquainted with our skipper/crew, figure out the boat set-up, and try to figure out how to get these twin bucket-high-powered boats moving. It is a trip to be trapped out in 5 knots of breeze because your 180 lb. skipper is sitting outboard of the leeward hull in a Trapseat! The dynamics of sailing these rigs changes completely. By the start of racing on Wednesday, the teams were fairly well sorted out and we knew who to look out for. Of the 17 teams from 5 nations entered, we figured there were 6-7 teams that had a legitimate shot at winning the whole enchilada, with another 2-3 capable of being "spoilers" and winning individual races. With two boat rotations each day, it was interesting to watch the same teams elevate to top regardless of the boat they were on! Hmmmm, I wonder if it has anything to do with the skipper and crew, and not the boat? We were greeted with 5 days of continuous, ideal sailing conditions - somewhere in the 5-10 knot range with relatively flat water. Going into the last ay, after 14 races, the top three teams were separated by tow points! Americans Mike and Carl Strahle - Mike is inventor of the Trapseats - were closely followed by Canadians Danny McCoy & Gillian Thomson who where tied with David Cook and myself. Saturday brought light winds, and only one race could be run in the morning. Cook edged out McCoy and Strahle to take the lead by one point! Then the waiting game started. For the next 4 hours PRO Ron Rubadeau would relentlessly attempt a sequence only to be baffled when the southerly system would squelch the prevailing northerly. At 3:10 p.m., with less than one hour remaining, he went into a sequence again. This time the wind held at about 8 knots! All 3 boats got off the line in the first flight in great position and with speed. Strahle won the favored weather end. McCoy was nest just down the line with a clear lee bow. Cook was down at the pin with massive speed. The race was on! All 17 boats were cutting their bows through the water with total abandon. While several positions were already locked up, no one was giving up an inch! At the weather mark, the Strahle's rounded first followed by the Finnish team of Antero Karjalainen and Marko Dahlberg (ranked top 10 in the World in Stars), the Cook. A botched tack at the mark would claim the race's first fatality on McCoy as he got buried in the fleet and had to start working back up. Down-wind the Strahle team extended their lead to 2 boat lengths while the Finns and Cook were in a dead heat. Cook could afford to lose to Strahle, but he had to finish in front of the Finns to win the Tiebreaker and the Championship. Strahle and the Finns went left out of the gate. Cook broke off to the right for clear air. Which side wold end up being favored? At the weather mark, the Strahles' maintained their slim lead while Cook tacked in front of the Finns. But he was unable to "shut the door," and the Finns stuck their bows into leeward rounding the mark and pinning Cook to the outside. The Strahle's were gone. They were going to win the race. But would they win or lose the Championship? It all depended on the Finns. Downwind the two boats were still locked up within a quarter boat length of each other 10 boat lengths from the finish!! It's tough to imagine a script any more thrilling than this! The wind was dying and as a 30-degree wind shift hit the course, the boats crept forward on a close hauled course. The Strahle's had already finished, so abandoning the race was not an option! It was a photo finish with the Finns sneaking ahead by one FOOT, to hand the first ever World Championship to the man (and to his brother) who had originally invented the Trapseat and brought it into existence. A more fitting scenario could not have been asked for! A major "hats off" to each of the competitors, Ron Rubadeau and Gillian Thomson, the long list of volunteers, sponsors, beach crew, COSA, the International Trapseat Class Assoc., and everyone else associated with this top-notch event. Whew!!!! Anyone thinking of disabled racing is "disabled" racing is, well, sorely mistaken and mentally disabled!!
Twenty-two
sailors from California, Idaho, Ontario, Alberta, and B.C. participated in the
Canadian Open Trapseat 16 championships held at the Central Okanagan Sailing
Association (COSA) in Kelowna, B.C. The Trapseat 16 is a modified Hobie 16 that
accommodates the disabled skipper and an able-bodied crew. Over
the course of twelve races, Mike and Carl Strahle of Redding, California,
captured first in the Gold fleet, followed by the team of Danny McCoy of
Toronto, Ontario, and Gilles Ladouceur from Quebec. Third place was nabbed by
the team of John McRoberts from Victoria and Larry Robinson of Whiterock, BC. On top of the Silver fleet
was Rick Largent and Miles Moore from Moscow, Idaho, followed by Robb Lawrence
of Calgary and Carol Hilton from William's Lake. Right behind Robb and Carol
were Dale Keith of Calgary and Bob Hilton from William's Lake. Regatta Director, Gillian
Thomson organized the event and gently persuaded out of towners to lend their
boats, their families, and their time to this exciting regatta. While Hobie 16s
are plentiful in the Pacific Northwest, "Trapseats" are a rare
commodity. As a result, Gill has spent hours on the phone and on e-mail getting
pieces built and parts assembled in order for sailors to take to the water by
the start of Friday's race clinic. Her work however, wasn't done then as she
then dashed onto the fifth place boat, only taking time out on Saturday night to
make sure that all the knives and forks were in place for a perfect dinner on
the deck which featured a glorious Okanagan sunset. Friday's race clinic was
sponsored by Canadian Yachting Association with National Sailing Coach Devin
Rubadeau, and the Saturday/Sunday races were run by his Internationally
