During our racing season, the warm, moist flow of air from the south that predominates at this time of year pushes back the cool, dense high-pressure Canadian air that marks our winters. Occasionally during the summer, very low-pressure air passes across the lake and gives the strong north wind an opportunity to abruptly invade. As the following tales indicate, the high latitudes of the lake are far more susceptible to these invasions.

Joseph Conrad describes this phenomenon best when he likens the west wind to the heir apparent, prince of the royal court, who arrives with secure strength and endurance, but must soon defer to the sovereign north wind.

His highness the north wind is detached and aloof except for those occasions that incur the great power and wrath of his disapproval.

The easterlies, of course, are like the wily court jester who flits and plays about without any particular authority and the southerlies, ah yes, take shape as the warm and friendly queen who can on occasion be quite lusty and demanding, which naturally benefits is our south westerlies.

Since the first Mackinac Race 100 years ago, the racing fleets have encountered four gales on the lake: 1911, 1925, 1937, and 1970. The meteorological records show this to be the typical frequency for such storms in the midsummer. The storm of 1937 was, though, an atypically hard test of the crews and yachts in the race that year. Out of a fleet of 42, just eight yachts finished.

After a start in light easterlies, a fast run dissolved into fierce squalls; then the storm began in

earnest Sunday night. Driven by a full gales of wind, with heavy seas of 20 to 30 feet, the yachts were sent careening south under bare poles to safety or fighting to get within the dangerous breakwaters of Ludington and other ports of shelter. The tales that have come from this storm-tossed race are of courage, skill, endurance, and, of course, humor. There are races when just the right conditions matched the particular qualities of a yacht's design, crew, strategy, and sails. Amorita in 1911, Virginia in '25, White Cloud in

'42, Pied Piper in '87, come to mind, but few exhibited such a synergy more dramatically than Rubaiyat's incredible win in the hard blow of '37.

We are delighted to report that Rubaiyat was seen in San Diego, CA, not too long ago, not just afloat, but in fine condition.