On a windy, hot August day I had two people come down for a private lesson. They hadn’t sailed in years and had wanted to take out a sailboat on their own but didn’t have the sailing knowledge to pass the renter’s test. So instead they signed up for a private lesson and I was lucky enough to take them out. Luckily the wind was howling and they were up for a wet and super windy ride. I started by taking out just one person at a time. Within seconds of leaving the dock we were on a plane, and the boards were humming in that “oh man we’re going fast” kind of way. After cruising around for 20 minutes we flew back to the dock and picked up the other student. So with the three of us in the boat I knew things were going to be cramped, but I figured that the wind was so heavy that we could have all three people on the rail and might still have trouble keeping the boat flat. As soon as we took off, they were hooting and hollering and hiking out like rockstars. Even with the heavy winds we were fully sheeted and going as fast in a 420 as I’ve ever gone. After an absolutely exhilarating 2 hours they thanked me for the lesson, but really, I should have been thanking them.
The summer is winding down, although it really feels like it’s just begun. July felt sort of like Alaska, but August is feeling like the tropics. Even the lake is feeling a little too warm. But as instructors, we’re fickle. Too warm and the students get sun burnt and dehydrated. Too cold and they freeze in t-shirts and shorts. Too much wind and boats tip over left and right, making our jobs slightly more difficult. But too little wind and we sit parked in the hot sun for hours. Luckily the forces were in our favor for what would be the last really big week of the summer. All and all it was a good week, filled with hot weather and a decent amount of wind. But it was Friday of all days that turned into what most of us would consider the perfect day. Sunny, toasty warm, light breeze, and warm lake water. We sailed, we swam, we basically owned what turned out to be one of the best sailing days of the summer. Although I feel exceedingly fortunate to spend almost every day on the water, it was days like that that really made me feel grateful for being able to live in Burlington and work on the water. So here’s to the Community Sailing Center (imagine that I’m lifting my Nalgene bottle in a metaphorical toast) – thanks for the good times, good sailing and good weather!
