Old Stories 1997-98

Duck Dodge, May 20, 1997
Full Moon Scorches to Second Place

In the first race of the Duck Dodge sailboat race series on Lake Union, crew members Tina “Grinder” Negri, Randy “Killer Tiller” Olsen, Barry “Spinnaker” Shuman, and Deborah “Telltales” Vaughn, along with yours truly, the skipper, (a.k.a. “The Snuffer”) made good use of the light winds to bring Full Moon across the finish line in second place.

Starting in fifth, Full Moon out-pointed two boats on the upwind leg, rounding the buoy in third while holding off the bigger boats. Passing the hot Olson 25, Dreams, under spinnaker at the end of the broad-reaching leg, we moved up to second. Scat, a very fast custom 25-footer, held onto their lead to the finish, but we think we made them nervous. Adding to the jubilation of the hard-fought second place finish (and highly prized silver duck sticker), arch-rival Shogun (Slowgun?) was unable to improve on their sixth-place start, losing to Full Moon by four places.

Duck Dodge, June 3, 1997
Full Moon Misses Ducks

In the third race of the Duck Dodge sailboat racing series on Lake Union (after skipping the second race last week), crew members Christy “This is fun!” Bates, Amy “I wanna do it” Bradford, Randy “Get Those Guys” Olsen, and Art “Spinnaker” Teller, along with yours truly, “Snake Wake” the skipper, braved the threatening weather and fluctuating winds to place seventh.

Struggling for clear wind at the start, we were in seventh place up the short first leg, staying ahead of arch-rival Shogun. We passed a few boats downwind under spinnaker, but Shogun and a well-sailed Thunderbird squeaked by us on the last two legs for the finish. We’ll beat them next race on Tequila Night!

Duck Dodge, June 10, 1997
Racing Away Again In Margaritaville

The fourth race of the Duck Dodge sailboat racing series on Lake Union began with a wind speed of exactly zero, leaving a huge mass of boats unable to move. Taking advantage of the lull in crew activity and the Tequila Night theme for the race, Steve “Mr. Margarita” Mikkelsen quickly set to work in the galley on Full Moon, keeping Tina “The Tigress” Negri, Amy “Whiz Kid” Bradford, Randy “Rail Rider” Olsen, and skipper John “Absolutely” Mengedoht well supplied with the high-octane beverage (see recipe below).

The wind eventually picked up enough to get us moving and we traded places several times with the Yamaha 33 Audacious (featuring Suzanne “I don’t know those guys on Full Moon” Lusnia as crew). The nine foot additional length of Audacious eventually paid off, and they beat us to the finish.

Arch-rival Shogun apparently jammed a spinnaker halyard in pre-race practice and did not make the start (we’ll claim it as a victory). In estimating our place at the finish, the crew consensus was “somewhere between fifth and one liter.” A good time was had by all.

Mr. Margarita’s now-famous recipe is Cuervo Mistaco Citrus Tequila, Odwala Honey Lemonade and ice. “We don’t need no stinkin’ blender! Margarita on the rocks, baby, no salt!”

Duck Dodge, June17, 1997
Full Moon In Surf City

Last week - no wind. This week, sustained winds of over 30 knots greeted the brave Duck Dodge fleet for the fifth sailboat race of the series. Under double-reefed mainsail and smallest jib, Full Moon took total sailing rookies Donn “50 degrees!” and Karen “Human Spray Shield” Oshiro, along with Randy “Big Gust!” Olsen and skipper John “The Main Reefer Man” Mengedoht on a very wild ride around Lake Union.

Arch-rival Shogun tried in vain to catch us as we literally surfed down the first reaching leg, then retired early, possibly with a blown jib. On an exhilarating evening where just keeping the boat under control was a victory, we were happy to finish seventh with no damage to boat or crew.

Duck Dodge, June 24, 1997
Bogeyman Attacks The Prom

Full Moon prepared for Prom Night, the sixth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union, with bow ties and balloons, but was unprepared for boat collisions and screaming crews that dampened the normally friendly atmosphere on the lake.

While successfully avoiding the collisions, we made a late start and worked hard to finish fourteenth out of the twenty-five to thirty boats in our class. Shogun, our arch-rival, was over the starting line early, and, failing to return to restart, was disqualified by the Race Committee, providing one more victory for Full Moon.

Despite the cracked fiberglass and injured feelings on many other boats, crew members Amy “The Heckler” Bradford, Alex “The Boy” Fradkin, Randy “The Balloonist” Olsen, and Deborah “The Beer Holder” Vaughn, along with skipper John “The Slow Starter” Mengedoht had a great time enjoying the fine weather and fair winds.

