Old Stories, 2003-2004

Goosebump No. 2 January 19, 2003
Mild Goosebumps

Full Moon began the 2003 sailboat racing season last Sunday with Goosebump Series Race No. 2 on Lake Union (we skipped No. 1). Crew Chris “Turkey Rollup” Beza, Randy “Rental” Olsen, Art “Big Bag” Teller, Ian “Deck Inspector” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Rusty” Mengedoht had a good start in very light wind and rounded the first mark a close fifth. With a single start and no handicapping, this was doing well, given the bigger boats in the race.

Running downwind under spinnaker, the game was to find the wind and boats changed position with each small puff. At the downwind mark, Full Moon was squeezed outside by speedy Scat and old rivals Shogun and forced to live in disturbed wind for a fair distance after rounding. The final long upwind leg proved critical with Shogun finding stronger wind by sailing a longer course out into the middle of the lake. At the downwind finish, Shogun had improved to third with Full Moon a still very decent sixth.

Goosebump No. 3 January 26, 2003
Blustery Fun

Braving strong winds and the threat of heavy rain, Full Moon crew Debra “Gear Gal” Ricard, Jay “Rookie” Thoman, Art “Spinnaker, Please” Teller, and skipper John “Bulging Seams” Mengedoht had a well-timed start for Goosebump race No. 3 but were initially hampered by having two 40-footers a little too close by. Rounding the first two buoys in fourth place, Full Moon was the only boat to fly a spinnaker in the powerful winds, allowing an easy move up to third.

Continuing around Lake Union for two full laps, Full Moon gained slightly but could not catch 40 foot Shoot The Moon or speedy Scat. However, the rest of the fleet was not a threat and Full Moon finished an excellent third. Old rivals Shogun were no-shows, perhaps preferring the Superbowl Pregame Show over a thrilling romp on the lake.

Goosebump No. 4 February 2, 2003
Perfect Start

Full Moon crew Kathleen “Rookie” McCarthy, Randy “Zero Percent” Olsen, Art “Boat Dreams” Teller, and skipper John “College Fund” Mengedoht obtained a perfect start for Goosebump Race No. 4, first across and at the favored end of the starting line. Unfortunately, by the end of the first leg, big boats and wind shifts conspired to push Full Moon back to sixth.

Despite big gains under spinnaker, old rivals Shogun remained ahead in fifth, just out of reach for the rest of the short one-lap race. However, all was not lost as arch-rival Ignitor was held off at the finish to place seventh just behind Full Moon.

Goosebump No. 6 February 16, 2003
Multicolored Monster

The final sailboat race of the Goosebump series provided Full Moon crew Art “Pull!” Teller, Kathleen “I’m Pulling!” McCarthy, Alex “A-Rod” Gossland, and skipper John “Bigger Isn’t Always Better” Mengedoht with a wild ride as the wind fluctuated between 10 and 17 knots. After a decent first two legs, the wind appeared light enough to fly Full Moon’s oversize spinnaker. This proved a poor decision as the wind rose rapidly and most of the first downwind leg was spent trying to raise and then control the nylon monster.

Back under control, Full Moon had dropped to sixth and the battle was on to pass two well-sailed San Juan 24s. Upwind, Full Moon was faster but not downwind under the ancient “small” spinnaker and Full Moon was only able to pass one boat to finish fifth. Ignitor and Shogun didn’t start but occasional rival Fortis was vanquished to seventh.

Duck Dodge, May 13, 2003
Fun With Fortis

With dubious strategy but effective tactics, the Islander 28 Fortis held Full Moon off to cross the starting line nearly dead last in the first Duck Dodge sailboat race on Lake Union. Despite this crushing setback, Full Moon crew Amy “Shrinkage” Henderson, “Good Call” Paul Myers, Debra “Ready” Ricard, Chris “Mint Milano” Beza, and skipper John “Telltales” Mengedoht quickly found the passing lanes and began to pick off boat after boat.

Fortis was toast shortly into the second leg, after a very crowded rounding of the first mark, followed two legs later by old rival Shogun. By the second lap, Full Moon had climbed into ninth out of about twenty-five boats and was still gaining. At the finish, Full Moon was seventh for a huge comeback in the twenty-five-boat fleet, the only bad news being arch-rival Ignitor ahead in fifth.

