Five O'Clock Somewhere

Welcome to Five O'Clock Somewhere, where it doesn't matter what time zone you're in; it's five o'clock somewhere. We'll look at rural life, especially as it happens in Rio Arriba County, New Mexico, cats, sailing (particularly Etchells racing yachts), and bits of grammar and Victorian poetry.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Big events in May

If you've never thought of coming to the desert before, now you have not just one, but two reasons to visit!

Mark your calendars for May 30. That's not Memorial Day weekend; it's the weekend after. The Rio Grande Sailing Club's Anniversary Cup regatta will be bigger than it has been for many years. We have corporate sponsorship from Lago Rico, the folks who operate the marinas at Elephant Butte Lake, and with this sponsorship, the race will be a long-distance Race to the Elephant, starting near the Rock Canyon Marina, passing by Marina del Sur, and ending at the Dam Site Marina and Resort. There will be fleets for racers, cruisers, multihulls, and dinghies. The folks at Lago Rico have commissioned a local artist to create trophies, and the $15 entry fee includes a free overnight slip and breakfast at the Dam Site. The awards banquet, also to be at the Dam Site, will be $25 a person and will feature some nifty door prizes.

Yeah, I know, who ever heard of a major sailing event out in the middle of the desert? Well, actually, the folks in Phoenix put on a biggie every January, so it's not unheard-of. And we have better mast-raising facilities, thanks to Dumbledore, a retired lineman for the state's largest electric utility, and his former employer, who sold used high-tension poles to the club for the cost of scrap. The Marina del Sur boat ramp is also better than what the folks in Phoenix have. So if you're trailering, you don't need to worry about rigging and launching.

If you're interested, call 575-744-5462. The deadline to enter is May 15.

Still not sure you want to travel all the way to the desert? Here's the icing on the cake: There will be a major cultural event that weekend as well. The Elephant Butte Inn & Spa will be hosting the State Karaoke Championship. Forget whatever you have heard or experienced of karaoke in the past; this is not some drunken, overweight bubba slaughtering "Achy-Breaky Heart." Cornhusker and Bassmaster have been traveling the state as judges for local qualifying events, and they have seen a lot of talents out there, of which only the best make it to the championship.

So, let's see a show of hands … who's coming?

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3 Comments:

Blogger Carol Anne said...

Programming note: the 50,000th visitor to this blog is probably somebody we know. Whoever it is, he or she is in the Eastern time zone, on an ISP whose territory is the southeastern US, running a Mac with Firefox, who has the blog bookmarked.

If this is you, step forth and claim your prize!

Thu Apr 16, 07:22:00 PM MDT  
Blogger Lydia Manx said...

Do they get a free trip to NM? In that case it was me!! (hush now I know I am not on a Mac nor in Southeastern US...but hey I have blog bookmarked)

Fri Apr 17, 08:36:00 PM MDT  
Blogger Carol Anne said...

Well, I can't afford to fly the winner to New Mexico, but once the winner is in this part of the world, I'll provide a beer from the Socorro Springs Brewing Company, plus a sail on the sexiest boat on Elephant Butte Lake.

Fri Apr 17, 09:01:00 PM MDT  

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