Thursday, July 22, 2010

Faster than the speed of light

There hasn't been much breeze in these parts. Wednesday, late it started picking up so I rigged for a sail. Got off the dock while the fleet was just starting the evening race half a mile downwind. I futzed around a bit and then decided I might as well go round the course. Turning corners, traffic, good practice. Staying within the patchy breeze, I had to take very different lines from the conventional boats. Twice the distance, three times the speed. On the second to last reach I overtook the leading Snipe. Three quarters of the way up the last beat I got off the foils and waited for the committee boat to set the finish. - they were taking their time. When I  went through no one stirred. Little lake I sail on - Dina was stting on a bench watching the whole race. Asked if she didn't think it was a little nasty not to score me - "Oh" she said, "I didn't notice you sailed the course". Faster than the speed of light - no one sees you....