Get Your Swerve On

Great times were had by all at Chicago Yacht Club’s Verve Cup last weekend. The regatta got off to a rough start with the stale, flat, vinegar-tasting pisswater that was served at the skippers meeting. The call of “Free Beer” is usually the sweetest of deals, but we quickly realized they couldn’t give this crap away.

Friday was the first day of racing for this big Chicago event, and it was a lumpy one. A weak Nor’Easter had been blowing for a couple of days and set up a pretty good chop. The biggest problem was the lack of pressure – there wasn’t enough to power through the slop, making for tough driving and putting a premium on finding flat spots for maneuvers. Circle A saw some great sailing though, and with the air show practices going on, there was plenty to watch between races. The free Rum and Beer pour was a pretty good deal, with the exception that the rum servers were slow and the lines way too long – still, a big improvement over the usual cash bar.