CENTENNIAL REGATTA
at 5.23.2011
by Cathy
The day started with unusual fog. It had rained the night before so the lake level was higher than usual and the dock was slippery in places. It was so exciting. This was my first regatta. All these sailors in all the different boats. Skipper's meeting was at 9:45 and I listened closely but still found myself confused when actual sailing began.
I managed to get my Butterfly out of the new north facing davit and rigged. A major accomplishment for me. The race started up near Jackson Point which is further away than where the Butterflys race. Just getting to the starting line wasn't that easy for me. I saw several others capsize just getting there. Well, at least one Sunfish. I am not sure what happened, but he had to be towed back. Catherine's Butterfly lost the mast. I am still not clear on what happened but that was at the beginning of the 1st race and I think she also had to be towed back. I don't think she managed to rejoin until the 3rd race after lunch.
For the 1st race, I discovered what it was like to be roaming around the start line with a lot of bigger boats. Oh my. The smaller boats (Butterflys, Lasers, and Sunfish) started first with a shorter course, then medium boats started next, and the larger Snipes and Flying Scots started last. Three separate starts. Both the medium and larger boats sailed the same course except the windward mark was further. The course was a W-2.
I managed somehow to start the race, got to the windward mark, turned to go downwind, and apparently my bowline knot holding the sheet to the daggerboard failed. Hmm. That must not have been a bowline knot then. Back to remedial knot-tying homework. I was sailing downwind with my mainsheet only attached to the very aft end of the boom. And it's rather difficult to thread it through the block at the end of the boom while sailing. Where was my crew to hold the tiller?
At one point Gene Soltero and his daughter, Karen, were heading straight for me but not looking at me. I started yelling to let them know I was not fully functional and they managed to narrowly miss me.
I couldn't think of much to do except to sail over haphazardly to the rescue boat and have them hold my boat while I rethreaded the main sheet. Whew. I wasn't really having fun yet.
For the 2nd race, I was again overwhelmed by all the big boats. I managed to get a very good start for me, by accident I'm sure, however someone was recalled and being so unsure of myself, I felt sure it must be me. My hearing loss is not helpful. I sailed a little out of the way to one of the committee boats and quizzed them and they said I was fine - it was not me. I talked to Frank about this later. He said, I should have just kept going. Anyway, there went the first good start I've ever had.
I learned a lot though and all during the second race I actually started having a lot of fun. I looked at the wind later and it was around in the 15mph range with at least one reported gust of up to 24 mph. I saw several capsizes with some able to right themselves and some not.
It was a blast, but after lunch I decided I had had enough fun for one day, so skipped the 3rd race and rode my bicycle around the lake instead. That was very fun to see things from a different viewpoint - though I just caught the very end of the 3rd race. All these beautiful boats, and by then it was not so very hazy.
I caught all of the awards ceremony and of course Cameron was thrilled to have crewed for Austin Kana who took 1st place in the Snipes. Austin is amazing! And he is staying with Cameron and me, so we are wearing him out with sailing questions.
Sandy accepted the award for 1st place and I originally thought he had won all three races. When I asked him about it he clarified, "Thanks! But actually I had a 1, 2, 1 - a sweep when sailing against Bruce and Frank would be next to impossible. I also have the Wind Gods to thank as I have an advantage when it is hiking conditions with gusts over 20." As if Sandy needed help from the Wind Gods!
Bruce placed 3rd in the Butterflys and apparently Frank did not hang around for the awards, so after accepting his own award, Bruce said, “I'll just stay here for 2nd place too." I think he means to give Frank his award.
