Remember When . . .

[Charlie]

I doubt I'm the only one who has a memory like this. It is of a particuilar instance on the ocean. NOt a port where the sunset was beautiful (though I have my share of those), Not a drink shared with some new found freind, but a time on the ocean (or the water) when everything was just right.

It was the middle of our watcharound 0400. We were racing White Knight (A Farr 40 one tonner) down the coast of Mexico. The race had just started the day before and the fleet had split up early. At night the wind built. We switched from the 3/4 oz to the 1.5. The waves were building it was pitch black with only the stars giving us light. Couldn't see another boat. The wind was warm. We were sailing in shorts and a light jacket. I'd steer off one wave and then catch another one. Jon was trimming the kite perfectly. Every once in awhile a wave would slap our stern and then I'd pump the tiller a couple of times and we were off to the races again. 15 were common place When we hit 18.12 well that was worth a hoot. We sailed on. It was as if the wind, the waves, the boat, the sails, the trimmer and me (the driver) were all on the same page squezzing every bit of speed that she had out of that boat. I felt the stern kick so I pumped the tiller and felt the boat start to go down the wave. Everything was fine. But then the boat kept going down the wave. I looked at Jon. He looked at me. We didn't say anything. We'd been on the wave for 10 or 12 seconds. The boat she was handling just fine. Another seven or eight seconds elapsed. I looked at Jon. The bow was quite a bit lower than the sterrn. "Should I be doing anything different?" Jon shrugged. "i'll just bring her up a little." I remeber thinking if I brought the boat up to much we would roll the boat sideways. I brought the bow up maybe two degrees. The boat started to flatten out.

Neither Jon nor I crashed the boat on that watch.

Ok guys lets hear you stories.