1-25-2014 Racing

by Pam and Cathy

Just look at that smile! Saturday was the kind of day a sailor in August just hates but in the middle of January, it was simply marvelous. Cool temperatures, plenty of vitamin D to do a body good and a touch of a constantly shifting breeze that would challenge the best sailors in the world to figure out which direction it switched to from minute to minute.  Beats became runs and runs became reaches but who cared ... we were sailing in the middle of January and it was just beautiful.

There were only two races and a handful each of Butterflys and Lasers on the course. Burton and Cathy had race duty and did their best to set a decent course despite the wind swapping ends throughout the races. Cathy got some great photos which showed just how bright, crisp and clear the day was and even though the lake looked like glass at times, there was usually a little wind in the sails even if not on the water.

I must confess that I was only vaguely aware of what was going on around me.  When not doing a combination of yoga, twister and human origami on the front of Doug's boat, I was simply soaking up the sun and enjoying the day. Cathy has a much more informed race report:

In the first race the finishing order was Frank, Bruce, John with both Miles and Laurie finished in place. Laurie started late because she was having trouble rigging. This race was a W-3 with wind from the NW. I believe this is the race where several had trouble getting around the southern-most mark. That should have been the leeward mark but by that point maybe the wind switched enough for it to be windward.  

In the second race the finishing order was Bruce, Frank, John, Miles, and Laurie. We moved the race course to start in the northern end since the wind had switched to the S. Laurie had gotten a great start in that second race - which we shortened from a W-2 to a W-1-1/2 because of the light air. Towards the end of the pictures you can see her position - she was on the east side. The breeze came in from the west side and she tried to get there but could not. Frank saw what was happening and he was ahead so cut across to the W side to take the 2nd place. Apparently Bruce caught a good wind shift early on which is how he finished so far ahead of everyone else. 

While the air was light and everything was slow - it was still fun to watch the mark roundings, etc. Sometime in the 2nd race, Burton remarked on the different sailing of Bruce and Frank. Bruce's boat was flat and Frank's was heeled but they moved at the same speed.      

No one capsized which amazingly can happen in light air. No one had to be towed which we thought they might since there was such light air. And as usual, it was a pleasure serving with Burton and watching all the sailboats - a good number of Lasers as well as the 5 Butterflys.

Unfortunately my camera lens was not clean and sadly there are some spots on the photos.