This past weekend I sailed in a 22 mile race put on by the 20 Hundred Club around Narraganset Bay. Talk about my idea of heaven. My second cousin once-removed (tricky, I know--I had to break out the family tree in order to really understand how we're related), Johnny, has a lovely J30 in Warwick, Rhode Island, and he was kind enough to invite me down to the land of beaches and waves for the day. I didn't bring my big camera on the race, which turned out to be a good idea; despite our slow start due to lack of wind, the breeze picked up by the afternoon, and suddenly the decks were awash in waves and everything, including me, was soaked and sun-drenched. And I was about as happy as I could possibly be (more after the jump).
I did, fortunately, have my trusty iPhone with me, and snapped these Instagrams of our race. I'd never been sailing in Rhode Island before--wait, I take that back. I once had a really horrible experience when I was a senior in high school and wanted to go to Brown, whose sailing team, thinking I was a far more seasoned racer than I actually was, invited me down for a sailing practice as a recruit. I went, realized I had no idea how to sail at the level that this team operated on, and as a result had a really embarrassing and damp time. I also subsequently did not get into Brown. But I digress.
Let's try this again. This past weekend was my first great time sailing in Rhode Island, and I already want to hop in my car right this instant and go back. It's different from where I usually sail in Maine because the shoreline is not as rocky, and I actually found the wind to be steadier (perhaps because there aren't as many tiny islands around there as are in Penobscot Bay?). The sandwiches Johnny made us for lunch were delicious, which is just as important as the wind, and the beer after our rollicking finish was cold. What more could you want?
Wonderful people, perhaps? They were in abundance as well. Johnny had a bunch of his racing buddies on the boat as well, and I loved listening to their banter and urgent cries of "pull that line! No, the other one!" as we raced along. Nothing like funny sailors to make an all-day race even better. My face got totally sunburned (friends I was with that night had to listen to me complain about it incessantly. Sorry, guys) but even that felt good--the mix of the sun and the wind make for a delightful (if somewhat painful) kind of heat that radiates off my face after a good sail. I almost enjoy the discomfort because of how much fun I had earning it.
And now, some photos:
Jamestown Bridge.
The wind picked up around noon and the sun came out!
A gray start.
Sailing past Conimicut Light.
Traveling at a speed of Moc 1 (full disclosure: I did not make that joke up, but I really wish I had. The throttle on the boat needs to be held down when the motor is on, so Johnny wedged his shoe in to do the job--this is apparently a common theme because the joke was at the ready).
The view from the mooring.
A beach. Delightful.
Huge thanks to Johnny and his wife Carol for hosting me and taking me on such a lovely adventure. Here's to have many more!
