I got worked

I went up to Jericho in Vancouver, BC this morning. We left Seattle around 6:45 with a full carload, Ed was paddling OC2 with Clem, who had gone up Fri night, and Doug N who was paddling OC1, and my friend Scotty who loves anything to do with boats. I paddled this one OC1.

For any small boat race I participate in I have three goals I hope to meet. 1) don't huli (flip the boat), 2) finish the race, 3) don't finish dead last. I very nearly didn't meet two of my goals. I came damn close to huli'ing on more than one occasion, way too close for comfort. I was also very close to finishing dead last.

Conditions started out ideal, not too cold, not much wind, and the snow that had been predicted never materialized. We were told it was about 6 miles. Leave from in front of the dock, go towards False Creek, around 2 channel marker bouys, then back and around the first dolphin (large wooden piling marker structure), and back to the dock to finish. Up towards False Creek was upwind and not so bad. I was feeling a little out of shape and held back some as I didn't want to start coughing. I was at the back of the rapidly spreading out pack. There was one kapuna master guy (over 55) near me, about halfway to the bouys I was able to pull away from him some, but couldn't seem to catch anyone else. That first leg also cut right through a sailing regatta, at one point I was sure a sail boat was going to split me in half, probably passed 50 ft behind me. I was able to surf a couple of bumps along the way to the bouys, that was kind a fun, feeling a surge of speed that wasn't your doing. Around the first bouy, then the second, damn, where is everyone!

By then he wind had picked up some and so did the bumps. The water was pretty disorganized, too, couldn't really tell where all the chop was coming from. This is where I nearly huli'd, the bumps were mostly coming from the ama side, the left side, at one point the ama popped out of the water quite a ways. At one point I paddled in towards the beach, I was hoping for two things, first to get away from some of the bumps and second to get away from the big container ships. I then headed back towards the dolphin and I wasn't anywhere near anyone else. When I was within a mile of the dolphin I could see how strong the tide was, combined with the bumps and I was getting kind of nervous. I hiked my butt up on the left edge of the boat so I could sit on the ama to add to the stability of the boat (the ama is on the left). I started paddling 10 strokes on the right side to 20 on the left and pointed myself directly towards the dolphin.

There was a woman who'd been in my sights pretty much the entire race, I never figured I have a chance to pass her. Here was my chance, she was struggling with the bumps and the current and ended up taking a much wider line around the dolphin. I worked so hard to stay on the higher line, actually pointed myself inside the marker and let the current push me out just far enough, I could reach out and touch it as I went past. Now I just had to dig in and finish and I wouldn't finish last. I hadn't seen the kapuna guy in so long I figured he must have quit. That last leg was a hard upwind push that never seemed to end and I pretty much had lost feeling in my toes, too. My GPS recorded nearly 7 miles as I went around the last turn. I pushed and gave it all I had to the end, glancing back occasionally to see how close Darcy was, still behind me, keep pushing! I was never so happy to hear a horn when I finally crossed the finish line!

Scotty called down his congratulations as I rounded the dock. He said everybody was looking beaten down and it was a harder race than any expected. I got into the beach, Doug and I carried the boat up. I could hardly walk my feet were so cold. Scotty offered to fetch my clothes from the car while I hobbled up into the locker room looking forward to a nice hot shower while Doug rinsed off the boat for me. Finishing nearly last has it's perks! Doug and Scotty biggest mahalos for your help! That nice hot shower was tepid at best, but the color did come back to my hands and feet eventually. My official time was 1 hr 36 min and my GPS course length was 7.7 miles, part of that was my zig zagging, but not 1.7 miles worth! We stuck around for the awards ceremony and as things were wrapping up I saw that kapuna master guy come in. He did finish the race; that's one tough dude. That was a really hard race, I felt worked afterwards. Had a great time and would do it again in a heartbeat. Oh, wait, I'm going down to Portland in 2 weeks for another one!