[Paddlewise] Valentine Days race and 60 years anniversary.

I turned 60 on Feb 14. Now I am entitled to discount in buses, restaurants
and some other places. I feel the same. Walked up with more energy and
feeling more enthusiastic to celebrate this accomplishment that took me so
long to prepare. Just imagine it took me 60 long years.

So I invited my friends for a dinner theater and next day (Sunday 18th)
organized the Valentine Weekend Race.
It took place in our town Queretaro, just by the small facility I have set
up there, for friends and family in the Santa Rosa lake.

Many friends showed up from distant cities in our Country like Veracruz,
Tuxpan, Celaya, San Luis Potosm and Mexico City. We had a ball. You can see
the pictures at:

http://community.webshots.com/user/cayucochief

on the first album.

We had two runs. One was speed on a kind of rectangle with curves right and
left. It was about 0.7 of a mile.
The second was maneuvers in surfing boats around zigzag fixed buoys. All the
boats in the pictures except 4 were made by us.

The overall winner, in both categories, was my 14 years old boy who had hurt
one foot and had it immobilized. He was helped into the boat and under those
conditions beat us all. He competed against more experienced paddlers from
different places. Among them there was an ex-Olympic racer from Cuba,
Eduardo Castro. I was second in the maneuvers and 5th in the Speed test, but
gave the most spectacular closing against a 50 year old friend. I came from
behind all the time, since in the first turn I had conflict with two other
boats, and was catching up with him on every lap, but in the last turn I was
on the inside with a bow rudder that worked this time and we both started
even for the race to the end. He lost by one boat distance, under the
screaming and shouting of all the spectators, who favored one or the other
racer.

It was a very fun way to celebrate 60. I am starting to prepare the
celebration for the next 60.

Best Regards,

Rafael
El cayucochief
Mexico
www.mayanseas.com
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