Ladies Day at HISC – Third Time’s the Charm!

Mother Nature seemed to have it in for the ladies of HISC this year. As Race Chair, I jokingly dubbed this one the Goldilocks Race: Race 1 was cancelled for too little wind, Race 2 was cancelled for too much wind and waves, and Race 3… well, it wasn’t just right, but at least it happened!

One silver lining of the delays was that we gained an additional race boat, which made for a better, more spirited event.

November 1st turned out to be a beautiful day on the water, with temperatures in the low 80s by afternoon. The wind, however, was anything but cooperative—shifting between NW, N, and NE at 3–8 knots. Not ideal for racing, but the ladies were determined to make it work.

Each boat had its own challenges to contend with. Aireze took on committee boat duties for the first time and did an excellent job. Just minutes before the start, the wind picked up slightly, helping move the boats along. Lady Grey nailed the start, while the rest of the fleet coasted across on a dying breeze. Zephyrus went for the west side, Commotion took the east, and Lady Grey split the middle. Sharyn Leigh had a frustrating start delay of nearly five minutes, leaving her crew anxious to get underway.

With failing wind and a 0.5-knot current pushing south, the boats struggled to make progress, tacking and gybing to catch any hint of air—or to simply stay clear of each other. After 10–15 painful minutes on the downwind leg, the breeze shifted again (NW to N and back to NW), and the fleet slowly began to move. Zephyrus, being the lightest, would surge forward only to stall again. Commotion caught a puff and closed the gap, while Sharyn Leigh took an independent line to the east, joking, “Are we still racing?” Meanwhile, Lady Grey furled her flogging jib and continued under mainsail alone.

The second leg to the east virtual mark felt quick compared to the first. Commotion held the lead and decided to tack in an attempt to shake off her pursuers—a move that backfired due to lighter air and steering issues. Zephyrus and Sharyn Leigh pressed on toward the mark. Virtual marks are tricky to track, even for experienced sailors, and can easily cause confusion about whether boats have actually rounded them. At the mark, Zephyrus and Sharyn Leigh exchanged some lighthearted chatter before setting course for the finish.

Remember Sharyn Leigh’s five-minute delay at the start? She made an incredible recovery, crossing the finish line a full eight minutes ahead of the next boat. Well done, Sharyn Leigh crew!

As for the rest of the fleet, Zephyrus missed her opportunity to block Commotion at the finish. Commotion crept up from behind, ready to pounce, while Zephyrus’s skipper hesitated to make a defensive move. Commotion slipped past to take the finish—victory snatched away by inexperience and a touch of over-kindness. Later at the party discussions with the Zephyrus skipper promised that she won’t be “so nice next year!”

A big thank-you to the gentlemen who provided committee boat services, and to all the ladies who stuck with the racing program this year. You proved that the third time truly is the charm!