MORE SUMMER... Ups and downs (Part 46f)

Sunday dawned with fog and drizzle. Those make for a bad combination for sailboat racing. The race was to start at 10am but it kept being pushed back with the hope that the fog would lift. Also, there was little wind to help move the fog away or to propel us around the racecourse. It was almost noon when the word went out to launch the boats. The race committee made two attempts to start the race, aborting them both. The traditional race course was a triangle and we would race around the marks twice. When it got to be close to 1pm they announced that the course was changed and we would only use two marks. Because the fog had lifted only close to shore they decided that the course would stay fairly close to it. The wind was still light and coming out of the East, not a usual direction. With the tide going out it called for those in the ”know“ to start the race and to go to the left side of the course. But... the wind changed... about 30 degrees. Basic sailboat race course management called for the race committee move the marks or to abandon the race when there was a permanent wind shift of 20 degrees or more. They didn’t. Those of us on the left side of the course were put into a very unfavorable position. We rounded the first mark in 28th place and, with the way the marks were placed. very little chance to improve our position. It was going to be a follow the leader procession. From where we were we could see one boat WAY out in front of the others. It was obvious to both Rick and I that whoever it was had been very lucky and probably would’ve been last if the wind had not changed. I checked behind me and saw that my club mate, the one who had been leading in the standings at the start of the race, was about 5 boats behind me.

We ended up finishing 24th, a slight improvement. My club mate moved up to 25th, right behind me. But we knew those finishes would be devastating to our overall positions. Rick and I were boiling mad. Our club mate was too. On our way to the finish we decided to protest the race committee. Neither of us had ever done it but knew there were special rules that governed how it was to be done. Unfortunately, we didn’t do it the right way so were rebuffed, only making us madder. Some other competitors did the same which served only to delay the posting of the final standings. If there was one common thread that went all up and down the beach as we hauled the boats out of the water was that the race committee ”blew it“.

The winner of the race? Lola. Unbelievable! She should’ve been last and here she was the winner and by a large margin. All the boats were out of the water and most packed up and ready to leave by the time we got the word that the protest of the race committee had been disallowed. I was the maddest I think I’d ever been. I ended up finishing 9th overall and my club mate had dropped from first to 4th. We’d been robbed and I’ll admit that in looking back at my behavior, I was out of line. I said some things that I shouldn’t have said and to people who really weren’t at fault. Rick, who also had tickets to the awards banquet, said he wouldn’t attend. I said I wouldn’t either as we hooked the boat to the car.

My father, although sympathetic, told me that I better attend, ”or else“. Elle also felt the same. Of course she had a vested interest in going... she’d bought a new dress to go back to school with and this was a perfect occasion to wear it. I don’t remember any conversation between the two of us all the way back to the yacht club. Once there I got all kinds of condolences from the people I knew but it really didn’t make me feel any better. I remember looking at the trophy display and it made the hurt even greater as I only missed out on the 7th place trophy by three positions in the last race. My club mate took his loss better than I did but he was among the best racers in the class and would have other chances. I pretty much knew that I’d raced my last race and wouldn’t have another chance. Elle and I left as soon as the trophies were distributed. I didn’t even say a last good bye to the twins.

Elle tried her best to cheer me up on the trip back home. But all she talked about was going back to school. I’d been so caught up with the racing I’d pretty much pushed the fact that we had to leave for college the very next day out of my conscious mind. That, and I had to get back to work. Elle talked about the fact that she would have to get used to being in a classroom again. Practice teaching followed by Summer vacation meant it would be seven months since she actually had to do any studying. Another of her concerns was about just who her roommate would be. As a senior she would be in a two person room. There had been four of them the last year and there was no consensus as to who would room with whom and it bothered her. I just let her jabber on, not really paying all that much attention and before we knew it we were on the road that took us to our houses.

I really don’t know why I didn’t pull into my own driveway like I usually did. I ended up parking in the driveway of the house right across from Elle’s. The people who lived there in the Summer had headed back to city early to beat the rush. As I pulled in I looked over at Elle and she was pulling her dress up over her head. By the time I had the engine shut off it was totally off and already in the back seat. I sat there and watched her pull her slip down from her waist wondering what she was doing. It wasn’t all that late and there was the possibility of people walking by. The next thing I knew she was undoing my belt and waist button on my pants. I remember sort of protesting and having her tell me to ”shut up!” When she had the zipper undone I lifted my bottom off the seat and she slid them down to the floor. That left only my shirt. I just sat there letting her undress me.

To be continued...