Overnight tour of the Isle of Wight -Slight Fail.

Farawayvisions · Post by **Farawayvisions** » 2 Oct 2015, 9:59pm

What if I fail?
Dan and I planned to bivvy on the Isle of Wight. We failed. For me, failure is simply an opportunity to learn. This is the story of our bikepacking trip.
http://www.farawayvisions.com/isle-of-wight-bivvy-fail/

Heltor Chasca · Post by **Heltor Chasca** » 2 Oct 2015, 10:05pm

Always always a good read! Did I say always? Your humour is appreciated thank you M...b

EDIT: Bryan Willis? Optimist dinghies? This is a tiny world! I met him in Africa in about 1988 or 1989 and very possibly in Yokohama in 1989. I think he was a judge/officiate in the sailing world. Goosebumps! I did a few national championships and a world championship in one of these 'Swallows & Amazons' boats...b

Farawayvisions · Post by **Farawayvisions** » 3 Oct 2015, 8:52am

Heltor,
I'm thrilled thrilled thrilled that you enjoy my work. Did I say thrilled?
Thank you. And Bryan Willis would be the very same man that you met all those years ago. Dan was competing at the Nationals in Restronget, near Falmouth in 1983 and he thinks Plymouth in 1984. He never made the Internationals though. Are you still sailing?
Meraid

Heltor Chasca · Post by **Heltor Chasca** » 3 Oct 2015, 12:04pm

Farawayvisions wrote:Heltor,
I'm thrilled thrilled thrilled that you enjoy my work. Did I say thrilled?
Thank you. And Bryan Willis would be the very same man that you met all those years ago. Dan was competing at the Nationals in Restronget, near Falmouth in 1983 and he thinks Plymouth in 1984. He never made the Internationals though. Are you still sailing?
Meraid

I did my first nationals in an 'oppy' in Largs in 1988 and the worlds in Yokohama in 1989. I did another worlds in an ISO in 1999 in France. 10 years to get that good again? Slow progress eh?

Everything was about competition, nutrition, fitness and adrenaline. I couldn't go near a body of water without my heart rate going up and going on a boat for a day trip or picnic was in unthinkable waste of oxygen. I realised I needed to chill out and I hung up my spinnaker in exchange for a kayak paddle. That soon turned competitive so I sold it and went for a canoe. NOTHING you do will make a canoe go fast so it was ideal. I reconnected myself with the spirit of water, nature and learning to slow my body and mind. The perfect cure to my blood thirsty competitiveness.

I had always been into bicycles, but getting into touring opened up a new perspective on travel and cultural exchange as well as my love for bikes as an amazing machine in itself. Occasionally I catch myself competing against myself or other cyclists, but it's a lot more contained, and I use any 'moments' I have like these as a way of having a laugh at myself. I also take a moment to congratulate myself for the improvement my 'moderation' of my extreme competitiveness has made on my quality of life...b

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