Snatching Victory from Defeat

Actually, salvaging a couple of crooked numbers from absolute, double zeroes.

After three hours last night, we left the miserable sloppy, 2-knot (plus) waterboarding torture, convinced that we were DNF. There was blood in our eyes and murder in our hearts, and resentment toward the Race Committee for sending us on even a 2-mile windward-leeward-windward-leeward course. We did not hear the race-shortened announcement. I attribute that to several facts: 

• Our boat makes a deafening banging & clattering racket in no-wind chops.  
• We were too shorthanded to spare crew below to listen to the VHF. 
• A few years ago it was deemed politically correct for the Club to dispense with shotguns in favor of air horns. 
• The marks have been moved so far off the beach this year (to accommodate the sissies who can't navigate kelp beds) that  we can hardly hear the RC's audibles. 

Once back to my computer I see that we were bestowed 19th place out of 21 finishers. BTW, one reason we were short-handed by two last night, is that the two lads were on this Harbor-20 that beat us!

I'll take it, just to get over it and to move on. After all, I learned something: I learned to make the quick-release clip on the end of my preventer a quick release clip.

Now that backing into our slip has become S.O.P., I'm ready for some winds which can bend the bills back on our caps!