Friday, June 12, 2009

2009 Wet Wednesday – Series 1

Wednesday was hot, hot, hot, but not very wet or wild. I noted 80°F on my car thermometer all the way to Big Lake. Upon arriving around 5:00 pm I set to working on my rudder upgrade kit (some filing required!). Contrary to web weather reports (10 mph???) there was absolutely no wind. That remained unchanged as the racers arrived and began launching boats for 2009’s first Wet Wednesday series.

The zero wind conditions remained unchanged as Race 1 started. I remained onshore working on my rudder fittings. Occasionally I would look up to see how things were going. Later I would look up and things looked exactly the same! I started to feel better about missing the race and continued working away in the shade – it looked pretty darn hot out on the water in the direct sun..

This all brought the mind the famous quote from The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge:

"We stuck, nor breath nor motion; As idle as a painted ship. Upon a painted ocean. Water, water, everywhere…"

Wind finally arrived around 9:00 pm and the boats literally flew around the course – compared to being parked for an hour and a half.

This brought to mind another quote, from Papa Wallenda the great tight rope walker:

"Life is on the wire, the rest is just waiting."

That could be paraphrased for sailors to:

"Life is on the water-sailing, the rest is just waiting."

Unfortunately, they had to throw out the speedy 2nd race due to the windward mark being a navigation hazard.

Get the Sailwave results sheet here.


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