Duck Dodge, July 1 and July 8, 1997
Disco Moon and the Monsoon

Making up for the slow start on Prom Night, Full Moon hit the starting line right at the gun for Disco Night, the seventh race of the Duck Dodge sailboat race series on Lake Union. With an excellent performance by Jeri “Tonga” Jacobsen, Tina “Disco Inferno” Negri, Art “Gold Chains” Teller, Grace “Squirt” Teller, and David “Cookie” Zeitlin, along with skipper John “Disco Duck” Mengedoht, Full Moon placed eighth, passing Wings, a hot J-24, at the end of the last downwind leg and holding a narrow lead to an exciting finish. Shogun finished near the back of the pack in (gasp!) 29th place to give us a huge victory over our arch-rival. Meanwhile, frequent Full Moon crew member Amy “Wet” Bradford lounged aboard the Tayana 37 Aventure in the cruising boat race (thanks for the pretzels, Amy).

In the eighth race of the series on July 8, Full Moon again nailed the start, this time in a driving rainstorm. Adventurous crew members Amy “Wet Again” Bradford, Ching “The Sponge” Chung, Art “Soaking Shorts” Teller, and Grace “Rain or Shine” Teller, with skipper John “Crazy Ivan” Mengedoht, braved the monsoon rains and gusting winds, working hard at extreme angles of heel to take 12th place. Arch-rival Shogun managed to squeak by us to finish tenth, partly making up for their resounding defeat the previous week. A good time was had by all, even if the pretzels got wet.

Duck Dodge, July 15, 1997
Pirates on Lake Union!

Flying a huge black pirate flag and with crew “decked” out in scarves and eye patches, Full Moon hit the starting line in about tenth place for Pirate Night, the ninth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union.

Skipper John “Pinball Wizard” Mengedoht stealthily called the tacks to pass arch-rival Shogun on the first leg and, with sparkling performances from crew members Jeri “Jib Sheets” Jacobsen, Randy “Roving Eye” Olsen, Barry “Big Guns” Shuman, and Deborah “Dr. Strangefood” Vaughn, we continued to pass boats both upwind and downwind, finishing the race in fifth place.

Proving, once again, that size isn’t everything, Full Moon also passed several larger boats, including a MacGregor 65 that started five minutes earlier in the “big racing boats” class. Shogun could do no better than 13th place, capping a great evening on the water.

Duck Dodge, July 29, 1997
Full Moon in Dreamland

“Pajama Night” was the theme for the tenth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union, and Full Moon came prepared with Teddy Bears and a variety of sleepwear – though we skipped the curlers and cold cream.

Using a port-tack start, Full Moon was a few seconds late crossing the starting line, but clearly ahead of arch-rival Shogun. Skipper John “Pretty in Pink” Mengedoht, crew Amy “Jammie-knot” Bradford, Randy “Stripes” Olsen, Elaine “Scissor-Hand” Schneider, Cory “Root Beer” Zeitlin, and David “Lemon Bars” Zeitlin brought Full Moon home in twelfth place while enjoying a beautiful evening on the water. Shogun made up some ground under spinnaker, but struggled upwind in light air, finishing seventeenth out of a fleet of about thirty boats.

Duck Dodge, August 5, 1997
Slow Boat to Gasworks

A good start is critical in a sailboat race, but it’s even more important to avoid collisions. Full Moon survived a mass of wildly dodging boats for the start of the 11th Duck Dodge on Lake Union, but crossed the line toward the back of the fleet. The Yamaha 33 Audacious and our arch-rival Shogun had better starts, but Audacious failed the collision avoidance test later in the race – they were T-boned and ended up with a six-inch gash in their port side.

Skipper John “Near Miss” Mengedoht, crew Christy “Chips” Bates, Randy “What Canoe?” Olsen, Steve “Nimble” Mikkelsen, and guests Mike and Susan McCannel enjoyed perfect weather, some hair-raising maneuvers, and many adjustments to the beer ballast system. Shogun finished in front of us for only the third time this year.

Duck Dodge, August 12, 1997
Dancin’ In The Dark

The twelfth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union was Tropical Night and Full Moon crossed the starting line in good form. Beautifully arrayed in grass skirts and plastic leis, skipper John “Rum Buns” Mengedoht and crew Amy “Bella Luna” Bradford, Donn “Mai Tai” Oshiro, Karen “Hula” Oshiro, and Barry “Breezy Coconuts” Shuman brought Full Moon within squirt-gun range of the race leaders as the wind faded on the second leg.

