SailFast13©

Cool Media.

2012-02-16T13:48:00.001-05:00

Found a few cool things on the internet over the past few days... I'm sure many of you have seen all of these, but as my blog is a journal- I would like to keep them in my records so they are easy to find later on.

And remember, for more interesting media- follow me on Twitter: @sailfast13

Also, everyone follow Charleston Race Week on Twitter and like their Facebook page; both of which will be managed by me for this event in April

So true...

Source: http://www.facebook.com/sailmag

Also true...

Source (as far as I can tell): http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1218690441&sk=wall

Beautiful Picture, boat finishing the Miami Nassau Race

Source: http://oldbahamas.com/index.html

Start of the Miami Nassau race

Source: http://oldbahamas.com/index.html

Classic

Source: Donico Brown

Would love to try something like this...

Haha, had me laughing.

SailFast, Live Slow!

Best in the boat: Vibram 5 Fingers

2012-02-15T23:53:00.001-05:00

I ver rarely write product reviews, and when I do, it's for a product that I truly love and consider an essential to my sailing gear/kit. With that being said, this blog post will be a review on the Vibram FiveFingers KSO model, and their practicality for sailing.

What are Vibrams you ask?

Well, before coming to college; I never knew myself... Vibram FiveFingers are the brand of those funny looking shoes that seem to be showing up all over the place lately, you know- the ones with individual toes and eye catching designs that are stereotyped as only being useful to serious runners looking to be even more serious.

Got a bad first impression?

Can't figure out why someone would wear such a strange looking piece of footwear?

Well, I was the same when I first saw my suite mate come trotting in with these ridiculous looking shoes on- I thought he was an idiot really... But, I've warmed up to the idea of 'toe shoes', and now I am the happy owner of two pairs (one for sailing, one for wearing to class)- and my feet couldn't be happier.

Alright, so now that you will at least consider thinking about maybe buying a pair of these awesome shoes, lets go to the review on how they fit into your sailing life. Pictured below are the KSO's, size 43- the ideal pair for water activities and "voted 'Most Popular' for its versatility," (According to the Vibram website). I purchased them based solely on the fact that they were recommended to be used in the water.

So yea, these were the first pair I bought... Originally I bought them with the intention of using them as water shoes while kiting so I don't cut up my feet on sharp rocks and because their slim profile allows them to easily slip under board straps. However, after putting them on- I realized the possibilities are endless.

I know a lot of people out there are sick of searching for the ideal sailing shoe... I used to be convinced that my Aigles were perfect for sailing, and they are; for Lasers- but not much more.

Bulky and heavy boots such as the Aigles do little good in a boat like the 420, and the thought of wearing 'Sailing Tennis' such as the Sperry or Harken models while racing anything other than a keelboat seems like a crazy and far-fetched idea to me.

So, what better thing to do then give my toe shoes a shot in a dinghy...

First thing you will notice when you slip a pair of these shoes on is the level of comfort you feel. The lightweight design, slim profile, and snug fit really help your feet to feel as if there aren't anything on them- while still giving you an awesome sense of protection. The freedom you feel in your toes is incredible, and the 3.55mm sole is just thick enough to give you the right amount of grip while not being too rigid or bulky. The breathable mesh is another added bonus that helps to quickly dry out the shoe and is of the perfect size to provide protection the top side of your foot from an old, raggedy hiking strap.

After realizing how all around good these shoes are, I decided to give them a test run in a 420 on a reasonably windy day (15kts). Sure, there is no shin protection, ankle protection, warmth, etc.... But they are light weight, tough, and comfortable and seemed like an amazing option for this boat.

Well, I was right- they got the job done... and them some.

Ever since I sailed with these shoes once in a 420, they have been my on the water choice for every single time I head out to go 420 sailing; regardless of the conditions.

