Thirteen sailors stood on the shore of Gardner Lake, receiving final pre-race instructions. With a moderate breeze from the northwest and a clear sky, the time had come for the Great Lake Race in pursuit of the Gardner Cup. Five teams competed this year in two boat classes: Becca Demczuk and Nate McKenzie; Kate D'Amica, Christian Foxen, and Lauren Swain; Jayden Lococo and Molly Majewicz; and Jay Beal, Elana Brooks, and Sarah Neary competed in the JY class while Zak Heller, Tess Kalinoski, Colin Weber, and Chick BeVier raced on the Peggy Bee.

After a clean, fast start all four JY's headed north for their first mark. Soon they were out of sight of camp, hidden behind Crosby Island, but enjoying a firm breeze off their port bow. Eight minutes later the large-boat class started, and the Peggy Bee started her pursuit.

Halfway through the first leg the tight cluster of JY's -- barely five boatlengths separated the four boats -- headed eastward in search of stronger wind. Peggy Bee, with Zak Heller at the helm, chose to stick to her course, and by the time the JY's rounded the first mark, she was in the middle of the fleet.

The second leg brought our first separation of the race as JY1, skippered by Nate McKenzie, and Peggy Bee broke free of the other three boats and rounded the second mark a few minutes ahead of their pursuers.

On their way south to the third mark Peggy Bee stayed near the western shore while JY1 headed toward Howe's Island searching more favorable air. JY's 3 and 4, skippered by Molly Majewicz and Sarah Neary sailed side-by-side, fighting for every foot gained or lost as JY4 slowly slipped behind.

On shore, CITs Ryan Morrison and Thomas Ortiz had spent the afternoon plotting boat positions from radio reports on a table-sized map of Gardner Lake. Campers, counselors, and parents all stopped by frequently to check on the race. On the map it looked as if JY1 and Peggy Bee had an insurmountable -- and growing -- lead, JY's 3 and 4 were fighting for third, and JY2 seemed out of the running. There was plenty of race left, though.

While JY1 did find stronger wind farther east, the distance taken took its toll as only one minute separated her from Peggy Bee at the third mark. And then the wind shifted....

JY1 and Peggy Bee sat dead in the water a mere hundred yards past the third mark. JY's 3 and 4 rounded the mark and also stopped dead. Along came JY2, around the mark, and to a standstill. By this time, though, Peggy Bee's crew had deciphered the near-180-degree shift, let out their sails for a second downwind leg, and took a half-mile lead on the JY's. Eventually the JY crews caught on and adjusted their sails, but the damage was done. The race looked to be decided.

JY2, though, had other things in mind. Skippered by Kate D'Amica and crewed by Christian Foxen and Lauren Swain, they decided to head west in search of breeze. Ten long, quiet minutes of sneaking paid off as they caught a fresh wind before the rest of the fleet and made up their quarter-mile deficit. Soon the rest of the JY's were swept forward by the offshore breeze and caught up to Peggy Bee. A half-mile to the finish and it was a horse race once again.

Onshore the second afternoon period had ended, and the entire camp was assembled on the beach, waiting for their first look at the finishing boats. Some scrambled over rocks along the water's edge, some cut through the trees and watched from Crosby Point. Soon cries of "Grey" and "Green" filled the air as fifty-odd spectators could see no separation among the boats. Tom and Ryan continued to relay radio information, and every update brought a new boat order.

As all five boats converged on the finish line with mere boatlengths separating them, nerves frayed and tensions rose. JY's 1 and 3 had two boatlengths on the rest of their competitors: JY3 crossed the line a few inches ahead of JY1 and garnered line honors. One minute later JY's 2 and 4 and Peggy Bee approached the line. Cries of "starboard!" and "head for the pin!" echoed across the lake as JY2 found room on the east end of the line to finish third, followed by Peggy Bee and JY4.