Duck Dodge, May 20, 2003
Drizzle Fizzle

For once, Full Moon was early to the starting line for the Duck Dodge sailboat race and crew Kathleen “Muscles” McCarthy, Kelly “Rookie” Earls, Paul “Ripper” Myers, and skipper John “Extra Drag” Mengedoht had to make some radical maneuvers in the drizzling rain to avoid trouble. Once started, however, Full Moon was first onto the advantaged port tack and was mid-fleet at the first buoy.

The first downwind leg proved problematic as the spinnaker went up and then quickly back down as the wind shifted forward. Naturally, the wind shifted back again and, without a repacked spinnaker to re-hoist, Full Moon slowed, allowing several boats to pass. The wind was better behaved on the second lap and the spinnaker was gainfully employed but it was too little, too late. While finishing ahead of new rival Fortis, Full Moon placed twelfth, well behind old rival Shogun.

Duck Dodge, May 27, 2003
Fun In The Sun

Full Moon crew Barry “Bloody” Shuman, Debra “Lady Liberty” Ricard, Fernand “Arthritic Digits” Ricard, Todd “Single” Charlton, and skipper John “Last Leg” Mengedoht had a decent start in a huge fleet for the “Hat Night” Duck Dodge race, though arch-rival Ignitor held an early lead. Enjoying the balmy breeze and some ice-cold Coronas on the first leg, Full Moon quickly got by old rival Shogun and passed Ignitor soon after.

On the third leg, Full Moon stole the wind to pass theoretically faster Dreams, though Dreams got by upwind a few legs later. By the second lap, Full Moon was closing on the leaders until a giant Catalina 390 challenged successfully under spinnaker and Full Moon fell back in the wind shadow.

Rounding the final buoy, Full Moon worked the wind to perfection and, not having to tack for the finish line, aced speedster Scat while also passing the Catalina 390 and 33-foot Whodat, placing a well-earned sixth out of some twenty-five boats. Ignitor finished ninth while old rival Shogun and occasional rival Fortis were too far back to count.

Duck Dodge, June 3, 2003
Boys Night Out

Full Moon finally had a good start for the fourth Duck Dodge and crew Art “Speedy” Teller, Roy “Rookie” Hague, Todd “Boy Scout” Charlton, and skipper John “Woody” Mengedoht held their own up the first leg, outpacing a much larger Catalina. Rounding the first buoy, the giant spinnaker was deployed in the steady breeze and Full Moon got by a few of the unwary to stay near the front.

Heading into the second lap, the wind went light at the “Aurora” buoy and the lead boats bunched up, allowing Full Moon to slip into fourth place and stay there for the long spinnaker run down the lake. On the final leg, one boat (Tuesday) got by upwind but another (Scat) misjudged the finish line and Full Moon placed an excellent fourth out of twenty-five boats. Arch-rival Ignitor was never a threat, finishing tenth many minutes later.

Duck Dodge, June 10, 2003
Good News, Bad News

The Pirate Night Duck Dodge began with light winds and the fully costumed Full Moon crew Barry “Busy” Shuman, Chris “Coolpix” Beza, Debra “Not Anymore” Ricard, Kelly “Pirate Booty” Earls, and skipper John “I See It” Mengedoht had a good start at the advantaged end of the line. On the long downwind third leg, Full Moon made the best of the wind under spinnaker and at the end of the run was second, though several boats were close behind.

Turning back upwind for the second lap, boats that went left found stronger wind and, having gone right with the lead boat, Full Moon fell to fifth, though still quite close to the front-runners. Running downwind again under spinnaker, Full Moon easily held her own but had to battle the very well-sailed Tuesday on the final leg, falling behind by a boatlength to finish a still excellent sixth out of twenty-five boats. Arch-rival Ignitor was never a threat and Shogun was a rare no-show.

Duck Dodge, June 17, 2003
Shirts and Skins

The starting line was wall to wall boats for the 6th Duck Dodge race but Full Moon crew Lisa “Blisters” Crane, Anneka “Winch Wench” O’Connell, Jay “Soggy Nylon” Tarner, Art “Seen Better” Teller, and skipper John “Beer Time” Mengedoht got a good start in the top third of the fleet after watching an especially interesting pre-race show on a large power boat. A Catalina 390 cast a huge wind shadow at every turn on the first leg, but Full Moon surged ahead on the second leg and then took off under spinnaker for a long run down Lake Union, staying within 100 yards of the lead boat.

