Race Committee in the Rain....Again!

Last October I was Vice Chair for the Lightning Frigid Digit Regatta.... at SSA.... in October. We had an unusually cold weekend, temps just barely climbing into the 40's and constant, constant rain, and solid breeze. Conditions were so bad that a regatta that normally attracts 40+ Lightnings only got 18 to actually show up to the club, and a reduced 11 or 12 making it out to the starting line. It was most miserable for the RC folk. I have a mishmash of old foul weather gear and my selection for that weekend was woefully inadequate. My 30 year old Line 7 vinyl top was not up to the task, eventually transmitting enough moisture by a mystery osmosis to keep everything wet underneath.

I, the cheapskate that I am, did reluctantly open my wallet over the offseason for some new Henri Lloyd foul weather gear. Luckily, it seems, as I volunteered for the US Navy Collegiate Women's Regatta this weekend. Saturday, solid rain in the morning (Annapolis was to end up with 2.3 inches), temps slightly higher in the 50's, solid breeze in the morning giving way to erratic and light winds in the afternoon. Sunday, the rain threatened but never delivered and the breeze remained subdued. The Henri Lloyd worked well.... thank you, thank you! modern waterproof fabric technology. But my hands.... I have an old set of Gill neoprene gloves with leather palms.... wet and stayed wet. I guess I'll have to revert back to those old style rubber gloves that all the sailors in-the-know seem to be using now.

There was a strange meterological phenomenom that I can't recollect seeing. It happened on Saturday afternoon. Wind was predicted from North to North East, typical of a low pressure system off the coast. And that is what we had for most of Saturday until a low cloud bank appeared to the South and pushed it's way North against the prevailing wind. When it pushed through, the wind switched about 150 degrees to the South for about 20 minutes. When the cloud bank ended up north of us, the wind reverted back to the original direction. I need to talk to one of my meterological friends about that micro-weather puzzle?

I did have my small digital camera out with me and, where I felt I could sneak it in, I did some filming. Small digital cameras and their so-so lenses make grey days even greyer... but I'll give you some of the random clips from the Race Committee perspective.

PRO for the regatta was Lieutenant Ben who did an excellent job.