Thursday, February 24, 2005
Department Of Decadence...
When God took a moment to try and improve life on earth he came up with the concept of the midwinter sailing regatta. Step 1: pick warm sailing venue. Step 2: gather a decent fleet of boats. Step 3: Blow a little wind their way. Pretty basic. Pretty ingenious.
When I arrived in Miami yesterday it was sunny and warm with a 10 knot breeze blowing on Biscayne Bay. I couldn't really believe I had somehow escaped the snowstorm that was blanketing the northeast. Not only that, I was going to go sailboat racing at a time of year when sailboat racing (for me at least) does not normally occur. First it felt surreal. Then it felt sinful. Then it felt great.
The J22 Midwinters are being staged out of the Miami Shake-A-Leg facility, which has plenty of parking, a monstrous building with an open-air third-floor terrace that is perfect for regatta parties, and lots of good hotels and restaurants nearby in Coconut Grove. The race area, Biscayne Bay, is a short sail away, and so far has featured flat water, decent (if tricky) breeze, and a lot of dolphins. Get the picture? It's perfect. I never went to the Midwinters when they were held at New Orleans' Southern Yacht Club but I heard plenty of stories about wild partying, rain and freezing temps. I think I would take Biscayne Bay any day.
Today the race committee got off three races into a nice, easy southerly. There are a lot of good teams here, and even though there are only 26 boats racing, the fleet is pretty nicely bunched at each rounding. Picking a side of the course proved to be the key, and on Kathy Parks' Sundog I sometimes got it right, and sometimes got it wrong. But it was hard to care too much because, well, we were sailboat racing in 80 degree weather in February. Consistency paid, and the top ten are:
1) Henry Filter 12 points
2) Greg Fisher 12
3) Scott Nixon 13
4) C. Doyle 16
5) S. Elliott 21
6) Seidel/Eibert 22
7) T. Schertz 25
8) S. Fidler 25
9) D. Van Cleef 27
10 C. Wientjes 30
Race winners were: Nixon, DaMore, Schertz
We're down in 17th after a 14, 20, 14 scoreline. Two more days to go. Heh-heh...
The Sundog Crew
"I wonder what those poor saps up north are doing...?"
"Dammit, where's the sun lotion..."
The VC Performance Beer, I Mean Rigging, Tent...
When I arrived in Miami yesterday it was sunny and warm with a 10 knot breeze blowing on Biscayne Bay. I couldn't really believe I had somehow escaped the snowstorm that was blanketing the northeast. Not only that, I was going to go sailboat racing at a time of year when sailboat racing (for me at least) does not normally occur. First it felt surreal. Then it felt sinful. Then it felt great.
The J22 Midwinters are being staged out of the Miami Shake-A-Leg facility, which has plenty of parking, a monstrous building with an open-air third-floor terrace that is perfect for regatta parties, and lots of good hotels and restaurants nearby in Coconut Grove. The race area, Biscayne Bay, is a short sail away, and so far has featured flat water, decent (if tricky) breeze, and a lot of dolphins. Get the picture? It's perfect. I never went to the Midwinters when they were held at New Orleans' Southern Yacht Club but I heard plenty of stories about wild partying, rain and freezing temps. I think I would take Biscayne Bay any day.
Today the race committee got off three races into a nice, easy southerly. There are a lot of good teams here, and even though there are only 26 boats racing, the fleet is pretty nicely bunched at each rounding. Picking a side of the course proved to be the key, and on Kathy Parks' Sundog I sometimes got it right, and sometimes got it wrong. But it was hard to care too much because, well, we were sailboat racing in 80 degree weather in February. Consistency paid, and the top ten are:
1) Henry Filter 12 points
2) Greg Fisher 12
3) Scott Nixon 13
4) C. Doyle 16
5) S. Elliott 21
6) Seidel/Eibert 22
7) T. Schertz 25
8) S. Fidler 25
9) D. Van Cleef 27
10 C. Wientjes 30
Race winners were: Nixon, DaMore, Schertz
We're down in 17th after a 14, 20, 14 scoreline. Two more days to go. Heh-heh...
The Sundog Crew
"I wonder what those poor saps up north are doing...?"
"Dammit, where's the sun lotion..."
The VC Performance Beer, I Mean Rigging, Tent...
Tuesday, February 22, 2005
Annals Of (Dubious) Frozenass Achievement...
Forget the polar bears. The Penguin Plunge is an annual fundraiser for Special Olympics Connecticut that convinces otherwise sane people to jump into a frigid Long Island Sound, and raise sponsorship for doing it (they call it "Freezin' For A Reason"; not bad...). This year's event off New London was notable for the antics of one Bill Farr who noticed a group of Navy divers trying to best the event's 2004 idiot, I mean endurance, record of 10 minutes and 2 seconds (this is in 34 degree water, mind you). So Farr decided to hang with them. He waited and froze. Waited and froze. And finally after the Navy boys couldn't take it any longer and staggered out of the water after 15 minutes and 38 seconds, Farr nonchalantly waded ashore after them, triumphant. Why would he subject himself to such pain? In Farr's immortal words: "I just wanted to do it." Okay, that's a little less eloquent than Hillary's "because it was there," but no less concise. Or honest. So here's to you, Bill Farr. I hope you've thawed out by now...
Penguin Plunge 1: "Yep, I think the water is pretty cold..."
Penguin Plunge 2: "Goddamit, Muffy, this is the last time I let you talk me into one of your "fancy dress parties"...
Penguin Plunge 3: "Squawk. It's way too cold to actually go in, but it would almost be worth it to see how that chick in a prom dress is doing..."
Penguin Plunge 1: "Yep, I think the water is pretty cold..."
Penguin Plunge 2: "Goddamit, Muffy, this is the last time I let you talk me into one of your "fancy dress parties"...
Penguin Plunge 3: "Squawk. It's way too cold to actually go in, but it would almost be worth it to see how that chick in a prom dress is doing..."
The Wetass Life...
For once the Wetass Life is My Life. I'm heading to Miami to race in the J22 Mid-Winter regatta. I'll try to post daily race reports on the regatta, as well as any other Wetass-suitable material I have time for. But I can't promise anything. You see, it's warm and relaxing there, sailors have been known to drink a little beer after racing, and, well, I can be a lazy SOB when I want to...
J22 Strategy: "Okay, Mike. Now that you've got a good grip on her boat, see if you can pull us forward..."
(Photo: Alden Bugly)
J22 Strategy: "Okay, Mike. Now that you've got a good grip on her boat, see if you can pull us forward..."
(Photo: Alden Bugly)
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