Ball of Confusion

Marcelle scores the prized Yellow Goose sticker after a wild race.

Goosebump Race No. 3 featured much stronger winds than the forecast 8-10 knots with gusts around 20 knots. The lulls were considerably less, though, and Full Moon crew Marcelle “I’m Fine” Lynde, Tammy “Popsicle Toes” Cross, Michael “Facemask” Medina, Daniel “Tunes First” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Round Up” Mengedoht risked being overpowered, choosing the #1 genoa over the #3 jib (the boat lacks a #2). About the time the 10 minute warning was expected, the Race Committee elected to shift the starting line. Full Moon circled around waiting for the warning horn and, when it sounded, assumed it would be the normal 10 minute warning. However, all the big boats crossed the line after just five minutes. Full Moon cruised past the Committee Boat and hailed “Was that the start?” The reply: “Not yet!”

Five minutes later, Full Moon crossed the starting line right on Selchie’s stern, hoping this really was the start. Friday (31 footer), Salsa (J29) and Zephyr (San Juan 28) followed behind to provide some company.

On the next tack, Marcelle went forward to assist getting the jib over the lifelines but lost her footing as the boat heeled in a gust. A firm grip on the shrouds kept her on board but only just – she was in the water nearly to her waist – and there were some tense moments until she was safely back on deck.

During the commotion, Selchie pulled pretty far ahead and Friday caught up. Friday rounded ahead at the AGC buoy with Full Moon close behind. At the Cove buoy, Friday swung a bit wide and Full Moon was able to get by. Once the mighty Equalizer was hoisted, Friday was behind for good, though still a threat should Full Moon make any mistakes.

The spinnaker takedown at the Freeway buoy was reasonably smooth and Full Moon screamed across the lake on a tight reach to the Aurora buoy, then headed south again to complete the first lap. The second lap was similar to the first, windy and overpowered, though the crew remained completely onboard.

Crossing the finish line, it appeared the Race Committee might actually have some kind of prize for Full Moon and, sure enough, we were awarded the Yellow Goose sticker for third place! The big boats (Jedi, Surt, Black Knight, Tipsy Gypsy, etc.) boats were, unfortunately for them, all over early and disqualified. It appeared that Selchie was first, followed by Salsa, Full Moon, Friday, and Zephyr.

Cap'n John applies the new sticker to the mast.

Low Speed Chase

Chuck, John, Art, and Daniel enjoying another sunny Sunday.

Goosebump Race No. 2 promised slightly more wind than the first race but the start was still a parking lot of barely moving or stationary boats. Full Moon crew Randy “iPhone” Olsen, Art “Noise-Cancelling” Teller, Chuck “Birthday Boy” Weldy, Daniel “Blue Box” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Slow Ride” Mengedoht opted for the Committee Boat end and, though pinned for awhile by the Hobie 33 Payara, this paid off very well when a little breeze finally showed up right in Full Moon’s path.

By this time, Cinc-o-sink (505 dinghy) was in the lead with lightweight Perfectly Strange (Pocket Rocket 22) just behind. Tipsy Gypsy (Soverel 33) managed to catch up before the Freeway buoy but Full Moon rounded in fifth, still ahead of the really big boats.

The mighty Equalizer spinnaker was then launched, enabling Full Moon to stay close with Tipsy Gypsy and to hold off The Black Knight (Beneteau 36.7), at least for awhile. Unfortunately, jibing the spinnaker at the Aurora buoy went awry and the delay getting things sorted allowed The Black Knight, Thunderbird Selchie, and J109 Tantivy all to slip past. Once the nylon monster was flying again on a nice tight reach, Full Moon began to chase down Selchie but was soon trapped in a sandwich between Selchie to windward and Tipsy Gypsy to leeward. The bad news was that Full Moon could not get enough separation to gain further on Selchie but the good news was that Tipsy Gypsy also could not get ahead of Full Moon.

This scenario continued most of the way to the finish line when the big Sabre Yankee III appeared, attempting to roll poor Full Moon to windward. Full Moon headed up a bit to thwart this tactic and, in the end, Selchie was sixth, Full Moon an excellent seventh (given the competition), Yankee III eighth, and Tipsy Gypsy ninth. Rival Zephyr was much farther back, finishing about twelfth.

Congratulations to Cinc-o-sink, which again placed first, and to The Black Knight, which managed to squeak past Perfectly Strange just before the finish to score second.

Time For a Cold One

Flying toward the finish line, looking a bit chilly!

Full Moon crew Randy “Panorama” Olsen, Marcelle “Beach Blanket” Lynde, Michael “Hot Buttered Rum” Medina, Daniel “I’m On a Boat” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Big News” Mengedoht braved the cold but sunny Sunday weather for the first of the Goosebump races on Lake Union. New this year is a two-start format and Full Moon was paired with the giants and rocket ships in first start but perhaps it is gratifying to be considered a “fast boat!”

With the radio tuned to the Seahawks game, Full Moon lined up for the start in nearly windless conditions, the lake revealing hardly a ripple. The giant dark-blue-hulled Jedi (J-145?) managed to keep moving on the left while rival Zephyr (San Juan 28) had the best start at the Committee Boat end. Relatively speaking (the first leg took 45 minutes!), Full Moon did very well at first, oozing around the Freeway buoy not far behind Surt (C&C 41), Jedi, and the always-well-sailed 505 dinghy Cinc-o-sink, having left Zephyr and even the Hobie 33 Payara well behind.

Payara soon caught up, though, and as Full Moon slowly drifted toward the Aurora buoy, the wind filled in a tiny bit for the boats behind. This brought Zephyr, Selchie (Thunderbird), and True Blue (Ranger 22) up and past until the scrap of breeze finally reached Full Moon, too.

The race was intended to include all four corners of the lake but it was clear no boat would make that distance within the 2 hour time limit. All boats headed for the Committee Boat after rounding the Aurora buoy, correctly reasoning that the race would finish there. The wind continued its fickle ways but Full Moon caught some to overtake Selchie and then Zephyr, though True Blue remained farther ahead. In the end, Full Moon finished either 5^th or 6^th, depending on whether True Blue was in the first start or second. Zephyr and Selchie followed Full Moon while little Cinc-o-sink beat all the big boats, taking first.