Old Stories 1999-2000

Goosebump, January 10, 1999
Fun In The Sun

After a two-month break, Full Moon resumed sailboat racing Sunday in the first of the Goosebump Series on Lake Union. After a relatively poor start near the back of the fleet, crew Cynthia “Zip It Up” Faw, Randy “Slow Hands” Olsen, Ed “Windvane” Sweetnam, Art “Munchies” Teller, and skipper John “Better Late Than Never” Mengedoht turned up the heat, passing boats on three of four upwind and reaching legs. Unfortunately, our spinnaker work was less stellar. Full Moon lost one position during the spinnaker hoist and nearly lost another when the spinnaker briefly acted as a sea anchor at the leeward mark.

At the end of the short, one lap race, Full Moon placed seventh right behind arch-rival Shogun. All things considered (there is one start for all sizes of boats and no handicapping system), this was a very good finish. With surprisingly fine weather and good wind, it was a fun race and a great afternoon on the water.

Goosebump, January 17 and 24, 1999
Full Moon Strikes Back!

The second race of the Goosebump Series, January 17, featured pouring rain and virtually no wind. Would-be Full Moon crew Chris Beza, Kari Einset, Barry Shuman, Art Teller, and skipper John Mengedoht, while prepared for stormy weather, elected to skip the race rather than sit in the rain going nowhere.

The third race, January 24, brought welcome sunshine and light, shifty winds. With the wind direction allowing only a narrow lane to cross the starting line on starboard tack, the start was ugly. Full Moon began the race in next to last place after several tacks to clear the line. Crew Amy “Tales” Bradford, Tina “Nails” Negri, Randy “Goretex” Olsen, Barry “Spinnaker” Shuman, and skipper John “D*L” Mengedoht then began blowing by the competition, passing as many as ten boats on the first leg.

The second leg, also upwind, saw Full Moon gain on normally much-faster boats Whodat and Audacious (skippered by Suzanne Lusnia’s husband with Amy Bradford’s fiancé as one of the crew). On the downwind leg, Full Moon eased past Audacious under spinnaker and finally passed Whodat at the buoy.

With two more upwind legs, Full Moon held on to place sixth, a full two minutes ahead of Audacious (who had also passed Whodat). Arch-rival Shogun could do no better than fourteenth. With the top five boats all much bigger and/or rating much faster, this was an excellent finish for Full Moon.

Goosebump, January 31, 1999
Wild Ride

The fourth sailboat race of the Goosebump Series on Lake Union was the windiest yet with strong gusts and sustained winds over twenty knots. Full Moon crew Anneka “Soaked” O’Connell, Doug “Does This Thing Tip Over?” Schoemaker, Jeffrey “What Does This Do?” Schoemaker, Art “The Perfect Perch” Teller, and skipper John “No Mr. Bill!” Mengedoht managed to hit the starting line in fourth place.

With a small jib and double-reefed mainsail, the boat still exceeded 40 degrees of heel in the gusts. Blasting around the course, Full Moon held position or gained a bit until gear failure (broken mainsheet block) on the second running leg allowed three boats to pass. After temporary repairs under way, Full Moon suffered a knock-down during a gybe with water filling the bottom of the cockpit!

Undaunted, we managed to pass back a Catalina 25 on the last leg to place sixth. With the first five boats ranging from 35 to 40 feet, this was a strong finish for much smaller Full Moon, especially in such overpowering winds. Arch-rival Shogun failed to show, no doubt preferring the Super Bowl pre-game show over the agony of another defeat.

Goosebump, February 7, 1999
Windy, Wet and Wild

The fifth sailboat race of the Goosebump Series on Lake Union had strong winds (again over twenty knots) with the bonus of ample rain. Full Moon crew Chris “Rookie” Beza, Art “Bungie” Teller, and skipper John “Battens” Mengedoht nailed the start but the Committee Boat’s horn failed to sound and we rounded back to make sure we hadn’t been over the line early (we hadn’t). That left Full Moon in sixth place with arch-rival Shogun dead ahead.

With double-reefed mainsail and small jib, Full Moon out-sailed Shogun on the first leg to take over fifth place and set out to pass Amigos for fourth. As luck would have it, Amigos quit the race with gear failure on the first downwind leg (blown sail, we think). Full Moon held off Shogun for the remaining six legs but could not overtake the much bigger (33’ to 40’) boats ahead, finishing in fourth place behind Audacious.

Duck Dodge, May 18, 1999
Duck Dodge Series Begins

The first sailboat race of the Duck Dodge Series on Seattle’s Lake Union began with high hopes as Full Moon closed on the starting line, timing the start with near perfection. Unfortunately, position is equally important as timing and, with several larger boats to windward, Full Moon had to claw out of a large wind shadow.

