1st 「from an instructor point of view」澎湖 Epilogue

 For the last year and so, this kid has been living under my roof and training for sailing racing. I met him 2 years ago when his family moved from Yilan to Taitung. He had been sailing optimist for a few years but had recently stopped in between moving houses.

Since he was growing taller I directly moved him to laser 4.7 fleet and started training him. From learning how to rig the outhaul and the cunningham to some basics directions on the laser.

Particularly for the last year he has been living with me, following me around in most of the tasks that I do in the sailing school and life in general. We would go to the ocean to train, sometimes with all the kids of the opti fleet and sometimes him and me, each one on a boat, alone in the ocean.

As he started progressing, it came very clear to me that he had no match in our little just freshly started Taitung Sailing Team, so within my capabilities and time, I gave him as many chances to be in the water in different kind of modalities. Aside from spending time in his 4.7, we spent last autumn and winter windsurfing, wingfoiling, surfing and recently racing on keelboats. I think that learning all this kind of different water sports helps towards a more wholesome understanding of sailing. Each one has a different approach to balance, maneuverability, speed control and tactics. For me through the years has been very useful to transport different kind of techniques from one sport to another and every time i switch i have new feelings on a board or on a boat. Nevertheless, in case that wasn’t useful for the kid, at least it worked towards his fitness as an athlete.

Aside from all the time in the water this kid has become a very important and special part of my life. Co-existing with a teenager has been fun and a sometimes a challenge. He has been my essential companion for my daily routines and adventures. Grabbing a quick lunch in 7-11 in between windsurfing and sailing training sessions, or having some noodles covered in wood dust. Mostly every night coming back to my home and cooking dinner with me and my partner, feeling as if we were a little family. Aside from the sailing trainings, I have been teaching him how to cook, how to wood work and showing him how I deal with other parts of my life. How I organize the team of instructors, how i handle my employees, my approach to business and in general my philosophy in life. Furthermore, in this complicated year that the teens can be, help navigate on how to organize his ideas, talk with his parents and discussing about his future.

Back to sailing, this year we have been joining the full Taiwanese sailing circuit without missing a single event. Youth champs in Yilan, the Dapeng Bay yearly regatta, Taiwan Cup in Tainan and even the little silly race that we organized in Taitung last month. He has been improving at an incredible pace, getting in to the top 5 in every race.

This weekend in Penghu’s President Cup he got what he deserved after 1 year of hard training. He got first place It has been two days of racing, 6 races in total scoring mostly 2nds and 3rds. While some of the other kids were rotating in between the front positions and somewhere middle fleet, my dear boy was constant in every race, so he got first in the overall score. If you don’t know about sailing racing, it is not only about strength and technique, it is also about perseverance, being constant , having a stable and steady mindset. This is done in order to reduce the element of luck and prize the sailors that can sail in strong and weak winds, flat or wavy ocean, can read the wind shifts, drift and the ever changing weather conditions. A lot of patience and observation is needed to find the best strategy to beat the fleet. Good on you! I am so incredibly proud!

But I wouldn’t dare to pin the merit on myself. He came to me as well trained sailor from the schools from the north and for this year he has also been joining intensive training with other sailing teams and the best instructors and athletes from Taiwan. Thanks to 秀川、騏宇、程羚 to give him the extra kick to become the best sailor.

On the same day as the sailing races were progressing, not knowing the result yet, his parents communicated me by text that from now onwards, his dad will be taking over his training and sailing instruction. It is bittersweet to me hear, but it is time to pass the baton to the next. We all want what is best for the kid and that is what matters. It has been quite a journey for me this year and i am sure i will remember it as something beautiful. Time to set new goals for him and for me.

[…]

Anyways, 4 years of this insane dream of setting a sailing school in the other side of the world and i feel fantastic to say that we got the first gold medal on the nationals. A pat on the back for myself and a small dose of self-esteem, for all the times i thought i wouldn’t make it. Also heaps of cheers and thanks to all the team of instructors, moms and dads, and passionate driven kids who love the sport.

It is time for me to rethink and reorganize this little project that has become something great. I really want to carry on promoting sailing in Taitung , developing a competitive team as well as many other aspects of this ocean culture. I will need tons of help and loads of input. So please, come come, don’t be shy. There is room for improvement.