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Date: 20 Sep 2004 11:47:03
From: Mike McCrea
Subject: Trip Report - Wye Island Regatta
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Wye Island 2004 – Nobody Had More Fun
Just the facts Jack. Nobody had more fun than us at the 2004 Wye
Island Regatta. Not Charlie Vestal, who missed the race entirely,
waiting for AAA to come and rescue him from the dreaded keys locked in
the car scenario, not the Hepners , the Gillespies, or Team Hopkins,
who were told to turn back by the Coast Guard when they were nearly at
the halfway point. Not Paddler01 Alan., forced to beach his boat half
way through and ride back with the safety craft, returning by land to
fetch his boat from the lawn of some Wye Island mansion ("The master
will see you now sir")
That L&L Lassies turn-back was a damn shame though, since Team Hopkins
was in one of the most seaworthy boats in the regatta, the 30+ year
old OT Sockeye. I'm sure they could have finished safe and upright,
stroking strong to their chanted cheer of:
"We're gonna paddle, steer, read the map,
we'regonnapaddlesteerreadthemap, TIP THE BOAT…We're gonna paddle,
steer, read the map, we'regonnapaddlesteerreadthemap, TIP THE BOAT"
We were missing some of the usual contestants – Ebet and Vic – and
some promised first time entrants – David and Steffi. Next year guys.
Next year we are due for benign conditions. Or perhaps for a really
difficult 95 degree, high humidity, blazingly sunny heat stroke day.
Race day 2004 dawned unpromising. Tom overslept; missed joining Topher
at the meeting spot by an hour, then must have driven past him on the
highway. How he could have missed him on the road is beyond me - "Dum
de dum de dumb…oh look, there's a 22" long voyageur canoe being pulled
by a truck with Pennsylvania tags…"
http://www.clippercanoes.com/mariner.php
A big shout out to Blue Mountain Outfitters, for allowing us the use
of "The Bloody Mary", and to Captain Topher for his solo trailering
perseverance, timely delivery and sterling sternmanship in piloting
the great beast in very challenging conditions. And to bowman c2g for
setting the cadence and steering the bow when needed. With a crew of
eight and twenty two feet of boat you'd better have a bowman who can
steer.
Challenging? Challenging and then some. With the remnants of Ivan
blowing through (accent on "blowing") the conditions were, well, epic.
It seems that is an adjective that comes into play frequently to
describe paddling trips with Topher and all I can say is "Yea hah,
let's do it again soon!"
Waves crashing, spray flying, rain driving and boats capsizing all
around us the Bloody Mary plowed on fast and steady. Not only were we
one of the few boats to finish, we were the only boat racing with two
bottles of rum and a cooler of beer along. Gotta keep the crew happy
and hydrated ya know.
I believe we were also the only boat on the course to break into song,
working our way through off-key renditions of American Pie, Show Me
The Way To Go Home and assorted sea shanties led by Cap't Topher.
One particular shanty was a seaman's version of Fat Bottomed Girl,
sung solo by our Captain when he was inspired by the capsize and
attempted recovery of a racing lady endowed with swell (or swollen)
cheeks and a form fitting racing outfit. Topher's stroke rate picked
up noticeably after that visual treat.
Thanks to our Captain's GPS pronouncements we received regular updates
on our progress, including distance paddled, current speed, low,
average and top speed, as well as dire predications of our fate if we
were overtaken by certain kayaks.
No chance of that; as boat after boat turned back, turned to shore or
turned turtle. One single racing shell passed us early on, heading
back, and the rower announced her decision with a loud "Bauck,
bauucck, baauucckk" as she chickened out.
As we neared the halfway point, where the race course approached the
open Chesapeake Bay, we noticed a few fast racing singles heading
towards us with a purpose and deduced that the race had been shortened
to include no open bay leg.
Looking ahead we espied a large outrigger canoe coming our way, hell
bent on a collision course, and began to angle slightly off to the
right. An overtaking two man shell continued to persevere into the
wind and wave before veering off with a snide remark or two, including
reference to our cutting them off and a something about our being
"overloaded". At which point we instructed the shell's bass-akwards
facing crew to look to their right, as the mammoth outrigger churned
past. We should have let it cut them down, but in the end I believe
the wind and wave ended their race day with a DNF.
