Of late, I've been unsure what I've been dealing with here. Maybe what I have is ½ crew and ½ taxi squad. As I understand it, a taxi squad are not really members of a (football) team but are lower-paid extras retained to fill out a roster for practice scrimmages. That sounds like the best way to describe our people.
Out of Das Boot's hard core, today we only had TW, Spinnaker Maestro, Rookie-of-the-Year, and Newman. These four are assuredly first stringers. Additionally, we had Rookie's mother along. Which was good. She handled the camera well and brought down the spinnaker into the sewer without a hitch or a tear. What more could one ask?
In today's pursuit race we started, maybe, seven seconds late. More important, we were right on the highly-favored, weather pin on port tack. In the 13-17 knot breeze, I took this advantage to sail out of the current, close to shore, tacking up the Kelp Straits. Right away I knew we were in a groove when we crossed our first starboard boat. On that first leg of this windward/leeward course we basically passed the entire fleet.
The crew, even if short-handed, was smooth as silk. And our chemistry was much improved. Newman and I are actually loosening up & getting along! We finished 3rd out of 17 boats. It was a beautiful sunny day with a steady breeze and flat seas.
My asking price for Das Boot just went up $5K.
Out of Das Boot's hard core, today we only had TW, Spinnaker Maestro, Rookie-of-the-Year, and Newman. These four are assuredly first stringers. Additionally, we had Rookie's mother along. Which was good. She handled the camera well and brought down the spinnaker into the sewer without a hitch or a tear. What more could one ask?
In today's pursuit race we started, maybe, seven seconds late. More important, we were right on the highly-favored, weather pin on port tack. In the 13-17 knot breeze, I took this advantage to sail out of the current, close to shore, tacking up the Kelp Straits. Right away I knew we were in a groove when we crossed our first starboard boat. On that first leg of this windward/leeward course we basically passed the entire fleet. The crew, even if short-handed, was smooth as silk. And our chemistry was much improved. Newman and I are actually loosening up & getting along! We finished 3rd out of 17 boats. It was a beautiful sunny day with a steady breeze and flat seas.
My asking price for Das Boot just went up $5K.
And this Wednesday, Rookie can't make it. But she's sending out her brother and father to fill out our taxi squad!
ReplyDeleteYesterday was a fun sailing day, wall to wall. Except someone had to stain it a little by protesting someone else.
ReplyDeleteYou know it's no big thing. I've been in maybe 20 protests over the years. You win some and you lose some. A wise man said it's always a roll of the dice. But my last protest, which I lost BTW, taught me a valuable lesson: it's possible to go through a protest hearing without rancor, anger, pettiness, outrage, etc. I learned that it's just an opportunity to go back to school on the rules. The RRS's which keep our sport a safe one. It can be dangerous out there and I'd rather exchange words than paint or skin. Protests are part of the sport, just like calling the lines in any other competitive athletic event. Someone has to do it. And if some people ask, why is it always me, then their question contains its own answer.
DeleteThat kind of crew flexibility to adjust working with different people could be an asset.
ReplyDeleteSounds like great time!
ReplyDelete