The roller coaster ride of emotions in the 24 hours preceding yesterday's race start in chronological order: peace, joy, elation, contentment, shock, surprise, despair, sorrow, resignment, determination, perseverance (okay so not all of these are emotions but, anyway...), fortitude, more determination, sleep deprivation, lots of coffee, amazement, relief, more coffee, supreme peace, contentment, more amazement, wonder, more relief, a few hours of final sweat...and, finally after the chase boat dropped us all back at the empty dock (photo above), a sense of both utter relief and aimlessness.
What now?
Pitchers and pitchers of beer, it turned out.
It's Monday morning, the day after, and even though I've gotten my first full night's sleep in a while, I'm too exhausted to tell the full tale yet of Sunday's disaster that, at first seemed destined to keep Robin from joining yesterday's race start but, in the end, proved to be a remarkable stroke of good fortune. Funny how life does that to us often enough (if we realize it).
Too tired to tell the story just yet. Moreover, I've got a plane to catch and bags to pack (one of them being the folding bike I bought here).
In short, Robin is off, I'm on my way back to Gosport, England and, no surprise to me, I've had quite the adventure here full of water, sun, surf, food,
and of course a slew of good and admirable people, each of them remarkable in their own way, e.g., the amazing Huw. He's a 23 year old Englishman, innately skilled in anything mechanical and electrical, who aspires to one day skipper an Open 60 class boat like Robin's. Many times I would tell him with genuine admiration as he would so often come up with a far better idea than the one I had, "It's not that I'm stupid, it's just that you're a frickin' genius."
The photo above is a special one to me. As our support boat chased Robin for a few last minutes before heading back to Fremantle, I saw Robin watching me pointing my camera at him as I leaned over the boat's side. I raised my free hand in a wave and he responded with a wave to me, personally.
So many tales to tell, as always. I hope to have the chance in the next few days to write them down. For now, I've got to pack...and have another cup of coffee.