Good sailors know the importance of proper footwear, and better sailors know the importance of exact and agile footwork in the boat. These shoes make both of these 'go fast' requirements very possible. I felt a lot better on my feet when sailing with these shoes, I felt agile and connected to the boat. I could feel the minute movements of the boat moving through the water, I could feel the effects of sail adjustments on the speed and momentum of the hull, I could feel every minuscule change in the way the boat was sailing and the way it was performing- it was literally as if my body was an extension of the sailboat itself; and my feet were the connecting point.

Jibes, tacks, and other quick maneuvers became much smoother due to the quickness and steadiness of my feet. I didn't have to worry about bulky boots getting caught on something and tripping me up. I never slipped, and the grip proved to be very adequate in accommodating the slippery cockpit floor of a Club 420. Hiking was fine, despite the lack of shin protection and the thin layer of mesh between the strap and the top side of my foot... In fact, these shoes promote proper hiking style in that they will require you to keep the strap just below your toes on the top side of your foot as to avoid chafing between the strap and your lower leg- just how you should be positioned ideally.

There has yet to be a time on the water where I regret taking these shoes out with me... It's hard to describe, but I guess the best way to put it is that it's a lot like being bare-footed with some sort of super foot that is extremely durable and strong- it feels like your wearing nothing while at the same time makes you feel fully protected and steady.

I mean, there are a few cons (as with any sailing shoe), but there are a lot less with the KSO's than with 'other' options available on the market... Cons:

-Your feet are going to get wet, regardless of how hard you try to keep them try.

-If the water is cold, your feet will get cold; there is no insulation.

-Your shins are unprotected, and if your not careful you will get bruises on your lower shins from banging 'em around.

-Don't let the toes get pulled into the mainsheet block.

FiveFingers are the way to go, cheaper than most sailing shoes on the market out there, and truly the best way to get a connection formed between you and your sailboat. I promise you you will feel responses from the boat like never before, and you won't have any problems at all... I'm hoping the demand by sailors will be so good, that Vibram can eventually come out with a sailing specific model!

All in all though, they are an excellent shoe for 420 sailing and I very much so recommend them to anyone looking to get more so in sync with the boat and anyone looking to improve their sailing.

And besides all that; ladies love them.

Vibram FiveFingers KSO

SailFast, Live Slow

Loki at BYSC PHRF Frostbite #1 & First Club Practice.

2012-02-06T23:11:00.000-05:00

Finally got some keelboat racing in for 2012, and wow I had missed being on foredeck!

This past weekend I travelled down to Beaufort with my roommate for a little relaxation away from the College lifestyle and a good amount of keelboat sailing... Didn't actually end up getting much relaxation, as time spent not sailing was time spent partying, but oh well- a trip to Beaufort with Nathan will always be one of my favorite get aways.

We raced Saturday afternoon in the first PHRF Frostbite of 2012 hosted by the BYSC. We had 2 short (and I mean very short) races of 4nm then 2nm- almost Laser course lengths. And despite the short courses, we still opted to hoist the gennaker for every run. In addition to being extremely short, these races had staggered starts- which seemed to take all the fun out of starting the race, but anyhow, I guess thats what works in Beaufort...
I was up on foredeck with Nathan and unfortunately we didn't have the best day up there, for a few different reasons... I'm not trying to take the blame off of us for bad sets, but if your stationed in the pit; do not run up to the foredeck trying to 'help' sort out a situation- just let the guys up there work it out. The gennaker setup on Loki was something new to both Nathan and I and as a result this caused a few slow sets and complications, however we always managed to get it sorted out. Being the bowman is a really unique and interesting role to have on the boat- when things go well, you get no appreciation, however when things go bad, you never hear the end of it. Despite all of that though, I really love being up on the bow and out of the pit, being a bowman is where its at! There's something about being put in very demanding situations and having to get things sorted out under the pressure of the yelling from the skipper, the sails flopping around deck, the close calls with hardware, and the narrow gap between the bow rails.

We had a really great crew on the boat for the 2 races, and despite our mishaps setting the gennaker, we finished a close third in both races. It really was great fun, and a great tune-up for the first Buena Vida event on February 26th.