qualified dad, Ron. Randy Newman was our Beach Captain, boat repair specialist,
problem solver, and all round "gopher," while Emily Battilana and
Margaret Brunsden made sure that everyone was well fed at lunch time. And a big
thanks goes out to Chris Everson of California for his willingness to go
hundreds of miles out of his way to bring several sets of Trapseats to the
regatta. This is the second year
that the Trapseats have visited Kelowna. Canadian and American representatives
were so impressed with the site and the organization that COSA is being
considered for the 2002 Trapseat World Championships. More than 50 sailors from
England, France, Netherlands, Armenia, South Africa, Brazil, Mexico, Australia,
United States, and Canada will be on hand for this event. Results
2001, July: SAILOR WITH BLINDNESS LEARNS TO TRAPSEAT SAIL Ye Jin Kim of South Korea heard a lot about Trapseat sailing and racing, and so at great expense to herself she flew into Coeur D’ Alene Idaho for two days of sailing. Ye Jin had never sailed before so she was understandably nervous yet excited as well. Miles Moore who runs a disAbled sailing program called SAIL in Coeur D’ Alene was delighted with how quickly she learned to sail and how willing she was to get out of her comfort zone and extend herself. I might add her guide dog was not so excited about sailing so had to be left on the beach. For two days, Ye Jin got the feel of the boat and wind, etc. and did many tacking and jibing drills. Ye Jin indicated that there are no disAbled sailing opportunities in her country and so if anyone knows of any disAbled sailors in her country please forward that information on to the Trapseat class and Miles Moore (see contact section).
1999 International Trapseat Cup (America’s Cup) Report!
Australia's Mick O'Conner with hired crew Carl Strahle on his boat "OVERPROOF", Mike Wood of England with crew Mike Lattin on their boat "BIG WOODY"' Mike Strahle with crew Chris (his nephew), of USA, on boat "TWITED SKIPPER", and Henrick Hartz with crew Robert Lackey of USA, on boat "PARADISE ONE'. The best four out of a five race series in three days would decide the winner and first defender. Race one started with the two American teams fighting for the favored side of the line. Hartz was barging as Strahle called them to do a 360. Hartz argued at first, then completed his foul. Strahle never lost the lead after that and won the race. Race two started with no fouls and medium wind. Strahle took the lead with the Aussi in second. Positions held until the last windward mark, where Strahle missed the layline , while the Aussi rounded first. Strahle took two more tacks to the mark and just held off the other Americans for second at the mark. Strahle rounded and dug deep for a lower downwind line. The Aissi's took too long to get their spinnaker up as Strahle overlapped them on the inside. Strahle started to drive them up as the Aussi committed a foul by not responding to the leeward boat. Strahle suggested they o a 360 as they did, while Strahle took the lead and the second race, followed by the Aussi on Overproof. The second day was overcast with very light wind. The English team took the start with a lower line than Strahle, but better speed. Two boats tried to go port, but Wood on Big Woody, shut them down. Strahle sailed a higher line trying to out point the leading English, but they held him off. Crossing Strahle on a port tack, the Englsh rounded to windward first. Woods took too long to get his spinnaker up as Strahle took over the lead with a great spinnaker set. Strahle took off toward the downwind finish taking another first for USA. With the CUP slipping away from the English and Aussi teams, race three started with the frontrunner USA's Mike Strahle in last. The Aussi team drove Strahle away from favored starting position in very light wind. Two boats went port with the other two boats starboard. The port side of the course paid off for the Aussi team, but Strahle took a higher line to the windward mark and squeeked out the lead. Three times around the course took a long time, but Strahle held the lead and not only won the race, with four wins, won the regatta for USA. The CUP stays in America and in two years, Mission Bay Yacht Club 'where the CUP is on display', will host the first match racing DEFENDER and CHALLANGER CUP, series with America as official Defenders. But, there was still one more race to go to decide the second place team as Strahle sat out as not to foul anyone. The other USA team Hartz, took the start and held the lead most of the race. Even though Strahle had already won, the MBYC, had gold, silver and bronze medals to also award to the sailors besides the CUP. Strahle had the gold, but it was a race for silver. Hartz held the lead til the last downwind mark and stuffed his spinnaker early, jibing to port. All the sudden, the Aussi's came flying in on a starboard with the chute up, taking over first. The Aussi's stuffed the chute, but a hole opened up and Hartz took back the lead. At the last windward mark, Hartz stalled while tacking, and the Aussi's took advantage. Hartz tried to hold them off, but the Aussi team sailed on around the mark in first, set the chute and crossed the downwind finish if first, winning the silver. The next America's International Trapseat Cup , will be held in San Diego, Calif. USA, Sep/24-30/2001 call Stan Betts, at 858-455-6259. The AITC, Trophy or CUP, is on display at the MBYC, and they thank Dennis Conner for donating the CUP.
RESULTS; 1. USA Mike Strahle/Chris Strahle 2. Australia Mick O'Conner/Carl Strahle 3. USA Henrick Hartz/Robert Lackey 4. England Mike Woods/Mike Lattin
1999
Pan American Disabled Games & Qualifier Report! | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
