Old Stories, 2005-2006

Goosebump January 16, 2005
Goosebumps on Full Moon

Full Moon crew Michael “Bloody” Medina, Jay “Fleece Wings” Thoman, Krisinda “Banana” Parcel, Eric “The Red” Trefcon, and skipper John “Teacher” Mengedoht braved the winter cold for sailboat race No. 1 of the Goosebump series on Lake Union and managed a good start in the 20-boat fleet. Unfortunately, arch-rival Ignitor had a better start and was the only boat to head immediately to the right, picking up a favorable wind shift to put them, at least temporarily, in the lead.

In consideration of a relatively inexperienced crew, Cap’n John called for the small spinnaker downwind and performance suffered accordingly. Good speed upwind balanced things out a little over two full laps and Full Moon managed a decent eighth place finish, holding off a pesky SJ 24 and a J24. Ignitor was passed by two faster boats but held on for third place while old rival Shogun placed thirteenth.

Goosebump January 23, 2005
Ignitor Vanquished!

Sailboat Race Two of the Goosebump Series began with glassy water and nearly nonexistent wind. Full Moon crew Stephanie “Rookie” Wade, Karl “Grinder” Schmidt, Kurt “Foredeck Fiend” Schmidt, Randy “His To Lose” Olsen, and skipper John “Low Side” Mengedoht emerged from the starting line drift-a-thon in decent shape, oozed efficiently down the lake, and, as the wind filled in just a bit, quickly popped up the spinnaker on the second leg. With a good short run and a decent jibe at the next buoy, the giant Equalizer spinnaker did the job as Full Moon blew easily into third place.

Unfortunately, the fickle wind dropped again to whispers at the end of the fourth leg and the crawl to the finish allowed a fast 37-footer to slip past, pushing Full Moon to a still-great fourth place finish. Old rival Shogun crossed ages later in 10th and arch-rival Ignitor, suffering near the back of the fleet, gave up and went home.

Goosebump January 30, 2005
Yellow Goose

Full Moon crew Carrie “Quick Study” Ericson, Corey “Mediterranean” Koenig, Ben “Third Time” Kim, Randy “Old Hand” Olsen, and skipper John “Squeeker” Mengedoht had an excellent start for sailboat race No. 3 of the Goosebump Series, vying for the lead for the first few legs in a decent breeze. With a full two-lap race, there was plenty of action and positions changed frequently.

Heading into the next to last leg, Full Moon was in third place but fending off a host of competitors attempting to pass from behind, including arch-rival Ignitor. Always speedy Scat edged by at the final buoy but nobody else could get past for the upwind dash to the finish line. Approaching the finish, Full Moon ducked behind Scat and immediately tacked for the inside position at the line, allowing Full Moon to just beat Scat by a foot for the Yellow Goose! Ignitor finished fifth shortly thereafter.

Goosebump February 13, 2005
No Rain, Big Gain

After skipping Goosebump Race No. 4 on a drenched Superbowl Sunday, Full Moon crew Debra “Fat Lip” Ricard, Katie “Rookie” Freels, Scott “Wild Man” Homan, Randy “Packer” Olsen, and skipper John “Comeback King” Mengedoht returned to racing action for Race No. 5. A relatively poor start in light wind and some very stiff competition didn’t bode well but Full Moon worked up to the middle of the eighteen boat fleet by the second buoy. After popping up the giant Equalizer spinnaker, more boats fell behind and the lead boats were in sight, if still out of reach.

The second lap saw additional gains, easily passing all rivals (Ignitor, Shogun, etc.), and Full Moon moved into fourth place by the final buoy with two boats close behind. At this point, Lake Union turned to glass and the final leg came down to luck with the wind. As fate would have it, Full Moon fell to sixth with two boats in front by just a few feet. Arch-rival Ignitor and old rival Shogun were still half a lap behind, though, parked in a windless dead zone.

Goosebump February 20, 2005
Fabulous Finale

Full Moon crew Debra “Line Control” Ricard, Randy “Ready for Three” Olsen, Jay “Dry Chute” Thoman, Ian “Mobile Ballast” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Wild Ride” Mengedoht enjoyed beautiful sunshine and powerful winds for the final Goosebump sailboat race. After a late but well-positioned start, Full Moon had a great lane upwind and was near the front of the fleet by the first buoy. One of only two boats to dare a spinnaker on the second leg, third place appeared locked up after one lap.

Bigger and theoretically faster boats did their best and made some gains from behind but Full Moon kept in the groove, holding off all comers (including always speedy Scat) to the finish and the Yellow Goose. Arch-rival Ignitor could do no better than twelfth.

Full Moon dominated all traditional rivals in the series including going 4-1 vs. NBBJ principal Mackenzie Skene with his 33-foot Audacious!

Duck Dodge May 17, 2005
Golden Ripples

Full Moon crew Barry “Smooth Bottom” Shuman, Randy “Get Serious” Olsen, Debra “No Key” Ricard, and skipper John “Concentration” Mengedoht returned to sailboat racing this past Tuesday evening for Duck Dodge No. 1. After a very crowded start in light wind, Full Moon rounded the first buoy in fifth place but right on the stern of three other boats. Popping up the giant Equalizer spinnaker, Full Moon dodged the oncoming boats and eventually stole the wind from perpetual speedsters Dreams and Scat to take over first place.

Then the wind died, leaving the fleet parked. Watching carefully for every hint of wind, Full Moon still inched ahead and when the wind finally filled in a bit, was perfectly positioned to take advantage of it and go around the final buoy. Dreams gained a bit toward the finish but not nearly enough and Full Moon scored the coveted Gold Duck for first place. Arch-rival Ignitor finished tenth much later with old rival Shogun thirteenth.

Duck Dodge May 24, 2005
Reality Check

Duck Dodge sailboat race No. 2 began with sunny skies and some 80 boats out to enjoy it. Full Moon crew Don “Memory Man” Warren, Michael “Haulin’” Medina, Art “Maaco” Teller, Ben “Ejector” Kim and skipper John “Jouster” Mengedoht had a solid start and good first leg but suffered in the wind shadow of much larger boats on the second leg across Gasworks Park while also dodging a tug and barge bound for Lake Washington.

The spinnaker run brought some significant gains and the second lap saw a series of tactical battles with several fast boats. In the end, though, the faster boats were faster and Full Moon did very well to finish eighth out of well over 30 boats. Arch-rival Ignitor was in the game early but fell to 14th with Shogun struggling near the back of the fleet.

