1-22-11 RACING

by Pam

Another exciting day on the water (and docks). The sun was out, the temperatures were pleasant and the breeze started out slow and built until it had driven all but three of our hard core sailors from the course.

We managed to get in three good races with Burton winning the first race, Bruce, the second and Sandy got the third. These three were also the ones that stayed out for all three races. Doug was game but just as he moved into the lead in the last race on my boat she started talking to him and she was basically telling him he’d made his point and if he didn’t quit she was going to make hers. The 40+ year old girl just doesn’t take too well to winds over 15 and I believe the CSC website indicated the gusts were getting to about 24 in the last race.

We started with 7 boats and finished with 3. Doug started out double-handed with me on my boat for the first race. His skinny little world champion behind was just in the way no matter what he did. At one point, I swear we were going down the lake with the bow under water and the stern up in the air. I don’t know how, but we didn’t seem to be losing too much ground.

I sailed solo in the second race with Doug on the committee boat but didn’t fare any better by myself. Can someone tell me why my rig was bouncing all over on the reaches and runs? It was snug when I put the mast up but I had lots of forestay sag on the downwinds and the mast had way too much play and it seemed like I was going to lose the rig at any moment. Doug had the same experience in the third race. Any suggestions?

Dave exercised good judgment and left the course first. Amber wasn’t far behind but she had jinxed herself before the race. She’d been talking about the benefits of the flotation panel on her sail. Sure enough, she was given the opportunity to test it out (and it works great). Our race committee, Bob and Brad, went to her aid as soon as they saw her over in the harbor but two kind sailors at the docks had already pulled her from the water and, it appeared, dragged her across the docks on her belly and smeared her entire front with duck poop. Yet another good reason to have clean, dry clothes in the car (which she did). I was grateful to use the pretense of helping Amber de-rig as an excuse to get off my boat and let the rock stars battle it out in the breeze. Too bad I left Doug to sail a soft glamour girl instead of a real boat. It would have been interesting to see how things went.