Harbor 20's "Praise the Lord, now pass the nut's"

 

Sunday, November 15, 2020, Five Points area of the harbor. Harbor 20 “Praise the Lord, now pass the nuts” 14 boats showed up at one point during the afternoon racing. Racers were greeted with a light westerly breeze of 6-8 knots and plenty of warm sunshine to make for the perfect winter days sailing.

I have written before about feeling at one with the harbor, while the King Tide was ebbing one felt the tensions of 2020 were being released out to sea. There was little to no shouting on the racecourse with many of the competitors bringing crew who have never sailed before. With only one start there were races when B and C fleeter’s were leading the race at the first mark. You could almost feel their pleasure once they noticed just who they were competing alongside. In the first race Ross Watanabe, boat # 93, escaped from the pack to the right side of the course and crossed well ahead of the fleet and was not about to let anyone get past him. Unfortunately, Watanabe was OCS on the start of the second race while I was just on his weather hip at the leeward pin. “Did he call anyone over early?” Watanabe asked. “ I did not hear any sail numbers” I replied. “Neither did I, oh well,” Watanabe said. Watanabe finished the day with another first in the last race and I would have to assume he was smiling the whole way home.

I was very pleased with my race results never finishing out of the top 3 in all five races. Races three and four I was close on the tail of team Schupak/Tucker. In a two lap race I was on the verge of being swallowed up by the fleet during the first run and somehow escaped by the time  I reached the leeward mark. Two-thirds up the second beat Schupak pointed out the distance we had gained on the fleet which placed Team Deermount/Menninger in a whole other zip code and winning race three. In race four starting the second beat I found myself slowing down at the leeward mark in hope of getting a clearer lane on team Schupak/Tucker. We had a good lead on the fleet so I took a chance on the left and lost at least five boat lengths to them. In hindsight, I would like to take that one back and stayed closer to them and waited for the run to try to pass.

The whole day felt like hitting the “Pressure release button” and after finishing a cold beverage at the dock, taking in the last of the sunshine while looking up at the large private jet taking off I thought to myself I would not even consider trading places with the people in that jet at this moment.

Results are attached below and I will not be asking for a re-count and concede the race to team Deermount/Menninger. Now I understand better why they faced me on the beat of the last race.

Thank you to everyone that came out will see all of you at the NHYC Winter Series on December 6th for the racing and our annual awards presentation following the racing.

HUGE SHOUT OUT to Chris Killian for doing race management again!

Sea ya