[Practice Journal] Ryuta Saito of Humor

Thank you for your continued support.
I am Ryuta Saito, a third-year student in the Department of Political Science, School of Political Science and Economics.

To describe today's practice in one word, it was a 'day tossed about by the wind'.

Southerly winds of 1-4 m/s. Looking at the numbers alone, it seems calm, but out on the water, it was quite fickle conditions where streaks of wind would appear and disappear, as if telling me 'it's this way today,' only to flip the script the next moment and say 'actually, never mind.'

We conducted start practice in the morning.

Just when I thought I had a good position, the wind would die, and just when I thought I was a bit behind, the wind would suddenly pick up. It felt like playing rock-paper-scissors on the water. And the opponent changes the rules every time.

In the midst of that, I felt once again that sailing is not a sport of fighting the wind, but a sport of conversing with it.

Of course, even if I call it a conversation, the wind doesn't answer back. Even when I desperately ask questions, it changes direction as if to say, 'You'll have to figure that out for yourself.' That is precisely why I reaffirmed the importance of continuing to observe not just my own sensations, but also the surrounding boats and the state of the sea surface.

We conducted course practice in the afternoon.

There were races where I could round the windward mark in a good position, and there were moments where I thought, 'Oh, I might be in good form today.' However, I often lost positions during the subsequent downwind legs, and reality was not that sweet.

The race development continued where I would use up the lead I had painstakingly built up during the downwind legs, to the point where I started to suspect that the 'upwind me' and the 'downwind me' might be different people.

In particular, I still have challenges in my ability to capture changes in the wind while maintaining boat speed. A race does not end at the windward mark. I will continue to make improvements so that I can protect the advantage I created upwind until the very end.

There are no major competitions in the immediate future. However, I believe this period is a precious time for growth.

Rather than just chasing after spectacular results, I will review the basics one by one, such as tacking, jibing, and boat handling, and work with the spirit of 'haste makes waste.' Although, in the case of sailing, turning too much results in a loss, so I would like to turn moderately.

I will continue to move forward steadily while cherishing each day's practice so that I can achieve better results in the next competition.

Lastly, I would like to thank all the alumni who always provide us with warm support and guidance despite your busy schedules. Your support is a great source of strength for us.

We ask for your continued support for the Meiji University Yacht Club.