Come Play on Anchor Bay
The History
The Beginning
Racing / Sailing Now
The Beginning
I raced the 70's on a Cal 25 in Anchor Bay, pleasure sailed my Ranger 26 in the 80's and got back into racing with the C&C 32 in 1991. Kathy always liked the water and had sailed a couple of times before we met in 1991. We started racing together in 1995 as a doublehanded team racing Jib & Main. After the 1999 season we began racing doubl
I raced the 70's on a Cal 25 in Anchor Bay, pleasure sailed my Ranger 26 in the 80's and got back into racing with the C&C 32 in 1991. Kathy always liked the water and had sailed a couple of times before we met in 1991. We started racing together in 1995 as a doublehanded team racing Jib & Main. After the 1999 season we began racing doublehanded spinnaker (against fully crewed boats). We wanted more of a challenge and more boats to race against. We enjoyed the complete focus of our doublehanded sailing and we really know we have had a workout at the end of a race.
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Boat Basics
Racing / Sailing Now
The Beginning
Desire is a 1981 C&C 32 that is owned by the husband and wife team, Michael Clow & Kathy Pitus. We club race on Anchor Bay (Lake St. Clair) and belong to North Star Sail Club, Albatross Yacht Club and Charlevoix Yacht Club. The boat is docked at NSSC (by the flag pole) on the Clinton River.
The boat is set up for doublehanded spinnaker rac
Desire is a 1981 C&C 32 that is owned by the husband and wife team, Michael Clow & Kathy Pitus. We club race on Anchor Bay (Lake St. Clair) and belong to North Star Sail Club, Albatross Yacht Club and Charlevoix Yacht Club. The boat is docked at NSSC (by the flag pole) on the Clinton River.
The boat is set up for doublehanded spinnaker racing which means there is a Harken roller furling unit, lots of mechanical advantage, line adjustable jib sheet car leads, hot box control lines are also accessible from the mast and the cabin mounted main sheet can be lead aft for helmsperson access. Kathy drives and calls the start (after a mutually agreed upon general strategy). I work the sails & make the boat go fast. Until about four years ago I claimed to be the oldest-biggest foredeck man in southeastern Michigan (250lbs + 67 years + 78" height = 395 foredeck units); I am willing to do a Samurai Douse.
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Racing / Sailing Now
Racing / Sailing Now
Racing / Sailing Now
After the 2004 season we decided to start racing with a full crew. We felt we had reached a plateau (usually in top 1/3 of fleet in club racing) in our doublehanded racing (against fully crewed boats) and wanted to get fresh input and also be able to hone more of our sailing skills. We have been fortunate to sail with great crew!! We loo
After the 2004 season we decided to start racing with a full crew. We felt we had reached a plateau (usually in top 1/3 of fleet in club racing) in our doublehanded racing (against fully crewed boats) and wanted to get fresh input and also be able to hone more of our sailing skills. We have been fortunate to sail with great crew!! We look for people who first want to have fun and then sail efficiently. Good race results follow if we have fun and sail smooth & efficiently. Our crew of the last few years are very experienced and enjoy the fun & winning racing on Desire. Check them out below . . .
The TEAM
Michael Clow , Co-Captain and "Frontier Land Warrior"
Michael Clow , Co-Captain and is one of the few owners who does not like to drive, "it's boring".
I get a rush out of sailing doublehanded spinnaker with Kathy. Otherwise I would just as soon be forward of the mast. As owner of TheYachtsman.Com I enjoy testing new apparel on the boat.
Kathy Pitus, Co-Captain & Fearless Driver
She loves to mix it up at the start and mark roundings.
When doublehanding with Michael she can handle the helm, sheet & guy during a beam reach to beam reach spinnaker jibe. So she is not just a pretty face.
Reid Pouliot, Long Time Racer
He lives on the Clinton River and has great local knowledge of Anchor Bay. His great uncle raced in the first Mackinac Race in 1926 so he is a third generation competitive sailor. He brings Big Boat racing experience and speed tweaks to us with quiet confidence.
Jim Baker, a,k.a. Homo suesuss
He has been our tactician and secondary driver many race seasons. He has the ability to give us the most important information in a manner that makes sense to the entire crew. And he has a sixth sense about wind shifts and keeps us in the right spot with speed.
J.T. Monaghan, Cat Like Bowman
J.T. Monahan comes to us from Turn The Page, the 2007 Mackinac Cruising Division winner. He quickly learned how we work our bow & is helping us improve our "Frontier Land" work and spin trim.
James Mowbray, Foredeck Magician
He is quick learner who can work most positions on the boat. He is always a big help when we do windward/leeward races. He has learned the front end of the boat and brought his One Design foredeck skills to Desire.
Brian Linman, Rock Solid Crew
Brian is a solid small lake Hobie sailor who is learning all the crew positions. He jumps in whenever needed. He has been always available and was a huge help to us with spring boat prep.
John Quinlan
John joins us periodically for weekend Invitations and the Fall Series. He is an excellent trimmer and all around sailor. He brings long time experience from the C&C 30-2, Chilli Pepper and the J105 Pteryldactl.
Max Kirchheim
Max joined us for the 2015 Fall Series. He was visiting the USA from Germany for three months this fall while doing post MBA work locally.
He sails out of Kieler Yacht Club and was immediately a great trimmer. He also did a great job driving a light air leg in the 2015 GLYC Fall Series. We look forward to subsequent visits to the USA. And we are planning a trip to the Kiel area in 2025.
Lynn Jeffery*
*Lynn Jeffery sailed many Anchor Bay Fall Series with Desire. He got "hooked" on Tuesday night racing. He was a very talented jib & spinnaker trimmer who had the ability to work well with the helmswoman (she won't listen to me).
He brought long time sailing experience to the boat from his prior campaigns with Tiki II & Rush. *Lynn passed away in early October 2013
Lorraine (Mom) Pitus*
Mom Pitus crewed with us once or twice a year when she came north from Florida to visit. She provided a huge psychological advantage because we told the competition that we had a "Rock Star" comming up from Florida.
PLUS we seemed to win more with Mom Pitus because we sailed a little less aggressively. Mom had a rock solid stomach and was able to go below in weather that made the rest of us quezzy. Mom passed early in February 2022.