Arch-rival Ignitor snuck ahead on the second lap, staying there for three legs as a small freighter held things up a bit, but Full Moon returned the favor on the final upwind leg, finishing downwind under spinnaker to place fourth. Ignitor ended up eighth and old rivals Shogun were farther back still, though easily earning the Party Barge award with fifteen people aboard, all enjoying the warm sunny evening.

Duck Dodge, June 24, 2003
Sun Fun

With blatant disregard for right of way rules by several boats, the start of the seventh Duck Dodge race was chaotic at best but Full Moon crew Samantha “Dangerously Cheesy” Meinders, Erin “Bottom Polisher” Meinders, Pam “Boomer” Hunt, Randy “Blue-Right” Olsen, and skipper John “3 Inches” Mengedoht escaped unscathed and in the top third of the fleet. Mixing it up with arch-rival Ignitor, Full Moon pulled ahead under spinnaker on the third leg, staying in touch with the lead boats.

Into the second lap, Full Moon was only 100 yards out of first but there were still six boats ahead and Ignitor was threatening once again. Back under spinnaker, Ignitor was vanquished for good and speedy Perfectly Strange dispatched as well, leaving Full Moon battling for fifth with Runner. The final leg was extremely close but Runner prevailed and Full Moon finished an excellent sixth out of over twenty-five boats. Ignitor was ninth, and old rivals Shogun twelfth.

Duck Dodge, July 1, 2003 and July 8
Double Feature

Locked out by a wall of boats on starboard tack, Full Moon crew Kathleen “Red Pants” McCarthy, Samantha “Boom Boom” Meinders, Debra “Not Debbie” Ricard, Art “See Nothing” Teller, Grace “Nose Job” Teller, and skipper John “Used Car” Mengedoht had a poor start near the back for the Stars and Stripes Duck Dodge. There were several collisions and a Hobie 21 turned turtle in the surprisingly strong wind but Full Moon avoided the carnage and began picking off boats one by one, blowing by old rival Shogun on the first leg.

The giant spinnaker was a handful but it went up and down more or less as planned and in between provided some exciting speed. In the end, after two speedy laps, Full Moon managed ninth out of over twenty boats. Arch-rival Ignitor didn’t show and old rival Shogun placed sixteenth.

Maintaining the string of poor starts, Full Moon crew Anneka “Spinnaker” O’Connell, Erin “Two Words" Meinders, Samantha “Pretzels” Meinders, Paul “Wrong Side” Myers, and skipper John “Fashionably Late” Mengedoht nevertheless sailed a brilliant first lap of Duck Dodge No. 9 to move into the front half of the fleet. Battling arch-rival Ignitor and occasional rival Fortis upwind to start the second lap, Ignitor maintained a narrow lead as the wind made a radical shift from south to north.

Returning north up the lake, Full Moon slowly gained on Ignitor but could not pass. Rounding the final buoy, Ignitor was only a boat length ahead but they held on to the finish to place fifth, with Full Moon sixth.

Duck Dodge, July 15, 2003
Wild Ride

Full Moon crew Amy “Too Many Mai Tais” DiMarco, Art “Big One” Teller, Jay “No Leverage” Tarner, Lisa “Prom Queen” Crane, and skipper John “Center Digit” Mengedoht had good timing for the start of the Prom Night Duck Dodge but not good position. Once again near the back of the fleet in the surprisingly strong winds, Full Moon battled several larger boats to good effect and, despite having control problems with the oversize spinnaker, completed the first lap in decent shape.

Ahead, however, were old rival Shogun, sometime-rival Fortis, and a nemesis from a few years back, Whodat (arch-rival Ignitor did not start). Halfway through the second lap, Full Moon dispatched both Fortis and Whodat under spinnaker. Shogun, running with a small crew instead of their usual twelve, finished an excellent sixth with Full Moon eleventh out of some twenty-five boats.

Duck Dodge, July 29, 2003
Hot, Hot, Hot!

There was no race last week but Full Moon returned to action for the Pajama Night Duck Dodge with temperatures in the low 90s. With a light breeze and some ice-cold beverages to take the edge off, crew Amy “Convict” DiMarco, Pam “Teddy” Hunt, Randy “Galley Slave” Olsen, Art “Forestay” Teller, Grace “Scary Driver” Teller, Ian “Double Digits” Mengedoht (celebrating his 10th birthday), and skipper John “No Helm” Mengedoht had a good start on a very crowded line.

