Spindletop regatta, Port Arthur, TX

We spent Saturday at Port Arthur YC in Texas, racing in light winds. The guys over there showed us a real large time, and the race was well run. I can't BELIEVE there weren't more people showing up for this race, only five people weren't from the immediate area.

They started off by feeding us Sloppy Joes and chips for lunch, during which they had the skippers' meeting. There is a nice little grassy beach to launch from, enclosed by a small seawall which had to be negotiated, but it was no problem.

The chop was light, and there was plenty of depth. I had my daggers well down for the upwind legs. We got off three windward-leewards on Saturday, and the wind diminished during the day but the RC had the fine good sense to shorten the course.

After the races, they had a Jimmy Buffett singlalong party with lots of cheeseburgers and homecooked fries. Keg beer and margaritas to go with it. We were given out the lyrics so we could sing along, it was WAY too funny.

We had to leave on Sunday, so I can't speak for the rest of the race, but it looked like they'd had wind.

The main thing was the friendliness. The fellas there at Port Arthur were SUPER nice, and fun to race with. I had SUCH a large time. We got a LOT of bang for the $25; three meals, framed pix of us sailing the race, and a super Sat night party. The only thing wasn't included were the Tshirts, which were quite nice EMBROIDERED for $15.

If you're anywhere near the area, you should keep it in mind for next year. Support these guys, they worked real hard and put on a good show.

sea ya

tami