Silent speed racers

Boat racing is back in Whitefish — albeit much quieter.

Thirteen sailors met at City Beach on Saturday with 14-foot single-man Laser Performance sailboats in tow for the first informal attempt at a regatta without noise.

Peter Aronsson and his wife Cheri, of Whitefish, organized the inaugural sailing event.

Scott Galbraith, an instructor at the North Flathead Yacht Club, took home the first-place trophy — a ceramic sculpture in the shape of a whitefish that the Aronssons found at a garage sale in Bigfork — after winning each of the day's two racing heats.

Aronsson said he had planned for six heats, but because of diminishing winds, only two races were feasible. Since this was an unofficial event — "A bunch of boaters meeting to sail in a triangle," as Aronsson put it — there were no race officials. This meant participants followed an honor system to disqualify themselves for racing infractions.

The second heat of the morning featured difficult conditions, Aronsson said, but he was able to jump out to an early lead on the 1.8-mile long triangle-shaped course.

Typically, morning winds blow across Whitefish Lake from the northwest, which means the first leg of the regatta was directly into the breeze.

Sailors tacked from side-to-side as they worked their Lasers from City Beach to a buoy near Bay Point. Despite Aronsson's early lead, he made a tactical mistake as he approached the buoy and was passed by Galbraith and, eventually, every other boat in the field.

"Every time you go out, you learn something new." Aronsson said of coming in last place after his early lead in the race.

Galbraith said he started the second heat in the back of the field, but he let the sails loose and worked the conditions to his advantage.

By the time Aronsson passed the first buoy, Galbraith was on the final stretch to the finish.

"The wind was pretty tricky," Galbraith said. "I just kept my boat moving."

In Laser Performance boat racing, tactics are vital for winning — even more so than physical prowess. It is a rare sport where men and women, young and old, can compete on the same field.

Since Laser boats are all built identically, the winner is determined solely by sailing skills, not equipment. Racers have to know where the wind is, and more importantly, where the wind is going to be later in the course.

Aronsson said Lasers are a real thrill because of their low profile. "You are only going six knots, but that feels really fast in a Laser," he said. "The waves are pouring over your head and it is like you are flying."

Race results:

1. Scott Galbraith, 2

2. Pete Young, 8

3. Doug Reed, 8

Mike Gilbert, 9

Bill Kahle. 12

Dale Bax, 12

Tom Able, 12

Peter Aronsson, 13

Kelly Mull, 16

John Frommer, 20

Bones Mohler, DSQ

David Mercer, DNF

Don Harring, DNS