A FEW BAD APPLES
Another Memorial Day weekend is in the books, and with it, another Figawi is behind us. This year, I actually took part in the Figawi, racing from Hyannis to Nantucket aboard Zingara, with Chris Magee at the helm. The winds were light, which doesn't contribute to ideal conditions for a sailboat race in general, nor do those same light winds contribute to an ideal performance by Zingara in general. She's crazy fast in heavy wind - she won the Opera House Cup a couple of years ago - but not so much when the breezes are what they were on Saturday. But regardless of the outcome, we had a blast. Beautiful day, beautiful boat. Tough combination to beat, that one is.

And that's really what the Figawi is all about. Absolutely it's a sailboat race and there are more than a few groups out there that are seriously competitive. But in the end, win or lose, it's about having a good time. And, as we all know from years of experience, "a good time" when it comes to the Figawi tent usually includes discussions of drunken mayhem.

Yours truly did not take part in the tent festivities this year. Rather, once we'd sailed into the harbor and returned safely to dry land, I went home and didn't venture anywhere near downtown until Sunday. However, from the stories I've heard thus far, puh-lenty of folks headed down to the tent and had a raucous good time. And what's more, I heard about more than a few brawls breaking out around town, no doubt the by-products of over-indulgence on the part of the brawlers. And yes, many nod knowingly when they hear stories about those fights, because we remember the days of vandalism and trash strewn about on the Saturday night of Memorial Day weekend. Those damn Figawis, we'd say with scorn.

Funny thing about the fights this year. None of the ones I've heard about involved sailors.

Nope, kids, this year it seems that the battle royales were between the hordes of people who came for the weekend, but who aren't sailors. Yes, the Figawi has built itself a reputation, and it's one that's not necessarily undeserved. And certainly there are more than a few sailors in the thing who drink themselves into oblivion for better or for worse (usually the latter). But at the same time, when you color all the Figawi racers as drunken buffoons, it's an awful broad brush to be using when you're painting that picture.

You see, the thing about the Figawi racers is that they've learned from their mistakes, despite the fact that they're continuing to pay for past sins. They've really worked in the past several years to clean up their collective act. And yes, that self-policing has come about, in part, as a result of threats to cancel the race. But really, when you look at the whole thing, it's very much a minority of the sailors who are the problem, much like the anecdotal evidence I've gathered thus far seems to show. Basically what you've got is a few bad apples spoiling the bunch.

I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that I'm not the only one within the sound of my voice who has ever been the victim of "guilt by association." You know what I'm talking about. Because you're a part of a group - say, hypothetically, that you've got a brother who long ago built a reputation as something of a vocal sailor - you some times get thrown in with that group, despite your own mild-mannered and calm behavior from the foredeck of a sailboat. It's really an unfair deal when you get maligned that way, don't you think?

And sometimes I think the same thing about anglers here on Nantucket.

You do realize that, because of the way that sentence is put together, it's a segue, right? There's nothing you can do about it. It's just the way it is. It's a segue. Get over it.

Friends and neighbors, it's about that time of year when the beaches start to get crowded. And we all like to point our fingers at those damn kids who like to go out and blow off a little steam with a few beers and that damn music they all think is so cool. They're easy targets, just like the Figawis, because they're the victims of guilt by association, just like the Figawis. Sure, there are a few kids out there who leave trash on the beach, just like there are a few Figawi racers who drink too much. But there are plenty of us anglers out there, too, leaving trash on the beach.

I've had more than a bunch of trips out to the beach that have included monofilament line tangled into a fluorescent blue tumbleweed or wire leaders that have taken up residence in dried eel grass piles. But there is nothing quite like discovering a discarded plug, complete with rusty hooks, just waiting for the unsuspecting bare foot to step down on it. And I know it's not all of us. I know it's not a lot of us. Nope. It's only a few of us. But those few anglers who can't be bothered to take an extra thirty seconds out of their lives to pick up a plug or stuff tangles of line in their pockets before leaving the beach make the rest of us look bad, too. So let's all do each other a favor and clean up after ourselves. And while you're at it, take a trash bag out to the beach with you and clean up some of trash out there. Set an example and see how good things can get.

And finally, I think I speak for the entire sailing community when I say that we wish a full and speedy recovery to Senator Kennedy, who has been the nemesis of more than one Nantucket sailor in the past years. We're expecting you at Nantucket Race Week, Senator, so get well soon and we'll look forward to chasing you around the buoys in August.

Tight lines. I