Régate - part two

Well, things went well with the regatta on Sunday. In all there were six of us on Monsieur Quétel's boat, The Octopus. I was given a very specific job. When we changed tacks it was my job to release the ropes holding la grande voile (main sail) to allow the boom to swing over to the other side of the boat. Then I would lash it back down in its new position and join the rest of the crew on the edge of the boat with my legs out over the side to provide a counterweight. We repeated this process constantly, especially when we were tacking against the wind. Monsieur Quétel was at the tiller and he was the one giving all the instructions and calling out when it was time to change tacks.



The Octopus in all its glory! I am the second from the right, trying my best to be a good counterweight.



That big red sail is the Spinnaker, or "spi" for short. We hoisted this sail when the wind was more or less behind us.



Here's a good view of the front sail (in this case a genoa, which is used in light or moderate winds).