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July 2004 Issue
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Newsletter
-Blue Boats go down hard at Pirates on the Pungo |
-Membership Application are due for 2004-NYRA History
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A Nice Slow Sail at the Parrothead Regatta
With lots of folks sporting their new Parrothead t-shirts the race got off to a very slow start. The postponement flag was hoisted due to lack of wind but after the committee boat supplied the Orion crew with an apple martini the wind picked up enough to start the race.
The start line was set up in the vicinity of marker 17 and Bifrost and Sayuri started the fleet off in the non-spinnaker class with Packer Tacker nowhere in sight.
The spinnaker boats followed suit with not much more than a breath of air to get them across the line. The race continued in this slow, hot fashion for a couple hours with the lighter boats having an obvious advantage.
Just before picking up and heading down to Oriental, the committee boat spotted a little red boat on the horizon sailing lazily up to the start line. Having no motor on the boat they were at the mercy of the Neuse doldrums to get to the start on time. Packer Tacker started the race a full half an hour after the last start but headed down the river.
Meanwhile the committee boat created their own air and sped down to the Croaker Festival in Oriental where we enjoyed some refreshing ice cream at The Bean.
Heading back out on the river it became clear that no one was going to make it to Oriental within the five hour time limit. The Sayuri crew was making the best of the blistering sun and getting a tan where most don’t!
The course was shortened to marker 8 at Minnesott much to the relief of everyone. Cotton Picker and Orion where making a run for line honors with Cotton Picker crossing the line 17 seconds ahead. But, of course Orion corrected them to take first place in Spinnaker class. Boartaint was the only other spinnaker boat to cross the line. Any Time and Blueprint decided that the lure of rum mixed drinks in gallon jugs was more of a draw than eeking out a finish and took a DNF. Packer Tacker made an incredible recovery from the late start and took a first for the non-spinnaker boats while Bifrost and Sayuri took a DNF.
The social was a blast with rum flowing and a few escaping the heat by taking a dunk in the river at the marina. A good time was had by all.
Special thanks Skip and Tiana John for supplying the race committee boat and braving the heat with me even though they’re not sailors!
Sarah Afflerbach
Neuse River Live Camera