Ace crew Barry “Let It Go!” Shuman, Randy “Let It Go?” Olsen, Amy “Cookie Mom” Bradford, Art “Boom Stopper” Teller, and skipper John “Crazy Ivan” Mengedoht worked hard to catch the leaders but, with a short, one-lap race and good, steady wind, it was not to be. Full Moon did very well to finish eighth, hot on the heels of much larger Whodat. Arch-rival Shogun had an outstanding start and took third place. (We’ll get ‘em next week!) As always, a good time was had by all.

Duck Dodge, May 25, 1999
Take That, Whodat!

The second sailboat race of the Duck Dodge Series was Headgear Night. Full Moon crew Christy “Daisy” Bates, “Annakin” O’Connell, Karl “Big Kiss” Schmidt, Barry “Pole Control” Shuman, and skipper John “Dark Helmet” Mengedoht came well prepared for the theme, earning the coveted Black Duck for the effort. Unfortunately, “Dark Helmet” left the spinnaker sheets at home so Full Moon had to make do without a spinnaker.

Nevertheless, after an excellent start, Full Moon left arch-rival Shogun in her wake and engaged in a two-lap battle with much bigger boats Whodat and Amigos. Both boats were faster downwind but could not manage to stay ahead of Full Moon upwind. At the last buoy before the finish, Full Moon trailed, but an exhilarating tacking battle saw Full Moon beat Amigos across the line by inches for sixth place with Whodat several boat lengths back in eighth. Shogun finished far behind, in tenth place.

Duck Dodge, June 1, 1999
Whodat Strikes Back!

The third Duck Dodge sailboat race on June 1 offered cool temperatures, shifty winds, and a “bracing” rain shower. Full Moon crew Christy “Goretex” Bates, Karen “Storm Chaser” Oshiro, Barry “Pit King” Shuman, Art “The Knot” Teller, and skipper John “Mainsheet” Mengedoht had a good start, clear ahead of arch-rival Shogun. Once again, a two-lap battle developed with much-larger Whodat. The last spinnaker run saw Whodat ahead at the last buoy and, though clearly faster upwind, Full Moon could not quite make up the difference to the finish line. Whodat took fourth, Full Moon fifth, and Shogun sixth but a good ten minutes behind.

Duck Dodge, June 8, 1999
Water Bugs!

The fourth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on June 8, was Y2K Night. Full Moon’s crew came decked out in giant yellow antennae and eye-glasses formed to say “2000” while the boat sported the temporary new name Non-Compliant and a banner proclaiming “Watch out for Millenium Bugs!” This effort brought us yet another coveted Black Duck for theme participation. After a good start in the eighteen boat fleet, Full Moon crew Susan “Left Bug” Belancin, Shari “Right Bug” Murata, Vickie “Boss Bug” Mengedoht (all from Nordstrom’s Y2K Team), plus Art “Fast Bug” Teller, and skipper John “Bad Bug” Mengedoht set out to catch arch-rival Shogun. After two laps in variable winds, Shogun held onto their lead while Full Moon battled 38-foot Thin Air from the first start (five minutes before our start). Shogun finished sixth, Full Moon seventh, and occasional-rival Whodat crossed the line in eighth.

Duck Dodge, June 15, 1999
Shogun Disqualified!

The fifth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge Series on Lake Union featured big wind shifts and warm temperatures (at last!). Full Moon’s arch-rival Shogun was over the starting line way too early and failed to return for a restart, earning the big DSQ. Full Moon had a more leisurely start, a bit late to the line but well positioned to windward of the 20-boat fleet. Full Moon crew Tom “Starboard!” Bowen, Pam “Goosebumps” Hunt, Randy “Baked Lays” Olsen, Deborah “Porta-Party” Simpson, and skipper John “Fritos!” Mengedoht played the wind shifts and, with excellent spinnaker work, stayed close to the front of the fleet. Thirty-three foot Whodat, theoretically much faster, struggled to keep ahead of Full Moon, eventually eking out a small lead at the finish to take fifth. Full Moon followed in sixth, and Shogun took what would have been eighth had they not been disqualified.

Duck Dodge, June 29, 1999
Story is missing (sorry!)

Duck Dodge, July 6, 1999
Wild, Windy, Weirdness!

