Wednesday Night Sailing

It was a typical Wednesday.

I hitched the Sunfish trailer to the car at around 3:30 and headed off to the lake. Set the CD player in the car to random and enjoyed listening to a live version of Jimmy Buffett singing Southern Cross

Got out of town on a boat
Goin' to Southern islands.
Sailing a reach
Before a followin' sea.
She was makin' for the trades
On the outside,
And the downhill run
To Papeete.
Off the wind on this heading
Lie the Marquesas.
We got eighty feet of the waterline.
Nicely making way.

Hey I'll probably never own an eighty foot yacht or cross the Pacific but I can dream.

Arrived at the lake in plenty of time to hang out with other sailors before racing. What did we talk about? Wind and weather, of course. Someone had heard that a front was approaching. I switched on my weather band radio in the car (thanks Subaru) and found out that the wind was gusting to 22 knots at a town about 40 miles west of us. Nice. Would it get here in time for racing?

The other guys who had arrived early don't much like stronger winds. So I hammed it up. Every time a little puff came across the lake I would holler, "Here it comes. Yeah -- definitely building. We'll have 22 knots by 6 o'clock". Stuff like that. They looked a bit nervous.

I went to get my pre-race snack of fruit and energy bar and sat munching while one of my friends rigged his boat. "For sure" I told him, "that front is going to hammer in here at 6 o'clock." Emphasis on hammer. "Make sure to wear your hiking pants." One of the older sailors looked a bit queasy and contemplated not sailing so I persuaded him that I had been exaggerating. "Hey - if you get into trouble just drift into this shore". He went off to rig his boat.

One of the new guys, a convert from a more technical class, was asking me questions about how to set up and look after the boat.

"How do you get rid of that ugly crease you get when you roll up the sail?"
"You don't."

Just before we launched he asked what could break on a Sunfish.
"Let's see. Mast. Spars. Rudder blade. Rudder cheeks. Blocks pulling off boom. Hiking strap pulling out. Pretty much everything."

OK. Time for racing. Blowing 5 - 8 knots. I'm using this series mainly to practice my starts. First race the line had a slight starboard favor. I luffed into position just next to the committee boat with about 60 seconds to go. My inquisitive friend, the guy with all the questions, came in to leeward of me and luffed to a standstill too. At about 15 seconds to go he started to bear off and accelerate. At just under 10 seconds I started to bear off. Accelerate. Head up. 3,2,1,go. Nicely done though I say it so myself. I am second (out of about 16 boats) at the weather mark on the first lap. Drop a couple of places in fluky winds on the second beat and end up fourth. Not so shabby.

Second race the pin was slightly favored. I definitely need more practice at pin end starts so headed off to the left end of the line. The leader in the series was luffing right next to the pin so I luffed about 3 boat lengths to windward of him. Our commodore tried to drive over me so I luffed him up. We were both over the line at 15 seconds to go. I bore away into the gap and timed it perfectly. The series leader was gasping for air as I sailed over him and the commodore was called OCS. Wow -- it felt good to be so mean. I concentrated on boat speed for 30 seconds and looked back to see most of the fleet several boat lengths behind me. Once again I was second after the first beat. Approaching the finish line on the second beat I had the inquisitive guy pinned to leeward of me, tacked on the layline to the favored end of the finish and beat him by half a boatlength for a second in this race.

Third race I got an OK-ish start midline. 5th after the first beat. Wind started to die. I went left. Wind died some more and went right. Boats started to pass me on right. Oh well, can't win 'em all. Ended up around 8th.

I hate racing in the really light stuff so skipped the fourth race and started sailing back to the club. A couple of female Sunfish sailors were sailing up and down close to the club. Obviously beginners practicing. I sailed past one of them, an attractive woman a few years younger than me, and said hi. I'd never met her before. Much to my surprise she said, "Can I follow you?" Wow. I don't usually have this effect on women. I know. It's not my rugged, handsome profile. She just wanted to copy my sailing technique. We cruised around a while enjoying the summer evening. The fish were jumping. Birds were diving for fish. The sun was starting to go down behind the hills. I gave her a few tips on sailing technique. "Heel the boat this way. Sit further forward". Usual stuff.

We packed up the boats and headed off for beer and pizza. Big crowd this week. I ended up sitting opposite a guy who used to live in Aruba and sailed in the Sunfish fleet there. He was telling us about the annual cruise they used to make from Aruba to Venezuela in Sunfish. About 30 miles of open water with 12 foot swells and 20 mph winds. Of staying in some fishing village for the night in Venezuela, sleeping in hammocks, fighting off mosquitos and cockroaches. Breakfasts of local delicacies in the fishermen's homes. And then 30 miles sailing back to Aruba the next day.

Driving home I turned on the radio and it was the 9th inning of the baseball game. The Yankees were one run down to the Pirates. Bottom of the ninth, Posada hit a double to tie the game. Top of the tenth, Mariano worked his usual magic. Bottom of the tenth, Giambi came to bat and was booed. Giambi hit a two run walk-off game-winning home run. Giambi was cheered.

First time this season the Yankees won a game when trailing after 8 innings. Maybe they have finally come out of their funk.

Music, banter, racing, cruising, beer, pizza, yarns, baseball.

Just a typical Wednesday.