By Mike Ferring -Racing Captain
The voice on the phone set the tone: It’s looking nasty and are we really going to race?! When we arrived at the lake Saturday morning (10/15), the sky flashed with shafts of lightning and they’d already been hit with heavy rain. The wind was fine and the sky was beginning to lighten, but on radar we saw more thunder cells sweeping up from the south.
Mike Hester had talked to several sailors and said, “They’re ready to bag it.” Thistles were out. Portsmouth out. Spins? Even the spins. Neil Thibadoux said if it was only a couple Catalina 22s, then they shouldn’t go out either. Bag it. More lightning flashes sealed it.
up the sun
Then came Sunday morning and a whole new story. Sunshine. Nice breeze, 6-9 knots. Comfortable temps. One of the nicest sailing days of the year. Race committee was ready while one boat circled the pontoon: “Rolling in the Deep,” of course. As the starting clock ticked down, Sean Brown’s bunch emerged from Scorpion. Greg Woodcock radioed that he was coming, just a little late.
And so it was. On a beautiful October Sunday morning, three boats enjoyed four windward-leeward races while the rest of the Funday Sunday and Portsmouth/Thistle crowd slept in. When the numbers are crunched, Greg and crew should be pleased. They sailed very well and should ride the Santana 20’s sweet PHRF rating to some nice finishes.
The race committee Sunday included the Sport Boat and Multi fleets: Mike and Maryellen Ferring, Mike and Hunter Parker, newly graduated boat driver Peter Sutton, Mike Hester, and Tom Sinnickson.
Photos: Mike Ferring
