TheBoatman
Well-Known Member
Why some sailors race?
From the owners point of view it cost a hell of a lot more than ordinary sailing, you have to stuff food and drink down the throats of God knows how many gorillas. Very often the boat gets broken under huge strains, when not racing it can barely be cruised because there's bugger all down below save sail bags and a single burner primus. The boat seems to be permanently wet; most language used aboard doesn't seem to appear in the Oxford dictionary. Whilst the owners/helms seem to know the close quarters ColRegs off by heart they immediately know not one once the gun as gone because "they are racing".
From a crews point of view everybody seems to be shouting at you all of the time, the only time you get a minute to yourself you have to go sit on the weather rail with yer feet dangling in mid air. The poor sod sent up forward needs to be at least an Olympic class swimmer. No sooner than you get one sail set some bugger wants to change it for something else and with all this jumping around most crews have permanent heartburn or indigestion<s>.
No guys REAL sailing is about getting aboard, turning the gas on first to get a brew going, leaving the mooring under engine so that you charge the batteries and heat the hot water, setting the sails, turning on the auto helm and asking it (nicely) to talk to the GPS chart plotter, going back to the sails to have a play just for something to do whilst you finish your tea and add a decent break before you open a beer. Then settle back with beer in hand and keep a decent lookout all round and hopefully doff your cap to any other like mind person that happens to pass within hailing distance. Finally you just sit there contemplating this nice peaceful existence whilst dreaming of the good meal your going to have ashore at your final destination, will it be Italian, Chinese, a steak or maybe Duck with black cherry sauce and all the trimmings.
Racing,,,, nahhhh,,,, give me cruising EVERYTIME.
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From the owners point of view it cost a hell of a lot more than ordinary sailing, you have to stuff food and drink down the throats of God knows how many gorillas. Very often the boat gets broken under huge strains, when not racing it can barely be cruised because there's bugger all down below save sail bags and a single burner primus. The boat seems to be permanently wet; most language used aboard doesn't seem to appear in the Oxford dictionary. Whilst the owners/helms seem to know the close quarters ColRegs off by heart they immediately know not one once the gun as gone because "they are racing".
From a crews point of view everybody seems to be shouting at you all of the time, the only time you get a minute to yourself you have to go sit on the weather rail with yer feet dangling in mid air. The poor sod sent up forward needs to be at least an Olympic class swimmer. No sooner than you get one sail set some bugger wants to change it for something else and with all this jumping around most crews have permanent heartburn or indigestion<s>.
No guys REAL sailing is about getting aboard, turning the gas on first to get a brew going, leaving the mooring under engine so that you charge the batteries and heat the hot water, setting the sails, turning on the auto helm and asking it (nicely) to talk to the GPS chart plotter, going back to the sails to have a play just for something to do whilst you finish your tea and add a decent break before you open a beer. Then settle back with beer in hand and keep a decent lookout all round and hopefully doff your cap to any other like mind person that happens to pass within hailing distance. Finally you just sit there contemplating this nice peaceful existence whilst dreaming of the good meal your going to have ashore at your final destination, will it be Italian, Chinese, a steak or maybe Duck with black cherry sauce and all the trimmings.
Racing,,,, nahhhh,,,, give me cruising EVERYTIME.
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