2021 Turkey Day Reach: the last race of the year.

Over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend, New York’s Huguenot Yacht Club held its annual Turkey Day Reach, the last big boat race on western LIS. Being on the shoulder season, some Turkey Day Reaches see sailors in shirt sleeves or light jackets while others make it obvious that December is just a few days away. This year’s was the later. Forecasts for Saturday called for the unpleasant combination of low temperatures and strong winds. And this time the weather models were right. The temperature was 42 degrees and the wind blew steadily in the low 20s with gusts into the 30s. The weather kept many likely sailors home by a warm fire reading the newspaper or watching football. For the few of us who were prepared to race, we will have great memories of meeting the challenge of sailing under control in high winds. A lot of people made good decisions that day. The ones who stayed home knew that either their boats or crews were not up to the conditions; some left the dock only to decide not to race once they felt the strong wind and biting cold at the racing area. The race committee wisely set a reaching-only course that had no tacking or gybing AND they set the course under the north shore of the Sound, which kept the boats out of the heaviest seas and biggest winds. The two boats that finished the race were sailed by the most experienced skippers and crews who reveled in the big blow. Artie Buhr’s Jeanneau 409 TIME OUT was first and my custom 40 SOULMATES corrected to second. As a boat owner, I use the late November race as a reason to keep my boat commissioned for an extra six weeks after the normal close of the racing season. Late fall sailing offers crisp, clear days with great breezes and uncrowded water ways, which is perfect for memorable, day sails.