Author: ws lirakis

a sailor who carries a camera

shooting in Cody

A few years ago I was invited to be part of the Windigo shooting team competing in Cody, Wyoming. The team was comprised of some very notable shooters, including the Olympic shooting coach.

Cody was founded by Buffalo Bill and the principle hotel the Irma is named after his daughter. It is a voyage into another world. Guns and Rodeo.
The competition was spread over 4 days and numerous events. Silhouette shooting standing, against time; Trap from the 27 yard line; Wobble Skeet; and Sporting Clays. Ultimately won by the home team, however not without memorable moments.
There was a tie in the Wobble Skeet event, which meant a shoot off. One of our team was up first. Standing in the center, for doubles, he put the gun behind his back and called for the targets, crushing them. If that didn’t psyche out the competition, He did win that event overall.
After the formal event was completed there was a prize money competition which pitched me against my good friend Jimmy Gubelmann. We tied again and again. Finally as the sun was setting it was decided by the judges that Jimmy would shoot and I had to break a piece or Jimmy would be declared the winner. Jimmy called for the target and waited as long as he could before shooting it; leaving me no time. It was a hail mary shot. One of the only times I beat Jimmy shooting; but one of the most satisfying.


Queen Elizabeth II 1975

October 1975, I had returned to Newport after our year on the Isle of Wight, to close on our first house, that became another adventure. Bernadette and I had never taken a honeymoon; sailing and work had interfered. We had been booked on the France, however a strike prevented her sailing and eventually led to her being scrapped. Bernadette was returning from her family in France along with everything had had living in England aboard the QE II. Unbeknownst to her I booked on the QE II, only I was boarding in Southampton, while Bernadette was boarding in Cherbourg, along with our two dogs who had spent the year in France as England had such strict laws governing animals.

She was truly surprised. We had the good fortune to have been placed at a table with an Australian couple returning home after a career in the foreign service.
I had a letter of introduction to the Captain; Mortimer Heihr from a mutual friend who had taught navigation together. Hence we were included in many on the events that would normally be reserved for first class passengers. I met the navigator, who had just concluded the first Whitbread round the world race. Otherwise life aboard was not that interesting.
About a day out of New York we encountered Hurricane Gladys, We lost the forward cargo doors . We had to turn and run before the storm, which made us three days late into New York. During the storm all the swimming pools were emptied (free surface) and all food service ceased. We brought the dogs to our cabin. I have photographs somewhere of the waves. I was the only person wandering around. I watched all the movies.
There is a silver lining to every incident in life,Bernadette had been trying without success to become pregnant. Isabelle, our first child was conceived on this voyage.

LOS ANGELES ARCHITECTURE


Never let anyone tell you Los Angeles is not fun. It is a most diverse city; culturally, architecturally; gastronomically. Full of Flowers. All that money has truly attracted the best of the best.

There is however , never a quite moment. there is always noise from something somewhere. It is a walking city contrary to urban myth. There are so many neighborhoods. The weather, what can I say, coming from New England, it is paradise.
I am a New Englander, burdened with the past, the puritan ethic that I deserve to suffer; and if I am having fun, something must be wrong and I will be somehow punished. It makes it hard to embrace paradise feeling that way, but I can try.



Honfleur


The theme of my blog would appear to be focused on sailing. As I wrote earlier, I am pleased to from time to time diverge to another aspect of life. at least to a point. Leave it to me to find a thread tying life to the sea.

I recently visited Honfleur, in Normandy at the mouth of the Seine river, which as one may be aware winds it’s way to Paris.

Honfleur’s location made it pivotal to the history of France; both as a trading port and as a point of departure for the French navy, particularly with it’s attacks on England. Colbert, in 1684 directed the inner harbour be built.
The 15th century cathedral of St. Catherine built in wood by the same shipwrights who built the French navy, the largest wooden church in France. Striking by its difference from the usual stone edifices found in France.

Emile Moisson


I tale worth telling. Two men I know, of whom I am very fond, have a tale to tell. They are in their 90’s now. Their father from Pawtucket, RI. evidently was very talented at repairing textile looms. Before WWII he moved to France, to work in Lyon. His two sons attended public school. The war broke out. For those of you who are familiar with the history of that time in France, Phillippe Petain established the Vichy government, and fashioned an agreement with Germany. In exchange for two civilians, a prisoner of war would be released. The two boys were selected despite being american citizens. They were determined not to go. They enlisted in the french resistance, their american passports were destroyed, and they were given the identities of dead frenchmen, one being Emile Moisson.

When the war ended, they went to the American embassy wishing to return to Pawtucket. Naturally they were asked to produced proof of citizenship. It took another five years to get home.

Miami to San Diego

I am still kicking myself for not taking photographs of this trip. A friend( Tom Dykstra) called and asked if I would help tow a Dragon ( then an Olympic Class) from Miami to San Diego, I flew to Miami and the next morning we took off. we got as far as Orlando, where we were forced to stay overnight as a new transmission was installed. (a harbinger of things to come) Drove to Pensacola , without adventure. Our goal had been to drive 600 miles a day. With two of us driving it sounded feasible. We changed drivers each time we filled up with gas; which was about every two hours, as it turned out.

The Next night found us in New Orleans. I made a call and chose a well know restaurant, and ordered a $50.00 bottle of St. Julian to go with my steak. We looked a little scruffy and the restaurant didn’t quite know what to do with us.
Leaving New Orleans, driving on small roads through the bayous; bermed. I had the feeling that if we went off the road, no one would know and certainly not even think to look for us. Into Texas, This state seemed to last forever, it accounted for 1000 miles of the trip. We drove until San Antonio, finding a motel in front of the Alamo. It was also my first experience on a waterbed. I thought I would freeze, not understanding I needed to turn on the heater.
Each day, started early, in an attempt to meet our goal of 600 miles. Into New Mexico. Almost running out of gas in the desert. I stayed with the boat, while Tom drove for gas, a lonely feeling. That night, still driving, something was wrong. the alternator had failed. nothing was open. Finally, someone suggested that someone off in the desert worked on cars might have something to help us. Off we went driving without headlights, towing 7,000 pounds. Finding a shack, we knocked and sure enough he had an alternator of the right amperage but not designed to fit the car we were driving. we fashioned spacers and bolts. Off we went, on the road again.
Exiting the highway near Gila Bend, the timing gear and chain failed. We were towed to he gas station, which was just closing. Old Jerry Beet, offered to drive us to a motel, but wanted to stop for a drink on the way. It was a place straight out of a movie. A low roof, old trailers behind it. surrounded by sagebrush. Inside,smoky, dimly lit, full of beer, people playing pool. Jerry was a regular, we sat at the bar, I was feeling particularly out of place. a girl came up behind me, rubbing her chest across my back, with the words “hey baby, want to mess around?” Jerry giggled, with the words, she’s good, I’ve already tried her. I try all the new girls. That’s what the trailers were for.
Once the car was back together, off again,we could now feel that the conclusion of our adventure was near. Driving through the pass in the mountains, the transmission was smoking, we did make it through however. Shortly after that we were stopped by the highway patrol, and ticketed for having an excessively dirty car. I was in disbelief, welcome to California.
I remained in San Diego for several months re-building the boat for the Olympics, (the boat earned a bronze medal) We were working at Kevin Savel’s place. He had built the boat. and was the foremost builder of Dragons at the time. His true love was building string instruments, however he could not earn a living at that, so he turned to boats. San Diego was a small navy town at the time.
I had met Hoyle and Diane Schweitzer(the creator of windsurfing) a few years earlier, and we spent many weekends sailing windsurfers with them.