Race reports 2025 - 2026

Scriblings for November 30th, 2025

16 soggy knights climbed off of their steeds having drifted, or been led in by the bridle, to their stalls on the docks. They shook themselves off as their handlers — the redoubtable crash horse crew led by Master at Arms Tim Baron, and Mistress of Ceremonies Melissa Bontemps — attended to their domains.

The day’s overlords Sir Stephen DeGregoria and Lady Annie Slaughter directed the battles and commanded the troops as if they were pawns in a soggy game of chess. Truth be told they themselves looked far worse off than their legions, whilst in Lucky’s high-keep they directed target movements and such, in a cold, wet, wind.

Four jousting matches were held in lumpy terrain marred by drizzle and dying wind; a far different environ than the wizards had predicted, but most knights were grateful for the relief. However, over the matches, many became chilled-to-their-bones as their armor slowly rusted in place due to lack of normally necessary active movements.

In each match, two squads (senior and novice) were arranged equally in one line, skewed as it sometimes was, and they jousted mightily for position in a foul headwind that seemed at times made of flowing water…odd.

In the first go around, the knights were directed not to gybe at each other, so the lances were put aside. But the course was long and difficult and required getting ones steed off the starting line in the clear of other's swords and slings. Knight Sava the Savvy led the charge and did so again in the next round which was a linear back and forth and back and forth, lasting until one's head spun. Then the wind shifted to the west and the smell of a grilled repast replaced that of a salty damp ocean diverting attention from one end of the line to the other.

Knights Guerin and Gidwani clashed memorably in the third and fourth rounds. Back and forth they a-tacked and gybed at each other directly under the high keep’s nose where “up up up” was heard, yet both stayed clear of the Mistress’s hail “you are over!” 

Fighting repeatedly through hordes of keen knights and their steeds, white shield sleek and lean as a scythe, finding speed by tightening his reins then easing on the hillocks, and yes, finding luck when hope was lost, Sir Guerin managed to prevail in the final two matches to lead the errants home with a small gold shot glass in his glove.

Honors to all including Sir Sava who garnered a silver coin and Sir Simon the Cool with a bronze medallion for the day’s matches.

Those in the second group fought well and like others, perhaps learned some light touch lessons to keep their rides happy and at speed. Keep still but with eyes on combatants nearby, stay near the line and examine its properties, change course little but maneuver confidently and with planning, keep your air clean and not fouled by those near you, one's saddle should be near level, not skewed in some otherworld direction, and lastly, Sir Guerin found himself longing for a 1:1 main bridle which in light aries, allows faster trim of the main shield.

A hearty repast was set out for the steaming damp horde who disrobed from their armour without modesty whilst chowing down excellent sandwiches and gruel provided by Sir Zobrist the Wet and Lady Holly the Kind.

Tally ho! - Sir Scott

MFA Race Report for November 9th, 2025

Kara and Tom Speyer must’ve had a heck of a time squaring things up as the day started off with wind trending left as shown above from American Yacht Club’s Weather Underground feed. That’s why pin end was favored in the three races run! Also note the oscillating speed. This meant shifting gears: Power up (loosen the outhaul) and sail fat in heavier air and big chop, and tighten up the outhaul in lighter air and flatter water. In 666’s case, loose was 10” offthe boom, tighter was 7” off the boom to the foot. 

In Race 1, a triangle, Field and 666 battled for the pin. John got the edge so 666, being to leeward in bad air, had to tack further left to clear his air. We rounded the windward mark and paraded around the second leg reach. The third leg was dead downwind finding both of us on port with Bahar not far behind on starboard. On a run in a Dyer, it is conventional that you get your weight forward and have a bit of windward heel to get your sail up in the breeze. Slowly, 666's weight-forward-standing-position ground down John, achieving the inside overlap at three boat lengths from the mark allowing 666 to ride home to the finish on one long port tack. 

Race 2 found Field and 666 tangling again at the pin but John got there a few seconds early and had to bail so 666 led wire to wire. Crucially, John clawed back for another second, never say never. 

Race 3 was a triangle/windward leeward with a windward finish. As 666 approached the pin on starboard, Field was just ahead but 666 was low and other boats in the fleet drove right over me. 666 was road kill thanks to Dagastino, Carla, Bahar and others, and he had to bail, a process during which he smashed into Samantha, and did a 360 penalty turn as a result.  More or less DFL, 666 resolved to recover. On the long windward 3rd leg, he broke far right to what he hoped was an ebbing tide and better wind. At the windward mark, 666 was in 8th with Joe Just and Dag four boat lengths ahead of me on the run. 666 had speed, but the clincher was the “up up up” tango they did that, which slowed them down. 666 was now just nose hair behind at the leeward mark. 666 went left a bit to clear his air, then tacked back right as they covered. The move right paid off, and he caught them on the last leg for a very satisfying 5th. 

Races were called off a bit early as a nasty-looking wall of rain approached and everyone got soaked, some more than others as Russel Raymundo became a newly minted Jacques Cousteau Club member on the way back in! 

End of the day A-Fleet standings: LaBronze Bahar (3,4,1) was in third with 8 points , 666 added Silver to his sparse hair with 7 points (1,1,5) and John Field (2,2,2) made that claw-back count and took Gold. B-Fleet found Jeff Sorenson in 3rd, Joe Just in 2nd, and Gerard in 1st. 

At the after race party, Joe and Jackie delivered the hot goods spectacularly (there outta be an MFA cookbook) and Bahar did a great chalk-talk. 

See you soon, 

-- 666 (Scott Guerin)