-------------

Today was the first C of C Club sailing team practice for 2012- and it was a great first day back on the water! We had 5 420's out, all sporting brand new North Sails for the 2012 season. Greg was coaching us on the water, and I really took in a lot today. A guy named Ian Grant (who is one of my good buddies up here) was crewing for me, and we really had some good teamwork in the boat, despite being way heavy for the light winds.
We even had a new member on the water with the squad today, which was great as it shows the growth of the team. I'm really hoping we can hit 8+ boats on the water for next week and continue doing some great drills!

SailFast, Live Slow!

Find the hole, hit it hard and hold your lane- Starting in a Laser fleet.

2012-01-25T15:37:00.001-05:00

‎"Regardless of whether there are three boats starting or 30 or 130, the only two boats that really matter to you right off the starting line are the boats just to windward and to leeward of you. I call these boats my neighbors. Therefore, one of the secrets to getting a good start is picking your neighbors wisely."

- Dave Perry

Undoubtedly, I could probably sit here and write a 300pg book on how to start a sailing race and how to do so in a successful way. However, I don't have the time (nor the knowledge) to write a 300pg reference manual, and even if I did- it probably would not be very interesting and still wouldn't come close to covering all the minute yet important aspects and elements that go together to create a good start.

After reading the above quote on the US Sailing Blog earlier this morning, I decided I should give a shot at writing a post about how to get that ideal start on a crowded line. Over the years I have been exposed to a variety of starts, some on lines with 3 or 4 boats and others on lines with nearly 150 boats (and everything in between).

Besides, lets face it- If I can't get back on a starting line in the Laser class anytime soon... at least I can talk about it and dream a bit, haha. This post is by no means for the self'proclaimed experts out there, but for the kids just getting into big fleet racing or more challenging classes.

So here goes...

Laser North Americans 2010. Kemah, Texas. (Less than 10secs after the start).

This above picture shows which I thought to be one of my best all time starts. I'm the boat in the red square. Clear ahead, holding my lane, no threats to windward, and on the favored side, focusing solely on speed and getting in sync.

The start of the race, and the first 2 minutes there after are in my opinion the most important parts of the race. Any Laser sailor will tell you that a good start means the difference between a top of the fleet finish, and a bottom half performance. Your start is your setup, a good start can have you infront of the majority of the fleet early on, and instead of focusing on catching up and keeping clear of others, you can focus on building speed and increasing your distance over your competitors.

With a good start, you aren't playing catch-up but you are in essence controlling the fleet and your destiny. With a good start you shouldn't have to worry so much about other boats around you, but instead can focus on where the top guys are, what the fastest course to the mark is, and can sail your own race using your own game plan- essentially, you not letting your outcome be controlled by someone else and you are in control of your destiny. As sailors we all love to be in control of the outcome.

The more and more you compete in big fleets, the more and more you will realize just why hitting that start perfectly is so crucial.

So, how do you get a good start?

This is a question that has a lot of answers and information to go with it. This is a question that is extremely hard to fully explain the answer to, and it's even harder to apply that answer. But I can try to give a bit of advice to how you can go about improving your starts.

There are many key elements that you need to think about before and during your start. These are some of the more important ones:

Timing.

Position.

Competitors.

Gear changing.

Acceleration.

First off, and I know this sounds novice, but it is crucial to properly know your information. The 2 worst ways to lose a race are by having an equipment failure or by not having a full understanding of the sailing instructions- both of these roads to defeat could have been prevented onshore.

Make sure you know the SI's in and out. Know what to expect on the line, whether you will have a pin end buoy or a pin end boat (yes it makes a difference; boats can call you over, buoys can't).

Know what type of boat will be your RC signal boat, if it's something small like a skiff, it would be easy to take a line sight straight across the boat to the pin end, also, if its something small, you don't have to worry about getting caught in a nasty wind shadow that is very common among larger RC boats.