In light to nonexistent winds, most of the fleet dropped out after completing only one lap of the two-lap race but, with the Committee Boat urging us on, we continued around the lake into the darkness, one of few boats to actually finish. Arch-rival Shogun didn’t even complete one lap before retiring, which was just as well since they hit the buoy at the first mark and, failing to re-round, would have been disqualified! Over 30 boats rafted together in the middle of the lake, continuing to party late into the night and a good time was had by all.

Duck Dodge, August 19, 1997
Waiting For The Moon

Last week, Full Moon was one of few boats to finish the race. This week, for the “lucky thirteenth” sailboat race of the summer Duck Dodge series on Lake Union, skipper John “Seaweed” Mengedoht, with crew Christy “Booked” Bates, Randy “Baked Lays” Olsen, Art “Jersey” Teller, and Amy “Jalapeno” Wong-Freeman, chose to drop out in the dying winds.

Arch-rival Shogun managed to finish, so we’ll give them a little credit – just a little, though! While we weren’t exactly rocketing through the water, we had ample time to enjoy the glow of the setting sun on the downtown skyline and wait fore the moonrise.

Duck Dodge, August 25 and September 2, 1997
Full Moon Martini

In the face of heavy rain and potential thunder-showers, Full Moon was a rare no-show for Toga Night, the fourteenth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union. Nothing, however, could have kept us from the fifteenth and final race this past Tuesday.

Following the theme of martinis and cigars established on Full Moon last year, skipper John “The Olive” Mengedoht, with crew Amy “Twenty Pumps” Bradford, Randy “The Shaker” Olsen, Steve “Lemon Peel” Negri, Tina “Portofino” Negri, Barry “Big Ash” Shuman, and Deborah “Cheese” Vaughn, performed admirably, with crisp tacks and fine spinnaker control, often with a martini in one hand.

The racing action quickly became confused, though, when someone made off with the buoy at the first mark, leaving the fleet to guess where to turn. Undaunted, Full Moon passed arch-rival Shogun and stayed ahead of them for the remainder of the aborted race to claim a moral, if unofficial, victory. A good time, as always, was had by all.

Goosebumps, January 10 and January 17, 1998
Goosebumps!

No, not the scary children’s stories. Sailboats! Racing! In the winter! After missing the first race on January 10 due to skipper illness, Full Moon hit the starting line at full speed last Saturday for Race Two of the Goosebump Series on Lake Union.

With crew Art “Wet Shoes” Teller, special guest crew Amy “Atlanta” Stokes, and skipper John “Mainsheet” Mengedoht, Full Moon blasted along, rail in the water upwind and nearly surfing downwind (no spinnaker needed in the strong winds). At 25 feet of length, Full Moon was no threat to most of the bigger boats (40-footers or the infamous Yamaha 33, Audacious, which placed fourth), but we very nearly beat a Catalina 34, Dutch Treat, and were delighted to place sixth.

Goosebumps, January 24, 1998
Wet and Wild

Race 3 of the Goosebump Series on January 24 on Lake Union featured rain and sustained winds of up to 40 knots. Full Moon was raring to go with crew Amy “Knee Deep” Bradford, Eric “Rookie” Lofgran, Randy “Hot Chocolate” Olsen, and Amy “Winch” Wong-Freeman along with skipper John “Crazy Ivan” Mengedoht.

We stayed close to the front of the pack for the first three legs, solidly in fourth place just behind Audacious and the other big boats. Strengthening winds forced us to reef the mainsail, allowing three boats to sneak by. Skillful crew work and tactics enabled us to retake one boat at the end of the last running leg and we were pleased to finish sixth.

Goosebump, February 7, 1998
Fun In The Sun

Race 5 of the Goosebump Series on Lake Union featured light and shifty winds with some welcome sunshine. Full Moon had a great start in a larger-than-normal fleet, crossing the line in fourth place.

Crew Amy “Picnic” Bradford, Anneka “Rookie” O’Connell, Randy “The Heckler” Olsen, Barry “Spinnaker” Shuman, Art “Foreguy” Teller and Skipper John “Leeward!” Mengedoht kept Full Moon near the front of the pack for the first leg, rounding the mark ahead of our much larger rival, Audacious. On the downwind run, a few larger boats and a sneaky San Juan 24 got by us under spinnaker. Better tactics upwind brought us close to the San Juan on the final leg and we squeaked by them at the finish. We were pleased to place seventh, beating every boat our size and quite a few larger boats.

