With the Strange Bird Snipe restored it was time to take it for a sail. Jess, Laurie and I rigged it and went for the first sale on what turned into a gorgeous Monday of Labor Day Weekend. Even better – she floats! We took turns sailing while figuring out how everything is rigged and what still needs some work.
Labor Day weekend was the 1st Annual YAM Cornhole Tournament at Fishing Bay Yacht Club immediately following the Stingray Point Regatta. Twelve teams saw some fun and fierce competition!
It was great to be back in Greenville for another season of ECU Football tailgating with the White Tiger crew. We had a great time tailgating all afternoon and catching up since last season. The game was another story – we lost – but it was still good to be back and see everyone.
The Stingray Light Distance Race kicks off Labor Day weekend with a distance race as part of the Stingray Point Regatta at Fishing Bay Yacht Club. I was sailing on Mad Hatter for the day and we knew the weather was going to deteriorate as the remnants of Hurricane Harvey moved into the area bringing light rain and cooler temperatures.
The course started near Stingray Point and sent us straight out into the bay. The ENE wind made it a beat out. We rounded a mark and came back towards Stove Point on a reach under genoa and main. Goin’ was the closest competitor to us and we mostly were able to hold even and stay ahead until we started reaching more and they were able to plane. Despite the drizzle it was fun being out and sailing.
RESULTS
It’s been a goal to get the Snipe Strange Bird out sailing before the end of the year and it looks like this might happen on Labor Day weekend. Since I picked it up in December a lot has been done to it to get it back into sailing shape:
The FBYC Summer Laser Regatta was a pretty light-air affair with only two races sailed. 11 boats out including the club’s junior coach who schooled us all with 2 bullets. Charlie Brewer took 2nds and I had 3rds. Thanks to Rick F for running our races.
I was at FBYC for the women’s clinic helping launch boats and I was able to get out on the water and take some pictures.
In July I drove out to Dallas for a week to help Jess pack up and move. It wasn’t all work though – I got to go sailing two days with the Dallas Laser Fleet and raced a night in their summer series.
It was tight fit getting everything into the van and ended up spilling a few things over into a Uhaul trailer.
We visited with Jess’ Dallas friends and said some farewells.
And two days of driving later we were back in Richmond.
The 2017 edition of the FBYC One Design Long Distance Race started out with a pretty dismal forecast. I had planned to sail the Laser and without somewhere to store a beer cooler in such light wind I took Matt Braun’s offer to crew on a Front Runner with him. The race started in light air and slowly built as the afternoon went on. We had a 2nd row start and had some trouble getting to clear air up the first leg. On the second leg those who went closer to Stove Point were rewarded with breeze a little sooner.
We put our game faces for the 2nd half of the race and caught every shift and puff and clawed our way back to the top 3rd of the fleet. The race got a little interesting about halfway through when a barge came down the course just as boats were exiting the channel. Thankfully everyone had maneuverability and was out of the way by the time they came through. Thanks again Matt for a great day of sailing!
I sailed the FBYC Cut Channel Race aboard Excitation this year and the race had a bit of a twist to it: boats could sail clockwise or counter-clockwise around the same 31nm course. We were among the boats that had read the SI’s earlier in the week and not gotten the memo that it changed the night before until we figured that out about 5 mi into the race and by then it was too late to be competitive. It was still a beautiful day to sail across the bay and thanks Mayo for having me along.
