Pirates!

This morning we reached back and forth around two marks to practice roundings. It was a pretty busy course and as a result, I often turned in a bit of a panic to avoid other boats. The winds were super light so avoiding other boats with grace took serious advance planning. Other boats aren't very predictable either. Things I forgot to do:
- turn slowly
- full roll tacks and gybes
- gybe with sail about halfway out for best lift when rolling.
- steer with the body, not the rudder

The second drill was the paper clip drill. Three marks - two upwind, one downwind. Similar practice on mark rounding with extra challenge on the downwind mark as boats entered from two directions.

After a quick lunch we were back out again but the wind was dying. I practiced roll tacks on the way out. Remember to face forward. Turn the tiller hand to grab the rail and the tiller to pull the boat over. It is very hard to level slowly when there is no wind.

When the wind died completely, we played with the boats. Get the stern out of the water, get the bow out of the water, climb the mast, do a 360 race (capsize, turtle, right on the other side), get centreboard out of the water without getting wet. Some of the guys were able to tack the boat standing on the boom at the mast. I should have tried the lamba dance. This is done for more wind. A head stand in front of the mast, facing forward. After this, chaos reigned. Pirates were capsizing boats. People screamed when they saw them coming and again as they fell into the cold water. They tried to sink a laser by having a lot of people sit on the turtled hull. It stayed afloat, but just. Then the crowd boarded a byte with enough weight to sink it to the gunwales. Some of the pirates had the sense to capsize their boats before going after others. Some didn't and their boats sailed slowly around as if ghosts were driving. I herded a few to keep them from heading to the rocks.

The story was that wind was coming. 25 knots in Haro Straight. It was taking a long time coming. At 2:30 we headed in. I was drifting along fishtailing my rudder for propulsion when a 29er came up behind me. The boys were planning to flip me. I got onto the bow and started paddling with my arms. Off like a rocket! The 29er boys gave up. I paddled all the way back to dock. The water is freezing cold. I don't know how the kids played in it for so long.

Fingers crossed for more wind tomorrow.