2015 New Years Day Race organized by Tiddly Cove Yacht Club. Results can be found here: tiddlycove.bc.ca/Resources/Documents/2015/2015%20New%20Years%20Day%20Results.htm Rhumb Line missed this awesome TCYC event, because its skipper opted to spend some quality time with friends instead, roasting smokies over a bonfire on Passage Islands south beach. Just as well, since Godzilla, the other J29 terrorizing the Bay, kicked some competition butt and got 2nd in Division 1. Just goes to show that J29 boats rock! For those not familiar with this TCYC event, I will summarize the New Years Race event in 12 easy points (I imagine that for most other skippers it also goes something like this): 1. Party hard to celebrate the New Year; 2. Manage a few hours of restless sleep before you have to scramble to your boat hoping that at least some of the core crew manages to make it to the boat on time; 3. Dig through piles of stuff until you find the emergency anchor (which you havent used since the last January 1st race); 4. Use whatever means necessary to get the boat off the dock early enough to get the most favored anchoring spot close to the start line, before your competition will; 5. Anchor (sounds simple enough, so lets just leave it at that); 6. Use the free time before the start wisely. Last year we re-organized our cooler, finished off many of the stale, last years stores and made space for new years refreshments... very useful; 7. Whenever possible, use your smart phone to look up the sailing instructions (which you forgot to print out) and attempt to decipher which Division your boat will be starting with... also somewhat useful; 8. Feeling well organized and in complete control, send someone up to make sure that the boat didnt drift over the line in changing tide and that your anchor rode didnt decide to play a game of macrame with the boat(s) anchored nearest you (you know better that relying on your neighbors to check whether they drift into you...); 7. GUN = Start = panic and excitement as everyone scrambles from down below to the deck to hoist the sails, set sheets, grab the tiller, bark at the fish or whatever else they manage in their feeble state of mind; 8. Hoist the anchor (and NO, you cant just drop the line at the start and hope to recover it after the race...), wait for the boat to gain enough momentum to point it to the nearest mark and hope nobody drifts into your boat or in your way before you make it across the start line; 9. Go around the marks (and YES, I hope you checked which ones those are in case you by some miracle end up leading the pack); 10. Finish, cheer and rush back to the cooler-organizing duties so abruptly interrupted by the race; 11. Anchor in front of Stanley Park to watch the Polar Bear Swim (possibly get inspired enough to jump off your boat to test the waters...yes, I did take the plunge last year and live to tell the tale); 12. Thank you lucky stars that the crew and the boat made it through this grueling first day of the year safely and that you live in time and place where the sailing community is brave enough to engage in events like these :) WHAT A WAY TO SPEND JANUARY 1st!!! Thank you TCYC! (New Years Race reflections by Martina of Rhumb Line) (photos from 2015 race by Karen Weiner)
Posted on: Sun, 04 Jan 2015 00:13:04 +0000