Ed
Word
Observations
From The Check Book
Many of you know that I have purchased a Flying Tiger 10 Meter.
This is a pretty big departure for me - back in my previous
life as a sailmaker I was used to getting the checks, now I
have to write them! I don't dig that. (truthfully, it is not
that bad, especially with partners, and so far worth every penny).
Plus I was used to just stepping on the boat, race, then head
straight for the bar. Okay, that has pretty much stayed the
same, but now I at least pick up the empties before I hose the
boat off.
One of the reasons I decided to get back in the sport, this
time as an owner, was that I wanted to have fun, on my terms.
Sure, there is fun to be had on other people's boats, but I'm
done with that. I wanted to have my friends sail with me and
create my own particular brand of fun. We've just done the one
race, and I'm never going to be the "here's a tip from
the expert" kind of guy, but here are a couple of quick
thoughts.
Find Your Fun. Sure, we all race hard, but in my book,
there has to be an unyielding fun factor during the race or
forget it, it just ain't worth it. Jokes, ball busting, ridicule
(especially the other boats) and a general level of verbal anarchy
is what I like. Kept within limits of course. No yelling. Ever.
Sure the occasional bark of "What the fuck are we doing
over here?" is fine, but yelling is for assholes, plain
and simple.
Speed is King. I know, Captain Obvious just walked in
the room, but for me it has always been about sailing fast.
The essence of the sport is getting the boat going fast and
keeping it there. I've always loved that. Get on board and sail
the bitch as fast as she'll go. Sure, you need all the other
ingredients to make a good cake, but i always like the fast
part.
Good Vibe. This probably ties into Find Your Fun. Is
there anything better than a crew that just seems to all be
on the same page? Everybody gets along, everybody digs the vibe
that they helped create. When we sailed New
Year's Day, it was with guys I have known for up to 20 years.
There is a camaraderie that is worth building and keeping. If
it isn't a blast with your mates, for me, it isn't fun. And
it's gotta be fun.
I'll have some more observations as we go along.
01/10/07 |
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