Smaller Boats (Mostly) Rule!

Full Moon returned to second start for the Disney Characters Duck Dodge. Crew Randy “One Beer” Olson, Dave “Big Pull” Pulsifer, Judy “Popcorn” Tiffany, and skipper John “Slow Ride” Mengedoht struggled to reach the starting line in very light breeze, and then had to dodge some third start boats inexplicably on the course side of the line. The result was that the leaders were already around the Freeway buoy while Full Moon still had half a leg to go but the somewhat good news was that speedy Scat was still within sight, less than 100 yards ahead.

Chasing Chi Chi and the Ranger 33 on the second lap.

The breeze began to fill in approaching the Freeway buoy, which favored the boats ahead, but Full Moon accelerated nicely, rounding the buoy with good speed, heading nearly to the Gasworks seawall and then passing a few boats on the ensuing two tacks to the Aurora buoy. The spinnaker pole was preset on the wrong side, delaying the hoist of the Equalizer, but once it was up, Full Moon was able to engage the J24 JEstalt and even gain a bit on Scat as they battled the J22 Chi Chi.

The final leg. Other contenders are out of sight to the right.

The Equalizer came down smoothly just in time to round the AGC buoy and then it was back upwind for the second lap. Full Moon continued to hang in there with JEstalt and Chi Chi but a faded yellow Ranger 33 (Seoladh?) snuck up the east side of the lake to ease in front. The favor was returned on the leg from the Freeway buoy to the Aurora buoy and then the Equalizer put matters to rest vs. the Ranger.

Cake or Death (San Juan 24) with a new (?) spinnaker.

Unfortunately, the wind began to fade approaching the AGC buoy and it began to look like it might turn into a parking lot with a cluster of slower third start boats. Full Moon was just able to keep the Equalizer flying, though, and then head a bit east for clearer air after rounding. A tack back to the west brought slightly stronger breeze but then it faded again. In the end, the J24 Rajun Cajun was first, followed by the M34 trimaran and Scat. Full Moon managed to stay ahead of both Chi Chi and JEstalt and was either fourth or fifth depending on whether the Moore 24 Amorillo was in second start or third.