Duck Dodge May 31, 2005
Redemption

Duck Dodge sailboat race No. 3 began under dark clouds with all sailors in foul weather gear. Full Moon crew Art “More Jibes” Teller, Doug “Shutterbug” Schoemaker, Todd “Flip Flops” Charlton, Randy “Night Shift” Olsen, and skipper John “Beach Phobia” Mengedoht had a very good start and rounded the first buoy in third. Unfortunately, arch-rival Ignitor was in first! Full Moon maintained position to the second buoy but then the wind faded and the boats coasted nearly to a stop. Ghosting along the glassy lake, Ignitor dropped well back but was replaced by light and speedy Scat. Worse, another boat, Runner, was first to receive the wind as it filled in, dropping Full Moon to fourth.

The giant Equalizer spinnaker was now brought into play, returning Full Moon to third place and making up some ground on Runner. Unfortunately, Scat and Runner proved uncatchable through the second lap. Full Moon battled upwind with a 30’ Dragon until rounding the final buoy for a downwind finish under spinnaker and the Bronze Duck. Ignitor finished ages later in seventh.

Duck Dodge June 7, 2005
June Gloom

Duck Dodge sailboat race No. 4 continued the pattern of gray skies and light, shifty wind. Full Moon crew Debra “Pole Position” Ricard, Randy “Speed Hoist” Olsen, Scott “Dry Chute” Homan, Katie “Cookies” Freels, and skipper John “Early” Mengedoht had a decent start, unlike arch-rival Ignitor which was disqualified for being over the line too early (they didn’t restart). Several faster boats jumped ahead, though, and Full Moon was eighth at the first buoy.

Unfortunately, the wind was not powerful enough for the mighty Equalizer spinnaker to make much difference, though a few boats found better wind near the eastern shore. The final two legs saw little change except that a huge 38-footer managed to work its way past. With a short, one-lap race, Full Moon didn’t have an opportunity for a typical come-from-behind performance but finished a still respectable 9th out of twenty-five boats.

Duck Dodge June 14, 2005
Final Hurrah

Full Moon was well-dressed for the Pirate Night Duck Dodge with a giant flag, swords, knives, flintlocks, eye patches, bandanas, and even a stuffed parrot. Crew Ben “The Blade” Kim, Michael “Treasure” Medina, Art “Boom” Teller, and skipper John “Defector” Mengedoht had a good start in strong wind and rounded the first buoy on the transoms of the lead group of boats. On the first spinnaker run, Full Moon deployed the Equalizer spinnaker to good advantage to stay in the hunt.

Returning upwind, Full Moon continued to cross tacks with the supposedly faster top boats to start the second lap, never taking the lead but staying surprisingly close. The second downwind run under spinnaker was a repeat of the first lap and the final leg to the finish was a battle all the way with Full Moon crossing a very respectable fifth. Arch-rival Ignitor finished ninth several long minutes later.

This is my final article for the Callison Weekly, though Full Moon will continue racing with a partly Callison crew. I hope you’ve enjoyed the stories – I’ve certainly enjoyed the racing, the camaraderie, and all the fun afloat and ashore.

Duck Dodge June 21, 2005
Light Ship

Full Moon crew Ian “Clingon” Mengedoht, Randy “Dash” Olsen, and skipper John “Jibe Again” Mengedoht had a good start for Duck Dodge No. 5, avoiding a pile-up at the pin end. Short two people on the crew, Full Moon ran without a spinnaker on the reaching and running legs, unfortunately allowing old rivals Shogun and Fortis to get by.

Returning upwind, Full Moon returned the favor and left all traditional rivals in her wake, though not the faster lead boats. Downwind, no rivals but Runner could catch up, and Full Moon finished an excellent ninth with Fortis twelfth and Shogun fourteenth. Arch-rival Ignitor was a no-show.

Duck Dodge June 28, 2005
Jammie Time

With grey skies and less than balmy southwesterly breezes, negligees and teddies were not to be seen for the Duck Dodge Pajama Night. Full Moon crew Carrie “Cherry Girl” Ericson, Corey “Flannels” Koenig, Art “Jibe Master” Teller, Randy “Halyards” Olsen, and skipper John “Robe Knot” Mengedoht had a good start, right on time, in the middle of the line but those closer to the rubber duck buoy toward the Westlake shore had a decided advantage. This was proven at the AGC buoy as Full Moon went around about tenth behind even old rival Shogun after battling with giant Thin Air and upwind rocket Katrinka Finkelsplat.

The Equalizer popped up right after the AGC buoy, though, and with a perfect jibe at the Challenger buoy, Full Moon was off and flying, passing several boats. Returning upwind after a brief episode of dunking the spinnaker at the Freeway buoy, Full Moon was surprising close to the leaders. Tacking down the lake, Art was busy repacking the soggy chute and rerunning the sheets and twing lines but all was ready at the ACG buoy to blow dry the spinnaker on the second lap.

The wind had dropped a bit so the Equalizer was not quite so powerful as on the first lap but it was good enough to pull inside Thin Air at the Freeway buoy. Remarkably, Thin Air was unable to gain upwind on the final leg and Full Moon also managed to squeak by yet another boat, the Dragon, right at the finish to take an excellent fifth. Scat was first, followed by Katrina Finkelsplat, Dreams, and Perfectly Strange – all boats that are much faster than Full Moon. The Dragon was sixth, then Thin Air and a J24. Somewhere back there (we lost count) were Runner, Shogun, and Fortis. Ignitor was missing again this week.

Duck Dodge July 5, 2005
Wet, White, and Blue

Despite fairly thin clouds, rain found its way down before, during, and after the Red, White, and Blue Duck Dodge. Full Moon crew Lori “Crash” Jay, Debra “Slippery Shoes” Ricard, Fernand “Beer-diver” Ricard, and skipper John “Damp Denim” Mengedoht had a slow start some 30 seconds late but rode excellent wind closer to the Westlake shore to slip past many of those starting in a more timely fashion. By the AGC buoy, all traditional rivals were well behind and with a quick reach to the Challenger buoy and a very speedy run up the lake under the Equalizer, Full Moon was up near the lead boats.

The second lap saw Katrina Finkelsplat, Dreams, Scat and a J24 pull ahead (they're all supposed to be faster and they were) leaving Full Moon to battle the blue Erickson 38 Thin Air, the Dragon, and a well-sailed black Thunderbird. Thin Air reveled in stronger wind than has been the norm and was uncatchable even with the Equalizer. The Dragon and Thunderbird were another story, though both managed to stay just ahead at the finish to leave Full Moon a still respectable eighth. Shogun sailed well and crossed twelfth with Fortis fourteenth and arch-rival Ignitor, sporting a brand new genoa jib, sixteenth.

Duck Dodge July 19, 2005
Full Moon Rising

Full Moon crew Amy “Three Glasses” DiMarco, Lori “Chilly” Jay, Art “Bored” Teller, Doug “Moon Shot” Schoemaker, James “Stem to Stern” Schoemaker, and skipper John “Duck Shadow” Mengedoht joined a huge fleet parked on the starting line in an extremely light southwesterly for Duck Dodge No. 9. As the boats spread out, each found enough wind to move but it was a painfully slow first leg until the wind began to fill in a bit near the Challenger buoy. (The Indigo Girls were playing at the pier so the AGC buoy was not used).

