TOPIC: Nearly Racing

Musings of a Tired Old Man!

Now you racers there is no need to be quite so shy about racing in front of the Optimist racers and I shall tell you why.

Yesterday as I said you shy racers decided to stay in bed and the Fatboy and Mr. Starling were going head to head, “then when we have had enough we will join the Optimists”. Seemed like a plan to me. Well it was a gusty day averaging about a force 4 not to bad especially for a Fatboy. The danger for fat old men in gusty weather is their difficulty in getting back into the boat when they have forced their flabby bodies out of it… the result is the “fall into leeward”. The wind drops momentarily and …. You have it, most fatboys are wet! Or you go head to wind (Irons!!) The result is the same wetness….

So it was an enjoyable racing session, Chris inevitably winning quite easily, (well I have all this weight to move about!) Feeling tired I made the mistake of the day – lets go and join the Optimists I shouted.

Vassilis have devised a particularly cruel hard short race (only if you are old and as before mentioned quite fat!) Foolishly we had a go, I thought we were doing ok, yes it’s true that I did go in a few more times, so did Chris, and we did manage to almost lap the Optimists. I am of course speaking as a person trying to salvage some personal kudos, (remember we were sailing full rig Laser’s against Optimists!!!!) Sailing back that “house of cards” kudos was dashed by young Nicholas as I reached past him back to the club….”How many times have you capsized today!!” He shouted with questioning raised eyebrows… I quickly got out of the water and washed my boat before the real sailors came in!!!!!

A sheepish fatboy…