How Wet is Wet?

July 17 - Race Day!

Dark clouds looming over the sailing club and the race coordinator says: "You don't mind getting wet do you?"

Our answers should have been a loud and resounding YES! We mind getting wet.

The course was one of the longest ever and the clouds were the darkest ever. We got off to a middlin' start but by the time we rounded the 2nd buoy we were doing pretty darn good. Had Mother Nature not interfered we might have finished 2nd or 3rd or dare we hope? First? But as luck would have it the sky burst open soaking us to the skin in about 5 seconds. The wind hurled itself at us and we heeled over the farthest Blazing Matilda has ever heeled, water coming over the gunwales by the gallon. I was convinced that I was going for a swim and the boat was going to capsize. I was very thankful that I was wearing a life jacket and of course thankful that Gerry was at the helm and not me! He managed to right the boat and fought the winds and waves fearlessly for what seemed like a very long time but of course wasn't. I was so focussed on hanging on and staying inside the boat that I didn't notice the lightning surrounding the lake but Steve and Anita did and took down their sails. We thought they were calling it quits but the only thing they quit was racing - they took it upon themselves to go back up the lake to make sure that everyone else was alright and that no one needed rescuing, our hats off to them. It was amazing that all 11 boats made it through that storm without mishap. We rounded the next buoy intent on catching up to the leaders but noticed that almost everyone had lowered their sails and were heading back in. We assumed that the race had been called and we just didn't hear the signal. Much to our surprise it hadn't officially been called and 3 crazy (or fearless) boat captains had continued the race braving another storm, this one complete with rain, high winds and hail, chunks of hail. I have no complaints that we weren't out in that.

Using the times at the halfway point it appeared we came in 2nd but when the final handicap calculations were computed we came in 4th. Our handicap was decreased because we won the Wildwood Cup last year. Perhaps we should change captains and get the old handicap back. Wonder if I could win a race.

What a pity there weren't more photos taken. Thanks to Lorne for the top one, Steve for the bottom.

PS - Upon further calculations with the handicap we came in 3rd.

oops

So now we're on rudder #3 (original, 1st replacement rolled aluminum, 2nd replacement cast aluminum) and all is well, or so I thought. The rudder didn't fail last time we sailed but back at the dock I sort of accidentally didn't fasten the halyard shackle to the mast. Thought I had closed it but apparently not. A halyard is a "rope" that you use to haul the sails up and when you neglect to fasten it securely after dropping the sails guess what happens? The unfastened end goes sailing right up to the top of the mast and will not come back down without some persuasion so you can't go out sailing till the problem is rectified. Fortunately Gerry is not one to lose his cool, all he said was "good thing I love you!" "Now how are you going to get it back down?"

So now what? Can't sail till I fix it. Going up the mast is not an option, tipping the boat way over might be a solution but there's a chance we tip it too far and we take in water. Fortunately George told us of a long pole with a hook available to club members to retrieve lost halyards. I guess others have done this, imagine that! So I get the pole, it's a windy day, the boat is rocking, the dock is rocking, the pole is long and is swaying and I'm going blind from looking into the sun, I give up. Luckily Les was on the docks and after about a minute he snagged it and saved the day. Remember Les? The guy who might have run us aground? Well today he saved the day - thanks Les!

Photo is an example - see the pin? It has to be fastened SECURELY around something to prevent escape.