Saturday, June 4th, LSYC Sailboat Racing on Stockton Lake- From Cruiser Chairs Tom and Teresa
If that looks like an optimistic headline, it is, given the weather delays and cancellations of the past month. Not being Greek is no excuse for ignoring Zeus and even asking for a little respite and help from the ancients. To give everyone his or her due, I am also asking for a little help from Tempestas who apparently was/is the goddess of storms and sudden weather!
So, without making a big deal of it, collect your waders, paddles, oars, and galley slaves and head for the shores of OTM and State Park. You can be assured that by putting your hand to your forehead and scanning the horizon, you will find your boat right where you left it in November. The spiders and birds eagerly await those who brave the high seas and find their boats waiting patiently for a little human occupation.
The new look of the LSYC website calendar indicates that this coming Saturday, the 4th, there will be buoy racing for some folks and a mid-length cruise for those in the Cruising Squadron. There we said it out loud and expect that it will happen without a promised sacrifice of man or beast.
Commodore Brad will gather the buoy racers for the customary WL (they know what that means) races and ancient mariner Tom and the ever happy and patient Teresa will speak to the cruising squadron on VHF CH# 71.
Watch this space, the 4 LSYC bulletin boards, and the usual online reference points to find the racing details. For the Cruising Squadron, the course will be the same 7-mile triangle that we used last summer for the Summer Series. These pursuit starts will be based on a 12 o’clock Noon start for the boats with a PHRF 150. Others will start a little earlier and the really fast folks start a little later and your starting time will be posted before Friday. The start/finish line for the Cruising Squadron will be just to the west of Edge Island.
The first leg of the triangle will proceed on a heading of 170 degrees for about a mile where an inflated mark will be rounded in a counter-clockwise fashion leaving the unscathed mark on your port side. Then, in all due haste, proceed north to the dam going around Edge Island on the east side and leaving it to port. While heading north to the dam, have one of the galley slaves be on the lookout for an inflated mark somewhere along the face of the dam. Round that dam mark counter-clockwise with the mark on your port side and head for the start-finish line where you hopefully started right on time earlier.
Depending on your level of pirate-like revelry, potluck dining and imbibing will begin at 6 PM at E-park when Mayor Todd will fire up the grills. Multiple seatings are expected for early birds, middle birds, grizzled pirates, and those who await the dawning of a new day on Sunday. Even though your humble correspondent has seen a lot of fine (and otherwise) dining in 70 years, he had never had an “armadillo egg” until last summer at Epark. Thank you, chef Eric for that and all others for a great and unique setting of the table.
This is an open event for LSYC members, guests, and those who long to be either of the above. The LSYC is a barefoot club. This means that we don’t have a clubhouse, club-owned committee boats, and not much club-owned equipment. What we do have are some of the most experienced sailors on the planet who have raced and cruised almost everywhere that sailing is possible. We also have folks just starting out, maybe with a first boat who need a little or a lot of help as we push them away from the dock and catch their bow line later. While we are renters of a spot to keep a boat, we can also be connected to the greater sailing world through our club membership. The new website membership link is working and we just now joined up! Thanks to Brad and Mark and others who are beating the website into shape.
See you soon,TnT