With a clean jibe and quick spinnaker hoist, Full Moon advanced under the giant Equalizer until the fleet condensed into a giant knot near the Freeway buoy as the wind built from behind. Several boats approached on starboard jibe with the right of way, forcing everybody to jibe as well – except for Scat who paid for their error with a bunt from Full Moon as it tried to cross in front on port tack (no damage was done).

Emerging from the mess, some of which were first start boats, Full Moon was in third place but with speedy Dreams close by and threatening. With a north-south two buoy race, part of the challenge was to avoid traffic coming the opposite way. After a few tacks, Full Moon was out in clear wind with Dreams roughly even and to leeward. A long straight drive to the Challenger buoy saw little change but Full Moon was able to squeeze in front of Dreams at the buoy.

By this time, the wind had shifted more to the north and the spinnaker pole was on the forestay for a very tight reach back north. Full Moon and Dreams were even most of the way up the lake until Dreams got a big puff of wind and popped ahead. Rounding the Freeway buoy, Full Moon was now in fourth but the J24 California Girl was also just behind. Unfortunately, California Girl passed both boats on the final leg to take the Bronze Duck, though Full Moon was in the hunt the whole way and actually gaining on Dreams.

Usually hot Scat was off the pace, finishing 8th with Runner 9th and Ignitor 12th. Shogun was too far back to see how they finished, as was Fortis.

Duck Dodge July 26, 2005
Lost in Transition

Full Moon had the usual Prom Night attire of tux tee-shirts and was fashionably late for the start in decent but not powerful wind. Crew Ian “Sugar Buzz” Mengedoht, Michael “Top This!” Medina, Todd “Halyard Muscle” Charlton, Joe “Not Wet” Kenny, and skipper John “Smooth Jibe” Mengedoht then had a tough first leg up to the Freeway buoy with lots of tacks and avoidance maneuvers as first start boats returned south under spinnaker.

The Equalizer spinnaker paid for itself on the broad reach to the AGC buoy, allowing Full Moon to pass a lot of boats and arrive literally on the transom of arch-rival Ignitor, who had enjoyed a much better start. The wind had gone very light by this time and the close reach to the Challenger buoy was painfully slow as Full Moon wallowed in the wind shadow of several boats. Ignitor was able to pull out ahead and, worse, found better wind up the lake back to the Freeway buoy to put them nearly out of reach.

The second spinnaker run had continuing wimpy wind and the Equalizer was not enough to reel in Ignitor. The short leg to the Challenger buoy allowed a small gain and then the final upwind leg to the finish had extremely light and inconsistent wind. At one point, Full Moon was actually ahead of Ignitor but the capricious breeze gave Ignitor a break and they ghosted ahead to take ninth with Full Moon tenth out of over thirty boats. Also finishing ahead were Norn (extremely fast Santa Cruz 27) two J24s, Katrinka Finkelsplat, Scat, Runner, the red T-bird, and All For A Girl (faded blue Ranger 28). However, both Dreams and Perfectly Strange finished well behind Full Moon with Fortis near the back of the fleet and Shogun actually taking dead last.

Duck Dodge August 2, 2005
Drat the Dragon!

Full Moon crew Annette “Topgallant” Hillesland, Lori “Muscles” Jay, Randy “Pole Rotation” Olsen, and skipper John “By The Lee” Mengedoht had a good start going on starboard tack for Duck Dodge No. 11 until the Dragon barely ahead tacked right on the line with what appeared to be no room to duck their stern. Full Moon crash tacked and stalled, losing all speed and any hope of being in contention for a good finish.

Once moving, though, Full Moon kept pace up to the Freeway buoy and across the lake to the Aurora buoy. With wind of about 15 knots prior to the race and whitecaps on the lake, the standard spinnaker had been set up and this proved the wrong choice as the wind dropped to under 10 knots. The long run to the Challenger buoy saw Full Moon hold position but make no gains on the boats ahead, including arch-rival Ignitor.

Returning upwind, Full Moon passed a few boats and then gained on Ignitor downwind despite the small spinnaker. Unfortunately, Ignitor remained far enough ahead to finish ninth to Full Moon’s twelfth. Fortis finished eighteenth a good deal later with Shogun nineteenth. The good news was holding off a Merit 25 and a J24 through most of the race, including the finish – they’re both supposed to be faster upwind and down!

Duck Dodge August 9, 2005
Tropical Fun

The Tropical Night Duck Dodge brought out a huge fleet of boats to enjoy yet another sunny evening plus the usual floating raft dispensing free beer. Full Moon crew Barry “Thigh High” Shuman, Amy “Free Pour” DiMarco, Dawn “Don’t Tell Him That” Kirchner, Mark “Dry Chute” Kirchner, and skipper John “Hooters Girls” Mengedoht avoided a tight knot of boats at the Westlake buoy with a timely donut and had a good start closer to the middle of the line.

With the wind allowing nearly a straight shot to the AGC buoy on starboard tack, finding a hole for a short tack to onto port was tricky to avoid traffic with right of way. Full Moon was forced to wait until the last minute to tack and then tack back mere yards from the buoy but was able to do so cleanly in front of several boats. The leg to the beer raft was very short but Full Moon scored two beers before rounding and hoisting the Equalizer.

Downwind to the Freeway buoy under the Equalizer saw Full Moon pass a couple of boats including a fast white J24. The leg to the Aurora buoy brought everyone very close to Gasworks and Full Moon was able to get by a blue J24 to ease into 5th place. Unfortunately, the final upwind leg saw the blue J24, the Olson 25, Dreams, and the San Juan 30, Outlaw, get by to drop Full Moon to a still very respectable 8th. It was a close finish as Full Moon was within 75 yards of the 2nd and 3rd place boats Skye Rocket (Merit 25) and Great Expectations. Ignitor was extremely late for the start and finished dead last.

Duck Dodge August 16, 2005
Cool Runnings

Duck Dodge No. 13 began with gray skies, cooler temperatures, and a decent breeze. Full Moon crew Debra “Simply Naked” Ricard, Ben “Just The Tip” Kim, Katie “Belgian Beer” Freels, Randy “Pressure Knot” Olsen, and skipper John “Slow Starter” were late for the starting line, due at least in part to a significant wind shift that left a number of boats unable to make it past the Committee Boat without tacking. Working the Westlake shore, Full Moon gained back some of the lead given away at the start and squeezed around the outside of a stalled Shogun at the AGC buoy.

