2-12-11 RACING
It was announced the other day that we’re having the coldest February EVER. For the last two weeks, we’ve had snow and ice and on my way to the car this morning, I actually slipped on ice in the driveway. So what does that mean our sailing conditions were like today? You gotta love Texas! The sun came out and it warmed up nicely and we had a decent breeze from the South (West, South, …). A light windbreaker was all that was needed to be comfortable. An absolutely beautiful day to be at the lake!
Doug commented on how pleased he was with our race committee. Bob and Luigi did a great job of getting in three races while trying to keep up with the shifting breeze and Doug was pleased to see them pulling up anchor and following the back of the fleet and keeping an eye on our guests.
Our fleet boats have been popular this winter. Lukas and Cathy were our guests today and are progressing nicely. Doug and I were sailing together for a couple of races today and out of the blue he slapped his hand on the deck and said he loves the Butterfly. He says the boat just feels young compared to other boats he’s sailed. He loves how responsive and nimble it feels. That’s quite an endorsement coming from a diehard Laser sailor. Our course, this was shortly after the second race when he sailed single-handed and got to play with some good competition at the front of the fleet and managed to coax the old fleet boat into a 1st. Every time I got on the boat it felt a bit like an old dog but what a perfect way to spend a Saturday afternoon after two weeks of un-Texas like weather.
I couldn’t tell you who won the first and third races but I can certainly tell you what a lot of sterns look like. Depressing. But kind of exciting to round the reaching mark behind everyone as the wind built and see all the smooth gybes. I’m always impressed with how easy the front of the fleet makes it look.
Doug and I came up with an interesting idea today and that might help build the fleet since new folks tend to get bitten by the sailing bug when they do well and sail with the competition instead of way behind it. When coaching me, Doug, for the first time, sailed a single-handed boat double-handed. By being on the boat, he was able to teach me stuff at an accelerated rate that simply can’t be taught when coaching from another boat. He and Lukas have done some double-handed sailing as well and Lukas picked up a few things that would haven taken much longer to learn. So Doug is toying with the idea of coaching by sailing a Laser double-handed and racing in the Butterfly fleet (of course, yielding right of way to the Butterflys). A double-handed Laser (with Doug on it) and a single-handed Butterfly might be about evenly matched and those uh-oh rule moments of newbies could be talked through and avoided and the way at the back of the fleet moments of newbies could be shortened. Who knows, maybe even some of our seasoned sailors might want to jump on a Laser with Doug for a race or two and take the helm and see if there is some overlooked go fast trick that might be lodged in his head. By constantly asking him 'why?', I’ve been forcing him to verbalize stuff he does without thought and I’m constantly amazed at how much stuff is still bouncing around in that head of his just waiting to be found. No telling what a seasoned sailor could find in there.
