Parent Youth Race 12-10-05
By Doug Day (retired) #1 "DUB"
There was no wind at all, the water was completely glass.
So we decided to run a paddle only race, that is where the parent paddles on one side at a time only (so the parent can't do corrective strokes), and the kid steers with the tiller.
If some wind happened along, that would be great and we could use it, but there was just no wind at all.
The course we decided on was to go straight across the lake to the steps on the far side, then back to the shallow water marker bouy just East of the launch ramp and round it, then back to the end of the floating dock for the rowing shells. I paddled and paddled, and every time I stopped, my Morgan would say "lets go daddy, they are catching up to us! Paddle paddle paddle !!!". We were in the lead with Whirlwind / Swift close behind.
We reached the far side with a 3 boat length lead, we pushed off and were heading back. They had a slight technical trouble when they switched crew at the tiller, David Olson had both of his kids while I just had one with me.
We stretched our lead just a bit a made it back in first place !! YEEAA!! Our first race to win.
I sent Morgan off to get a bottle of water for me, here she is doing a quick victory pose.
We ran another race, this time the kids were doing the paddling and the parents were at the tiller.
A much shorter course though, just from the end of the rowing dock to the bouy and back.
We were neck and neck for most of the way out to the bouy.
Then we pulled ahead just a little bit.
Uh Oh... The outrigger club was paddling around the lake with their grunts and moans, they pulled into the dock just as we were coming to the bouy (which is right next to the dock).
We paddled up as they were changing crew, and just as we came around, it looked like they were going to pull out and paddle away.
I mumbled "OK Morgan, I am going to try and not run into the $10k boat...".
I steered us wide, and the Olsons rounded the bouy and looked to be heading for the gap opening up between the dock and the outrigger boat, which would have been a shorter course.
Oh no! The Olsons ran into the dock, which allowed us to pull away and head for the finish line.
Patrick was running a bit late and launched just in time to see our last leg of the race.
Patrick splashed us with his paddle, so I had Morgan pull out the cannon and hose him down.