Two Laps of Fun

Full Moon (far left) avoids carnage at the Committee Boat.

Full Moon crew Randy “Halyards” Olsen, Daniel “Packer” Mengedoht, Eileen “Port” McHugh, Michael “Starboard” Ward and skipper John “Busy” Mengedoht enjoyed a solid start on starboard tack for the Pink Boat Duck Dodge, avoiding the pile-up at the Committee Boat. With decent wind, however, it wasn’t long before much bigger boats caught up, though the Capri 25 Tailwind was holding their own, eventually taking first place.

Daniel retrieves the bag after helping launch the Equalizer.

With a Paddleboard Rave happening off Gasworks, the first buoy was the Aurora buoy, Full Moon rounding with speedy Iskra (S2 7.9) and just behind Makima (Thunderbird). With the Equalizer deployed, Full Moon passed Makima and then traffic slowed Iskra, allowing Full Moon to round the AGC buoy ahead. Unfortunately, skipper John briefly forgot about the Chandlers Cove buoy before correcting course. It appeared that some boats forgot about the requirement to cross the finish line on the first lap, though it didn’t matter all that much.

Full Moon gets the inside line at the AGC buoy on the first lap.

The second lap was similar to the first, Full Moon losing ground to some boats upwind only to pass or gain on boats downwind. In the end, Full Moon was about tenth on a beautiful warm evening.

Full Moon (left) on approach to the AGC buoy on the second lap.

Full Moon will miss the Summerween Duck Dodge next week, getting a long-overdue haul-out for fresh bottom paint. We’ll return to third start for Toga Night, having completed our second start penance for doing a little too well earlier in the season.

Post-race, several boats drifted among the hundreds of paddle-boards.

Crazy Wind!

Counterclockwise: Rebecca, Ian, John and Michael in the prestart.

Full Moon crew Michael “Bun Dip” Medina, Daniel “First Aid” Mengedoht, Ian “I Can Do It” Mengedoht, Rebecca “Two Beers” Herivel, and skipper John “Crazy Ivan” Mengedoht were bumped up to second start for the Pirate Night Duck Dodge, having scored two bronze ducks in third start. The wind was strong out of the Northwest and Full Moon secured a good position on port tack near the favored Committee Boat end. Full Moon did well on the first leg to the Freeway buoy, despite some amazing wind shifts. The second leg featured a huge round-up before the main could be released. Did I mention the wind was strong?

Full Moon passes the Committee Boat to start about fourth.

Once around the Aurora buoy, there was no need for a spinnaker, Full Moon reaching over 7 knots at times with just the jib and main, flying south to the AGC buoy. By this time, the 40 foot and larger boats had finally caught up (sometimes size does matter), with Leo Kai forcing a squeeze around the buoy, causing side-to-side contact between several boats. Once around, it was nearly a straight shot back to the starting line to begin the second lap.

Full Moon is "wing and wing" approaching the AGC buoy. Tight squeeze ahead!

The wind was a bit lighter at this point, apart from gusts, and Full Moon had good speed around the Freeway buoy. Approaching the Aurora buoy, an inattentive power boat driver forced an unplanned tack and a cabin cruiser was making apparently random turns. You need a head on a swivel on Lake Union!

With the pole set for starboard jibe and wind now lighter and directly out of the north, Full Moon headed toward the center of the lake with jib and main before jibing and finally hoisting the Equalizer. This worked fine until the wind inexplicably shut down completely for several agonizing minutes! Down came the Equalizer as Full Moon drifted slowly southward. The wind eventually filled back in enough to reach the AGC buoy. The final upwind leg was uneventful, Full Moon finishing somewhere in the middle of the fleet though well behind the leaders.

Flag Day

With a variety of flags flying, Full Moon crew Randy “Fender” Olsen, Daniel “Conch Republic” Mengedoht, Robert “Groom” Leykam, Lucienne “Bride” Grace, and skipper John “Tight Squeeze” Mengedoht made certain not to be over early for the Red, White and Blue Duck Dodge but still managed a decent second-row start. The unusual northeast wind made the “pin” end of the line favored but Full Moon only needed two tacks to reach the Freeway buoy, passing a boat or two in the process.

Full Moon in the prestart before hoisting sails.