The eighth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series was Pirate Night and Full Moon arrived well prepared with pirate décor. With a forecast of 10 knot winds, though, nobody had prepared for winds that built to over 20 knots! Pre-start maneuvering was two larger boats in a major t-bone collision, one boat losing their mast. With crew Art “Arrhhhh, Matey!” Teller, “Hurricane” Grace Teller, Randy “Shoeless” Olsen, and skipper John “Slip Knot” Mengedoht, Full Moon had a conservative start, skirting the drifting wreckage. With our own decks often awash, we saw a Hobie 21 turned turtle and a small boat nearly sink after capsizing. There was another dismasting and reports of a sailboat smashing into a houseboat so the Harbor Patrol had a busy evening! After two laps of carnage, Full Moon crossed the line in tenth place, happy to simply finish (nine of twenty-one boats retired from the race). Our larger and heavier arch-rival Shogun placed seventh.

Duck Dodge, July 27, 1999
Story is missing (sorry!)

Duck Dodge, August 3, 1999
Gold Duck!

The 11th sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series nearly didn’t happen for Full Moon. Fortunately, the amazing thundershowers took a breather and Full Moon crew Karen “Lightning” Oshiro, Deborah “Shocking” Simpson, Art “Thor” Teller, Grace “Sparky” Teller, and skipper John “Flash” Mengedoht headed out into extremely light winds on Lake Union.

Nailing the start on port tack, Full Moon ghosted by occasional rival Scat and never looked back. Approaching the layline to the first buoy, Full Moon crossed ahead of arch-rival Shogun and then tacked to steal their wind. Rounding the buoy solidly in first place, Full Moon carefully played the light winds under spinnaker while Scat and Shogun battled each other for second. The last upwind leg saw Full Moon extend her lead to finish over three minutes ahead of second-place Shogun. As they say in the beer commercials, it just doesn’t get any better than that!

Duck Dodge, August 10, 17, & 31 1999
Stories are missing (sorry!)

Duck Dodge, September 7, 1999
Martini Madness!

The final sailboat race of the Duck Dodge Series is always Martini and Cigar Night aboard Full Moon and the crew was well prepared to enjoy this one-boat theme. After a mid-fleet start in strong winds, Full Moon crew Amy “Aroma-Therapy” Henderson, Tina “Mini-Cubans” Negri, Steve “Bogart” Negri, Randy “Cosmopolitan” Olsen, Barry “Bloody” Shuman, Deborah “Buoy Dancer” Simpson, Art “Stogie” Teller, Marcia “Lil’ Missy” Wellman, and skipper John “Lemon Twist” Mengedoht put all the bodies on the high side and passed a few boats upwind. Downwind, the weight of four extra crew was telling, allowing one boat to slip by.

At the end of the short one-lap race, arch-rival Shogun managed to place sixth with Full Moon two spots back in eighth. However, Race Committee member Chris Beza pointed out that Shogun was over early at the start and disqualified -- so we’ll claim seventh place and another victory over our rival!

After the race, with glasses refilled and cigars lit, Full Moon continued the floating party, savoring the last summer race evening and stopping by Gasworks for the traditional Buoy Dance (ask Deborah!). To recap the season, Full Moon earned one Gold Duck, two Silver Ducks, and two Black Ducks for theme participation. Full Moon was 10-3 against Shogun and 7-6 against occasional rival Whodat. As always, a good time was had by all.


Goosebump, January 9, 2000
January Sun!

Full Moon returned to racing action in the first sailboat race of the Goosebump Series, Sunday, January 9. While prepared for rain, crew members Chris “Golf Widow” Beza, Kari “Power Puff” Einset, Anneka “Gear Girl” O’Connell, Barry “Individually Wrapped” Shuman, and skipper John “Too Busy To Drink” Mengedoht enjoyed some rare sunshine, which took the edge off the wind chill. Nailing the start with occasional rival Scat, Full Moon was slowly passed by the big boats in the strong gusty winds but held her own through two laps of Lake Union. At the finish, Audacious (Yamaha 33, skippered by Suzanne Lusnia’s husband) took third and Full Moon placed sixth - an excellent finish in this one-start, no handicaps race.


Goosebump, January 16, 2000
Lake Union Blowout!

The forecast for the second sailboat race of the Goosebump series was for extremely high winds and Full Moon crew Gina “Goretex” Gerber, Anneka “Gear Tester” O’Connell, Randy “Gizmo” Olsen, Art “Wind Speed” Teller, Grace “Hurricane” Teller, and skipper John “Typhoon Tycoon” Mengedoht were prepared for wind and rain. Heading out for the 1:00pm start, the building winds had already whipped Lake Union to frothy whitecaps. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your point of view), the Race Committee Boat was nowhere to be seen as the race was canceled by the Seattle Harbor Patrol. Full Moon took a leisurely spin around the lake using the “iron sail” before retiring to the dock, ready to race another day. As a footnote, the weather station at West Point (western tip of Magnolia) recorded peak winds of 52 knots at 1:00pm.

