But......It's windy, and I'm having so much fun!
I hope a new Midwinters tradition was started this year at the Saturday night party, because who doesn't like a mechanical bull! Maui Sails sponsored the bull riding contest, with a new 11 meter TR4 going to the person who could hang on the longest. The big name racers declined to participate, citing concerns of injuring themselves, but the rest of us had quite a time! And no, I did not win.
Of course, the weekend of Mid-Winters was the least windy three days of the whole two weeks.
The Kona class and the other longboard classes got lots of racing in on all three days, but the Formula class only raced one race on Friday and three on Sunday (someone tell me why I wanted to race Formula again?). The one race on Friday was relatively light wind and only about half the fleet was powered up the whole way around the course - so those of us in the back half slogged around and didn't make the time limit. The races on Sunday were in a bit more wind (10-14) and I was amazed at how powered up I felt on an 11 meter. It's a bit surreal when you are just standing there on the board, with very little power in the sail and almost no ripples on the water....and then you pump three times and are blasting around all lit up.
Clearly, I needed more than the three races we had to pull myself together and get around the course respectably. I hit crab-pots down wind that launched me over the handlebars, missed the layline upwind and double tacked the mark more times than I can count and then actually got myself tangled up on the upwind mark (only slightly embarassing). Natalie (from Poland, via Miami) and Farrah Hall both sailed great and finished first and second.
So, another regatta come and gone and I am so grateful that I got to make the trip down to Florida, sail with folks who inspire me and push me to improve and I can't wait 'til next time!
