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Archive for April, 2012

Racing Rules of Sailing

Here’s a basic video from US Sailing about the racing rules of sailing.  It shows the rules with quick video clips.  To me, it’s a true example of a picture being “worth 1000 words” — a lot easier to watch the video and better understand the rules instead of just re-reading the book to get better understanding. If you are interested in purchasing either the Handy Guide to the Racing Rules, or the full written Racing Rules of Sailing, you […]

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Posted by admin - April 24, 2012 at 21:15

Categories: Racing Education   Tags:

Favorite Flip Flops

Let’s talk about flip flops : ) For at least six months out of the year, I spend most of my time in flip flops when I’m not wearing racing shoes.  So, in my mind, it’s really important to have good flip flops.  And, I might suggest having more than just ONE pair — just a suggestion 😉 .  For a long time, I wore Reef flip flops and loved them.  They are comfortable, inexpensive, and the foam footbed molds […]

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Posted by admin - April 22, 2012 at 22:08

Categories: Clothing, Gear, Lifestyle   Tags:

Your Cocktail for the Weekend — Dark & Stormy

The Dark & Stormy became popular in many areas of the British Commonwealth.  Sailors have then spread the popularity if the drink throughout the sailing community.  A Dark & Stormy is basically dark rum mixed with ginger beer.  Different parts of the world use different types of ginger beer or different brands of rum.   To make a Dark & Stormy, mix the following and drink over ice: 2 oz. Dark Rum (I like Goslings) 8 oz. Ginger Beer (I […]

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Posted by admin - April 20, 2012 at 06:11

Categories: Lifestyle   Tags:

The Pack I LOVE….

    I’ll cut to the chase — the Arc’Teryx Mantis 26 is the pack I LOVE now.  Here it is: Now, I’ll tell you why I love it so much…   For the past four or five years, I’ve used the same daypack as my regular sailing bag.  I bought it when it was the special deal at the Annapolis Boat show.  It’s a blue and gold Henri Lloyd pack that has been very useful over the years, and […]

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Posted by admin - April 17, 2012 at 20:24

Categories: Gear   Tags:

Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 8

In Chapter 8 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about Upwind Trim Solutions. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter.   Remember that previously this book taught us that total power comes from the combination of the main and the jib.  The right amount and balance of power can be achieved with angle of attack, sail shape (depth), and twist.   Moderate Air Sailing In moderate air, maximize lift by trimming to a near stall.  Then, fine […]

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Posted by admin - April 15, 2012 at 22:02

Categories: Racing Education   Tags:

The Bushwhacker -Your Cocktail for the Weekend

I was first introduced to the Bushwhacker during a New Year’s Eve vacation in St. Thomas.  Here’s a warning — this is a heavy drink.  But, if you like milk shakes and you have a sweet tooth, you will love the Bushwhacker.   It sounds like this drink originated in St. Thomas.  However, in 1975 the Sandshaker in Pensacola, FL started serving a version to their customers and it became hugely popular.   Here’s a recipe if you want to […]

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Posted by admin - April 13, 2012 at 16:03

Categories: Lifestyle   Tags:

It’s that time of year again…

WARNING…..WARNING…..this may be a soap box post!   We’re all here because we love to sail – right?  That’s definitely my case; and I want to spend as much time out on the water as possible.  It’s even better if the sailing is on a warm sunny breezy day.  However, I’m also REALLY fair skinned with a lot of freckles.   So, I make sure that I go to the dermatologist once a year before sailing gets going to make […]

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Posted by admin - April 9, 2012 at 20:00

Categories: Fitness & Nutrition, Lifestyle   Tags:

Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 7

In Chapter 7 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about upwind helmsmanship. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter.   In order to drive the boat well, helmsmanship is really dependent on taking in a lot of information and being able to turn it into some useful insight really quickly.  The driver needs to maintain good boat speed and ability to point while being really aware of the feel of the boat.  In order for this to […]

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Posted by admin - April 7, 2012 at 07:17

Categories: Racing Education   Tags:

Volvo Ocean Race Mid-Point Update

Here’s a video that the Volvo Ocean Race folks put together to give you a recap of the race events so far. Get ready, it’s 26 minutes long, but it’s a great summary of the race so far. Enjoy!

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Posted by admin - April 2, 2012 at 20:00

Categories: Race Commentary   Tags:

Sailboat Racing Trim — Part 6

In Chapter 6 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about mainsail trim and controls. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter.   A well trimmed mainsail gives the boat speed, allows it to point, and balances the jib to get the boat upwind.  During a race, boats will use many different foresails, but typically only one main.  So, that main must be much more versatile to accomplish everything that is needed during a race.  That highlights, even […]

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Posted by admin - April 1, 2012 at 11:55

Categories: Racing Education   Tags: