Racing this time of year in Florida, (the lightening storm capital of the USA) is always exciting. There are light and variable winds except in the vicinity of a Thunderstorm. Saturday it rained until around 10:30AM, then no wind until the Sea Breeze which started around 1:30PM and we had 3 good races in 10 gusting to 12 knots of wind Saturday afternoon.

Sunday it was supposed to start raining around 12 Noon. We were told by the Race Committee to try to get to the starting line by 10AM so we could get some racing in before the rain and quit early so people who have to work Monday could get on the road. Sunday AM the wind was light, gusting to 4 knots from the North, so it took a while to sail South to the starting line. When we got there, We noticed dark ominous clouds building to our North. The Race Committee had not put out any marks and appeared to be studying the weather forecast. The Race Committee came to the conclusion that the storm was headed our way and told all boats to return to FWYC. Wind was still from the North and as we got closer to FWYC the wind was improving. One Race Committee boat offered me a tow, which I declined because I was sailing as fast as they could tow me and I was very close to rounding the point to the launch area. Shortly after that I observed an area of very disturbed water heading my way, obviously a strong gust. I was on port tack. I had to release the main sail when the gust hit. The main sail was flogging as much as a fully battened sail can flog. I could not sheet in very much without flipping the boat. I had to sail around a capsized thistle. Then I came about on to Starboard tack but kept the jib on the new windward side so I was "hove to" on starboard tack, close reaching, in the direction to the rocks on the opposite side of the FWYC peninsula from the launch area, at a slow controlled speed due to my backwinded jib sail. The rocky side was the leeward side of the peninsula, meaning the Northerly wind was blowing me away from the rocks. There was sandy bottom up to the rocks. A guy named Bo threw me a line to tie to the bow of my boat. Then I dropped my jib and mainsails.

It was still very windy and there was lightening strikes in all directions so we must have been directly underneath the thunderstorm. Jim Serpa gave me an anchor to put out in case the wind changed direction and was blowing me toward the rocks. There was a line wrapped around the anchor which I assumed incorrectly that one end was tied the the anchor. After unwrapping the line I lost the anchor. I swam in to the rocks and got a anchor from my van which I used to anchor my boat in case of change of wind directrion. Later Jim found the anchor that I had lost. The storm lasted about an hour. I was able to get a power boat to tow me around the point to the launch area once the storm subsided. I think the Race Committee boats did a great job of helping any boats that needed help. Everyone got in safe and no injuries to report. The registration fee was $50 and I think I got my $50 worth of excitement. -- Rick Upson #1422