If the crew of an ocean racer sails on its stomach and a happy, well-fed crew is a skippers strongest asset, then the cook is as crucial as the navigator.We asked some competitors in this years Newport-Bermuda race how to keep a crew well fed and ready to go. All had years of experience provisioning for offshore racing, leading to as many galley philosophies as there were boats.On
There is much to be absorbed in Mondays announcements by the Defender and the Challenger of Record for Americas Cup 34. Beyond the anticipated headliner that 72-foot, wingsailed catamarans are the platform of choice, I note that the latest documents open up some wiggle room regarding venue. Gone is the draft language stipulating that the challenger eliminations will be sailed in the waters of
Although we dont yet know the venue, we know a good deal more about what the 34th Americas Cup regatta is going to look like following Monday’s press conference in Valencia, Spain. First and foremost, its going to be aboard 72-foot catamarans with wing sails.Let me say that again: 72-foot catamarans with wing sails.According to officials, the new AC72 class will
n early 2007, I sat down with the offshore committee of the Newport Yacht Club and, after much debate, was told that the 21-foot Mini 6.50the same boat used for Europes Mini Transat Race from France to Brazilwould be granted its own division in that years Bermuda 1-2 Race.Since then, the number of Minis actively sailing in the United States has doubled, to about 30 boats. Although this
Serious racing, serious fun The Snipe class motto neatly sums up the appeal of this ubiquitous dinghy. Fifteen and a half feet long, light and uncomplicated, easy to trailer and launch, the Snipe is a boat that never gets old. Go to any Snipe regatta and youll see septuagenarians mixing it up with teenagers, pro sailors battling it out with Sunday-afternoon amateurs.The boats
Better known for its skiing, Park City, Utah, has been the site of a recent upsurge in sailing activity on the Jordanelle Reservoirelevation 6,200 feetabout five miles outside town.The Park City Sailing Association (PCSA) got its start in 2008 when a bunch of transplants decided they wanted to do some Laser sailing. The group went on to buy a small fleet of boats and organize training
In July 1965, at the age of 16, Robin Lee Graham set out on a 33,000-mile, five-year circumnavigation aboard his Bill Lapworth-designed 24ft sloop Dove. National Geographic magazine famously covered the voyage, which spawned two best-selling booksDove and Home Is The Sailora childrens book and a 1974 Hollywood movie, The Dove.In recent years, another
In a move that is sure to energize and inspire the sailors of San Francisco Bay, Larry Ellison’s BMW Oracle Racing team today announced that it is no longer entertaining bids from other US cities hoping to host America’s Cup 34. San Francisco, home to the winning Golden Gate Yacht Club, is now the only city in the USA under consideration.The team, with the America’s Cup in tow,
No matter where you go in the world its never like this when they switch the weather on. So it goes with distance events as well. The 2010 edition of the Singlehanded Transpac has been slow going much of the time, with difficult seas and opposing sets kicked up by distant storms. A thirteen-day crossing is certainly not the best-possible time for a
It was a slow start for the 183-boat fleet as nearly 2,000 sailors began the 635-mile race across the Gulf Steam from Newport to Bermuda on June 18. With 16 classes underway, this years Newport-Bermuda race boasted the third largest fleet in the races 104-year history.By sunset on the second day, Alex Jacksons 100ft maxi sloop Speedboat took the lead from Tom Hills Titan
In episode 12 of the Celestial Navigation series, learn how to calculate planet sights, with two additional corrections to the sight reduction process. Read more…
If you’ve watched America’s Cup or grand prix sailboat racing you may have noticed the mindboggling technology that goes into moving a mass of magnificently
I was recently asked to run a charter for friends. As non-sailors, they didn’t know what to expect or who else to invite. I suggested
Born in Warsaw, Poland, in July of 1936, Krystyna Chojnowski-Liskiewicz did not learn how to sail until her family chose to relocate away from the
I walked up to the bathroom and the couple was just getting out of their boat. The man appeared to be in surprisingly good shape.
Major League Baseball is up and running again following a 99-day lockout, during which the league’s team owners basically said they weren’t going to play
HH44 Parallel Hybrid The HH44 sits in a sweet spot at the center of the two axes of ideal yacht design: performance versus comfort; safety
In episode 11 of the Celestial Navigation series, learn how to pre-calculate the time of nautical and civil twilight, as well as correcting a star
Born in September of 1909, Annette Brock spent her childhood traveling by steamer ship between Canada and Europe. Her mother was English and married a
. Episode 10 of The Nav Station’s Celestial Navigation series discusses the theory of the noon sight, how to take the sight, calculate your latitude,
