Oy Vey!

Holy off the grid, batman! Where have I been?

Oh.  That's right.

Sailing.

And planning sailboat races. And stuff.

My last post summarized the epic (cold, wet, windy) fun that was Round the County 2012.  That was over 6 months ago.  Yes.  I'm sorry.  But it's ok because I only have four followers, those poor saps.

So a few center Sound series and tri islands later, before I knew it spring sailing season was in full swing and my lucky stars were being counted in perfect rhythm with the neap tides.  Neffy is as fast and as fun as ever with race week just around the corner, which means anyone in the Super30 fleet should start conditioning their livers for the fleet party right about, um, NOW.

And the kicker?  Ironically, as I write this from Cabo (Cape) San Lucas it is not without a very special fondness for another, far more Northerly Cape, having had the distinct pleasure of rounding it under sail during the 2013 Van Isle 360 just a few short days ago with some amazing folks aboard S/V Flash. 

Rounding Cape Scott, Vancouver Island, BC

 
Next?  PINK BOAT.  Yes.  And, um, shit. I have a lot to do.  But so help me, we'll see $50,000 this year.  We will.  Seattle has this thing in the bag.  I can feel it in my knees when the weather turns.  Anyone not familiar with the evolution of this beast can educate here, but suffice it to say we're at a precipice which I plan on launching from in some kind of device propelled by the good skill and craft of our sailing community.  So sign the hell up pretty please, with sugar on top, whether to race or just raise money for the cause. 

Very thankfully, my own mother is doing rather fabulously.  Her hair is growing back (curly this time!) and her ferocious attitude intact and thriving.   And being Canadian, she will be receiving a new rack shortly free of charge thanks to rampant socialism.  (detect sarcasm)

In good health and much love,

Go Sailing. 

Salty

PS Wojtek, you can kiss my ass.

Winter Harbour, BC.  Or an image from my sailboating dreams.  Can't quite be sure.

And then came 2012. Nefariously.

In with the old, out with the new!

Wait, actually- scratch that.  My 2012 philosophy is, decidedly...

If the old was good, KEEP it.  If the new is good, KEEP it.

That's it.  Period.  If you can read between the lines, then it reads something like:

DON'T KEEP IT IF IT SUCKS. 

Simple!  Here are a few steps I've found especially useful in making such a transition.  Disclaimer: I cannot guarantee that anyone in particular, or at all, will gain any value whatsoever from my own musings.  Carry on.


STEP 1: Acknowledge the positive and honor it appropriately.

Umm...so...like, mental note, right?  Moment of silence?  Quiet reverence?

Pfffft.  Get a freaking tattoo!  YES!

Act shocked. 



STEP 2: Keep (insert something you love here) Sailing.

How about a gorgeous New Year's Day sail on Elliot Bay with all of your favorite sailors?  Huh?  Maybe throw in a little 3rd place at Duwamish Head on a beautiful January morning?  Does that count?  Neffy got the gun (which is just so little kid-ish exciting!) but Dos and Brio beat us out fair and square for the lead on this one....congrats to them both!  (...official results...)


STEP 3: Throw caution to the wind.  

Appropriately-punned expression intended.  I can live no other way than to greet whatever may be carried in with the breeze... and since 2012 has started with some very serendipitous winds, I shall keep my fingers crossed for a gale and weather this storm with gratitude and a smile.  Plural.

Cheers, friends.  Sail true.  Happy year.

Salty.

Out of the Woodwork, Into the SEA...

omg.

Really?

Yes.  Really.  It's really me.

But, for realsies?

Yes, for realsies.

After a brief hiatus from the planet, I'd like to catch up on a few (oh so very much fun) regattas we've had over the last few months, beginning, of course, with Round the County.  Why?  Because someone saw an Orca whale.  It wasn't us.  It was Neptune's Car.  But still...pretty cool, right?

# of days sailing around Island County, WA (read: the San Juan Islands): 2

# of crockpots needed to feed just the Peterson brothers: 1

# of crockpots needed to feed the entire rest of the crew: 1.5

# of gnarly rope burn incidents: 1

# of huge gloves on board: 4

# of crew members experimenting with the utility of replacing foul weather gear with a dry suit: 1

# of days the dry suit lasted: 1

# of huge wind holes we picnicked in 1/4 mile from the finish to avoid winning: 1

# of wipeouts: 2. Maybe 3

 # of wipeouts that weren't any fun: BIG FAT ZERO.

And to sum it up, a lovely photo taken by Sean Trew depicting the lovely, lovely weather we were so fortunate enough to reach around some islands in:

Nefarious!

Cheers everyone!

Go. Fight breast cancer. WIN, dammit.

Dear Friends,

As some of you may be aware, I found Tom Watson's Pink Boat story so inspiring that I absolutely had to write about it in a previous post in the hopes that maybe, just maybe, even a single person would be equally inspired as I was and feel compelled to join in the support for such an extraordinary attempt to bring awareness and resources to the cause. Since then, Tom has graciously offered the lady skipper position to yours truly for the upcoming regatta, and I've decided a trip to San Francisco for the opportunity to drive the epitome of an inspiring boat is, well, truly an honor.

Therefore, I will be skippering the Pink Boat Darwind in the 1st annual Pink Boat Regatta on October 23rd, 2011 in San Francisco, CA. This is a charity event in which all proceeds will benefit the Breast Cancer Foundation. Buoys can be 'purchased' here for any of the participating race boats, which will improve that boat's chances of 'winning' the regatta.

This is not a joke. I, Ashley, have actually been entrusted with not crashing into Alcatraz Island.

So...we need all the help we can get. Seriously. More buoys = less actual sailing skills required.

It seemed only appropriate, despite my usual unwillingness to impose the advocacy of my own endeavors upon my friends and loved ones, that my efforts in helping to further the cause through this regatta should call on the same generosity and spirit which so often (and necessarily) builds the foundation for such a journey in the first place. To any who feel compelled to contribute by the way of a race buoy or otherwise, monetarily or not: You have my deepest gratitude.

To my sailing friends- there's still room on the boat! Join us! Be advised there is a skipper-imposed 'ridiculous and preferably over-the-top pink costumes required at all times' rule. Oh yes. But hey, if Nefarious skipper Cap'n Dan can suffer a temporary bout of insanity long enough to travel to SF and act as my crew for an exciting role reversal, pink costume notwithstanding, how bad can it be? Bad? No. Fun as hell? Absolutely.

And in the spirit of the event, the cause, and all of the really important things in life, I personally will be drawing on the courage of some very important people in my own life whose fearlessness in their fight against cancer trump racing in a silly little sailboat regatta about twenty million times over. You know who you are.

Learn more about The Pink Boat organization here: www.thepinkboat.org or help spread the word by 'liking' The Pink Boat on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/ThePinkBoat.

If nothing else, please help spread the word. The only way for anyone to decide be involved in a cause helping to make a difference for the several hundred thousand women each year getting the same bad news, is to know about it.

Just to pre-funk a little.

Before I delve in to the Nefarious account of our own shenanigans in San Francisco, here's a little taste of just how freaking awesome the conditions were on the Bay:

Rolex short video montage: makes my heart race, especially the awesome wipe-outs of the second half.  At exactly 3 minutes, there's a quick helicopter shot of our worst wipe-out (blue spinnaker.) Wooo!





Not to mention excellent (read: holy photographer skills, Batman!) photos taken by Meredith Block throughout the entire Farr 30 world's.  Amazing photos.  Seriously.  Here's an example:

One of my favorites...breathtaking!

And here's the link: 
Media Photos from the Farr 30 World's