2010 has really become the year of firsts for me. While the "firsts" are too long and boring to list, there is an important one coming up early next month. I will crew in my first yacht race which is something I have wanted to do since I first sailed with my dad and cousins on the family sunfish on Little Crooked Lake in Michigan.
On August 6th, 2010 me and a 9 person crew will begin racing in Chesapeake Bay's largest and oldest overnight race, the Governors Cup. We start out in Annapolis at 6:00 PM on Friday night and then sail for nearly 17 hours arriving in St. Mary's City, MD around 11:00 AM the next day.
A long way from the sunfish, I will be sailing on the "Sea Spirit" owned by Jim and Valerie Bonham. This 48' foot restored Sea Witch is just absolutely beautiful. A photo is included with this post. If interested, you can read a bit about the boat's history and restoration here.
Frankly, the excitement is building. I just finished a Basic Sailing 101 course at Chicago Sailing. I always thought my first race would be the Mac Race on Lake Michigan but this will really set me up for a good shot a crew spot in that race next year.
All i can think about is getting on this boat and embarking on a 17-hour journey down the Chesapeake Bay. Having never sailed at night, I am surely looking forward to fully understanding what it means to navigate by the stars.
