learn to sail

Yesterday I had the most fun day of sailing in my life. We hosted an unofficial kind of scrimmage-y team racing regatta, and it was sweet. I crewed for this guy who was a U of M alumni and was apparently super good and had gone to nationals and stuff, so at first I was like, “shit, what if he’s all crabby and is mad at me for being really bad at sailing,” but he was SO NICE and taught me SO MUCH STUFF!! So yeah…it was sweet.

I have officially been out sailing on five separate days now (except on Friday I actually quit after like two minutes because I was so damn sore and exhausted). Seriously though, I went to a regatta in Madison weekend before last, and it was basically baptism by fire. I had never been in a boat before, I hardly knew the parts of the boat or any of the very basics of sailing (e.g., tacking), I was running on about four hours of sleep (and I am one of those people who needs at least 9 to feel normal), and they basically took me out there a little while before our first race, gave me a rough idea of the basics, and made me participate in six races in one day. And then two on Sunday. I think I almost died…but it’s still exciting. I haven’t been this sore in over a year, since I nordic skiied in high school. Plus it’s so damn scary that anything else now seems not scary at all in comparison. Sweet, I like facing my fears.

Pretty sure I am participating in a regatta in just over two weeks. I have definitely never sailed before, but let’s be serious, it doesn’t matter, I’ll figure it out. I am psyched. I hope I don’t drown.