2009 I-to-I Recap from Beth Winkler

I've been waiting all year to redeem myself from my failure last year.  Greg said:  "Why do you do these things?"  My answer to that was that I don't like not finishing what I started.  Last year was exhilarating all the way to the upwind mark, but turning downwind defeated me and I had to make it right trying again this year.  I knew it was safe enough if you know when to quit.  Last years race ended well due to the ever present fishing boats and lifeguard stations along the coast. So, even though I failed to complete the race I was safe.  The challenge this year was a very personal one.  I did not want to meet those cute lifeguards again and I REALLY wanted to say I finished.

I began my preparation by reviving Greg's old IMCO.  New harness lines, new downhaul and outhaul system, extra line just incase and my i-phone with i-tunes in a watertight bag and an attitude that I would not give up and finish no matter what.

Up at 4:30 am to drive down from Cocoa Beach in order to make the race by 9:00 am rigged and ready.  Confident that I was prepared for any condition, all went well.   I've spent a lot of time on that board though it was many a year ago.  Nothing like sailing with an old friend. 

Finally, the race was starting and the shore break not too bad. Easy enough though my knees still shook with racing jitters. Turned on the tunes prepared to start and we were off.  My new harness line came loose because I didn't tie the knot tight enough and I was in the water from the beginning.  Laughing, I retied the knot, turned on the tunes and set sail to the first buoy upwind.  Turned downwind and headed for the next one 11.5 miles away singing to the Eagles.  The wind was planing conditions and even though I was comfortable I still fell a couple of times remembering how to jibe that stick.

And then...........the wind died.  No worries IMCO rules.  Chug, chug on down the line I went trying to shake the weeds off my fin.  Finally, gave up on the weeds and just sailed listening to Jack Johnson.    Never saw a soul and began to wonder if the races were cancelled due to the light air.  Mind games playing their tricks.  I was not giving up no matter what everyone else did.  Finally, finally, I reached the buoy to turn back up wind and saw my fellow longboarder heading back to the far away finish line.  I covered him for a while and wondered what that boat was doing following him to shore.  Didn't he know the best wind was outside and not near the shore?  I later learned that it was the coast guard escorting closer.  Guess there were some storms in the area or whatever.  I covered him to shore so they didn't bother me.  For the first time in my life I welcomed the sound of thunder as it could possibly mean some wind and a gust to propel me further to my destination.  There were gust now and then and I finally began to make some progress pointing higher than Daniel on his Equipe and thinking to myself you could just beat him. 

One lesson I've learned in my sailing competitions is never to start calculating your score.  I found myself ahead of him and well behind my Formula friends and quite alone to make the decision of where to return to the finish.  Oh shit!  Finish!  Where?!  I was out there long enough going on 5 hours and I should be seeing the red buoy from which we started.  Alas, no!  I laid down my sail and called Sue for directions.  She said more South please!  Ugh!  And Daniel passed me.  So, South I go and finally see a red buoy went through it and landed ashore only to hear a lifeguard whistle to alert me to a no launching area.  Well guess that wasn't the right red bouy.  Called Sue again and was met by fellow competitors to say that I was still a few buildings North of where I should be.  Okay, launch again, sail out, tack and head back in.  Just under 6 hours of being with my old friend I finally finished what I started to the cheers of others letting me know that YES I had finally arrived.

So, I did what I had come to do so, I got in my truck and headed 3 hrs away to home while Greg waited dinner for me.  I never felt really tired, just euphoric that my goal had been reach.  Question is:  Will I do it again?  I do like a challenge.