Elise : 2nd half opener

Saturday, August 10, 2013

2nd half opener

With the America's Cup this summer, Elise hasn't been out much - it is kind of a bummer and an opportunity.

Doing work on the boat to get her more ready for single-handed offshore racing and taking advantage of other types of adventures I wouldn't normally do in the summer: Death Ride and soon Burning Man!

So it hasn't all been bad and as a one off I guess I can live with it.

However, it is so strange that whenever I am back on the water, I have this feeling of just being home. A lot of people think it is strange as my zodiacal sign is Taurus which is a land sign - now you can tell that I don't quite believe in these things...

I just like being out there. There is such a fantastic feeling of purity and freedom even though we are only operating within very narrow margins of physical and safety possibilities.

I was really bummed that the 2nd half opener: race to Point Bonita actually didn't include going out to Point Bonita (Ocean, past the gate but so close that you don't actually need full blown ocean gear, so great for Bay dwellers to get a feel for the ocean)

Instead we had a scenic tour of the South Bay and one one leg a reach parade with the wind too far forward to be able to fly the kite.

However, as soon as I was back on the water, I just felt good and happy. I had missed it. I had missed Elise. I had missed the team too. I missed the rush of starting the race, the forever tweaks during the upwind to get the boat to go faster, the thrill of the downwind.

Delivering the boat back we had about 28 knots up in the slot in the Bay and I loved it. We took a reef in to sail more comfortably. I was wet, splashed all the time. Cold water. Cold wind. and yet, loving it. Missing it.

I have a few more summer events and a few ocean races which I am looking forward to and then my qualifier for SHTP. After the summer ends, normality will return on the Bay.

It was a nice break in my sailor's life - it was great to renew with the rest of the world. And frankly biking and endurance and general fitness level makes me feel great (Eric Tabarly the Great himself biked when he was not on a boat to stay fit) and it is a great complement to sailing (lower body workout Vs upper body workout and abs in sailing)

It will be great to get back to the liquid world I have fallen in love with.

Elise - your vacation is nearly over. Get your sea legs back on. Get ready to kill it.

And have fun.

Elise's fabulous crew:

Nathan who is a fabulous all around sailor and a great tactician.

Mike, with a fantastic attitude, wonderful athleticism and the fastest learner I have met on a boat. He has fallen overboard recently.

Mark, one of the best trimmers I have sailed with. He just gets the sails and is eager to learn.

Andrea - such a great personality, awesome pit person and our tactician in training. She is a ray of sunshine wherever she goes. It is so great to have her on the boat.

Not on the picture is Serge, Elise's loyal caretaker.

She is one lucky girl