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Be sure to come out for the Wednesday Night Races this week. We will also have a board give away. It's a slightly used Seatrend 260 (8ft 6in) with foot straps, wave fin, and bag that has been donated by a generous sponsor. You must race to be eligible to win. The races start at 7pm and then we are having our first Meat Night of the year. So also bring some meat to grill out after the races. Vegetables are acceptable as well.

Last week we had our first official race of the season and 10 racers joined us. We even had the Hansen's run the races for us. The weather was beautiful. It was a perfect night for a race. The wind was in the upper teens and the air an water were comfortably warm. Except for near the entrance of the channel there wasn't even that much chop.

The first race was windward to marker 8, down the channel to 6, and back. We began with our typical two minute start. Joe jumped out in front with Rene and Mark F not far behind. I tried doing a last second beach start but leave it to me to mess things up. I ended up scrambling to uphaul after most everyone else left the line. Seth and Peter, the only two on Formula boards, let everyone else start first and then took off. Considering I had a terrible start I was able to make up some distance. Since the leaders were already a good distance ahead of me I decided to tack early in hopes of getting a better line towards 8. All of a sudden I looked over and saw Seth was screaming way off in the distance. I knew his formula couldn't go up wind as well as the Konas. We were all closing in on marker 8... ok Joe and Mark were about to round it when Seth came soaring up and rounded it right in front of them. Brad and I rounded at about the same time and raced down the channel. I was able to get ahead of him and pull away. I was still no where near the leaders. I was happy the channel was clear of other boats. I went to jibe around marker 6 and held it together and head back to the finish line. Rene and Mark were the closest ones in front of me but there was no catching up with them. Seth took the first race. So we couldn't let him do that again.

The second race was the reverse of the first one. Again, I messed up my start. I know, big surprise. I may have accidently laid my sail down over Seth's board. It was totally unintentional. Honest. Mark and Barbara got the jump on everybody at the start with Joe and Rene close behind. Hauk was also doing well. It's great to see him windsurfing again. Nothing can keep him down. Brad, Elena, and Chuck were all doing better than me on the first leg. It was a single tack out to 6. Brad and I were almost to the mark on a starboard tack when a big green sloop was sailing down the channel at a good speed and was looking to block us at the mark. Brad led the way and I followed close behind. There was someone else with us but I was too focused on not colliding with the green boat I don't remember who it was (it may have been Hauk). They decided to go the long way around the back of the sailboat. Brad went most of the way across the channel before turning so he wouldn't have an issue with the sloop. I was feeling desperate and turned right away. If I fell it was not going to be pretty. Fortunately, I turned without falling and was able to pull away from both Brad and the green sailboat as we went up the channel to 8. Again we had successful jibes going around 8 and then straight downwind to the finish. Mark took first and Barbara was close behind in second. The downwind stifled Seth on the Formula. Not that that makes me smile.

The third race was a straight windward leeward to 8 and back. Shockingly, I had my worst start yet. There was no recovering. Joe, Rene, and Mark took the early lead and held it. To make sure I would do poorly, I fell twice on the downwind. So, here are the final overall standings:

1st Joe M (Kona) making I look easy
2nd Mark F (Kona) and that's without the damn blue board
3rd Rene B (Kona) seems nice but he's ruthless
4th Seth W (Formula) 17 points but his first place in race 1 broke the tie
5th Brad S (Kona) tied with 17 points
6th Tom R (Kona) curses Brad !!!
7th Hauk W (Kona) the Come-Back-Kid
8th Elena M (Kona) taking it easy on us to build our confidence
9th Chuck T (Kona) going the distance and beyond
10th Barbara B (Kona) she could have destroyed us but she didn't race in the first and third races
11th Peter K (Formula) I saw him at the start of the first race but that was also the last time too
11th Michael W (Kona) free sailing and making his own courses
11th Joe F (Kona) free sailing and making his own course

Afterwards we derigged and went to Sam's Boat to eat. It was a great evening. Some of us made plans for the weekend.

So then Saturday Chuck, Dave, Seth, and I met and sailed across Galveston Bay to the big rectangle Island in the north bay right next to the ship channel. Does anyone know the name of it? It's huge and made from the spoils of the dredging of the ship channel. I called it the Dredge Pirate Robert's Island. That works for me. It was a great day with some fun sailing. Dave was on my Sunfish, Seth on his Formula, Chuck on the Kona, and I took the Prodigy. Dave had the refreshments in the Sunfish. Just an FYI, yelling "Starboard!" to a supertanker is useless. So I crossed him by his stern.

If you are missing out on the fun you need to join us on Wednesdays. I hope to see you there.

Cheers,

Tom Ryder