Race Day...

Even though the race was cut short, it was a looooooong day... for the committee boat crew and the racers. The day started out with no wind; the tide was LOW; low enough that we did a little "plowing" to get the boat out of the canal and into the Laguna.

We started the race on time, with only 4 boats competing. The wind was now 1.2 miles per hour, with gusts to 1.4. Yep, it was a drifter. Three hours into the race, the competitors had covered about 3 miles of the first 7 mile leg. The swells in the Gulf were small - about 1 to 1.5 feet, and still not enough wind to get any ripples on the water. After about 30 seconds of discussion amongst the racers, it was decided to take the furthest mark out of the course... effectively making the course 7 miles out, 7 back. Right after that decision, the wind pick up a little: about 4 miles per hour, occasionally up to 6.

We positioned the committee boat at the first mark and took photos as the racers rounded the mark... over 4 hours into the race.


With the racers around the mark, we made our way back to the start/finish line... and waited some more. While the race may not have been a thrill ride, it was fun watching the racers handle the conditions and seeing their different strategies. And Herb and I had plenty of time for good conversation.

With everyone back in, we headed back for the dock... and THEN the wind came up. With wind and current right down the canal, and a 90º back-in, it took me two shots to get that boat into the slip. It wasn't pretty, but we all survived. And from the sounds of it, all the participants had a good time.