Mystic Lake Halloween Regatta

Winchester, MA, USA, October 26, 2024

by Alex Pline

Since I was going to be in the Boston area, I had the good fortune to participate in the Mystic Lake Halloween Regatta on October 26, the final event of the season on the Lake at the Winchester Boat Club. I enlisted my daughter Lexi to sail with me in a borrowed boat for the event. 

The fun thing about this regatta is you sail in costume. That would turn out to be extra challenging because while it was warm, it was a blustery Boston fall day with Northwest winds of 5 to 20 knots and 90 degree shifts and the extra bulk of costumes was definitely a complicating factor.  After rigging and donning our costumes (Heinz and Vanessa Doofenshmirtz for you Fineas and Feb fans) we hit the water for five races. 

Because of the up and down and shifty conditions, staying in the breeze was key and while going to the right side to get the puffs first worked often, there were times it failed spectacularly. There were a lot of “big green meanie” puffs which made for fun, short bursts of planing and many short tacks often resulting in many position changes, but being consistent was the key to 1st and 2nd for John Macrae/Corrine Poitras and John Tagliamonte/Linda Epstein. While we had top 5 finishes, we also had a next to last which put us in 3rd.

After sailing, everyone derigged to take their boats home for the impending winter and we had a nice costume social to relax and catch up with my Boston friends. In addition to tasty cookie prizes for 1st-5th, Greg McGinnis/Steve Braverman won best costume as bumble bees. lt was a great way to finish off the summer Snipe sailing season.

Thanks to the Mystic Fleets at Winchester and Medford for putting on the event and to Bob Coyle for taking many of the on the water photos.

1. John Macrae/Corrine Poitras – 15
2. John Tagliamonte/Linda Epstein – 20
3. Alex Pline/Lexi Pline – 21
4. Dan Nickerson/Natalie Danziger – 23
5. Bob Adam/Stephanie Adam – 24
6. Harry Levinson/Sarah Levinson – 25
7. Liz Glivinski/Maggie Swanson – 26
8. Greg McGinnis/Steve Braverman – 29
9. Art Rousmaniere/Ian Mutnick – 43
10. Nathan Manzione/David Daghlian – 50
11. Martin Bechthold/Foska Bechthold – 54

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