Over the last two years, in a verdant little island of seventies hep, tucked into the concrete wilderness of north bangalore, a bunch of folk have been working, some hard and some hardly at trying to build a vision of one, almost vituperatively motivated person.
400 kilometres from the nearest sea and 1000 metres above it we have been building a sail-boat. Temporary bewilderment is warranted, mine has lasted 2 years.
But, this is no ordinary sailboat. You don’t have to take my word for it, over my two years with it I have seen my share of awestruck sailors.
Hell! I have seen awestruck accountants, judges, self-righteous aunties, rather attractive young women, all sorts. Because, awe inspiring it certainly is! There are very few things that can excite people any more, most of those things either taste really good or are glittery.
This is neither!
This is exciting, sort of like the first time I saw a road-roller. Where you sort of know what its for and how it should principally work. But, it is exciting as hell trying to imagine something that is sooo unlike our green Premier Padmini, doing typically green premier padmini like things.
Telling people that we use 15 metre high wing to get our propulsive force out of the wind, only adds to the wonder. I have actually seen someone’s jaw drop. Now that is cool!
But, it is not just casual visitors, I am hit by a feeling of awe everytime I sit back and try to take it all in. We are building a sail-boat with materials that are more comfortable in suitings and shirtings, aluminum foil, woven carbon and that powdery stuff in refrigerator insulation.
We will sail this boat about the size of a 16 metre ball of cotton candy half way around the planet and do it in the silent grace of a dandelion in the breeze.
Awe is the juice that gets me out of bed every morning. Even on a particularly rough day, the sublime thrill of it is enough to give me a high, like nothing I have ever known.
But, I digress.
So we have been working on this in the comfort of our little island paradise now for the last 2 years and it has finally come time for it to leave.
And boldly go where most sail boats have gone before.
This blog will hopefully, account the climax of my two year romance.
