Yesterday was the last day of sailing class, and a storm blew in while everyone was out on the water. The instructor said it was okay, keep sailing. So I kept sailing, and things were okay - the wind was a little strong, but not strong enough to do much besides make me go nice and fast.
Things became a little less okay when the wind starting picking up. The instructor signaled for everybody to sail back to shore, but the people farther out (including me) couldn't see him. By the time he got to us in the motorboat, the wind was getting quite gusty.
With the arrival of a very large, strong gust of wind, it was evident that things were no longer okay. I didn't have time to turn into the wind, so I let out the mainsheet, just let the rope go entirely. For a second or two, it looked like things would once again be okay. Then my situation was clarified - the speed with which the unleashed sail swung out was unsettling, but even more unsettling was when it suddenly jerked to a halt. I was out of rope, and there was nothing to be done for it. The Sunfish resumed its leeward lean; I checked to make sure I didn't have my feet caught in the hiking strap and leaped clear just as the boat crashed over.
As I came back above water, I looked around and saw one boat still upright out of the half-dozen people who hadn't made it back to the beach before the gust. The water was quite warm. If you know what it's like to jump into a pool and feel the slight shock of the cold water, it was like that - except that I was surprised by the warmth of the water.
I was in the process of righting my boat - stupid centerboard wouldn't stay in - but the instructor picked me up in the moterboat first. After the wind died down, he took me back out to my boat, and I righted it and sailed back. It made that day quite a bit more interesting than the others. Probably good that I capsized once, at least.
posted on Thursday, July 10, 2003
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