For the polar (and I do mean polar) opposite of Sean's lovely cruise on Lake Havasu, recorded in his great video, Lynne L was unwinterized yesterday to join seven other intrepid crews sailing in the First Annual Freeze Your Mast Off cruising boat regatta on the Potomac River, sponsored by the Daingerfield Island Sailing Club. In light winds, we (that would be I, can't blame the crew) kind of blew the start and had to tack behind most of the 8-boat fleet, leaving us at the back as we started the long upriver windward leg against a 2-3 kt combination of current and ebb tide. As the wind slackened, we managed to retrieve some of the Montgomery honor blown at the start by ghosting past four of the bigger boats (and they're all bigger boats) to finally round the windward mark in fourth place and begin to ride the current and tide down to the finish as the wind died completely. As it became evident that none of the boats still on the windward leg was going to make the mark in 2009, the attractions of beer and hot chili on the hard overcame the enthusiasm for racing, and the race was finally abandoned by the RC as the afternooon temperature peaked at 34 degrees. Sorry there is no video to show the bundled-up crews, each looking like Charlie Brown in winter, but even had a camera been available, it would have been hard to operate in ski gloves. Happy (and warm) 2009 sailing to all, Rick M-17 #633 Lynne L ************** New year...new news. Be the first to know what is making headlines. (http://www.aol.com/?ncid=emlcntaolcom00000026)