HOT 2020 report by Jim Heffernan  W1066

Halloween On Townsend (HOT) October 24-25, 2020

With Covid-19 precautions in place, the HOT was sailed on a sparkly Lake Townsend fringed by the fall colors of southern Tulip Poplars, Dogwoods and Sweet Gums.  Three Fleets were represented, the Flying Scots leading the way with nine boats, the High School teams with six 420's and the Wayfarers had three. A lone Laser rounded out the 2020 HOT fleet. Some of the usual Wayfarer fleet members were away sailing at Annapolis and New Bern.

The PRO, Joleen Rasmussen, opted to start the 420's and Wayfarers together on a beautifully laid line with port end a bit favored as the shifts dictated. What a sight to see the youths maneuvering the 420's like old pros as they made the roll tacks look easy.  My legs hurt just watching them. They brought a joyful and festive mood to HOT as they sailed attired as pirates and cheerleaders and kept up the chattering and banter throughout their racing.  Ah, Youth!
 

Ah, Youth!

Three races were completed in Saturday's light wind that would show up for five minutes and then hide for awhile before flowing down from the approaching cold front to tease us anew. A fourth race was mercifully abandoned as the lead boats struggled near the windward mark with some of the kids yelling "I am going backwards now!" Wayfarer racing was really tight, almost like a three-boat match race. The lead changed over and over and any mistakes quickly erased any leads that had been laboriously gained in the previous few minutes.



Evan Trudeau and Yukako Kayashima (W10945 above) showed all the teenagers and a few of us old-timers how to do the pin-end port-tack start perfectly and jump into a strong lead position. It was awesome!


Jim and Linda Heffernan in Dawn Treader W1066 begin to make Pete Thorn and Jeanne Allamby nervous in W6066 Fanfare.


Never give up on the last leg.  Peter Thorn and Jeanne Allamby rounded well behind in third, tacked away toward the golf course shore, and got to the finish line three seconds behind Jim and Linda. The High School teams were only scheduled for Saturday.  The rest of us were greeted on Sunday by cold rain and post frontal gusts so elected to pack up and wait for the Not Old Brown Dog at Jordan lake in November.

Jim Heffernan, W1066     Eric Rasmussen photos