Goosebump, January 23, 2000
Solar Wind

The third sailboat race of the Goosebump series featured “brisk” northerly winds and a nearly cloudless blue sky. Full Moon crew Lisa “Rail Beef” Berenson, Donn “Line Master” Oshiro, Karen “Sheet Queen” Oshiro, Art “Redemption” Teller, and skipper John “Round-up” Mengedoht hit the starting line a few seconds late but obtained better wind for the first leg to keep up with the competition. Predictably, the largest boats pulled steadily ahead through two laps, though Full Moon gained at times under spinnaker. Full Moon finished a solid seventh, beating all boats her size or less and a few bigger boats as well. Meanwhile, Suzanne Lusnia and her baby daughter helped husband/father Mackie Skene crew Audacious to another excellent third place finish.

Goosebump, January 30, 2000
Sorry, Shogun! (Not Really)

The fourth sailboat race of the Goosebump series on Lake Union provided nearly ideal sailing conditions if you’re not too picky about sunshine and temperature. Full Moon crew Pam “Takedown” Hunt, Paul “Rookie” Myers, Anneka “Grinder” O’Connell, Randy “Digital” Olsen, Art “Lotto” Teller, and skipper John “Mainsheet” Mengedoht hit the starting line in a lot of traffic with arch-rival Shogun ahead and Audacious just to leeward. After a tack or two, the fleet opened up a bit and Full Moon began to gain on Shogun, passing her before the first buoy. With nearly flawless spinnaker work on the first downwind run, 25 foot Full Moon passed 33 foot Audacious (with Suzanne Lusnia’s husband at the helm and only two crew!) and 38 foot Thin Air while working hard to stay ahead of a speedy Olson 30 and that pesky Shogun. The Olson pulled ahead on the next upwind leg but nobody else could get by, try as they might. Full Moon finished sixth behind four all-out racing boats and a very fast 45 footer with Shogun following in seventh and Audacious eighth. After the race, Shogun continued around the buoys, no doubt feeling they needed the practice.

Goosebump, February 6, 2000
Slow Boat to China

The fifth sailboat race of the Goosebump Series on Lake Union began as a drifting contest with literally no measurable wind. Nevertheless, Full Moon crew Anneka “Winch Wench” O’Connell, Barry “Beer Timing” Shuman, Art “Bubbles” Teller, and skipper John “Puff Daddy” Mengedoht managed to float ahead of all boats but one at the start. After an interminable downwind run to the first buoy and a barely faster upwind leg, Full Moon was still solidly in second place and reeling in the leader. The wind filled in a bit on the next leg and the four (yes, four!) hot new 33’ Synergy 1000 race boats began to show their stuff along with the 40’ racer Shoot The Moon, pulling ahead of Full Moon. The fourth place Synergy then retired (from boredom?), moving Full Moon into fifth behind Shoot The Moon. Nobody gained during the last two legs, though occasional rival Whodat tried unsuccessfully to steal the wind from behind on the downwind run to the finish. Usually speedy Scat finished ninth and arch-rival Shogun came in twelfth.

Goosebump, February 13, 2000
Sailor’s Delight

The sixth and final sailboat race of the Goosebump Series on Lake Union drew a large fleet of boats to enjoy the sunny weather. Full Moon crew Chris “Kodak Moment” Beza, Kari “Telltales” Einset (Chris’s wife), Randy “Digimon” Olsen, Barry “Drafty” Shuman, and skipper John “Red Line” Mengedoht had a well-timed start but suffered from disturbed wind off adjacent boats. As the bigger boats inevitably pulled ahead in the moderate breeze, Full Moon was able to tack into clear wind and, joy of joys, cross (barely) in front of arch-rival Shogun.
Through two full laps around Lake Union, Shogun struggled mightily to close the gap, hoping their slightly bigger boat and much bigger spinnaker would provide an edge. Countering with excellent crew work and solid tactics (not to mention modesty), Full Moon slowly widened the lead all the way to a very satisfying tenth place finish, the boats ahead all being much larger and/or inherently faster (there is no handicapping in the Goosebump races).

Duck Dodge, May 16, 2000
Full Moon Starts Summer Season

The first sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union was planned to be a no-show for Full Moon but with wife Vickie's encouragement, skipper John "Sleep Deprived" Mengedoht was given an evening off from diaper duty. With crew Anneka "Speed Queen" O'Connell, Barry "Spinnaker" Shuman, and first-time racer Ian "Magnetic Powers" Mengedoht, Full Moon hit the starting line a bit late but immediately began overtaking competitors upwind in light air.

