Race #1 Feb 29

Feb 29

Today was the big in-harbour race!  We were one of 7 multi-hulls in the slow category.  The race started in 15 minute intervals with the fast multihulls first, then us, then the two categories of monohulls. [that's regular sailboats for you non-sailors].We were alone. C-Soul decided to stay home and we couldn't get Ross on the radio to see if he and Carol still waned to come . Probably for the best...

We were lined up, ready to hit the starting line on time when some little jerk in a monohull ran at across the start line. I had to change course and he sucked our wind right out of the sails so we backed up...not easy in a boat with no engine.  They thought it was funny...we couldn't get turned and wind until the last category o boats had crossed the start.  We figured we would be disqualified but the committee boat must have seen what happened and let us continue.

There were two channels on the radio being used. 78 was the race channel and 74 was the commentary channel. We turned off 74 because it was interfering with our argument about tactics, so we missed the narrative about us n the race. Apparently it was hilarious because every time we passed a boat at anchor, people were laughing and hooting and cheering.

The race was supposed to be two laps around the harbour. By the time we got to the first mark, most of the boats had passed us he second time. When we reported that we had rounded the mark, the committee boat advised us that the rules had been amended and that boats with yellow hulls and initials "OG" in their names should only go round once!

We took 4 hours to go 4 knots ...we are not a fast boat. Now everyone believes us when we say that. In all fairness if there had been any WIND...not a light breeze between 6-12 knots ...we would have been a lot faster.

Tomorrow is the round-the-island- race and we are seriously thinking of dropping out if the winds are not better...it will take us 2 days to go 18 miles without the engine!

Quentin had a good day...he spent the whole day with the kids. They went cliff jumping...before you panic, Mom, think Oliver Lake with no rocks on the bottom.  We know where he was and there were a bunch of adults with them...and it was safe. It must have been...he's back with no injuries.

Early bedtime...we're all tired from so much activity!!