Port Jeff R&R Photos
Full Tilt was race committee for the start of annual Port Jefferson Race & Rendezvous this weekened. The race goes from the bell buoy at Charles Island to the Mt. Misery green can across the Sound, a distance of about 11 miles. Joyce had to work this weekend, so I went with crew Erich and Lauren.
Usually this takes about 2 to 3 hours if there's a breeze. This year, only 2 boats out of roughly 20 starters managed to finish ("En Charette" and "Defiant", I think), somewhere around six hours after their start! Yeah, it was a very light wind day. "Mystique" got tangled up in our anchor line, which made for a little excitement, but we didn't think to get pictures of the collision. Here's some starting shots:
Here's crew Erich, posing in front of the famous palm tree. We ended up motoring over to Long Island, arriving hours before the first racers dropped out and turned on their motors. The temps were in the 90's, which made the swimming very satisfying.
On the beach as the party gets rolling.
The torches and Cyalumes made for a cool photo in the dark.
Shiela from "Pegasus" enjoys the party.
Crew Erich and Lauren. This was only the third time Lauren had been sailing.
Of course, I can't resist a picture of the skipper.
The next day it was record hot and nearly windless. After I dove on the boat to clean the bottom, we took a dinghy tour and got underway around noon. Again, lack of any wind made us have to motor, although the wind finally piped up about a mile south of Charles Island, but by that time we were so sun-soaked that we decided to simply get home and unload the boat.
WAH Race II
Tonight, under threatening skies that gradually gave way to clear and cool, Joyce helmed
Full Tilt in the second "Woman at the Helm" race of the three race series.
Joyce with Adam immediately after the start. We were down the line a little bit, but we had clear air. That helped us get into a good tactical position.
Secret is out of frame to the left and in the lead right after the start, which put all these boats into bad air. We were a few lengths low, but we kept a good pace going while they struggled.
J.R. and Erich crewed along with Adam. The sky was very dramatic early on, and it made for good photo ops.
Joyce and J.R. watch the other boats with intensity.
The Race Committee set a great course and ran a great race!
Joyce is doing a fantastic job at the helm tonight, and she's obviously taken the advice of the sticker by her knees that says
"GO FAST"!
The crew proudly wore their
Team Full Tilt shirts tonight!
Joyce helms us towards the finish as the sun sets, and you can tell she's happy about how well she's doing.
The crew performed with enthusiasm and skill tonight.
Back at the dock, Joyce poses with the official
"Woman at the Helm" burgee. All in all, I think Joyce and the crew did an excellent job tonight. And I'm fairly confident we had a decent finish; we'll find out in a day or two after they tabulate and publish the results.
The only drawback of the night was when I caught my demin shorts on a cleat and I heard a small rip. Well, over the course of the race, my shorts split pretty much all the way up the back of my pants. I didn't realize how bad it was until I walked to my car after the race and felt a draft!
All's I could think of then was..."thank God I wore underwear!"
Good times tonight.
Oh, and we JUST MISSED getting Joyce again with the Yacht Club cannon. Like, only by about 2 minutes. I gotta check my Eldridge next time before we head in! (see the post a few before this one about the cannon). But the RC starting shotgun made Joyce leap out of her sneakers a bit.
Vacation!
We got back yesterday, after spending a week on Long Island Sound. Here's some pictures:
Joyce steers the boat on a perfect day, with our palm tree waving in the breeze.
Full Tilt on our mooring in Port Jefferson harbor.
Joyce looks out over the boats anchored below in Pirate's Cove.
Me, on a big rock deposited on the shore during the last Ice Age. Ya gotta love that global warming!
A sailboat drifts lazily offshore.
Joyce catches the afternoon sun on our inflatable dinghy.
Me, enjoying lunch in Port Jeff village. We dined on sauteed mussels. Mmmmmm.
This is our next boat. Maybe not.
Our friends Mike, Brita, Sam, and Napper enjoyed a day on the beach just before the vacation ended.
Sunset in Northport harbor. Need I say more?
Race Committee: June 29th
Sorry I'm late in posting this, but I've been on vacation and didn't have time.
We were race committee for what was supposed to be the Milford Boat Works Mid-season Escapade party, which usually means a short race and then a big bash at Boat Works.
Well, the weather was somewhat unsettled, so at nearly the last minute somebody decided that it might rain and they cancelled the party. The race went on as scheduled, but was a full race instead. The winds were great and we didn't get a drop of rain all night.
RC crew was Joyce, me, J.R., Adam and Chad. Results are on the
Windjammers Forum.
Here's a few pictures of the start, then my camera batteries died. I'll post a recap of our vacation in the next day or two, with lots of pictures.
Here's crew Erich, posing in front of the famous palm tree. We ended up motoring over to Long Island, arriving hours before the first racers dropped out and turned on their motors. The temps were in the 90's, which made the swimming very satisfying. 
On the beach as the party gets rolling. 
The torches and Cyalumes made for a cool photo in the dark.
Shiela from "Pegasus" enjoys the party.
Crew Erich and Lauren. This was only the third time Lauren had been sailing.
Of course, I can't resist a picture of the skipper.
