Seven boats came out to drift around in the rain while the RC tried to interpret any little puffs of wind and set a course. After an hour, with no sign of any change in conditions, the RC lost patience and ran up the N flag.
And a writeup from Roland Nikles, skipper of Falcon:
Yesterday was race day in Port Townsend. The first day of the Summer catspaw series. The name suggests light conditions energized by patches of breeze touching down on the water’s surface like a kitten swiping at a roll of yarn. There was wind aloft. Exhaust from the tall stacks at the pulp mill flagged steadily towards Indian Island, indicating a northwest breeze of 10 knots, just as forecast. But the kitten was not playful. Nary a catspaw reached the surface and the race committee and seven eager Thunderbirds that turned out drifted hopefully in a cluster for ninety minutes. A warm rain began to fall softly ahead of a weak front, giving no definite direction to masthead Windexes. Eventually the race committee tossed in the towel in the form of its blue-checkered flag, signaling abandonment. Three T-Birds still on blocks in the boat yard this week will be happy.
It was a good-natured bunch. T-birds drifting in a pack waiting for wind, like ducks on Kai-Tai Lagoon. There is no better vantage point to observe Port Townsend, the Olympics, and the changing weather passing by, than out on Port Townsend Bay. After a three-week hiatus there was pent up enthusiasm. Seven crews thinking about their boats, going through the motions of rigging for sailing, brushing off flecks of accumulated bottom growth along the waterline, and navigating out from their slips out to the race course. Seals, gulls, murrelets, and fish skipping along the surface joined us among strands of drifting seaweed. “There will always be another day for racing,” said one back at the dock. He meant no harm done in not holding out longer waiting for wind. No harm because the boats got attention, gentle banter passed between boats and crews on the water, and Port Townsend Bay was beautiful as always.
A reminder that Wednesday racing is for the PHRF class as well. See you on the water.