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Where: Aboard the Stars & Stripes, in San Diego Bay
When: June 27, 2009
What: For our anniversary, Dani bought us tickets for one of the daily races between these two America's Cup yachts. I'm not really sure who won on our day, and I don't care. It was an exhilarating afternoon on the water.
And I learned a couple of things:
1. Cranking the "coffee grinders" to move the sails can be incredibly hard work. Dani and I worked the main sail for about 45 minutes, and moving that big boom and a 100-foot-tall sail against the wind was, at times, nearly impossible. My back hurt for days afterward.
2. These boats are more responsive than my car, which explains why the Abracadabra cut so close behind us at least a half-dozen times. I got to drive for about 20 minutes, and I had to steer very small not to turn too quickly. Surprising. (Yes, I have now driven an America's Cup yacht, which kind of blows my mind. Best anniversary present ever.)
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