RCYC Frostbite Regata

The day, March 23, 2013, was a beautiful day. The sun shown. The clouds parted, but the wind did not show up. It did for a while between 1:00 and 2:00 PM. It was enough to start some races but not enough to finish the cruising and another fleet races. We managed to stay close to the race committee boat for most of the starting sequences. The wind was very light and was just enough to stay out of the 150 foot exclusion zone at the starting line.

With the wind so light, we figured to keep close to the committee boat. Our course was R, the starting line, C, 14, B, R, the finish line. It seemed like a long course for the wind that was available at the time, but, hey, it should be fun. We managed to be the first over the start line and headed straight for the mark. We were crabbing all the way. We never made it to the mark. Two boats started from the finish line mark, which was 20 boat lengths upstream, and they made it to the mark only to stall. We watched them as we made it toward the mark, "C". The wind kept getting lighter and lighter until if failed completely. The closest we got to the mark was about 10 boat lengths. We finally anchored abeam another boat and waited for the wind or the mark boat to cancel the race. The mark boat won. The wind did not come up until 4:00 PM when we were back at Rose City Yacht Club eating lasagna and drinking beer.

I tried to get a track of the race. I have everything ready. But I have to change the settings on my netbook so that it does not go to sleep when the keyboard or mouse are inactive.

We shall be practicing a Thursday before the SYSCO Spring Series.

I thank my crew for all the work they did Saturday. Bill Ormand did extra duty with lower and raising the anchor twice during and after the race.

I shall be looking forward to this Spring Series.