It doesn't matter if you're slow,
as long as you don't stop
as long as you don't stop
Very First Race!
Monday, April 2, 2012,
WHAT IS FUN RACE!?
From now onward it's gonna get a little wordy. Please pardon me if you don't understand any of the Sailing terms that I'm using. O'well, for some of you who followed me on Twitter would know that I went for ConstantWind's Fun Race Event yesterday. Now, how fun was my very first race? It was AWESOME~!
First, I thought that I was late because Leon told Royston and I that the first whistle will be at 2pm but we got there at 2.03pm. When we walked into ConstantWind it doesn't have that "WE ARE HAVING A RACE" atmosphere at all. When I saw Daryl, he told us that it's a "tradition" to tell SP Students to be there earlier. Hmmm~ So, was that an early April Fools' Joke from Leon? Whatever it is, I'm not late but things kinda get a little too uneasy, there's no feel of race at all! Basically, there's only 5 Participants and why? All the pros are at ST Marine Event and I thought the "not so pro" will be left behind but who knows...........
Now I'm gonna show you the course that I had yesterday.
Start-1-2-1-End
The course tend to be this simple. YES, THIS SIMPLE! Guess what I did when the starting horn sounded. I was about 10 boats length away from the starting line. Eventhough I keep track of the timing but it seems like I'm late! Smart girl like me caught up fast enough to be in the 3 boats length zone together w/ Royston at the upwind buoy(red/1) and it's damn obvious I went ahead of him after that buoy rounding. While here comes the stupid action! There's this angmoh, pro sailor, I don't even know why is he here instead of ST Marine. Well, I remembered Jon said this last Sunday, "Follow the Pro and you'll never get wrong". So I followed the Angmoh, rounding the blue buoy when I'm coming downwind. Next moment, Daryl shouted at me saying that I rounded the wrong buoy and Royston happily followed me! (course: Start-1-2-1-End) DUMB RIGHT!? I don't even know what I'm doing there. (struggle)
Being our very first race, Daryl explained everything before we start again. At 4mins, 1mins....., "DARYL, MY RUDDER DROPPED OFF!" I turned back, Royston was in the water, boat in its 90 degree and screaming like a lady asking for rescue while the rest of us continued w/ the race. This time round, I started on time and managed to round both up and downwind properly. When I'm rounding the second upwind coming downwind. I thought I could complete one race despite that freaking strong wind of 20 knots including the gust. Thinking that "Running" could be the safest and the most stabled, without using my brain much, I pulled up my Daggerboard halfway like what I usually did in Poly Marina. (Gust) The boat shakes a little........I dropped into the water. I CAPSIZED! What I hate most during Sailing is to capsize in strong wind. Using as much strength as I could, thinking that I'm might die anytime, cursing the wind like mad and at last, I GAVE UP. I tried to upright the boat, however, it just don't come up! Trying so hard to turn the boat head to wind but in that strong current and wind, it's totally impossible for me. After a few minutes, the boat went 180 degree, this time round my head really pain.
After Daryl came, he helped to upright the boat then we understand the reason to why my boat is not coming up. MY MAST DROPPED OFF! Worse than Royston's situation. (faint) I was then brought back to the Umpire Boat while the Laser that I was riding on was being towed back on shore. IT WAS REALLY EMBARRASSING! In the end, I didn't complete the race. Can you imagine if I participated in ST MARINE and all this shit happened? Eventhough the capsize was crazy but I experienced a lot of my "very first time". ESPECIALLY CONTROLLING OF POWERBOAT! (when Daryl was trying to help me w/ the Mast) COOL RIGHT?! Thanks to this race, I'm now having serious bodyache and painful bruises all around my body. GOSH! ):