Nabeel Alsalam, Maryann Gallagher, Eva Hogan, and Kaitlyn Lucey was your RC. The winds were light and from the north or northwest. Being optimistic, we set up a pretty long course for the first race, but the wind was light and it took almost an hour and a half for all the sailor to complete the course. We pulled in the windward mark for the second race but the winds fell to almost nothing. So we shortened the race at the 2nd windward mark.
After the racing, the sailors congregated in the grove. Lee Mullins brought chilli and hot dogs were plentiful on the grill. It was a pleasant afternoon and, of course, the breeze seemed to pick up.
John Van Voorhis and team ran the races. The day started off with challenges: 19’s battery was low, and the pee tube wasn’t producing. And none of the inflators were working. So initially racing was cancelled. But then Witt came to the rescue to blow up the marks and clear the pee tube. Racing was re-instated.
Nelson Pemberton and team ran the races. Barney Harris was running the mark boat. It was day 2 of the Lightning Doc Gilbert Potomac Cup.
The winds were from the west and shots of breeze were coming in from both the left and right. At one point the wind went way right but by the end of the day it had shifted way left.
The Lightning class saw a very skewed start line that was difficult to lay on starboard. That created a mix of strategies from trying to start on port, coming down the line on starboard but tacking to port before the gun, to dip starts. Chaos ensued at the pin.
Nabeel & team of Aaron Boesenecker, John Van Voorhis, and Cathy Clarke were ready but the wind wasn’t there. At 10 there was about 2 or 3 knots of winds. The tide was ebbing reinforcing the river current which would have made it difficult to sail up current. So Nabeel postponed on shore for an hour. Around 11 Aaron & John went out to the river–the wind near the launch area can be more than out on the river due to a near shore thermal. They found even less wind and then it shut down. Racing was cancelled for the day.
Frank Gallagher and John Van Voorhis ran the signal boat. Dana Howe and Natalie Rehberger ran the mark boat. It was a windy start to the sailing season.
Aaron Boesenecker, Lisbet Kugler, Lars and Janet Rathjen, and team ran the races. Knowing the wind was going to die, they got the first race off on time and that was it for the day.
Although the morning started off chilly, it turned into a beautiful sunny afternoon. Dogs and burgers were thrown on the grill and home made pickles and other goodies put out on the tables. We whiled away the afternoon chatting, snacking, and eating.
