PDYC Maytham Regatta 2014

For the last few years Simon and Danielle, George and I, had run the Maytham Regatta and BBQ that followed. This year that was taken over by others within the race division and I spent the weekend on the committee boat. We were very lucky to have the use of Unison, a trawler, and the help of her owners Andre and Tari, especially given the rough weather on the Saturday.
I have no pictures from the Saturday race as it was rainy, foggy and windy. We went out of the harbour, started the the race and then went right back in again and headed to the Dairy Bar, thankful that we weren't racing. We calculated that it would take at least 4 hours for the first boats to finish the race. I went and did some chores in Simcoe and Port Dover and as I was returning to the boat, early I might add, I could see sails out in the Bay. They were finishing far earlier (about 3 1/2 hours) than we anticipated. We rushed out and were able to get the times for all but the first 3 boats (Ritual finished and then took the others times). The wind had built during the day and the race was over in record time.
Sunday was a completely different story.

Heading out of Port Dover on a lovely, calm, fall day.

Two fishing tugs coming in.

As always, if there are reflections in the water, it's not a good day for sailing.

We bobbed around out in the bay for a couple of hours before deciding there was just enough wind to get a race started. We were trying something new this year; two start and finish lines, one on each side of the committee boat so that the Spinnaker Fleet didn't have to wait for the Jib and Main Fleet before starting their next race.

Finally! In start sequence for the JAM Fleet

Watching the race from the comfort of Unison's fly bridge.

It was such a slow start that I was able to sound the start horn and then get a picture of the start.

Legacy and Kestrel

Cyclone finishing

Sequence finishing

We managed to get two races in, for each fleet, in spite of the late start. The two start/finish line system worked well although we were quite busy when it ended up that both fleets finished their final races at the same time: one person doing the count down, horn for one fleet, whistle for the other and two recorders.

Passed a boat, docked at the pier, on the way from New Zealand, next stop, Chicago.

Followed a fishing tug in, under the lift bridge, ...

... and "Swanny" the resident, lone swan, of this part of the river.

After an excellent meal of beef on a bun, salads and sweets the awards were given for the weekend. The changeable conditions shook up the standings and it was nice to see some different boats earn flags.
In other parts of my life;

I spent a whole day cooking - stuffed green peppers and eggplant Parmesan.

I finished the Plaid Rose cushion and

not being much of a sewer, I'm quite pleased with how the back turned out. I used the button
closure and pocket from the plaid shirt used to do the hooking.