We all make New Year resolutions that are soon forgotten as the year rolls on, so I thought where better to make mine, on the net where you can keep me true to them. While going faster is high on the list, its too obvious, my resolution is to do it properly. I can gybe and forwards to a fashion, but that’s just the movement rather than style. Better to sail away from each revolution than swim.
I forget how many years I have been sailing, but as the fireworks light up the sky to celebrate the coming of another year, a fuse was lit in my head. I’ve got to be half way through my windsurfing time and I haven’t got it dialled yet. In the last fifteen years I haven’t managed to go a full two knots faster, ok, I can do it more often and in lighter winds, but not really faster so I figure there’s plenty of room for improvement.
It was then I realise how little I’ve improved in any aspect of my sailing, sure I enjoy it but how much better it would be to be better. While the moment may have brought these thoughts into focus, its something that’s been building for awhile.
Just over a year ago Dave Fuller aka chippy Dave started to sail with us, a good lad and who didn’t loose the plot when we gave him some stick, good job as he took plenty right form the first days sailing. Slow wouldn’t really do him justice, and what a stance, arse out with the rig pulled over on top of him. He may have felt fast, but I’m sure that feeling came more from gritting his teeth with determination.
Up until that day he’d been like the rest of us, sailed until he could sail no more packed up and gone home, a perfect day for sure, except he learnt little or nothing between sailing sessions. Though unintentional our scathing criticism of his sailing did what we all need, the motivation to improve.
A year on and chippy Dave is a different sailor, not only does he look like an accomplished windsurfer, he really is faster, can gybe better and can stay out on the water for longer. While he hasn’t overtaken us yet, he’s happy to dish out the banter back on the beach, which only goes to show we’ve stopped improving.
I hope my next update on Chippy Dave’s progress in the next year is as marked as it was this year; the only difference is I don’t want him to close the gap any further, so there’s my motivation to keep my New Years resolution.
For those not mad enough to read through my rants, here’s a gallery to sum up 2006. Have a happy and windy new year |
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