DOC CUDDY REGATTA RE-CAP

Post date: Jul 14, 2010 8:32:28 PM

Doc Cuddy Regatta Re-cap

-From the deck of Firefly

First, a round of applause to Jelte Ligthart and John Barker for all their efforts and high quality RC running of the 2010 Doc Cuddy weekend.

Doc Cuddy Race 1: Saturday, July 10- The Rainbow Race

Saturday was a challenging course to windward, leeward back to the start, then windward again, then back down to the north end of Ohio Ledge, then a windward finish. Got all that? The racing buoys were D-A-D-G. And if that wasn’t challenging enough, the southerly wind shifted 90 degrees to the west on the second windward leg, with angry dark clouds, a burst of 16 kn wind, and pounding rain. Then a big shift to north and northeast turned the second downwind leg into an upwind beat, and then a downwind finish in a very light northeasterly. This resulted in wide separation of the fleet, and changes in position like flipping burgers on the grill. (We did have burgers on the grill, but not until later.)

On the first beat to weather, Osprey, Firefly, and Pirate led the fleet. On the spinnaker run, Pirate took the center of the bay and at the first leeward mark it was Osprey, Pirate, Firefly. Now the three boats tacked to the west side and the sky darkened, while most of the fleet went east. As the wind veered west, Osprey, Pirate, and Firefly found themselves reaching to the mark, leaving the remains of the fleet in the distance. The second downwind leg turned into a beat in heavy wind and rain and the wind clocked to the northwest. Pirate kept Firefly pinned in bad air until they headed further east. Now in clear air, Firefly surged ahead. Osprey crossed Firefly on starboard tack and then tacked just to windward, but Firefly had momentum to pull ahead to leeward. Pirate continued heading northeast to mark G with Osprey taking the left side and Firefly near the center of the bay. The dark cloud passed. The rain ceased. The wind dwindled and went northeast, favoring Pirate. Meanwhile, the rest of the fleet was sailing in a different climate, and Aquila and Surprise tracked behind Pirate’s favored side. The final beat was a spinnaker run in light air with Pirate taking 1^st, followed by Aquila, Surprise, Firefly, Osprey, Wistful, Argument, Lady Luck, Whistler, and Shona.

The after-race party at Bob Patterson’s gracious home was highlighted by a great barbeque, an opening act by Captain “Mig,” a virtuoso performance by Commodore Fred on the guitar, and presentation of the Doc Cuddy Trophy to Bob Patterson, Mac Cuddy, and the Pirate crew. How fitting that we were all treated to an amazing rainbow arching the sky, a glorious compliment to Pirate, the boat with the rainbow spinnaker, and an awesome augur of Sunday’s race.

Doc Cuddy Race 2: Sunday, July 11- The Rime of the Ancient S Boat (with apologies to Samuel Coleridge)

Sunday morning showed some promise with 6-7 kns of breeze. But, alas the wind was a dying northerly—aptly named because, well, it died.

Becalmed. So simple. So tranquil. So exasperating. As idle as a painted ship / Upon a painted ocean. The Albatross can fly circles, but the sailing vessel is imprisoned in the dead air. No wonder the Albatross gets it in the end. As we struggled to cross the starting line, windless, against a mild tide, we felt the full weight of the Albatross on our mast, and a firefly is no match for an angry Albatross. Pirate led a flock of boats off on port tack: Lady Luck, and Shona, and Wistful. At some time along their course, came the massive gray hulk of a car transport freighter down the river out of Providence, steaming by the hypokinetic S boats much too close for comfort. Meanwhile, Osprey, the “fish eagle” sea bird, flew off on starboard tack with Surprise in close pursuit. Of course, all this in slow motion, agonizingly measured, each minute taking an hour to pass.

The starting line remained a choking vacuum until a 1-2 kn air movement allowed Firefly (on starboard) and Whistler (on port) to lumber forward like one-legged gulls. But what’s this? A slight breeze taunts Firefly to the middle of the bay, now actually closest to the mark— only to leave her becalmed in the uncharted heat. Water, water everywhere, / Nor any drop to drink. We drop the anchor to resist the truculent tide, now sucking us back to the starting line. The Firefly crew considers mutiny, but instead jumps overboard. Yea, slimy things did crawl with legs / upon the slimy sea. And that is the true story of how Firefly withdrew from competition.

Meanwhile, the flock from the west joined the flock from the east, but rounding the windward mark bore the full weight of the Albatross’ revenge. Ah! Well a-day! What evil looks / Had I from old and young! / Instead of the cross, the albatross / About my neck was hung. By time and tide, by some great mercy, the vessels drifted to the finish. Pirate and Osprey and Surprise and Shona and Lady Luck and Whistler. Most that is, except fair Firefly and wandering Wistful. And then there was Aquila, the eight star “Eagle constellation,” another bird on the wing voyaging desperately around the bay, unsatisfied, ungratified, never making it to the start.