Classics Week - Our Man Roy

April 22th 2015
We really can't go on any further telling you all about Classics Week without introducing you to our man Roy.  We meet Roy the Sunday prior to race week in the Rusty Pelican.  We went there so Tom could watch the final round of The Masters.  Big day.  Important Day.  This was were he watched the final round last year.  This year however......their TV was broken...so we were using the wifi instead but it just wasn't fast enough to stream anything.  Roy wondered in and sat down next to me.  He looked like every other scruffy, just sailed in overnight from somewhere sailor.  His t-shirts was salt stained with a few holes and it said "Guiding Light".  I remembered seeing that name on the list of race competitors when I looked online.  Hum?  Interesting, very interesting.

After Day Two - Roy's on the foredeck

Soon Roy and I were engaged in a light conversation and then Tom entered in and we spent the rest of the afternoon chatting away.  Later he admitted using a tried and true line on me "Good to see you again."  Good one Roy.

Roy (Red Hat), Eileen and Tom

 He is an unique and fascinating character.  He is owner and captain of sailing yacht Guiding Light, a 36 ft Gaudtlet Cutter built in 1936.  Oh yeah, and it's Roy's home.  He happens to race he house.  Not everyone is that brave.  In fact few are.  We remembered hearing about him last year because he had major issues prior to the race but made it there and raced well and then on the third day of racing starting taking on water.  He said "Yes, but I didn't want to be rescued until I crossed the finish line." He finished in second to Lily Maid, our favorite from last year.

Pulling away from the others in his class

Rounding the mark Day Two

We kept running into Roy multiple times each day.  Sometimes it was a simple "Hey Roy." and other times we engaged in full, and interesting conversations.  The more we got to know Roy, the more we knew there was more to know.

The official race shirts

Guiding Light in the boat parade through English Harbor

We declared our allegiance early.  "Roy's our man.  We are cheering for Roy to win."  We were not out on the water for the Singlehanded race but we were for the starts of Day One and Day Two.  Roy charged over the line perfectly each day and pulled away from the rest of his class beautifully.  We learned he took the cannon each of those days.  In fact, he took the cannon all for days of racing.  This means he was the first in his class to cross the finish line and thus got the cannon.  Woo Hoo!  However, adjusted times and all, he ended up each day and overall taking an official second to Lorema, a 25 ft Norwegian folkboat (Tord Sunden 25) that was the smallest yacht in the race.   Roy just couldn't beat the huge adjusted time.  "Oh well.  What am I do." he shrugged.  We congratulated him on four cannons and a hardy second anyway.

Roy accepting 2nd with his crew

Tom and Roy celebrate 4 cannons

Our Classics Week is definitely the better for having met and got to know Roy of Guiding Light.  Oh yeah, and Roy made the cover of this years Classics Week program.  You should go online and look, it's gorgeous.