Words of Wisdom

Words of Wisdom – 02-12-06 - Dave Gray

I didn't have a great day last Sunday, though it was a beautiful day to be on the water. The clew fitting on the end of my boom gave out midway through the first race and I missed the next 3 starts while I went in to
make repairs. I did make it back out and completed the last 2 races, albeit not in spectacular fashion.

Though I have expressed my gratitude to each of them individually, I'll mention again here how much I appreciated Carter Holiday sacrificing his position in race 1 to make sure I was ok and to Ted for swinging by in the RC boat to check on me. I was able to do a jury rig and get myself in.

One lesson learned that may be worthy of passing along to the fleet as a reminder; we are all responsible for the condition of our gear. If I had done a more thorough inspection of my rig before going out I probably would have noticed the potential failure. Between work obligations, My RC date and the Fleet's week off I hadn't sailed in a few weeks. All the more reason for a close check, especially with Sunday's conditions. We can also take some time as we de-rig at the end of the day. That way, if some maintenance is needed we can come prepared to get it done before going out the next time.

Sorry if I got carried away with my own guilt-trip. Just needed to get that off my chest. This Sunday sounds dicey but hey, you never know. Looking forward to the next opportunity to redeem myself!

Cheers and smooth sailing,
Dave Gray