Beth Winkler

The start was a bit shaky and I admit I was a bit late. If it hadn't been for Sean Sullivan helping me I might not have been able to get out in the shallow shore break so easily. I do love a challenge and the shore break was but the first.

Late as I was getting through the narrow start line late and alone was no problem. I began to cruise up wind with my old friend the IMCO feeling like this is "okay" I can do it! I sailed and sailed and sailed and sailed and hardly saw a another. Am I going the right way? Traditionally known as "wrong way Beth" I was assured by Sue that if I kept the shore on my left to the light house on the way up and the shore on my right on the way down I'd be going the right direction. So with much confidence and no evidence of other competitors I continued. Much later I began to feel a chill that's not suppose to be south of Cocoa Beach. A bad choice of wetsuits or lack of was becoming a problem.

Finally, seeing the huge lighthouse I was suppose to be looking for I see 4 others who had rounded the mark before me. Well, I guess I'm going the right way! Great! Maybe I can do this. And then I rounded the corner.

The second bad choice I made was rigging big. The wind felt light on shore and all the guys were going big so I go big too. With gust up to 30 mphs going downwind with an 8.4 race sail was quite the handful for me. Had I gone with my 6.2 back at the house it might have been a different story. Famous last words!

I was cold and out of control when the gusts hit. This I've done many times in my racing career, but something told me this day not to be so stubborn. This is suppose to be fun. So after falling twice heading down to the second mark I spotted a fishing boat that I hailed for a tow not thinking twice. They dragged me close enough to shore to attract the help from 4 cute Pompano Beach life guards who helped me drag everything undercover and me into a great warm shower.

I want to publicly thank those cute professionals at Pompano Beach Life Guard station and the fishermen that I distracted from their purpose on the water for making my day. There is nothing wrong with being rescued and that's why I think that I finished in a big way. This race was a challenge and I love a challenge. I'll be back!