03 Rally report

This year’s annual North American Rally returned to Button Bay on the Vermont side of the southern part of Lake Champlain, the place where it was started in 2000 by Dick and Margie Harrington. The four-day stretch of Wayfarer fun and frolic which ran from Thursday 10 July through Sunday 13 July, attracted 14 boats and their various complements of crews, who enjoyed a relaxing time ashore and challenging, educational conditions on the water. As usual, our sailors came from all over the place to enjoy this fine opportunity to meet, sail and compare notes with fellow Wayfarers (and one Tasar this year!)

About half the participants arrived Thursday afternoon which was blessed with wonderful, warm sunshine and light, steady winds that were perfect for the newcomers. With nothing official planned, most of us went for a little sail or just set up camp and then watched the action as afternoon turned into evening. After campsite suppers, most of us turned in early and were soon lulled to sleep by the sound of heavy rains outside our nice, dry tents.

Since Uncle Al’s idea of camping includes a restaurant breakfast, his morning started early. By 0630, he had located the local Vergennes hangout which opened at 0600 (0700 on Sundays!). Fortified by a fine bacon and eggs breakfast special, he was in plenty of time to return to his perch on the cliff to watch more recent arrivals sail in. The forecast for the day called for cool, unsettled weather, which translated into 20C, brisk SW winds and a nice downpour on Dick Harrington’s Skippers’ Meeting.

The sail for the day was unveiled – complete with a chart for each boat - as an approximately 4-mile sail across Lake Champlain to Westport, NY – and back, after a lunch break. With the weather looking rather threatening between wind and rain, a number of the sailors decided that a day ashore sounded quite appealing. The sail across to Westport in fact turned into a nice relaxing sail under brightening skies and – along with a lunch at the marina’s restaurant and bar – was enjoyed by all.

No problems with our close-hauled sail back to Button Bay in winds of about 5-8 knots from the SE, and we were all back in plenty of time to have a wash and/or nap before our 5:30 date with Dick’s steaks. As expected, the by now traditional Dick Harrington steaks were even better than any of our restaurant meals. Al’s crew, Frank, finally arrived – just in time for the BBQ - after a soap opera of events that had delayed him from his planned mid-day arrival.

While most of the others stayed in the picnic shelter to enjoy a programme of folk and other music, Frank and Al went on a mission of mercy. Unfortunately, the wine and liquor emporium in Vergennes had closed at 8 p.m., so all we got were beer, ice and chocolate bars from the local grocery store.

The return of the rains put a literal damper on many a plan to socialize around campfires. Frank and I for instance, drove over to Tony and Mary’s site where we all sat in Al’s car and had a few beers before deciding an early night would not be all that unacceptable.

Saturday morning dawned sunny and warm but there was a forecast for more unsettled weather. The Skippers’ Meeting brought forth a plan to go SW across the lake to a lighthouse and then return to the bay, north of Button Bay, which is home to the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. Before the meeting had even ended, the first of several fronts accompanied by 20+ knots of winds came in. This time though, the sunny, warm weather made conditions feel less threatening and pretty well everyone went out – including the whole Pegler clan complete with Stephanie (6) and Drew (4). Frank and I went over to see if they were OK as they headed back in towards shore after sailing for an hour or so. We got a “Shhhhh!” from Shirley who pointed to Drew who was fast asleep under the leeward bow as Wildwood planed back to the beach.

Frank and I got side-tracked when I had to go into Westport to show him yesterday’s bar. By the time we had waited out a rain delay, we could see no other W’s on the water and assumed everyone had returned home from the Museum. We began a leisurely sail back across the lake but soon met another windy front. This tempted us into a wild spinnaker ride north which must have taken us close to the bay where the rest of the gang was holed up but we saw nothing except spray and rapidly approaching cliffs. Since Frank wanted a repeat of the spinnaker ride, we beat back up to the lighthouse and this time were able to spinnaker straight into Button Bay – where we discovered that no one was home, so to speak. Too bad, because our spinnaker ride into the Bay had been picture-worthy, having even impressed a windsurfer.

As the afternoon went on, the others trickled in – slowly or in a wild rush, depending on the state of the rapidly passing fronts. It had been a great but tiring day of sailing for most and it was an exhausted group that left Rosie’s Restaurant at not too much after 9 p.m. that night, and headed straight to bed!

Sunday’s forecast of yet more rain convinced even the die-hards that perhaps an early haul-out and timely start to what for most was a long trip home were in order. Frank and I dragged Tony and Mary to one more Vergennes breakfast, said our farewells and hit the long road home. But we are already looking forward to 2004 when our Rally will go to Killbear Park and be the International Rally with sailors expected to join us North Americans from England, Denmark, Holland and Ireland.