#30before30: Trapeze Sailing

My uncle Jan has a Magic 25 racing boat called Viagra "...because it's blue".

One could add that it certainly attains an admirable angle when stroked the right way - in this case by the breezy winds of Clear Water Bay. No so clear today however; the water was in fact a churning brown colour as we motored out of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club marina and into the bay proper.

The plan had been to sail her around the southern side of Hong Kong Island to the ABC Yacht Club, in preparation for a regatta tomorrow. But the constant drizzling rain and poor visibility forced us to turn back before we reached the open sea. No matter! I accomplished what I set out to achieve: trapeze sailing.

Certainly well-built and sturdy. And the boat ain't bad either.

To be honest, I felt safer on the wire than off it. There was something about sitting out and away from the hull that removed me somewhat from the general nervousness I get with the bang-bang chopping effect of waves on a bow. Things got interesting though when Jan decided to put the spinnaker up to take advantage of the downwinds as we headed back to the bay. Geez, those kites are frisky. Jibs and mains seem to obey you, but kites are like... well, this one seemed awfully like Dusky the dog (see below). It was doing its own thing. At one point we even broached; the Viagra rose up to an 80 degree angle. I dealt with it a lot better than I thought I would, even with very little to grip on to, and the boat as slippery as Las Vegas stripper pole.

After three hours of strutting and fretting upon the waves, we returned. I was soaked through after about five minutes of being on the water, but it was only after we pulled up that I started getting a bit chilly. Bless you, typhoon-induced tropical heat.

Oh yeah, and by the way, how can a boat called Viagra still be referred to as a "she"?