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Sailing a Lightning in Sheboygan, what to expect? Overview of Sheboygan Harbor from the North, Blue Harbor Resort is on the South side of the Sheboygan River. Left to right, City launch ramps, red roof building is Sheboygan Youth Sailing Club, Sail Sheboygan, and Sheboygan Yacht Club.
Chart of the racing area. Just a short sail from the breakwater to the racing area. Sheboygan is located on the Western shore of Lake Michigan. It is a great place to sail and you should expect a variety of conditions. The facilities at Sail Sheboygan and Sheboygan Yacht Club are first rate. With access to six launch ramps and four hoists on site launching and retrieving your boat will be a snap. Do you remember the volunteers on ATV’s launching and retrieving boats in 2005? The same plan is in place for 2014. Our goal is to launch and retrieve the entire fleet in under an hour. Also, the benefits of fresh water will be fully reaped, without the need to wash boats after racing. The racing area is just outside the harbor so we will not waste too much time sailing to and from the course.
The average August day: (it’s always like this here) is 80 degrees with a sea breeze out of the south. This makes for some of the most pleasant racing you can imagine. Minimal waves, steady breeze, warm air, champagne sailing. The sea breeze can fill in on its own or help strengthen a light southerly gradient wind. Depending on the water temp, air temp, relative humidity and the gradient, the wind can be anywhere from 5‐20+ knots. Expect something on the lower to middle end of this range. In a sea breeze the right side (towards shore) of the beat is usually favored due to increased velocity and maybe a small right shift. If we have these conditions the RC may move the course a little further out in the lake to make for a more even course.
Speaking of water temperature, bring all of your gear. While the normal water temp in August is near 70 degrees it can all change in a hurry. Just ask Matt Burridge what happened when he jumped in the lake in 2005 without realizing that the lake had “turned over” overnight bringing some cold water to the top. I believe he climbed out of the water before he even broke the surface, if that is possible. If we have a sustained strong westerly wind it will blow the warm surface water over to Michigan and the cooler water from the bottom of the lake will come to the surface. Right where we are sailing! The water temp can drop from 70 to 60 in short order and the air temperature may do the same thing. Make sure to bring the appropriate gear.
The wind will probably not blow out of the east for long. If it does, you may be imagining it, be prepared for it to shift, die, or for a squall to spring up. This is not a common direction in the summer and the key is to keep your eyes open because something is going to change and usually quite drastically. If the wind blows out of the North to Northeast the waves will have a couple hundred miles of fetch to use with which to build up. They can get quite large depending on the strength and duration of the North wind. There is no set rule on which way to go in a North wind. Sea state on different parts of the course is often a factor. Quite often the direction of the wind and waves will be significantly skewed (this also applies in a Southeast gradient wind) you need to set up and sail your boat appropriately for each tack. The waves can get quite steep in the shallow areas of the course. I often find that the wind will shift more perpendicular to the shore which favors the left on the beats when wind is in the North.
If the wind is Southeast gradient offshore watch the shoreline. If it’s a sunny day look for puffy cumulus clouds forming over land that will tend strengthen and shift the breeze to the right. In this case the swells may be SE with a wind, and wavelets, shifted almost South. There is a long fetch in this direction with potential to build waves. The conditions might feel similar to San Diego…without the kelp. If the waves and wind line up, chances are it’s overcast, the sea breeze is not in play, and you may just want to play the oscillations.
If the wind is out of the West the real fun begins. Expect big shifts coming off the shore. The warmer the weather the bigger the shifts. A classic westerly will have wind from 5‐18 knots shifting through 40 degrees as you get closer to shore. You need to have patience in these conditions. Being on the right or left can pay and often both at the same time! Crossing the middle of the course can be deadly. The wind will be up and down and this will only be exaggerated as you get closer to shore. Trying to connect the puffs and staying somewhat in phase is key. Don’t give up, things change in a hurry in these conditions. The downwind legs can be somewhat easier, get in a puff and point the bow at the mark. It is very important to spot the puffs on the water approaching the windward mark. You may have to to gybe set into traffic if that is where the next puff is. Above all do not smash your hiking stick if you are on the wrong side of a 40 degree shift, you might need it when the wind shifts back and a 20 knot blast comes around the side of Blue Harbor Resort allowing you to cross the fleet and it would be embarrassing to be steering with your foot.
Current: yes there is sometimes current. The surface water of the lake tends to move in the direction of a strong sustained wind. It tends to pile up on one end of the lake and then move in the opposite direction when the wind switches or dies. A glance at the map will illustrate two other contribution factors. The lake is about 300 miles long and differences in atmospheric pressure from one end to the other can literally push and pull water. Also, the lake is relatively narrow here and the water gets squeezed a little magnifying that impact in Sheboygan. The particular mechanism in play on a given day is not important. What you need to know is that sometimes there is current, up to one knot at times, and it is usually fairly even over the course. So the rule is to always check for current. In all, Sheboygan is a beautiful place to sail, with varied conditions and convenient access. We can’t guarantee perfect sailing conditions, but we do guarantee a great time on shore and top notch race management. The volunteers from Sail Sheboygan and the Sheboygan Yacht Club are working hard to make this an event to remember. Todd Wake