The extra-large crew made Full Moon a bit sluggish upwind but all rivals were behind at the first buoy. While arch-rival Ignitor briefly got by on the second leg, excellent spinnaker work took care of business downwind to put Ignitor back over 100 yards.

The second lap featured an ongoing battle with the 38-foot Airloom and much-smaller Full Moon was hard-pressed to keep up. In the end, Airloom managed to finish just ten feet ahead to take seventh with Full Moon eighth and Ignitor ninth out of some twenty-five boats.

Duck Dodge, August 5, 2003
Soaked!

The twelfth Duck Dodge sailboat race began with strong, gusty winds and an ominous dark sky. Full Moon crew Barry “Saturated” Shuman, Doug “Drenched” Schoemaker, Jeffrey “Sopping” Schoemaker, Sarah “Sponge” Allen, and skipper John “Soaked” Mengedoht had a good start right next to arch-rival Ignitor and powered ahead of them by a good margin at the first buoy, though behind the fastest boats by about 75 yards.

Flying the “small” spinnaker on what proved to be a long reaching leg, Full Moon put more distance on her rivals and gained a bit on the lead boats, though not enough to pass anyone. The beginning of the second lap saw Ignitor gain a bit upwind as the fleet spread out and the light sprinkles became a downpour, leaving the unprepared very wet indeed.

Under spinnaker, Ignitor was still well behind and didn’t seem a threat until just after the final buoy when a boat inside Full Moon had trouble with their spinnaker drop, preventing Full Moon from tacking toward the finish. At the finish line, Ignitor tacked in the tight space between Full Moon and the Committee Boat and, while it was close, Full Moon prevailed by five feet to take eighth place.

Duck Dodge, August 26, 2003
The Big Bang

After two weeks off, Full Moon returned to racing action for the Toga Night Duck Dodge. Crew Kelly “Boom” Earls, Pam “Bruiser” Hunt, Randy “Govenator” Olsen, and skipper John “Tiller Tenderizer” Mengedoht had an excellent start in decent wind. By the first mark the wind faded quite a bit and Full Moon faded as well, dropping to ninth as the faster boats got by.

On the slow spinnaker run Full Moon gained a bit, especially on the boats behind, but was unable to pass anyone. While continuing to challenge two boats ahead on the final legs, Full Moon held position to finish ninth out of about twenty-five boats. Arch-rival Ignitor was never a threat, finishing thirteenth with old rival Shogun not far behind in fifteenth.

While sailing around after the finish, a resounding bang echoed off the hills and all turned to see the giant Beluga smashing into Hare Mare near the finish line (Beluga clearly at fault). Hare Mare shares a marina with Full Moon and her skipper services Callison’s video-conferencing equipment. Hare Mare suffered considerable damage and we wish them well with repairs.

Duck Dodge, September 2, 2003
Sunset

The final Duck Dodge sailboat race is always Martini Night on Full Moon and so it was this year. Full Moon crew Amy “Slipin’” DiMarco, Art “Flashlight” Teller, Pam “Vodka Shampoo” Hunt, Randy “Speedwagon” Olsen, and skipper John “Ketch 22” Mengedoht had a decent start but the first upwind leg was very short, leading to a mass of boats converging at the buoy. Full Moon was trapped in the morass and the boats that escaped first had the race in hand.

Full Moon eventually escaped and passed a few boats, especially on the first spinnaker run. But the already light wind began to drop, as it often does with the coming of darkness, and by the second lap the sun was gone for good.

Ghosting along on the second spinnaker run in the dark, Martinis in hand, it was impossible to know the finishing order. Arch-rival Ignitor was somewhere ahead but Full Moon did hold off the theoretically faster Perfectly Strange after battling them the entire race. All in all, it was a great time on the water and a fitting finale to an incredible summer.

Goosebump No. 1 January 11, 2004
Dead Calm

After a few months off in the boatyard for osmotic blister surgery, Full Moon returned to sailboat racing action last Sunday on Lake Union for Goosebump Race No. 1. Crew Lori “Rookie One” Jay, Eric “Rookie Two” Anderson, Randy “Rail Rider” Olsen, Art “Rock The Boat” Teller, and skipper John “Two Inches” Mengedoht faced very light winds at the start which soon faded to a mere whisper and began to clock around the compass.

