Soaking Wet Grin

Rich didn't have much to say as he stood there at the top of the ramp gazing over the contraption that had rocketed him allover the Carquinez Strait. "So how was it?" He just bobbed his head in a Chevy Chase kind of way mixed with a Cheshire Cat grin as his sailing gear drip-dried into a puddle around his boots. Rich was the lucky odd man out tonight--no empty crew slots in the Vanguard fleet, but a friendly Weta evangelist happened by. So, while the rest of us banged out three races on an unusually long (for Vanguard weenies, that is) windward-leeward course, Rich banged about every corner of the Straits with Bob Hyde aboard the Weta.

The Vanguard 15 racing was good despite only three boats on the line. Good aggressive starts, clean sailing, a few lead changes, and all close at the finish. Marcel and Rachel had their boat moving really well, especially downwind, and their boat handling was superb as evidenced by our inability to shake them off in a vicious tacking duel in race one. And hey, that Robby kid can drive! The high-school team skipper took the helm of Josh' boat and had them in the mix all three races.

As we finished the third race transmitting all the usual hand and arm gestures to gather consensus--one more race or beer time--we could see Rich and Bob blasting back across the Strait, a cloud of spray behind, and disappearing down the Benica Marina entrance.