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Date: Dec 4, 09
From: Don Mulhall
Club: Penticton RCC
Vaka Eiva Report #5
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November 27, 2009
We're a couple hours away from our Round Raro long distance
change race. From our front deck we could see that the womens
race started late (keeping their perfect "island time" schedule
intact). So our 12:30 start will likely be more like 1 or 2 pm. It's
slight overcast, with a chance of showers - which would be the first
rain we've seen - winds are light with a moderate swell. I'm in the
starting crew, in seat four - one of the "pie eater" seats. I'm hoping
it's a term of endearment for a powerful meat seat.
We helped paddle boats back again yesterday after their junior
(under 14 years) 6 km lagoon races. We snuck my son Liam with us
for him to get a taste of open ocean. Driving to Muri Lagoon we
pointed out to him how flat it looked. Then he got to see what the
swells look like from out there. He kept yelling, "whoa! That was a
big one!", as our boats got lifted high before the wave crashed into
the reef beside us. We stopped and swam off the canoe.
After paddling we went back to the hotel where everyone had
prepared a huge feast of chicken chow mein, cooked green
bananas in coconut milk, paw paw salad with curry sauce,
marinated mahi mahi. Before dessert we played "Are you smarter
than a Canadian sixth grader" with some of my race shirts as
prizes, which triggered a flood of shirt trading. There was no
drinking at dinner, funny enough. Though this morning they're
filling a watermelon with tequilla for after the race.
They were all recovering from the "Muri Mingler" party after the
sprint races. The sprints were a lot of fun, but smoking hot on the
site. Beautiful lagoon racing, 500 m with a turn at 250 m. Our open
mens team came 3rd in our semi, which almost improved to 2nd
when the Mooloolooba men missed a buoy. But apparently when
you're as big as the Mooloolooba men you can out-run a DQ. They
missed the same buoy in the final, I think it was indicative of just
how fast they were, they just couldn't hold the boat coming out of
the turn. Our mixed masters team also came in third but didn't
advance to the final.
We did win the "run with a coconut in your shorts" race. The prize
was a beautiful book. Our young guys also won the hotly
contested Steinlager beer drinking/paddling without paddles race.
There seems to be a theme here, how we're World Champs when it
comes to the fun/drinking competition? Every team has their
special skill.
Gotta go, Liam my manager is sitting here in his scooter helmet
telling me to get ready!
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