Boats spread out in search of wind but no lasting advantages were found. At the first (and, as it turned out, only) buoy, the entire fleet bunched up into a knot. After over an hour of minimal progress, a few boats fired up the iron sails to go home but the Full Moon crew elected to drift a while enjoying some rare winter sun.

The wind finally filled in with Full Moon about 100 yards from the finish line with arch-rival Ignitor was close at hand for a final skirmish. Full Moon managed seventh in the no-handicap, one-size fits all race, with Ignitor vanquished to ninth. Old rival Shogun made better use of the meager wind, deploying their spinnaker on occasion, to finish fourth.

Goosebump No. 3 January 25, 2004
The Equalizer Pays Off

After skipping Race No. 2 (the skipper had food poisoning!), Full Moon crew Thomas “Locked Out” Bath, Jay “Wet Sheets” Thoman, Art “Pole Control” Teller, Randy “Strings” Olsen, and skipper John “Squeeze Play” Mengedoht hit the starting line for Goosebump Race No. 3 with good timing and excellent position. Rounding the first buoy in 4th place, Full Moon briefly fell back, struggling to hoist the Equalizer, a super-sized spinnaker. Once the Equalizer was up, Full Moon took off and easily passed two boats to take over 3rd place.

Rounding two more buoys, Full Moon held position and gained additional distance on the fleet but the front-runners (including a 40-footer) were too fast to catch and Full Moon finished an excellent third. Arch rival Ignitor finished 10th behind occasional rivals Fortis and Shogun.

Goosebump No. 4 February 1, 2004
Equalized Again

Full Moon crew Barry “Twisted” Shuman, Lori “Pink” Jay, Eric “Not Wet” Anderson, Randy “Strings” Olsen, and skipper John “Improviser” Mengedoht nailed the start for Goosebump Race No. 4 and, for a short time at least, were in first place. Faster boats (there are no handicaps) soon prevailed and Full Moon rounded the first buoy in fourth place.

Struggling once again with the spinnaker set up, Full Moon lost a few places but quickly regained them with the giant Equalizer, moving up to third place and staying there until passed on the final leg by a speedy 30-footer. At the finish, in a dying breeze, Full Moon took an excellent fourth place, beating two 35-footers. Arch rival Ignitor was eighth and old rival Shogun ninth.

Goosebump No. 6 February 15, 2004
Flying Finale

After weeks of light to non-existent wind, the final Goosebump sailboat race more than made up for it with gusts to 20 knots. Full Moon crew Jay “Bubba” Thoman, Randy “Halyard” Olsen, Art “Spearfisher” Teller, Grace “Grinder” Teller, and skipper John “Wipe Out” Mengedoht had a less than stellar start but managed good speed in conditions greatly favoring larger, heavier boats.

The giant Equalizer spinnaker was deployed on the first lap, providing both scary gyrations and incredible speed with Full Moon jumping onto a plane toward the end of the downwind leg. Unfortunately, the spinnaker takedown was problematic and Full Moon lost some of the distance gained in the speed burst.

The wind grew even stronger on the second lap and deft sail handling was required to keep the boat on its feet. Wisely choosing a smaller spinnaker, Full Moon again flew downwind to take over eighth place. This time the spinnaker came down nicely but the jib was reluctant to return to its normal heights so Full Moon again lost some of the distance gained under spinnaker.

In the end, Full Moon did quite well to take ninth given the conditions and the competition (there is no form of handicapping). Arch-rival Ignitor didn’t make the race.

Duck Dodge May 18, 2004
Duck Soup

For the first Duck Dodge sailboat race, the Race Committee elected to shift Full Moon to a different start with somewhat slower boats. However, they didn’t get the word to most of our traditional rivals so Full Moon had a new set of competitors.

Regardless, Full Moon crew Randy “360” Olsen, Debra “Grinder” Ricard, Dean “Overboard” Dennis, Michael “Soggy Shorts” Medina, and skipper John “Crazy Ivan” Mengedoht had an excellent start and quickly owned second place. With winds at 17 knots and climbing, Full Moon nevertheless flew the giant Equalizer spinnaker on the first lap with marginal control but astonishing speed. At the end of the first lap, Full Moon’s few challengers were toast.

The wind increased into the low 20s on the second lap and a spinnaker was not needed but the crew did have to contend with some gear failures and do their best to keep the boat somewhat upright. At the finish, Full Moon was some five minutes ahead of the nearest competitor - so it’s possible the starting lineup will change again next week! It was strange not to be head to head with old rivals Ignitor and Shogun but the Gold Duck sticker looks very nice on Full Moon’s boom.

