Sailing on Stockton

Stockdale owns a sailboat cleverly named “Bizzniss.”

He’ll be out of the office on “Bizzniss” Sept. 22–24, participating in the 32nd annual Governor’s Cup Regatta – a series of sailboat races on Stockton Lake.

Stockdale participated in the regatta for the first time last year as a crewmember on retired Springfield architect Harry Rowe’s boat. They took second place in their division.

“It’s a great way to spend a weekend,” said Stockdale, who called Stockton Lake – about 60 miles northwest of Springfield – a first-class sailing lake in the Midwest.

The event has become a draw for Springfield-area businesspeople.

“Everyone … dials their boats up for the Governor’s Cup,” said Paul Nahon, a Verizon Communications sales agent in Springfield and commodore of Lake Stockton Yacht Club, which organizes the races.

The weekend features six races for four classes of boats and social events with food and live music.

Principal Race Officer Eric Peterson, owner of Peterson Wealth Advisors in Springfield, said he hopes 30 boats register.

Peterson, who has been sailing since 1979, said boats become extensions of their skippers. His boat is called “gratitude.” The lower case “g” is important, he said, because it shows humility.

Nahon has served as a crewmember on skipper John Cooper’s boats, “Cool Breeze” and “Quick Fix,” for the last six years, winning the Governor’s Cup each time. This time, he’ll skipper his own boat, “Miss Behave,” while Cooper, vice president of Harry Cooper Supply Co., plays crewmember on it or sails one of his boats sans Nahon.

“I have a great passion for sailing,” Nahon said. “I love being on the water and just working with the boat to get it working at its peak capacity. It’s a very complex sport.”

The race weekend will be a success if the wind blows at 15-miles-per-hour and everyone stays safe, Peterson added.

Want to participate?

Governor’s Cup Regatta on Stockton Lake

When: Sept. 22–24

What: Series of sailboat races and social events

Contact: Paul Nahon, Lake Stockton Yacht Club Commodore, (417) 459-6545

The Price to Play

Lake Stockton Yacht Club Commodore Paul Nahon, a 15-year veteran of the Governor’s Cup Regatta, said sailors could join Lake Stockton Yacht Club and participate in all of its races for $150 a year. Sailboats and basic equipment can cost as little as $5,000. Sailing lessons at Stockton Lake are available through Grand Mariner Yacht Service. The two-day course is $350.

Governor’s Cup History

The first Governor’s Cup Regatta was held on Stockton Lake in 1974.

The first Governor’s Cup, however, wasn’t awarded until 1975, because 100 of the 157 boats registered for the inaugural race capsized in swirling, 30 mile-per-hour winds. The first race was called off.

The annual regatta has gone smoother since then, and it’s become the highlight of Lake Stockton Yacht Club’s racing schedule, typically 25 races from April through November.

In 1975, Lt. Gov. William Phelps awarded the cup. The governor’s office isn’t involved now, though Lake Stockton Yacht Club Commodore Paul Nahon said he extends the invitation yearly.

Sailing Terms

Bow – The forward part of the boat.

Fathom – A measure of depth of water. One fathom equals six feet.

Knot – One nautical mile per hour.

Mast – The vertical spar in the middle of a boat from which the main sail is set.

Monkey Fist – A special and fancy knot, used to weight the end of a heaving line.

Nun – A red even-numbered buoy marking the right side of a channel when returning to port.

Pinching – Sailing too close to the wind.

Rake – The angle of the mast.

Scuttlebutt – Gossip or rumors, so called because sailors used to gather around the scuttlebutt, a cask for drinking water.

Tiller – A long handle attached to the rudder, which is used to steer the boat.

Wind Shear – The rate of change of wind velocity (direction and speed) per unit of distance.

Yaw – To swing or steer off course.

Source: JWorld sailing school, San Diego