Summer Race #8

Wednesday 9/7/2011

Light NE breeze with 40 degree shifts. Current was flooding slowly. Course was from H to D to 24 to H. A & B sailed H to D to 26 to 24 to H. Sky was overcast and some light showers moved in.

It was the first early start Wednesday of the season. When we left the marina, we immediately hoisted sail and enjoyed a tight reach down to H. Near the start of the first sequence, we were out of position and had to motor back to a good place since the wind was getting lighter.

The line was heavily port-end favored, but boats could still cross the line on starboard. During the prestart, an anonymous radio clown gave the committee boat a bunch of shit about the starting line. I was put off by these comments. Bert and the crew from A-Train had volunteered to be the Race Marshall on this crappy night and I thought it inappropriate to give him shit because his line was not square. I have seen worse starting lines.

Particularly annoying about the radio harassment was that the clown remained anonymous. If you are going to call someone out, don’t be a coward and hide behind anonymity. Identify yourself. I’ll explain why this was extra important on this night later in the post.

Clown business aside, we had a good start by starting on port tack at the pin end. A Line Up and Jazz were the only two boats to stay up towards the pin in the light, shifty conditions. We got off the line well and Telepathy was the only boat that followed us out to the right. The left was favored and we were with the pack almost up to D. Then we got a nice shift at the mark that saved the leg and took off towards 24. We stretched considerably on this leg and sailed in to a nice finish.

We ended up finishing right at the committee boat. Bert asked me something about the start line and I responded that I liked the line. I really did since skewed lines give the best opportunity to grab a good lead right from the start. Bert then accused me of being the clown that had harassed him during the prestart. I denied the accusation, but Bert was not convinced.  I was pissed about being falsely accused.

During the whole ugly radio affair, I talked to my three crew and defended the skewed line and praised Bert for stepping up on a cold, soggy night. Now I was being accused by the same person I defended of being the clown who harassed him. There was no convincing Bert and his crew that I was not the one, so now I felt like he not only thought I was the clown, but a coward as well. All this transpired because some coward had to be Mr. Critic on the radio anonymously.

Frank and I had a fantasy football draft to sign into at 22:00 this night, so we could not stick around and host the full moon race. We ended up sailing in and called it a night.

I hope the radio shenanigans will stop.  Making anonymous radio hails that harass racers or the race committee is annoying and cowardly.  In the end, people get angry and they may end up attributing the anonymous call to the wrong party.  If you must criticize or give input, please identify yourself.  It is proper radio procedure.