Last Friday afternoon we participated in our first distance race. I came close to posting last week to ask you all for advice, but us being inland lake sailors thought there we be little to comment on. After all, we had no currents to deal with, no surf to launch through, or no shipping lanes to deal with, no big deal.

After the mornings' Guest Expert Program we shared pizza for lunch and rigged our boats for the 1 p.m. start. The PRO notified us that the winds were 25 gusting to 40 m.p.h. and if we had any doubts "stay on the beach". Testosterone flowing rampantly everyone chuckled. Also was decided a channel to monitor on VHF (1st red flag, we don't have one) and the single chase boat (2nd red flag) would monitor our progress going West on the outbound leg to determine how far down the lake to set the mark in order to return at a reasonable hour (the mark initially was to be at 12.5 and ended up at 15.3 miles). I've sailed off and on for the last 25 years and this being our first season on the H20 had some trepedation (3rd red flag). Initially (based on forecast of 15-20 m.p.h. wind) had thought of double stacking the H16 specifically for this race, but made a decision the day before to leave the 16 behind, "If we're going to learn how to sail the 20...might as well sail the damn thing". A young lady from our fleet was at the event only to crew and her skipper and boat would be there only for the weekends' can race, so I asked her to join us. She had been on a 20 a time or two a quickly accepted our offer. I notified the PRO we were "going to cheat" and put more ballast on board, sailing three up at 450 pounds. He laughed and said we're just having fun.

We're off and under way, of the 18 boats [(1) A-class, (1) N5.7, (1) H17, the remainder H16's and H20's] a few over powered monsters, a.k.a. Miracle 20's have blown over (red flag number 4). About one mile out the Guest Expert (on a H20) turns around to head back to the beach (red flag number ?, I'm losing count). Although coming close to tipping a half dozen times or so, we enjoy a screaming broad reach down the lake, my son Paul and Christina on the wire with huge grins, me on the tramp trying not to ingest lots of water from the waves, shaking my head almost insessantly to clear my ears and vision (smiling too!). We round the mark in 9th, just ahead of the H17, and behind all but one or two H16's. The chase boat is there observing the rounding and all is good. At this end of the lake the bluffs have subsided and the windward side of the lake is not protected. I hadn't noticed the subtle but significant increase in wave size sailing the broad reach. We whip around the mark and adjust for a point of sail just above a broad reach and start beating back to East. And I mean beating. Both Christina and Paul had lost footing on the way out but we had all managed to keep everyone on board, without chicken lines. Now the waves are crashing us and one or the other of them is off the boat once a minute. I'm being smacked in the face so hard by the waves all I can liken it to is the sting of making a wrong turn off the high dive. At this point Chris slids off the boat and back up on to the tramp clutching her foot. I glance down to see an 1 and 1/2 inch long gash starting on the side of her big toe going back under the foot. She apologizes and says she's afraid to relieve pressure for fear of profuse bleeding. She's apologizing because she knows losing a person off the trap doesn't help. I tell her not to worry about that, and my mind races thinking her going into shock or passing out, if that happens we're toast. About that time we fall in to a HUGE trough, the boat leaves Paul suspended in air momentarily then he goes sailing into the lee hull (knee first) and into the dolphin striker (shin first). Now both are grimmacing on the tramp. I look back the mile or so to the chase boat, they need to stay until all boats round. I look down the lake and decide to go towards the windward shore for flatter water and better speed, all the time talking to Chris to make sure she's still with us. Hey, remember we're on an inland lake, its only 1.5 to 2 miles wide, no problem right? It's a Corp of Eng'g lake, no resorts. It's in a semi-rural area and this is Friday afternoon, maybe some vacationers or retiree's. The first boat we happen upon is a fisherman. We try to get close enough to holler/ask over the howling wind if he can take her to the Marina at the dam. The fact I can't stop the boat completely and that he may have had a few beers result in a quick abandonement. Sailing on we find the second boat with Grandma, Grandpa and a grandchild fishing. Again shouting/conversing over the wind they agree to help, we ask if they have a swim ladder, which they don't. We can't come side to side in the waves so shout that Chris has to keep pressure on her foot and slide her overboard. We wait until they wrestle her 125 pounds up and over the bow. By this time Paul has recouped enough and knows our best bet for a return without tipping is with him on the wire. Upon our return to the beach we hear of the EMT in attendance (thank God) running out some 20 yards in the shallow water past the waring buays to caryy Chris to shore. This after somebody recognized her from the beach sitting in this boat circling out there all hollering and waving over the winds.

Seven stitches later Chris spent the rest of the weekend talking about their removal and racing on the 19th and 20th of this month. Paul was sore but able to race (ah to be 23 again). I felt like a fool for putting them both in jeopardy.

NEVER SAIL WITHOUT A VHF RADIO OR CELL PHONE. KNOW YOUR LIMITS AND DON'T GO OUT IF YOU HAVE ANY DOUBTS.