When you think of the number TEN, does Bo Derek still come to mind? Slowly slinking about in your cerebral canyons? It certainly makes sense, but for the four of us who sailed Pushaw today, the number TEN will forever be associated with this plate on this day. The best way to describe it is to imagine the sensation of freely jumping off a cliff and the silent rush of air and acceleration. That’s what peeling off was like today. Up and down the nine mile length of the lake. The wind was brisk, and had a nice angle for beating up into the north end. There is one active and one latent pressure ridge about a third and two-thirds of the way up. We established a windward mark at a buoy and as soon as one of us rounded it we all went deep, back south. One of the top five sails ever.

But, there are still two open holes in the vicinity of Denis and Wolfie’s demise the other day. Other small holes have all healed with 2″ of hard ice. Cold temps tonight will lock them in further. If the big holes skim over they will be impossible to see. There is a line of three orange cones to the east (on your right) as you leave the pits. There are at least three big holes behind them. The other two are about halfway across the lake adjacent to Lakeview Landing.

The NEIYA will be running the New England DN Champs tomorrow. Anyone with a DN is welcome to race. The course is on a well scouted plate with no hazzards found.
More boats will be showing up New Years Day, and there’s nothing threatening in the forecast until Sunday, with good winds throughout the week. If you don’t come get a piece of this before then, well, you might as well just move to Florida.

Aside from that, I’m speechless. Cooked by the sun, burnt by the wind, then, every time I sail I’ll remember this TEN.