The Governor's Regatta

SHIP'S LOG:

Sunday was the Governor's Regatta, a yearly event at TYC, and since I don't race anymore (I am really, REALLY Bad at it), I volunteered to work as part of the Committee for the Race. So for the past few days, I have been referred to as "the Windward Mark," indicating my particular role in the race scheme of things.

The Race itself is begins and ends "in the vicinity of Vixens Ledge" which off the mouth of the Thames River and off of Groton proper. It is a nice open expanse of water which allows for the racing to be done without competitors being hampered by the boat traffic in the Thames and is not blocked- wind wise - by the land. The current can be a bit tricky but that is supposed to be part of fun.

Being a part of the Race Committee, I got to dock Saturday at the end of the TYC dock and again on Sunday night - without charge. This "freebie" is allowed on Saturday so that the boats on the Committee can be pre-loaded with all the paraphernalia that is needed for the race, including food and drink for the "hard working crews," and allowed again on Sunday so that the crews can off-load said paraphernalia after the Race and before the post race party. It is also a lot easier to walk down the dock and crash on your boat after the post race party rather than motor out, secure the boat to the mooring, close up and try to get into the launch for the ride back ashore.

The weather didn't really cooperate as we got a thunder and lightning storm about 7am and while the rain stopped, it remained overcast and threatening all day. The wind didn't cooperate much either entailing a delay of an hour before the racing could start. In the end, the race was a simply windward/leward race of about 5 miles. It would have been longer, with another couple of legs but the wind didn't permit it. The way the wind was blowing, the Race Committee determined that they didn't need my services and use government marks for the race It meant that me and the crew got to watch as spectators without any responsibility . . .except to the food and drink so generously supplied. It also meant that we had an early release and got back to the club just ahead of the first finishing racers.

The party that followed was typically up to TYC standards. I imagine that the racers come as much for the party as for the competition.

hanging on the dock in the Thames can be a "rolly" experience with all the traffic in the river and Sunday night was no exception. With the wind out of the SE, even with a web of lines and a host of fenders, I still whacked the pilings a few times and one time was right on a section of the caprail that I have repaired several times. That this section survived the ICW trip I found amazing, that it didn't survive two nights on a dock in the Thames was no surprise at all. The downside was that the piece of wood, so often repaired, had disappeared leaving the caprail with a "gaped-tooth smile" as it were. I hit West Marine for a can of F-27 epoxie filler and "put in a filling." it needs to be sanded and stained but so long as it fills the gap and keeps the rail in place, it will be fine. I will have to decided come the fall or spring, how to make a m ore permanent repair. The caprail, has numerous cracks, so serious, some hardly noticeable, and it needs work, so this will just be the inspiration to take it on. Now I just have to figure out where on the "projects list" it goes!