RS:X Lithuanian Cup, Day 3 - Final Day

Welcome back!

So, I know you guys are just more than thrilled and excited to hear what happened on the last day of the competition. Who won? Who overtook who? What happened at the finish line? Who fell to the water at the most crucial time of the race? And thousands of other questions may have arose to you. But the story remains the same and only one. Before that, here are some snapshots to get you pumped up before reading!

On Sunday, the last day of the RS:X Lithuanian Cup held in one of the most beautiful and fabulous places of Lithuania - Nida - had to be exciting! Not to mention the fact that the wind was offshore and you couldn't guess what the wind was on the race track, there was also some though fight going on for the first 2 podium places as well as for 3rd and 4th place. Still, lemme explain to you everything from the origins.

So, Sunday - 6:41 am. What a lazy guy can sleep much longer when the swimming season in the sea was still not opened!? So, me and Martynas Juodeška LTU 1 jumped out of the bed (actually that jump was kinda slow motion as we had 3 or more hours of sailing on the water the day before and were nearly dead in the morning). But still, just after getting out of the bed, we made some face washing moves, got into our running shoes and went to the sea for a fresh and revitalizing morning swimming in the Baltic sea. And well, that was something worth dying for! As the competition day seemed to be a pumping one, we felt that the boom breaking beast was awaken inside us!

For those who still don't believe about this story, here are some proofs:

Anyway, let's get back on the water and discover how everything happened in the last 3 races of RS:X Lithuanian Cup.

First race. Decker-boards - ready to show some magic board lifting tricks, arms - ready to feel hell a lot of pain and finally, mind - fully concentrated and ready to combine arms and decker-board into one, outrageous racing machine. Here goes the starting signal! Olympian Juozas Bernotas LTU 14 decided that port tack was his favorite that time and actually passed us lovely in front of our noses. Until, the first mark we pumped, then we pumped and just after ending a pumping series - we pumped! That's like an army. Anyway, as far as I remember, I reached the upwind mark 3rd and had Vytautas Celiešius LTU 4 (a guy who's progressing really fast! Keep going bro!) breathing to my back. But it seems that his breaths were advantageous to me and I used his breaths to lengthen then distance between us at the second lap. Remained calm and took 3rd place. 5 time in a row! As it is said: "Stability is sign of professionalism". :)

Oh and I almost forgot! We pumped in the first half-wind,  we pumped in the downwind, and you know what? We pumped in the second half-wind and now you can double this, as the racing distance was - 2 laps.

Second race. 1/3 of the pumping was done. 2 to go! Super ready. I would say I made quite good start and after some delightful pumping reached the upwind mark 4th! Now, that was something unusual and for god's sake, 4th place - ain't a place for me! I almost brake my boom and in the second half-wind I overtook that fast progressing guy by planning in front of his eyes while he was struggling hard by pumping to get going. I didn't let him feel that 3rd place joy again in the second lap and crossed the finish line 3rd.

3rd place starts to look too mainstream!

Third race. 7th race in overall and the final race of the competition. Even though we had some planning conditions in second lap of the second race, the wind dropped before the start of the final race. What that means? Oh, you know that very well! PUMPING until the dawn! Anyway, last race, so giving everything that I had  left seemed a fair choice. Beep! The starting signal let us show what we got left. I thought I had a wonderful starting position because I was the closest one to the starboard tack. I left some space to accelerate and just after the judges showed the starting flag I started pumping!

BUT... Until now I think that I should have had less speed and more angle cause after about 100-150 meters from the starting line - from the first one I was made the last one. In the shadow, in the dirty water. I made a tack. You might not believe it but as soon as I made a tack the strange melody came to my head. It was Black Eyed Peas "PUMP IT". I thought - thanks WILL.I.AM and Fergie. So, I did that! I did that again and again and I think again. Some sweet deep sea red holes appeared on my hands. I though, wow, that's mannish. Well, that didn't help a lot as again, I reached the upwind mark 4th!!!

Daaaamn, I thought, that's not the style I like to sail. No podium place seems too depressive as far RS:X are concerned. I thought I pumped a lot before, but cmon, what I did in the last race was the sum of all the races before! In the downwind leg I was trying hard to catch those gusts and get planning, but in reality it was just going straight by going around... Only in the second half-wind I managed to overcome the guy in the 3rd place and actually maintained this position until the last downwind. Vytautas Celiešius LTU 4 was close and I had to get some space. So, I decided to go on adventure and search for the gusts by going "fast" half-winds. I got kicked in the ass and the only thing I saw after reaching the last half-wind of the RS:X Lithuanian Cup was 3 guys in front of me!!! WOW, that's not usual, that's something different! My arms started to decline, but my mind was still driving me hard. The last mark, I am still 4th! 5 meters in front of me - Vytautas Celiešius LTU 4, 15 meters in front of me Martynas Juodeška LTU 1. I just couldn't end that race like that! I pumped a little, and made a tack. 100 meters until the finish. Pump, pump, pump, pump! The only hope was the last short distance until the finishing line. As fast as my muscles let me, I made a tack and starting PUMPING! Vytautas Celiešius LTU 4 was keeping me in his sight and made a tack together with me, just about 10 meters in front of me. 50 meters until the finish.  Now, remember that beast, I was talking before  after swimming in the sea? Well, it was his turn! I was pumping so hard, so powerful and so passionate, that not only my arms started declining but also my shoulders and legs thought that I went crazy. I guess my pulse was more than 180 or something. 20 meters until the finish - I overtook Vytautas Celiešius LTU 4 and left him in my shadow! Cha-Ching!

But that's not the end of the story! Martynas Juodeška LTU 1 was coming from different tack and it was just a matter of inches who will win the race. My body said STOP you crazy moonstruck. My mind, on the other hand, said to my body: "If you stop, you're dead meat you weak quitter". And here we go, my whole body with the RS:X gear crossed the finishing line 2nd! BAM! That's what I call the end of the competition! 

OK, I got excited while writing this part of the RS:X Lithuanian Cup but good things come and go. Same goes with this set of articles. The one thing I know for sure, this competition was super exciting and challenging. The thing I must point out is: "The race is not over until you cross the finish line. Nothing else matters". So, don't you ever dare to stop when your arms hurts or the wind is too strong, keep going and get that podium place! 

As for results, they are as follows:

1. Juozas Bernotas LTU 14 - the guys that is so fast that I see him only during the start and just after the race, resting in the coach boat.

2. Martynas Juodeška LTU 1 - light wind master blaster! He was so close to Juozas Bernotas, that it was super exciting to see them competing!

3. Me - Arnas Bušmanas LTU 191

4. Vytautas Celiešius LTU 4 - Seems like growing competitor!
5. Karolis Žakskauskas LTU 95 - Passionate dude, who I believe will be a wonderful windsurfer some day!