Larry York and Michael Mitchell break the line.	Paul Weintraub, James Kramer and Bruce Monnin man the lifeboats.

Both new and familiar faces came to play in the three Heats.  The Demo attracted six players to this old warhorse - proving that every game is new to somebody.  Changing the format (to multiple Heats, "B" status, two hands only with tiebreakers, only [and all] Winners advance to the Final) worked well in reviving flagging attendance figures.  Limiting the games to two hands was necessary to allow players to participate on Sunday in the face of travel plan time crunches. The "old hands" were pleased that Enemy in Sight was being played in multiple heats on three different days, yet remained a last chance option on Sunday.  Some of the two-hand heats had winners with over 100 points.  One heat had a player with 107 points after one hand.  As expected, he was reduced to no line ships and lost points by the end of the second hand. Methinks the VC need to be adjusted to declare a winner as the first to 100 points or the leader after two hands - whichever occurs first. Tiebreakers were used on two occasions, prizes being the determinate in both cases. The three-hour time slots were necessary, as several games took longer than two hours to complete the two hands.

Many of the 42 players participated in more than one heat.  Apparently, the Evinger clan considers EIS an annual "must-do" event at WBC, as five appeared for the Sunday Heat. Seven of the ten qualifying winners appeared for the Final on Sunday at noon. 

In the Final, play was swift and deadly. At one point there were three Break-the-Line cards and one Blockade in play.  The first hand saw Evan Hitchings gain 41 points, only to lose15 of them in the second hand and not score another point.  The special rule which eliminated the lowest score at the end of each hand of the Final speeded play more and eliminated Joe Burch in the first hand, and Hitchings in the second, who thereby claimed sixth place laurels by avoiding the first heave ho.  Five remained for the third hand which was bloody.  As usual, those who needed Refuse Battle cards couldn't find one, while one player, with no prizes, had three.  Prizes were taken, then snatched away, and then boarded and taken again!  Matt Evinger couldn't win a boarding party despite deploying extra cards - three times in a row!  Since many Prizes were scored, potential winners played Sink the Leader.  Scores were racked up at a furious rate.  Matthew Bocho, (who won the first heat with a tie-breaker,) took six prizes.  He scored 58 points in sunk ships in the third hand to sail away with the title. 

A special treat was the award of a Winner's Medal from Lost Battalion Games. 

Finalists battle in an empty hall in Sunday's last chance at wood.	Matt Evinger and Michael Ussery trade broadsides.