Sailing on Vancouver Lake

The dock

Last Tuesday evening was meant for racing sail boats on Vancouver Lake.  It was about 65 degrees, with a brisk wind and a clear sky.  The dock was quiet one moment and then inundated with eager sailors edging their boats onto the water surface with loose sails calling for attention and boats that needed to skim the lake surface.

Officials' boat

Rollers on the lake

We pulled away in the guide boat
and readied the flags, horn, buoys, paperwork, while our lungs luxuriated in the fresh air. The lake developed good sized rollers as the boats formed up to starting positions.  Flags were synchronized to the sounding of horns and the sail boats were off!  Crews scampered from one side of their boats to the other as a fit person offered his/her body as ballast off the side of the boat appearing to be a wooden planks horizontal to the water surface.  The mainsails,  

The sun is setting

Spinnakers unfurled

the jibs, and spinnakers gathered the wind to propel the boats forward.

Boats are put to sleep for the night

As the sun set, reflecting off the sails, a chill wind began to infiltrate my now deficient hoody.  Wishing for a good windbreaker, earmuffs and gloves I finished the paperwork and we all 'raced back to the barn' for the night.  The boats were trussed up with sails furled and all 'ship shape' until the next race.  Sailors gathered in the club house for pasta, cocoa, wine and beer.

A good evening on the lake.  All good, J