Day 95

I just got done watching a video of Damian and I sailing together that was taken a year ago. He and I went out with our friend Patrick on Patrick's boat - a VX1 (hull # 177). The day was overcast and windy. The water still cold as it was only mid-March. And we had a great time...Even if we were partially frozen by the time we got back to the dock. 

We had mounted the GoPro on the back of the boat so it would capture the three of us at it recorded. I remember that we had an issue with the spinnaker and elected not to fly it. Probably the right call since I wasn't anxious to go swimming given the temperature of the water. It really didn't matter though. At one point, we hit 16 knots reaching with just the main and the jib. White water was spraying up from the bow as we kept our foot on the gas. It was an epic afternoon. 

March 18, 2021 - Damian (front), Me and Patrick (driving) on the VX1

What I also remember about that day is how much fun it was to share that experience with Damian. The adrenaline rush. The elation that comes from knowing that we had the skills to be on the water in those conditions at that time of the year. Damian was awesome. His years of sailing experience were front and center from the time we got to the club to rig the boat, all the time we were on the water, when we got back to the dock and when we took the boat apart. The three of us were in sync as a team and with the boat, each knowing what we had to do and when. We weren't racing; we were just out for the fun. In the cold and the wet. I cherish the memory of this day. 

It comes, of course, with the bitter aftertaste of knowing that I won't get to create new memories like this with Damian. All I will ever have are the memories that we've already created together. Both the bitter and the sweet. 

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