Hey HSA! 

Just before race time in yesterday's 10th annual CruiserFest, the wind dropped to zero. After promising to be the most luscious wind and weather day in quite a spell for the Big Boats, it seemed that Mother WestWind was going to deliver a cruel blow - by not blowing at all. 

A few minutes later, all was forgiven as the anemometer sprang to life and the fleet was rescued. Not a single gust over ten after that, but neither was there anything below five. (according to the Sailflow wind app, so grain of salt thing.) (We all believe there were gusts over ten mph, by the way.)

With the lawn by A and B Dock getting primed for the post racing festivities, nineteen cruisers motored out to the aquatic coliseum loaded with over fifty crew in anticipation of a great day on the water. 

It was.

As for the racing, it was prime conditions for the lighter, smaller boats with two time (including the inaugural)  CruiserFest winner Curt Donahue streaking away on his sleek San Juan for a second in race one followed by a bullet in race two. 

While Curt sailed singlehanded, last year's CrusierFest champion Stephen Cook, sailing the smallest boat in the competition with crew Zach Nerod, equalled Curt's performance with a bullet in race one and a second in race two. Curt won the raw finishes tiebreaker for the title. 

A standout performance was also recorded by Guy Hemmer in his Hunter 23 who stayed close in race one and finished strong in race two for a top three finish edging out Yours Truly in Goodnight Moon and Pete Peters and his lime gang crew  in After You, both of whom finished in a tie for fourth. 

The racing ended on time with boats hitting the docks just as the Great Dave and Jackie FishFest was set to begin. The throng on shore numbered over seventy people as a couple hundred fish gave it up to sailor appetites along with hush puppies, cole slaw, pickles, corn on the cob, and ice cream, all provided by the host couple Dave Judy and Jackie Allen. 

"We enjoyed seeing so many people and sailboats out - really awesome," Dave said later. He reported using thirty eight pounds of perch and catfish, 240 hush puppies and an entire field of corn on the cob. Pete Peters collected several bottles of wine from participants and presented them to Dave and Jackie. 

Several skippers were new to CruiserFest. Young Dalton Marshall and friend Hannah sailed their first in Dalton's new Catalina 250 as did new members John Hawthorn and David Howell, both of whom raced their recently acquired O'Day 222's. David Howell is still waiting for his new jib and sailed singlehanded with just the main.  Brett Hart got daughter Maggie and her husband Josh back on the water, also in a newly acquired O'Day 222. 

Don Betz in his Mariner 19  sailed in CruiserFest for the first time but managed to get veteran couple Joe and Leigh Ann Fulford to ride along for advice on how to cover Goodnight Moon. Jerry Brewster grabbed the club cruiser, the Precision 18, and filled it with Capri 14 acolyte Jennifer Harris and her family: husband Jeremy and son Evan. Welcome all!

Results: (Little change to raw standings after Roger cracked the Portsmouth whip.)

1. Curt Donahue San Juan 21. 2 1. 3

2. Stephen Cook/Zach Nerod  Sage 17. 1 2.  3

3. Guy Hemmer and crew Hunter 23. 6 3. 9

4. Mike Stratton/Dawn Gunter/Laura Peters Catalina 250  3 7.  10

5. Pete Peters/Rose Schultz/Jerry Callahan/Tracy Mahoney Catalina 22 4 6 10

6. Don Betz/Joe Fulford/Leigh Ann Fulford Mariner 19. 7 4.  11

7. Jim MIllks/Matthew Milks/Nyx  Mariner 19  5 8. 13

8. Roger Henthorn/Bobbie Bode/Julie Molleran/Jackie and Fred Guntle Seaward 25. 11 5. 16

9. Bob Fletcher/Suzanne Fletcher Capri 18. 10 9. 19

10. Dalton Marshall/Hannah Catalina 250  8 11. 19

11. Jerry Brewster/Jenn Harris/Jeremy Harris/Evan Harris. Precision 18  13 12. 25

12. John Hawthorn/Chris Renger/Phil Hawthorn O Day 222  16 10 26

13. Brett Hart/Maggie and Josh. O Day 222. 14 13 27

14. Dave Judy/Jackie Allen Catalina 22. 9 DNS  27

15. Rob Gehron/Dave/Jacob San Juan 23. 12 DNF 30

16. Dennis Hensley/Pamela Sherman San Juan 23  15 DNF 33

17. David Howell. O Day 222 DNF DNF. 36

18. Steve Lyons MacGregor 25 DNC DNC 

19. Bill Jackson/Martin Griffiths MacGregor 25 DNC DNC