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I was sailing (40-footer) upwind in the Kornati (Croatia) in 18kn of wind on a cold but nice summerday with 3 friends. For those who don't know the place the Kornati is a group of Islands scattered in the croatian waters and they are so many that they for a sort of inner sea with a nice afternoon breeze. The sea was flat, the boat perfectly trimmed was slicing through the water at top speed in a perfect silence and we were really enjoying the day.
By chance I stuck my head out of the jib and I was shocked to see a small sailboat (maybe a 24/30 footer) just 30 feet ahead of us and exactly on the same course of ours. We were running over her at 8kn.
In the nick of time I reached for the steering wheel just in time to bear way and to see the dread in the eyes of the other boat's poor guy (who had just turned and had seen us stalking him in a perfect quiet). Thanks God he reacted by pointing up and halting his boat so the collision was avoided by a feet or so.
Scud
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