The Dinghy Poker Run

Mike and I are manning the computers and inputting the results for this event so we are up and at the bar by 9.00 setting up the equipment.   Lots of people dress up as pirates, some doing it really well.

Photo:  Nick and Monica 

Photo:  Me and Ali

Monica registers each entrant, taking their money and giving them an armband, then they each come to Mike and I to record their card on both paper and computer.  At the end of the event, the computer program will have worked out the best hand.  Candace and Robin arrive just before we are set to move to the second stage.  Their help is invaluable as now we can input twice as fast.

Photo:  Mike and I hard at work

The second stage is at Sandbox, the third at Saba Rock, the fourth at Bitter End Yacht Club, the Fifth at the Fat Virgin Cafe and then it’s back to Leverick Bay for the sixth and final stop.  We go from stop to stop in one of the 30ft Bradley Powerboats run by Mike at Leverick Bay Water Sports.

Photo:  Nick and Monica head out to the first stop

While all this is going on, our crew behave in a very lively manner.  Susan, attempts to steal our dinghy but Amy is having none of it.  She takes a flying leap at the dinghy, flattening Susan against the bottom of the boat. 

Tim comes to help Amy, and accidently gets himself kicked in the nether regions, but eventually recovers enough to secure the boat with Amy and repel Susan over the side.

Photo:  Tim comes to Amy’s rescue and Susan adopts an unlady-like pose

Heather, fed up with being bombarded with greasy water from Saildoggie’s water gun, steals the gun but later on Malcolm gives it back, much to the disgust of the rest of the crew.

All over North Sound, dinghy crew are lobbing water bombs and throwing buckets of water at each other.  No one returns to shore dry.  I am so glad Mike and I are on a fast motor boat that no one can get.

  Photo:  The Eustacia crowd living it up on Nick’s baby cat

Unfortunately, there is always someone who takes it a bit too far and they spray cheese whizz over all the dinghies except ours, which points suspicious fingers at our crew who were blameless in this incident.  (For the none Americans, cheese whizz is a repulsive excuse for cheese that comes in an aerosol can.)  Even dinghies that are not part of the Poker Run get the same treatment.

The event is run totally for charity, and raises over $2000.  All the restaurants and bars that take part must quadruple their takings for the hour that the dinghy crews are there, and by the end of the event, most people are three sheets to the wind.  Unfortunately this makes an extremely small number act like complete ****holes but generally the atmosphere is one of great fun.

Photo:  Hurray – my computer work is done!

In the evening is the prize giving.  Two of our crew get prizes – won honestly by good hands.  No one stays out late – in fact we are all back on the boat by 9.00.  Malcolm and Joe fall asleep on the trampolines but wake up and come back into the boat later on.

By 10.00 everyone is tucked up in bed, and early night to prepare for tomorrow’s race to Anegada.