I can just see it now:

Marry hooks her trapeze wire to a reclining beach chair, lays out with one hand on the tiller and one on the sheet, closes her eyes and goes right to sleep... then makes the perfect start, port-tacking the rest of the fleet.

She stays on the chair, rounds A-mark and does the wild-thing down-wind, then rounds C and crosses the finish line for a bullet. The commitee boat blows the horn, which wakes her up. Later that night she tells Rick, "I had the wildest dream today..."

Ok I'm way off topic, but Skipper, you look just like my favorite drummer Vinnie Colaiuta (or are you posting using his picture, or are you really him? . . .
The ice is off the lake!! going to try this eyes closed thing soon
Al

No, I'm not Vinnie. It's really me. Never heard this from anyone else, so maybe it's just that it's a bit harder to see on such a (small) avatar.

Here's an interesting one I always remember from "The ABC Of Yacht Racing by S. Heckstall Smith"
In the chapter on "Helmsmanship" he states:
"There is no reason why most sailors should not become expert at the tiller or wheel. Some girls become wonderfully good in a surprisingly short time - even quicker than boys."
He then goes on to say:
"Elderly people of both sexes learn to steer, particularly if they have ridden to hounds"
Figure that one out !

This book was published in 1935.

Only the best say "Tally-ho" when they sight "A" mark?