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SYRACUSE – There was a shot that the Independence Day Regatta would be a dud. Winds weren’t predicted during the week to be very high, and sailors know the one element needed besides lake and vessel is the wind. The Wawasee Yacht Club ended up getting what it wanted with two spectacular days of sailing on Lake Wawasee as part of the Independence Day Regatta.

Friday opened the two-day sailing event, with the Lightning and E-Scow fleets taking to the course run across the vast waters of Lake Wawasee. The Fourth racing had several teams outside the top three in each points race make moves while the Sunday scene was dominated by the leaders and a very brisk easterly wind.

Dave Irmscher took honors in the E-Scow race Friday, beating out JB Vanmeter and Rick Lemberg to the buoy in the day’s only race. Returning Sunday, Irmscher would take second place in the second leg in a very close finish to maintain his second-place hold in the overall points standings. Bob Herdrich, on the strength of a second-place run in heat one and a win in heat two Sunday, claimed the top spot overall in the standings, holding at 2.00 average race finish. Irmscher is at 3.46 and Dick Tillman, who placed third in the second race Sunday, is just ahead (3.83) of Casey Call’s crew, which won the first leg of Sunday’s races. Call is sitting at 3.92, with Vanmeter in fifth at 5.15.

The Lightning races weren’t as impressive as the E-Scows, but still were important for the points standings. John Selby and Bill Allen went one-two Friday, but neither were able to crack the top-three in Sunday’s races. The top honor Sunday went to George Buckingham, who beat Brad Wagnon to the mark. Both days, third place went to Jeff Schmahl.

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The Lightning leader after the weekend’s races is Wagnon’s crew with a 2.38 average and close behind is a cluster of four teams. Buckingham and Schmahl are tied for second at 3.00, Allen’s group at 3.29 and Dave Wisler, which didn’t race Sunday, is just off the pace at 3.33.

The Wawasee Yacht Club, which also features Sunfish racing as well, hits the Wawasee water every Sunday at 10 a.m. It’s free to watch whether from boat or ashore, and the racers generally return to the Yacht Club on Trusdell Ave, Pier 640, after races.