Being "at sea" usually isn't a good attribute, but it can be
now that winds of spring are blowing in the new sailing
season. For a second consecutive year, I've been asked to
join the crew of the Viking, a J-27 sailboat that captain
Paul Nahodyl berths at Haverstraw, N.Y.
This is no turtle-tub, but rather a sleek 27-foot racer made
of fiberglass and aluminum, accented with teak and
outfitted with high-tech, lightweight composite sails.
Each week more than a dozen similar boats vie to cross
the line first in races on the Hudson River. The weekly
events are warm ups for several weekend-long regattas
that take place throughout the lower Hudson Valley.
While being first is the main objective of each race, that is
only a part of the experience. At least as important is
developing a sense of teamwork with fellow crew, and
camaraderie with all the other racing teams. But the best
part of it all is, after a day of sitting at a terminal working
with words and images, to get out on the river, reach out,
grab that invisible force of the wind and harness its power
to do your bidding.
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