Chapter 25: The Commodore's Ball

The Gwen Ifould Award

Saturday May 17, 1975

“So, Will, how was your computer course? Who were some of the people running it?” Jack asked me.

We had just cast off from the Earle’s jetty on our way up to the sailing club, to arrive in style for the ball. I was wearing a dinner suit, actually my father’s suit, since the ball was “formal”. I had spent over half an hour practising tying the bow tie so it looked correct, and I had a matching black silk cummerbund around my waist. Jack was dressed in a dinner suit as well, and Chris and Lori were dressed to the nines. Chris had a long black dress, but Lori was wearing a very fancy emerald green dress; low cut at the front, and cut even lower at the back. I had given her a soft wolf whistle when she came out of her room, and I told her how beautiful she looked; which made her blush, but she did look pleased.

When she took my hand as we walked down the steps to the boat, I felt warm inside; I was really looking forward to being at the ball with her. I wasn’t really sure what it would be like; Lori had said it was mainly presenting the various prizes and trophies for the season, and then there would be some dancing, lots of talking, drinking, and things like that. The dancing, and some of the other parts of the evening sounded good, but the drinking – I reminded Lori of our night at Castle Lagoon and the carton of beer.

She had laughed when I reminded her of that night, and she promised that we could have a good night at the ball without having to drink too much.

“Did you get to meet Murray Allen?” Jack asked. “He’s a good guy, knows his stuff, and some of the other professors there are pretty smart, too.”

“Yes, I met him, and talked to him about studying there next year,” I answered. “The main people running the course were Phil McCrea and Paul Baker, though.”

“I haven’t met them, but I mainly deal with the communications types,” he said.

Lori and I wandered out to the stern of the boat to look at the lights on the shore going past us.

“So, is Hannah going to study there next year, too?” she asked.

“Probably not,” I replied. “She was saying that she will be going to Germany, to visit her family, and travel around with Jenny. She might even stay there and go to Uni over there.”

“Hmm, her and Jenny,” Lori said. “I have my suspicions about them, do you think that they are, you know, together? As lovers, I mean.”

So Lori had suspicions that Hannah and Jenny being a couple? I didn’t want to break the confidence with Hannah.

“Lori, how would I know that?” I replied. “I mean, I don’t keep up with all the gossip, and you know I don’t spread things around. From what Hannah said, they both have relatives over there; Hannah in Germany, and Jenny in Denmark, so it seems logical that they would go together.”

“Well, I think there is more to them than just friendship,” Lori said. “Not that I am saying there is anything wrong with that, you know me. I was just curious, that’s all.”

I decided to let it drop, Hannah had trusted me with a lot of personal stuff; things she hadn’t told anyone else, and I didn’t want to break that trust. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust Lori to keep things secret, but I had promised Hannah not to tell anyone.

As we rounded the point at the leading to the main part of the bay in Newport, we felt the cold wind; Lori shivered and put her arms around herself. I stood behind her and put my arms around her shielding her from the wind. She folded her arms on top of mine, and squeezed my hands.

“You are good at keeping me warm,” she said. “We could go back inside, but it’s nicer standing here with you like this.”

We stood out there watching the view go past until we were almost at the clubhouse; Jack called out to me to put the fenders out on the port side, so he could pull alongside the dock. As he eased the boat up to the dock, I jumped ashore, and tied the front mooring line around the bollard, pulling the boat securely to the dock. I tied off the aft line, and then helped Chris and Lori ashore. Jack then handed me the coolers with our drinks, and then he came ashore too.

I had to admit, it was a great way to arrive at the club for the ball. There were already quite a few others there, some of whom I recognised, and several called out to us as we walked across the rigging deck. We climbed up the stairs to the main room; there were a number of tables set out for everyone, and the room had been decorated with balloons and coloured ribbons. We found our table, we were sitting with Don and his wife, and two other couples who I didn’t know.

I was beginning to feel a little out of place, although I recognised a few of the people around us, they were all talking sailing talk; things I had very little idea of what they were even meaning, let along be able to contribute to the conversations. Fortunately, Lori stood with me, first holding my hand, then putting her arm around me; and holding me close to her.

