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  Keeping my New Years Resolutions—Sailing news from North America
 | | Puget-Sound under winter light David Schmidt |
I'll admit that I was fairly surprised that the Race Committee didn't shorten the course for the annual Three Tree Point Yacht Club's Duwamish Head Race, which unfurls each January on the waters of Puget Sound, at the Duwamish Head turning mark, but our crew just assumed that they would truncate racing at Blakely Rock, which was our second major “mark”. After all, it was only 25 degrees Fahrenheit in the parking lot of Seattle's Shilshole Marina when our crew mustered at 0615 hours, and while the sun had belligerently risen, the air temperature was still cold.
Talk of warm chili and perchance a nip of sipping rum buoyed optimism amongst our crew as we battled light, sticky airs to escape Elliot Bay and fetch Blakely Rocks, oscillating between an A1 and a Code Zero as the squirrely wind swirled and frittered out. Then, just as we were certain that our time in the cold was winnowing, we caught the profile image of Crossfire's kite against the wooded hills of Bainbridge Island, and became was obvious that we were looking at the full-freight 30.8 miles of racing.
Thankfully, my friend's boat is light, fast and nimble, and our crew accustomed to rolling with the psychological setbacks (read: wind-hole created parking-lot restarts) that racing on Puget Sound can deliver, and we had enough fleece and insulated clothing aboard to start our own chandlery, so we knew we'd survive.
Thriving, of course, comes down to crew chemistry and to everyone staying engaged in the tactics rather than the temperatures, and I'm happy to report that our crew came through with flying colors (especially Erik K, who made a heck of a call about flipping boards on that final header to lay the finishing line!).
 | | Dark Star approaches Whidbey Island during the 2014 Smith Island Race - there was no danger of sunshine or warm temps during the 2017 Duwamish Head Race David Schmidt |
Granted our corrected-time performance perhaps wasn't blinding, but-for our crew-the real goal was getting out sailing on a cold winter's day, being safe, having fun and hoisting a few sails. With this as our goal, rather than a performance metric, we ensured ourselves a nautical adventure on a day that most of our other friends were spending at home, on the couch, engaged in the all-American tradition of pre-gaming before the all-mighty kick-off time.
While there's certainly nothing wrong with a gathering of friends assembled for the big game, I realized-maybe five miles from the finishing line-that the RC had done us all a massive favor by not shortening course. Sure, my hands were little icebergs and my acoustic guitars likely wouldn't be getting any love for a day or two, but this was a minute sacrifice compared to the challenge of thriving in conditions that could otherwise define the term “Type Two Fun”.
Which pulls me back to last week's editorial, where I revealed my resolution to get out sailing more in 2017 than I did in 2016. While I'm handicapped by the fact that I don't (currently) own a boat (ahem), I live less than a mile from one of the biggest marinas on the West Coast, and I'm fortunate to have generous friends who regularly invite me for rides. But the simple fact remains that I would have missed a fantastic day on the water if I had been focused more on the weather forecast rather than the promise of crew camaraderie.
Bottom line, you'll never know what it's like out there if you don't go and try, and while stout-hearted foul-weather gear and thermal clothing isn't cheap, it's a bargain compared to the opportunity costs of sitting at home, pre-gaming, when there's sailing to be done.
As for my hands, they're still cold, but I've barely stopped smiling since stepping off (OK, in the interest of journalistic integrity, maybe it was more of a stumble) the boat, under a cold blanket of winter dark, back at Shilshole Marine Saturday night.
 | | Banque Populaire VIII - Armel Le Cleac'h - Vendee Globe 2016/17 © Team Banque Populaire |
Meanwhile, on sailing's far grander stage, there's a serious dogfight setting up between Armel Le Cleac'h (FRA), sailing aboard Banque Populaire VIII, and Alex Thomson (GBR), sailing aboard Hugo Boss, in the singlehanded, nonstop around-the-world Vendee Globe Race. While Le Cleac'h has been leading for weeks, there's only 88.6 nautical miles separating Hugo Boss' bow from Banque Populaire VIII's stern. Even more troubling for Le Cleac'h is the fact that there are only 2,776.9 nautical miles of racing left, and Thomson can sail these miles on starboard tack, meaning that he won't be hampered by his broken Dali foil.
 | | Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) – Vendée Globe © Cleo Barnham Hugo Boss |
Adding further intrigue to the Vendee Globe drama is the fact that Jeremie Beyou, sailing in third place aboard Maitre COQ, has significantly reduced the miles separating his bow stem from the frontrunner's transoms.
 | | Jeremie Beyou (Maitre CoQ) – Vendée Globe © Jérémie Beyou / Maitre Coq / Vendée Globe |
Be sure to stay connected to the website in the next few weeks as this high-stakes drama plays out on the waters of the North Atlantic.
May the four winds blow you safely home,
David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor
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