Summer is Here!

Laurel focuses on the competition.

Shogun swings by after the race. Skipper Rick Ranta works for Frank!

Laurel “Fast Learner” Swol and Frank “Rick’s Boss” Lockhart joined Full Moon crew Randy “Bushed” Olsen, Ian “Chip N' Dip” Mengedoht, Daniel “Coke Zero” Mengedoht and skipper John “30 Degrees” Mengedoht for Duck Dodge No. 6.  Sunny skies and a decent northerly on the first race of summer motivated the race committee to call for a long 2 ½ lap race. Unfortunately, pre-start maneuvers were a bit shocking as the J-109 Tantivy tangled with another fairly large boat, causing damage to both. Fortunately, there did not appear to be any injuries.

Full Moon was a bit tardy to the starting line but still managed to force Fortis into an unplanned tack that left them wallowing with no speed. Old rival Shogun was ahead, though, with a better start and the hunt was on. Full Moon gained a bit upwind, then a good bit more downwind under spinnaker, and then passed Shogun for good on the long upwind leg from the “Challenger” buoy to the “Freeway” buoy, completing the first lap.

With good wind and faster boats ahead, Full Moon did not have much hope of catching anybody else so the rest of the race mostly came down to holding off the speedy J-22 Rawhide and a well-sailed Santana 20, which was running light with a small crew and no outboard. Rawhide did eventually manage to get by but the Santana didn’t have the upwind chops and Full Moon finished a decent 12th out of roughly 30 boats. Shogun and Fortis finished well behind, as did all of the Thunderbirds, which is always nice!