Duck Dodge May 25, 2004
Black Hole

The Race Committee was late for their own race for the second Duck Dodge and were a bit inconsistent with their horn signals but Full Moon crew Barry “Bloody” Shuman, Annette “Rookie” Hillesland, brother Mark “Bubba Gump” Bruser, Eric “Early” Anderson, and skipper John “Raingear” Mengedoht were happy just to see the rain let up for a while. After a decent start and solid upwind leg, Full Moon rounded the first buoy in fourth place.

Launching the standard spinnaker in surprisingly strong wind, Full Moon rocketed ahead to take the lead. Unfortunately, the wind quit at the next buoy and the fleet bunched up into a knot. Clearing the knot was problematic and Full Moon fell to fifth. Playing the now-fickle winds to best advantage, though, Full Moon picked off first one boat and then another and missed second place by only a few feet for a tremendous comeback – and the prized Bronze Duck!

Duck Dodge June 1, 2004
Reality Check

Full Moon switched back to the second start (with faster boats) for the Silly Hat Night Duck Dodge and crew Art “Old Man” Teller, Randy “Rail Rider” Olsen, Eric “Chips” Anderson, Thomas “Stuffer” Bath, and skipper John “Windless” Mengedoht led the fleet for a good part of the first leg. Unfortunately, a ship had taken out the first buoy, leaving individual boats to decide where to make their turns. This cost Full Moon a number of positions as some boats turned earlier.

Things went further downhill from there as the formerly lusty wind fizzled at the northern corners of the lake and luck became as important as skill. After two and a half laps (three spinnaker runs!), Full Moon managed to finish a somewhat disappointing 10th. However, old rival Shogun was still behind in 11th and arch-rival Ignitor was way back in 16th so all was not lost.

Duck Dodge June 8, 2004
Redemption

The fourth Duck Dodge sailboat race appeared to be a drifting contest before the start with light to no wind. Full Moon crew Debra “Foredeck Queen” Ricard, Doug “Shutterbug” Schoemaker, Jeffery “Spinnaker” Schoemaker, Kelly “Rookie” O’Neil, and skipper John “Tall Tales” Mengedoht were well-positioned for the start and avoided a pile-up at the starting buoy. The wind filled in and Full Moon was in the top few boats on the first leg. Rounding the first buoy, the oversize Equalizer spinnaker was hoisted and Full Moon took off.

Gybing the giant spinnaker at the next buoy provided some anxious moments with the equally giant pole but the spinnaker remained full and Full Moon rounded the final buoy solidly in second place. The final leg saw no changes and Full Moon easily captured the prized Silver Duck sticker, finishing the short one-lap race in an astounding 30 minutes.

Duck Dodge June 15, 2004
Pirate Fleet

Full Moon crew Lori “Boom-Boom” Jay, Michael “Flyin’ Eye Patch” Medina, Randy “Up 3 Times” Olsen, Doug “Bloody Palms” Schoemaker, James “Mini-Shoe” Schoemaker, and skipper John “Birdman” Mengedoht were well-prepared with attire and accessories for the Pirate Night Duck Dodge but were forty seconds tardy to the starting line for a less than ideal start. Undaunted, Full Moon began a steady advancement, catching and passing Ignitor and Shogun early on the second leg under the giant Equalizer spinnaker.

With a strong and steady breeze, the course was a full two and a half laps around Lake Union, including three spinnaker runs and many tactical battles. The long race and wind conditions favored larger, faster boats and Full Moon did very well to finish seventh out of over twenty boats. Arch-rival Ignitor could do no better than fourteenth with Shogun sixteenth.

Duck Dodge June 22, 2004
Sun Fun

The weather was incredible once again for Duck Dodge sailboat race No. 6. Full Moon crew Scott “Rookie” Homan, Randy “Up Once, Wet” Olsen, Pam “Bungie” Hunt, Lori “Wet T-shirt” Jay, Ian “Cookie” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Pinkie” Mengedoht had a decent start at the favored end of the line and rounded the first buoy in the top third of the fleet.

The giant Equalizer spinnaker proved a handful on a long close reaching leg up Lake Union but provided great speed. Other boats were equally fast, though, and Full Moon more or less held position. The second lap was more of the same and Full Moon finished a very respectable seventh out of over twenty-five boats. Arch-rival Ignitor finished tenth several long minutes later.

