WOW! What an awesome day on the water!

The Admiral couldn’t have ordered a better finale to our RC Laser racing season.

The rain held off, the wind was plentiful, and everyone arrived dressed for the occasion. With a mixture of C and D sails, we knew this wasn’t going to be an afternoon for the faint of heart.

We managed to complete nine races, starting with six boats and finishing with just three. Apparently, the heavy winds ordered by The Admiral were a little harder on the equipment than anticipated. Batteries, rigging, and mechanical parts all have their limits—and Sunday we found a few of them.

But the real excitement was in the standings.

The Battle for the Overall Championship

Coming into our final afternoon, Anne held a narrow lead over Tim Follette, with Richard Phelps and The Admiral still within striking distance.

Every race mattered. Every point mattered. And with the season championship on the line, nobody could afford a bad finish.

After Race 1, the standings showed:

Anne – Tim – Richard Phelps

After Race 2, The Admiral moved into third:

Anne – Tim – The Admiral

That order held through Races 3 and 4.

Following Races 5 and 6, Richard reclaimed third place, and after Race 7, he moved into second.

By the end of Race 9, the final order was:

Anne – Richard – Tim

And that’s how the season ended!

Final Overall Standings

|Place|Sailor      |Points |

|-----|------------------|--------:|

| 1st|**Anne**     |**3,756**|

| 2nd|**Richard Phelps**|**3,708**|

| 3rd|**Tim Follette** |**3,702**|

|4th |**The Admiral** |**3,688**|

Just 68 points separated first from fourth!

Congratulations to Anne, our Overall Season Champion! She held off a determined fleet and proved that consistency, good sailing, and perhaps a little charm can go a long way.

Richard deserves special recognition for moving up two positions on the final day to finish second, edging Tim by just six points even though he filled his battery cabin with water during the sixth race leaving him out for races 7,8and 9. 

Tim, who was absent for the finale, slipped to third overall. Apparently, even a commanding lead isn’t always enough when you give the competition one last opportunity.

And The Admiral? Well, fourth place isn’t bad for someone who spent much of the season rescuing boats, recovering lost keels, investigating suspicious equipment modifications, and negotiating with the Weather Gods.

Summer/Fall Series — Final Results

The Summer/Fall Series told a slightly different story, with low-point scoring determining the winner.

|Place|Sailor      |Points|

|-----|------------------|-----:|

| 1st|**Tim Follette** |**79**|

| 2nd|**Richard Phelps**|**89**|

| 3rd|**Anne**     |**90**|

|4th |**The Admiral** |**92**|

Congratulations to Tim, our Summer/Fall Series Champion!

Richard once again played the role of bridesmaid, finishing second—this time just one point ahead of Anne.

And The Admiral finished only three points behind Richard. Three points! Somewhere during the season, there was undoubtedly a missed mark, an unnecessary penalty turn, or an equipment failure that made the difference.

Which brings us to an important lesson:

Every race counts.

One or two better finishes anywhere along the way could have completely changed these standings. Something worth remembering when we start fresh next year.

The Real Winners

While the trophies and bragging rights are important, the best part of our season has been the friendship, laughter, competition, and occasional chaos that make Sunday afternoons at the South Dock so enjoyable.

A sincere thank-you to everyone who participated, helped set marks, retrieved boats, kept score, provided refreshments, and contributed to another wonderful season.

And speaking of refreshments…

Mike’s brownies were apparently Anne’s favorite fuel for winning the overall championship.

Richard’s tequila was definitely an Admiral favorite, although it didn’t seem to improve his position in the standings.

Perhaps next year we’ll reverse the refreshments and see what happens.

We’ve had weeds, missing antennas, forgotten boats, runaway sailboats, broken equipment, surprise victories, and more than a few questionable racing excuses.

But most importantly, we’ve had a lot of fun together.

Thank you all for another memorable season.

Until next year, keep your batteries charged, your keels attached, and your excuses ready.

Fair winds,

The Admiral!!!!!!

Quote of the Day

“Championships can be won or lost by a single race. Unfortunately, The Admiral had several he’d like to sail over again!”

It was about as perfect a day for RC racing as we could ask for. Even Anne was enjoying a few wins and the weather. The wind came out of the west at times, then the south, occasionally the north—but never the east. Apparently, even the wind couldn’t decide which course we should be sailing.

The Admiral started the afternoon in familiar fashion—with a rescue due to his continuing antenna problems. Having had enough, he came up with a simple solution: use Neil’s boat.

Of course, that’s not exactly how it was explained to Neil. The Admiral merely offered to “check out the settings to make sure Neil’s transmitter was properly set up.”

Four races later, Neil finally got his boat back.

The Admiral’s extensive equipment test resulted in two wins, a second, and a third. We’re pleased to report that Neil’s transmitter appears to be working just fine.

With the wind staying away from the southeast, weeds were thankfully minimal. And with the threat of pre-race inspections hanging over him, Tim apparently returned to his standard-class keel instead of last week’s suspected weed-cutting model.

Tim also seemed to have developed a problem throwing out his usual string of bullets. We suspect he was simply being charitable and decided to let the rest of us win a few races. Very thoughtful of him.

But the highlight of the afternoon belonged to Tim and Jay.

With the wind coming out of the south, the two somehow managed to lock their sails together. Rather than separating, they formed what could best be described as a two-boat sailing catamaran and headed north.

By the time the rescue boat was launched, Tim and Jay had sailed completely through the mooring field and were making excellent progress toward the north end of Canandaigua Lake.

Eventually, the rescue crew caught them and returned both boats to civilization. Unfortunately, this required considerably more rowing than The Admiral considers reasonable.

Therefore, effective immediately, a new fleet regulation has been adopted:

Any boat requiring rescue beyond the mooring field will be subject to a rescue fee.

Cash, wine, or other suitable compensation may be considered.

That much rowing is tiring.

Another great afternoon of racing—and further proof that with this fleet, you never know where your boat will finish. Sometimes not even on the racecourse.

Quote of the Day:

“They’re past the mooring field… somebody get the damn rescue boat.”

RCs' social gathering held July 19th, 2026 was a great success. Thanks to everyone who helped make the event happen !!!!!!