The Equalizer was deployed for the short run to the Challenger buoy where a jibe was accomplished for the long run/reach up the lake. After zipping around Ignitor’s stern to successfully steal their wind, yet another jibe was needed to make the Freeway buoy and Debra (with Randy’s help) was kept very busy on the foredeck. Katie got the chute down without incident and Debra got things cleaned up quickly as Full Moon skimmed the Gasworks Park shoreline.

Approaching the Aurora buoy, which was placed very far to the northwest, the leaders were bunched up and Full Moon nearly caught up. Unfortunately, the speedier boats showed their legs on the long upwind haul back to the AGC buoy and the fleet spread out again, though Full Moon still picked off one or two boats.

The spinnaker legs were nearly a repeat of the first lap (without the late jibe) and Full Moon rounded the Freeway buoy sixth having just overtaken Perfectly Strange. Positions held across to the Aurora buoy but Perfectly Strange was able to return the favor on the final leg, dropping Full Moon to an excellent seventh in a very strong fleet. The ducks went to Dreams, Katrinka Finkelsplat, and Scat. Thin Air was ninth, Runner tenth, and arch-rival Ignitor eleventh with Shogun about eighteenth. Fortis was a no-show.

Duck Dodge August 30, 2005
Lucky Seven

Full Moon crew Debra “Toga Viridans (Green Toga)” Ricard, Randy “Nodus Denuo (Knot Again)” Olsen, Todd “Fermentum Grandis (Big Beer)” Charlton, Ian “Vestis Puer (Blanket Boy)” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Annacrumena (Little Pouch)” Mengedoht were in togas of assorted sizes, shapes, and colors for Duck Dodge Toga Night. Full Moon hit the favored windward end of the starting line with good timing for once but there were a mass of boats vying for the same location and boats nearer the Committee Boat enjoyed the benefits of clear wind.

After breaking free from the pack, Full Moon reeled in a few boats while the usual rockets moved out ahead. At the AGC buoy, the Equalizer went up quickly and with a jibe at the Challenger buoy Full Moon kept pace with the leaders, though the wind was not strong enough for big gains.

The spinnaker came down neatly at the Freeway buoy and Full Moon began a lengthy battle with Perfectly Strange, Thin Air, Freedom (a pesky J22), Runner, and the red T-bird. The battle continued around the AGC and Challenger buoys but Full Moon moved ahead of all but Perfectly Strange and Runner by the Freeway mark in the growing darkness. The final leg was excellent as Perfectly Strange fell back three places and the red T-bird couldn't catch us. Runner ended up sixth, Full Moon seventh, the red T-bird eighth, and Perfectly Strange tenth. Shogun, Ignitor, and Fortis all finished well back, most likely 20th or worse.

Duck Dodge September 6, 2005
Cosmopolitan Dreamsicle

Following the pattern of recent years, attrition was high on Full Moon for Martini Night with only Amy “Cosmo Girl” DiMarco, Randy “Vanilla Vodka” Olsen, and skipper John “Cocktail Remix” Mengedoht aboard for this final race of summer. With a starting line set to defy a starboard tack crossing, Full Moon opted for a port tack start on the Westlake buoy end and was the third boat across the line. The first leg to the Freeway buoy was then a straight shot upwind and the only boats that got by were a couple of fast J boats, the red T-bird and Katrinka Finkelsplat.

The next leg to the Aurora buoy was in much lighter winds, especially near Gasworks, and Full Moon essentially held position. Unfortunately, in consideration of the short-handed crew, Full Moon didn’t fly a spinnaker on the long downwind leg. Given several jibes needed to work down the lake, this was probably wise but it allowed four boats to get by including occasional rivals Fortis and it was painful to watch this happen.

Rounding the AGC buoy, Full Moon returned to upwind speed with a quick leg to the Challenger buoy followed by a well-sailed final leg to pass a couple of boats to take ninth just behind Fortis. Boats behind included Perfectly Strange and Thin Air with Shogun placing fourteenth and arch-rivals Ignitor back in twenty-first (all having flown spinnakers).

Full Moon continued to sail around on a gorgeous evening, enjoying assorted Vodka-based concoctions while a thin crescent moon rose over Queen Anne Hill. It was a great summer and a very pleasant way to finish the racing season.

Rum Run October 22, 2005
Rum Fun

Full Moon crew Alyssa “Rookie” Mehl, Jose “Halyards” Levya, Josh “Top Secret” May, Art “Crabs” Teller, and skipper John “Bibs” Mengedoht ventured out onto the Sound for the Duck Dodge Rum Run on Saturday. After a “conservative” (slightly late) start across a highly skewed line, the wind slowly dropped below five knots and hopes for a decent breeze began to fade, though the blazing sunshine was a treat. Ever a tease, the wind then rose up into the mid to high teens, overpowering the full main and genoa and bringing the crew to the rail. Unfortunately, the strong wind hit some boats sooner than others while providing an advantage to the larger boats and Full Moon slipped to the middle of the fleet.

A stalled boat at the West Point buoy caused some difficulties rounding in the ebb current but once around, Full Moon popped up the oversized “Equalizer” spinnaker and took off on a screaming reach toward Meadow Point. The gap to the lead boats was reduced markedly but not enough to get by anyone. With a clean spinnaker drop at the buoy, it was time for a close reach across the Sound to the finish off Port Madison at the north tip of Bainbridge Island.

A few boats kept their spinnakers up for this leg with poles on their forestays but the genoa was a more efficient choice and Full Moon was soon rocketing along at over six knots, an impressive speed for an old 25 foot boat. Bigger boats were even faster, though, and Full Moon did well to hold position. At the finish, Full Moon was a decent tenth out of twenty in our start while rivals Fortis and Runner were well ahead, having enjoyed a much better first leg.

The sun continued to shine bright for the traditional large raft-up of boats inside sheltered Port Madison. Even the last boats in agreed it was an absolutely fabulous day on the water.

Goosebump January 15, 2006
No Rain, Big Gains

Full Moon crew Tyra “Rookie” Sorenson, Randy “Pole Master” Olsen, Ian “Cold Hands” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Bumper Boats” Mengedoht enjoyed a rare break in the weather Sunday for Goosebump Sailboat Race No. 1 on Lake Union. With a southwest breeze, the Westlake end of the starting line was favored and Full Moon ended up in a tight squeeze amongst what seemed like half the fleet at that end. Paul Hanson’s new J-29 got away clean and in front but Full Moon had to tack soon after the start to find clear wind.

The first leg looked salvageable until the wind died near the buoy and it took several tacks to get around. However, the wind continued it’s fickle ways, causing a bunch up of boats at the second buoy and allowing Full Moon to gain back much of what had been lost at the start. Once the spinnaker was up for the long downwind run, Full Moon continued to advance, passing rival Fortis.

A reach across the north end of the lake was uneventful until Runner, still carrying a spinnaker, had major difficulties getting the spinnaker down. This allowed Full Moon to easily cruise by the last of our traditional rivals.

