Racin in Racine

We moved our sailboat to Racine, Wisconsin this year. We seem to slowly be making our way up the lake. We are now proud members of Racine Yacht Club. This morning in the clubhouse while having breakfast, one of the members asked if we were racers or cruisers. I answered, “I’m the cruiser, he’s the racer.” It’s true. Dave loves to race single-hand, and when I’m on the boat I appreciate being able to sit and enjoy the water and wind.

I’m looking forward to exploring the area. There’s a walking trail that winds along the coast that I intend on exploring this summer. There’s a small beach on the other side of the clubhouse I know the kids will enjoy. The food is good and plentiful at the club. A lot of the races Dave does in the summer start of this harbor, which is one of the factors in the decision to move here.

So far, it looks good. Stay tuned for more.

I came up with Dave for the weekend. We just bought a new spinnaker for the boat, and he wanted to try it out before racing this week. It is massive. It’s weird to hear the sail crackle, it’s a sound unique to spinnakers since they are so light. If you are wondering what a spinnaker is, it is the sail with all the colors that flies in front of the boat.

Dave comes back with Matthew in a couple of days so they can do a double-handed race together. What a great experience for Matthew. Dave knows so much about sailing it’s amazing and daunting at the same time. Sailing is complex and complicated – what normal people call ropes are called lines, sheets, halyards, etc. in sailing based on their function. Same goes for the sails. There’s a mainsail, a jib, a spinnaker, storm sails, and whole host of other sails depending upon the weight of the sail and the sail’s intended use. Matthew has absorbed all this information over the course of his life, and Dave gives him a lot of responsibility during these races. I’ve watched Matthew become more comfortable and authoritative over these past few years as a result of these double-handed races. My boy’s growing up.

The first week of July is our family vacation, so stay tuned for more info about our travels on Lake Michigan.

Here’s a link to The Sailing Adventures of Bootlegger for more: www.sailingbootlegger.com