Initially favoring a northward track, the Aurora buoy was spotted farther south, and it was easy to fall off to the layline. Unfortunately, Leo Kai and another large boat from the second start were clogging the works near the buoy, moving very slowly. With another boat coming in on port tack from the north (which should have avoided all the starboard tack boats), there suddenly was no room to maneuver, resulting in a bit of bumper boats action.

Full Moon is in the second row for the start.

Once around, Full Moon hoisted the mighty Equalizer, though the wind angle and strength made it a struggle to hoist the final four feet. Meanwhile, Full Moon still had great speed southbound which only improved once the hoist was completed. Takedowns can be challenging in reaching conditions so Full Moon was a bit conservative with a slightly early drop but there didn’t appear to be any direct competitors nearby. Leo Kai had managed to get barely back ahead at the AGC buoy (sometimes size matters) but Full Moon tacked after rounding for clear air while Leo Kai rumbled eastward.

Full Moon (blue, black and white spinnaker) getting past Leo Kai approaching the AGC buoy.

Approaching the finish line, Full Moon needed two tacks to cross but had to yield to the Capri 25 Tailwind as well as an unnamed J30. Since Tailwind also needed a couple of tacks, this led to a tacking duel, Tailwind prevailing at the end (they’d had the advantage from the beginning) to take second place with Full Moon third for another Bronze Duck. By virtue of the new Duck Dodge rules, this means Full Moon will have to be in second start for the next three weeks.

Best Comeback Ever!

Wigs provide some Pride Night color on Full Moon.

If you’re never over-early, you’re probably not trying hard enough. So it was that Full Moon and one other boat were across the starting line just before the horn for the Pride Night Duck Dodge, requiring us to circle around the end buoy to restart and costing a few minutes. Full Moon crew Michael “Who, Me?” Medina, Marcelle “Eagle Eye” Van Houten, Daniel “Big Six” Mengedoht, Leslie “Shutter Bug” Synnestvedt, and skipper John “Legendary” Mengedoht nonetheless found a nice upwind groove to the Freeway buoy, which was placed a bit farther west than normal. This apparently confused quite a few boats, which proceeded farther north than necessary to round the fixed Gasworks green buoy rather than the official Duck Dodge buoy. The good news for Full Moon was that this allowed us to advance from near the back of the fleet to closer to the middle.

Full Moon and a Hobie 33 were just barely early across the starting line.

Well-placed tacks to pick up the wind shifts brought Full Moon past a few more boats to the Aurora buoy where the mighty Equalizer was soon launched. Favoring the middle of the lake to escape the wind shadow of boats to windward, Full Moon got past a few more boats on the long broad reach south, culminating in passing speedy Necessary Evil (Catalina 30) just before the AGC buoy.

Getting past Necessary Evil.

A straight shot upwind to the finish line widened the lead over boats behind and, much to our amazement, we received the horn for third place! Given the disastrous start, this was surely Full Moon’s best comeback of all time.

Skipper's Choice

Early on the first leg to AGC. Can you spot Full Moon?

Full Moon crew Randy “NA” Olsen, Chad “Amber Ale” Harnish, Carey “Azimuth” Reibman, Daniel “Dry” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Not Dry” Mengedoht intended to set up near the middle of the starting line for the Skipper’s Choice Duck Dodge but ended up a bit too far back and in a crowded pack of boats near the “pin” end. Starting eleventh isn’t a recipe for success but Full Moon soon moved up to eighth on the first upwind leg (SW wind) to the AGC buoy.

Daniel at his normal station when not on the bow.

The Equalizer was quickly launched for the long second leg, Full Moon threading through boats heading in the opposite direction. The wind was just right for great speed, Full Moon nearly getting up on a plane at one point. Nearing the Freeway buoy, Full Moon had moved up into fifth place.

Cap'n John with a post-race cold beverage.

The third leg was a straight shot nearly close-hauled to the Aurora buoy. Full Moon managed to pass one boat only to have a J22 squeeze inside to round the buoy ahead. The final leg was upwind where Full Moon crossed the line still fifth but way ahead of the rest of the fleet.

Late For the Prom

Full Moon is beyond the red J24 at the start.

