Full Tilt Sailing Team

Milford Yacht Club Invitational

We entered the race in the cruising class since we were 'shorthanded". As in, only TWO sets of hands. That's pretty damned shorthanded by any definition of the phrase!

Joyce and I were in the last class (who am I kidding? we have no class) to start. The winds were light and the course was long, so we knew it was gonna be a brutal race. But that's whatcha get on the Sound in summer! Hey, I'm NOT complaining here...

I had to take all my pictures before the race, 'cause we were so busy DURING it. Here's me with "Wild Eyes". The picture above that features "Golden Rule", the winner of Class B.

The Race Committee had a long day along with the rest of us. They kept a good handle on the race on VHF channel 72. Because we were monitoring 72 all day, we heard "Sagacious" report that they had to drop out due to a "freakish" gear failure. We wondered what could have happened.

After the race we enjoyed the party at Milford Yacht Club. Tim and Lori chow down on BBQ chicken and ribs. Joyce drank a lot of beer. Well, a lot for her. For me, it would have just been a warmup. But I was cool, seeing as how I had to drive.

"Wild Eyes" motors into the sunset upon leaving the dock. Then they turned around and headed out the harbor channel, because the sun sets in the WEST and Branford is in the EAST. Being experienced sailors, we make it our business to know these things. Sometimes it scares me how much we know about things like that. Like where the sun rises and sets, and how many beers we can fit into the ice box. Trivia like that. It's important.

The results are posted in the WSC forum, but we finished 4th overall in our class of seven boats. We're fairly pleased with how we did, considering it was just Joyce and me...although I tended to replay the few mistakes we made in my head while trying to get to sleep last night. Sheesh, it's just a stupid race; nothing to lose SLEEP over, is it?

posted by CT Bob @ 6:25 PM