— GOING THE DISTANCE “Cheater!” yelled our skipper as the first one motored past. That’s when I spotted Lee Helm, grad student and race crew, who can take her pick of top-end race boats on any weekend. She was coiling a sheet on the foredeck of the cruiser under power. We had made our point, so we started our engine, too and, a few minutes later, we were taking docklines as the raft-up formed. “Lee, what on earth are you doing on that crab crusher?” I asked her quietly
LATITUDE / LADONNA
(some of them using power, we suspected), we had a commanding lead. “We destroyed ‘em!” proclaimed the skipper. “Sure did,” I agreed. “Good sailing. That cruising spinnaker isn’t so bad after all.” We held onto the lead most of the way up the channel to the club's guest docks where our fleet would rendezvous, even though the wind went forward and then started to fade altogether. Some of the boats behind started their engines.
when she stepped over our lifelines to secure a spring line. “Professor’s boat,” she whispered. “Ah . . .” I said knowingly. “Political necessity.” She nodded. “And it’s not a crab crusher, it’s a bleach bottle. I mean, like, at least use the correct pejorative.” “Then what do you call that big flushdecker coming in next?” I asked, pointing to an older design that was all cabin from bow to stern except for a small midships cockpit on the roof. “Aircraft carrier,” she said. “And that one over there, from the dark years of
December, 2006 •
Latitude 38
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