The 4th annual Trout Lake Poker Race was held on Monday, June 30th in cool, changeable weather - a little of everything - just as our Wayfarer weekend weather personalities, Claire Buoyant and Hip Nautical had predicted: sunshine, clouds, showers, temperatures from 15° C to 20°C and winds from 3 to 15 knots plus. Our six-boat fleet was highlighted by the presence of Don Paine, former W112 and W1338, who was one of the founders and early mainstays of the powerful Trout Lake Wayfarer Fleet of the 1960s.

1969: Don and Barb (yellow hull, W1338) head out to the Nationals races on Trout Lake.

Dr. Paine and his wife, Barbara, were both in attendance along with various children and grandchildren, who enjoyed the post-race BBQ picnic at the cottage of John Richardson, also an early member of the Trout Lake Fleet who sailed W108. In this, the year that the Canadian Nationals came to North Bay for the first time since 1969, it was fun to have with us Don and Barbara who placed 6th of 39 Wayfarers in the Nationals when held on Trout Lake almost 40 years ago. The Paines also have their names on the beautiful Cruise Race Trophy, having won it in 1965.

W1556 (2nd from right) was sailing the '69 Nationals as well, helmed by Dr. Gordon Ross.

This year, Barb was sitting out, and Don sailed W1556 with his son and grandson, Richard and Max, his first go at the Poker Race which involves sailing to five pick-up points to pick up a total of ten playing cards. The tour of Trout Lake to the five way points and race back to the finish line (below) at our hosts' cottage was the first of three "races", the other two being how well your hands #1 and #2 stacked up against the other five hands in the category.

After mass starts from the shore that proved too exciting in the first two years of this event (Banshee still bears one of the dents), last year we decided to go with a staggered start.  In 2007 that worked well so, once more, we used this as the start off Bob Brown's beach on Delaney Bay. The staggered start is based on a handicap (dreamt up over beer) which is loosely based on performance in the weekend's Cruise Race and Series racing just completed. The better you did on the serious races, the later your start in the Poker Race.  Nominally, there is a 1 minute time between starts.  In reality, the gap between starts was something greater.  As Dave recalls:

1. Don Paine, with Richard and Max as crew (they were pumped and ready to go)
2. Robin Allardyce and Andy Douma (they had something to prove from the weekend)
3. Dave Richardson and Lori Beehler (sailing together for the first time – dark horse team?)
4. Sue Pilling & Steph Romaniuk (didn’t have their sails up when Dave & Lori left)
5. Dave and Carol Hansman (knowing they were under severe handicap from last year)

6. Al and Julia (who still had Shades on the trailer as the Paine boat left the beach)

I remember that the Don Paine had already reached the first way point at Ken Holloway’s place before Carol and I started.  Seems to me you really gave us all an advanced start, Al, because I was half way across the bay by the time you and Julia got going.  However, the up/down, shifty winds made things ‘interesting’ and tended to even out the very staggered starts.  Some people sat motionless in places after Ken’s pickup, whereas I can remember Carol and I almost broaching in a gust on the way from Ken’s to Richardson’s.

What actually happened in the sailing portion is detailed on the Poker Race pictures page. Here it will suffice to say that the winds, which began light, picked up to good solid hiking strength by the finish. Last year's winners, Dave and Carol Hansman - picture-taking and all - carved their way close to the lead on the final long beat after their much delayed start, only to have Dave Richardson and Lori Beehler out-shift them in the last leg and take a well earned first-place beep. Even so, the Hansman team had two 2nd-place poker hands, by far the best of anybody, and would have won the "series" had it not been for the points penalty - see Dave's explanation and complete results below:

The Richardson beach proved perfect for the Wayfarers to sit out of the water while we enjoyed a wonderful John Richardson-hosted BBQ on the large deck overlooking Trout Lake.  Thank you very much, John and family and friends, for hosting us and being there for Waypoint 2 duties.  Thanks, as well, to the people who helped out with the rest of the event:

Bob Brown – for the use of his seaplane base for us to launch, start and then pack up.
Ken Holloway – our stalwart at Waypoint 1
Chuck and Shirley Hansman – for being there on the beach for Waypoint 3
Mark, Abigail, Parker and Naomi Kent – for their enthusiasm at Waypoint 4, One Mile Bay
Terry Alderson – for bringing his Party Boat over to act as Waypoint 5.