On July 27 a fast-moving squall approached Oyster Bay Harbor just as Sagamore Yacht Club was preparing to start the weekly Wednesday night race. A few boats ventured out around 1700 hours thinking they could weather the approaching storm or get in a quick sail before it hit, while most decided to weather the storm at the clubhouse or inside their anchored boats.

Makai's engine failed as she was trying to head into the mooring field to seek anchorage. Keith Doran, a crew member, noted that they were not prepared for engine failure and had a challenging sail to their mooring before the eye of the storm came. He said, "Getting caught in a squall while sailing is a difficult experience for any sailor, especially with no engine."

During a storm, doubts and reservations are difficult to overlook as any boat is being beat up by strong wind and waves. Will the captain and crew cope with the huge waves that are pounding the boat? Is there room to maneuver as the boat is being pushed to leeward? Can the rigging hold up under extra pressure? Should you weather the storm or take shelter?

The storm that passed through on Tuesday night at about 1830 hours had all the elements: lightning, wind, rain, and a quick drop in temperature. The wind gusted between 20-35 knots from the west northwest and the temperature dropped from 84 to 75 degrees in a matter of minutes. After the storm left the wind was calm until late into the night. To give perspective to what it was like during this storm, on land there was a strong breeze that sent large branches and some large trees in motion, telephone wires whistled, umbrellas were hard to use, and it was difficult to walk against the wind. While on the water boaters had to worry about being forced aground, being slammed into other boats, and staying dry.

What really made this brief storm fierce on the water was the lightning that attacked the area. Although Makai and other boats did not have all of their rigging and possessions organized when the storm hit, they did the right thing by taking shelter inside their boats away from all metal objects and weathering out the storm.

To cope with extreme weather conditions, all boaters (not just sailors) need to recognize ahead of time the shifts in the weather. Some changes that boaters should be instinctively aware of are a looming low pressure system, how to safely navigate during a passing storm, and how to handle the boat during a storm. Dockmaster Philip Rhoads said, "There is no instant way to learn these skills. It takes lots of practice and time spent using the boat in all weather conditions."

After the storm passed a race quickly started with only a few fired up entrants. To take advantage of the wind the boats were sent all the way out to the southernmost part of Oyster Bay Cove and out to the lighthouse post off of Lloyd Neck. Only two divisions had winners. They were Spinnaker 1 - Slapshot and Spinnaker 2 - Commanche.

For more information call Sagamore at (516) 922-0555, visit www.sagamoreyc.com, or look up SagamoreRacing on Yahoo!Groups.