whose fireworks were those?

True to the name, this event demanded a lot from the boats and sailors. Everthing from picking your way through a mooring field, sailing 270 degrees on the same tack, double trapped tight reaching, and a beautiful sunset on the water (for some of us).

It was all about predicting when the seabreeze would fill. Boats spread out all over the bay past Gadsen point (McDill?), and our boat in particular caught a "Zero to Hero" lane about 12 miles to the Skyway, setting us up for a nice line to be first under the bridge.

From Mullet Point to the finish (about 30+ miles) was an uphill horserace. JC/"Steve" and Mike(?) were literally within a boatlength the whole way. The two N20s were within spitting distance all the way to the Clearwater spider marker wherein Fondrick found "fourth mode" and pulled about a mile ahead.

And again true to form, our boat found the shoal at Dunedin pass shortly after sunset. Of course it had to be a double-trap reach at the time. Suprisingly, no damage to daggarboards (thank you soft sand!)

Props to Forrest in his first official race. This race isn't for quitters (bachelor boy), and he toughed it out way better than I would have if it was my first sojourn...

That "stealth mode" neon yellow mainsail did make it hard to slip by the competition without notice however...

We pulled into the beach just after last light, and I saw two more boats pull in after us. Any idea who they were? And we know Karl had to quit to make his "field trip". Where did Ding end up?