Rounding the first buoy just ahead of arch-rival Shogun, Full Moon engaged in battle under spinnaker with both Shogun and much-larger Great Expectations with all three boats lined up abreast approaching the downwind mark. Shogun took advantage of their inside position to round ahead but the battle was far from over. With winds shifting and building, Full Moon passed Shogun upwind while fending off the speedy J-24 Beagle and leaving Great Expectations far behind. Rounding the upwind mark with Beagle, Full Moon shot ahead for a while but both Beagle and Shogun are faster downwind in a breeze and the three boats converged at the downwind mark with Beagle just ahead of Full Moon. Both boats pulled away from Shogun upwind to the finish with Beagle taking fifth, Full Moon in sixth, and Shogun a distant seventh. The close action made for a great start to the Duck Dodge and a great first race for young Ian.

Duck Dodge, May 23, 2000
Shogun Falls Again!

The start of the second Duck Dodge sailboat race was mildly confused as the starting horn was running about two minutes early (there are multiple starts spaced five minutes apart). Skipper John "Sleep Deprived" Mengedoht managed to get Full Moon across the line with the first half of the 20 boat fleet and, with crew Christy "Dot Com" Bates, Karen "Nutter Butter" Oshiro, Donn "Grinder" Oshiro, and Art "Body Heat" Teller, Full Moon set out after the leaders.
While arch-rival Shogun was very fast under spinnaker, Full Moon was unstoppable upwind, passing even much-larger Whodat and gaining consistently on the eventual third place finisher Dreams. After two laps of great crew work and solid tactics, Full Moon finished an excellent fifth place just behind a very well-sailed Ranger 28, with Whodat in sixth and Shogun crossing seventh but disqualified for hitting a buoy and failing to circle back around it.

Duck Dodge, May 30, 2000
Black Duck!

The third sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series on Lake Union was Historic Couples Night. Full Moon crew Pam “Starbuck” Hunt, Anneka “Queequeg” O’Connell, Randy “Ishmael” Olsen, Barry “Moby” Shuman, and skipper John “Ahab” Mengedoht renamed the boat Pequod for the evening and, with appropriate props, dressed the part of Captain Ahab and Moby Dick in a creative interpretation of the theme.

After a good start in fourth place, Full Moon was blanketed under spinnaker by the 38 footer Thin Air on the first downwind leg, which allowed several boats to pass. Undaunted, Full Moon gave chase upwind, mixing it up with arch-rival Shogun. At the final upwind mark, Shogun was passed for good and Full Moon set her sites on occasional rival Ignitor. All the way up the lake under spinnaker, the gap narrowed and, at the final leeward mark, Full Moon was within a few boatlengths of Ignitor’s transom. With better upwind speed and solid tactics, Full Moon surged ahead for an excellent fifth place finish with Ignitor sixth and Shogun a distant seventh.

To cap the evening fun, the Duck Dodge Race Committee bestowed the coveted Black Duck award to the Full Moon crew for best theme performance.

Duck Dodge, June 6, 2000
Comeback Kids

Despite a carefully planned starting strategy, the fourth Duck Dodge sailboat race began with Full Moon near the back of the fleet. With arch-rival Shogun far ahead and the ample wind favoring the larger boats, Full Moon crew Amy “Boom Boom” Henderson, Randy “The Bachelor” Olsen, Art “Jibe Master” Teller, and skipper John “Pinball Wizard” Mengedoht faced a serious challenge.

However, excellent tacking, perfect spinnaker handling, and a little help from the wind brought Full Moon past several boats on the first lap, making up half the distance to Shogun in only three legs. When occasional rival Ignitor snagged the downwind buoy with their rudder, Full Moon took advantage of the ensuing confusion to pass a few more.

On the second lap, Full Moon used upwind speed to full advantage, slowly reeling in much larger Whodat and our arch-rival. Squeezing inside Whodat at the upwind buoy, Shogun was dead ahead! All the way back down the lake, spinnakers flying, Full Moon rode Shogun’s transom, while working to hold off Whodat. At the final downwind buoy, Shogun remained barely ahead, but Full Moon was better rounding the buoy and surged past. Holding position to the finish, Full Moon managed an amazing fourth place with Shogun a few feet behind in fifth and Whodat vanquished to sixth.

