I had been forewarned that in the previous week’s race, two sailboats collided and one almost sank. Thus is the craziness of summertime Duck Dodge “races” in Seattle’s Lake Union. A small, triangular course and far too many boats for any sane sailor’s taste guarantee to provide plenty of thrills.

Judging by the large number of boats gathered at the starting line, Seattle isn’t lacking insane sailors!!

Perched on a perfect vantage point at Gasworks Park, we enjoyed the action under cerulean skies. Even a couple of working boats passing through couldn’t resist adding to the confusion, as the sailors bore down on the first buoy. Shutter Wonders offers iconic Seattle images that capture some of the action, Seattle & sailboats and Sailboats & the Space Needle.

Paddle boards, kayaks, power boats, and even a flock of Canada geese flirted with the fringes of the course, provide tempting targets for off-course sailors.

I guess the contrarian in me wished for an altercation of some kind, but alas, it was an uneventful race. Afterwards, numerout boats lingered at the south end of the lake sharing war stories, already relishing next week’s competition.

Cheers, everyone!