I did attend the East Coast Windsurfing Festival this weekend. I arrived late. [I have too much going on in my life right now]. By the time I arrived, they had already completed a good portion of the racing. The wind was light [8-12 maybe] so the best competition took place in the 7.5 maximum sail class, on displacement boards. My quiver has a gap from an Ezzy 6.9 Wave Panther sail, to a 10 year old Ezzy Infinity 8.5. {I refer to my 8.5 rig, as my desperation sail.] I usually rig it once every year or so, when we have had a light wind spell, and I am boat-less; on a vacation.
Plus, I sold off, or gave away all my old “Race" boards years ago. So I would have sailed Lauralee’s 160 ltr Powerglide.[The Powerglide is designed for control; not speed.] Iv’e already bored you guys enough with my regrets of selling my 230 ltr Equipe longboard.
So I spent some time watching the Free Style Competition. I have a lot of respect for all you free Stylers’. My neck and shoulder hurt just watching you guys; and the fact that you already raced that morning…I sure couldn’t do it.
Anyhow, about 3:30, the thermal started to fill in, so Al and I decided to rig our 6.9’s and biggest wave boards [mine is a 125 ltr Angullo Sumo] and go Free Sailing. It was a nicely powered 2 ½ hour session. We saw that the contest was running the relay races; but decided to do our best “up wind Mke” imitations instead.
Last week since I repaired the noses on my 90 ltr Syncro, and 125 ltr Sumo, [still haven’t painted them] I had some time to devote towards Segue, My Cape Dory 26.
It’s June. So the water in Manhassett Bay has gone from blue to brown. And this had created an ugly brown stain above my waterline. Sunday, I cleaned the waterline, as best I could. But still managed to get an acid burn on my left hand, my lip. and my eye. [there has got to be a better way]. Yesterday afternoon, I managed two coats of wax, [time for the Celebrex and Vicodine cocktails].
Still I have nothing to complain about. I missed Tuesday’s North Westerly; but managed two sunset sails in the dying thermals this week. I keep stalking this beautiful 50 foot Hinckley in the Bay this season. I love that I see them actually sailing a lot. Port Washington has so much unused floating real estate. It is such a waste.
Last night, [after waxing], I took a 2 hour sail through the mooring fields to reward myself for waxing Segue. As I am sailing for my mooring, [on starboard mind you], I had to tack out of the way of a 100 foot grey, space age designed power boat. I kept waiting for James Bond to pop up. Where as the Hinckley represents all that is beautiful about boating…the grey “James Bond” boat represents all that is wrong. First off; I was enjoying my tranquil sail. It was quiet, calm, and I could hear the music from a live band that was playing at the Port Yacht club up wind of me. Nice mellow, [Dan Fogelberg, CSNY, Jimmy Buffet, etc.] So here comes this ugly 100 foot “James Bond” thing trying to cut through the mooring field, instead of using the perfectly good channel as it is supposed to. Plus it is blaring some deep based no talent Rap music at 500 decibels.
Even though I clearly have the right of way; I decide the “Gross Tonnage Rule” applies here. So I tack out of the way. The breeze is dying, as it does at sun set, so I am trying to reach my mooring before it goes dead calm.
Again, I am on starboard approaching my mooring under sail and the thing is on approach to run directly over my pennant! Giant boat, loud Rap music, clearly incompetent helmsman, heading directly for my mooring, which is less than 20 feet from the channel, and he keeps running his bow thrusters!
I’m so pissed off at this guy by now, I figure,” Fuck it”,” I am not tacking away a second time for this asshole” and I head up in to the wind, Segue comes to a stop, and I pick up my mooring. {Yes I know he could have run me over},{but I had enough}. It seems the law was on my side; because no sooner then I had hit my mooring and the Harbor Patrol, lights-a-flashing, pulls up in between me and Captain incompetent. I didn’t have my radio on; so I don’t know what their conversation was, but they escorted the Grey SS Moron out of the mooring field and to the dock via the channel.
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