What a fun time on the water Saturday for the Neuse Sailing Association’s anniversary race. Pretty decent winds for the 3pm start from Oriental marker #1 to Garbacon Shoal marker to the Adams Creek marker then back to O-Town. About an hour and fourty minutes later we had a winner. Had an excellent crew menber and fantastic helmsman, Bill Lovelace. Don’t let his proper and mild-manner terperment fool you, he’s like Wolverine on the water. “SHEET IT IN, SHEET IT IN!!!”.
Mike always says that racing makes you a better overall sailer and that is definitely true. I learned much this past Saturday like “how in the heck did you guys point so high?” Pointing definitely helped us as we didn’t have to tack to the Garbacon marker. But on the downwind, it convinced me that I now need a whisker pole to keep that headsail out. Though after rounding Adams Creek marker, we dug in for the stretch to Oriental #1. Inteesting about racing makes you a better sailer as we had to ease out the main because we were heeled over way too much, too much wetted surface. As soon as we eased it out we picked up speed. Next challenge was trying to spot the marker that’s coverd birds nests in grey.
Oh, thouse sounds, those worrying aweful sounds of things creeking and popping as you’re tightening up on everything, trying to eek out a 1/4 knot more. Everything is spring tight, nothing left to winch. It’s amazing the stresses that the standing and running rigging takes. Just a thought as I reflect on those popping sounds.
We won’t talk about the protests or start times for a pursuit race though as I have a bottle of rum ready to share at Ocracoke for me penalty 😉
L u k e n . o r g 