To All – Welcome to another Cruising Fleet racing season. Oh my goodness. What an evening. What a ride! All the weather forecasts were for dying winds after 5 pm, but somebody forgot to tell Mother Nature. The winds finally dropped below 20 mph after the racing was done. The hard gusts blew from the nasty northwest, and I suspect everybody was reefed. Tomorrow the bruises will start to show, but for tonight the racing was exhilarating. The big news of the evening was that the Sailing Instructions have changed and the Non-spinnaker group will start first this year. Please see Morris for a streamer – orange for the Spinnaker group; green for the Non-Spinnaker group. The course was #18 (A to E or B to E), meaning all marks taken to port make for a figure 8 course. After you round a mark you have to cross the path of oncoming traffic. Like starboard roundings, let me make a case right now that this course should be eliminated from our repertoire. Thanks to Howie and the Race Committee for rocking and rolling tonight. We should remember this race in August when it’s 90° at 6 pm with an outgoing current and 5 mph winds from the north! See you on the water. Lee Luce Cruising Fleet Secretary