3-22-2014 Racing

by Pam

It's Wednesday already and racing on Saturday seems like a distant memory. Doug and I had spent the last couple of weeks taking turns unexpectedly driving each other back and forth to the hospital so it was nice to break that cycle and drive to the lake instead. We had duty with Phil who was kind enough to be our taxi driver and put up with our antics.

Unfortunately, the weather forecast was for rain right in the middle of our racing so we kept an eye on the storms around the area and did our best to cram in three races before lunch. We ran an Olympic and two short triangle courses and just ignored our various mistakes with flags and timing and shot from the hip with a 4 minute flag at 3:38 and finish to start line flag switched in the blink of an eye. There was just no time to start again because the rain was coming … and it finally arrived … today! Why oh why do we listen to weather forecast?

Bruce had been reading Improper Course with Doug's theories on sailing by the lee so he started each race with a quick raft up with the committee boat to pow wow with Doug. It must have worked because he won two races and got a second. Gary was having moments of brilliance and glory and looked like he would win a couple of races but then the wind handed him a different outcome. Burton was sailing his boat with its new paint job and it was just beautiful. He too was having some good moments and managed to get one bullet for the day.

Larry is a new member (at least to me) and I think I heard someone say that he was sailing his Butterfly for the first time. He started off at the back of the fleet in the first two races but ended with a third in the third. His performance for his third just endeared him to me. He pulled one of my moves right at the finish line where he dropped the tiller, spun around a few times, had his hat knocked off his head and added just the right amount of drama and excitement but got across the line to claim his third. At lunch he said he wasn't sure how that happened. I know just how he feels.

So, I see that the weather forecast is for more scattered showers this coming Saturday. I'm not buying it. It should be against the law for anyone to forecast rain for a weekend, unless, of course, it's a 100% chance for a 100% coverage. 

John with a shiny boat

Burton with a shiny boat

Bruce with a shiny boat

Larry with a shiny boat

Gary