After a while, we were all told to find our way to our seats, as the food was about to be served. I was introduced to the other couples at our table; David and Phyll Lyall, and Norm and Wendy Field, who I remembered from the previous times I had been sailing with Lori. Once everyone was seated, we went up, a table at a time, to get our food. It wasn’t that bad; a choice of roast beef or chicken, with all the trimmings and side dishes.

When we had all finished eating, and the plates had been cleared away, it was time for giving out the awards. Ron, the commodore, officiated, and began by giving the awards for first, second and third in the various races series. Don won two awards, first in one of the series, and third in another. Jack and Lori were both pleased, particularly when Don called them up to stand with him to hold the trophy, and have their photos taken as his crew members.

Then it was time for the major awards, there were two awards for the fastest yacht over all of the series – one for the outright, or “scratch” times, and the other for handicap times. Finally, Ron announced a new award that was being inaugurated this year, and called upon one of the Club’s original members to join him.

An older woman came up to the front, and Ron introduced her as Gwen Ifould, who for several years in the late 1930’s and 1940’s sailed with the club, and went on to win some Australian championships.

“I am honoured that the Club has created an award in my name,” she said. “When I started sailing, there were several of us girls who raced with the boys; and no one really made a big deal of it, not up here on Pittwater. But elsewhere, we met a lot of resistance from the sailing ‘establishment’ at the time; at least until we started winning some championships.

“But it has always been harder for women to get taken seriously in our sport,” she continued. “Which is sad, many promising girls drop out before they have a chance to achieve their full potential, and to get the enjoyment and recognition that they deserve. So when Ron asked me if I would give my name to a new award, the ‘Gwen Ifould Trophy for the Champion Female Sailor’, I was more than pleased, I saw it as a way to give encouragement to those girls, those women who might otherwise give up. Now, the inaugural winner of this lovely trophy is someone who everyone would agree is not just the best woman sailor in the club, but probably the one of our young members with the greatest potential to go on to bigger and better things.”

“Most of you know about her achievements here, but some of you may not know that she has led her high school to victory in the last two Combined High School’s sailing competitions, and is now racing off shore in a competitive boat, and will be making her first trip to Hobart this summer.”

Lori’s jaw dropped, and she grabbed my hand, squeezing it tightly.

“It can’t be me!” she whispered, incredulously.

“I would like you all to stand and congratulate the Club’s champion woman sailor, Lori Earle,” she said, looking towards us.

Lori stood up, amazed, and walked slowly to where Gwen was standing with the trophy. We all stood and applauded her; I could tell this was a very popular choice among all of the other club members.

She was lost for words; she started to say something, but stopped, choking up. Eventually she composed herself, wiped her eyes, and addressed everyone.

“Wow, this is, this is such an honour, I never dreamed, never expected I would get anything like this,” she said. “There are so many people here who have encouraged me, who had helped me, and taught me, who have help me get to where I am. Sailing with Don and my Father has been great, I have learned so much from them; but also many others here – David and Norm, when they taught a bunch of us in the junior division, and the others I sailed with and raced against then.”

She paused, and looked around, and gathered her thoughts.

“While there have are other places and clubs that I sail at, this club – Avalon – has to be one of the friendliest and most supportive places around. This has to be the best sailing club on the planet!”

Everyone clapped and cheered, and Lori gave Gwen a kiss on the cheek, and made her way back to our table. Her parents hugged and kissed her, as did Don. When she sat down next to me, I leant over to congratulate her.

“You really deserve that award, Lori,” I said in her ear. “I’m really proud of you, and I can now say I’ve sailed with a champion sailor.”

I leant closer to kiss her cheek, but she turned her face slightly, and I kissed her full on the lips. I hadn’t meant to, but before I could pull back, her lips parted slightly, and I felt her tongue touch my lips. Without thinking, I parted my lips, and our tongues touched briefly, before she pulled away.

“I didn’t expect that,” she whispered. “But thank you, thank you so much.”

