In sailing, a racing series is a competition composed of multiple races held over a period of time, such as a weekend, a month, or an entire season. A sailor’s final standing in the series is determined by the total points they accumulate from each individual race.
I am sitting on the boat at the end of the month, thinking about how suddenly this summer has slipped by us. It felt like we were in a race, rushing to get the boat ready to get to the starting line. It was here that frustration started as we tacked back and forth with refits and other items to get ready for the season, but we bided our time at the starting sequence as we got ready for the sounding gun of summer. We definitely were not the first over the line. Actually, we were probably more mid to low in the class, but once we got some open wind… boy, did the fun begin.
The first leg of the summer was spent in all our local spots as we got into a gentle groove. We knew that the race was long, so we paced ourselves to get the feel of the wind and performance of the boat. It was on this tack that everything got shaken out. We figured out the simple things, like how much battery the new refrigerator system took. We tested new equipment such as the solar panels and the Jackery. Each further tack from May to June was just about shaking out the boat, seeing what it could handle, seeing how we, after many seasons aboard her, handled the basic setup that we have used over the years.
Then August came into view and was our chance to take the boat from quick points of sail and throw up the spinnaker for a fast run downwind. Here is where we did our bigger cruising. We ventured to the Hamptons and hopped around there for a bit with the keel firmly in the water and watched the passage of time go by as quickly as the boat funds were spent!
Now we have to round another mark as we navigate into September. While we are still certainly in the race, we are going to adjust the sails just a bit. We will still be strategic in mapping out our course, but not with the rail in the water, because we can see the finish line of the season before us. We will take in this last leg and use the time to sit back and relish a season well done. Sure, there was a bit of wear and tear to the vessel, not due to negligence but because she was pushed to her limits in the spirit of the race.
Soon she will cross the finish line of a summer well done, but she won’t get the gun because this was a race we didn’t want to come in first in and be done. In this case, last place is the real winner, so we will enjoy the gentle fruits of our labor and, when we drop the sails, turn on the engine to bring us back, and put the boat back together again, we will do so cracking a beer and reflecting that it was one hell of a race—and that we can’t wait for the next one. See you at the starting line next year!
