STINKY AIR! June 4th Trophy Race and Sock-Burning

Photos Courtesy of the GYC Photo Committee: Lisa Duret, Jack & Sandi Miller and Julia Schroeder

Our first race of the season was well-attended with nine boats (six of which were Lasers) and six Committee Boat volunteers.  The protest meeting attracted a crowd and we burned lots of smelly socks at lakeside as a rite of spring, with hopes of not wearing any the rest of the season.  

THE BEST SEATS FOR THE RACE:

Thanks to our Committee Boat volunteers Jack & Sandi Miller, Steve & Gretchen Fisher and Harry & Sandy Meshberger who did their usual first-rate job, flawlessly executing the procedure as if they had been officiating races all winter.  And to Bob Orben who kept an eye on us from his wooden boat “At Last” and thus was able to provide comments on race strategies at the protest meeting.
 

A familiar sight with this particular Committee Boat team:  A checkered table cloth and lots of great food.  We are told the menu this time was salami / cheese appetizer, seafood pasta salad, BBQ chicken wings, lemon bars, and some beverages. L to R:  Jack & Sandi Miller, Sandy & Harry Meshberger, and Gretchen Fisher.

 

Gretchen and Steve Fisher.  Steve contemplates licking the plate.  The long races (see below) gave our volunteers plenty of time to finish their leisurely lunch before recording our finishing times.  We think they saved desert for the second race.

Shortly after start of 1st Race.  Bob Orben (wooden boat "At Last" in the middle) keeps an eye on the fleet.

THE RACE
We had promising winds at the start of both races, only to experience lots of random and changing dead spots after rounding the first mark during both races.  Boats that were within 50 feet of one and other were treated very differently when the wind picked up. As a result we had a very spread out fleet with sails sprinkled all over the course around the main body of the lake.   It was a warm day.  One of our sailors employed a “beer assistant” to make a speedy visit alongside his boat after the two races had concluded.  The rest of us waited for refreshment at the protest meeting.  Race Results are way down below:

Race Chairman Kevin Preuss arrives to compete and make the tough calls

Tom Jennings goes under the "limbo stick" ("boom").  We have an entire "limbo collection" in the right (starboard) column, way down at the bottom, complete with limbo music.

Sailors are in position near the line, keeping an eye on their stopwatches, waiting for the start after the "5 minute warning horn".  In foreground are John Auld and Paul Hass.

Okay, the starting horn was blown and now the sailors are off to the first mark.

Schroeder (left) follows the time-tested strategy of doing whatever Jim Voelz (right) does.

THE PROTEST MEETING AND SOCK BURNING:

The protest meeting was very well attended with some new faces, some little ones, and lots of food.  Some of us were able to skip dinner.   We gathered around a fire pit next to the shoreline and conducted our first sock-burning.  This rite of spring ritual for sailing clubs (aka “yacht clubs”) was allegedly begun about a century ago by the Naval  Academy at Annapolis to get rid of stinky socks worn all winter, and celebrate the ability to go sockless until fall (off-duty we presume), but there are many other versions of the ritual's history.  Regardless,  we are in favor of fun ways of celebrating the arrival of warm weather.  Here is the poem that Dianne Fisher read as we burned socks:

“Goodbye to winter,

Only deck shoes we wear!

For the socks we are burning

Leave a stink in the air!”

Sock-burners hold up their stinky socks (and hold their noses) prior to burning

The Voelz grand kids were particularly excited about the “sock-fire” that they had been looking forward to all day.  They were proud to be able to burn the tiny socks they wore long ago "when they were little”.   

Oops, she overshot the fire when throwing the pink sock in the foreground.  This was quickly corrected before brewing disappointment set in.  The smoke was not pink in case you are wondering.

Thanks to Arlene Truex for bringing the sock burning ritual to our attention,  and for hosting us!  Thanks also to all who pitched in on set-up and clean-up.

NEXT SCHEDULED RACE:

Sailors have next Sunday "off", then we’ll have two race Sundays in a row on June 18^th and June 25^th.   Beginning sailors and volunteers are always welcome.  We will help you get started.   Meanwhile... 
STAY SOCKLESS MY FRIEND!

RACE RESULTS FIRST RACE – “MEMORIAL DAY TROPHY RACE”

Laser Class:  Jim Voelz 1^st, Laura Garrett 2^nd, Tom Jennings 3^rd, Kevin Preuss 4^th, Dianne Fisher 5^th, Steve Willment 6^th.

Butterfly Class: Peggy Voelz 1^st

International Class: Tom Schroeder 1^st, John Auld/Paul Hass 2^nd.

Overall results on handicapped basis (not for scoring purposes):  Jim Voelz 1^st, Laura Garrett 2^nd, Tom Jennings 3^rd, Peggy Voelz 4^th, Tom Schroeder 5^th, John Auld 6^th, Kevin Preuss 7^th, Dianne Fisher 8^th, Steve Willment 9^th

RACE RESULTS SECOND RACE

Laser Class: Tom Jennings 1^st, Laura Garrett 2^nd, Jim Voelz 3^rd, Kevin Preuss 4^th Steve Willment 5^th, Dianne Fisher 6^th

International Class: Tom Schroeder 1^st, John Auld/ Paul Hass 2^nd.

Overall results on handicapped basis (not for scoring purposes):  Tom Jennings 1^st, Laura Garrett 2^nd, Jim Voelz 3^rd, Tom Schroeder 4^th, Kevin Preuss 5^th, Steve Willment 6^th, Dianne Fisher 7^th, John Auld/Paul Hass 8^th.