June Friday Night Six Pack Race Series

My club(West Sound Corinthian Yacht Club) sponsors an evening race series twice a year in June and September. For nearly 20 years it was a Friday night series with a race each week. I always found it a fun series. Most of the competitors did not take it too seriously. What better thing to do in the summer than to get your boat out and race. Ussualy there was enough time after the race for socializing afterwards. I used to go to work early, get off early, be underway by 1530 and have the boat at Port Orchard ready to race by 1700. After the race I usually was home by 2230 and then sleep in on Saturday morning, until at least 0700. I was hard core about participating. I would do strange things like get off the airplane from places like Japan and go directly to the boat to go to Port Orchard to race. Sometimes I would go to work REALLY early, work overtime and still go racing.



A few years ago the race day was changed to Thursday night to accomodate someone who could not race on Friday. Since Thursday was a "school" night and I needed to get up early(0430) to go to work, I felt that I could not race on Thursday, get home late, go to work the next morning and be productive. So I stopped racing the evening series and fell out of the habit.



This year the Club moved the race night back to Friday night. So now I am racing the Friday Night series even though I have no excuse for not racing on Thursday because of work.



These races are short races around club and Navy mooring buoys in Sinclair Inlet. Three classes are started: Cruising, Race B and Race A. I start last in the Race A class for the fastest boats.



First race was a one lap race around the Club Buoy south of Port Orchard, through the start/finish line, around the light at Pt Herron and return to finish. The wind was a strange angle from the west that turned most of the race into a reach. I started behind "Reign Maker"(C&C37/40XL) , but past them shortly after the first mark. Had a nice beat to Pt Herron, set the spinaker and reached out into the favorable current to finish 1st in class and 1st overall.



Second friday, the wind was out of the north around a Navy mooring buoy and the club buoy, twice around. I had an ok start right behind Tantalus(Express 37), but past them before the first mark and proceeded to sail away to once again place 1st in class and 1st overall.



Third Friday was a beat to Pt Herron, club buoy and return for about 5 miles. I had a great port tack start at the pin end of the line. I was concerned about crossing the ferrys path, but there was plenty of room and I got by him OK. I jibe set the spinaker at Pt Herron and sailed a good route to the leeward mark. The wind was spotty allowing some boats to get closer, but I made up lots of time on the final beat and once again corected on everyone for 1st in class and 1st overall.

Tonight was the final Friday night race for June. The winds were light. I had a good start and closed up on the slower boats that started 5 and 10 minutes ahead and by the first mark, only a couple of boats were ahead. I set the spinaker. The winds were puffy and changed direction a lot, making it difficult to get ahead of a couple of the slower boats. Finally I snuck ahead and by the leeward mark I was ahead of everyone. The wind settled some for the beat back to the windward mark and I started stretching out my lead. I was first to finish and saved my time, to finish first in class and first overall for the fourth straight race. I collected my six pack of soda and had a nice evening motor back to Brownsville.

The series went well onboard "Great White". My sail handling, boat speed and tactics seemed good. But it was just fun to once again get out and race in the warm summer evenings. I was the overall and class winner for the series.

The award for the winner each night is a "Six Pack". Hence the name "Six Pack Series". Since I don't drink beer, I hauled away several six packs of soda and gave away most of it!