Race 10 - Day 11
Crew Diary - Seattle, USA to Panama
10 May

The thing I love most about sailing is the calmness that washes over you when you are focused on making the boat go as fast as possible.

This is the same whether you are sailing in a 30 knot breeze or a 3 knot breeze, whether I am sailing on my laser back at Otley Sailing Club or on a 70ft racing yacht in the Pacific Ocean, the feeling is still the same.

Of course the adrenaline of the high speed, high wind sailing is amazing but it's easy to make a boat go fast when you have fast winds, the hard part is when the wind is light and every 0.10 of a knot has to be squeezed out but the helm and trimmers. My sailing club at home is a tiny lake with a small island in the middle. It is situated in the middle of a valley and is surrounded by woodland- this as you can imagine creates very unique sailing conditions.

The wind typically dies down at the start of a race then picks p as soon as you have taken your boat off the water. The direction is also a source of confusion as it can be in a completely opposite direction at different points on the lake. Constant wind is extremely rare and when it does come it seems slightly boring compared to the fluky and changeable wind we are used to. As a kid my instructor Norman used to tell me if you can sail at Otley, you can sail anywhere and I suppose he is right. I am especially reminded of this now when wind for Da Nang is light and maintaining momentum is hard.

I suppose I better give a mention to the Juniors of Otley Sailing Club, I miss teaching you all loads (especially Hannah) and I'm sorry I won't be there at all the youth clubs and training weekends. A big thank you to all of the volunteers that through the years have coached, fed, entertained and kept me safe allowing me to become the sailor I am today. I share my achievements with you guys and all of Otley Sailing Club.

Big love to Mum, Dad and Rachel

Nugget xx