As the waves washed sand along the crisp, cold shore, we put our bright red life jackets on and focused on our plan. The sound of cheering and clapping washed down on us like a waterfall that broke the thick silence.

“You can do it!” Came a shout from the audience. I looked at Viktoria.

I asked, “Ready?” With a slight nod; we got ready, got into the boat and sailed towards the conquering start line.
The fierce whistling of the wind, loud enough to drown the chorus of the sea birds. The towering heights of the waves drenched us as we sailed towards the other teammates. We gasped for our breath as the excitement overwhelmed us. Looking down at the water, Viktoria and I remember all the effort and practice that would come down to this one race. Capsizing; our greatest fear, with the vigorous and forceful waves already pushing us away. We couldn’t capsize, not like the last time. It was a rather rainy day, a cold day to go sailing, the flag was quivering in the wind, we rushed towards the boats, running on the damp sand, all geared up, and began sailing towards the old, run-down, faded buoy. The wind raced past our faces, we came to a turn and I felt the boat tip to one edge.
I shouted, “Lean!” But it was too late, the boat had tipped and we were in the icy, endless sea. I raced towards the boat, grabbed the dagger board and dragged it down in hopes of getting back on the boat. Startled, the boat had flipped over us and dragged us down into the water. Swimming to the top and gasping for breath, my lungs ached and my breaths were short and flat. I choked on water and my hair was drenched, grabbing onto the boat again, I looked for Viktoria, nowhere to be seen. I shouted and called her name, only realizing that she was stuck under the boat. I grabbed for the dagger board once more, with my blistering hands, I put in all the effort I had and brought the boat back upright. I saw Victoria tangled in rope, as though the ropes were a net and she was their pray, she gasped for breath, struggling, I dragged her into the boat and caught my breath. She choked hard and lay in the inside of the boat. I watched her chest rise up and down in a rhythmic pattern, her tangled, ash blond hair covered parts of her face as she opened her bewildered eyes. She sat upright again, breathed out heavily as she grabbed onto the side of the boat as we continued sailing back towards the buoy.

Back to the race: I felt my pulse beating in my chest, the adrenaline rushing through my veins; a chill ran down my spine. I found myself staring at the start line; I could not take my eyes off of it. Nothing, Nothing else mattered more than winning the race.The sound of the starting horn, broke the silence. The second horn blew, the horn blew one last time, it screamed through our ears as we raced for the first buoy.

Gripping the rope with my blistering hand, Viktoria focusing on the direction of the boat, cautiously aware of our competitors we overlapped them. We came to a turn, this was the point, would we be able to make it? Were we going to capsize? We began turning, gritting my teeth, time was running, thunder roared through the atmosphere, and everything felt like a blur. We turned. We raced past everyone else and continued our spine-chilling race towards the finish line. Approaching the finish line, we fell silent, time had diffused into itself, and time was as shapeless, as endless as ever. Quietly watching the tip of the boat cross the thin ribbon. Butterflies crept up from the pit of my stomach and a smile spread across my face.

“I can't believe we did it!” We had won the race.