Top Ten List blogger O Docker says Ocean Sailing Is Hard. I don't really understand his point. Apparently ocean sailors don't like going upwind. Something to do with "swells and waves" and "leeway" and having to tack every three or four hours so you don't get where you want to go as fast as if you were sailing in a straight line.
Huh?
Apparently some west coast ocean sailors find the horrors of upwind sailing to be so intimidating that they sail downwind to Mexico where they succumb to the temptations of "cheap tequila, warm water, and the almost endless summer"... and then they never go back upwind to home.
Hmmm.
I guess I'll never understand ocean sailing. I've never done it. So I'll just have to take O Docker's word for it. Ocean sailing is hard.
Laser sailing can be hard at times too. But most of the time it is pure fun. That's why we do it. That's why I do it anyway.
Last Tuesday was a great example.
The sea breeze kicked up on schedule in early afternoon, and continued to build, so I headed over to Bristol Harbor and launched at 4:30pm in a delicious 15+ knot southerly that was whipping up some juicy rolling waves. I played around by myself for about an hour just enjoying the wind and the waves on all points of sail and not thinking at all about those miserable west coast ocean sailors having such a hard time doing ocean sailing on the ocean.
After an hour or so some of the other Tuesday evening Bristol Harbor Laser sailing crowd showed up and we started racing windward-leeward courses with rabbit starts. It was close racing and excellent practice. It reminded me somewhat of that day two years ago which I wrote about in Just Six Laser Dudes Racing Round a Sausage. But Tuesday was even more fun, if that could be possible. The winds were steady and strong enough for hiking, the fleet stayed close, there was plenty of boat to boat tactics, and the sun was low in the sky bathing the sea and the boats in an orange glow.
Hmmm.
I guess I'll never understand ocean sailing. I've never done it. So I'll just have to take O Docker's word for it. Ocean sailing is hard.
Laser sailing can be hard at times too. But most of the time it is pure fun. That's why we do it. That's why I do it anyway.
Last Tuesday was a great example.
The sea breeze kicked up on schedule in early afternoon, and continued to build, so I headed over to Bristol Harbor and launched at 4:30pm in a delicious 15+ knot southerly that was whipping up some juicy rolling waves. I played around by myself for about an hour just enjoying the wind and the waves on all points of sail and not thinking at all about those miserable west coast ocean sailors having such a hard time doing ocean sailing on the ocean.
After an hour or so some of the other Tuesday evening Bristol Harbor Laser sailing crowd showed up and we started racing windward-leeward courses with rabbit starts. It was close racing and excellent practice. It reminded me somewhat of that day two years ago which I wrote about in Just Six Laser Dudes Racing Round a Sausage. But Tuesday was even more fun, if that could be possible. The winds were steady and strong enough for hiking, the fleet stayed close, there was plenty of boat to boat tactics, and the sun was low in the sky bathing the sea and the boats in an orange glow.
If the Wickford Regatta the previous weekend restored my passion to sail more regattas this summer, then Tuesday evening brought back my enthusiasm for informal group practice with fellow Laserites. I have a feeling I will be spending a lot of Tuesday evenings in Bristol Harbor this summer.
Laser sailing is fun.
10 comments:
It's only hard for me.
For superbloggers, looking Mr. Neptune in the eye without flinching is the most fun you can have with your foulies on.
Although he be far too old to do it now in a 13'10" Laser, this West Coastie loves slogging it to weather in 15-20 knots in his 38-foot Laser. If there's a race on.
Good for you Doc. It's a relief to know that not all big-boat sailors think that "beat" is a four letter word.
Tillerman, see bad to no go. I rest your case.
Cancel in 25 knots? Lame.
I sailed a Viper today. It was frickin awesome. And awesome is not a word I used liberally. We were sailing in 20kts at one point and broached. Yeah baby!
well done boss
"We were sailing in 20kts at one point and broached. Yeah baby!"
Call me old school but, broaching is not a good thing.
OK...confusion time. What is the definition of broaching? Is it a roundup? Rounddown? Getting pooped?
Dictionary.com says it's (as in it is) "veering to windward". So would basic weather helm qualify?
Broaching is the most fun you can have with your foulies on.
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