Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club Spring Sail Regatta

Whisper was an entry in this year's invitational MBYC regatta. Pam Driscoll assisted me in moving the boat to Bellevue for the weekend.


We were assisted by our able crew of Walter Friesen, Don Bernasconi, Kris Anderson and helmsman, Mike Sinclair. With three races on Saturday, the first proved to be a bit of a shakedown for us. While we placed fourth out of six boats in our fleet, our start was less than stellar and further complicated by an unforced tack at the windward mark due to excessive weather helm. Easing the main traveler took care of that problem and we sailed on.
Our starts in races two and three were spectacular. The wind gave us all of the variety we could handle from 16 to 0 knots. We finished third and fourth respectively.
With Sunday's twice around race we thought we might have a chance to move up. Well, close, but no cigar. We held onto our fourth place overall.
Our hosts at the Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club are to be commended for their hospitality for the entire weekend. To quote Arnold (Ahnold), "We'll be baack."

Whisper moves on this week, making the Friday trip to Langley on Whidbey Island for our annual SSYC Gray Whale Watching. More about that next week.

Seafaringly yours,

Joe

Chasing the Schooner Zodiac

Temporarily moored on Lake Union in Seattle, the schooner Zodiac prepares to get underway.

With her keel layed in 1924, the 126' schooner is the largest sailing vessel in the Pacific Northwest.
This historic photo from her forward companionway shows her full suit of sails.

Zodiac's topmast just clears the center arch of the I-5 freeway bridge on her way toward the University Bridge and finally Lake Washington.

Zodiac's crew hauls the yard to hoist her mainsail.


Underway in light air.

The view from Whisper's cockpit.

Everyone had a good day...

Joe

A NEW HERO, OKAY ANOTHER HERO...

Today, friend Walter Friesen chided me about not having posted since January 29th. No, I have not been on "freeze frame". Much has happened in the past two months.

We have had Seattle Singles Yacht Club overnights at Bell Harbor in downtown Seattle and at Blake Island. Over Presidents' Weekend we had a "gang" at Stevens Pass skiing while staying at my son's "cabin".

Upcoming will be the Meydenbauer Yacht Club Sail Regatta on March 29-30, with Whisper competing; whale watching in Langley off of Whidbey Island on April 4-6; Tacoma Yacht Club Daffodil overnight in April; Seattle Yacht Club Opening Day on May 3rd, with Whisper defending her First Place in Dressed Sail from last year; AND we will have 3 boats in Croatia, sailing the Adriatic for two weeks from Kremik to Dubrovnik. All of that and Spring only begins tonight.

For over 40 years I have had a hero in Richard Bach's character, Jonathan Livingston Seagull. Jonathan was unique among the flock in that while seagulls fly in order to eat, Jonathan ate in order to fly. It's all about means & ends, folks.

Today I have added another hero to my Pantheon: The Catskill Eagle. After a walking stop at the SPL-Fremont Branch where I picked out four books (yeah, I read a lot), I found him. In a book by that name, author Robert B. Parker, of the Spenser novels quotes Herman Melville from Moby Dick in his foreword:

And there is a Catskill eagle in some souls that can alike dive down into the blackest gorges, and soar out of them again and become invisible in the sunny spaces. And even if he forever flies within the gorge, that gorge is in the mountains; so that even in his lowest swoop the mountain eagle is still higher than the other birds upon the plain, even though they soar.

While I think he may already be there, I invite this same eagle to take up residence in my soul.

Thank you Robert B. Parker, Herman Melville and Walter...

Keep on soaring,

Joe