It was, as football commentators are prone to say, a game of two halves. Haven Ports Yacht Club traditionally holds races on Boxing Day and New Year's Day, both with magnificent trophies and both excellent antidotes to the season of over-indulgence.
On Boxing Day there were nine yachts - with a total of about 60 crew - and almost no wind. It would have been nice to go out to sea for the final outing of 2006, but the race officer was afraid that if he sent us that far we'd never get back in such a feeble breeze, so a river course was set, with two circuits up and down the Orwell from Levington to Pin Mill, then Shotley and back, giving plenty of opportunities to shorten as necessary, as the fleet crossed and recrossed the club line off Suffolk Yacht Harbour.
Tide cheating was the order of the day, and almost every yacht felt the bottom at some point. Even David Pinner's all-conquering X 35 Kiss was parked on the putty for a while, but still managed to save her time on David and Eileen Card's Sunfast 37 Demijon II.
The very light airs, and thanks to their direction, almost perfect windward/leeward course, made for an enjoyable and not too taxing outing. We managed to be over the line at the start. If you're not over once a year, you're not trying, the old saying goes, but does it hold if you only do three races in the course of a year?
And then, having laughed rather unkindly watching the acrobatic antics of the Kiss crew trying to get off the mud, perhaps as a form of natural justice we got stuck ourselves. (Fairly harmless in such flat weather, and with a rising tide, but the modern fin and bulb seems to stick much faster than a traditional fin keel!)
So we had to be content with a middle of the fleet result. We weren't complaining. We'd enjoyed the outing, made extra fun by a crew of friends gathered from other boats laid up for the winter, and the gentle spinnaker run was just what the doctor ordered.
New Year's Day could hardly have been more different. The wind was howling so hard that we wondered if the race would even start. Off came the new main and the big genoa. On went the “tired” main and the working jib. We didn't even run the spinnaker string, just to make sure we weren't tempted! Even the coastal waters forecast had an eight in it.
So once again, the river course was set - this time to keep us in relatively sheltered waters. Once again it looked as if Kiss would win the day - not least because her well-drilled crew did not think twice about putting up the kite. Unfortunately they went the wrong side of a buoy, within sight of the race committee, so their efforts came to nought.
Demijon II, continuing her great form of the previous week, and also daring to get the spinnaker out of the bag, was the worthy winner, and we were delighted to win a bottle of wine as runners up.
It was one of those days when you really question your sanity as you set out, thoroughly expecting to get cold, wet and miserable. But in fact a great time was had by all. Yes, it was windy, but the sun was shining, and it was a great hangover cure. The foul tide beat was quite hard work, but the run/reach was brilliant.
We all sat on the rail feeling thoroughly pleased with life - and sorry for anyone who was languishing indoors on such a beautiful day. It was a great way to end the season.
Because when we returned to the marina, the sails came off (very useful having a racing crew to help with this!) as the laying up process began in earnest.
Now we have to strip the boat completely, so she can be weighed and measured for her IRC rating certificate, in readiness for some offshore racing. And then she'll come out of the water, and the real work starts.
But already it's 2007, and we can start talking about “this year” instead of “next year.”
It'll soon be March, and relaunch time, won't it?