The touch of her tongue stirred my prick; I could feel it starting to stiffen, and I quickly adjusted the crotch of my pants and made sure my prick wouldn’t bulge out if I got more erect. Lori saw what I was doing, and smiled as she touched my hand.

“Did I do something to you,” she whispered in my ear. “Can I help adjust him?”

She smiled at me, and kissed my cheek.

“At least it isn’t obvious with me,” she whispered.

“Have you looked down at your breasts?” I replied.

Her nipples were hard, or at least something was pushing out her dress in those two locations. Not that her nipples made the typical pointy little impressions in her top; because of the way her whole areola would swell up, it was more like two “bumps” over the top of her breasts. I suddenly had the desire to suck them, to take them in my mouth.

“It’s just cold in here, that’s all,” she said, clearly lying; with all the people in the room, it was pleasantly warm.

The awards part of the evening was over, so I suggested to Lori we go outside on the balcony to get some fresh air. I was hoping that the cooler air might take the edge of my ‘growing’ arousal. There wasn’t much chance of that, however. As soon as I was leaning on the balcony looking out over the dark bay, Lori stood at my side, half behind me, and put her arms around me. I could feel a breast pressing against my back, and she kissed the back of my neck.

“Are you really proud of me for the award?” she asked. “It probably doesn’t mean much to people not involved in sailing.”

“Well, I can appreciate how hard you’ve worked to get where you are, and I am really proud of you.” I replied. “I don’t know much about sailing, but I do know you are good; very good.”

“And good at sailing, too?” she said, and quickly reached down to press her hand to my prick.

“Lori!” I hissed. “Not out where everyone can see us!”

“No one is out here, and the windows are covered,” she whispered her reply. “I like to see just how ‘proud’ you are.”

“Well, you’ve seen that before,” I replied. “What if someone comes out and sees us?”

“They won’t,” she said, still rubbing my prick through my pants. “It’s dark back here.”

“No, Lori, not here, later maybe,” I said firmly, taking her hand in mine and pulling it away from my crotch. “It sounds like they are starting the music; we can go back inside and dance if you want.”

“Only if you promise to hold me close, so I can feel you against me,” she said. “I’ll even let you look down my top at my tits,” she added, smiling. “It makes me feel all warm inside when I know you are looking at me like that. I don’t like it when other guys perve at me, but I love it when you do. It’s not that I’m self-conscious; we’ve been going to nudist places for years; but most of the people there are respectful, and don’t leer the way some guys do. You can look at me anytime, you know. Besides, I like the effect my body has on you.”

“You are worth looking at – anytime, Lori,” I replied. “And I will discreetly look down your top at your tits, since you were so kind to invite me.”

“They are all yours,” she whispered as we re-entered the main room.

We spent the next hour dancing, and I kept my part of the bargain, holding Lori close most of the time. Actually, there wasn’t a lot of room in the clubhouse for all the people and the tables, so the dancing was more like holding each other really close, and swaying in time to the music, and moving to avoid the other couples. I did get lots of glimpses of her breasts; at least her lovely nipples, and several times she would squeeze me tighter as she noticed me peeking.

“You like them?” she whispered on one occasion.

“Lovely,” I replied.

“They are very tasty, too, if you want to sample later,” she added.

Unsurprisingly, my prick stayed fairly erect all the time, particularly as our bodies were pressed hard together. I knew she could feel my prick pressed against her groin, and several times she would deliberately rub her body against me there. She was probably as turned on as I was; her areolas were completely swollen and puffed out, with her nipples protruding from that lovely pink skin. I really wanted to take her up on her offer to taste them, against my better judgement.

All too soon, people started leaving. Dancing with Lori was really enjoyable; there was something about the closeness; not just the physical closeness, but there was an emotional closeness that felt really good. At times, she would rest her head on my shoulder, and she would press her lips lightly to my neck.

Once most of the people had left, others started to clean up – clearing away the tables and chairs, and carrying out the rubbish. Jack and Chris headed back to their boat, but Lori pulled me back towards the balcony.

“Can we wait out here for half an hour or so?” she asked. “I know what they will probably do as soon as they are in their cabin and the sounds, well, I don’t want to have to listen to them, and my mother gets pretty vocal at times.”