As it was the race was canceled before any of the big shells took to
the water, with only one quad making the start and no fours or eights.
Taking a $30-$40 K carbon fiber racing shell out in those conditions
wouldn't have been a good idea. Not just for the danger to the costly
craft, but for the damage to the rower's fragile psyche as the Bloody
Mary kicked their butt, smoking them on the difficult return leg,
surfing waves in a 22' Voyageur canoe while her crew chanted dirty sea
songs and laughed their way to the finish line.
Our final test on the return leg was administered by a Coast Guard
vessel that bore down on us at a high rate of speed, then abruptly
throttled back as it neared, throwing a huge bow wake in our
direction. Nice try boys, but we're crewing the Bloody Mary. Throttle
up; off with you then, go sink a rowing shell or race kayak.
Perhaps 20% of the boats that started managed to finish, most
succumbing to wind, waves or attacks by rogue Coast Guard vessels. The
crew of the Bloody Mary – bowman c2g, Tom, Brian, Tyler, Patty,
Theresa, Captain Topher and I (an all P.net crew by the way) not only
finished, we finished off the cooler and cracked open the rum to
celebrate crossing the finish line.
No sooner had we finished than that wonderful phrase was first heard
"next year…." As in "Next year we need to have a beer midget in the
crew".
Wye Island Regatta Info:
http://www.annapolisrowingclub.com/wyeisland.htm
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Date: 21 Sep 2004 14:24:31
From: Dave Manby
Subject: Re: Trip Report - Wye Island Regatta
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In message <b8fe2f84.0409210351.2d60ae7a@posting.google.com >, Mike
McCrea <mccrea@umbi.umd.edu > writes
>George <canoedotnj@prodigydot.net> wrote :
>
>> How much do beer midgets cost per day?
>
>It depends on the optional equipment. The delux model midget with the
>flat head for resting your beverage on and the buck teeth of prying
>off bottle caps is worth the extra cost though.
Need two - one for the Pizza
--
Dave Manby
Details of the Coruh river and my book "Many Rivers To Run" at
http://www.dmanby.demon.co.uk
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Date: 21 Sep 2004 03:19:06
From: George
Subject: Re: Trip Report - Wye Island Regatta
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On 20 Sep 2004 11:47:03 -0700, mccrea@umbi.umd.edu (Mike McCrea)
wrote:
>
>No sooner had we finished than that wonderful phrase was first heard
>"next year…." As in "Next year we need to have a beer midget in the
>crew".
>
>Wye Island Regatta Info:
>http://www.annapolisrowingclub.com/wyeisland.htm
Nice report.
How much do beer midgets cost per day?
George
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Date: 21 Sep 2004 04:51:52
From: Mike McCrea
Subject: Re: Trip Report - Wye Island Regatta
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George <canoedotnj@prodigydot.net > wrote :
> How much do beer midgets cost per day?
It depends on the optional equipment. The delux model midget with the
flat head for resting your beverage on and the buck teeth of prying
off bottle caps is worth the extra cost though.
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Date: 21 Sep 2004 14:23:40
From: Wilko
Subject: Re: Trip Report - Wye Island Regatta
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George wrote:
> On 20 Sep 2004 11:47:03 -0700, mccrea@umbi.umd.edu (Mike McCrea)
> wrote:
>
>
>>No sooner had we finished than that wonderful phrase was first heard
>>"next year…." As in "Next year we need to have a beer midget in the
>>crew".
>>
>>Wye Island Regatta Info:
>>http://www.annapolisrowingclub.com/wyeisland.htm
>
>
>
> Nice report.
>
> How much do beer midgets cost per day?
My guess is something like one big beer each... but you won't see them
untill a substantial amount of beer has already been consumed, and then
that amount is likely to get lost anyway!
--
Wilko van den Bergh wilko(a t)dse(d o t)nl
Eindhoven The Netherlands Europe
---Look at the possibilities, don't worry about the limitations.---
http://wilko.webzone.ru/
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