Day 3, Sunday, October 12: Thanksgiving Sunday was another beautiful autumn day, with the fall foliage at its peak, and temperatures a very comfortable 4
14°C. With the forecasts calling for 6-7 knots out of the southwest, it looked like it would be a great day. But at start time, there was a very patchy wind out of the northeast. After a brief postponement, when it looked like the wind might fill in and stay for awhile, the RC started the first race in ~ 4 knots and boats headed towards the Quebec shore. Unfortunately, before most boats made it to the windward mark, the wind died to almost nothing, testing the patience of most sailors. The wind then started to fill in from the south-southwest so the RC shortened the course, and the first race was finished at the “leeward” gate, with boats beating to the finish line.
That would not have been a nice way to finish the season, but thankfully, the wind did continue to fill in to 5-8 knots out of the south-southwest, so the RC re-positioned and set another W course. There were some big shifts, making it easy to gain or lose a lot of distance, but by all accounts, the second was a much better race than the first. Despite being Thanksgiving weekend, 24 boats still made it out for what was a fabulous end to our “round-the-buoys” racing. Final results are posted here.
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Day 2, Sunday, October 5th:
The weather was a little more like what one might expect for a series named the “Frostbite Series”, on October 5th. The morning low was 4°C, but by race time it was a comfortable 12°C, with a gusty wind out of the SSW at about 15 knots, with gusts to 20. The bosuns and brave RC volunteers started on time, and it wasn’t long before most of the crews on the 36 participating boats were working up a good sweat. The first boats finished the W Course in just over 30 minutes.
There was a short delay while the RC reset the course, following a 30° shift that hit just as the PHRF fleet was starting the first race. The wind was down a little for the second race, but was still generally 10-15+ knots, and most boats were back at the dock by 4:00 p.m., or shortly thereafter, celebrating another great day of sailing. Hugh McGugan took some great photos of the day’s events.
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Day 1, Sunday, September 28th:
It was a beautiful, sunny summer afternoon for the first day of the “Frostbite” series, which runs Sunday, September 28, October 5 & 12. Though temperatures peaked at 26°C, the wind only made it to about 6-7 knots, but that was enough for the Race Committee to get in two races.
Twenty-nine keelboats, dinghies and catamarans made it to the start line to enjoy some friendly racing and the beautiful fall colours. The wind died off at the end of the first race and it looked like that might be it for the day, but then it filled in enough to get in a decent second race, around a “W” course. Results are posted here.