6:16 pm @ UnderPressure, Astoria, NY Location: Pier 66, Chelsea, NY Depart: 12:15 PM Return: 3:10 PM Previous Tide: 12:08 PM Low Next Tide: 6:20 PM High Temperature: 82 F Wind: South, 10 - 15 mph (25 mph gust) Course: South Today marked the first annual Navigator’s Cup organized by the Hudson River Community Sailing (HRCS). On the HRCS platform, it said the briefing would start at 11 am and the regatta would stretch through 6: 30 pm. I have never raced for that long before. My skipper was Russel J., a nice, mellow guy whom I’d sailed with previously, as well as Alan, a J24 skipper, and Sandra, an Experienced Crew like me. The morning started quite unpromisingly. Rain fell at 7:30 AM. By the time I left around 10:00 AM, I was layered up with a rain jacket and a waterproof sailing backpack. I biked to Queensboro Bridge, only to discover that the 7 train was not running to Times Square. While it was typical for the New York MTA to have delays on weekends, it was the least I wanted at the moment. I texted Russel that I might be a bit late since the next train would be in 20 minutes, to which he replied, “No worries - I’m sure we’ll be delayed with this weather.” What’s more disturbing was the news that the U.S. had dropped massive bombs the night before, officially entering the war with Iran. The world is almost unrecognizable since 2020. First it was the pandemic, then the wars: Russia vs. Ukraine, then Israel vs. Palestine. Now the U.S. is more directly involved. All these unsettling thoughts weighed heavily on my mind as I was biking towards Pier 66. The boathouse was buzzing. Sailors packed the front room as skippers reviewed the course on a large map, which was also written on a whiteboard: Start - Green Mark - Popcorn Mark 1 - G35 P Mark 2 - G1 S Mark 3 - G29 P Mark 4 - R2 P Mark 5 - G31 S Finish Pier 66 Both of the two classes of sailboats entering the Cup - J24 and J80 - would need to start at the invisible line between Popcorn (the HRCS staff boat), and a green mark planted in the water, pass all five marks up and down the river either on the portside (P) or starboard (S), and finish the race by passing a yellow flag at Pier 66. Before the start, we also needed to name the team. No one came up with anything, so I suggested, “How about Summer Peach?” No one objected. Then “Summer Peach” was official. Sandra took the helm as we sailed upriver to the starting line. J24 had started 30 minutes earlier as they were slower by design. With strong south winds and ebbing current, the challenge was to circling the boat as close as possible to the starting line, while not passing before the signal went off. Everyone was dancing around, which was a good warm-up for the race. When the signal came, Sandra helmed us across the starting line, narrowly avoiding “Popcorn”. “Already exhausted!” Sandra exclaimed, but clearly enjoying the challenge. Our J80-8 was second to the last at first, following most of the J80s going down the river towards the harbor on the east side of the river. After passing the Little Island, we made a couple of successful quick tacks and took over 3 boats! With the steady, strong southern wind, all the racing boats were close-hauled and heeling sharply. I pulled the backstay tight, keeping the traveller up. Puffs came constantly from the south. We watched closely how boats ahead of us behaved and followed suit. By the time we passed the first mark, between Ellis Island and a green buoy on the portside, we were the 3rd in the J80 class, a position we were quite happy about - with only one J80 skipper and one J24 skipper on board, our chance of winning was slim, compared to other boats with more experienced skippers. But we have been advancing steadily so far! Approaching the third mark near Staten Island, things grew more tense. J80-10 loomed to our starboard, blocking our ability to tack. A motorboat also bore down on us on the same side. Boats in front of us already tacked, as we calculated our next move. Suddenly, we heard a sharp snap of a line—our backstay had broken. Russel, sitting near the bow, calmly assessed the damage. We eased the main to relieve pressure, then decided to continue with caution. However, we were already overtaken by J80-10. Before we reached the 3rd mark, HRCS radioed in: we were ordered to drop out. A broken backstay posed a safety risk. It was a bitter blow. We had to motor back from the farthest point of the racecourse—slowly, against the current. The diesel engine's growl, replacing the rhythm of wind and waves, only deepened our disappointment. It took nearly an hour to return. None of us felt like lingering. After checking in with Andy, the lead director of HRCS, I left. On the train ride home, I came across a New York Times video of three professors—Johnson Stanley, Marci Shore, and Timothy Snyder—discussing why they left Yale for the University of Toronto. “You know you’re living in a fascist society,” Stanley said, “when you are constantly going over in your head the reasons why you’re safe.” That stuck with me. Soon I’ll be flying to Beijing, leading a summer program for American high school students—something I’ve done nearly every year since 2008. And I keep telling myself, It will be fine to return.