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THE OCEAN — If you like the ocean and alone time, sailing a catamaran by yourself sounds like a great idea — until the catamaran tips.
A catamaran, a yacht or other boat with twin hulls, is not incredibly difficult to right with two or more people. However, when you are sailing solo, the body weight of one might make your chore fairly difficult. That’s why I advise* people who sail solo to always do so next to a man who flies with water so he can be your savior.
That’s right, always let a flyboarder be your sailing guide. If you need support for this unprofessional advice, all you have to do is watch this video of a flyboarder doing a solid for a tipped catamaran.
In the video, which was shot at Mission Bay in San Diego, a man is filming the always unexpected sight of a flyboarder bursting into the air with the aid of a hoverboard-like craft that uses jets to propel the rider out of the water.
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The course was set up at Heaven’s Gate on a mountain in China, with an average incline of 45 degrees down 999 steps.A nearby catamaran suddenly tips, and without skipping a beat, both the man behind the camera and the flyboarder rush to help. It takes the flyboarder about 30 seconds to gracefully lift the awkward boat back to rights with little fuss for the sailor. The flyboarder then does some fancy tricks in celebration.
The video is oddly inspiring and entertaining, but not just because the rescue looks graceful and effortless. There’s also a little touch of something cartoony that makes the video a bit funny, but I can’t quite figure out why. Maybe it’s it simply because a flyboard looks like something Marvin the Martian from Looney Toons would use. Your theories are welcome in the comments.
*For the record, I should not and do not advise anyone about safely sailing any craft.
