AnnMarie Covington looks back on the 2023 Mayor’s Cup

The 46^th annual Mayor’s Cup was held at Lake Townsend Yacht Club on June 3 and 4, 2023. 

The mantra of the weekend was: Go left, stay left.  Especially on Saturday, when there was a mysterious hole to the right of the mark that seemed to trap Wayfarers, boats that stayed to the left of the rhum line had an advantage. On Saturday, the temperature was fairly warm and the wind was not particularly strong.  It was somewhat puffy and rather shifty. The puffs were very patchy.  Because the puffs were patchy, we sailed to the patches. Gareth and I played the jib halyard tension and the vang while concentrating on speed. In the second race, Uwe did a gybe set and sailed downwind in the middle of the lake.  We thought that would be a mistake, but Uwe pulled ahead and stayed there.  He is a master of the downwind.

The dinner on Saturday evening was very good.  Thanks go to all the organizers and people who stepped up to make it special.  The deviled eggs made from the left over breakfast hard boiled eggs were superb. The heartwarming banter and camaraderie during dinner soothed my soul. It’s always a pleasure hanging out with LTYC sailors and friends.

On Sunday, the wind was a bit stronger. I saw a few small whitecaps occasionally. It was still gusty, shifty and patchy.  The temperature was great, slightly cool with overcast skies; perfect for seeing the wind on the water. With the stronger gusty wind, Gareth and I continued to play the jib halyard and vang.  We tacked on headers after attempting to predict the wind would not shift back right away. For the most part, the wind came down the port side of the course, same as Saturday.  In the first race of the day, we sailed our best, but John and Pete outsailed us in the first leg and we couldn’t catch them.

After racing and putting away sailboats and RC boats, we shared another great meal and enjoyed the presentation of the awards.  Many thanks to the Race Committee and especially to Andy Forman, who put in an enormous effort to make sure everything went smoothly.  Another wonderful Mayor’s Cup at Lake Townsend!