We are the Rabbit.. and are marked.. and everyone knows it and is gunning for us…
Even tail enders in the class take a whack at us… like “soldier crabs in a bucket”.
That reference is to an old Caribbean saying about how the crabs all scramble to get out and if one crab starts to get a little height the others drag him back down..
A couple of poor starts and some hard work to claw back into the racing and we ended up the day still in first.. but now tied for first with the Melges 32 from St. Maarten and only one point ahead of Team Sojana from Antigua. Our fleet is so tight that after racing for over an hour on some races we have 4 boats separated by a mere 40 seconds in scoring. Because they are different kinds of boats we have handicaps that are based on measurements and computed after the race has finished. To lose by 7 seconds to another boat can be traced back to a single mistake sometimes!
Trying to keep 9 people on their “game” and to set an expectation of performance- and then have them meet it is quite the challenge. One persons idea of a regatta is to be first at the bar every after noon.. another is to be last at the same bar- and from the same boat!
Kai and I are not in that class as we are not interested in that. Me, because I have been there and done that and he because he has not. Seeing early morning sweats and the pale and queasy looks on the faces of other boat’s crew might have a bearing on future hijinks- or not.
I am here because someone decided to “take a kid sailing”
Our preferred mode is early to dinner and then bed by 9; along with first on the boat to have it ready in the morning. Helping Kai understand that other people do not have the same commitment and share a different level of readiness is a life lesson from sailing that helps him learn the principles he will need throughout life.
Knowing this and knowing we have the best sailing conditions in the world (there- I said it) pains me to know that so few of our children in these islands are getting more than their feet wet. I have always felt that if your “world” is the rock you were born on you will feel limited.. but if the ocean is your “world” you truly have a planet wide and unlimited playground.
I am here and we are racing because someone decided to “take a kid sailing”- I am so thankful my parents saw the beauty and wanted to learn and then shared it with us.
Back to racing- today we have one chance to do it right although that chance is going to be several hours long- with lots of opportunities to take advantage of.. and that pressure can limit people who are focused on the pressure side of it.. I focus on the bigger and better side of how cool it is and how lucky I am to be here- now.
Are you truly “living” or just “waiting to die?” Get up, go out and do something different today.. collect memories.. they do need to be dusted off at times- but when you move to a new house or city or relationship they are easy to take with you!
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"]
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