Back on the Lake.

I think it's that mental dougal dog all suitably outraged for the benefit of the wood botherers he's obviously hell bent on placating, so he can write owner manuals for the luddite. He even mentioned the Hythe incident so clearly a reference to events reported here.

I reminded them the exact definition of a Bandit, which is the combination of good helms and a slow boat more suited to beginners. So it could also be thought of as a back handed complement.

But when every single Miracle well sailed or otherwise beats you, and you have beaten other quite good helms, then you know the truth of the matter and leave with a slightly moral holier than thou grin..

They're Bandits no doubt about it and I'm not, so I can stand in judgement upon them and don't I love that...

We have 2 Miracles at Whitefriars. I'd love to say that 1200 was a bandit handicap (and I really, really think that it is) but the results don't really show that it is - the Lightning has a pretty averagely poor handicap (compared to the Solo) and yet they don't seem to beat us often.

However, good to hear you are back on the pond, Grumph - I've missed the whinging about windshifts and the comments about what would have been if so and so hadn't happened. All you need t do now is try and work out what WILL happen next and sail to that, so you get the "luck".

Starting drinking at 5.45 the previous evening of our laying up supper was probably a mistake, fully realised as the rudder fell off the yards from the shore in an offshore breeze, I really must learn how to make these things work without it. Hitching up the boat, negotiating the lake fortifications, stopping twice as the trailer board fell off, it was always going to be a disaster this return to the lake fray, pitching in with the Miracles, Solos, Streakers, Lasers, Snipes, a 300 and the bandido bros rocking a Buzz about, which seemed strangely out of place and probably the only boat other than a 300 that would be out of place with the rest of Pancho Villas hordes.

In fact it's got so that you really need a kind of anti bandit term for us, it's like chucking a naked virgin into a viking horde, the ravaging we get..

But it did eventually all come good, I somehow got it all together and had a passable start and but for a late shift came very close to rounding first (at least i though I was going to, not so, a gust to the right brought just about all the front runners back and round ahead of me so I had to battle with Miracles being sailed well (and telliing me to stop rocking) Me! a frail old guy who can't stand up without falling over and grabbing the rig now and again hows a fella expected to sail to handicap without the odd ooch & pump like the good guys do?
Nope you're expected to sit there and eat up their 1200 handicap against your 1024 and all your protestations about the EPS class permitting it are null and void because this is a handicap race and it's not allowed! (I bet that doesn't get enforced at the Great Lakes) So I behaved myself eat it up, did eventually get by them all finished about 4th having had a Battle Royale with Gemma in the Snipe with a brilliant finish on her part with a tack to lee bow on a starboard line call, so all in all enjoyable just the same and a good head clearer.

Lots of boats, an old acquaintance from the past punting a Solo around a lot quicker than it should be and a bonus for me in that I finally beat the Rooster 8.1 over the water. The boys did well to pilot a Buzz around with its Assym kite, I've no idea where they finished I can never bear to look at the results, some dozy t*t has printed an article about the Miracle not being a bandit, it is now pinned to the club wall and we're back on National Handicaps.

Everyone is so pleased.

Edited by iGRF - 01 Dec 14 at 2:46pm