Just deserts. Musto Skiffs in the USA by Paul Clements

The American Musto Skiff fleet is small but they know how to have a good time! Their North American Championships were being arranged for April in Florida. The planned venue was the perfect sailing area of Fort Desoto State Park in Clearwater Bay.

I wanted to go but the cost was prohibitive; or was it? Perhaps a work trip could be massaged to fit the time scales. If so there was only the cost of shipping a boat from Seattle to Florida!

I duly arrived in Orlando after a comfortable flight in Virgin upper class, then a restful night in a local hotel. The next day I drove the company hire car to my campsite, which was hidden away on a small sandy island amongst the Palm trees. The boats had already arrived by truck and my boat for the week was rigged and sitting on the sand ready for use. The first few days were dedicated to training the relatively inexperienced USA sailors prior to starting the championships proper. I shared my boat with a sailor new to the class who could only stay 2 days. In exchange for some personalised training he had picked up the lions share of the shipping costs. All in all things were going rather well weren’t they.

On the third day I took the boat out alone for the first time. Sailing conditions were perfect with 80 F water and 84F ambient. The reliable thermal breeze had built to 18 kts. I launched, hoisted the kite immediately, hooked on, lowered the trapeze line, hit max speed and “CLICK”. The rear toe loop had failed and to put it simply that was the end of that. Next stop was the hospital for a $700 X ray that revealed 3 broken ribs. Since this is a family club I will not describe the pain I endured for the rest of the trip, or the suffering during the 9 weeks of recuperation. Whatever there was a notable lack of sympathy from family and friends.