It was Zen-like at times, floating as we were in a contradiction—looking at March's prebudded trees and brown shores, and patches of snow here and there, yet burned by a June kind of sun, and drifting in July-type zephyrs. The temperature was low for a July day, but the thudding, mindless feeling that July can give you when you are sitting stock still on your mainsheet cleat, trying to squeeze something out of a 0-1 knot puff, was just as you would expect if it were 30C in the shade.
Yet it was March in Toronto.
Paul Muldoon and I again ventured out into the Outer Harbour last Saturday, March 28, to test ourselves against the worst that Nature's hard Canadian spring could do to us, and found the test to be more of our patience than our strength and endurance. We decided, after drifting for a few minutes that, to redeem the day, we could do a bit of a windward leeward race with 10 tacks required upwind and 10 gybes downwind. Never in the history of sailing were 40 maneuvers done with less enthusiasm or commitment. We moved, but barely, as we wistfully dreamed of Halifax and 25 knots. In fact, I think I still owe Paul a couple of gybes, but don't tell him. I was ahead by the time we decided that enough was enough, and I have to win everything.
Joe Van Rossem had come out a bit earlier than Paul, and I sailed with him, but, as if to foretell what was to come, he said he had to leave early and sailed back to the shore while there was still some breeze. Awesome Van Rossem shows the wisdom of experience yet again.
Less wise, but getting there, I phoned my girlfriend as soon as I was ashore and arranged to spend the rest of the afternoon with her, sitting on an outdoor patio drinking sumptuous coffee, eating delectable sweets and then wandering in and out of furniture stores. The sound of one sail slapping became a better sound rising up from the cobblestones we tread—the sound of laughing, smiling and breathless sunshine.
Rob Koci races in both the Laser Full-Rig and Laser Radial fleets around District 3. Currently, Rob is the District 3 secretary and maintains a frequently updated race diary on D3Laser.com. Rob's home port is St. James Town Sailing Club in Toronto, Ontario.
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