Duck Dodge, May 19, 1998
Full Moon In Top Ten

Full Moon had a great start for the first Duck Dodge sailboat race on Lake Union, and sailed in the first five boats on the first upwind leg. Spinnaker difficulties allowed a few boats by on the next leg, but crew Amy “Green Line” Bradford, Tina “Pipes” Negri, Randy “Twist Top” Olsen, and Art “Rusty” Teller, with skipper John “T-Bone” Mengedoht, were determined to avenge the taunting from arch-rival Shogun.

Unfortunately, fading winds allowed Shogun to keep ahead of us, finishing eighth to Full Moon's tenth (out of 32 boats).

Duck Dodge, May 26, 1998
Full Moon Outguns Shogun

The second Duck Dodge sailboat race on Lake Union, May 26, was Western Night and there were many damp cowboys and cowgirls. Decked out in bandannas and sheriff badges, Full Moon again had a great start, staying close to the leaders on the first upwind leg.

Crew Randy “Pretzels” Olsen, Karen “Corona” Oshiro, Stuart “Rookie” Kleiger, and skipper John “They moved too soon” Mengedoht worked hard under spinnaker to gain on arch-rival Shogun and passed them just before the last mark. Full Moon was gaining on the third place boat on the final leg, but was unable to catch them before the finish. Fourth place was all ours, though, as Shogun faded to take a very distant fifth.

Duck Dodge, June 2, 1998
Fun In The Sun

The third sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series, June 2 on Lake Union, featured sunny skies, warm temperatures, and wimpy winds. After a poor start, caught in the herd on starboard tack, crew Randy “Slowgun” Olsen, Anneka “Winch Wizard” O’Connell, Amy “Jalepeno” Wong-Freeman, David “Carrots” Zeitlin, Cory “Cam Cleat” Zeitlin, and skipper John “Yellow Buoy” Mengedoht, started working Full Moon up through the fleet.

Overtaking several boats on the first upwind leg, Full Moon began to reel in arch-rival Shogun downwind, passing three other boats in the process (including Red Onion, a sister-ship to Full Moon). The final upwind leg to the finish saw winds dropping to nearly zero, but Full Moon managed to keep going, passing still more boats, and crossing the finish line eighth out of more than thirty boats. Shogun ghosted over the line in ninth a full fifteen minutes later.

Duck Dodge, June 9, 1998
“Killer” Callisto Causes Collision!

Hat Night, the fourth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union, began disastrously. A boat at the leeward end of the starting line figured out too late that they could not clear the Committee Boat on starboard tack. They tacked to avoid colliding with the Committee Boat, forcing two boats close to windward to tack also. All three boats then continued on port tack toward Full Moon and the rest of the fleet, which were all on starboard tack (with right of way).

Full Moon had no room to maneuver and Callisto, one of the port tack boats, crashed into Full Moon, breaking a lifeline and bending the stern railing. Though dismayed at the damage, nobody was hurt. Randy “Handy” Olsen quickly rigged a temporary lifeline and, with Art “Gybemaster” Teller, “Winch Wenches” Amy Bradford and Anneka O’Connell, and skipper John “Shaken, Not Sunk” Mengedoht, Full Moon kept on racing.

The craziness continued at the end of the first leg as arch-rival Shogun, unable to clear the buoy without tacking into other boats, elected to keep going without rounding the buoy. This disqualified them, though they didn’t seem to care! Full Moon eventually took tenth place, happy to have survived.

Duck Dodge, June 16, 1998
Life In The Convergence Zone

The fifth Duck Dodge sailboat race on Lake Union featured extremely light, shifty winds and some welcome sunshine. After a very good start (with no collisions!), finding wind became paramount. With “Foxy Ladies” (you had to be there) Tina Negri and Jeri Jacobsen, Steve “Sneezy” Dwoskin, Andrew “Beer Buns” Dwoskin, Randy “Pretzel Boy” Olsen, and skipper John “One More Buoy” Mengedoht, Full Moon was, at various times, in the top five boats.

Late failure in the Quest For Wind allowed a few boats by and Full Moon finished a still respectable ninth. Arch-rival Shogun had better luck with the wind (we wouldn’t want to credit their sailing skills) and placed sixth.

Thankfully, “Killer” Callisto didn’t race. With damage estimates from last week’s collision exceeding $1400, Full Moon’s insurance carrier will presumably be aggressive about collecting from Callisto’s skipper.

