Racing on the Bay

For the most part, we sail the old ice yachts for fun; and to take folks out for rides. This last Sunday was typical -- we gave rides to over 2 dozen on-lookers, many thrilled to catch a ride on an antique boat for the first time.   On occasion, with a fleet of boats out sailing, we might organize an impromptu race.
Sometimes races present themselves when we least expect it. There was such a race on Thursday on Tivoli Bay.  Boreas was out sailing in light airs. I was rigging Cyclone and hoping to get a little sailing in before the sun set. The looks of Boreas ghosting along was not encouraging. Still there was hope the wind would come up as the day wore on.  Brett, who was up from Cornwall, noticed the action first. An interloper was clearly challenging Boreas to a race.  We yelled out to get the attention of the Boreas skipper and crew. Too late, the challenger tacked around the stalled yacht and took the lead.

Boreas needs a little push in light airs. Still, it has lost a lot of ice as it attempts  to round the down wind mark. Note the challenger well ahead and onto the next race mark.

The challenger is several lengths ahead of Boreas as they round the upwind mark. 

                                  It was rumored that the crew of Boreas will protest the race and  submit a complaint                                                                to the race committee  over the racing tactics of the opponent.

In the end it was no contest. The challenger, known as Beaver, utilizing its tail in a lateen-rigged position, was able to point upwind way better than the Marconi-rigged Boreas.   It was rumored  that Beaver came down from Athens to "trim the sails of those Tivoli Bay Boys." It eventually trodded across the width of the bay, until it found water just below the first RR trestle.  We enjoyed the rare sighting and counted yet another memorable afternoon on the ice.

 A first for me in 20 years of sailing Tivoli Bay.

This fella was ready to be rid of us and get on its way.