On Wednesday, 4 February it looked like the Interclub (IC) Midwinters would have to be called off.

You could ice skate on the basins at Severn Sailing Association and the ramps used to launch the boats were treacherous. If the coming weekend were just a regular day of frostbiting, well, you could wait until the last minute to call it off.

But this was the Midwinters, and sailors would be coming to Annapolis from Hyannis Yacht Club, MA, Indian Harbor Yacht Club, Greenwich CT, Larchmont Yacht Club, NY, Metedeconk River Yacht Club, NJ, Manhasset Bay Yacht Club, NY, Rochester Frostbite Association, NY, Scituate Frostbite Association, MA, and Winthrop Frostbite Sailing Club, MA. They have to make plans, arrange for baby sitters, someone to take the dog out. You've got to give these folks some advance warning.

Then it warmed. The Pilot boat that lies at city dock came out and nosed into the SSA basins and broke the ice up. SSA members became energized. Snow shovels came out. The parking lot was plowed again and whalers were used to tow growlers (small ice bergs) away, and lo and behold, at the 11th hour the email announcement was issued. There will be a regatta!

And what a grand regatta it was! Please, understand, IC racing isn't for everyone. It's limited to storied enclaves in the northeast where IC sailing skill is guardedly passed from one generation to the next like a secret recipe for the family chowder.

Enclaves in the northeast except for the upstart Annapolis IC fleet - with a mere ten year- in contrast to a forty-year history. Annapolis IC sailors are the rookies, and their heretofore performance in the Midwinters and Nationals has been indicative of that.

This year, though, the Annapolis rookies finally caught up. Well, almost. For the third year in a row, team Scituate (Chad Demarest, Whitney Besse, Steve and Jane Kirkpatrick) won the regatta. But a mere three points behind in second place was the predominantly Annapolis team of Jesse Falsone, Nancy Gilreath, Simon Strauss, and Lisa Pline.

All I can say is, "Wait until next year."

Sailing news from The Capital.
Click here for more Alden Bugly photographs.
Captain's Log