Former STC Commodore AJ Evans has been intrigued by this ongoing series of BIRW memories...and has one he wanted to share about his younger self.

About the photos: The left side shows a landfall moment after AJ delivering VAMP back from BIRW, home safe in Atlantic Highlands, after his first Race Week. The other guy is none other than Gary Martin who runs the STC Race Week tent. To the right is the same dup after finishing the 2021 Annapolis Newport...probably smoking the same cigars!

At my first Block Island Race Week in 1997 (I was 16), I was sailing with Lenny Sitar on the J/44, VAMP. Sometime between the gray area of cocktails and dinner, our crew house ran out of that most precious commodity: cubed ice. Being the new kid on the boat and as sober as a judge, I thought I would help and took it upon myself to go knock on the neighbor's door and procure whatever ice I could.

The gaggle of people who came to the door in liquor-induced excitement (who knocks on a door on Block Island?) were also deep into their cocktail hour and quite jolly. Empty bucket in hand, I told them I was from the house next door, and we had run out of ice.

The guy who opened the door interrupted: "Oh, you must be from the race committee house. Come on in." Their party was so loud that I didn't get a chance to correct him. They swept me to their table offering anything they had including beer, clams, and oysters from their raw bar.

I returned home to the VAMP house with ice for the cocktails as a hero...at least for the night. The next day, the neighbors looked quite perplexed to see me getting out of the VAMP van.

That same Race Week, I gave all that remained of the spending money from my parents to someone “of age” on the boat to buy a round of mudslides for the VAMP crew at the Champlin's Fuel Dock. I think that might have played a part in solidifying my berth on the boat for the ensuing 22+ years.

And that's all I can share for publication.