Many of you remember our last year's fun geek project "»: we made a small server based on the Raspberry Pi and launched it in a balloon. Along the way, we held a contest on Habré.
To win the contest, it was necessary to guess where the ball with the server would land. The prize was participation in the Mediterranean regatta in Greece in the same boat with the team of Habr and RUVDS. The winner of the competition then could not go to the regatta, instead of him the second prize-winner Vitaly Makarenko from Kaliningrad went. We asked him a few questions about yachts, racing, port girls and a bottle of rum.
Read what happened under the cut.
With what feeling did you go to the regatta? What were you waiting for? What pictures did the imagination paint?
In general, from the moment of the first letter, everything was as if you were reading about another draw on an entertainment portal. Previously, somehow I didn’t win any prizes, and even more so trips to warm seas, and even with drive. All the time I was subconsciously waiting for a letter - "sorry, due to circumstances everything is being postponed." But the closer to the date, the more confidence in the upcoming event. Here is the information on tickets, I’m starting to figure out what to take with me ... But anyway, everything is postponed until the last day, but judging by the correspondence in the chat, everyone did it. A couple of hours before departure, someone wrote a list of what to take. I quickly ran over it - it’s there, it’s not there ... a sleeping bag - I hope it won’t be needed after all, warm clothes - it seems that, according to the forecast, it’s not lower than +10, so we fit in. sun cream ... no - quickly shopping, anyway - no. in the solarium - yes, check the box. everything in a backpack, car, airport and here it is - the beginning of the journey.
In general, I really like this particular moment - the very beginning, when I came out on the threshold, left the city or stood at the airport, and everything is ahead. What exactly will happen is still unknown, but you always hope that this time there will be interesting places and people ... But before that I traveled either by car or by plane, and here a week was coming on a yacht. Before that, I was only on pleasure yachts, for several hours, but then you won’t make any impressions. And here is complete uncertainty. What kind of animal is this yacht? Big? How many people in general? What will have to be done? Where to live/eat/sleep? Will it wobble? Will we climb the shrouds like in books about pirates and will the captain send us to walk along the plank for unfulfilled instructions? In a word, some questions and a desire to try it all.
First day at sea. Is everything as expected?
Since we arrived at the yacht late at night, we didn’t really see anything. Well, the ships are standing in the dark, even the dimensions are not really clear. In the evening, we only managed to take a little walk, have a bite to eat and go to bed. The morning began slowly - we had breakfast, a light briefing from Captain Andrei - this saved the vests, this is a harness, do not jump overboard, do everything according to the instructions. Well, I think this is for starters, then they will tell you what and how to do. But then Captain Vladimir appears on the yacht, a quick acquaintance and everything is wrapped up ... Well, yes, the captains command the yacht, the Greeks from the marina's coastal servants shout something from the shore. So the training began immediately in battle. They took mooring lines, left the marina, removed the fenders and began to set sails. I still don’t know - the fact that on such yachts you don’t have to climb the masts made me happy or upset. Reading about pirates, looking at some Kruzenshtern, you involuntarily remember all this rigging. And there are literally four winches, a piano and a steering wheel. In case of great need, one person can manage the entire household, but optimally, of course, 4. In general, by the middle of the day we could already poison and fill, hold in the wind and knit a couple of knots leisurely. And after you stand at the helm ... You completely begin to feel like a kind of sea wolf. But God forbid she gape and the sail will pop, then the loud cry of the captain will lower you from heaven into the water. For the whole day, everyone managed to get their dose of knowledge, eat their first sea lunch and get salty splashes in their faces. We managed to chase impudent seagulls and cut the ferry and stand in a traffic jam in the queue for the parking lot. So in the evening, Captain Vladimir transferred everyone from the cabin boy to the sailors, which was noted in some coastal restaurant.
In the cinema, all the yachts are filled with a chill-out atmosphere, cocktails and girls in bikinis. You had the full set, didn't you?
Oh yes, there were hopes that the yacht would be equipped with all of the above. Reality, as usual, was harsher. And if our DJ Pavel did an excellent job of maintaining a certain chill-out atmosphere and creating cocktails, as well as some exotic dishes, then there were no girls on board, only our male team. The girls could be seen on neighboring yachts, although there were no bikinis, but life jackets were present.
How many of you were on the team? What were their responsibilities? Was everything hardcoded? If not, how did you find a job?
