On the 27th October, I started a journey of getting to know my 470 sailing dinghy, Havvok. With daylight savings in full swing, and the kick off of the Canberra Yacht Club twilights on Lake Burley Griffin, it was the perfect time. After a winter of fiddling with the mast and the rig, and being nervous about what was to come, I fell in love with the 470 the minute we took off from the start line. The cruise around the lake was just what I needed, and my enthusiasm to go all the way was only outweighed by my smile.
This weekend just gone, I raced the ACT Dinghy Championships with Rob Douglass (Dad) up front. He figured he owed me for all the time spent on the Tasar with him in the past few months (and years!). The breeze was on, and the heart beats were often on the rise, mimicking the learning curve. Dad did so well in the conditions, and putting up with the Girly up the back. The results didn’t matter (even though we did well), just the process of getting to know the class of boat I hope to sail frequently for the next five years or so.
I don’t have a permanent crew as yet, but many volunteers to help me on my way. I have spent a lot of time crewing myself on a number of boats, and skippered during my “time off” for fun. This will be the first time I do a serious campaign up the back of the boat, which is a little daunting, but somewhat exciting!
The journey will be long, but I can’t wait to see where it will take me.
