OP Sailing

May 13

We finally had enough wind to go sailing today. We got to the Conway Centre and put on wetsuits, boots and cags, and walked down to the strait. From there, we grabbed helmets and buoyancy aids. We put two powerboats in the water, but only one of them would start. We used the orange boat to take the crew out to a big slow boat tied out to a buoy. When we got to the place with the sailboats, another guy from the centre fixed the red boat and swapped it out for us.
Jaron didn’t come because of a stress fracture, so we had an odd number. Since Elizabeth K had been so excited to go sailing, we made her go by herself. Janet and I teamed up in the morning. We selected four fun boats and got sails and booms from the storage bin. Chris showed us how to rig up the sail on the first boat, and we did the others. He gave us a few tips about turning. We all practiced bringing the rudder up and down. Next we put the mini catamarans in the water and did the final sail rigging. Janet climbed in rear by the tiller to steer. I climbed in front to operate the sail.
After making it across the strait we tried to remember what Chris has told us about turning, but ultimately figured it out ourselves. He told us to turn into the wind, or tack, because the risk of capsizing was limited. After a few laps back and forth, we decided to turn with the wind, or jib. Tacking does limit the risk of capsizing, but it also takes longer, and the risk of getting caught in the no-go position is increased. We found that jibing required us to watch the sail. As soon as it kicked around to the other side, we had to shift our body weight to counter the change in the sail.
I would have been plenty comfortable sailing solo after lunch, but I elected to sail with Elizabeth D to avoid getting bored. The day went fine, but I think I prefer engine power to wind.
Today was our last OP session. It is a class I am going to remember for the rest of my life. I have definitely noticed a change in the way I perceive others abilities. After the first session, I thought that some of the girls might hold the group back a bit, but they have proved me wrong.
My most memorable moment occurred during mountain biking. While blazing down a great single-track portion of the Marin Trail, I was a bit frustrated because Steve took the lead to limit our speed. Towards the bottom, he let us go on ahead. Following the final hairpin turn was a series of jumps. Steve warned us that they didn’t line up and to proceed with caution, but I took them pretty fast. By the final jump, I was a bit out of control and ended up over my handlebars. I would prefer to try something like that and fail rather than to be prohibited from doing it.
I noticed several times throughout the semester that the staff seemed a bit over cautious. I prefer to learn by experimentation. I like to figure things out for myself, and sometimes I got frustrated when the staff explained everything. I have noticed though, that Korey likes to know exactly how to do everything before he does it, and I’m sure he is not alone. Maybe a bit of a balance would be ideal. I think it would be good for some people to be forced to figure some things out on their own, but obviously some staff instruction would still be required.