HOW DID SHE DO IT? June 28th Race Report

We do not know how Dianne Fisher was able to keep moving, albeit slowly, while the other four boats sat motionless after the “start” for half an hour.

We didn’t expect a great wind day, but with consistent predictions of 5-7mph winds across several weather sites we were surprised to have almost no wind at all.  It was a snoozer. The starting strategy couldn't be to just follow Jim Voelz. Instead of in a sailboat, he and Peggy showed up in their tandem kayak to watch the race - a wise choice it turned out (for the exercise that is). Instead, for the start there wasn't much choice but to just sit motionless about a foot from the starting line and hope for a breeze when the starting horn was blown.  But there was no breeze.  Only Dianne moved forward ever so slowly.  Barely noticeably at first.

Much later,  As Dianne inched up on the first mark, the rest of us killing time back at the start agreed that this would be a one mark race – out and back, and that we would be lucky to accomplish even that. Steve Fisher on the Committee Boat jokingly asked if there would be a second race.  We sent Bob Orben out in “At Last” to inform Dianne of our decision.   She rounded the mark and encountered us barely moving, less than halfway to the first mark as she made her way back to finish the race.   

After Dianne finished, there was some slow-motion drama for the four boats that finally made it to the first mark.  A subtle change in the direction of the barely-there movement of air ( can’t dignify it with the term “wind”) allowed Kevin to round the mark but kept Tom, Lance & Bianca, only inches away from Kevin, from making the turn.   John and Paul were approaching from a different angle and were able to make it around the mark.  Tom was fortunate to follow but had to significantly overshoot the mark to clear it after the turn. Meanwhile Lance and Bianca sat motionless with no moving air, and eventually were forced to abandon the race.    

Dianne waited patiently for all of us to finish, hoping for the second race that Steve had joked about.  Sorry Dianne.  

We DID finally have our first protest meeting of the season though. No pitch in goodies to share though, and we dutifully kept our distance – not a problem on Arlene’s spacious patio.  It was great to finally gather.  Thanks, Arlene, for having us.

We had some very patient volunteers! Thanks to Beth Auld and Steve and Gretchen Fisher for volunteering on the Committee Boat, and to Safety Boat volunteers Jim Riffle and Phil Bush.  And we are grateful to Lance and Bianca Snider for setting up the race.  Thanks to Beth Auld for organizing the Committee Boat volunteers and Kevin Preuss for organizing our sailors for all our races.

Race Results:

First Race:

Laser Class   Dianne Fisher 1^st, Kevin Preuss 2nd

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

Second Race:  Are you kidding!