Frostbite Regatta Cancelled
We can’t control the weather
The Rio Grande Sailing Club’s Frostbite Regatta last year was special for me. It was the first regatta that I sailed in as a skipper, and I came in second, beating everybody but Zorro. Mother Superior was out with the flu, and I was sailing her boat, so a lot of people thought I was her – a flattering comparison, since she is an accomplished racing skipper with a lot of experience.
This year, I would have been sailing my own boat, Black Magic, and I was looking forward to being out at the front of the fleet with Zorro. The last couple of race weekends of the fall series, Zorro and I had been out ahead of the fleet, and we had some tacking duels that got people excited about racing in general and Etchells in particular.
But the weather forecasts for Elephant Butte Lake this weekend are for temperatures that get up into the vicinity of freezing as a high, and winds that bring the wind chill much lower. Plus there’s snow in the forecasts, possibly as much as a foot, and in a part of the world where the highway department seldom has to deal with any snow at all, there’s not a lot of equipment available to make highways passable, so regatta participants might not even be able to make it to the lake. Therefore, after consulting with the commodore and vice commodore, Zorro decided to cancel the Frostbite.
I would have liked to sail the Frostbite again, in my own boat and with my own reputation to keep and build. I would also have liked to see Zorro – we’ve been on the phone a lot, but I miss the energy field he puts out in person. It’s been about two months.
There might be more opportunity in the near future: We’re working on building Etchells Fleet 31, covering Colorado, New Mexico, and West Texas. Since Zorro is the inspiration for the fleet, and I’ve been appointed fleet secretary, we’re going to have to get together for fleet-building activities.
Meanwhile, even if the weather keeps us from sailing, it does something important: It provides moisture that will fill the lakes in the spring when it melts. Therefore, I implore those of you who believe in the power of prayer: Do NOT pray for the snow to stop. Pray for it to continue, so that we may have a prosperous summer.
The Rio Grande Sailing Club’s Frostbite Regatta last year was special for me. It was the first regatta that I sailed in as a skipper, and I came in second, beating everybody but Zorro. Mother Superior was out with the flu, and I was sailing her boat, so a lot of people thought I was her – a flattering comparison, since she is an accomplished racing skipper with a lot of experience.
This year, I would have been sailing my own boat, Black Magic, and I was looking forward to being out at the front of the fleet with Zorro. The last couple of race weekends of the fall series, Zorro and I had been out ahead of the fleet, and we had some tacking duels that got people excited about racing in general and Etchells in particular.
But the weather forecasts for Elephant Butte Lake this weekend are for temperatures that get up into the vicinity of freezing as a high, and winds that bring the wind chill much lower. Plus there’s snow in the forecasts, possibly as much as a foot, and in a part of the world where the highway department seldom has to deal with any snow at all, there’s not a lot of equipment available to make highways passable, so regatta participants might not even be able to make it to the lake. Therefore, after consulting with the commodore and vice commodore, Zorro decided to cancel the Frostbite.
I would have liked to sail the Frostbite again, in my own boat and with my own reputation to keep and build. I would also have liked to see Zorro – we’ve been on the phone a lot, but I miss the energy field he puts out in person. It’s been about two months.
There might be more opportunity in the near future: We’re working on building Etchells Fleet 31, covering Colorado, New Mexico, and West Texas. Since Zorro is the inspiration for the fleet, and I’ve been appointed fleet secretary, we’re going to have to get together for fleet-building activities.
Meanwhile, even if the weather keeps us from sailing, it does something important: It provides moisture that will fill the lakes in the spring when it melts. Therefore, I implore those of you who believe in the power of prayer: Do NOT pray for the snow to stop. Pray for it to continue, so that we may have a prosperous summer.
posted by Carol Anne | 1:04 AM
1 Comments:
Update: It started snowing in Albuquerque this evening, although the southern end of the state has been getting weather all day. The storm system is moving slower than originally predicted, which means we aren't getting the full blast yet, but it also means that the weather will be around longer, leaving more snow.
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