Hospitality always wins

by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News
A flight from San Diego, a three-hour drive from Chicago, and we arrive at Lake Wawasee – the setting of the 2026 Championship of Champions. Twenty teams, all reveling from the glory of a one design class title, agreed to fight it out in E Scows, the 28-foot racecar of the Midwest.

Mastering this event was a steep climb. The scow is unique. Keep it on a rail. Don’t lose speed. Don’t oversteer. Alongside a scow expert import, our other three crew tend to have keels under us. We race oceans, not twitchy inland lakes. All the teams were in the same boat, just some more than others.

But what stood out beyond the daily storm cells, biscuits & gravy breakfast, flamingo races, bingo winnings, and our capsize (my fault) was grand prix hospitality. Classic Midwest! After two years of planning, Wawasee Yacht Club embraced us for taking the risk of traveling to their humble venue. Glad we did!

WYC memberships are all family in nature with around 60 full members, 8 junior members (25-32 years old), and 75 social members. They had about 55 volunteers, and it seemed like double that. Catered dinners every night except for when the membership provided their favorite plates. This little club won the Championship of Champions going away.