In the movie The Lake House, Christopher Plummer’s character, a famous architect, passionately admonishes his son, an aspiring architect played by Keanu Reeves, with the words, “Ah, the light, the light, it is always the light!”

If you sail in Vineyard waters in September, that’s what you will be saying too. The light is warm and alive, bringing a special vibrancy to everything it touches, especially as the sun sets.

Holmes Hole Sailing Association sailors know about that light. They race every Thursday and Sunday into September and October, continuing to venture out as long as the weather holds. And last Thursday the weather more than held, it was spectacular.

A light eight mph breeze lifted sails from the east-southeast and greeted a dozen boats that crowded the start line for a 5:30 p.m. start in which the golden embers of the day were just as important as the first to cross the finish line. The course was the traditional triangle around the West Chop and East buoys and back home to #6. Roger Becker skippered Gloria, a C&C 24 sporting a voluminous jib, which took to the light air as if born to it and flew past all but the two fastest boats in the fleet. Gloria grabbed the win on corrected time, beating out the sleek J/100 Tango and Phil Hale which took second. Third went to Mo Flam on the Alerion 28 Penelope.

Last Sunday, Dave McDonough and his C&C 37 Trinity made their last race of the year — twice around the harbor buoys — a good one. With the wind coming out of the SE by speeds up to 18-plus mph, Trinity won the day by a substantial margin over a contingent of nine boats. With yet another first-place finish, Trinity makes the case that it should be elevated once more to the A Division next year. Coming in second was Magic Time, a Vineyard Vixen captained by former Commodore Dan Culkin, follow by Mo Flam aboard Penelope.

Fall Series Update

With five races in the books for the Hugh Schwarz Cup, post-season racing is now an official series. The top three contenders are Providence, Magic Time and Tango. The next race is scheduled for Sunday with a 10 a.m. start.

For more information, visit holmeshole.org.