The Season is Over and...

It would have been great to take 3rd away from Mike Goebal and after the first race of day 2 of the Fall Classic we were tied for 3rd in the season championship. Forget the regatta, all we had to do was stay ahead of one boat for one race and boom! We had a good start... I thought we were going the right way... I should have held my controlling windward position on the fleet, but I went the direction I thought was best and he just flat out beat me and claimed 3rd for the season. Good for him, he deserves it. He's put a ton of blood, sweat and tears and money into his boat and it would have sucked to come up blank. I look back at this season, the one I went to Scandinavia and raced in two international regattas and didn't haul my boat out to redo the bottom paint... all the differenct in the world on those light days like today. Ah yes, the excuses begin.... nope. I got 4th this season. Now I do my snow dances and wait for there to be enough to go snowboarding!!!! (my other passion). As much as I love the sailing and racing season I am equally happy for it to be over. A break from sailing is a good idea because it is in my family history to be obsessed with it and well... I have other interests. I haven't joined a bowling league in a few years... I do like to fly kites and I've always wanted to learn how to windsurf. Kite surf? Nope, just a little to hectic for me... I'm sure I could do it, but do I really want to screw up and get dragged across a parking lot or sandbar or rocks? Get sucked out the Golden Gate, swept down into the piers? Not without a chance to paddle out on the board. Maybe I'll just work on the boat to get her ready for next season.



Chris Herrmann exiting with very little wind. He won the first race of the regatta.



















Rich and Bill hoisting the sails... hey guys, the fenders?!













Rock Star Peter Jeal did his imitation of Chris Perkins and motored his boat out to the race course, ankored his skif for the day and returned to it to tow the boat home at the end of the day... it took just as long as it did us to get back to the harbor and he had to fend off the Coast Guard from seizing it. Oh, and the "I'm only running on one cylinder" excuse prevented him from towing anyone else. We all see how it is...
Nice job fending off Don Wilson for the season Championship... again.




Little Caden Fuchs wanted to see the boats... He's 2, but he now knows how to say "laser", "505" and "Folkboat". I didn't mention the word Knarr.


















Who says Knarr owners and Folkboat owners can't be friends? Mike Peterson owns Knarr 115 and is worthy. Knowedgable, friendly and giving... all the qualities of a folkboat owner, but with the wrong boat!

Next to us is Ditte Andreasen, Erik Andreasen's daughter... you know, the guy who builds the best folkboats in the world? She raced with me on the first day of the regatta and is welcome back anytime she's in the area.








The usual suspects... Madisons, Wilsons, Bill Dumullin, Mike Cole, Jen Fuller, Susan Parker... Mai tai's are strong, yacht club brats under tables, running around on the lawn... All's right in Belvedere.











Bill Madison makes his enterance after the racing.



















The end of the season is bitter sweet. I love it and hate it. Yes, I'm slightly conflicted, but the people are what makes it so great and keep me coming back for more. The friendly banter, the drinks at the bar talking about close calls or good/bad decision making on the race course makes it all worth it. Yes, we are a kind of family and it's nice family to be a part of it. We host a fabulous international regatta, race and have fun together. Yes, next year I'll be back, my boat will be faster and I will be one more year smarter so bring your "A" game becasue I always intend on winning.