UKSA, day 10

     Breakfast was superb.  After munching on toast, eggs, bacon, cereal, milk, and apples, we headed down to the changing rooms to retrieve our wetsuits.  We met up with our instructors for the first activity of the day; sailing.  The sail boats we were using were easy to use, easy to handle, fairly forgiving, and virtually indestructible.  Perfect for newbs.  We were given a crash course on how to set them up, how to steer them, how to take them down, and other sailboat knowhow.

     They took us to a calmer part of the channel where we could rip the sailboats.  When we were done setting them up, we paddled.  And paddled.  And paddled.  Unfortunately the  usually windy Isle of Wight had decided to be un-windy for a day.  To keep spirits up, they introduced us to a game called Pirate.  The objective is to capsize other sailboats and to be the last one capsized.  My partner and I were determined not to get wet, so we were fleeing more than anything else.  As we were paddling away we heard the leader calling, "Oh Muriel..... Britney....." the vowels were drawn out and Britney remarked, "Oh no.  I can hear the banjos playing..." One of them hopped aboard, and, well, it was only a matter of time before we tipped.  We came back to the main area soaking wet and ate lunch.  
     Immediately after that, we went kayaking, which was lots of fun.  We paddled to a more open part of the English channel and played a game called Gladiator.    This game is rather simple.  Basically, you and your partner (this only works with two person kayaks) stand up without physical contact.  If you succeed at this, rock the kayak until one (or both) of you falls off.  Last person standing wins.



     After that, we had a random discussion about weather, New York City, accents, America, Britain, and Genghis Khan.  We pretty much had his whole history told to us on the water, it was pretty awesome.  Then, we paddled back and ate dinner. (Hamburgers and delicious cake.)  We took a quick hike up to a football field and played various relay races.  My favorite being bridge, tunnel, and turn around.  After we were officially all worn out (like we weren't already) we hiked back down and flopped into bed like a bunch of dead fish.