Another thing you should know is whether there will be a mid-line buoy or not, if there's no mid-line mark, then you can expect a reasonable amount of line sag (especially in a big fleet). Line sag can be as much as a 2 boat length dip on a long enough line, it's truly incredible just how much sag there can be. 2 Laser boat lengths are roughly 28', so if your not aware of the sag, and start a race where the majority of the sag is, your already going to be very late off the line- and 28' behind your competitors who started on the ends.

[Diagram showing mid-line sag. Source.]

You should also familiar yourself with the approximate racing area (found in most SI's or event websites), the various course types to be expected, which flags go along with which courses, any special changes to rules, etc. Even go as far as to ask the locals what to expect out of the PRO- sometimes knowing how he runs his starts and manages his course can affect how you want to setup on the line.

I know this all sounds like a lot of basic and obvious stuff, but you'd be surprised at the number of times I hear someone on the line asking which course is this flag for, or which fleet is up next, etc. Don't be that guy... Be that guy who doesn't need to question anything going on and is mentally ready and prepared to sail the course and execute the start. Second guessing things is a quick way to set yourself up for a poor performance.

Okay- so your prepared more or less for the pre-start. I'm going to go ahead and assume you made it out to the course early enough to sail upwind for a while and get your wind readings. Also, it's a good idea to get a sense of what needs to be done to sail as fast as possible (sail trim and body positioning wise), figure out the current, figure out the favored side of the line, and have a decent idea of what your plan is going to be to get between those marks as quickly and efficiently as possible.

If you didn't do all those things pre-sequence; well quite frankly you shouldn't expect yourself to do to well and you shouldn't call yourself a serious Laser sailor.

Alright, so here we go, the line is set. There are about 60 other boats out there with you, all crowded onto a line that seems way too short- you immediately know there will be at least 2 rows on the line, maybe 3 on the favored end. Heart rate is getting up there, your getting nervous, you have a plan of what you want to do, then bam- 5 minutes.

When that 5 minute gun goes, I'm usually right up on the line, sailing back and forth, just checking things out. If I need a line sight (which is sometimes practical, but in crowded fleets can be very useless), I get it right around when that 5 minute gun goes off. Don't get me wrong, in a small fleet and even some big fleets, line sights can be great- but in a large laser fleet, they are rarely ever used, and you will see why as you read onward.

If you happen to miss the gun, stay calm, and re-sync at the 4 min flag. Remember, if the horn signal is on the RC boat and your all the way near the pin-end; don't start your clock on the auditory signal, but start it on the flag signal. If you notice, that flag will go up about an entire second and a half before you hear the sound on a long line... and we all know every second matters.

4 minutes.

By this point I'm more or less in the general area of where I plan to start and I try to stay more or less in this area. I like to break the line down into thirds- the pin, the middle, and the boat. At 4 minutes you want to know which third you plan to start in- having a plan and sticking to it is very essential. Too often you see marshmallows (i.e. guys with no plan) cruising down the line in the bottom row with 10secs to go, looking for a non-existant hole to plop their boat into. You can't expect to win a start like this. To win a start in the Laser fleet you need to be in the first row, and more importantly you need to be set-up in the first row and ready to go. Stay in your third, on the line or even slightly above, be ready to park your boat up in that spot as soon as you have to. Do not put yourself into a position where you will need to fight just to get into the front row... Incase you haven't experienced it yet- there is NO wind below the second row of a crowded line.

Source.

3 minutes to go.

In most big fleets you will notice that everyone is starting to set up by this point. Depending on the strength of the fleet, many sailors will even begin stalling themselves in an attempt to be in what they consider the ideal position at the start. This means you may notice some sailors with their boats pointed almost into the wind, just bobbing there- the sailors who do this correctly are those who plan ahead. You can't expect to put yourself in a position and stay there for 3 minutes straight, maybe this will work in an ideal world, but not in the real world. The current and wind will have an effect on your position- regardless of how hard you try to stay in the same spot. So go ahead and think about where you want your boat to end up at go, and calculate the ideal position to 'park-up' pre start.

