AYC clearly had great attendence at Swiftsure with eleven boats participating. As expected there was adverse current in light winds at the start with a wild dash to make it through the Race before the door was slammed shut.

Most boats opted to immediately head over to the US side and short-tack the beach up to the Cape. The further west the boats went the heavier swell and higher winds they experienced. Several boats retired in this leg due to the lumpy conditions and gear failure.

Conditions were predicatably lumpy at the bank with the returning boats picking a side for the return trip. The later you picked a side the worse you did. Unfortunately there was a strong ebb in the Race for the return trip and many boats ended up getting parked for several hours until the current subsided.

The run to the finish inside Ogden Point was predictably unpredictable with those boats going wide and reaching up to the finish gaining considerable ground. Back at the dock there were many tired and wet sailors complete with numerous tall stories!

Below is a picture of the blue sled from AYC absolutely nailing the start! Stay tuned for more lies and sea stories as the fleet trickles in...

Not to tell secrets, but in case you didn't know it today is the birthday of our intrepid leader with the initials JV. We are not sure how he managed to keep it secret this long! If you get a chance, bug him sometime today about his ever increasing old age!

Taken straight from the May edition of Latitude 38: 10 Commandments of Beer Can Racing:

1) Thou shalt not take anything other than safety too seriously. If you
can only remember one commandment, this is the one. Relax, have fun, and
keep it light. Late to the start? So what? Over early? Big deal. No instructions?
Improvise. Too windy? Quit. Not enough wind? Break out the beer.
The point is to have fun, but stay safe. Like the ad says, "Safe boating is
no accident."

2) Thou shalt honor the racing rules if thou knowest them. The ISAF
2009-2012 Racing Rules, unless specifically stated elsewhere in the Sailing
Instructions, is the current rules bible. Few sailors we know have actually
studied it cover to cover: it's about as interesting as reading tax code or the
phone book. For beer can racing, just remember some of the biggies (port
tack boats shall avoid starboard ones; windward boats shall avoid leeward
ones; and outside boats shall give room at the mark). Stay out of the way of
bigger boats, pay your insurance premiums, and keep a low profile unless
you're sure you know what you're doing. Like most things, it boils down to
common sense.

3) Thou shalt not run out of beer. Beer (a.k.a., brewskis, chill pills, thought
cylinders) is the beverage that lends its name to 'beer can' racing; obviously,
you don't want to run out of the frothy nectar. Of course, you can drink
whatever you want out there, but there's a reason these things aren't called
milk bottle races, Coca-Cola can races, hot chocolate races, or something
else. Just why beer is so closely associated with this kind of racing escapes
us at the moment, but it's a tradition we're happy to go along with.

4) Thou shalt not covet thy competitor's boat, sails, equipment, crew
or PHRF rating. No excuses or whining; if you're lucky enough to have a
sailboat, just go use it! You don't need the latest in zircon-encrusted widgetry
or unobtanium sailcloth to have a great time out on the water with your friends.
Even if your boat's a heaving pig, make modest goals and work toward improving
on them from week to week. Or don't - it's only beer can racing.

5) Thou shalt not amp out. No screaming, swearing, or overly aggressive
tactics. Save that stuff for the office or, if you must, for Saturday's 'real' race. If
you lose it in a Friday nighter, you're going to run out of crew - not to mention
friends - in a big hurry. Downing a quick chill pill on the way to the starting
line has been medically proven to have a calming influence on the nerves.

6) Thou shalt not protest thy neighbor. This is extremely tacky at this level
of competition and should be avoided at all costs. Perhaps it's justifiable
if one's boat is damaged and blame needs to be established, but on the
whole, tossing a red flag is the height of bad taste in something as relatively
inconsequential as a beer canner. Besides proving that you're unclear on
the concept of beer can racing, it screws up everybody's evening, including
yours. Don't do it - it's bad karma.

7) Thou shalt not mess up thy boat. Everybody knows some hardcore
weekend warrior who ripped his sails up in a Friday night race and had to
sit out the championship race on Saturday. The point is that it's not worth
risking your boat and gear in such casual competition: like the song says,
you got to know when to hold 'em, and know when to fold 'em. Avoid other
boats at all costs, not to mention buoys and other hard objects. If you have
the luxury of two sets of sails, use the old ones.

8) Thou shalt always go to the yacht club afterwards. Part of the gestalt
of beer can races is bellying up to the yacht club bar after the race. Etiquette
demands that you congratulate the winners, as well as buy a round of drinks
for your crew. Besides, the bar is a logical place to see old friends and make
new ones. However, when meeting new sailors, avoid the gung-ho, overly
serious types who rehash the evening in such gory detail that the post
mortem (yawn) takes longer than the race. As much as we enjoy a quick
romp around the cans, there's more to life.

9) Thou shalt bring thy spouse, kids, friends and whoever else wants
to go. Twilight races are great forums for introducing new folks to sailing,
such as your neighbors, out-of-town visitors, co-workers or maybe even
the family dog. Always bring your significant other along, too - coed crews
are happy crews. And don't just make the newcomers watch - give them a
job on the boat. Get everyone involved.

10) Thou shalt not worry; thou shalt be happy. Leave the cell phone in the
car, bring the ghetto blaster. Lighten up, it's not the Big Boat Series. Have
fun, and we'll see you out there!

In cased you missed it, this last Saturday was the annual running of the Round Whidbey Regatta hosted by the Whidbey Island Naval Sailing Association. A total of 29 boats started with only 5 finishing. Unfortunately the wind shut off at night so the slower boats ended up anchoring at Possession Point and couldn't make it home before the cutoff!

If you haven't heard about the new GOTB (Girls on the Boat) event being hosted by AYC on June 20 & 21, 2009, you need to check it out! This event is designed to encourage women to try something new and participate in the sport of yacht racing.

Who is this bare-chested dancing machine?

Will Sucia ever be the same?

Can AYC survive the fallout from this?

Stay tuned "As the Yacht Club Turns"...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/anacortesyachtclub/3469389315

After leading the A fleet deep into the bay last Wednesday Night in search of the missing leeward mark, the wrong way kid is planning to be back in force this coming Wednesday night to extract revenge on the fleet! His goal this week is at least to finish ahead of the B & C fleets!

Also, based on the weather reports we should have a little wind Wednesday evening unlike last week!

Set the spinnaker at exit to Shilshole and doused at entrance to Port Townsend. Predicted 15-25 never filled in but we still finished before 1500. AYC b0ats Slightly Ripped and Wild Rumpus were there and Ian and Joy brought Stranger; also the Pretorion 35 "Seeker" that flies the scarlet letter from Mukilteo was there too. Lot's of jibes probably 80 or so boats in a pursuit format and both singlehanded and doublehanded crews, also a few stowaways.... Port Townsend featured a reception at the Amerian Legion and a very wet rain squall Saturday evening. Sunday the race was back to Seattle, no wind and significant current dictated our decision, we were back @ Cap Sante in time to mow the lawn....