The Crossing 2007

The leaves will again be exploding in color, the waves will turn threatening and the spirit and comradery will peak high, but the Crossing will set sail on a new course for 2007. We have closed the door on the monumental 25 years of the Mille Lacs Crossing and abbreviated the name to simply The Crossing. We have a new logo for the sweatshirt, a new format for the course and as if the windsurfers weren’t crazy enough, we have officially added kites to the scenario.

Logistics has forced us to go to an out’n’back, similar to what we sailed last year. It will be a total distance of 16 miles, slightly longer than the average Mille Lacs Crossing. Besides the benefit of being able to square the course better to the wind, the out’n’back eliminates shuttling and certainly promotes the social element after the finish. Kiters will sail a parallel course to the windsurfers 100-150 yards downwind with separate turning marks, yet using the same finish line. We needed to limit the actual Crossing to 20 kiters, so we sent out invitations to a select group of 35, with the first to respond making the final cut.

Course racing on Friday and Sunday will give the windsurfers Mowind points for the 2008 season. On Friday, we will run the kiters with the windsurfers on the same course with a different start. Last year, one of our windsurfers actually kited with the other windsurfers on the same course and equaled the performance of the top windsurfer. On Sunday, we will run a boarder-cross for the kiters and/or possibly some form of jump contest. Kiters who didn’t qualify for the select 20 can register and compete on Friday and Sunday, as well as kite at the start/finish venue.

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Waconia Wind & Wave
The winds on Saturday teased and played with attempts to race. The three races before lunch could have benefited from hitting the water sooner, but the morning started out with laxadazical rigging and socializing. The wind faded shortly after the start of the 3rd race. Of course, it freshened up while the group chowed on lunch, but it took an extra 20 minutes to get the committee boat started and the wind faded again shortly after the start of the only afternoon race. But the spirits remained high as the crew gathered for the evening shrimp boil.

Sunday was a different story. The breeze fluctuated somewhat, but mostly stayed above 20 with gusts up to 30. Two races were sailed before lunch, with four more in the afternoon. The switch to a World Cup course made it a little easier for the sport fleeters and left Jeff Adamski and Steve Johnson smoking around the course so close to each other, you would have thought they were back on a tandem.

Open Class
1st-Jeff Adamski (Elk River, MN)
2nd-Larry Miller (Brainerd, MN)
3rd-Steve Johnson (Shoreview, MN)

Limited Class
1st-Peter Hartwich (Excelsior, MN)
2nd-Dave Chizek (Excelsior, MN)
3rd-Arnie Cleveland (Prescott, WI)

Women
1st-Kris Diller (Mound, MN)
2nd-Kelly Johnson (Shoreview, MN)

Sport Class
1st-Deb Ukura (Golden Valley, MN)
2nd-Piotr Waszczuk (Shoreview, MN)
3rd-Rutger Van Huber (Eden Prairie, MN)

REMAINING 2007 EVENTS

Sept 22-23 – Windpower Championships – Kevin Gratton – 920-922-2550 – Fond-du-lac, WI

Sept. 28-30 – The Crossing for 2007 – Michael Fox – 612-508-8083 – Lake Mille Lacs, Garrison, MN