RC Laser sailing at the Cooper River YC
Sailors at the Cooper River YC, Collingswood, NJ just won’t quit. When their Frostbite draws to a close, the South Jersey sailors bring out the model yachts – their radio-controlled Lasers. A growing group of RC Laser skippers, known as the West Jersey RC Laser Fleet, concluded their 2013 season with the Left Over Bowl, held the Saturday after Thanksgiving. This year the event drew 15 sailors from the mid-Atlantic region to compete in the cool November breeze.
Principal Race Officer, Jim Greenfield, and Star World Champion, John MacCausland, set the course and managed the 12 races. Jamey Betz, of Red Dragon Canoe Club in Beverly, NJ, led the regatta at the lunch break; but Rob Seidelmann of Cooper River put the pressure on in the afternoon. Seidelmann, who recently placed second in the USA Nationals in Oxford, MD, took the lead and won the 2013 Left Over Bowl at the Cooper River Yacht Club.
As the New Year dawns, the Jersey RC sailors are hoping the ice melts on the Cooper River. Fleet member and enthusiast, Victor Oberg, conveyed that the fleet wants to get some races in before they head south for the 2014 Snowbird Series to be held in Florida in late February. Specifically, this series includes: the South East Winter Regatta in Coconut Creek (Feb 23), the Snowbird Tune-Up in Punta Gorda (Feb 27), and the 11th Annual Mid Winter Championship in Marco Island (Feb 28 – Mar 2).
Meanwhile, the forecast calls for some very frigid temperatures. Surely, there will be a break in the weather before it’s time for the Snowbirds to fly south.
To join the fun, contact Fleet Captain, Jim Flach, at [email protected].
By Mary Anne Byrne