Duck Dodge, June 13, 2000
Shogun’s Revenge

The fifth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series was Super Hero Night and the Full Moon crew came well prepared. Full Moon transformed into the Bat Boat, complete with large bat wings and jet exhaust. Aboard were Gina “Catwoman” Gerber, Anneka “Batgirl” O’Connell, Ian “Batman” Mengedoht, Paul “Robin, The Boy Wonder” Myers, Art “The Penguin” Teller, and skipper John “The Joker” Mengedoht in full costume.

After a very good start, Full Moon was in contention for the lead. However, arch-rival Shogun, after a perfect start, took off under spinnaker on the downwind leg, pulling away from the pack. Unable to legally use the jet thruster, Full Moon nevertheless built a lead on the theoretically speedier Olson 25 Dreams while struggling to catch the much-larger Tartan 33, Whodat.

After two laps of good racing, the positions remained the same. Shogun took the Gold Duck for first place, gaining some revenge for four straight losses to Full Moon. Whodat placed third, Full Moon fourth, and Dreams a distant fifth. Best of all, however, Full Moon earned the highly coveted Black Duck for theme participation. It was a gorgeous evening on the water and great fun, as always.

Duck Dodge, June 20, 2000
The Need For Speed

Sporting a brand new large “Genoa” jib, Full Moon was expected to be a bit faster for the sixth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series. However, even with a fast boat, a good start is critical and that was not to be. Starting toward the back of the fleet, Full Moon crew Lisa “Winch Wench” Berenson, Randy “Muffin” Olsen, Art “Boat Slave” Teller, Ian “Chips Ahoy” Mengedoht, and skipper John “It’s Definitely Faster” Mengedoht put the pedal to the metal and quickly proved the value of the new sail. Upwind and downwind through a lap and a half, Full Moon passed boat after boat, easily dispatching arch-rival Shogun upwind.

On the last downwind leg, Full Moon was fifth and closing on the leaders. With occasional rival Ignitor battling a large Hunter 34 (Full Moon is only 25 feet), it looked like Full Moon might pass both under spinnaker but Ignitor found some speed and stayed ahead. Rounding the final buoy, third or even second appeared possible but the gap was just a bit too much. Ignitor took third with Full Moon seconds behind in fourth. Shogun finished considerably later in eighth place.

Duck Dodge, June 27, 2000
Soooo Close!

The seventh sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series was Dead Celebrity Night and Full Moon appeared as the S. S. Minnow, complete with "holes" in the bow and crew Amy "Ginger" Henderson, Ian "Gilligan" Mengedoht, Tina "Mary Ann" Negri, Art "Thurston Howell" Teller, and skipper John "The Skipper" Mengedoht. After a relatively good start in light winds, Full Moon began the usual game of advancing through the fleet.
Midway through the second lap, Full Moon attained fifth place and then surged into third. However, toward the end of the last spinnaker run the wind died and then filled from behind, allowing occasional rival Ignitor and Zoomie Island to pass. Rounding the final buoy before the finish, Full Moon was back to fifth. With a good turn of upwind speed, Full Moon passed Zoomie Island. Converging with, Ignitor at the finish line, Full Moon remained a mere two feet behind and so it was Ignitor third (for the Bronze Duck) and Full Moon just barely fourth (no Duck). Arch-rival Shogun was never in the hunt, finishing toward the back of the fleet.

Duck Dodge, July 11, 2000
Dead Ducks Tell No Tales

The eighth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series was Pirate Night. Full Moon crew Anneka "Whips and Chains" O'Connell, Steve "Margarita" Mikkelsen, Paul "Captain Morgan" Myers, Barry "Cabin Boy" Shuman, skipper John "Graybeard" Mengedoht, and special guest Blondie "Airhead" Plastique were dressed to kill and armed to the teeth while the boat sported a huge pirate flag, a stuffed parrot, and little skulls on the lifelines.

The fleet bunched together in a tight mass for the start with Full Moon somewhere in the middle. Arch-rival Shogun was early across the line, earning a DSQ since they continued sailing without a restart. With wind shifting wildly and often fading out entirely, luck seemed to be as important as sailing skill. However, Full Moon (with crew fueled by Mikkelsen Margaritas) did well in the lightest winds, ghosting along while other boats stalled completely.

After two laps around the lake, Full Moon finished a very decent sixth, close behind the fast Olson 25 Dreams. Rivals Ignitor and Whodat were much farther back, as was Shogun, despite their early start. Capping the evening, Full Moon was awarded yet another highly coveted Black Duck for excellent theme interpretation.

Duck Dodge, July 25, 2000
Drat That Whodat!

