SPRING DINGHYFEST AT RCYC

By Pam

Let’s face it, whether you were at White Rock sailing Butterflys or at Lake Ray Hubbard sailing among the Flying Scots, Vanguards, Sunfish, Lasers or MC Scows, Saturday was not a pretty day. I’m fairly certain the Butterflys exercised good judgment and didn’t sail on Saturday. I heard more than one sailor at DinghyFest indicate a strong reluctance to get out of a warm bed with it raining outside and the forecast looking like it would be with us all day. I think everyone can appreciate how special a cold, rainy Saturday can be. Well the turnout at DinghyFest was a testament to a sailor’s spirit. A little competitive and a little crazy but what I heard related among many was along the lines of ‘I wouldn’t have come if I hadn’t told so and so I’d be here.’ So, essentially, at the heart of what turned out to be a very wet and cold day, was a sense of friendship and loyalty.

In the end, RCYC wasn’t put off by the rain and got off three races on Saturday on the non-Scot course and the rain never stopped. We raced the first race and returned to the docks for lunch. Everyone and everything was completely soaked and it was cold. I sat in the car after lunch with the heater on and decided this simply wasn’t fun. I was wet and cold and had been overpowered in the first race and at the back of the fleet and when everyone started heading for their boats for more torture I told Doug “I see stupid people.” So after everyone headed off for more, I went to put my boat away for the day and sat and had a chat with Greg about the Sunfish overpowering situation. He gave me some advice that, the next day, showed in the final scores to be well worth my time to sit out two races to hear.

I then proceeded to the point to watch the end of the racing from the comfort of my warm, dry car. C.P. pulled up next to me with the radio on and we watched the beginning of the 3rd race. Three Sunfish over early that failed to go back (I just beat 3 boats). Then the wind started to pick up and boat after boat went over. Then boat after boat began leaving the course and heading in without finishing (and I began counting the number of Sunfish I just tied with). It was looking like my best (and most pleasant) race of the day. Now, this was my kind of racing.

Most folks made an early evening of it and headed home to dry out and get warm. The next day we were rewarded with plenty of sunshine and a decent breeze and for the first time this season, I wasn’t fighting the boat and realized I’d been in survival mode and hadn’t been sailing. My strategy for wind shifts had started to become tacking away from them and staying out of any wind I could see. It was nice to begin the journey back. Just for reference and because everyone said write it down … I’m 120 lbs, it was blowing about 10-12, my Jens halyard was down 13 ½" and my spar halyard was at 92 ½", my Jens hoist had slipped to about 14" and my gooseneck was set at 18. It felt like I was sailing a boat that was my size and when I pulled the main in, it actually came in and I had control. NICE! Can’t wait for the next event.

DinghyFest results: http://www.rcyc.org/?Dinghyfest%2FResults