Lady-at-the-Helm Race

The dense fog lifted just before the start even as the winds held back. Trophy Wife executed a near perfect start, maybe 15 seconds late. But the key was she was close enough to the weather pin the scrape paint. We had over-loaded boat (had to get as many ladies on board as possible) with mixed experience. And our numbers helped provide movable ballast and human preventers to leeward. Yesterday proved again my old, old adage that the less the wind blows, the more there's work in store for the Good Guys. And yesterday, we 'left it all' out there on the water.

The key to the day was that we made no mistakes. Every time there was a choice we selected the long end of the stick. My mouth was working, but I only received one STFU from the helm; there was that much unanimity aboard. Given that we saw nothing more than, 5 knots at the end, we got as much as anyone could have out of our displacement. That we finished in the middle of the fleet was purely a reflection of tonnage. No regrets.

For us, it was a perfect day to be nestled and moving amidst sun, sea, and air. It was a perfect day to be buoyant, and not to be marred by whatever detritus of protests, disqualifications, recriminations, & disputes which may have followed it into the Club's bar. Oblivious, I enjoyed a rocking good dock party 'til sundown.

Don't ask, don't tell....