The annual Port Milford Last Supper Cookout was held tonight, and as usual, there was a great turnout for the party!
We had very light conditions around the start, but managed to complete a DWS course, making it a race.
"Audacious" was race committee tonight, and we started right on time.
"Schock Therapy" is getting ready for the pre-start.
I decided to shoot video for a change, so I attached my camera to the stern rail and hit "record" before the start. I took about 20 minutes of footage and condensed it into this short video, titled "Slow Ride":
We decided to do a night crossing to Port Jeff on Friday, returning on Saturday because Joyce had to work Sunday.
Joyce steering us out of the harbor just before sunset.
Sunset behind a big trawler anchored in the Gulf.
"Witchcraft" out for a twilight sail just south of Charles Island.
Deep into twilight. Soon a blood red, nearly full moon will rise. The NW wind ensured a crisp crossing, where we averaged between 5 and 7 kts. We got in around 11PM.
Saturday at our mooring. The weather was perfect and everyone enjoyed the day.
Especially Joyce, seen here with a book and a beer. Sometimes the necessities of life can be narrowed down to just the things that make you happiest at that moment.
Early Saturday evening, leaving PJ harbor we encountered this really cool schooner.
Is going this fast absolutely necessary when you pass between two nearby boats?
Joyoce didn't finish her book on the float, so while the autohelm steers us home, she takes the opportunity to read.
Me, listening to music. The wind was very light so we decided to motor back home.
Like I said, is it absolutely necessary to go this fast when you're that close?
Charles Island, with a sun murkily shining through a light cloud cover.
The big trawler is still there, and apparently entertaining some friends.
Another great evening, with enough breeze to get the entire race completed. Paikea was RC, and our course was DPNE, which was basically a big circle. We were on track for an awesome start, but we were just over the line early, so we had to come back and restart, causing us to play catch-up with the fleet for the entire race. We did pass a few boats and had a generally good performance.
The under 30' class starting. We had a total of 34 boats out tonight!
Bruce, Derek, Joyce & Janel chilling before the pre-start.
Miles (center) crewed for us tonight, and he did a great job grinding and working mainsail trim.
Janel gets a little helm time in after the race. The breeze stayed up for the entire evening.
The sunset photo from this week. And another one follows.
The Wellness Cup Regatta is a race sponsored by The Wellness Community, an organization tasked with provided support, education and hope to people with cancer and their loved ones.
We're helping raise money for this worthy cause in advance of the October 3rd race date, and to that end we're accepting donations of money and auction prizes, along with selling raffle tickets for an awesome $ 1,000 kayak package, offered by West Marine in Branford! Only 1,000 tickets will be sold, so your odds of winning are pretty durned good, especially if you spring for a few of the tickets! To see details of the kayak package, click on this PDF file of the fundraiser brochure (page 3 shows the kayak).
My team page is located HERE, so visit and click on the donate button to make a simple monetary contribution; and if you have items you'd like to donate, or wish to purchase tickets for the kayak raffle, email me at futuredv at yahoo dot com.
We had a perfect evening for the race! 8-10 kts NW-SW, not a cloud in the sky, and Schock Therapy set a fast course allowing everyone to finish before sunset.
Although, I didn't know the mark "T" Jeff set; I thought that meant Townsend Ledge, which is a fine mark for a Saturday race, but the 16 mile round-trip would have been a bit much for a Thursday night! Turns out the "T" he selected was the closest MYC "barber pole", just south of the line between W and D. It was a good mark, but since it's not in the Windjammers sailing directions, it was a bit confusing.
This is another good reason to monitor channel 72 before all our races. I hope we can finally adopt this common sense rule and make it part of our procedures.
Joyce, Liz and Derek on a reach. We also had Lee and Bruce aboard; Janel had to work late and missed the race.
Lee right before the starting sequence.
Secret powers along in the light breeze.
Yes, it's another sunset photo. Sunsets are like snowflakes; no two are the same. But sunsets are warmer. And you never seem to get a blizzard of sunsets at one time, you only get a single sunset each day. And you don't have to shovel a bunch of sunsets off your driveway....
...OK, so they're not much like snowflakes after all.
Post-race, Liz took over the helm for some light air sailing.
"Audacious" was race committee tonight, and we started right on time.
"Schock Therapy" is getting ready for the pre-start. 