It took a few seconds to realize what she was saying,

“You mean, they are going to...” I started to say.

“Didn’t you see the look on Mum’s face as she led Dad away?” she replied. “I’ve seen that look before; remember, my bedroom is right next to theirs at home. I’m sort of used to it now, but when we first moved in, and I realised what they were doing, well...”

“Yeah, I guess we don’t like to imagine our parents actually having sex,” I replied, although I had never heard my parents in the act.

“It’s not just hearing them, I guess there’s nothing wrong with knowing they have sex, I mean, they have to have done it at least twice, you know,” she said. “Actually, I think it’s great that after all the time they’ve been married, they are still attracted that way to each other. You know they will have been married for twenty-five years in September?”

“Wow, my parents have not quite reached twenty years,” I replied. “I guess that’s good they still love each other like that.”

“Anyway, it’s not the fact that I know they are having sex,” she continued.

She paused for a few seconds, and looked around.

“As I said, Mum gets pretty, um, vocal, when she is, well, put it this way, I know how many times Dad makes her come, and how, and what positions she wants,” she said. “I shouldn’t really tell you, but she love it doggy style. I’m sure she doesn’t realise that her voice carries through the walls. It’s not just her words, but she moans really loudly when she comes.”

“Like someone else I know,” I added, smiling at her. “Like mother, like daughter, I guess.”

“Oh, I didn’t realise I did that,” she said. “Does that embarrass you, I mean, where we were doing things like that? Do I really moan out loud?” I nodded. “And say things, telling you what I want?” I nodded again.

“Explicitly,” I added.

“Oh, God, that’s so embarrassing,” she said. “I’ve never realised that I was just like her, it’s just that I get so, well, so...”

She paused for a brief time.

“You get me so fucking turned on, I just lose control when I am with you sometimes,” she said, looking me right in the eyes. “When we were together, I couldn’t think of anything else, just what you were doing, the pleasure ... Even sometimes now, when we are together, not necessarily doing anything, you get me turned on, I can feel myself getting so wet.

“I really shouldn’t tell you all that, should I?” she continued. “I mean, here we are, about to share the main cabin, sleeping together, and we can’t do anything, we can’t start that again, not at the moment. Fuck, I’m hopeless,” she cursed at herself. “Why did I tell you all that, tonight of all nights? I shouldn’t have had so much to drink, you must think I’m desperate or something, trying to lead you on...”

Her voice trailed off, and she put her head in her hands. I put my arm around her shoulders, and held her close to me. I didn’t think Lori had drunk all that much, maybe she had just reacted to the same closeness that I had felt while we had been dancing? For a brief second, I wondered if Hannah had spoken to her about what had happened over the last few days.

Did Hannah tell Lori to stop putting things off with me? But how would she have brought that up? I didn’t really understand, except that Lori was still undecided; wanting us to go further, to get our relationship back, but scared about what might happen.

My thoughts were interrupted when Lori stood up.

“I’m sorry Will, I guess I’ve just been a bit overwhelmed by the evening, getting the trophy, all of it,” she said. “Do you want to go down to the rigging deck, look at the water until it’s safe to go on the boat?”

“Sure, let’s do that,” I said, taking her hand.

Everyone had left the clubhouse by now, and it was dark inside. We made our way slowly to the stairs, and I led the way down, feeling for each step carefully – the stairs down to the rigging deck were steep and narrow, and I didn’t want to trip. Lori was right behind me, holding onto my shoulders.

We found two chairs, and sat out on the deck. The sky was dark; the moon hadn’t risen yet, but the stars were clearly visible. Lori wrapped her arms around her shoulders; and I realised she must be cold out here; her dress didn’t cover all that much. I took my jacket off, and placed it around her shoulders.

“Thank you, it is getting cold out here,” she said, and squeezed my hand. “At least it will be warm in bed on the boat.”

I smiled, and put an arm around her.

“I love the bay here,” she said. “When we lived in Virginia, we were very close to the water there, too, Chesapeake Bay, which is huge, about three hundred k’s long, I think. That’s where I first went sailing; we had a boat there and would go out most weekends, with my grandparents when Dad was in Vietnam. But it’s not like here, with all the natural bushland, and the hidden little places. There’s a lot of places I want to explore with you, further up the river, too.”

