Well - we did it, but not without a major scare on the final day of the BYC Crown Series. We thought after getting the gun in all five races, and being a mile in front in the last race that we had it sown up. I was certain that we would get an outright in the last race with Footloose 5 minutes and most of the fleet 10 minutes behind us. Bot no! At the presentations we learned that we were third behind L'Etoile and Footloose.
That sent us back to the drawing board re calculations for the series. Mark was assuring me that we would be OK, but I was extremely nervous, having snatched defeat from the jaws of defeat on previous occasions. Our relief when they announced the series winner was loud and obvious to all.
Congratulations to Mark and Phil Millhouse and Doug Barry, and commiserations to Simon Millington who was to be the fifth crew member but was prevented by an untimely illness. The boys that were there did a magnificent job of covering Simon's absence, and still managed, I think, to produce the best crew work in our division, and for all I know, in the regatta. Despite our intensity on the course we manage to have a lot of fun together out there.
I sometimes pause to think, it may never get any better than this., this may, in retrospect, be the highest point in my sailing life. I have reflected on this on many occasions, not wishing to miss the opportunity to really savour the moment. If this is so this time, I am more than content.
The icing on yesterday's cake came during the presentations, when my name was drawn from the barrel to win $750 from Nautilus Marine off my next insurance renewal. I am extremely grateful to Hughie Lewis and Nautilus Marine for this valuable prize. There has never been a time in my sailing career when I have needed it more than right now.
Woooooooo Hoooooooooo. That's two in a row as far as I am concerned. 2012 and 2014 series wins as we did not race in 2013. Thanks for the ride Dave, Doug thanks for the old sea dog advice and mad main sheet trimming and general cockpit assistance (how are those longer arms working for you) and Phil for the fearless forward hand work, gybing the mast head spinnaker in 20 - 25 knots of breeze is a formidable task. Huge shame you couldn't be there Simon! Alibi II was great competition but would like to see some more of our usual competitors back in the Crown Series.
ReplyDeleteI must go back over the results over the years to see how we have gone in successive Crown Series, I know Malcolm and I won one of the first ones in Wavelength, and I think we now have three firsts and two (very painful) seconds in Trouble.
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