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Politics : Ask Michael Burke -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Terry Maloney who wrote (77667)	3/16/2000 12:10:00 PM
From: Earlie	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 132070

Hi Terry: Yes, we sailed in Kingston, (Ontario), which is still one of my favourite places. Interestingly enough, even though I got a chance to sail all over the world during that wonderful 12 year stint, Kingston, Hawaii and the English channel provided the nastiest rides! In Hawaii, the waves were massive, but the crest-to-trough distances were also huge, so it was just a case of "changing (sail plan) gears" as one crossed the valleys and peaks. At Kingston and in the Brits' "washing machine", the waves are brutally steep and close spaced, so sail power to smash through the stuff was required full time which also meant that the risk of a "dump" or "pitch-pole" (both most unpleasant) were ever-present. I recall starting world championship races at each of those places (i.e. the cream of the crop) with 80 plus boats at the start and less than 20 finishers. (g) That darned boat was and is a mistress. It is the ultimate racing thoroughbred. It beats the heck out of you, but for anybody that loves speed, there is little competition. I still love to race it, especially with my son Todd, and we can still hold our own when it isn't breezy (through guile), but when the wind howls the younger guys (who train the way we used to) kick our fannies. The boat requires serious muscle power and CV when it blows. (g) We did go down to Montreal for the opening and closing ceremonies, the former of which still stands out as the absolute high point of my life. For a decade, I simply could not watch the opening ceremonies of succeeding Olympics without running the risk of embarrassing myself as a result of a powerful emotional response (tears). It is simply an emotional high that cannot be explained in mere words, but I would wish such a high for everyone at least once. One time (several years after the event), I walked into a plastics plant for a meeting. By chance they had a big calendar on the wall that showed the Olympic athletes marching into that incredible Montreal stadium. I had to disappear for a few minutes to regain my composure. That is how powerful the whole darned thing was and is. Hypothermia is frightening stuff. Did plenty of research on it and also had a few brushes with it. Many people up here who die in the water do not perish as a result of drowning. Your comments about ignorance are right on. Best, Earlie