“So you’ve been sailing since you were really young?” I asked.

“Ever since I could remember,” she replied. “My grandparents had been sailing on the bay for years and years, and Dad was taught to sail by Paw-paw; my grandfather. They use to race together, too, before Dad joined the Navy, and did some longer races, too. At one time, before Mum and Dad were married, I think, they all sailed a boat down to Florida.

“My grandfather was a really good sailor, well, he still sails a lot, but not racing any more, they still have a boat on the bay there. I can still remember as a little girl, him teaching me how to tie knots, read the wind from the surface of the water, look at the shape of sails to trim them properly.”

“I’m sure he will be really proud of you when he hears of your award,” I said. “I’m really proud of you too, Lori, you are a great sailor.”

“He will be pleased, I’ll have to tell him tomorrow night,” she said. “You know, you could easily be a good sailor, too, you pick things up quickly, we would make a great team.”

“Me? Sailing?” I replied, very surprised. “I know hardly anything about sailing; the times I have gone with you I’ve just done what you or Don told me to.”

“You would pick it up quickly,” she said. “You’ve got the strength and stamina; you showed that the other month doing all that spinnaker work, you are smart, you learn quickly. And you look damn sexy just wearing a pair of shorts, although you do distract me like that.”

We both laughed at her comments.

“But seriously,” she continued. “After the exams are over, you could sail with me every Sunday and maybe even next year you could go in the Hobart race with me? What do you think?”

“I don’t know, Lori,” I replied. “After the HSC, we could do that, but I don’t know about next year, once Uni starts. But we can try it, I guess. I don’t know about Hobart though, I mean, I might get seasick and all that.”

“Well, promise me you will think seriously about it?” she said. “During the long holiday time form when school ends, and before we have to start Uni, we could go sailing during the week, too; I’m sure Don would let us take his boat out whenever we wanted to. Anyway, I think it’s safe to go back on the boat now, they have probably finished and are sleeping.”

All seemed quiet when we go to the boat, and I helped Lori on board. She handed me my jacket, and turned on the light above the main settee, which had already been dropped down to form a double bed. I assumed Lori would be sleeping there, and I would have the smaller settee on the other side of the cabin.

I was half undressed when Lori asked me to help her.

“Can you get this zip undone for me?” she asked. “There some little catch at the top, and I can’t seem to get it open.”

“Ok, let me have a look at it,” I replied.

It was hard to see clearly; the light wasn’t all that good, but there was a tiny little loop of cotton with a miniscule hook at the top of the zipper holding the two parts of the back of the dress together, most probably to make sure the zip at the back didn’t accidentally come loose. I unhooked the catch, and then lowered the zipper. With that undone, I slid the straps off her shoulders, and Lori turned to face me. She smiled and let the dress slip down, exposing her breasts and stomach completely, then eased it over her hips, letting it fall to the floor. She stepped out of it, then removed her panties.

“Lovely,” I said softly.

“Better than the little peeks you have been getting all evening?” she asked.

Lori sat on the edge of the bed, and removed her shoes, then hung her dress up properly. I finished getting undressed and hung my suit up too.

“It would be nice to be able sleep naked,” she whispered to me. “But probably not tonight.”

She took out a dark track suit from her back, and pulled that on. I found a pair of shorts and a tee shirt and did the same, then put my sleeping bag on the single bunk.

“You don’t have to sleep over there, silly,” she said, lying back on the main bed. “This is where we are to sleep.”

“But your parents?” I started to say.

“As long as we are dressed, they won’t worry,” Lori replied. “They are assuming we would sleep together, and if they came out; which I doubt they would; and saw us in separate beds, they would be a bit disappointed. Come on, get in with me; we can just lie together.”

I turned out the light, and got into the bed next to Lori. I wasn’t quite sure how she wanted me to lie there, either snuggled up to her, or for us to remain separated, so I just stayed on my back, my hand just touching her arm. I must have made the right choice, because she moved her hand to hold mine.

