Bissell Racing

I was asked by a journalist of our local Annapolis Sailing Magazine “The Spinsheet,”… “What’s up with your hat?”  This was my response…

The only real story behind the hat is that I really hate cold weather.  I found the hat at Eastern Mountain Sports when I was in search of the warmest hat I could possibly find even if it looked dorky and perhaps even girly.    

I grew up in Newport Beach, CA and have never gotten used to the cold.  When I got out of college sailing, I swore that I’d never sail a cold weather regatta again.  But, when I heard how many fun people were coming to town for the IC Midwinters I knew it was going to be an event that shouldn’t be missed.  The local Annapolis IC fleet was very accommodating in helping me find a boat to use and I called up my go-to-guy Matt Schubert to see if he and his wife Lori would be my B division team.  I used up all of my beginners luck in Saturday’s racing because Sunday didn’t go as well for us.  I was joking around at the awards ceremony that I tried my hardest to screw things up, but Matt and Lori just wouldn’t let it happen as they won B division by 13 points putting us in 2^nd overall.   

The fun factor was the reason I did this event and I wasn’t disappointed.  After racing on Saturday, all the competitors enjoyed dinner and a keg inside SSA by the nice warm fire.  The highlight of the dinner party came when two long tables were pushed together to accommodate a game of “flip-cup.”  The last pitcher of the keg was used for a new spin on an old game….no hands flip-cup.  Try drinking a beer and flipping the empty cup end over end without using your hands…what a mess!  The group then proceeded to the Rockfish and then on to Pussers. 

The cold temperatures were definitely the hardest on the crews.  When you’re skippering, you’re pretty active in the boat trimming the main and steering.  The crew’s only real job in the IC is to put the centerboard up and down.  My super crew, Alexis Rubin, couldn’t feel her hands, feet or face.  The regatta format is pretty cool in that you only sail a few races at a time.  It’s nice to be able to come in periodically to warm up by the fire. 

Danny Pletsch skippered the B division boat on the winning team and he still thinks he can run 20 MPH.  Results…