Ahoy there, ye scurvy dogs!
Given the dismal weather forecast and late race notice, I came into the Pirate Race day a bit worried that we might have low turnout and subdued spirits. But the race was a blast! We had ten crews on the water and plenty of high-seas hijinks. We even managed a nice break in the rain on race day.
Every Pirate Race has its winning strategy. Last year it was the surprise team-up between the Dastardly Dicks and the Folks Clan. This year it was the “lightning strike.” The crew of Waldo (the ASC’s Buccaneer 18) hit the Le Mans start at full sprint and was out of the harbor before any other boat. From there, they sailed fast, and as a result, the crew grabbed all three winning items before any other boat.
In most years, at least several crews employ the “camp the harbor” strategy, but this time all boats made straight for the treasure. The unguarded harbor allowed Waldo to make it back to the dock without being boarded. However, they did survive two close calls.
One attempt was from Addy and Duncan Wright (both recently back on the account) on another Buccaneer. They gave up a furious chase when they had to recover a water cannon lost overboard. (Pirates have to have priorities, right?)Brie Busy made a daring attempt at boarding from a Lido and missed the trailing bottle by mere inches.
Side quest winners Clayton and Walker decided early on that they wanted the handsome Pirate sign and so made straight for the bottle of Old Hornswoggle on the far side of the lake. This tactic kept this safe from the fray early in the race, but they did take the full brunt of the “Dock Welcoming Committee” upon returning to the Harbor.
All Pirate Races inspire more than a little “creative skullduggery,” and this year’s award for most creative cheating went to the crew of the Corsair 24: Dave, Berit, Oliver, and Trace. Before they even left the docks, this clever crew presented the necessary spyglass, compass, and bribe!
The pirate costumes were terrific this year, but Angie and Janet took the award for “Best Dressed Pirates.” In addition, their epic struggle to escape the ASC harbor (they forgot to down their centerboard) inspired the naming of one of the ASC Lidos. It is now officially the Goes Nowhere.
The race was followed by an epic pirate feast, including Black Nancy’s extraordinarily carved watermelon pirate ship. The rest of the evening was “classic ASC” with friends, a campfire, and folks out sailing until nearly midnight.
And I just wanted to conclude with a hearty pirate thanks to our swashbuckling race planning committee and our boisterous participants. This was definitely a Pirate Race to remember!
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