[Public-List] Fall Regatta on Georgian Bay

[Bob Crinion]

Good yarn,
Keep em coming,
-bob

-----Original Message-----
From: public-list-bounces at lists.alberg30.org [mailto:public-list-bounces at lists.alberg30.org] On Behalf Of Gordon Laco
Sent: September-17-12 9:48 AM
To: Alberg 30 Public List -- open to all
Subject: [Public-List] Fall Regatta on Georgian Bay

Hello gang,

Had a great racing weekend, Saturday was the annual Fall Regatta at our sailing club.  Four races in a row and the air built all day till the last race was a real slog in heavy conditions.  My regular crew were all unable to participate so I was breaking in three new members... Two had never sailed before let alone raced a heavy yacht in a tight fleet and hard
weather.   We did well.  Nobody got hurt and we didn¹t break anything.

The start of the last race had to be the best I¹ve ever made.   We¹d had a
wild spinnaker take down at the end of the third race, and were still clearing up the disorder when the start sequence for the fourth race began.
To make a long story short, we missed the first gun and lost track of the count down.  I had to fall back on the old dodge of trying to time my start by the movements of a rival who I reckoned had a stopwatch in the hands of somebody who was paying attention.

At one point the mob was all away to starboard of the committee boat on port
tack, and we were charging along reaching after them.   Suddenly the whole
fleet ahead of us gybed onto starboard tack out past the committee boat and started stampeding toward the committee boat and us (we were on port about
midway along the line heading toward them)   My son Peter said Œholy crap,
it looks like they¹re starting!¹.    We ducked under one stern after another
desperately trying to get by them while waiting for a chance to join the
herd.    Suddenly an opening appeared, and there was nobody between us and
the committee boat.  I said to my crew Œ if the start is within ten seconds we¹re going for it!¹  and called for sheets in and we jammed up into the wind to go above the committee instead of below.  Just as I hardened up, heart in my throat because I had no idea when the start was, the gun went and we crossed the line first, in clear air, just skinning over the committee boat¹s anchor cable and doing nearly seven knots on port tack with the whole fleet going the other way all squabbling and messing each other up.  One of the guys on the committee boat was jumping up and down yelling ŒGo SURPRISE go!¹ as we slashed past, no doubt looking mighty heroic.
That¹s when I said to my crew Œnobody, none of us, must ever ever let anyone know this was just a lucky accident!¹

Gord #426 SURPRISE

PS had a great sail Sunday aboard WINDWARD;  we¹re looking forward to a rendezvous in a 2012 Misery Trip.
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