Frostbite Series

2004 Series Results

March 6 | March 13 | March 20 | March27 | Summary

March 13th

What a great turnout last Saturday! We had 8 boats show up for the start line, two guests and one late entry to the series! It was a fantastic great time chatting from boat to boat as we drifted to and fro awaiting the wind for our races! GOOD times!

And sure enough our wind came and we got in two wonderful races that challenged skippers and crews to the utmost in skill and cunning!

Race One of the day was light air sailing but steady, and other than each boat doing their best and having a great time, Race Two was so much more memorable that I don't remember any stories from Race One.

In Race Two of the day, the most remarkable event was to see the whole fleet dead in the water, drifting, Bob Miles starting to move backward, and Faisal and Teresa on Blue Moon silently sliding past the entire fleet in a wind line of their own! Yes! Blue Moon PASSED Sling Shot!!! The entire fleet was cheering him on, excited to see this amazing sight as all the lighter smaller boats sat still, and Blue Moon very determinedly and steadily making way! This was not a creeping barely moving kind of progress. He veritably shot past us all on the outside!!!!! Woo HOOOOO !!! Go Faisal!! After all, how often does a big boat get to catch Bob Miles??? You all know the answer to that! Once in a blue moon!!!! Yeah !!!

Unfortunately, however... the fate that smiled on Faisal decided he'd had enough fun, and he too, was stopped in his tracks. Who then should catch that outside wind line but Rod in Blidevind, who, at 37 minutes past the start, shot past the fleet just as Blue Moon had, and had his moment of glory and thrill! Woo hoooo !!!!! Then he joined the fleet in the anchorage area and we all had some quiet time.

At this time Mike Schott skippering in Saraband (affectionately dubbed Tango II when we forget it's name... ) had needed to cut out due to the wind conditions dragging out the race time and his crew had a life to get back to... and actually, Mike has a unique gift that whenever a fleet is suffering in the doldrums, if he starts his motor, the wind reappears! So he chose to bless the fleet with his magic, even though it cost him the chance to stay in the game. Thanks Mike!

As we all got the wind again, Bob Miles squeeked around the windward marker and like a sling shot, he was gone under a new spinnaker! Blue Moon and Blidevind were taking the mark at the same time, at different angles, and Rossinante was just about to squeek through inside them both coming from a better angle and leave 'em both behind but the current was AMAZING and Blidevind made it, but Blue Moon was not so fortunate, the current caught them in a moment of low momentum at the rounding, and they backed into the mark itself, quickly closing the hole that Rossinante was planning to sneak through. Rossinante had to tack, and barely made that choice in time to not stack right on top of Blue Moon. As Rod informed Faisal he had to do a 360 for touching the mark, Faisal again did an amazing feat. He did his 360 with his transom in contact with the mark the whole way around! It looked to amazed onlookers something like a dance step you might see circus trick horses doing as a demonstration of amazing skill in handling! Well, the current caught Blue Moon, stole his momentum, pushed him backwards, pivoted him around, caught his rudder in the anchor line, and wrapped them up so tight that Faisal had no choice but to wrestle a huge orange inflatable guest into his cockpit and finally cut the line. A few boats had some improvement in their time scores due to Blue Moon's union with the mark, drifting it closer to the start line, thus some had a shorter course to sail! What's bad for one can often seem a hidden benefit to others. All were sad for Faisal and Teresa, and several have already been there-done that with the mark and anchor line.

RACE #2
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RACE # 3
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UNOFFICIAL RESULTS OF RACE # 2
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UNOFFICIAL RESULTS OF RACE # 3
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Race Committee:

Sorry, I know you want to see the times, but I don't have them yet. We'll add the times soon.

Come on out and race! It's been GREAT !

Michele Sladko
2004 Rear Commodore