Pleasant BAY, CAPE COD, Catboat Gathering, 8/9/14

Saturday was the annual Arey's Pond Boatyard Pleasant Bay Catboat Gathering/Regatta. This was my second year participating, but the first in our Marshall 18 Catboat, "Meander."

I had 5 goals, 1)Nobody gets hurt; 2) I don't embarrass myself, or the boat; 3)Get a good start; 4) Don't finish Last!; 5)Beat the Herreschofof that started just ahead of me. Yes, #5 was added when the race started.

There were 104 boats registered to start in three groups, we were in the second group to start, along with the other Marshall's and the Herreschoff America's, and various other models of catboats. Only two sloop rigged classic wood boats were entered this year making this the largest CATBOAT gathering yet! 84 boats finished the race, including us.

After the practice race Friday where I got a horrible start I was determined to get a good one and we did. We were the fourth boat over the line!

Here is an aerial of where we were playing Saturday.
The white line is the course, however passage through the narrows (between Sipsons Island and the mainland) was not required. The wind was blowing out of the north so tacking was required and the tide had changed. I took the yellow line for my path and succeeded in passing 4 boats, including the Herreschoff America!

Here's a short video that SWMBO filmed shortly after the start and before The Narrows.
Regatta

You can feel the tenseness of the event can't you? LOL

The wind died about the first mark, the one furthest south, down near the Wequassett Inn.
It looked something like this:

If you note the boat with the American flag in the sail, that is the Herreschoff that I wanted to beat! 🙂

The boatyard has yet to publish the results, although awards were given out to the top finishers on Saturday. We did not place, but we didn't lose either! I just don't know exactly where I did place in the race. I think in the bottom third most likely. I got smoked on the downwind at the start because I took a slightly different tack than the others. Local knowledge of Little Pleasant Bay whupped me in that run. I don't sail that part of the Bay often, but my knowledge of the upwind legs, and NOT going back through the Narrows helped me gain some time!

After the race we took a slow sail back to our mooring and went along the outside of the bay, or the backside as we call it. That's the Atlantic to the right/East in the aerial photo.

Along the way back to Crow's Pond (bottom pond in the aerial, and where we moor)we ran into our local scourge, Seals...... We are developing a seal problem, and they are bringing the Great Whites into our waters in great numbers.

Anyway here's a snapshot of the guests

They are supposed to stay 150' away from boats but I don't know how to control that! 🙂

So, I achieved all my goals in this, our first regatta with Meander!

Adios for now,

Dtp