Close to the wind

Picking up a bit of speed now. The wind is strong and consistent. I wriggle up the side of the tarpaulin as the mast slowly tilts away from the wind. I pull the sail in tighter, check the wind direction by the ribbons on the mast stays and push the rudder to get closer to meeting the wind head on. The rush of the warm river water against the rudder and the frequency of the slap slap slap of the waves tells me that I'm going faster. My catamaran strains against the force of the wind and the mast leans further away from me. I wriggle back again in search of balance and the slap slap slap gets a little quicker. The wind is gusting and changing, I steer, loosen and pull on the sail in an awkward, uncoordinated sequence trying to feel the wind strength, it's direction and the mechanics of the cat to maintain the harmony that gives me the greatest speed. Leaning further over now, the hull underneath me is lifting out of the water. The slightest deviation from my point of harmony drops the hull and slows me down. My arms are aching, pulling the sail in tight with the left and tending the rudder with the right. I relax my grip a little and learn to keep the harmony with less effort. The ribbons tell me that I'm only a few degrees away from pointing directly into the wind. The sail is pulled in as tight as I can keep it and I'm flying. Warm, salty river water sprays into my face, stinging my eyes but somehow adding to the numbness and excitement. The slap slap slap is constant now, the wind keeps its strength and direction to speed me closer to the other side. Land looms quickly in front of me and the need to change my direction is unavoidable. I don't want to stop this, a perfect moment, this harmony I've found is exhilerating. The water colour is getting lighter as I close on the shore. Reluctantly I start to turn. I haven't thought my next move properly. I hesitate and turn back the other way. The slap slap slap slows and I look around to see which direction I'm going to turn. The ferry lane is on my left and a swimming area is on my right. The indecision has taken too much time and the shore is now only metres away. I steer directly into the wind and loosen my grip on the sail. The hull drops into the water again the slap slap slap slows to nothing. I glide slowly forwards, the water is shallow, I can see the sandy bottom. The ribbons tell me that I'm now pointing directly into the wind. The loose sail flops from side to side and the rudder is loose, useless without motion. A strange silence becalms me, a stark contrast to the cacophony of speed that I just had. I look around again, the wind drops. I check the ribbons but they are just dangling. No direction, no speed, no noise. The sun dries the water on my face leaving a crusty, salty residue. I notice the temperature increase. Without the wind and spray it's getting hotter. I close my eyes and savour the moment, relishing the stillness while re-living the excitement of only a few moments ago.