The 2006 Inland 20 National Championship was truly a regatta to be remembered. With a season plagued by light winds, this weekend was the exception, with some great breeze, wonderful downwind rides and great racing. The regatta championship came down to the last race and the tiebreaker made the final difference. That is close racing and made for some great smiles on the racing teams at the end of the event.

Madison, Wisconsin is the core of the I-20 racing scene. This year, there were 10 different lakes represented from all over the Midwest. A total regatta turnout of 32 boats makes this one of the largest national regattas to date and the fleet is growing. Class president, Grant Frautschi, along with the support from all of the rest of the Inland 20 board, Lake Mendota Yacht Club and all of the sponsors and volunteers for this event, put on quite a show that started with the first ever Junior National Championship. This one-day event was hosted the day before the racing began with junior skippers on the boats. This year a father and son team of Steve Catlin and Geoff Catlin took home the championship. Steve is the normal crew for his father on the I-20 and took full advantage of his familiarity with the boat to capture the crown. This is a great idea for the fleet and will continue to gain momentum for 2007.

The schedule of events for this event included a wonderful and exciting Pirate theme that was portrayed in the regatta T-Shirts, social events, and decorations. The I-20 fleet has some great competition, with some of the best sailors in the Midwest and the boat also allows for many father and son teams, husband and wife teams along with several top women skippers. Just this year, three of the top five boats had a husband and wife team and second overall was a female skipper. This shows the ability of the Inland 20 to be raced by all people at a high level. The rest of the fleet also had some great duos with a family atmosphere all around the event. The venue allows for a true family location, where you can bring your children, wife and entire family. The regatta organizers are set up for some great family friendly social activities that are fun for everyone involved.

For those of you not familiar with the Inland 20, it is a 20-foot tunnel hull scow with an asymmetrical spinnaker. The mast is a carbon fiber extrusion and a backstay is used as a depowering device. The boats are built by Windward Boatworks and owner John Hayashi, who is also an active member of the fleet. Sails are produced by Quantum Sails in Delafield, Wisconsin. The fleet has been growing in the Midwest for the past ten years and several new boats have been produced each of the last five years. The greatest aspect of the boat is that many skipper and crew combinations can be successful and the overall weight sensitivity of the boat is minor. The asymmetrical spinnaker makes sailing the boat a bit easier than a traditional spinnaker and lends for some fantastic planning conditions when the breeze is up.

The 2006 regatta was a three-day event. The racing began on Friday afternoon and two great races were held in medium wind conditions. Steve Scheck and Leigh Leonard showed that they would be one of the teams to beat. Local Madison sailors that have been racing the I-20 from the beginning of the class and the M-20 before that claimed the first Friday race. Close behind Steve were other top contenders. Second in the first race were Emily Green and Miles Clark, also of Madison, Wisconsin. Emily has won two ILYA Championships and was a top contender to take the National Championship crown. Third in race 1 was Aaron Lynn and Keith Rosenbaum. Aaron is from Oshkosh, Wisconsin and races on Lake Winnebago. Race 2 saw some new people at the top of the fleet with Aaron Lynn winning this one, followed by Willie Crear and Suzie Sternkopf. Willie came down from Minnesota to race a chartered I-20 and had Suzie, a Pewaukee Lake native crewing for him. Third in the second race were Jim Gluek and John Davenport. With many different people at the front of the fleet, the regatta was still up for grabs. Several teams were looking for a throwout if all 6 races were competed. Following some great racing on day 1, the fleet was treated to some wonderful social activities.

Day 2 dawned to a forecast of big wind and the weatherman was correct. Breeze was forecasted for 20-30. The fleet didn’t see quite that much wind, which allowed for some racing to be completed. Aaron Lynn showed his might with race wins in race 3 and 4. I am sure that his experience with sailing in big waves from Winnebago helped him sail the big waves and wind on Saturday. Emily Green was once again right behind with two seconds in race 3 and 4. Kyle Metzloff and his wife, Liz had been sailing consistently for the entire event and was looking to make a move into the top five. Steve Scheck, Joe and La Cinda Terry, Stefan Schmidt and Grant Frautschi the 2005 National Champion all still had top five aspirations. Saturdays racing was ideal for the I-20. Planing downwind conditions are what really makes these boats fun. Several wipeouts were present and the third race of the day had to be abandoned as the wind reached the class limits. Either way, the fleet had a great day of racing and the photos will show how great big wind can be in an Inland 20.

Day 3 had more of the same in the forecast. Big wind, with the chance of thunderstorms as the day progressed. The top of the regatta standings was tight with Aaron Lynn holding a lead over Emily Green. The fifth race would determine the regatta champion. Emily sailed a good race and finished third. Aaron and his team had their toughest race of the event with a 9^th place finish. Both Aaron and Emily completed the five race series with a total of 15 points. The tiebreaker would determine the 2006 National Champion. Aaron held the tiebreak advantage with those three crucial race wins, while Emily had seconds and thirds and a worst race of 6, to sail an incredibly consistent regatta.