Much Ado about Racing

The weekly GPBC Wednesday sailboat races are run from the end of the pier by a small but dedicated, and utterly beloved Dock Committee, led by Jay Kaiser, namesake of the fabled and coveted Kaiser Cup. Jay’s usual supporting cast are Al “The Old Cannon Whacker” LeChard, Shirley Momjian, PC Sheila Tomkowiak and Sid LeChard. From week to week, any number of other club members will come out to hang with the DC, assist if needed, enjoy the race and socialize.

The starting line of the racecourse, which is also the finish line, is from the flagpole at the end of the pier to a yellow buoy set about 125 yards straight out. At 7:00 p.m. is the first gun… cannon, actually… signifying the beginning of the starting sequence. A second gun is set off at 7:05. For the next five minutes anywhere from six to twelve boats will prepare and jockey for optimum starting position when the race begins with a final cannon blast at 7:10.

The start of any race can be very exciting because all the boats are trying to get to the same place at the same time. And it takes place within shouting distance of the pier, up close and almost personal. Even though by the end of the race the boats can be fairly spread out, one-on-one duels for position at the finish can be very exciting too.

Obviously, the velocity and direction of the wind has everything to do with how long the race lasts. Typically, a race takes anywhere between 60 to 90 minutes. The race course itself is a triangular pattern that incorporates channel markers #3 and #5. A chart of the race course and race instructions can be downloaded here.

All club members are encouraged to come out to watch the start of a race and see what all the fuss is about. Hanging with the DC is a blast in itself (pun intended) and can be highly instructional. The truth of sailboat racing is it runs the gamut from white-knuckle, adrenaline-fueled excitement to soul-crushing boredom. Professor Kaiser describes our dear little beer can race as a weekly appointment to go sailing. We go out when it’s nice and we go out when it’s awful, including rain and strong winds. The only time we do not go racing is if the conditions are deemed unsafe by the Dock Committee.

Although the competition on the racecourse can be pretty intense, after the race it’s all camaraderie, good will, laughs and back slapping. Typically, the racers will retire to a local watering hole afterward to compare notes, support each other, discuss the race, have a beer and pizza, yuk it up, tell outrageous lies, and begin looking forward to the next race.

The final high point of any race usually comes the day after when Professor Kaiser publishes his recap. Jay’s recaps are informative, highly instructional, entertaining and loaded with wry humor. We all look forward to them, hoping if he calls one of us out it’s for something we did well and not something we screwed up.