Today was a work day and practice for one of the boats that I sail on. We were testing out rigging and sails that hadn’t been used in a while. That included re-taping spreaders and cleaning up things attached to the mast. Let me tell you that I have a huge fear of heights — well, it’s a fear of falling, actually. But, I usually go up the mast — for a couple of reasons. One of those reasons […]
A while ago, I posted about my discussion from Harry Legum of Annapolis Sailing Fitness. During that discussion, Harry recommended the book Food for Fitness by Chris Carmichael. I found it an interesting read — here is an outline of the topics along with some key things that I learned: Chris Carmichael is a cyclist who loved to race, but didn’t have a lot of money. He experimented to figure out how he could get the best nutrition for […]
When I was a kid, I used to love it when my Dad would let me drive the boat. That boat was a 20 foot Matilda sloop with a tiller. Honestly, I don’t remember doing many tacks. I think my Dad would just set me up and let me steer a straight course across the lake. Fast forward to adulthood and I get apprehensive every time I’m asked to steer the boat. In recent years, my sailing and racing […]
OK, I can’t deny it any longer. It’s time for new sailing shoes. About four years ago, I had a pair of sailing shoes that I loved. They were comfortable, gripped the deck well, didn’t make your feet too hot in the summer, and they looked good to. The only problem is that Sebago stopped making them : ( Ever since then, it’s been a tough job to buy new boat shoes. I keep hoping I’ll find a pair […]
The weather was still shaky on the second day of the NOOD regatta in Annapolis. However, wind held out enough for racing to begin. There were three races on day two — even if it did seem like a storm was on the way for much of the day. On the division 4 course, there was a general recall during the second race for J-109s. Luckily, the wind continued to build throughout the day and racing felt better and better […]
But, unfortunately, the wind didn’t — at least for today anyway. Boats from all over the country have come to Annapolis to race in the Sperry NOOD one design series. Town was bustling last night as racers rolled in for practice and race preparations. Today started with heavy fog and a one hour postponement. The breeze was really light. I was sailing on a boat that is part of division 4. So, our start was down by Thomas Point […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
What do you mean we’re race committee???
Tonight, as I got to the marina, I found out that the crew from my boat was going to be race committee for the night’s race. It was a great night — about 85 degrees and sunny with a nice breeze. But now, it’s confession time . . . I still get a bit confused with everything that happens at the beginning of a race. I’m OK with the race starting sequence once I start to hear the countdown and […]
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