The final upwind leg was a nail-biter as the wind had died yet again near the last buoy and it filled in briefly in scattered places giving different boats temporary advantages. In the end, Full Moon held off Fortis but couldn’t stop the J-24 California Girl from just squeaking by to steal 9th in this one-start, no handicaps race series.

Paul’s much faster J-29, with new crew Nicky Lyons took an outstanding 3rd place. Full Moon rivals Runner, Shogun, and Ignitor placed 12th, 14th, and 19th respectively with Audacious in 15th. As always, a good time was had by all.

Goosebump January 22, 2006
Crew Swap

Nicky “Telltales” Lyons and Josh “Smokin’ Halyards” May jumped from Paul Hanson’s J-29 to join Full Moon crew Debra “Pole Position” Ricard, Kevin “Mobile Ballast” O’Leary, and skipper John “Wrong Side” Mengedoht for a wild ride Sunday with winds in the high teens. Meanwhile, Tyra Sorenson “defected” to join Paul’s merry crew on the J-29.

With a decent second row start, Full Moon had a solid first leg upwind and rounded the buoy nicely for a speedy reach across the south end of Lake Union. Unfortunately, the oversize spinnaker pole was prepped on what turned out to be the wrong side for the downwind run, delaying the spinnaker hoist. Once up, the giant spinnaker proved its worth until increasing wind made control difficult. A late jibe near the buoy at the end of the run prevented hoisting the jib until the nylon monster was down and spinnaker pole cleared out of the way.

On the next leg, Paul Hanson’s J-29 finally made it past, having apparently also had spinnaker issues, but supposedly slower Full Moon managed to return the favor upwind to start the second lap. Paul got by again for good, though, crossing the south end of the lake near the beginning of the second downwind run. With slightly lesser wind, the spinnaker was better behaved on the second lap and the jib hoist and spinnaker take-down went smoothly.

The final two legs to the finish were without drama apart from the gusting wind and Full Moon finished a respectable 10th out of about 30 boats (there are no handicaps so big boats and all-out racers usually dominate). Paul’s J-29 was 6th and Full Moon rival Runner was 7th. Arch-rival Ignitor was never much of a threat and finished 14th with Fortis even farther back in 17th place.

Goosebump January 29, 2006
Soggy Shoes

Full Moon crew Maria “Close Crossings” Llobet, Forrest “Halyards Ho!” Llobet, Jose “Patron” Levya, Randy “Fat Lady” Olsen, and skipper John “Competitive Bones” Mengedoht got to test their foul weather gear as rain came down throughout Goosebump sailboat race No. 3 on Lake Union. A decent but not great start was improved with a timely tack and Full Moon had a good first leg upwind to round the first buoy in seventh place. The wind began to build on the close reaching second leg while Randy scrambled to set up the spinnaker pole, which had been pre-prepped on what turned out the wrong side (skipper error).

Once the oversize spinnaker was up for the downwind leg, Full Moon zipped along, passing a Tartan 35, the well-sailed red Thunderbird and perennial speedster Scat. The spinnaker came down cleanly at the end of the run and the fourth leg was another speedy reach. Several boats, including rival Runner, kept their spinnakers up for this leg but paid for it with difficulty maintaining control and, for Runner at least, a troublesome take-down. Full Moon got by Runner and was up to fourth place early in the final leg.

Full Moon was now faced with holding off three speedy contenders, Runner, the red T-bird, and Scat, to hold onto fourth place. A tactical battle began with Scat from which Full Moon emerged victorious but Runner got by in the meantime to steal fourth and Full Moon ended up in a photo finish with the T-bird, losing by less than a second to take sixth.

Still, any day that Full Moon beats Scat is a great day and arch-rival Ignitor was way back in fifteenth. Fortis was thirteenth and Audacious was fourteenth. Meanwhile Paul Hanson’s J-29 cruised to an easy third with Mithuners Scott Harkey and Nicky Lyons on the crew.

Goosebump February 5, 2006
Convergence Comedy

The Norse god Loki clearly had control of the wind for Goosebump race No. 4. Full Moon crew Katie “Endless Halyard” Freels, Art “Sunblock” Teller, Ian “Sleepy” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Clear Air” Mengedoht set up for what should have been an excellent start based on the light pre-race wind out of the west. Loki had other ideas as the wind shifted fully 90 degrees just after the start, leaving Full Moon nearly last on the first leg. Rounding the buoy, though, the spinnaker was quickly hoisted and Full Moon quickly picked off several boats and, with a smooth jibe at the second buoy, began to reel in the middle of the fleet.

Unfortunately, the fleet ahead was essentially parked on glassy water and the spinnaker was soon rendered useless with no wind to fill it. Down it came and the game was on to be first to find a hint of wind and to guess from which direction it might come as Lake Union experienced classic convergence zone conditions. Full Moon is light and agile and made the most of the whispers to pass still more boats and round the third buoy.

The fourth leg had a bit more wind for a short time, allowing Full Moon to get past rivals Fortis and Shogun and even Paul Hanson’s J-29 (for a while), but couldn’t quite catch arch-rival Ignitor or Runner. The final leg featured more unpredictable wind until it finally filled in a bit near the finish line. The result was a huge group of boats crossing the line within seconds of each other. It was impossible to tell the precise finishing order but Full Moon was likely 11th – a vast improvement over the start.

Paul Hanson’s J-29 crew, including Nicky Lyons and Scott Harkey, made similar assumptions about the starting wind but made a better compromise on where to cross the line and were in second place to round the first buoy. The dying wind was especially unkind later in the race and all too many boats were able to ghost on by. The final leg allowed them to retake Full Moon and several other boats and the J-29 finished about seventh.

Goosebump February 19, 2006
Ignitor Vanquished!

Enjoying yet another beautiful sunny day, Full Moon crew Tam “Rookie” Duong, Jose “Neatly Coiled” Levya, Barry “Foredeck Finesse” Shuman, and skipper John “Seriously” Mengedoht prepared for the final Goosebump sailboat race on Lake Union. A good spot was picked for the start but the already light winds went even lighter and Full Moon was, once again, late to cross the line.

With vigilant tweaking of the sails, Full Moon worked ahead of several boats on the first leg and, aided by fortuitous wind shifts, got by still more on the second leg. Arch-rival Ignitor was now just ahead for the long downwind leg. Up went the giant spinnaker and Ignitor was toast, dying in Full Moon’s wind shadow.

The fourth leg looked to have the right wind angle to carry the spinnaker and Full Moon went for it with a nice jibe at the buoy. The wind filled in a bit at this point and Full Moon took off, leaving little time to sort out the foredeck on a fairly short leg. In the nick of time the jib went up and the spinnaker came down and Full Moon was onto the final upwind leg, crossing the finish line behind a Hobie 33 to take seventh out of some thirty boats. Ignitor was eighth and occasional rival Fortis eleventh.

