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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
There are two drinks that make me think of fun sunny days sailing — either at the dock after the race, at Pussers in Annapolis, the Soggy Dollar Bar in Jost Van Dyke, or during an island adventure in St. Thomas. Those drinks are the Painkiller and the Bushwhacker. Here’s the recipe for Pusser’s Painkiller, to get the weekend off to a tropical start. 4 Parts Pineapple Juice 1 Part Cream of Coconut 1 Part Orange Juice 2, 3, […]
In Chapter 5 of his book Racing Trim, Bill Gladstone talks about genoa trim and controls. The following post shows a short summary of that chapter. I’ve added a few extras just in case you find them helpful. Enjoy! The role of the genoa trimmer is to guide the boat upwind while trimming the genoa to achieve the right balance of speed and point. This is a continuous process and is not achieved with just one adjustment. The genoa gets its […]
At the end of February, six sailing friends met in Vieques. We had high hopes for relaxation, fun in the sun, and some adventure. Things got interesting the day before vacation even started. I called to get the address of the house we rented. That’s when I was told that most of the roads on the island didn’t have names — which made it interesting to get six people to the house. Luckily islanders were very friendly and we had […]
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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