Yes, it was a busy weekend

and there's quite a bit to tell.

Our family survived the Rocky Mountain Buccaneer Rodeo and Marina Survivor. Highlights for me included running a regatta for 20 boats, more or less organizing the race committee, a potluck dinner and an ice cream social, New Mexico Sailing Club board and club meeting, thunderstorms, the largest social gatherings we've had at the Heron Lake Marina, spreading wheelbarrow loads of gravel on the trail to keep ahead of the wet weather, and building a trimaran raft. Carol Anne got to sail and race "Black Magic" for the first time since nearly a month ago in Dillon, and "Tadpole" got to help run mark set boats and sail a Sunfish.

Ten Buccaneers, nine of whom were raced, and their crews arrived at Heron Lake on Friday night and Saturday morning. We had arranged for them to be able to stow their boats in the park's mast-up lot as part of the event, and many of them camped close together in the Island View reservation campsites. A rain shower passed through late Friday afternoon, the first in several days for the area.

Saturday morning arrived rapidly. Before we even realized it, it was time for me to lead the skipper/crew meeting and introduce the Buccs to Heron Lake. Twenty boats participated in the regatta: 9 Buccaneers (18-foot centerboard sailboats with jib, mainsail, and spinnaker) from New Mexico, Colorado, and Arizona; 5 A fleet boats from the NMSC (an Etchells, a Moore 24, and 3 J24s); and 6 B fleet cruising boats. We also had a race committee signal boat, mark set boat, and a couple of boats and skippers to take photos and spectators out on the race course, plus some casual cruisers who enjoyed watching the regatta.

A passing thunderstorm stayed away from our racecourse, but came close enough to deter some people from racing on Saturday.

more to come