Paul Hanson’s J-29, with Mithuners Scott Harkey and Nicky Lyons, also had a less than perfect start but made the best of it with excellent upwind speed. At the end of the spinnaker run, the J-29 was all the way up to second place but technical difficulties at the buoy allowed several boats to get by and they had to settle for fifth for the finish. Still, with two third-place finishes and consistently good performance, the J-29 is likely in the top three for the six-race series. Way to go!

Duck Dodge May 16, 2006
Lots of Fun in Duck Dodge No. 1!

Full Moon crew Alyssa “Biker” Mehl, Julia “1 ½ Weeks” Stahl, Randy “Houseboats” Olsen, Art “Sleepy” Teller, and skipper John “Catchup” Mengedoht were caught in a dense pack of boats to start the first Duck Dodge sailboat race on Lake Union and emerged into clear air only after the leaders appeared halfway to the first buoy. Good boat speed and crisp tacking shortened the gap somewhat, allowing Full Moon to get by old rivals Fortis and Shogun on the second leg. Unfortunately, the wind nearly died at the second buoy and boats that had already rounded pulled farther ahead.

Popping up the monster Equalizer spinnaker, Full Moon easily passed several boats on the downwind leg and gained substantially on arch-rival Ignitor. However, the slow start disadvantage was simply too much to overcome and, despite shortening the lead on the final two legs, Full Moon had to settle for tenth place (out of over 30 boats), just behind Ignitor. Regardless, the sun was out, the beers were cold, and a great time was had by all.

Duck Dodge May 23, 2006
Spinnaker Surprise

Duck Dodge No. 2 featured gray and threatening skies and Full Moon crew Robert “Halyard Hauler” Leykam, Marget “Dry Chute” Livak, Art “Whip It” Teller, and skipper John “Whoo-hoo” Mengedoht had an equally dark start with a late wind shift necessitating a tack just to cross the starting line. As the boats thinned out, though, Full Moon was well-positioned to ride some long lifts, rising close to mid-fleet by the first buoy.

Launching the giant Equalizer spinnaker for the second leg, Full Moon reeled in several more boats, jibed at the second buoy, and was off onto the long run up Lake Union. Dead ahead was arch-rival Ignitor and some timely tactics quickly brought Full Moon ahead and to windward while passing several other boats as well.

Approaching the final buoy, Full Moon had advanced all the way to fourth place but the winds gods weren’t quite done stirring the pot. One lonely Erickson 38 found an advantage to the far right on the final leg, dropping Full Moon to a still-amazing fifth at the finish line, having passed more than half the twenty-plus boat fleet. Ignitor was seventh, old rivals Shogun tenth and Fortis twelfth.

Duck Dodge May 30, 2006
Fat Tuesday

Duck Dodge No. 3 was N’Awlins Night and Full Moon crew Bethany “Cookie” Madsen, Fred “The Professor” Brown, Michael “Upside Down” Medina, Todd “Special Beads” Charlton, and skipper John “Flasher” Mengedoht were well-equipped with Mardi-Gras accessories. The race start was windless with a mass of boats jammed at the line but Full Moon wiggled across and was one of the first boats to enjoy a bit of breeze that briefly touched down on the lake. For a short while Full Moon even held the lead but the dying wind allowed a few speedsters to get past by the first buoy.

The second leg began with a guessing game of where the wind was going to come from. When it finally arrived, Full Moon made the most of it, holding off some hard chargers coming up from behind. Rounding the final buoy, the giant spinnaker was quickly deployed, though once again the breeze began to die. Somehow the spinnaker stayed full and flying and nobody behind could quite catch up. Full Moon ended up an excellent fourth in a huge fleet out to enjoy another brief glimpse of summer.

Duck Dodge June 6, 2006
Trapped!

Duck Dodge No. 4 was again sunny and, unlike last week, had (mostly) good wind. Full Moon crew Katie “M.J.” Freels, Randy “O-reo” Olsen, Jose “Halyards” Levya, and skipper John “Fiberglass” Mengedoht played the usual game of dodge ‘em at the start and were poised to do well. Unfortunately, one boat refused to respond to boats to leeward (who had right of way), trapping Full Moon and several others behind the line until the offending boat finally altered course and ultimately tacked away. By then, the lead boats were several hundred yards ahead and essentially uncatchable so the goal became to regain at least the front half of the fleet.

The wind dropped at the first buoy, creating a traffic jam and causing occasional rival Runner to miss the buoy entirely. Full Moon made it around safely and, having already passed arch-rival Ignitor, proceeded to get by a few others on the second leg. The spinnaker was used to good effect downwind and a few more boats fell behind. The second lap saw little change as the fleet spread out until Full Moon got by a nearly identical twin Santana on the next to last leg and held them off to finish 11th out of over 30 boats. Arch-rival Ignitor was 16th.

Duck Dodge June 13, 2006
Sudden Impact

Minutes before the second start of the Pajama Night Duck Dodge, a yell of “Starboard!” was followed by the scary sound of crunching fiberglass as 38’ Thin Air impaled a smaller boat. Thankfully, there didn’t appear to be injuries other than to the boats, but Thin Air’s insurance company likely won’t be happy as it appeared Thin Air was at fault.

Meanwhile, Full Moon crew Alexandra “Fat Tire” Ramsden, Cuneyt “June 8” Havioglu, Art “Rock the Boat” Teller, Doug “Optimum” Schoemaker, and skipper John “Doughnut” Mengedoht managed to cross the starting line in very heavy traffic without a scratch, though not exactly in the front row of boats. A good turn of speed upwind kept Full Moon in the game as traditional rivals fell behind.

The first spinnaker run was literally a blast as the wind rose and boat control was occasionally on the edge with the giant Equalizer pulling hard. Speed was good enough to blow by a well-sailed J22 and make gains on the front-runners. The spinnaker takedown wasn’t pretty but little speed was lost and Full Moon did well enough on the next two legs to get past always-speedy Scat.

The second spinnaker run got Full Moon past a sleek old Dragon but Scat managed to squeak back in front at the leeward buoy. The final two legs saw no change in position and Full Moon finished a commendable 8th, close behind Runner, Dreams, and Scat - tough competitors all. Arch rival Ignitor was nearly ten minutes behind in 15th with Shogun 16th.

Duck Dodge June 20, 2006
Battle with Birds

Great June weather continued for Duck Dodge No. 6 with sunny skies and a good northerly breeze. Full Moon crew Lori “Take-Down” Fulsaas, Daniel “Digital” Raymond, Randy “Bowrider” Olsen, Michael “Easy Halyard” Medina, and skipper John “Beat the Birds” Mengedoht had a decent start in heavy traffic but suffered in the wind shadow of bigger boats for much of the first leg. It was also challenging to find a clear lane on the second leg but the spinnaker run allowed Full Moon to close up with the faster boats while leaving much of the fleet far behind.

