PDYC Chaos Race

Oh my goodness, I am so far behind in my blogging. So many events that I want to document. So many blog posts floating around in my mind but I don't get to them because the next event comes along. No complaints here, they are all fun. I am about to embark on 5 days of Committee Boat for the Lake Erie Interclub (Canadian Version) and met an old crewmate, Steve, at the skippers meeting. He mentioned that he and his wife read my blog (and have a Portuguese bottle of wine that they want to share) and it inspired me to get going, review my pictures and just start typing.

So, the PDYC Chaos race was a couple of weekends ago. Rick and I raced, for the first time, on Spellbound. 

There are few things that prompt me to see a sunrise but a sailing race is one of them.

It's called a Chaos Race because four buoys are identified, markers out in Long Point Bay, and each boat chooses what order to round them in and return to the start. The first couple of hours were painful as there was little to no wind. Because of this the rules were changed and we only had to go around 3 marks, not four. The fleet of about 12 boats divided, choosing different directions.

We started "upwind" to Turkey Point along with a group of about 6 others. Sometimes we were close,

sometimes far away. I think we were one of the slowest boats entered but we tried to keep up with the faster ones or at least keep then in sight. Mostly because we did not have a chart plotter so were using lat and long and being able to see the markers. It was helpful to see a boat ahead of us round the mark.

After rounding the Turkey Point mark we headed for the Nanicoke Green Can, losing most of the other boats and searching the lake for it as we neared the shore at Nanicoke.

We sailed through a huge flock of gulls and cormorants. There must have been a school of fish.

We were out on the water for about 7 hours. Winds gradually built and of course we had too much sail up by the end of the day but Spellbound felt safe and solid (and speedy). We should have followed Caleidascope, who came in first (went to Bluffs Bar, then Nanicoke, then ED2). Sea of Dreams was second (same course) and we were 3rd (not bad for our first time racing her).

Now some "catch up" photos:-

Nice selfie from Mike and Aimee.

Praying Mantis on one of my chairs

Slightly wet Song Sparrow

Chocolate Mint flower. I love the smell of the Chocolate Mint but never know what to use it in so it just goes into flower, but those are pretty

as is the Wild Mustard, growing on the bank.

Brown eyed Susan and Echinacea  in a bowl with Hydrangea.

West end off a Bald Eagle flying East.