December 4, 2005
Event Recap
This year's I-To-I Distance Race didn't go the distance. Wind too light to run the Inlet to Inlet race on Sunday prevented a start and any meaningful practice on Saturday. A grass roots event with no entry fee, no fancy hotel, no event t-shirts came off with four course races instead. The race is in it's 3rd year and the 1st year on the National Race Tour of US Windsurfing as the first race of 2006 as well as the SE Series.
11 competitors arrived for the 8:15 a.m. skipper's meeting and waited hopefully as the wind built but not enough to start and then died to the point where it was near certain nobody would finish within the 4 hour time limit for the distance race. Course racing was started at 1:15 p.m. on a short course with 4 races lasting about 15-20 minutes each. Meanwhile the Hobie Cat 44 Commodore's Cup got underway at 11 a.m. and only a few boats finished within 4 hours.
The I-To-I Distance Race is unique in that it is a formal event with a grass roots beginning and is easy to hold. No competitors got hotel rooms, but spent the night with locals. No banquet, but Karen Doyle happened to have her annual Christmas party and invited the group over. Everybody said they enjoyed the weekend and were glad they came. In parting, the often heard, "you should have been here yesterday or you should be here tomorrow" was applicable with absolutely perfect sideshore 15 mph conditions on Monday. Oh well, next year leave December 2-3, 2006 open on your calendar.