A big "THANK YOU" goes out to Jim Papa for writting the following 2019 BSIR Mid Summer 1 race summary. We're relieved you sent it to us by e-mail and not on a dripping wet and tattered piece of paper similar to the race results you provided us last week. All kidding aside, we sincerely appreciate the time and effort that went into this race narrative. Nicely done!
Ted Drossos s/v Lady in Red
Gary Sebouhian s/v Pandemonium
Race narrative July 30
Whenever it started breezing up, the old East End Bonackers, whose folksy English was peppered with turns of Elizabethan speech, liked to say, “It’s some windy.” And “some windy” is what it was last night. Winds at the start were in the high teens out of the WSW, gusting higher, with a lumpy confused sea, as 15 boats set out to sail course #7 (G1 to Port, G11 to port, R4 to Port, and back to the finish at G1).
Given the conditions, most of the fleet was reefed at the start and remained so, as the fleet sailed a short but hard beat out to G11. After that, the downwind leg was something of a broad reach rather than a run down to R4, and foredeck crews and short-handed boats likely appreciated not having to set a pole in what Beaufort would call a fresh breeze. Lady in Red took a chance and shook her reef out on the downwind leg to R4 only to find herself overpowered on the windward leg back to the finish at G1.
The wind held steady for the whole race, and Jolly Mon took honors with first place, Merry Ann coming in second, and Arbacia taking third. Bonked Out, last seen sailing far to the south toward west channel as the last of the fleet closed in on the finish, did not finish. Lenny Feldman, in his new boat Mo’Sun, was close on Full Circle’s heal on the last leg, finishing directly behind her, and several boats ahead of Eric Winberry in Aleboat, whom Lenny was happy to beat. Pandemonium, meanwhile, came in square in the middle of the fleet (the skipper rumored distracted by a recent reality TV show outcome). The rest of the fleet was the usual game of musical chairs…somebody up one, somebody down two, etc., etc.
Little Noddy took last, but might have edged out at least one boat if her start had not been interfered with and so delayed by the committee boat, which for unknown reasons decided to mosey down the starting line under power from the west a few minutes before 7 PM, blocking Noddy just as she was preparing to tack and cross the line. The foul forced Noddy to not only delay her tack but to alter her course at a critical moment, resulting in her losing most of her starting time by the time she finally got over the line. The lesson here is that all boats need to remember that there are several boats that start prior to 7, and that all efforts should be made to keep approaches to the starting line clear for them, and for all vessels really. Committee boats should be on site early enough, if they are going to anchor, to find a spot that doesn’t interfere with the start. Or, if they plan to stay in motion, need to stay well clear of all vessels starting.
As usual, the after-race roast and brew fest was well attended and enjoyed by all. There were the usual sea tales and such, along with the occasional grumbling about securing crew. Various solutions to the crew dilemma were proposed as the evening wore on towards 11 PM. One suggestion was that we shanghai people on their way to the street festival in Bay Shore on Tuesday nights, but the race starts too early and the revelers won’t likely be drunk enough yet to pinch off the street. Another was that we make people pay to sail with us so that they feel obligated to show up every week and get their money’s worth. The third, which might have been floated by a skipper whose favorite song in the whole world might just be “Hotel California” (but it was late by then so I don’t really recall) is that we hold a weekly kind of American Idol type competition (which he would judge) for new crew, the weekly winner of which will receive a tin foil crown and a couple of those glow sticks left over from the failed attempt last week to light the inflatable mark with them.
So began the mid-summer series……
Jim Papa s/v Noddy
