The Crossing of 2008 was held September 26th to 28th.
The Crossing of 2009 was held September 25th to 27th.
Mille Lacs Crossing Winner’s Circle 2008
| Arden Anderson | ’05, ’06 |
| Carol Austin | ’90 |
| Kathy Burgess | ’92, ’01 |
| Mary DuBois | ’85 |
| Suzie Freeman | ’86 |
| David Gartner | ’87*, ’88*, ’90 |
| Meri Gagan | ’96, ’98 |
| Dennis Galatowitsch | ’95 |
| Brad Giswold | ’83 |
| Kevin Gratton | ’94, ’00, ’02, ’03 |
| Gary Hakala | ’92 |
| Jeff Hotvet | ’99, ’01 |
| Teran Hughes | ’93 |
| Dennis Jenson | ’84, ’87 |
| Teresa Jenson | ’86*, ’87, ’88 |
| Mark Kedrowski | ’96, ’97, ’98, ’04 |
| Mark Massman | ’85* |
| Ingo Merz | ’85 |
| Roger Mondale | ’86 |
| Dianne Nelson | ’91, ’93 |
| Tom Purcell | ’86* |
| Melissa Spoerke | ’95 |
| Kathy Tatro | ’00, ’02, ’03, ’04, ’05 |
| Lisa Velestuk | ’94, ’97 |
| Henry Wisnewski | ’91 |
(*) designates Pro
Click here for Mille Lacs Crossing finishers
HISTORY
In the beginning, there was only course racing. There were no harnesses and long-distance races usually consisted of just sailing a longer course as part of a regatta. But the basic appeal of the sport has always been a solo competition with the elements of nature. As the sport evolved, the enticement of long-distance sailing became more prevalent. The variety of equipment being sold was not always conducive to course racing. The time was right for the advent of the Crossing.
By 1982, Fleet 8 was well experienced in promoting course racing. They had hosted two regional championships and over two dozen local regattas. Several long-distance events had been considered, but none successfully completed. The 1982 season kicked off with the St. Croix River Run, a three-mile sail against the current from Bayport to Stillwater. It was followed the next week by the Trans-Tonka, weaving eight miles from Mound to Excelsior. While several docks along the way were designated as havens for weary sailors, the value of support craft was made crystal clear. While both of these events were successful, they were overshadowed by the premiere of the Tonka Crossing. Over 60 sailors were on the starting line in Excelsior, ready for the five-mile run to Wayzata.
The success of the first three events sparked an interest in crossing Lake Mille Lacs. Local sailors had only recently discovered this inland ocean that generated huge waves whenever the wind blew. The problem was that most of the time you couldn’t even see the other shore. In the first three events, sailors were never more than a mile from shore making it much easier to provide adequate safety. We needed to recruit local expertise. In early August, a chance meeting between Michael Fox and two local entrepreneurs from Garrison opened the door for the first Crossing. They drummed up local support and found us a launch operator.
Thirty-five of the area’s top sailors were invited to attempt the first Crossing. They arrived Saturday morning to find limited visibility with a chilly wind blowing from the northeast at 25 to 30 knots. While support craft made unsuccessful attempts to exit the marina, the sailors donned wetsuits and rigged for action. The rest of the day was spent either bouncing from wave to wave, or warming-up on shore, comparing notes on the wild conditions and who was handling it best.
Sunday morning was totally different, no wind. There was storm action on three different horizons and not a breath of air on the big puddle. Because a helicopter from a Twin Cities television station had arrived to cover a Crossing, it was decided to load equipment and sailors on the launch and hopefully find some wind in the middle of the lake to sail back on. After an hour and a half of pumping, paddling and floating, the sailors and equipment were loaded back on the launch and returned home. While the first year might have been unsuccessful as a crossing, it was very successful in securing a future for the event. Locals were impressed by the line of cars parked along the road watching the action on Saturday. Skepticism would eventually be replaced by enthusiasm.
The 1983 Crossing established Headquarters as our base. The visibility was not much better than the first year, but the decision was made to sail from H.J.’s on the east side back to Headquarters. Most of the race was sailed without any shoreline visible. It provided a good test for the support fleet and we had successfully crossed Mille Lacs. The third annual Crossing was attempted from Izaty’s on Saturday, but abandoned as the winds died. Sunday brought strong winds from the south and Headquarters was chosen for the start site. Compass error on the lead boat took the fleet south of the finish at Hunters Point resulting in everyone having to sail downwind in rolling chop.
The Crossing became a pro-am event in 1985 and drew 125 sailors. The four years as a pro-am provided some of the hottest competition amongst regional sailors. It helped establish our present three-day format for slalom competition. It also helped recruit sponsors that have been a mainstay in keeping the event going. Quiksilver became a sponsor in 1986 providing us with colorful, numbered bibs that help keep track of each sailor for safety and finishes. The Garrison Commercial Club joined the team in 1991.
The recruiting of launches was a challenge in itself. Captain Hook’s experience proved invaluable with the poor conditions of the ’83 Crossing. While he became dedicated to the challenge, securing larger launches was a year-to-year task. Lake Mille Lacs Resort joined the team in 1990 with the 73′ Flagship, the largest launch on the lake. When the need for a third launch was dictated, they volunteered a second launch from their fleet.
Since Lake Mille Lacs with its size has the ability to effect its own weather, forecasting from distant resources is suspect and the wind is seldom cooperative. It likes to change directions, twice requiring the start site to be changed after the skipper’s meeting. A wind switch after the start in ’90 required the finish site to be changed in the middle of the race. In ’91, it just up and died for over an hour in the middle of the race, leaving 60 sailors sitting on their boards, wishing they had brought fishing tackle. In ’99, the wind was supposed to shift from west to northwest, but it didn’t. To make matters worse, it shifted to the southwest during the start sequence. That eliminated over two-thirds of the fleet and pounded the support craft with huge, quartering waves.
In the first eleven Crossings, we relied on compasses and shoreline identification to find the finish. In 1993, we entered the age of GPS, global positioning satellite system. It allowed us to map the exact compass course between preselected start/finish sites. But human error was charged with the selection of a course that was far too downwind for the sailors to hold. Combined with the strong winds and big waves, the end result was sailors scattered all over the lake, many landing on various shores. No Crossing has ever dictated more changes needed than in 1993. Now, we use GPS on all our course boats to maintain a straight line between the start and finish. Course boats fly large, bright-colored flags that sailors can use to maintain course. The finish line on shore is also marked by a bright-colored banner.
High winds increase the challenge across the board, but none more than communication. While we have lost at least one radio in each Crossing, the spray and pounding from high wind may claim over a third of them. Many boats carry two radios and cell phones are also used for backup. High wind also hinders communication with the sailors. Horns and megaphones lose their range while sailors have to deal with noise from sails and just focusing on handling the conditions. In 1988, sailors couldn’t hear the starting signals resulting in a false start and free-for-all Crossing. Our best remedy to date is to give the start of timing sequences on shore and visual signals to watch for on the water.
With all that we’ve learned, the Crossing still remains an on-going education. With the dedication of our volunteer staff, support of our sponsors and enthusiasm of the sailors, the Crossing will continue evolve and get better.