A Sunday Drive In Oregon - part 4 - Sailboat Races

One Sunday last April I woke up and looked out the window. The sky was clear. I opened the window and it was actually warm outside. It was a beautiful day!

So, I decided to take a Sunday drive. That's one of the things I like about living where I do. I can take a Sunday drive and see so much!

First Mount Hood. Then on to the Hood River Valley. A stop at the Bonneville Fish Hatchery, then on to Cascade Locks for lunch.

But, before lunch I stopped at the park down by the river. Lots of geese wandered around the lawn.



Then I went over to take a look at the Stern Wheeler, Columbia River Gorge. It gives rides in the summertime up in the Gorge. When the weather gets nasty up here, they go down to Portland for tours on the Willamette River.




Up by the marina I noticed a lot of activity. The parking lot was packed with people and piled with gear.




I walked over to the shore. People were watching something in the river.




It's the 2008 Rainier Cup Regatta, a college sailing competition. What a beautiful place for a regatta!



The competition was keen. The winds were brisk. The sky was clear. And the water was COLD!



Close quarter sailing.




Not everyone had a good day...
Up...

Up...

...and over!



Girl overboard!




Time for a pit stop between heats.




I always enjoy when I find something I didn't expect to see. When I pulled up this photo I saw that a goose had flown into the picture without me noticing.




I was down the shore a little bit, behind the laundry line of clothes drying in the breeze and took this photo of the spectators that had already finished their races.



Things get crowded at the upwind mark.



The University of Oregon leads the Portland State and Oregon State teams around the upwind mark.



After a hard day of racing it's time to pack up and go home.


This was really a treat. I wasn't expecting to get to see the sailing competition. The boats are all on the trailers and it's time to leave. From here I decided to take the Historic Columbia River Highway. Green forests, ferns, and waterfalls.