Windermere 2022 provided great sailing, lots of laughs with friends, and truly apocalyptic rain.
North end sailors converged upon Anacortes for a fun weekend that included several buoy races, a lap around Vendovi Island, and one last hurrah in Fidalgo Bay on Sunday afternoon. Winds on both days were light to occasionally moderate southeasterlies, with the most wind at the windward mark both days.
Aboard the Santa Cruz 27 Wild Rumpus at the top end of the course towards Saddlebag Island, we were barely holding on with the #1 genoa and should have had a #2, but it wasn’t #3 conditions at all. At the leeward mark we were often drifting. On Saturday afternoon it went northwesterly on the north end of the course and we raced around Vendovi Island for a change. Saturday had light rain that burned off to sunshine in the afternoon. Sunday was the rainiest day we’ve had in quite awhile. It was the 100 year flood. With rain bouncing off the water, it was coming down in buckets right until the start of the last race. We had a pleasant last lap in Fidalgo Bay before heading in.
We thought about complaining about the weather, but stopped when we remembered that two of the boats were sailing with young kids on board. The Swackhamer family moved up to a Melges 24 and their girls were out racing hard as always on Still Hitched. The Holcomb family raced with all three of their young kids, and also recently upgraded their ride, now sailing an Olson 911 named Bigg Dogg. Big props to the family boats, keeping the sport alive!
Shoutouts for performance go to Dave Steffen and crew winning Division 1 on the Beneteau 36.7 Vitesse, followed by the Swackhamers on Still Hitched. In Division 2 it was a close battle, going back and forth for the top spot. Dave Klingbiel won the weekend on his S2 9.1 Rubicon, followed close by Jim Bottles with his venerable J/30 Celebration. In Division 3 it was the Bradens’ BBQ boat UffDa sailing to the top spot with race dog Dakota aboard. Honorable mention goes to Jonathan Anderson and crew on his Moore 24 Hummingbird, who came out early on both days and sailed an entire race before the first start while the rest of us drank coffee and shook off the cobwebs. In the rain. It made us feel a teensy bit old, but we were inspired nonetheless.
The Cruising division was won by John Gunn in his Beneteau 265 Little Annie, and he also won the weekend as master of the Sunday chili dog feast. Yay team! There were indoor activities, a delicious salmon and oyster dinner on Saturday night, an auction for the Anacortes Waterfront Alliance youth sailing, live music with some dancing sailors in the house, and a chili dog feast. It feels like life is normal again. Except very very wet, including all of the sails in my living room the following week. Overall, it was a great regatta, thanks to everyone who came and all who volunteered.
Photos courtesy of John Stocklass.
