fot. Hubert Bierndgarski

19 January 2010

On 19 January 2010, UKS OPTY (Pupils’ Sports Club OPTY) and Leszek Kasperowicz invited Natasza to a meeting at the Scouts’ Sea Centre. This place was not just random – when Natasza was the same age as the young ‘sea dogs’, she used to attend sailors’ meetings there, and do her boatswain training tasks by preparing equipment before the season. Captain Zenon Jasik – the first Natasza’s sailing instructor was also present at the meeting. Young sailors told Natasza about their club, shared their dreams with her, listened to her sea stories, and got to know what a shackle key is (it unlocks the shackle nut). Natasza was very happy to meet Dominik Schutta, an internationally famous sailor from Ustka who also started his adventure with the sea in UKS OPTY. Although he is very busy, he finds time to meet his younger friends from the club.

‘It was really great to meet you. I hope that, against the odds, Tanasza Ustka Polska – the yacht on which I sailed around the world – will be brought to Ustka, and in her new home she will be used by a new generation of sailors, not only from our region.’