I think it’s fair to say that the lead up to the around St Georges Basin race did not start very auspiciously. The Friday afternoon drive to Sussex Inlet was one of the wettest towing a boat journey we have had in recent times. And the rain persisted while rigging late afternoon, all through Friday night, then right up to the start of the race Saturday morning to the point that we didn’t pull down our boom tent till just before the starting sequence in an effort to keep the boat and crew dry for as long as possible. In the rain I somehow managed to “misplace” my car keys, which added an additional element of negativity to this soggy adventure. After looking in all the obvious spots including every pocket of clothing and shelf on the boat without success Andy and I speculated that the keys may have fallen out of my pocket and plopped in the water somewhere along the way from the launching ramp to the tie up point. With increasing anxiety on my part it was with a heavy heart that we gave up the search and reached the conclusion that we would be stuck in Sussex Inlet forever. More about the lost car key issue later.
We thought Froufrou would be the only PKSC boat and crew silly enough to persist with the notion of sailing in the around St Georges Basin Saturday, but to our surprise, Rosstered Off with Jim, Dave (Richard and Shaun Saturday arrivals) aboard and Momentum with Barry, Ray and John aboard were already tucked up in Sussex Inlet creek. They were weathering the deluge bravely, sipping on coldies watching the rain poor down under the relative safety of their boom tents. Froufrou with Andy and me aboard (Jess and Alen arriving Saturday) tied up next to the early settlers put our boom tent up as quickly as possible in an effort to stay dry, then celebrated our efforts with a glass or two and some nibbles. The next day with the rain still tumbling down, Wayne McKinnon and Daniel showed up with Serenity. That made four stupid boat owners and crew from PKSC with delusions of sharing a pleasant sailing adventure together. Any questions of pulling the pin on the around the lake race were dispelled and with outboards started shorelines cast off we all puttered out for the 11:00 am start time. Sometime during the pre race discussions Dave Smith pointed out when the rain was pelting down at its most ferocious and the streets were starting to flood that, “Its only water, and we are already wet, we may as well make the best of it”
Apart from generating a prolific weed growth in the garden, rain does have the effect of bringing people together, providing you with more opportunities to build friendships and talk loads of crap. This was one of those precious friendship strengthening opportunities where we enjoyed some good stories told by Jim Curry Barry Grant and Dave Smith about the old days and of their continuing passion for sailing and to explore issues that are important in their lives. You cannot put a value on moments like these.
The rain continued pelting down as mentioned, then something miraculous happened just before Saturday’s race start time. The rain stopped. The sun even came out to dry things off a little. We had it dry all through unrigging and just as we were in our cars about to drive home the rain started again.
Now back to the important issue of the misplaced car keys. In my experience things like losing car keys, wallets, phones etcetera can be very distressing. It can really stuff up your plans of having a good time. But on the other hand, if you are lucky enough to locate them again at a time when you think they are lost forever and you need to devise a plan “B” wow, what a feeling of elation it can bring. Finding lost stuff that is important to you can turn dull skies to sunshine instantly and can leave you feeling like life is worth living after all. As it happened Andy decided to have one last look for the lost car keys before going to bed on the Friday night and, you guessed it, he found them in a “very safe and secure place” sheltered from the rain just as I had left them. Solving the mystery of the misplaced keys ensured I had good sleep that night and put me in a less intense competitive race attitude for the remainder of our sailing adventure. Thanks Andy.
Here’s the thing, and it seems to turn out like this most of the time, you can make predictions about what the outcome of an event but you can never know how it will turn out unless you make the effort and experience it for yourself. More likely than not in these types of circumstances good things come out of perceived unpleasant situations. The unpleasantness can be a perception that doesn’t usually last forever. You end up having a wonderful time and a happy experience. For all the TY crews who braved the rain and made the effort to participate in the St Georges Basin around the Lake Chase, it turned out to be a wonderful event, and no doubt, secured us all some great memories.
One thing that is never dull or overcast is the generosity and friendliness extended by the Sussex Inlet and Basin Yacht Club members. As is traditional of SIBYC events I have attended, the end of race celebration at the RSL Club Fisho’s’ all weather shelter was a happy and welcoming affair. On more than one occasion during the proceedings SIBYC members expressed their appreciation for PKSC boats that support and participate in their event, and because of this support, how successful the day turned out to be.
This is an event to celebrate the fun of sailing but congratulations should go to Momentum and her crew, who, from a weedy well behind start pulled off a well ahead finish to cross the finish line ahead of the rest of the fleet. Just as importantly congratulations to Serenity who brought home the booty for her participation in the race.
Results for Championship 7, Pointscore 19
Place Boat Name Time in Minutes PBH (CBH)
First Momentum 137.24 (138.01)
Second Rosstered Of 141.72 (143.37)
Third Froufrou 148.49 (148.49)
Forth Serenity 160.70 (151.91)
The end Trev