we finished this year!

Shocking but true Sam actually convinced me to once again enter our boat into the Shaw Island Race. On Saturday (the 2nd to last day of our vacation) we participated for the 2nd year in the Shaw Island Race. Unlike last year this year we we finished . . . barely.

Shaw Island is a race from Friday Harbor around Shaw Island and back. Unlike most races boats (well the captain really) choose which way to go around. Last year we (Sam) picked the wrong way as it turns out the tide flows in the opposite direction around Shaw than the tide charts show, oops! We never finished and really didn't even make the 1/2 way mark. After sitting in front of and drifting by the same dock more times in a 4 hour period than I care to remember my mom felt we should have squatters or in our case drifters rights on the dock. Anytime you have to put out fenders during the middle of the race to protect the boat from drifting boats you aren't making progress. We would float by the dock think we were making progress and then the current would push us back right in front of the dock again and again.

Numerous boats started their engines but we refused. Well I was actually wishing we would but 3 stubborner minds than I prevailed and so we drifted and drifted and eventually missed making it even to the halfway mark had to declare a DNF (did not finish).

This year seemed to start better as there was some wind out past the harbor but 20 minutes before the start we started to get ourselves in position and the wind died. We used the motor until the last legal minute but then we started to drift without steerage. Unfortunately we weren't the only boat without much steerage and no momentum so it became a large fleet of boats drifting into each other and trying to fend off. Way too much excitement for me especially when Sam starts to get a bit excited. I am the only one allowed to get excited and nervous on the boat so that doesn't do much for my comfort level.

Luckily we made it through unscathed due to my incredibly quick thinking and push off skills. Well not really but we did make it through unscathed other than my shortened lifespan and something about me yelling this would be the last race we would ever compete in. We then finally found wind and started the big lean. Unfortunately it didn't last long and once again we were in a race with very light wind. Fortunately Sam didn't criticize my decision to be in the cruising class and not use the spinnaker too much but even I was saying maybe next year we could use it. That should give an idea of how light the winds were when I am willing to offer up the spinnaker in a race no less.

Finally after much lazy drifting, sail tuning, holding the sails, wishing for wind, Dave testing out all the knots he knew, and many pages read in books Friday Harbor came into view. Luckily the last 10 minutes we finally got enough speed to finish the race with a whole 44 minutes to spare. We were a lot disappointed though since we were hoping to beat a boat with a better rating than we had but by our calculations even with the time we were owed we were about 1 minute too late.

Right during the last few minutes before we finished we got our wind due to a sudden downpour of rain. Suffice it to say that we were soaked and it wasn't our gentle NW drip it was a squall. It just added a bit more excitement to our finish. If you have ever tried to dry out 3 1/2 sets of foulies, gloves, and other misc items on a boat you can understand what the boat looked like after we changed. I am not sure the head will ever be the same. Of course it must have been worth it to finish since if we hadn't there would have been much more complaining from my quarter about the sorry shape and smell of our boat.

During the awards ceremony the boat we thought beat us was awarded 3rd place so we thought we were a disappointing 4th. Much to our surprise we got 2nd - not sure how the calculation worked but we took it gratefully and with much celebration. A few minutes later they announced an error and we were sure our plaque was going to be repossessed but our luck held and we still have 2nd place.

I think I will even be up for our 3rd entry into the Shaw Island race for next year provided I can join the boat after the start. I don't see anything against that in the rules about adding passengers and I could skip the exciting part and just go for a cruise or a tide drift. Hmmm - something to ponder before the next race - how can I get on the boat after the start?