they’d send one of Lawrence’s Coastal Rescue launches to look for you, roaring out of the Solent at 39 knots. I watch it surge by doing about 20, waving to the whooping passengers. We go up high on their wake when all’s safe, zipping back to the red buoy lane and I push the throttle to lock at about 28, aim for the horizon. The spray and the air, life to breathe.