2 minutes.

By this point during most big fleet starts, I am on the line in my position. The only way to ensure a front row start is to be already in the front row from earlier, and to hold your newly claimed spot, and to do this you need to be aggressive. Very aggressive, in fact if your not yelling your not trying hard enough.

Don't be a marshmallow.

As everyone starts lining up, things will get very tight very quickly. Around 2 minutes to go is when you start hearing the Jury blowing whistles for sculling and propulsion- sailors trying to keep a clear lane. Ideally, you want to be in a position with a nice gap to windward of you, and about a half a boat length gap to leeward of you. This is so you don't get immediately covered at the start, and so that you can bear off to leeward for speed if necessary. Protecting these distances to leeward and windward is very important in that it gives you some freedom to hold your lane after the gun; the wider your lane the easier it will be to maintain.

So how do you control your spot? Well, how I do it involves a lot of yelling, a lot of quickly sheeting in and throwing my bow up to windward or bearing off quickly then shooting back up, theres also a lot of pushing my boom out to bring my boat to a stop. It's extremely hard to explain, but the difference between Marshmallows and good sailors is that good sailors don't lose their spot and will do almost anything to keep it.

I like to think that if you can reach out and touch the boat to windward of you, then he is too close. Try to line up next to a 'marshmallow' and not the top ranked sailors; because the top ranked sailors will roll you off the line and the marshmallows will make it easy for you to jump ahead.

By the way, at 2 minutes to go, check your blades for any seaweed... The last thing you want at the start is unnecessary drag.

1 minute.

Between your heart beating, the sails flapping, the cuss words being thrown around all over the line, the jury boat watching you, and the boats slightly tapping each other- you need to keep your cool and stay focused. There's going to be a point on a tight line where the boats are so lined up that someone could probably skip across the bows from the RC to the pin-end... until they reach your bow, because we already established that you should have a gap to both your windward and leeward sides.

I know that it can be extremely easy to lose your concentration and start second guessing yourself as things get extremely crowded. At 1 minute to go, everyone should be lined up; first and second row. It's crucial that you don't let yourself drift back into that second row, and it's also crucial that you don't let those boats to the sides of you pull out infront and leave you in their shadow. At this point, the quote at this top of this Blog post is as true as it gets- the 2 boats next to you are the most important, the one to leeward and the one to windward. Keep these boats in your eyes and feed off one another, if they advance then you advance.

Sub 1 minute.

This is where the start truly becomes a Laser start. I have had numerous coaches who have all told me that the person who wins the start is the person who first hits their ratchet. This is very true, especially when in the middle of the line during a big fleet start. If you hear the guy to windward of you begin to sheet in his sail, then you better get on your sheet- you cannot let him pull ahead of you, and odds are there is a good bit of line sag anyway; so you can afford it.

If he keeps on sheeting in and doesn't slow down, then it's go time- even if there is 15secs left on the clock. In a competitive Laser fleet, if one guy goes, most guys follow.... Look up videos on Youtube, there are a ton of big fleet starts where most the fleet is way over the line with a lot of time to go. Besides, if everyone is over, then there will be a General Recall... And if the black flag is up, odds are they won't see you- but that's just me; I like taking risks. Obviously this wouldn't apply to a 15 boat fleet where the RC can see every sail, but in a 50+ fleet, this is something to think about.

With less than a minute to go, you also need to begin thinking about your gears and sail settings. I like to make sure the tails of my lines are readily accessible next to me. With about 15secs to go until the start, I like to start making adjustments- vang on, snug up the Cunningham. NEVER have your vang tight before this point, even a slightly snug vang will act as a mainsheet and power up your rig, propelling you forward and making the boat extremely hard to control. However, at 15secs to go you need to begin making adjustments or else you won't be fast immediately off the line. It's all about getting in the groove, and if you wait until the gun to tighten your vang, you would have already lost valuable distance... As a Laser sailor you should recognize the extreme importance of your sail controls.

Once you start the race, you want to sail hard and fast for the first few minutes. You need to hold your lane, these first minutes are what will put you ahead. Give it 110% hiking off the line, get into the groove quickly, start changing gears and trimming the sail for speed, minimize your rudder movement and maximize your focus. You need to work on keeping your lane clear, look at other boats to ensure you are not falling off to leeward or that you are not over pinching to windward and losing speed. Sail the boat in that fine groove of fast speed and high heading.

Be faster than the guys next to you, and be in control. Do not lose focus, because I guarantee as soon as you do, you will notice the guy to windward of you rolling right over you and you craving a steady airflow. Trust me, the worst feeling in the world is feeling as if your slower than the fleet and getting shot out the back, this kills your race. Not only are you instantly in the bottom half, but your mental state is completely messed up and confidence is replaced with skepticism.

If you are shot out the back, all I can tell you is that you need to stay positive, look for options, and work on catching up- stay in clear air and don't throw the race away.

If you notice yourself starting to pull ahead, then congratulations- everything is going well. At this point, keep a clear head and start thinking about how your going to play the course and manage the fleet. Do not go off to a side where no one else is going. I like to stay with the fleet, that way you have many boats to gauge off of and keep in reference. I'm not too sure how to explain this part, but for me it's much easier to keep a lead when I can easily see in close range who it is I'm keeping a lead off of and how they are sailing their boat. Where as, if I go way off left and the majority of the fleet is out right, not only are you on the unfavored side, but you are so far away from the majority of the fleet that it's hard to judge speed off of them and calculate distance and positions.

There you go, starting a Laser race. Kind of. From my perspective, at least. Hopefully after a few more seasons of racing, I can learn a few more tricks to update this with, haha.

I hope this post has given you a bit of help with your starts, I know I'm not the best at explaining my thoughts, haha- so if you have any questions, please leave them in the comments and I'd love to answer them... Also, leave suggestions of what else you'd like me to write about.

SailFast, Live Slow

Looking Onward

2012-01-17T22:34:00.000-05:00

Plans for this year?

Well, I've got a few key things I would love to get accomplished. These things are by all means not the only things that I want to do, infact I'm hoping and I'm sure that there will be a lot more sailing related things that I will find to add on to this list... But this is just a get started, simple, basic list to begin with.

Okay so key things I want to get accomplished in 2012-

1) Develop the Club sailing team into practicing 2x a week, this will be hard to do as the Club team is a new program here at CofC... But I'm sure with myself, the other two captains, and the support of Greg we can figure out a way to make this work. 2 days of 420's a week would really give me some good practice and development time for if I were to try out for the Varsity team again next fall.

2) Sail Charleston Race Week. I have never sailed any event anything like this before, and It would be incredible to sail in Charleston Race Week- I mean, it's like Disney World for sailors. And after watching all the video highlights from last year, I'm left counting down the days until we race this event. I'm looking forward to continuing to sail on Buena Vida and working up to CRW in April.

3) Get back into Lasers and sail whatever local events I can find. I would like to start sailing Full rigs more and more and re-develop myself into actually feeling fast in the Laser... Hopefully I can get out with some of the many good guys that are around here in Charleston and learn a few new things about sailing fast.

4) Blog more on tactic/strategy related topics. I plan to start this very soon. I want SF13 to be more of a resource, and an example of this is when I blogged on sailing in Montague Bay. Posts like this seem to bring in a lot of views and help kids out a lot with their sailing.

5) Sail more events than last year. Yep.

6) Continue to sail with the James Island Highschool team as often as I can in hopes of helping them develop their skills and gaining coaching experience that would go great with my minor in Coaching here at the College of Charleston.

7) Actually kite board a decent amount and not let all this new gear just sit around, haha. This one is self explanatory and I'm really looking forward to it- starting with this Saturday!

