Most Embarrassing Sailing Moment

I remember when I was young & foolish I had a bit of a crush on one of the sailing instructors at Seaton Barracks in Plymouth .

We were down there one day mucking about in their bosuns and he offered to take us out in the BRAND NEW hobie. I drew the short straw and had to drive the rescue boat while he took a friend of mine out first. They were having a great time, cruising along at high speed when he persuaded her to turn round and pose for a photo. All was looking good until a gust came, the boat sped up and the leward hull smacked into one of the huge red chanel markers with a resounding CLANG.

Luckily no-one was actually hurt, but his ego was severely dented (as was his pay-packet) and I didn't fancy him quite so much after I'd had to rescue him   

I was sailing at the scorpion nationals bout 15 years ago in about a force 6-7 . Off downwind we went. everything going brilliantly. surfing the waves. got to the bottom of the course with a gybe and then a reach section. the helm executed the gybe perfectley and off we go. I got the spini sorted and sit down to start playing it. I can only assume that the helm is tightening up to overtake the boats in front But its windy and the spinni is taking a lot of effort .the helms still tightening up and its getting too tight for the spinni. hang on i think. I turned round and theres no helm.so I stops the boat drops the spinni and race back towards the gybe mark only to see My helm riding in a rib screaming his head off at me.

Funny really.

The other day we were mucking about and we were 2 up in the Topper's and I stood up to grab the boom strop (Topper centre main thingy) and the kid helming gybed the boat accidently!

Because it was windy and had previously been hiked out i still had one foot in the centre toe strap and as the boat gybed i got kncked out but it REALLY hurt cos my foot was still iun the boat and he was dragging me along with me nearly drowning becaause i was laughing and swallowing water !