# Getting back into racing



## SchockT (May 21, 2012)

In my younger days I raced at least 3 days a week year round. And then my son came along, and the focus became all about him, and the racing took a back seat to family cruising, hockey, soccer, etc.

This week some of the old gang started to get the Wednesday night program on a friend's Olson 30 Black Ice going again. The boat has been in the water with no antifouling since last June, so when we pulled it Tuesday night we had a full on artificial reef to deal with!

We got her cleaned up, and had a fantastic sail last night. We are all a bit rusty, and we were short handed, but damn it was good to get out there! Nothing like getting out racing on Wednesday to break up the work week routine!









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## bshock (Dec 11, 2012)

Indeed! I very much enjoy my Wednesday night races! Glad you're getting back into it.


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## Hudsonian (Apr 3, 2008)

Nice work. Few boats offer the racing bang for the buck as an Olsen 30.


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## SchockT (May 21, 2012)

Hudsonian said:


> Nice work. Few boats offer the racing bang for the buck as an Olsen 30.


Yes they are very cool boats! I remember the first time the boat lit up onto a plane! Doing 13+kts on a 30 keelboat is quite a rush! I did the O30 Nationals at NOOD in San Francisco years ago...it was the most exciting and satisfying racing experience I have ever had!

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## BarryL (Aug 21, 2003)

Hey,

Good for you. What a difference in the bottom between the before and after pictures. Amazing.

The sailing season is just starting on Long Island. My boat is in the water and ready to go. This year I will be racing my boat for the spring series. We will long distance races on my regular race boat, and then the summer series on his boat as well. 

It should be a lot of fun,

Barry


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## paulk (Jun 2, 2000)

Our Wednesday nights start next week. Hope it stops raining!


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## jephotog (Feb 25, 2002)

SchockT said:


> We got her cleaned up, and had a fantastic sail last night. We are all a bit rusty, and we were short handed, but damn it was good to get out there! Nothing like getting out racing on Wednesday to break up the work week routine!
> 
> Sent from my SM-G960W using Tapatalk


I am excited for you. Racing is a lot of fun. How else can you spend an evening getting yelled at by a mean skipper? How else can you rationalize cutting off people out daysailing? Let others think this is what racing is all about.:grin

I have not raced in two years after sailing hard for 7 years. I am about to join my local (3-hour drive) yacht club and start to race my own boat. I have a lot to learn this summer.


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## SchockT (May 21, 2012)

jephotog said:


> I am excited for you. Racing is a lot of fun. How else can you spend an evening getting yelled at by a mean skipper? How else can you rationalize cutting off people out daysailing? Let others think this is what racing is all about.:grin
> 
> I have not raced in two years after sailing hard for 7 years. I am about to join my local (3-hour drive) yacht club and start to race my own boat. I have a lot to learn this summer.


I don't race with screamers. Life is too short! The guys I race with are competitive, but relaxed. Everyone knows what they are doing, so there is never any panic.

As for people out daysailing, we give them all the rights they are entitled to and we expect the same from them. Recreational sailors are rarely a problem, it's asshats in powerboats that cause the most grief on the race course, but even that is fairly rare.

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