Duck Dodge June 29, 2004
Solar Gain

The amazing weather continued for Duck Dodge sailboat race No. 7. Full Moon crew Eric “Muscles” Anderson, Debra “Halyard Queen” Ricard, Ben “First” Kim, Art “Pole Control” Teller, Grace “Sleepy” Teller, and skipper John “Screwed” Mengedoht had good timing for the start but a poorly angled and very short starting line made a mess of things. The results weren’t pretty and Full Moon managed to cross the line roughly 15th. Full Moon is famous for comebacks, though, picking off several boats on the first leg and several more under spinnaker on the second leg.

The second lap brought Full Moon within 100 yards of the first place boat and a top five finish looked possible. The lead boats were all skillfully sailed, though, and Full Moon finished a very respectable 7th out of nearly thirty boats. Arch-rival Ignitor, though starting ahead, was never a threat and finished 17th while old rival Shogun finished way back in 25th.

Duck Dodge July 6, 2004
Summer Disappears

The Red, White & Blue Duck Dodge began with dark skies and light winds for a big weather change. Full Moon crew Amy “Next Time” DiMarco, Michael “Twisted” Medina, Chuan “Speedy” Nguyen, Essie “The Winch” Jacobs, and skipper John “Teacher” Mengedoht were well positioned for the start but hampered by a 36-footer with a giant wind shadow. Breaking into clear air, Full Moon moved up into the top five boats but lost ground by not having the spinnaker ready for the short run past Gasworks Park.

The giant Equalizer was hoisted for the next long leg for a nice speed boost but trouble re-hoisting the jib was costly. The second lap saw the wind go even lighter and the leaders were out of reach. In the end, Full Moon finished tenth with arch-rival Ignitor eighth.

Duck Dodge July 13, 2004
Fickle Winds

Duck Dodge No. 9 served up a bizarre start with extremely light wind coming from multiple directions and a whopping 100 racing sailboats on Lake Union. Full Moon crew Michael “Rammin’ Speed” Medina, Eric “Clean Drop” Anderson, Karen “Army Brat” Hadac, Steve “Native” Hadac, and skipper John “Screamer” Mengedoht struggled in the fitful breeze, surrounded by boats on all sides. When the fleet eventually spread out, Full Moon was near the back with rivals Ignitor and Shogun half the lake ahead.

Once moving, though, Full Moon was unstoppable and the giant Equalizer spinnaker provided some major gains. Through 1 ½ laps, boat after boat fell behind and, rounding the next to last buoy, Ignitor was passed. Approaching the final buoy, Shogun was ahead and razzing us (fools!). Much to their chagrin, Full Moon slipped by and easily stayed there to the downwind finish. Full Moon crossed the line 12th with Shogun 13th and Ignitor 15th out of 43 boats in our start.

Duck Dodge July 27, 2004
Jammie Time

The Pajama Night Duck Dodge provided the sailor’s dream – a warm and sunny evening with a decent northerly breeze. Full Moon crew Amy “Peaches” DiMarco, Art “Hot Jammies” Teller, Grace “A Little More” Teller, Lori “Slippery Silk” Jay, Eric “Surf’s Up” Anderson, and skipper John “Jouster” Mengedoht were well-dressed for bed and had an excellent port-tack start, staying in the top four boats to the first buoy.

With a relatively long two-lap race and excellent crew work, Full Moon passed a couple of boats, including one from the previous start, but had to allow a few faster boats by in turn. In the end, Full Moon finished an excellent fifth out of twenty-two boats with arch-rival Ignitor seventh and old rival Shogun struggling at the back of the fleet.

Duck Dodge August 3, 2004
Shift City

Duck Dodge sailboat race No. 11 began with light southwesterly wind and Full Moon crew Alisha “Hi-Dive” Mason, Paul “Big Pull” Johnson, Art “Wet Pack” Teller, Grace “Halyards” Teller, and skipper John “No Mercy” Mengedoht enjoyed a decent start in the top third of the fleet. Rounding the first buoy, the Equalizer spinnaker went up nicely for a short run followed by a long reach that got progressively tighter as the wind shifted west and then northwest.

