Morning Light Page #3

when you're going upwind.

[Fielding] OK, we're sailing again.

[Kirby] Sailing's always been

a complex sport. It's not that simple.

I mean, you could

stay in it for a lifetime

and never have it completely

figured out or perfected.

What is that?

Push it a little!

Little bit too wimpy.

[Brant-Zawadzki]

P.S., whoever said big boats are

just like dinghies is full of it.

Screwups, kites in the water,

kites exploding.

We need to sort

these issues out ourselves

and learn to deal with them

before this race begins.

- Oops!

- Don't tear it!

Without a team being totally focused

in one positive direction,

you're not gonna be successful.

First aid kit? Stocked.

Paper towels? Check.

Toilet paper? Check.

Coffee? Check. Soap?

Just make darn sure

we've got enough life jackets.

We wanted the kids to be very familiar

with finishing a Transpac race.

So we had them sail over to Molokai,

down the Molokai Channel

and then come into Diamond Head.

[man] OK. Let's go. You guys ready?

We had sent them off overnight

by themselves completely.

[wind howling]

[Wilmot] Let's finish this race up

and get outta here!

[overlapping shouts]

[overlapping chatter]

[Brant-Zawadzki] My first overnight.

It was scary, wet, there was

a lot of awkward flailing,

and I passed out

before we finished.

A few other kids just

puked the whole time.

That trip seriously

took it out of the whole team,

and that was just

over 24 hours.

We were sloppy

and out of shape.

[Honey] They'd show up with the boat

trashed. You know, everything a mess.

They hadn't really taken on, you know,

this offshore seamanship.

And they weren't

in any kind of condition

to be able to continue sailing

the way you have to

- when you cross an ocean.

- [snoring]

[Brant-Zawadzki] At the current pace

we will not be ready.

[snoring]

We're beginning to realize

the need to push ourselves harder.

If we're gonna have these coaches,

let's not waste them.

Let's use them to their full...

Even if you think it's obvious.

It could be something

that's obvious, but...

...half of us wouldn't know,

the people that do don't care.

The best thing is...

[Brant-Zawadzki] Everything hinges

on the skipper and the leader.

On an hourly basis, they will decide

our fate on the Morning Light.

I want to say one thing for, um, Genny.

'Cause there's been a lot of times

where we've been hanging out as a group,

and if Genny says,

"Hey, we need to be there now,"

everyone's like, picks up

their bags and we go.

Her organization definitely keeps us all

together. I definitely agree with that.

[Brant-Zawadzki] The way to get good

at making those decisions

is to be placed in them.

[man] Who's gonna go in to shore?

Are we ready?

Yeah. I got it blowing.

Blow it! Yeah!

Mike Sanderson, who just won

the around-the-world race,

he came in for a week to train the kids.

[Tulloch] The second that Moose

stepped on the boat,

we realized how unprepared we were,

how much we had to learn,

and how much he could teach us.

Faster, faster, faster,

faster, faster. Let it go.

They're not rock stars yet. You know,

they're not professional sailors.

[Schubert] Pull back.

[Brant-Zawadzki] We need to prove to

ourselves that we can sail this boat.

[Schubert] You're controlling the thing.

You call, all right?

One minute, Towiller,

keep talking to me.

[Sanderson]

Yeah, and smoke it. Smoke it.

Nice one.

Basic dilemma. Yeah, baby.

Keep coming, keep coming, keep coming,

keep coming, keep coming.

Go, Jeremy.

[Branning] I had never been

part of a team

that wants it more than Morning Light.

I've raced in five countries,

endless practices on all types of boats

and this was my favorite day

of sailing I've ever had.

[Tulloch] I wish, at least,

it was a good story.

I wish I could say I'd jumped

off a cliff into the shallows

or was attacked by a shark

while kite-surfing.

Something really fun and off-the-wall.

She didn't take our advice. She went off

snowboarding between sessions.

I said, "You sure

you wanna do that, Genny?"

And she said, "Oh, don't worry,

Robbie. I'll be fine."

[Tulloch] I sat down and cried.

All I knew was that it hurt,

and the major implications

of having broken myself.

[Haines] We wanted the kids

to go offshore for three days.

Then they would meet us in Hilo.

She wanted to participate

a lot more than we allowed her to.

In fact, we didn't allow her

to do anything.

Good luck!

[Tulloch] Disappointment.

Frustration. Loneliness.

- [Tulloch] Bye, guys!

- [man] Bye!

[Wilmot] We are now at the stage where

we can sail 24-hour overnight sprints.

However, our race

can be up to ten days long.

The Hilo trip will help us

get into a rhythm

of racing at sea

for several days at a time.

[Kane] Everyone gets seasick.

I don't care if you've sailed

around the world, everyone does.

You're just so uncomfortable.

Your bones ache, you can't think,

you wanna just die.

- [crashing]

- Ah!

I'm gonna give you...

[Branning] Down below it's hot,

it's humid, it's wet, it smells.

For a navigator who's trying

to stare at a computer,

and you're banging in the waves,

I don't care how tough you are,

you're gonna get sick.

[retching]

[Fielding] We kept the boat

in solid condition

throughout three days

of extreme upwind sailing.

My stress level was at an all-time high.

It sucks being here!

[Honey] They showed up in Hilo

after an absolutely heinous trip.

And beating in 30 to 40 knots

in horrible seas.

Oh, and the boat's in perfect shape.

Everything's neat as a pin.

- Hey, Genny.

- [sighs]

- [Tulloch] You guys miss me?

- Mm-hmm.

[Welch] It was probably good

you didn't come, on a serious note.

It was... it was rough.

- Did people fall over?

- A lot of people yakked.

Never going downwind.

[Brant-Zawadzki]

My hands are swollen and sore.

My fingers are bent in

from holding on to sheets for so long.

My legs are weak,

and my cuts are infected.

[Manson] I was like, "This is

ridiculous. Not doing anything..."

[Fielding] When I landed in Hilo,

I felt like I'd climbed a mountain

or broke through a wall.

[Tulloch] The team's progressing,

and I'm just stagnant.

[Wilmot] The way back from Hilo

is an opportunity for downwind sailing.

It'll be a good test

because the Transpac is all downwind.

[Honey] It was perfect conditions.

It was all night long.

You know, hairball sailing

the whole way. You know, 30, 35 knots.

And it was just wild.

[Haines] It was perfect practice

for the kids.

We took 'em just down

the north side of Molokai

and on in through the Molokai Channel,

just like the finish for the Transpac.

[# Something Corporate:

21 And Invincible]

[Tulloch] I know I've probably ruined

my chances of being the skipper.

Now I just have to hope

I'll still make the race.

- [shouting]

- [laughing]

[Brant-Zawadzki] Genny's a great sailor

and won't have any trouble

getting back to sailing the boat

when she recovers.

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