Tag: Charlotte NC

East Carolina Pirates vs App State Mountaineers stadium sign.

ECU Football kicked off the 2021 season playing Appalachian State in Bank of America Stadium and I made a quick trip to Charlotte to see the game and visit ECU friends. The direct flight from Richmond was easy, aside from still wearing a boot to protect my foot. We all met up outside the stadium to tailgate. Once inside the stadium we found our seats and just as the game was kicking off the TV cameras panned to our group. Our phones and the phones of those around us started blowing up with friends saying they saw us on TV and sharing screen shots.

Screen shot of our group on TV during the game.

That would wind up being the highlight of the game as ECU would go on to loose. It was great to see everyone again and go to a football game for the first time in almost 2 years. I spent the night at Preston’s house and flew home the next day.

Our group at the game inside the stadium.

PICTURES

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Lake Norman Yacht Club held their spring regatta and I was one of a dozen Lasers among the various other fleets sailing. This was a good shake down trip with the new VW Atlas cartopping set up and I got to visit and stay with college friends and check out a few spots in Charlotte.

On day one we sailed out to the course in nice wind, it shifted around a couple times and a race was started. The RC lost a minute in the starting sequence, but started anyway. The race would later be thrown out which was unfortunate because I had a good race and climbed my way up to first by the end. The wind would die by the end of that race and shift around for about an hour before finally settling in for another race.  In the second race of the day the wind built a bit.  I was in second place starting the last downwind leg and got passed downwind by two boats.  They both ended up colliding just before the finish resulting in a protest that I wound up participating in as a witness. The wind built a little more for the next two races before dying again in the last race of the day.

Being my first time out for the year I didn’t quite have super speed upwind.  I also struggled a bit to stay in the grove and shift gears while keeping my head out of the boat.  I suspect practicing with the old sail the prior weekend didn’t help me much and it also showed me I just needed more time in the boat.  My starts were generally pretty good and my downwind legs were typical for me.

Saturday, after the protest hearing was wrapped up I met Courtney and Preston at the US Whitewater Center just outside of Charlotte where the Tuck festival was going on.  The center has two man-made white water courses and a whole bunch of other trails and outdoor activities. For the festival there were bands play, vendors and all kinds of people there – thousands checking it all out.  We had a few beers and checked everything out before getting dinner out in Charlotte.

Sunday the wind started out a bit lighter, we sailed a race in light air where it died at the end, then one more race in brutally light air.  I sailed in while the fleet was postponed only to have them join me a half hour later. In the end we had 6 races that counted and I finished 6th overall.  It was great hanging out with Preston and Courtney and getting to meet a few more Laser sailors from NC. Lake Norman is always a great venue to sail at and I look forward to a lot more sailing this season.

PICTURES | RESULTS

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East carolina vs South Carolina

Labor Day weekend was the opening game of the 2011 college football season and East Carolina took on South Carolina in Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte North Carolina.

tailgate group photo: Jon, Tom, Steve, Erin, Brittany, Kevin, Laura Ashley, Chris, Heather, Warren, Lauren, Staci, Preston, Jen, JG, Stephanie
Jon, Tom, Steve, Erin, Brittany, Kevin, Laura Ashley, Chris, Heather, Warren, Lauren, Staci, Preston, Jen, JG, Stephanie

The weekend began with drinks out at Epicenter with ECU and Richmond friends.  Saturday we tailgated, went to the game and then went out after the game.  Didn’t get the game result that we wanted, but it was still a ton of fun.  Thanks Tom and Laura Ashley for hosting us and showing us around Charlotte!

More pictures from the weekend can be seen here.

JG, Jon, Preston, Tom, Laura Ashley, Jen, Stephanie at the gameJG, Jon, Preston, Tom, Laura Ashley, Jen, Stephanie

 

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