Dodging ducks, savoring summer—Sailing news from the U.S. and beyond
by David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor on 30 Aug 2016
No ducks were injured or bothered during the August 16, 2016 Duck Dodge John James Audubon/ Wikimedia Common
A couple of weeks ago I had the opportunity to participate in the truly “only-in-Seattle” experience known as the Duck Dodge. While the “rules” of this event are as quirky as the event’s name (look them up online), the basic premise of this decades-old gathering involves loading up your boat with your friends and family and heading out onto Lake Union each Tuesday night during the summer for a casual racecourse boat parade (the Duck Dodge), immediately followed by an epic raft-up that often pushes 2300 hours.
While we didn’t see anyone attempting to break Rule 8 (as I said, look up the rules online!), we did see hordes of people out enjoying a fine evening of sailing. Some sailors were decked-out in costume regalia (the evening’s theme was Mardi Gras), some were on keel boats, others aboard One Designs such as Lasers and Penguins, but the common denominator was a friendly attitude and a strong desire to make the most out of summer’s fleeting days.
Given the amount of darkness and rain that Seattle-situated at almost 48 degrees north latitude-will be receiving in the next six months, it’s fitting that local sailors truly enjoy the (fairly) rare confluence of sunny, warm skies, a gentle evening breeze, and zero precipitation.
Tuesday, September 6 is the final Duck Dodge of 2016, and September is also a question-mark month, weather-wise, in the Pacific Northwest, so everyone was careful to savor the evening’s fun.
Fortunately, it’s not yet time to start composing dirges for the summer’s sailing season as there are still many great weeks of racing left. In fact, depending on where you live this can easily be the year’s best sailing as temperatures have dropped, breezes have freshened, and while the sun sets earlier than it did at the summer solstice, there’s still ample time left for an after-work sail.
A glance at the big-picture sailing calendar reveals that September is packed with great regattas, from Grand Prix-level events including the Etchells Worlds (August 30-September 10; Cowes, UK), the Rolex Big Boat Series (September 15-18; San Francisco, CA), the Women’s Match Racing World Championships (September 20-25; Sheboygan, WI), and the J/70 Worlds (September 24-October 1; San Francisco, CA), as well as more Corinthian-orientated events such as the New York Architects Regatta Challenge (September 15-16; New York City, NY), the Pontchartrain Yacht Club Veterans' Regatta (September 17; Mandeville, LA) and the Sika Star of the North Regatta (September 16-18; Wayzata, MN).
Fall is also a time when different Leukemia Cups are held around the country. If you haven’t yet participated in these great regattas, we at Sail-World.com strongly encourage you to get involved. Not only do the proceeds go to a tremendous cause, but the events themselves are a fun way to get out on the water, socialize, and-of course-also use sailing to help leverage a greater good.
So, while there’s no denying that August’s end has arrived, there’s also no excuse for putting the boat away early, as some of the season’s finest conditions almost certainly await in the next 30-45 days (latitude-depending).
As for Seattle sailors, our Duck Dodge season may almost be over, but the end of the big high-pressure system that classically hangs over the entire Pacific Northwest during summer months is a screaming dog whistle to sailors that the serious racing season is about to begin. True, plenty of our friends and family will (wisely) spend these same weekend days skiing powder rather than basking in rain on the rail (ahem), but while our summers classically lack breeze, our falls, winters and springs typically compensate nicely for this shortcoming.
As for Lake Union’s famous ducks, I can’t comment on their winter-migration plans (if any), but I can report that no duck was scared or forced to alter its navigational plans on account of our passage around the buoys two weeks ago. As for the after-party, well, some things just need to be experienced firsthand.
May the four winds blow you safely home,
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