The ninth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series was Prom Night. Full Moon crew Christy "Date-a-Bates" Bates, Anneka "Balloons" O'Connell, Amy "Prom Queen" Pearson, "Princess" Grace Teller, Art "Boat Buster" Teller, and skipper John "Whee-Knee" Mengedoht were prepared with a nice array of prom wear while the boat sported balloons and a mirror ball. After a good clean start and short windward leg, Full Moon was, for once, solidly in second place and held this position for quite some time until finally being passed by the much faster CF27 Goose N' Duck at the end of the second upwind leg.

With Full Moon in third and burning up the lake under spinnaker on the second lap, two boats were now slowly gaining from behind - the Olson 25 Dreams and much larger Tartan 33 Whodat. Rounding the last buoy before the finish, the wind had faded and Dreams had closed to within 30 feet with Whodat right behind them. Full Moon was forced into a tactical duel with theoretically faster Dreams while Whodat took a wider angle to the wind, trading some distance for stronger wind in the middle of the lake. Unfortunately, it paid off for them - barely - as Whodat crossed in front of Full Moon with two feet to spare and then tacked to make the finish line, stealing 3rd place from Full Moon by less than 10 feet. Dreams took 5th, still 25 feet behind Full Moon, with traditional rivals Ignitor and Shogun placing 6th and 7th several minutes later. It was a beautiful evening on the water and a great introduction to sailing for rookie Amy Pearson.

Duck Dodge, August 1, 2000
Ignitor Ignites Trouble

The tenth sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series, August 1, had the best weather yet with warm breezes and sunny skies. Full Moon crew Lisa “Grinder” Berenson, Pam “Green Line” Hunt, Amy “Mommy” Henderson, Julie “Rookie” Henderson, Randy “Fearless Foredeck” Olsen, and skipper John “Starboard!” Mengedoht had the start in the bag until occasional rival Ignitor, crossing on port tack, failed to yield right of way, nearly causing a major collision. The ensuing emergency tack lost time and position for Full Moon but saved the fiberglass.

Making gains to windward on the first leg, Full Moon again encountered Ignitor and again was forced to maneuver to avoid collision despite holding the right of way. Enough was enough and Full Moon did what she does best, pulling ahead and passing boat after boat, upwind and downwind, until the leaders were in range. While gaining on the 3rd and 4th place boats right up to the finish, Full Moon had to settle for 5th which, given the shaky start, was a good effort. Ignitor fell back to 8th and other rivals Whodat and Shogun could do no better than 10th and 13th. Close calls or not, it was a beautiful evening and great fun as usual aboard the good ship Full Moon.

Duck Dodge, August 8, 2000
Lost in the Aurora Triangle

The eleventh sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series was Tropical Night and Lake Union was full of sailors with grass skirts and coconut bras. Fueled with rum and fruit juice, Full Moon crew Tina “Ice Bag” Negri, Karen “Hula Girl” Oshiro, Donn “Whacker” Oshiro, Barry “Coconuts” Shuman, and skipper John “Powerboat Killer” Mengedoht timed the start with near perfection and began battling for the lead upwind. Toward the end of the first lap, Full Moon had lost a bit of ground downwind, rounding the floating “island” mark solidly in fourth place (pausing briefly for a touch and go to snag free beers dispensed from the “island”).

After holding position and gaining distance up the lake, disaster struck at the Aurora buoy as the (empty) spinnaker bag went for a swim. Circling back to rescue the bag (it eventually sank!) cost many minutes and allowed a number of boats to pass, including our traditional rivals. Shogun placed 7th followed by Ignitor, Whodat, and Full Moon in the middle of the fleet. While not our best finish, the drinks and pupus were tasty, the breezes balmy, and the view of downtown was exquisite in the fading light.

Duck Dodge, August 15, 2000
Crunch Time

The 12th sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series was Pajama Night and the Full Moon crew sported night shirts, flannel jammies, assorted tee-shirt/boxer combinations and two Teddies (bears, that is). Hitting the starting line toward the front of the fleet, crew Christy "Rail Rider" Bates, Amy "Wet PJs" Henderson, Randy "Third Date" Olsen, Barry "Survivor" Shuman, and skipper John "Wood Polish" Mengedoht played the wind skillfully up the first leg and rounded the first buoy in second place.
With excellent crew work in the ample wind, Full Moon held off all comers through three more legs until much larger Whodat squeaked by on the short upwind leg around Gasworks Park. Spinnakers flying back down the lake, Full Moon stayed close to Whodat with speedy Scat very slowly gaining from behind. Rounding the final buoy, a grating crunch was heard from ahead. Whodat had collided with Scat, who had yet to round the buoy! After asking if help was needed, Full Moon sailed on by, screaming up to the finish in second place and winning the highly prized Silver Duck sticker. Scat and Whodat eventually followed (both with minor damage) with arch-rival Shogun in 6th and occasional rival Ignitor 9th.

