Labor Day Fleet Race (Pummeling) in Tampa

Sound familiar? Fleet race at 3pm, thunderstorm shows up right on time. Go figure.




More later...

Ok, its a little later. Andy has this to say:


43.5 knots at 1532, or so says the anemometer at the club. Having left the dock at around 1500, team #38 has no reason to doubt it!

When I close my eyes and think of sailing, I fancy blue skies, fresh breezes, and sparkling water.

I SWEAR ONE OF THESE DAYS IT WILL HAPPEN!

Around 1330 most teams were setting up, rigging boats and got chased into the club by a stout boomer. The consensus was that it was good to get that out of the way.

The skies cleared up a bit so it was back out to the boats and in the water they go.
It wasn't very long once out on the bay that it became evident that another storm cell was forming from the North. The wind ramped up pretty quickly and the conversation on #38 was if we could somehow skirt the storm...

Nope, no fringes, solid gray from Bayshore to the channel. Everyone has their stories of tested seamanship and valor. Ours from old #38 was how awful the boat shakes with a flogging main and how the un-sheeted main was trying to drag us over.

Match the quotes: This is a test. There is a prize.

1. "any other centerboarder would have tipped over"
2. "last ones in, we WON!"
3. "this is the last time Jeff will loan me his boat"
4. "time for a new suit of sails, SHUCKS!"
5. "how does this halyard thingy work"
6. "50 year old chainplates don't fail us now"
7. "my green crew and I are outta here!"
8. "the police car on Bayshore has his lights on for us, how nice"
9. "Hike like he__ Dad!"

A. #5026 Paul Silvernail and Leslie Fisher
B. #4321 Mark and Tom Taylor
C. #812 Bo, DeDe, and Alyson
D. #38 Andy and Lisa Hayward
E. #4156 Dave Bell and Susan Cintron
F. #4925 Dave and Kim Thinel
G. #2007 Josh and his buddy
H. #5477 Dean Bell and nephew Mike
I. #504 Al Thompson and Cameron Salmon

Everyone was eventually accounted for and only a few sails were damaged. The weather remained gray and rainy for the rest of the afternoon, but this did little to dampen the spirits of the hearty bunch known as Fleet 168! Thanks to all for the good eats, and to Lisa Hayward for her efforts with the cookunder.

Thanks to Henry Moore and Jay Tyson for their efforts on RC and the tow in of the unnamed Scot with the red waterline.

****Please review the class rules in regards to anchor requirements, this was a problem for some boats.****

Our next Fleet Race is September 20th @ 1500 and I promise the weather will be horrible, but the company will be great! We hope to have Jay Tyson as RC again.