In general, we had two captains, three sailors and a secret weapon in the form of a DJ. In principle, no one had hard responsibilities. Everyone could do, and did, everything. The question is just what was better and what was worse. Before the start of the trip, I thought that there would be a problem - what to do all day. In reality, time flies unnoticed, things are found by themselves. The yacht does not stand still - someone has to monitor the course, instruments, the environment and the wind. Has the wind changed, is it time to change course because we have come to a point or just need to go around someone? One at the helm, one at the instruments, two at the winches and one at the piano. Periodically, everyone changed places, so that everyone was in all roles.
Tell me about your captain. One eye? Wooden leg? Soaked in rum? What stories did you poison?
In general, I am from a port city, and for work I had to visit both military and fishing ships, so I saw a lot of sailors and different ones. Our captain, despite the absence of external signs (a wooden leg, an eye patch and a parrot on his shoulder), in terms of experience, would have given odds to John Silver himself. Even if in the first days we only had to listen to commands, instructions and various “anchors in your liver!”, In the following days, the captain showed that he easily copes not only with a storm and mooring in difficult conditions, but also with local rum, having come out of all adventures winner. And one day, when the race was canceled due to calm, we not only swam in the warm sea, but also heard the stories of the captain, in which there were enough adventures, skirmishes, and sea crossings. By the way, about the treasure, a barrel of rum and a chest with the dead were also there.
How did you manage the race? It was difficult to? Wanted to feed someone to the fish?
Personally, it seems to me that for a team of beginners, where everyone except the captain went on deck for the first time, we did very well. Of course there were problems, but everyone tried and did everything they could, did not retreat and did not give up. At the beginning, of course, it was difficult, but by the middle of the race no one made particularly gross mistakes, so if you wanted to let someone feed the fish, it was the rivals who were able to get around at the next stage.
The biggest achievement and the most severe fail of the team?
The main achievement is that we were able to. No one gave up, no one left the deck, everyone fought to the end. There were no accidents, no one was hurt, the yacht did not receive any damage. On one of the days there were as many as 4 collisions between yachts, and in fact, according to the conditions of the competition, such a yacht is immediately removed from participation in the race. So, I consider the greatest achievement not the second place in a difficult stage with a night passage between the islands, but a well-coordinated work, where everyone almost without words understands what is required of him. Therefore, I can’t say that there were any “fierce fails”. Everyone made mistakes, somewhere nature interfered, somewhere circumstances, but on the whole we won.
How tough is the race itself? Does a personal drone monitor every yacht? Was there time for port ... girls?
In general, although the race is positioned as “for novice skippers”, it is still more for those who go to sea for the first time. This can be seen both in the way the tasks for the day and the tasks themselves are issued. We, the beginners, never managed to meet the indicated "four hours on the route." By the way, a special tracker program monitors the execution of tasks. We always moored in the marina in the dark, and we usually go to sea after 9 o'clock, so we spent 12 hours on deck every day. Despite such loads, upon arrival at the port, there were always forces to explore a new island, although usually the first step was always to visit some restaurant or cafe in order to restore strength. Well, the concert organized by the organizers of Nike Borzov was attended by everyone with great desire and joy.
Compare your condition when you first sailed from the port and when you returned to it. Feeling like a sea wolf? What did you learn?
Is there a "before and after" difference? I think yes. Maybe not a sea wolf, but he completely endured all the tests, pulled the sheets and halyards along with everyone, twisted the winches and stood at the helm, scraped the mast in the calls of the wind and knitted knots on the fenders.
Do you dream of sea knots, sailor? Do the sirens sing sweetly from the rocks? Would you like to repeat? Ready to increase the difficulty?
Oh, the knots may no longer be dreaming, but the first days the earth swayed noticeably underfoot. I wanted again from this gray rain under the blue sky, bright sun and sparkling waves. It was even a matter of learning about the local yacht club. But, although the city is a port city, and even regattas are held periodically, they all seem to be made by the forces of enthusiasts, but it is impossible to undergo official training, get a crust in order to become officially at the helm yourself. I think in the summer to talk with local yachtsmen, to find out which of them how they passed this way. Still, the time spent sailing is simply not forgotten.
PS
Friends, on April 12 we will launch a server into the stratosphere. Like last year, we will , in which you have to guess where the probe will land with the server on board. The main prize will be a trip to Baikonur to launch the Soyuz-TM-13 manned spacecraft.
Source: habr.com