I arrived a bit late on Wednesday, having squeezed in a refreshing lunchtime swim with the Mount Leisure Island crew. The air was still thick with the salt and sunshine of the afternoon, and I was feeling ready for an eventful day on the water. When I got to the sailing area, the boys were already out, navigating a wild assortment of wind directions — Westerly, Northerly, Southerly, Easterly — you name it, we had it. It was one of those days where every tack counted, with each gust and shift creating a new passing lane and a chance to break away from the pack.
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The races were intense from the start, each sailor trying to find the perfect angle and stay ahead. Sadly, just a few races in, Ken’s winch motor decided it had enough and gave out completely. One minute he was in the race; the next, his boat was dead in the water. Ever resourceful, Ken was on it by Friday — he zipped up to Katikati to see David, who had a replacement motor ready to go. Thanks to David's expertise, Ken’s boat was back in action and good as new! Big thanks to David for the quick fix; there's nothing worse than being out of the action.
Despite the motor mishap, the rest of us continued to tackle the challenging conditions, with the wind shifts keeping us on our toes and the competition tight. There were plenty of exciting, close finishes, with each sailor pushing hard to edge out their rivals. By the time the last race was on, the clouds were thickening ominously, but we decided to go for it and tackle one more long race. In hindsight, maybe not the best call! About two-thirds of the way through, the sky opened up, and we got absolutely soaked packing everything up. But hey, that’s part of the adventure, right?
I blasted the heater on high all the way home, and by the time I arrived, I was pretty much dried out. Funnily enough, the sky was a beautiful clear blue again by then, as if to say, “What rain?”
What a day! Looking forward to more — and hoping for just a bit more stability from the wind next time!
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