Duck Dodge, August 22, 2000
Parade Laps

Full Moon had an excellent start for the 13th sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series. Unfortunately, several other boats also had excellent starts and, unlike last week, at the first buoy Full Moon was in seventh place. Crew Chris “This Is Great!” Beza, Gina “Birthday Girl” Gerber, Amy “Winch Wench” Stokes (Art’s wife), Art “Ballast Boy” Teller, Grace “I Can Do It” Teller, and skipper John “Octopus” Mengedoht did their best but could only reel in one competitor downwind under spinnaker on the first lap.

With fairly consistent wind and the boats spread out a bit, there was little in the way of tactical battles and most of the fleet simply held their position through two laps around the lake. Fully enjoying the beautiful evening on the water, Full Moon crossed the finish line in 6th place with occasional rival Ignitor ahead in 4th and arch-rival Shogun way back in 18th place.

Duck Dodge, August 29, 2000
Sunny Summer Sailing?

The fourteenth (and next to last!) sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series was Toga Night and the lake was full of damp Romans in soggy togas over rain jackets. Starting in the middle of the fleet, Full Moon crew "Tacking Queens" Amy Pearson and Karen Oshiro, Art "Shorts" Teller, Ian "Man Of Bronze" Mengedoht, and skipper John "We Got 'Em" Mengedoht worked up to seventh place near the first upwind buoy in shifty wind. Passing two more boats at the buoy, Full Moon was in fifth.

Sailing back down the lake under spinnaker, Full Moon continued to gain on the leaders, picking off the 27 footer Deception. At the downwind mark, the gap had closed considerably and at the last buoy Full Moon had caught up to Dirty Bird (26 foot Thunderbird) and Bridget (San Juan 30) but had to round the buoy outside them both. Tacking to the finish line, Bridget was just out of reach but Dirty Bird wasn't fast enough and Full Moon took third for the treasured Bronze Duck. Occasional rival Ignitor came in sixth while arch-rival Shogun was a no-show.

Duck Dodge, September 5, 2000
Olive or Twist

Shaken, not stirred. Vokda, not Gin. The last (fifteenth) sailboat race of the Duck Dodge series is traditionally Martini Night aboard Full Moon and this year was no exception. After the first round was served, crew Tina "Groove Thing" Negri, Randy "Zima" Olsen, Art "Big Sky" Teller, and skipper John "Racing Slime" Mengedoht nailed the start and proceeded down the lake in light winds. Unfortunately, several boats proved a bit faster upwind and Full Moon rounded the first buoy in sixth place, though still close to the front of the fleet.

Under spinnaker for the next two legs, Full Moon gained slightly but not enough to catch anyone. Rounding the final buoy of the short one-lap race, it looked for a time that fifth might be obtained but it was not to be and Full Moon crossed the line sixth in fading light. Arch-rival Shogun failed to show up and has been dethroned for only beating Full Moon twice this year. Newly crowned arch-rival Ignitor sailed very well and finished a solid third for the Bronze Duck (we’re still 10-5 for the year against them, however).

After the race, Full Moon joined the growing raft of boats at the center of the lake. One highlight of the evening proved to be the neighboring 27 footer with a blender fashioned from a gas powered weed-eater. Sailors are a creative lot, if a bit crazy.

Duck Dodge Rum Run, October 28, 2000
Rum Run Fun

Full Moon ventured out into the Sound Saturday for the annual Duck Dodge Rum Run sailboat race. Crew Anneka "Spray Shield" O'Connell, Tim "Merit Badge" Williams, Art "Dayquil" Teller, Gina "Gotta Go" Gerber" and skipper John "Surf City" Mengedoht had a perfect start off Shilshole in winds gusting over 25 knots and Full Moon held the lead for the better part of a mile. Unfortunately, the race committee had seen fit to include a number of much larger boats in the same start and the 35 to 42 footers slowly caught and passed Full Moon before the first buoy off West Point.

Undaunted, Full Moon maintained top speed reaching across the Sound to Skiff Point on Bainbridge Island, leaving traditional rivals Ignitor, Scat, etc. far behind. Heading north toward Port Madison, the strong wind and waves worked in harmony to provide surfing conditions with Full Moon blasting up to 9.6 knots at one point. Even this, though, was not enough to overtake the big boats and Full Moon had to settle for sixth place. Regardless, it was an exhilarating sail and the Full Moon crew had a blast, especially enjoying the sunshine that replaced the forecast rain showers.