On the second lap, the notoriously fast no-name red Thunderbird began to slowly gain (though the equally fast no-name blue Thunderbird was no threat). A tactical battle began on the second leg and Full Moon held them off but the wily red Bird squeaked by under spinnaker after much maneuvering and Full Moon couldn’t quite return the favor. Returning upwind for the finish, Full Moon gained but couldn’t get by and finished 8th out of roughly 30 boats. Arch-rival Ignitor was waaay back in 22nd and is in serious danger of losing their rival status. Astoundingly, occasional rival Fortis absolutely nailed the start and managed to score the Bronze Duck for third.

Duck Dodge June 27, 2006
Scuppered!

With giant skull & cross bones flying from the backstay, Full Moon crew Suzan “Newbie” Schneider, Katie “Nylon Buns” Freels, Barry “Jibe Jive” Shuman, Ian “Jib Jockey” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Very Burly” Mengedoht had an excellent start for the Pirate Night Duck Dodge. Arch-rival Ignitor was just ahead but soon fell behind and Full Moon was in the top few boats at the first buoy. The wind went very light on the second leg, condensing the fleet, while Full Moon engaged speedy Scat in a battle of tactics. Scat eventually got by but never pulled very far ahead.

The first spinnaker run proved challenging as the wind oscillated and came and went. Finally it filled in toward the end but not from the expected direction and Full Moon ended up rounding the buoy without a jib up. This allowed Ignitor to close up and pass by, though Full Moon returned the favor two legs later as Ignitor struggled with their spinnaker in unsettled conditions. Full Moon waited to the next buoy to deploy the spinnaker as the wind filled in and Ignitor was left far behind. The ensuing take-down went smoothly and Full Moon was off on the final two legs. Two drifting giants caused some interesting maneuvers as the wind faded yet again at the final buoy but Full Moon got around and made a bee-line for the finish in what appeared to be fifth place.

Just as Full Moon crossed the finish line, though, the sky went dark, the sea began to boil, giant tentacles reached up from the deeps, and a disembodied voice from somewhere in the vicinity of the race committee boat yelled out “Full Moon, you were Over Early.” It turned out that Ignitor, Full Moon, and at least four other boats were over the starting line before the horn (three of the over-early boats obscured the view to one end of the line making it difficult to judge position from Full Moon). Given that it was Pirate Night, though, “cheating” seems entirely appropriate and Full Moon thereby claims First Place among the disqualified boats…

Duck Dodge July 11, 2006
Prom Queens

Full Moon crew Randy “French Cuffs” Olsen, Eileen “Tiara” McHugh, Amy “Sequins” DiMarco, Lori “Little Black Dress” Jay, and skipper John “Faux Tux” Mengedoht had a decent start for the Prom Night Duck Dodge, escaping a pile-up at one end of the line. With boats close aboard on both sides, though, it was difficult to get clear of the pack and, with another pile-up at the first buoy, it was a relief to get onto the second leg. Unfortunately, the spinnaker gear was pre-set on the wrong side and the second leg was too short to switch. Arch-rival Ignitor made the most of their opportunity to catch up, passing right at the buoy.

The wind angle for the long third leg was questionable for flying a spinnaker and Full Moon stuck with the jib. Boats with spinnakers up had control issues but just a bit more speed overall so this was not the best decision. However, Ignitor didn’t pull any farther ahead and hopes were high to get by them on the second lap. Heading upwind, though, it became clear by watching other boats that the Race Committee planned only a single lap race instead of the usual two. Full Moon altered course to cross the finish line but too late to catch Ignitor who finished just in front in 14th.

Duck Dodge July 25, 2006
80 Degrees for Christmas

Sporting reindeer antlers and Rudolf red noses, Full Moon crew Mark “Snowball” Kirchner, Sam “Technicolor Bruise” Kirchner, Debra “Jumpin’ Halyards” Ricard, Art “Hot Pack” Teller, Grace “Cookie” Teller, and skipper John “Yamaha” Mengedoht had a great start for the Christmas in July Duck Dodge and had a nice Christmas present when arch-rival Ignitor missed the first buoy and sailed on to earn a disqualification.

Full Moon enjoyed some tactical battles for most of the race with a brand new Hunter 27x and generally held good speed for two laps around the lake, especially under spinnaker. This kept Full Moon up near the faster boats, rounding the next to final buoy on the transom of speedy Dreams, though still several hundred yards behind the first place boat. At the finish, Full Moon was a very respectable seventh out of some thirty boats. Occasional rivals Fortis and Shogun were all much farther back, the best of them finishing fifteenth.

Duck Dodge August 1, 2006
Down To The Wire!

Full Moon got a decent start for Duck Dodge No. 10 and crew Jill “Cheese Puffs” Reid, Eileen “Nylon Cloud” McHugh, Randy “PowerMaster” Olsen, Barry “Backwards” Shuman, and skipper John “Photo Finish” Mengedoht did their best to make the most of it. Unfortunately, a few larger boats were able to roll across to windward to leave Full Moon dying in their wind shadows. Full Moon rounded the first buoy squarely in the middle of the fleet, having been passed by all traditional rival boats in the process.

The giant Equalizer spinnaker was deployed to good advantage on the second leg and Full Moon passed a couple of boats, including rival Fortis. The next two legs brought Full Moon past Shogun and a few others and, most importantly, much closer to arch-rival Ignitor.

Returning to the spinnaker, Full Moon slowly gained on Ignitor and rounded the next to last buoy within a few boatlengths. A short reaching leg saw the gap reduce to just a few feet. Turning upwind for the dash to the finish, Full Moon tacked out toward the middle of the lake. Ignitor followed suit, having fallen a bit behind but in controlling position to windward. Ignitor tacked for the finish line, Full Moon followed and ever so slowly began to poke out ahead. At the line, Full Moon proved victorious by fifteen feet to take tenth out of roughly thirty boats. Huzzah!

Duck Dodge August 8, 2006
Mooned Again

Despite gray skies and cooler temperatures, Full Moon crew Amy “Blonde” DiMarco, Michael “Mooner” Medina, Allen “Full Sail” Cox, Matthew “Margarita” Lipps, and skipper John “Tourist” Mengedoht sported the usual cheap plastic leis and flowery shirts for the Tropical Night Duck Dodge. Severely restricted in ability to maneuver by a large group of boats, Full Moon had a poor start, crossing the line fully seventeen boats behind arch-rival Ignitor, which managed to pop out into an early lead.

Given a short, one lap race, this did not bode well for a great finish but Full Moon made the most of the wind and picked off several boats on the way to the first buoy. Meanwhile, something went wrong aboard Ignitor as they were seen approaching the buoy as though they’d overshot it on the wrong side. This dropped them back to about eighth.