The second lap saw the wind shift back west and fade out at the south end of the lake. This allowed trailing boats a chance to catch up, including rivals Ignitor and Shogun. Shogun elected to fly a spinnaker in the confused wind but this proved unwise as the wind shifted yet again, roaring out of the north. Ignitor fared better until tearing their giant flyweight jib. Full Moon escaped the tight mass of boats and took off upwind, turned the final corner and finished an excellent seventh. Ignitor followed in ninth with Shogun right behind in tenth.

Duck Dodge August 10, 2004
Overboard

The Tropical Night Duck Dodge began with the rescue of a kayaker and continued with Full Moon crew Randy “Back Flip” Olsen falling overboard five minutes before the race start – this before the first Boat Drink (rum and tropical fruit juices) had a chance to be absorbed. Rescue No. 2 was completed rapidly but dry crew Pam “Shoe Saver” Hunt, Barry “Twisted Pole” Shuman, Ben “Second Time” Kim, and skipper John “Full Spinnaker” Mengedoht faced a challenging start and crossed the line toward the back of the fleet.

With Ignitor and Shogun well ahead and wind fading in and out, a classic Full Moon comeback was needed. The wind was briefly cooperative and Shogun slid astern by the second buoy but Ignitor remained hundreds of yards ahead. The gap closed ever so slowly downwind and up again and Full Moon finally got by for good with half a lap remaining. In the end, Full Moon was ninth with Ignitor eleventh and Shogun somewhere back in the fading light.

Duck Dodge August 17, 2004
Nearly Ducky

Full Moon crew Amy “Latitude” DiMarco, Art “Jibe Again” Teller, Grace “Cabin Girl” Teller, Lori “Freckles” Jay, Eric “Muscles” Anderson, and skipper John “Scorpio” Mengedoht nailed the start for Duck Dodge No. 13 and were soon battling for the lead with perennial speedsters Dreams and Scat plus a well-sailed red Thunderbird. Positions were swapped several times before Dreams and Scat pulled slowly away and the fight was on for third.

Full Moon had an edge downwind under spinnaker and the T-bird was slightly faster upwind. Full Moon led by 40 yards at the end of the final downwind run but was held up by another boat, allowing the T-bird to close up. The final leg was close all the way but the T-bird prevailed by five feet at the finish for the Bronze Duck with Full Moon 4th out of 32 boats. Arch-rival Ignitor could do no better than 16th with Shogun even farther back in the dimming light.

Duck Dodge September 7, 2004
Final Fling

Full Moon crew Randy “Skyy Blue” Olsen, Pam “Cosmo Girl” Hunt, Dean “Jello Shot” Dennis, and skipper John “Dim Bulb” Mengedoht were blocked by two slow boats at the start for the final “Committee Appreciation” Duck Dodge and crossed the line near the back of the fleet. Meanwhile, arch-rival Ignitor had their best start of the summer and, with a short one-lap race, were out of reach, even for the Comeback Kings.

Occasional-rival Fortis was in range, though, and Full Moon turned up the heat, holding off three much larger cruisers upwind and then blasting off under spinnaker. Sneaking inside Fortis at the end of the spinnaker run, Full Moon pulled ahead for the final two legs for an 11th place finish out of over 20 boats. Ignitor remained near the front to place 5th. Shogun did not start.

Full Moon received the highly coveted Black Duck for the best gift to the Race Committee (Jello shots made by Amy DiMarco), compensating somewhat for the rare loss to Ignitor.

Duck Dodge Rum Run October 23, 2004
Rum Float

Each October, the Duck Dodge Committee puts on the Rum Run sailboat race out on the Sound. This year Full Moon crew Amy “Shots” DiMarco, Lori “Ski Gear” Jay, Michael “Boat-Hopper” Medina, Randy “Moist Muffin” Olsen, Pam “Pina Colada” Hunt, and John “Boat Hook” Mengedoht joined Frank “The Fisherman”, Kathy “Bailey Rocks” Dennis, and skipper Dean “Casual Start” Dennis on the big and beautiful 47 foot White Star to enjoy the race in comfortable style.

Despite being a tad late to the starting line, White Star did well in the early going, enjoying a decent southerly. Unfortunately, the wind began to fade as the fleet crossed the Sound to Bainbridge Island and smaller, lighter boats began to catch up and pass by. Struggling to keep moving in extremely light wind and an opposing current up the Bainbridge shore, White Star eventually retired to motor in to the traditional post-race raft-up in Port Madison where she made a splendid party platform. All had a great time, as usual.