“Thanks for the lovely evening, Will, and being with me, and all that,” she said. “Sleep well, and have lovely dreams.”

“You too, my champion sailor,” I replied, and squeezed her hand.

“Lovely dreams indeed,” I said to myself. “She has to know what I will be dreaming of, and it will take all my control to keep them to just dreams.”

For My Lady

Sunday May 18, 1975

It was just starting to get light outside when I woke up; I was still on my back, but I had an arm around Lori’s shoulder, and she was lying with her head on my shoulder. Somehow, her tracksuit top had become pushed up around her shoulders, and my hand was cupping one of her breasts. At least the blankets were covering us, just in case Lori’s parents had come out of their cabin.

I started to move my hand from her breast, but she stirred, and pressed my hand back against her there.

“Look at ... anytime,” she mumbled. “Tasty ... they are ... yours ... like you looking at them.”

Her nipples were swollen and erect, and I instinctively rubbed my thumb over the puffy areola. She sighed softly, and nestled her face against my neck. I could feel my prick getting hard, and I wanted to move down to kiss and suck that lovely nipple, but that would probably lead to things that were better not done right at the moment. I let myself be content with just caressing her breast and feeling her nipple.

“Love you touching ... making them swell ... love you to suck...” she continued mumbling, probably dreaming about us.

I closed my eyes, imagining how it would feel to be sucking that swollen, puffy nipple again. My prick was fully erect now, and somehow Lori’s hand had shifted, and was resting there, her fingers curled over my shaft. I hear her sigh softly, and she then pushed her hand inside my shorts, and held my prick, gently rubbing my knob as I rubbed her nipple.

It felt really good having Lori touch my prick like that; it was quite different from stroking the shaft, and she was gentle enough with the sensitive knob for it not to be unbearably intense. I had my eyes closed, enjoying the sensations, until I realised I was getting rather close to coming. I should stop her, take her hand away, before...

Too late, I was too slow to react. I felt that unstoppable surge of warmth, the muscles around my prick contracted, I groaned softly – and a big, hot spurt of come blasted out of my prick, all over Lori’s fingers. I heard her sigh, and she moved her hand to cover my knob, and stroked my shaft again.

I squeezed her breast as I spurted several times, each one stronger than the last. I was shaking form the pleasure, and she squeezed my prick harder, and kept stroking until I had finished coming. I could feel a big sticky patch of wetness on my stomach, and I pushed the covers back so they wouldn’t get any stains on them.

Lori shifted, and pushed my shorts down, leaving my softening prick and the pool of come exposed. She licked her fingers clean, and then kissed me.

“I didn’t mean to do that,” she said softly. “I was dreaming about us, and I guess I just, well...”

She ran a finger through a big glob of my come, and then licked it from her fingertip.

“But no sense in wasting it, is there?” she smiled.

She leant over and slowly licked my prick and stomach clean, then placed her lips around my soft prick, and sucked gently.

“I don’t know what to say, Lori,” I said. “That was a lovely way to wake up, but...”

“Yeah, I know, I shouldn’t have done that, should I?” I’m not being all that fair to you, I’m sorry. I won’t do that again, I promise, not until we are, well, you know...”

She sat up on the bed, and pulled her top back down, covering her lovely breasts. I tried not to look at them, and had to make a conscious effort not to glance between her legs to see if there was a damp spot on her track pants. I was sure she was pretty damp, but I didn’t want to take things further.

“Shall we have a shower?” she asked. “We can go up to the clubhouse, I’ll get the hot water turned on. Besides, Mum and Dad will probably be waking up soon, and, well, we don’t need to be around to hear them.”

I rolled out of the bed, and pulled my shorts back up. I was still a bit sticky there, but the shower would fix that. I grabbed my bag and waited while Lori got her things together.

“You know, it was your fault I did that to you then,” she said as we entered the clubhouse. “Me rubbing you, I mean.”

“My fault!” I exclaimed. “You were the one stroking me.”

“But you had your hand on my boob, rubbing my nipple, you know that turns me on,” she said. You could have stopped doing that.”