I Don?t Much Like Racing Sailboats

[HideAway]

I don?t much like racing sailboats, especially if there are no Compacs in the race.  To me racing around a triangle makes about as much sense as finding out who can turn left the best at Daytona ? It is Daytona BEACH after all.   Land of the Harleys and the sea of the dolphins. 

Of course those of you who follow Compac racing closely will point out that HideAway won second place in the 23 fleet at the 1998 Compac World Cup held only once in the known history of sailboat racing at our sailing club nestled next to the Gateway To The Gulf in Gulfport Florida USA.

You have to understand that we didn?t win the award on purpose exactly, in fact we pretty much had given up the idea of finishing the race at all since there was a whole pack of the aforementioned dolphins about and our attention to racing details lacks the necessary intensity to follow a set course in any circumstance.  Besides we were so far behind the other 23s crossing the finish line no longer felt like a worthwhile thing to do on a bright sunny day with good wind.

On our fourth near pass by the committee boat we were cajoled into tacking about and officially finishing the race so the committee could retire to the party.  At the award ceremony my name was called so naturally I got up to apologize thinking it was that or maybe I?d left HideAway again in the wrong slip or some such, but no it wasn?t that at all. 

In fact when I gained the table where all the Race Officials sat someone pushed a trophy into my hand and offered congratulations.  To which I asked an obvious question to me concerning the undisputed fact that we crossed the line a good hour or so behind the previous boat.

Well I was ushered aside to prevent further embarrassments and was told by said Race Official that of the top three boats two of them were in a close duel for first place when one of them, the guy with the plastic sail, inexplicitly rammed the committee boat broadside and could not finish allowing the second to be first and the third to be second and so forth. 

Now I suppose at my age I should known when its? best to accept what fate has handed me and feel good about it. Of course I didn?t.  My questions as to the exact number of 23s in the Compac World Cup including HideAway seemed innocent enough.

The answer was three.

Its? a small world after all it seems.

[rwdsr]

LOL, good story - that's about how I came in third in the local duffers tournament the first, last, and only year I played golf.

[Bob23]

Matt:
   Great story. I don't race for the simple reason that I don't want to start defining sailing as winning or loosing and seconds, etc. I'm also afraid that, in a race of 3 boats, I might come in 4th! I tend to get distracted easily.
   Still, I think it would be fun to get in a fun race with other 23's as long as the competitive spirit wasn't the only spirit we'd be consuming.
Bob23

[botelerr]

 I cheat,, Johnson 9.9 electric start,, refered too as the Iron Jenny

Rob