It is drizzling. The skies are overcast and blend seamlessly with the murky, grey expanse of water.
“This is perfect weather to sail,” Aarthi Anand, director of six-month-old sports and recreation company Hyper, reassures me, reading my worried expression. After careful consideration and going back and forth multiple times, we decide to sail at 4 pm.
The team is on the lookout for favourable wind conditions, as the speed of the wind is directly proportional to the bumpiness of the ride, and consequently the ‘adventure’ quotient.
The last time I was on a sailboat, I was clinging on for dear life (read: flexible railings), as the J80 cut its way through the heavy wind in 45 degrees and negotiated the moderately choppy seas. Needless to say, it was an exhilarating ride.
This time though, ‘adventure’ is likely to take a back seat while ‘sit back, relax and enjoy’ seems like the ideal tagline: in fact, Aarthi and her entourage are already considering making changes in their brief for the upcoming two-hour-long sailing trip scheduled for next weekend. Discussions are underway, as we walk towards the 44-footer sailboat.
Minutes later, we are on-board Frama — a sailboat with a keel that weighs eight tonnes, starkly different from the pea-sized J80 — which can house a maximum of 15 people.
It even has bedrooms and bathrooms attached for those who wish to take a break from basking in the sun. “Since the keel (the steel structure along the base) is this heavy, there is no way we will capsize. That is the advantage of this boat,” sailor Janaki Balachander, who is helming the ride along with the helper of the boat, tells the group, now awash with nervous banter.
Janaki, who is now at the rudder, is telling her companion where the wind patches are. A quick glance at the calm ocean, beyond the harbour, is enough for her to gauge that. She points to what appears to be a uniformly grey swathe of water. On closer observation, there are light patches on the surface: “You see, the lighter patches are where there is no wind, while dark patches mean there is wind flow,” she states, adding that the squiggly ripples caused by the wind create dark patches. As soon as we hit the ocean, we are given permission to walk — or sway — towards the jib (a triangular sail placed ahead of the foremast). In minutes, the skipper loosens the rope and unfurls the jib. A small wooden seat (which accommodates one person) protrudes from the mast, and people are in line to clamber up and soak in their ‘Titanic moment’, albeit solo.
The rest bask in the dull sunlight while I am perched on the side, legs dangling out, hoping to touch the water at some point. The waves however, keep betraying me and the boat continues to bob up and down, slowly.
However, the murky greyish-blue waters are not devoid of little surprises: from time to time, we spot luminescent orange patches.
On careful scrutiny, I see that they are baby jellyfish, trying to navigate away from the boat. At times, through the thin film of water, we see the creatures gracefully swimming away. A few dead fish also surface, as the dim sunlight reflects off their searing silver skins.
As we sail towards the Marina Lighthouse, we soak up the peace that comes with the vast, seemingly endless expanse.
Aarthi says, “A lot of older people and families prefer rides like these. They specifically ask me if the ride is going to be choppy or peaceful. So we refer to the wind conditions and set the rides accordingly.”
A former lawyer who took to adventure sports when she started travelling for work says that activities such as jamming sessions will be planned onboard depending on the crowd that comes in. People can also book the boat for private parties or special occasions.
“We usually do two-hour-long trips for people who wish to experience sailing. But we are also looking to curate packages that would involve us sailing to Puducherry or Ennore and camping there.” Talks are on currently, she says.
Contact Hyper for details on their instagram page, @_hyper_sports or call 8817466666
In this series we hunt for adrenaline-filled activities in and around Chennai.
