Considering the fact that Vancouver opened up its doors to hospitality by hosting any island boat for the weekend prior and for a second week after the Nationals, it was pretty hard to refuse the invitation for the M242 North American Championships. Besides, the crew from Daisy and Urban Well were not going to take no anyways especially since they have been crossing our apparently huge, dangerous ocean (or so say most Islander's lately) to get over to many of our regattas, Blackadder didn't want to lose face for our Island fleet as one of the main reasons for getting their sorry behinds to clockwork English Bay.

After a weekend of dry-docking the adder at Kits, the crew arrived late Friday for registration at Royal Van and to pick up some pointers from race committee. Holland and the crew hadn't been counting on being met by a brand new Martin 242 dry-docked beside the yacht club. After drooling profusely, the crew made their way in to say a lot of hellos and to find their billeting family who were willing to put up the haphazard crew. Thanks to Richard Spooner who went so far as to give up his whole apartment while he slept on his own crew's living room couch, the Adderlings restocked an empty beer fridge and readied themselves for the next two days of racing.

Having been to the NA's three years ago, expectations to win the event was far from even a remote consideration especially considering a baggy five-year-old CISM main. The crew was determined, however, to learn as much as could be learned from racing in a big fleet of 38 M242's. With steady winds that averaged a good 10 knot breeze and a disposition to just deal with whatever was on the start line, Adder managed to maneuver her way into a presentable 12th by the end of the regatta. In retrospect, what was learned as part of the reason for a decent finish primarily came from six things:

• · never focus on being first every race; instead, focus on only beating the boat directly ahead (recognize that over ten races, those with the lowest average are the ones that come out in the top of the fleet in the end)
• · congestion at the favored end of the line does not compute to a good start; the middle of the line (counting on line sag) will usually deliver every time
• · port tacking at the windward mark takes skill and marksmanship (and, according to anyone who've watched those do it, balls of steel)
• · rig tension will either be too loose or too tight but whatever Dirty Dog is doing works every time (apparently loose is better)
• · ALL the Martins are fast; differences in steadiness of regular crew is definitely a determiner
• · NEVER take your mind off the game; in one nanosecond you could let four boats go by
• · try and finish in the top half of the fleet to get any rest between races; they start races there within one minute of the last boat finishing

Overall, it was an amazing weekend. No, they don't know how to mix free margaritas and party like the Islanders. Yes, they are competitively fierce. Yes, English Bay can get repetitively boring, but no, the trip over wasn't as bad as we make it out to be. Fleet One was hospitable and gracious. While Blackadder didn't stay for the final dinner, Mark Pearse who made it over to crew on a boat attested to a great meal and incredible comraderie. Something we brag about being over here, but perhaps something we could practise even more so over there. It would be wonderful for our fleet to plan on taking over more than one boat next year. If we want more patronage at our regattas, we need to attend more than our own Island regattas. After the NA's, Blackadder can attest to an enjoyable and educational weekend that all of us could benefit from.