The wind was out of the north at about 7 mph as participants prepared for the start of the 2011 Sweethearts race. On the horizon was Christina on Runagate getting a late start. They made a fantastic recovery only to sag as the breeze dwindled. Most of the other vessels packed up around Balance rock with the exception of Bliss, as Debbie in her usual fashion slid the dagger in on the rest of them, securing her name as the winner on the coveted Sweethearts Cup. (Editor's note: Oh, my!)

The rest of the gang screamed and yelled as they brought in the smiles.

There were about 10 racers of which a small handful chose to make it a one day event. The rest of us chose to stay the night, with some additional non-competitors arriving later. Most raft- ups start breaking up around 10 am. This one was so well balanced that we stayed till well past 3 pm.

I would also like to express a warm welcome back to Hypnautic with Phil and Karon and a sincere thanks to Tim and Rhonda for bringing the two-level many stories houseboat. I would also like to thank all the other people who participated in all forms who turned it into another memorable event.