Seattle is blessed during the
summer months with sailing fun every night of the week. On Tuesday evenings boats of all shapes and sizes gather on Lake Union to frolic in the waning summer light. Surrounded by the city, this theatrical play of sail and party is known by all as the Duck Dodge. Seattle sailors have been dodging the ducks on Lake Union since the early 1970’s. In its inauguration, the Duck Dodge required that each boat perform a 720° turn every time they scared a duck and then subsequently apologize to that duck. Today, Tuesday nights on Lake Union are so popular that the only ducks you see are the gold, silver and bronze duck stickers given out by the race committee. There is even the rare black duck showing that no obnoxious deed goes unrewarded. At the culmination of the evenings racing, all of the boats raft up to each other in the middle of the lake and the party continues into the night. In late October the Duck Dodge
holds one last race along the waters of Shilshole Bay and across the Puget Sound to the quaint and secluded Port Madison inlet. The Duck Dodge’s Rum Run is the great finale of the summer’s Dock Dodge racing series and the last beer can race of the season. As the Duck Dodge race committee,
MV Dux, set their anchor, over 60 boats gathered to make this years Rum Run the “critical mass of Fall sailboat racing.” With the course set, three starts sailed off to the West Point Buoy hugging the east shore for current relief. The boats that headed west were set south with the strong ebbing tidal current. Once around West Point, each boat set their
DUCK DODGE RUM RUN
At the end of the day’s racing, the boats rafted up for what could be called “the best sailing party of the year.” Photo by Gary Peterson.
spinnakers, and it was a steady run to the Meadow Point Buoy off of Golden Gardens Park. At Meadow it was kite down, jib up and a blast reach across the Sound to Port Madison. As the gentle wind shifted ever slightly to the south, the close reach to Jefferson Head became a beam reach and it was time for a spinnaker once again. Aboard Jim Geros’ J/105 Last Tango, we set the kite early and kept our competition at bay. Winning the gold duck and first to
finish for the day was the Swan 45 Free Byrd, followed by Bravo Zulu in second and Bergin Viking in third. In start two the gold duck went to Alex Simanis’
LittleBlue Dune Buggy who was followed by Vanadis and Chaos. In start three the Santana 24 Full Moon won the prized gold duck. In true Duck Dodge fashion, at the end of the day’s racing, the boats rafted up for what could be called “the best sailing party of the year.” Protected from the chill of
the October winds in sheltered Port Madison with sunshine and exceptional camaraderie the question was begged - what is better, the racing or the party? To stalwart Duck Dodgers, the racing is the party.
by Joshua May
Ballard Sails & Yacht Services Sail Repairs
CONGRATULATIONS! Round the County
New Custom Sails, Racing and Cruising
photo by Sean Trew
Convenient Shilshole Location 6303 Seaview Ave. NW • (206) 706-5500
www.ballardsails.com •
info@ballardsails.com
48° NORTH, DECEMBER 2011 PAGE 49
“Kotuku”Farr 1220 - 1st “Muffin” SC 33 - 3rd
in class* in class SBYC Snowbird #1
“Freebyrd” Swan 45 - 1st *partial inventory
in class
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