Rounding the buoy, Full Moon hoisted the giant Equalizer spinnaker but it was a very short leg to the floating beer-dispensing “island” which magically appears on Tropical Night. With the jib slow in coming down, Full Moon rounded the “island” without jibing the spinnaker pole and poor Michael and Matthew had some difficult, if creative, moments sorting out the ensuing mess. Through it all, though, the boat lost surprisingly little speed and, spinnaker now properly flying, Full Moon began to reduce the gap toward Ignitor.

Unfortunately, old rival Shogun chose this moment to appear from behind and to windward and, despite being loaded down with what appeared to be ten or more beer-swilling sailors, managed to use their advantageous position to slip ahead just before the final buoy. Rounding the buoy, though, most boats, including Ignitor and Shogun, tacked immediately, perhaps forgetting that this would bring them amidst the rest of the fleet going the opposite direction. Full Moon waited to tack and enjoyed better wind and very little oncoming traffic, quickly passing Shogun and gaining substantially on Ignitor.

Ignitor tacked back and crossed ahead and then tacked again to head for the finish line. Unfortunately, they didn’t allow for the shifty nature of the wind and it became apparent that they would need to tack twice more to clear the finish line. Meanwhile, Full Moon had come across and had a straight shot to the finish plus right of way over Ignitor! Full Moon crossed the line tenth, having passed eight boats in a single lap, spinnaker troubles and all. Ignitor was passed by yet another boat to drop to twelfth with Shogun farther back in fourteenth.

Duck Dodge August 15, 2006
Bye Bye Barbaree!

Full Moon had a decent start for Duck Dodge No. 12, and crew Jose “Rehab” Levya, Barry “Pole Control” Shuman, Doug “Paparazzi” Schoemaker, Ian “I-gor” Mengedoht, and skipper John “No Beers” Mengedoht made the best of it. The always fast red Thunderbird Barbaree (seven races in the top three boats) briefly threatened from behind but Full Moon set up in a perfect lee-bow position and they were left behind in bad air.

The spinnaker went up quickly on the short second leg but, unfortunately, in the classic “Mae West” twisted configuration. With speedy Katrinka Finkelsplat coming up from behind, the twist was undone just in time for the jibe at the next buoy and Full Moon tore off onto the long reaching leg up the Eastlake shore, holding off all comers to round the final buoy.

Picking the best path to avoid the wind shadow of giant Lady Washington, floating around the lake, Full Moon gained on theoretically faster Scat and Dreams on the final leg but the real question was whether the also-fast J24 California Girl and really-fast Katrinka could be kept at bay all the way to the finish. The tactical battle was great fun and Full Moon emerged victorious to score an excellent sixth out of some thirty boats. Arch-rival Ignitor was never much of a threat and finished well behind in tenth.

Duck Dodge August 22, 2006
Dark Drifter

‘Twas Toga Night on Lake Union and Full Moon crew Katie “Student” Freels, Randy “Ivy League” Olsen, Art “Fend Off!” Teller, Ian “Binoculars” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Mean Dad” Mengedoht sported a nice variety of bed sheets. Full Moon enjoyed a decent start, avoiding a pile-up of boats at the “pin” end of the starting line. Old rivals Shogun and Ignitor did a bit better, however, and were ahead, at least for a while.

Chasing the light breeze and staying out of wind shadows with multiple tacks, Full Moon gained significantly on the first leg upwind. At the first buoy, though, the fleet went in different directions as there was confusion about the course around the lake. This resulted in Full Moon rounding a “bonus” buoy and sailing a longer distance under spinnaker, but it turned out the wind was better on that side of the lake anyway and may have actually provided a small advantage!

Toward the end of the spinnaker run, Full Moon and Ignitor were neck and neck. At the leeward buoy, Full Moon got the inside position and then tacked away into clear air, leaving Ignitor permanently behind. That left two legs of sailing to go in extremely light wind, one leg being the entire length of the lake. With darkness falling fast and running lights aglow, Full Moon finally crossed the finish to take a respectable eighth out of nearly thirty boats. Ignitor was eleventh, unable, once again, to stay ahead of Full Moon.

Duck Dodge August 29, 2006
Nor’ Easter!

Full Moon crew Todd “Layers” Charlton, Eileen “Sunbrella” McHugh, Michael “Long Pack” Medina, Ian “Chips” Mengedoht, and skipper John “Where’s The Buoy?” Mengedoht wore their favorite team colors for Duck Dodge Team Spirit Night, no two having attended the same school. A good number of boats jammed the starting line right at the gun but Full Moon emerged with no scuffs in the fiberglass for a fairly good start. The first upwind leg involved numerous tacks to gain clear air while dodging boats from the first start coming the opposite direction under spinnaker (Mithuner Bill LaPatra observed this from his power boat and expressed amazement at everyone’s ability to avoid collision).

The wind was, very unusually, out of the northeast and subject to lots of changes in strength and direction, which kept things interesting. Full Moon did especially well under spinnaker, though the faster boats maintained a comfortable lead. With two laps to race and the sun dropping from the sky all to early, it was evident that the finish would come after dark for a second week, also keeping things interesting!

Full Moon zipped along to the finish line with all normal rivals well behind and took a very respectable tenth out of more than thirty boats. Shogun managed to beat both Fortis and arch-rival Ignitor to place thirteenth as Ignitor could do no better than nineteenth.

Duck Dodge September 5, 2006
Martini Night!

The final Duck Dodge of summer is always Martini Night aboard Full Moon and crew Katie “Cookie” Freels, Alyssa “Olive Slayer” Mehl, Eileen “Extreme Lounge” McHugh, Suzan “Kneecaps” Schneider, Art “Bongos” Teller, Randy “Shaken, Not Stirred” Olsen, and skipper John “Touch of Vermouth” Mengedoht were well equipped with libations and tasty treats. After a decent but not great start, Full Moon was behind traditional rivals Ignitor, Fortis, and Shogun but passed all of them with surprising ease on the first leg, despite having the extra weight of a larger than normal crew.

Hoisting the giant Equalizer spinnaker for the first downwind leg, the rivals dropped ever farther behind while even some supposedly faster boats couldn’t keep up, though the very fastest remained uncatchable as usual. And so it went as one lap finished and the second began, the nearly full moon rising huge above Capitol Hill in the growing dark.

Unfortunately, as the darkness fully settled in, the pleasant breeze died to the merest whispers. Full Moon gamely drifted on for quite a while until it became clear that finishing the final leg and a half might take until morning. One by one, boats dropped sails and either headed for the giant floating party tied up to the Race Committee boat or, like Full Moon, continued smaller parties on individual boats, all enjoying the gorgeous glowing city backdrop and clear moonlit night. As it turned out, only four out of roughly thirty boats finished in Full Moon’s start.