[Public-List] It was another good one...

[Dominic Amann]

Thanks Gord, I for one hugely enjoy your race tails.

On 9 August 2018 at 16:57, Gordon Laco via Public-List <
public-list at lists.alberg30.org> wrote:

> Hello there -
>
> Last night’s race was another good one… so here’s the story.  I hope you
> folks enjoy these…
>
> I was toiling away in my messy office occasionally glancing out the window
> to be reassured by the tossing the trees in the very solid wind, and also
> to check the live squirrel trap in the yard.  We’ve had squirrels as
> tenants for a while, evictions have so far been only temporary.  Two years
> ago they were in the attic of the annex on the house that serves as my
> office - Old Ontario houses have what was once called a ‘summer kitchen’,
> and unheated outwork where cooking could happen when it was hot.  I’ve
> renovated the space to winterize it and how it’s a very pleasant workplace
> for me.    A pair of squirrels got into the attic there… I trapped them one
> at a time and deported them before sealing up the entrance they had made.
>  I reckon I didn’t send them far enough away because they came back and in
> turn sat outside the window by my desk chattering and snapping their
> tails.  I’ve read the latter is cursing in squirrel comms.
>
> This time they’re in the main attic… I caught one of them two days ago and
> took it further away, across the Wye River this time.  There was a rock
> blocking an old forest lane at the chosen release point, so I put the trap
> on the rock and opened the door.  The squirrel shot out like a torpedo
> being launched from a destroyer and raced into the forest with twigs and
> dirt flying up behind it.  I marked the spot about ten feet away from the
> three foot high rock so I can see if the next squirrel is as athletic…. I
> feel a little badly for them but I reckon I can’t let them live in the
> attic.
>
> Back the race.  At about 4pm I got a text from one of my regular crew
> indicating that he couldn’t come… but to compensate a new candidate said he
> could, so we still had three aboard when we cast off at 1800 for the 1830
> start.
>
> We got out to the start and were delighted that the NW breeze was still
> solid and blowing at about 12knts.  We caught the horns on our stop watch
> and crossed the line hard on the wind just as the horn blew… 5.5 knots with
> our arch rival SUNDANCER just to weather and aft a bit… our other arch
> rival MAID MARION risking a port tack start down at the other end.
> EVERGREEN, an Irwin 31 (I think)
>
> A flurry of shouting developed between SUNDANCER and VOODOO DANCER just to
> weather, the upshot being that VOODOO being forced over early and
> recalled.  I’m trying to find a pun about the ‘dancers’ but failing… so
> onwards.
>
> Having disposed of VD, SUNDANCER bore off a little coming down on us and
> basically smothering us.  I ragged the main to let them by then tacked
> across his stern… wahoo into clear air.  We got the boat going and in no
> time were up to the lay line for the mark, tacked back onto starboard to
> beat in toward it… there was the rest of the fleet, the whole fleet, coming
> up on port tack all pointing higher than poor SURPRISE can, but having
> sailed more slowly, all behind.  We got across all their bows… all of them.
>
> We rounded the windward mark in first place… forget handicap, there was
> nobody in front of us.  Steve our foredeck asked which side I wanted the
> spinnaker pole on - haha, I had to think because there was nobody with
> their chute already up to act as a guide.
>
> Anyway up went the chute (pole to starboard) and away we swung down to
> leeward.  We were caught by a Shark down there, but who cares, it was just
> a Shark.  We rollicked up on the next beat, this time tacking in a jot so
> as to sit on our rivals who were all inside again… I was worried about some
> fluke shift getting them and not us.  Always better to cover so as to
> remove chance when one is in the lead.
>
> Up at the windward mark we rounded in close combat with the Shark, (but
> who cares… just a Shark…) and up went the chute.  I was getting really
> excited, but my crew snapped at me ‘don’t start crowing yet, there’s a ways
> to go.  Don’t look back… just concentrate on driving…' and so on.
>
> But here’s where it all started coming apart.  We were still leading by a
> wide margin with only a Shark for company, but the wind was dying.  soon we
> were staggering along at only 2.2 knots dead downwind for the mark, and
> horror of horrors, this wasn’t the finish.  90% of the time our races are
> two laps… but this time, no doubt because the wind was so nice, the
> committee of the night chose the three lap choice as was their right.  And
> there was the card number indicating this displayed on the committee boat…
> I’d not noticed it before.
>
> Oh the horror. The trouble with leading is that one has everything to
> lose.  We had to round the leeward mark with half a dozen boats in close
> company and start beating again but this time in light air.  We finally got
> back up to and rounded the windward mark for the last time in close combat
> with many boats…but some had got ahead including SUNDANCER who was now way
> up there.  At least we held off MAID MARION again...  We finished well up
> in the fleet, but not first.
>
> Then the waiting for our PHRF adjusted results…
>
> The results were just posted… SURPRISE - 3rd.  Well that’s better than a
> slap in the belly with a wet fish.
>
> We’re going sailing up the coast next week four our annual holiday cruise,
> so will miss the next race…
>
> Gord
> #426 Surprise
>
>
>
>
>
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-- 


Dominic Amann

M 416-270-4587