While the fourth bi-annual land yacht racing regatta at Loring was another resounding success, the real story was BB Hredocik’s attempt on the 24 hour mileage record: sailing as many miles as possible in a BloKart in twenty-four hours. Local journalist Tom Hale sends us this fine report on the results:
More records fall at former Loring Air Force Base | Up North Motorsports

The wind forecast was looking iffy as the week approached, but Friday filled in early and bit blew all day and well past sunset. The wind clocked around to the west giving him a beam reach up and down the big runway; ideal conditions.

Here’s his Kart laid up the morning after, his base camp looking a bit worse for wear:

BB took the final puff at 2am, having started at 5am the morning before. Mike Dinning found him becalmed at the end of the big runway, towed him back with his car, and went to get the champagne that we had left chilling in a snow bank.

Summer came in fast and hot, but this snow survived in a shady corner of the big hangar. There’s beer cans hiding in there, too.

There was a nearly full moon that night which in addition to helping with the navigation leant a magical air to the expedition. Tyler Vroman and Jeff Rosenberry took advantage of the conditions:

We banged out ten races Friday as BB was chasing his record. Saturday was a light air day, and after a few races that were as much pushing as sailing we decided to call it a day and went for a tour of the control tower and the arch hangar.

Our Bunker Inn host Tim McCabe led the way up ten stories of peeling paint and dusty decrepitude. But the view form the top was breath taking.

From this angle it was clear that we weren’t using enough of our playground, so for Sunday’s racing we had the unlimited class running a figure eight course nearly to the bottom of the flight line, and the BloKarts a figure eight course encompassing about half the way down. Opinion was unanimous that this was an upgrade from our old courses, so as long as there’s wind we’ll be running longer courses next time.

It’s all sailable; everything is in bounds!

The acoustics in the arch hangar are so perfect that a well innunciated word would echo perfectly.

When this was built in the fifties it was the largest free span thin skin concrete arched roof in the world. It is in excellent condition awaiting a second life.

The wind filled in late afternoon in time for a sunset cruise:

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After the Saturday night barbecue and yet more moonlight sails, Sunday came in with a fresh breeze from the SE, overcast and refreshingly cooler. We ran three races in both classes before noon, just in time to fire up the grill for a fine bon voyage lunch of barbecue leftovers. We had set more champagne to chill in the snow bank for the trophies, but not even tough Maine snow can compete with back to back ninety degree days.

Each trophy was given a splash of bubbly, we had a hearty skol, and after a little clean up left Loring it’s solitude just as the clouds lowered and the rain came.

Missing below are Dan Clapp, 3rd in BloKarts and Jim Turner, 4th in Unlimited.

Regatta Results:

There is one correction above: in the BloKarts 10th and 11th are reversed. Richie has tenth, James eleventh.

Sailwave result docs here:
https://www.sailwave.com/results/Loring_Landsailing_Regatta_IV_May_2022.htm

In addition to the placement trophies, our intrepid and eternally optimistic Race Committee of One, Nina Fleming, assembled these awards from scraps and observations found on the flight line:

BAR NONE AWARD — Tyler Vroman
For the sailor who was most determined to keep sailing, even if it meant strapping a steel fence post to the underside of his plank. He set the bar high — or low — as it were

“RICH STRIKE” AWARD — Milo Fleming and Dan Clapp

For the sailor who started well beyond late, and against all odds still managed to find a hole in the pack and weave his way up to the front. 

MOONLIGHT BROMANCE AWARD — BB Hredocik and Mike Dinning

What happens in Loring stays in Loring! 

GENEROUS-TO-A-FAULT AWARD — Richie Bulboff

For the guy who always so generously shares food, water, and supplies — and also an endless supply of stories (!). 

WHICH WAY? AWARD — Mike Dinning

Three runways, endless options, a long moonlit night, and a figure-eight course will throw anyone for a loop!

RUNWAY STYLE AWARD — Bill Buchholz

This may not be Paris Fashion Week, but Loring has runways galore…and who says you can’t color coordinate your jumpsuit with your ride?!

366.1 WORLD RECORD — BB Hredocik

Deep bow to the long-hauler, who circled us endlessly. We may have been sailing a regatta, but we were simultaneously witnessing BB’s attempt at the world record. And once the record was in the bag, he still managed to get in one regatta race. Unbelievable. 

And cook us dinner:

See you in September!