Full Moon crew Michael “Almost 70” Medina, Daniel “Chaperone” Mengedoht, Kristen “Perfect Drop” Rue, and skipper John “Early” Mengedoht prepared for the Prom Night Duck Dodge with Tux t-shirts and our traditional mirror ball. Unfortunately, skipper John approached the starting area a bit early and ended up near the “pin” end and trapped to leeward of relative giant (Catalina 36) Tranquilitee. Once able to duck behind and to windward of Tranquilitee, which appeared unable to point very well, Full Moon was near the back of the pack.

Michael holds the jib sheet.

This intolerable situation didn’t last too long, Full Moon gaining on the first leg and passing Tranquilitee via a well-timed “slam dunk” tack. Rounding the Freeway buoy meant just continuing straight for Gasworks and tacking near the shore. This reduced the number of tacks needed to reach the Aurora buoy. With a starboard tack approach locked in with sufficient time, the spinnaker pole was raised and the Equalizer launched just after rounding the buoy.

Daniel mans the "pit."

Full Moon then managed to pass three boats with spinnakers on the broad reaching leg south while gaining nicely on a fourth boat approaching the AGC buoy. The Equalizer came down perfectly but there was an issue yet again with the pole after jibing around the buoy. (The extra long “turbo” pole can be challenging to stow.)

Full Moon (blue, black and white spinnaker) heading for the AGC buoy.

The final leg upwind was a straight shot, and Full Moon crossed the line in what we believe was seventh place, not at all bad given the poor start. Meanwhile, it was a gorgeous warm evening with a nice breeze, a welcome rarity in June.

Barbie and Two Kens

Full Moon crew Daniel “Steady On” Mengedoht, Anne “Socks” Gustavson, and skipper John “Golden” Mengedoht were a little short-handed again and opted for fourth start (no spinnakers) in the Barbie Night Duck Dodge. The wind was very light out of the northeast for the start and Full Moon opted for better clear air over the advantaged but crowded pin end of the line. Unfortunately, a couple of larger boats got past in the first hundred yards.

Full Moon approaches the starting line.

The wind improved slightly approaching the Freeway buoy but a boat close behind to leeward prevented a tack until getting close to Gasworks. This proved helpful, though, as the resulting course heading west generally had better wind than some other options. A tack near the Westlake shore ended up bringing Full Moon right to the Aurora buoy for a tight rounding to avoid traffic.

Slingshot (left) and Necessary Evil (right) sneaking up from behind.

Once around, it was difficult to escape the wind shadow from third start boats Slingshot and Necessary Evil, both flying large spinnakers. Heading toward the middle of the lake (always a good idea) eventually brought clear air and Full Moon passed both boats, at least for a while, despite not flying a spinnaker. Unfortunately, speedy Summer Salt (Harbor 20) got better wind from behind and ended up ahead at the AGC buoy as the breeze finally filled in.

The wind slowly fills in. That may be Full Moon on the far left.

It was a straight shot to the finish line where Full Moon expected to be second (at best) behind Summer Salt, but it turned out they were in third start and Full Moon got the horn for first place!

Daniel holds the proof - a Gold Duck!

Sunny Mardi Gras

Full Moon (far right) on approach to the AGC buoy. The eventual third place boat is on the left with the blue spinnaker.

Full Moon crew Michael “Zoomer” Medina, Marcelle “Origami” Van Houten, Daniel “Holy Hell” Mengedoht, Kristen “Sta-lo” Rue, and skipper John “Not Sorry” Mengedoht went with a starboard tack start for the Mardi Gras Duck Dodge, sixth across the line. This was a safe choice, given a crowded start line and strong wind, though boats able to get through on port tack enjoyed an advantage. Others (behind us) were apparently not so lucky with some collisions and close calls!

Daniel enjoys the post-race sun.

Three tacks later, Full Moon passed the Freeway buoy, then tacked westward near Gasworks to head to the Aurora buoy. After rounding, the Equalizer was soon launched, providing excellent speed on the long broad reaching leg south and allowing Full Moon to gain substantially on boats ahead. With a smooth spinnaker drop just before the AGC buoy, Full Moon nearly passed a couple of boats heading into the final leg.

Marcelle also enjoys a golden glow.

Unfortunately, jibing around the buoy, the jib sheets fouled badly on the spinnaker pole. The resulting lack of speed dropped Full Moon back to seventh at the finish, not at all bad, all things considered.

Missed It by That Much!