Duck Dodge, June 30, 1998
Titanic Stays Afloat!

The seventh sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on June 30 was Dead Celebrity Night, and Full Moon came disguised with four smokestacks, a mysterious woman “flying” on the bow, and large nameplates proclaiming “Titanic.”

After a collision-free but poor start, Full Moon crew Randy “Salsa” Olsen, Tina “Tangles” Negri, Art “Inflatable” Teller, Amy “Red Gown” Wong-Freeman, and skipper John “No Lifeboats” Mengedoht set to work. With judicious use of the spinnaker and jib, Full Moon’s crew played the wind shifts on the warm, sunny evening to pass boat after boat. Arch-rival Shogun tried throwing ice cubes at “Titanic,” but even they couldn’t stop her. Full Moon took fifth place to Shogun’s seventh, beating Shogun now five races to two. And for excellent participation in the race theme, Full Moon was awarded the coveted Black Duck!

Duck Dodge, July 7, 1998
Satisfaction

The eighth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series featured 80-degree warmth and ample wind. After an excellent start, Full Moon crew Deborah “Wedding Bells” Vaughn, “Spinnaker Wizards” Barry Shuman and Art Teller, Amy “Is It In?” Bradford, and skipper John “Let It Out” Mengedoht performed like seasoned veterans with smooth tacks, polished spinnaker handling, and solid tactics.

Over a long, two lap course, stronger winds favored the larger boats and Full Moon did extremely well to place ninth, beating every boat considered her equal in speed and several supposedly faster boats. Occasional rival Whodat placed tenth, Full Moon’s twin Red Onion (with new racing sails) placed twelfth, and arch-rival Shogun placed fourteenth out of over thirty boats. A great time was had by all.

Duck Dodge, July 14, 1998
Gnat Attack!

The ninth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union was Prom Night and the Full Moon crew came dressed in a mix of bow ties, white shirts, “formal” shorts, a tiara, and one long dress.

After a mediocre start, superb crew work from Randy “Beavis” Olsen, Art “Butt Cleat” Teller, Louise “Boom Holder” Lakier, Grace “I Wanna Squirt Someone” Teller, Christy “Don’t Squirt Me” Bates, and skipper John “Gnat Power” Mengedoht moved Full Moon up into seventh place by the middle of the first lap. The wind all but died during the second lap and several boats behind us wimped out of the race, including arch-rival Shogun.

Drifting slowly along, a cloud of gnats invaded our cockpit, presumably looking for a cold beer in the heat. Unfortunately, the gnats refused to push the boat. Full Moon persevered to the end, though, finishing sixth in near darkness, running lights aglow.

Duck Dodge, July 28, 1998
Beat The Heat

A whole lot of people tried to beat the 90 degree heat Tuesday by sailing in skimpy clothing in the Pajama Night Duck Dodge race on Lake Union. With over 40 boats crowding the starting line, Full Moon did well to start in the middle of the fleet without participating in either of two collisions.

Crew Randy “Killer Tiller” Olsen, Karen “Snacks” Oshiro, Christy “Crème Soda” Bates, David “Foreguy” Zeitlin, Nikki “Bikini” Zeitlin, and skipper John “Starboard!” Mengedoht also had their hands full keeping the fiberglass intact rounding several buoys.

In the end, Full Moon emerged unscathed, finishing a respectable 19th with sister-ship Red Onion 20th and arch-rival Shogun far behind in 25th. The beer and sodas were ice-cold, the spinnakers looked great in the evening sun, and the giant trimaran didn’t hit us. Who could ask for anything more?

Duck Dodge, August 4, 1998
Set To Stun, Mr. Zulu

The eleventh sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union featured fair winds, clear skies, and no collisions. Full Moon got a decent start and crew Randy “Double Barrel” Olsen, Art “Deluge” Teller, Grace “Squirt” Teller, Jodi “Wind Scholar” Jessen, and skipper John “The Hunter” Mengedoht did a good job playing the wind shifts on the first upwind leg to pass a few boats and stay ahead of arch-rival Shogun.

Downwind action saw a few boats trade places but, despite their usual excellent spinnaker handling, Shogun was unable to gain from behind. At the last buoy, Full Moon was right behind the extremely fast Olson 25, Dreams.

With some well-timed tacks, we passed them at the finish line to take sixth. Shogun placed eighth, about 100 yards behind us. After the race, Full Moon fulfilled Squirt Teller’s dreams by effectively deploying all three “phasers” (water guns) against several of our rivals. Next week the crew might be wise to bring a change of clothes.

