allipp01
03/16/17 #20843

Jill and I just got back from our all too brief one week Hilo visit. I managed to get in a race from Richardson's Beach to Hilo Bayfront. Ostensibly a downwind race……..it was actually a 2 mile upwind start, 7 miles of pretty good downwind,and then a 3 mile sidewind/upwind slog to the finish…….the long course became, for me at least, a battle of attrition, which I ended up losing. After a poor start, I reeled in many canoes on the downwind leg only to get passed back again on the final long slog.

Enter Michael Medler. While I can't vouch that he's any faster after being in Hilo for 3 months, I can vouch that he's smarter! He chose to go short course, which didn't have the initial 2 mile upwind portion. He ended up fourth boat across the finish line in the short course.

Long Race Results (ED. - link seems defunct)

Short Race Results (ED. - link seems defunct)

Above are the long and short course results. As a point of reference, I was battling the lone surfski for a good bit of the downwind leg, though he did pull away from me at the end of that leg as heat took its toll on me!

allipp01
03/16/17 #20844

Oops, sorry Mr Medler, make that 5th across the line!