By Mark Buchheit
Eight teams from three states gathered at the Indian Lake Yacht Club in Russells Point, Ohio for the 2026 I20 Summer Break Regatta.
Day 1 called for light air and overcast conditions and Mother Nature did not deviate from the forecast. After delaying the start of racing in the hope that better conditions/breezes might fill in, the fleet made their way out in the afternoon to begin the regatta. After a general recall for multiple boats being over early, the racing began in earnest. With light air and lumpy conditions, the fleet worked hard to keep the boats heeled and moving in the right direction. The lead boat changed several times as teams jockeyed for position while trying to avoid the inevitable holes in breeze that happen under these conditions. Joe Ewing secured the bullet in Race 1 as he was able to successfully hold off Jeff Patton and Aaron Lynn who were hot on his heels. Day 1 racing was completed after Race 1 as the conditions worsened and a storm front made its way through the area.
Day 2 called for solid wind and sunny skies. Mother Nature again did not disappoint. With consistent 8-10 MPH of wind and gusts in the mid to upper teens, Day 2 was an exciting conclusion to regatta. With multiple lead changes, Patton, Ewing and Lynn battled for victory in both races sailed. Day 2 though belonged to Jeff Patten as he took both bullets demonstrating that it’s never too late to win a regatta! Joe Ewing finished strong as always with two second place finishes and Aaron Lynn placed third consistently across the entire 3 races that were sailed. Several sailors commented on how fun and competitive the sailing was. No matter where you finished, there were clumps of boats competing until the finish line to stay ahead of the nearest competitor.
As is always the case in the I20 fleet, culture is king. People genuinely enjoy hanging with and sailing with each other. Expertise and sailing tips are readily shared so that all teams could see the growth and improvement in their sailing. People helped each other pack up after the regatta, knowing that some teams still had a significant drive home. Another fun aspect of this regatta was the multiple boats within individual families who competed (Jeff and Brook Patten. Aaron and Lizzie Lynn) and who all sailed marvelously.
While the 2 days couldn’t have been more different weather wise, teams got to practice light air sailing (and patience) and medium air sailing while enjoying the time spent together catching up, eating and sailing.
Special thanks for PRO – Pat Tynan from Indian Lake and his crew who made excellent decisions on the design of the racing courses and when the better decision was to get the fleet back on the hard before the storm did hit.
Thanks to all who traveled across multiple states to see the rebuilt facilities at Indian Lake and to the Indian Lake Yacht Club for being excellent hosts for a fun event.
| Skipper | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Final |
| Jeff Patten | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Joe Ewing | 1 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Aaron Lynn | 3 | 3 | 3 | 9 |
| Brook Patten | 5 | 4 | 4 | 13 |
| Lizzy Lynn | 4 | 5 | 5 | 14 |
| Mark Buchheit | 7 | 7 | 6 | 20 |
| Andrew Tudor | 8 | 6 | 7 | 21 |
| Stew Harris | 6 | DNS | DNS | 22 |