Duck Dodge, August 11, 1998
Aloha Shogun

It was Tropical Night for the twelfth Duck Dodge sailboat race, and Lake Union was absolutely full of boat crews wearing grass skirts, coconut bras, and leis. Full Moon crew Karen “Hula” Oshiro, Jeri “Guava” Jacobsen, Donn “Macadamia” Oshiro, Doug “Moon” Schoemaker, and skipper John “Pukka Shells” Mengedoht had a leisurely “island time” start toward the back of the fleet.

With arch-rival Shogun ahead of us, though, it was time to get moving. Successfully avoiding several water fights, Full Moon slowly reeled in boat after boat, finally passing Shogun for good on the upwind leg of the second lap. Full Moon eventually finished sixteenth out of 42 boats in the fading light of yet another beautiful evening on the water.

Duck Dodge, August 18, 1998
Take That, Whodat!

The thirteenth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union looked like it might be a “floater,” but the wind filled in just minutes before the start.

Full Moon crew Amy “Shiner” Bradford, Tina “Winch Wench” Negri, Thorsten “Juice” Westerman, Randy “Big Event” Olsen, and skipper John “Half Size” Mengedoht got a decent mid-pack start and set to work reeling in occasional rivals Foxy Lady and Whodat.

Foxy Lady proved an easy victim upwind, but Whodat held out until the very end when Full Moon ghosted past under spinnaker to claim sixth place. Arch-rival Shogun never gained on us from the start and finished eleventh.

Duck Dodge, August 25, 1998
Toga, Toga, Toga!

The fourteenth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union was Toga Night and Rome never looked so strange. The start saw Full Moon crew Christy “Secret Shake” Bates, Amy “He’s Gotta Ask Me” Bradford, Art “Diamonds” Teller, Randy “Chips” Olsen, and skipper John “Where’s My Slip?” Mengedoht in full collision avoidance mode.

Full Moon emerged from the melee unscathed, but not exactly at the front of the pack. With crisp tacks and stellar spinnaker handling, we began the usual overtaking process, reeling in at least three much bigger boats to finish seventh in the fading light. Arch-rival Shogun was never close and finished thirteenth.

Duck Dodge, September 1, 1998
Martini Madness

The fifteenth and final sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union had no official theme, but Full Moon has a three-year tradition of celebrating the last race with martinis and cigars. With name boards proclaiming the “S. S. Martini,” giant olives, special martini glass holders, and entire crew in green (olive) shirts, Full Moon was awarded a special Black Duck for creating the Martini Night theme.

After an average start, crew Amy “Stoli” Bradford, Randy “Shake It” Olsen, Tina “Pimento” Negri, Steve “Lost My Sushi” Negri, Deborah “Soy Shoes” Simpson, Art “Ballast Boy” Teller, and skipper John “Lemon Twist” Mengedoht got down to semi-serious sailing. As usual, we managed to pass a few boats and finished eighth with the sun going down. Arch-rival Shogun failed to show up! Post-race activities included tying up to a huge group of boats partying in the middle of the lake, followed by the tradition Full Moon Buoy Dance (ask Deborah, the original Buoy Dancer). A great time was had by all.

For the record, Full Moon’s best finish of the summer was a fourth and our median finish was eighth out of over thirty boats. Twenty-six different crew members raced on Full Moon, many with little or no prior sailing experience (thank you, crew members – without you, I don’t get to race!). Shogun lost all but two races to us, leaving her arch-rival status in serious jeopardy.

Duck Dodge Rum Run, November 7, 1998
The Dramamine Run

Just when you thought it was safe to go back on the water, the Rum Run sailboat race was held November 7 from Shilshole Bay to Port Madison. Full Moon crew Randy “Rock The Boat” Olsen, Tina “It’s Not Easy Being Green” Negri, Barry “Prince Of Tides” Shuman, Art “Pasties” Teller, and skipper John “Gorton Fisherman” Mengedoht braved strong winds and big waves and proved once again that Dramamine is best taken well before leaving the dock.

Despite the rough conditions, Full Moon nailed the start and, with a double-reefed mainsail, blasted across the Sound, hoping to hang in there against the bigger boats. Unfortunately, miscommunication from the Committee Boat left the crews of several boats, including Full Moon, unaware that a race mark had been added north of Shilshole. Having missed this mark, all hopes of finishing well (or finishing at all) were dashed.

Compensating somewhat was a gorgeous sunny day with spectacular scenery and, for those not dealing with mal de mer, an exhilarating ride.