Oy Vey!

Holy off the grid, batman! Where have I been?

Oh.  That's right.

Sailing.

And planning sailboat races. And stuff.

My last post summarized the epic (cold, wet, windy) fun that was Round the County 2012.  That was over 6 months ago.  Yes.  I'm sorry.  But it's ok because I only have four followers, those poor saps.

So a few center Sound series and tri islands later, before I knew it spring sailing season was in full swing and my lucky stars were being counted in perfect rhythm with the neap tides.  Neffy is as fast and as fun as ever with race week just around the corner, which means anyone in the Super30 fleet should start conditioning their livers for the fleet party right about, um, NOW.

And the kicker?  Ironically, as I write this from Cabo (Cape) San Lucas it is not without a very special fondness for another, far more Northerly Cape, having had the distinct pleasure of rounding it under sail during the 2013 Van Isle 360 just a few short days ago with some amazing folks aboard S/V Flash. 

Rounding Cape Scott, Vancouver Island, BC

 
Next?  PINK BOAT.  Yes.  And, um, shit. I have a lot to do.  But so help me, we'll see $50,000 this year.  We will.  Seattle has this thing in the bag.  I can feel it in my knees when the weather turns.  Anyone not familiar with the evolution of this beast can educate here, but suffice it to say we're at a precipice which I plan on launching from in some kind of device propelled by the good skill and craft of our sailing community.  So sign the hell up pretty please, with sugar on top, whether to race or just raise money for the cause. 

Very thankfully, my own mother is doing rather fabulously.  Her hair is growing back (curly this time!) and her ferocious attitude intact and thriving.   And being Canadian, she will be receiving a new rack shortly free of charge thanks to rampant socialism.  (detect sarcasm)

In good health and much love,

Go Sailing. 

Salty

PS Wojtek, you can kiss my ass.

Winter Harbour, BC.  Or an image from my sailboating dreams.  Can't quite be sure.

My first PINK thank you.

Yep - wow.  That's pretty much all I have to say about THE pink weekend that just happened.

Since I haven't technically slept and need to unwind before being able to appropriately convey my gratitude to all those so very, very deserving of so much more than a measly thank you, I'm just going to summarize with this:

Yesterday two women battling breast cancer came down to Darwind before the race to take a photo with Sandra and I in our very pink costumes and thank us for sailing.  This was the defining moment, the single minute in a sea of many which left us completely and utterly humbled to our very cores. 

You, ladies, are the reason.  The reason to get inspired, the reason to get involved, the reason to raise money, the reason to get on a plane to San Francisco, the reason to decide to look ridiculous in a boat and sail her.

The reason to be excited, and we must be excited.  Because we need to believe that one person, one boat, one yacht club, one fleet, one sport, one city, one October day or one trip around the world- can in some way, whether ever so slightly or ever significantly, whether to pay a scientist for a day or an institute for a year, even so much as bring a smile to the face of a woman who's decided not to lose hope.  Who brought themselves out to cheer under circumstances the rest of us can easily take for granted as we get out on the water to do something we love.

Who gave a face to the cause yesterday.  Who made it real. 

So the first, and most important thank you, a million times over, is to you.  I'm sorry I don't remember your names...but I will never forget your faces.

And I would venture to guess you met a lot of people yesterday who will be hard pressed to ever step foot on a boat again without a moment of gratitude and reverence. 

No disrespect, Herreshoff...but Pink Boats are LEGIT.

Since, in his own words:

"There are only two colors to paint a boat, black or white, and only a fool would paint a boat black".

Allow me to disagree.  Why?  Because there's a guy named Thomas Watson with a sailboat so pink that Barbie herself would trade her landlubber existence for a life at sea, except Tom isn't into Barbie - he's into helping save lives.  And not even Cap'n Nat himself could hold a candle to that kind of rationale.

How?  Tom will be sailing solo out of Seattle on Darwind October 1st, 2013, around the world and without stopping, in the pursuit to prevent and cure breast cancer and help save the lives of hundreds of thousands of women each year through sailing.  His organization has partnered with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation with an initial goal of raising $1 million to further the cause.

The 28.5' Pearson Triton "Darwind."

Um, okay.  What?  Seriously?  Is there any way, whatsoever, anywhere, in existence, to argue with the supreme awesomeness of this?  Because I seriously doubt it.  In fact, I'm so convinced such an argument does not exist that I am willing to put money on it.  In fact, I think we should ALL put money on it!  Let's do this thing!

I met Tom in San Francisco during the Farr30 World's/Rolex big boat series at the St. Francis Yacht Club during a typical night of Nefarious debauchery & good old-fashioned camaraderie which led to my learning of Tom's crusade and upcoming journey over a fine libation at San Francisco's Marina Lounge (of course - we had to).

Needless to say, I was nothing short of truly inspired.  Every sailor (ok, or at least every sailor as crazy for it as I am) dreams of making a life pursuit out of a love for being on the water, and hearing Tom's story made me realize something else that should have been so obvious as to have struck me with the force of Neffy's boom I've come so fond of avoiding: there IS something better than doing what you love.  It's doing what you love selflessly.  It's finding a purpose which allows your own passion to shine so brightly it only makes sense to positively impact the lives of others, of complete strangers, in the process.  And Tom Watson figured out a way to make just that happen.

Tom & Darwind out for a sail.  That's a happy-sailor-on-the-water smile if I've ever seen one!

So kudos, my new friend: may your journey be a successful one.  If one man's sailing voyage can put one more dollar into the hands of a single doctor, researcher, fundraiser, survivor, patient, therapy, or anyone else sharing the common goal of improving the odds, quality of life, prognoses, or awareness of breast cancer, any cancer, or any other senseless and heinous infliction on our loved ones and our society, you will have contributed more to the cause in a single day on the water than many people will in a lifetime.

So sail on.  Go team Darwind!