Boots and Boats was the theme for Fleet 1 end of the summer fun regatta this year. This event has moved around the harbor over the years, taking place at the Reuben E. Lee, Nautical Museum and now has moved over to the Lido Isle Yacht Club.

The day started with a relay race which, unfortunately, my wife Jennifer and I missed. It was rather gratifying sailing up the harbor, on this warm sunny summer day, and seeing thirty Harbor 20’s sailing on the south side of Lido. We gave our trusted stead, Only Child, the spurs and quickened our pace in an effort not to miss the second race of the day. On our arrival we found John Whitney and Peter Haynes to give us the quick run down on the upcoming random leg race.

This being my first rodeo with Only Child I was doing my best to listen closely to the instructions Whitney and Haynes were giving me. Now I must have been in the sun to long this last weekend because I heard Haynes tell me to read the story, find the marks and if you win the race you get the prize in the story. I’m not sure if you all read the A fleet story but, no pun intended, the last paragraph made me a little confused and bunched up. I kept looking for Wyatt Earp and I was not about to try and win the race. In fact, I was doing my best not too. In each fleet, A, B and C, were all given their own course chart with a different story and course description. As the fleets would get tangled within each other I could hear people say “I just passed TeXas, I need to find the whisKey next.” The red letter was our mark to round as you read through the story.

For those of you fleet one members, that did not attend, you missed a perfect relaxing day on the harbor. For the class members and fleets directors this idea should be remembered and copied.

What happened next was classic fleet one, which the other fleets can try to copy although something tells me there is only one Shana Conzelman. Shana is our fleets social director and she is more important to our fleet than a new bottom is to your boat. The Boots & Boats event, was all hers and not only did she come up with this idea she sold it to most of the fleet members.

Now if I heard John Whitney, the awards presenter for the Harbor Heritage Perpetual, correctly “ This award was originally given out by the Nautical Museum and we took it from them.”  He then went on to explain the whole event is in fun and we give the award to who ever we want.” This year Bridgett and Argyle Campbell took home this prestigious award. Hearing all the names of the past winners it became a goal of mine for the future. I’ll have to turn up the fun meter a couple of notches next year to make sure we can get in the running.

The turn out for this event was fantastic, I think I was the only one who did not dress too the theme of the party. Good food, an open bar, dancing and Jennifer and I came home with a new pair of glass boots.

On our way home Jennifer commented “ That was a great day, I want to go out with you an learn how to trim the jib and jybe that metal bat thing forward better.” It does not get any better than that.

For those of you that want to improve your “Strategy & Tactics”, and learn when to gybe that metal bat thing,  for the up coming fleet championship we do sell a pill for that and that’s Peter Haynes seminar September 6th at BCYC. For information look on the class web site.

Sea ya