Full Moon crew Randy “No Pull” Olsen, Daniel “Pull” Mengedoht, Chad “Shrimper” Harnish, Ben “Gold Hat” Spicer, and skipper John “Consistent” Mengedoht were slightly delayed for the start of the Western Night Duck Dodge due to an untied jib sheet but well positioned for clear air. While crossing the line in sixth or seventh place, this helped with gaining on the boats ahead on the first leg to the AGC buoy.

Full Moon and the Equalizer.

After rounding the buoy, the Equalizer was soon hoisted to good effect, the breeze having shifted from southwest to the west. The question then became whether the center of the course would be best or more toward the east side of the lake. Full Moon passed and then fought off the Catalina 30 Necessary Evil in the middle and was looking good to maybe take the lead when the wind veered strongly into the northwest. This made the spinnaker untenable, and the takedown was ugly, the spinnaker pulling backward then taking a bath. This allowed two boats from the east to slide ahead as well as Necessary Evil before rounding the Freeway buoy.

You can't see the finish line but Full Moon (left) was maybe 10 feet behind Necessary Evil (right).

The leg to the Aurora buoy was hard on the wind and Necessary Evil inexplicably sailed a lower course. (Perhaps they had issues of their own?) Two tacks later, Full Moon was back in front and around the buoy. The final leg was mostly a run but in much lighter wind. A spinnaker would have been beneficial but the Equalizer was a thoroughly soggy pile in the bottom of the cockpit. Necessarily Evil, on the other hand, was able to get a spinnaker up and slowly gained from behind. At the finish line, they were barely ahead to get the horn for third place with Full Moon fourth. All things considered, this was an excellent finish as there were a lot of boats behind us!

No Rain, No Pain

Full Moon is first across the starting line but the J22 SYC4 was better positioned.

Too shorthanded to fly the Equalizer (spinnaker), Full Moon once again raced in fourth start for the Onesie Night Duck Dodge. Crew Daniel “Random Task” Mengedoht, new crew Kristin “Muscles” Rue, and skipper John “Strategerie” Mengedoht managed a great start right on the line. Unfortunately, the J22 SYC 4 was not far behind and closer to the Committee Boat, giving them the lead once we all tacked. Even more unfortunately, there was a t-bone port-starboard collision not far behind us! (We hope the damage was minimal, but the crash was quite loud!)

With clear air and good wind, Full Moon enjoyed good speed on the upwind leg to the AGC buoy, rounding still in second place and ahead of several third start boats. (For some reason, the Race Committee elected to do a clockwise course, which can encourage boats to approach an upwind mark on port tack for an easier and faster rounding, but things went smoothly so far as we saw.) The course to the Aurora buoy was roughly dead downwind so Full Moon went through a few gybes and even ran “wing and wing” at times but still managed to stay even with some boats using spinnakers, passing two just before rounding.

The course to the Freeway buoy was a close reach, providing good speed. The rounding went well, and it was then upwind to the finish line where Full Moon got the horn for second place!

Auspicious Beginning?

 

Full Moon is seen at the left, not long after the start.

Full Moon wasn’t supposed to make it to the first Duck Dodge of 2025 but skipper John “New Toy” Mengedoht got home from a business trip just in time to gather sons Ian “Tactical Ballast” Mengedoht and Daniel “Straight, No Chaser” Mengedoht to join the race in fourth start (no flying sails).

The Mengedoht boys enjoying incredible early May weather.

Unfortunately, the wind was nearly nonexistent, coming weakly out of the south before the start, fading to zero, then reversing to come sporadically and very weakly out of the north. This led to a massive cluster of boats from all the starts barely moving, if at all, struggling to get to the AGC buoy at the south end of the lake. The boats that could fly a spinnaker tried them but with very limited results – a spinnaker is of no value if it won’t fill.

Daniel secures the Bronze Duck from the race committee.

Somehow, Full Moon managed (mostly) to keep moving. The wind returned to a barely felt southerly on approach to the buoy and Full Moon slipped into a gap to go around. Clearing other surrounding boats plus those still heading for the buoy was a challenge but then the wind began to fill in from the north, ultimately sending Full Moon on a fast romp upwind.

One more duck on the mast... We're running out of room!

This continued all the way to the Freeway buoy where the wind faded a little and shifted into the west, setting Full Moon up for a beam reach to the finish line. With the long drift southward, it was difficult to gauge how we were doing but Full Moon received the horn for third place and the Bronze Duck!