If it feels like I’ve been spamming you with sailing content lately, well…I have good news: the season is officially over.
And what better way to wrap up months of evenings on the water, race days, questionable weather decisions, and plenty of time spent chasing the next win than with a few victories—and a little tradition of my own?
But the wins weren’t the only highlight of the final race.
We finished the season by winning the last few races, which made the final stretch of sailing even more fun. There’s something pretty special about ending a season on a high note. After all the preparation, competition, good races, not-so-good races, and everything in between, those final wins felt like the perfect punctuation mark.
Somewhere along the way, I decided that the end of the sailing season needed a little more…flair. While sailors might traditionally break a bottle of champagne to celebrate, I decided that just wouldn’t do. And really, who wants to waste the alcohol and clean up the mess anyway?
So after the last race, I jumped off the boat…still in my clothes! In my defense, after spending an entire season surrounded by water, it seemed only right to officially close it out by jumping into it. And honestly? It was completely worth getting soaked.
And just like that, a new tradition was born.
I have no idea if anyone else has an official end-of-season tradition, but I highly recommend creating one. It doesn’t have to be elaborate or meaningful to anyone else. For me, it’s just about doing something spontaneous, making yourself laugh (and maybe others), and giving yourself a moment you’ll remember long after the season ends.
This season gave me plenty to celebrate: races won, lessons learned, time on the water, new memories, and a whole lot of moments I probably wouldn’t have experienced if I hadn’t said yes to sailing in the first place.
Now, the time has come for the boat to come out of the water, the sailing gear to be put away, and for me to retire the sailing content…for the next few months.
If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that the end of one season just gives you something to look forward to when the next one begins. Until then, I’ll be replaying the highlights, missing the water, and counting down to the next launch.
One thing is certain though, my end-of-the-sailing-season tradition is officially happening again next year. Clothes still on and all.
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