8) Sail Regatta Time in Abaco. This is an event I've always wanted to take part in, as it is held in the Bahamas. For some reason though, this event would be the most logistically difficult for me to attend, even though its very close to where I'll be living all summer. I'm not sure how I'd get on a boat for RTIA, but I'm sure I can figure it out eventually... Anyone out there looking for a good and reliable crew for RTIA, hit me up!

9) Coach a Summer session, preferably on the intermediate or race level to younger kids (10-13). Due to dates looks like I probably won't be able to coach in Nassau (which is extremely saddening), but I'm currently looking at opportunities in SC that correspond with me taking summer courses for extra credit- so that should be very interesting! I'll let ya know what I decide to do.

10) Sail Miami to Nassau... This is extremely far-fetched and by far the most unrealistic on this list, it would be incredibly cool and a dream come true though- haha!

SailFast, Live Slow!

First Laser sail of 2012

2012-01-16T23:05:00.000-05:00

hmmmmmmmmmmm- yes, that's the sound of a Laser planing on a broad reach in 15kts of breeze. How do I make that sound my ringtone- because you better believed I missed that the past couple of months.

Yesterday, I was finally able to get out in a Laser for the first time in 2012- and wow it felt refreshing.

It felt so good to finally get in a Laser again, made me realize just how much I love and missed Laser sailing... I'm starting to believe that there will always be a part of me that is a Laser sailor, no matter what class I may evolve into in the future.

I decided to take out a Full Rig, and the wind was about 10-15kts and very shifty coming off the shore. Despite the sunshine and great conditions, it was COLD with temperatures in the mid 40s and with the wind chill it felt a lot colder. I was actually wearing a wetsuit, which is something I never do, and I was still freezing.
We had 3 Lasers out in Charleston Harbor, all of which were sailors off of the Club Team. So we were able to have some good mini races and just get dialed in by feeding off of each others performance. I didn't feel as fast as I used to in the Laser, and this is for a few different obvious reasons- but I did feel good.
As we sailed on and on, I started to feel more in the groove and back into the proper boat handling rhythm, and yes- I began to feel faster and faster. It was crazy how quickly things started to click for me, It was like I never forgot all those small pointers Coach Dunkley taught me in practice about maximizing boat speed through proper body positioning.

Getting back in the Laser made me really want to find some local Laser events and race them. I have no idea yet if any are coming up anytime soon, but I'm sure that once spring rolls around there will be a few popping up in SC.

Wow, hopefully I can get back out there this weekend as well. I <3 Laser sailing.

SailFast, Live Slow!

Happy New Year.

2012-01-04T23:52:00.002-05:00

I'm going to be honest with you, I'm writing this post purely out of emotion, and how I feel at this given time...

I know I'm a few days late but, Happy New Year everyone!

First off: I do not approve of this Laser sailing video. Come on, if your going to disrespect a Laser as far as to put wings on it- at least use a full rig. Still a pretty cool and interesting setup though, maybe we will see a kite up on a Laser next, haha.

I hope 2012 proves to be a great year for all of you- an improvement from 2011 at least.

Also, good luck to all of you with your resolutions and goals for this upcoming year, I'm hoping most of your goals are sailing related and involve spreading the word of this sport to friends and family as to grow the number of sailors we have getting on the water!

As for me, I don't really believe in 'New Years Resolutions' so I don't tend to set them, not this year at least. Last year I set a goal to improve in my sailing, to sail more, to train more, with the eventual hope of making the team at CofC... Yes, I did end up sailing and training more, I improved quite a lot in 2011 as well, not only with my sailing but with my fitness level as well. I felt like I made decent progress overall during 2011, and it was a great improvement over 2010 having gained so much more experience in the Laser....
Well, up until August at least, up until that day I realized I didn't and I wouldn't make the CofC team- and that reality has pretty much thrown me so far off of my 'planned' path that I'm lost and have no idea how to recover. Sure, my 'planned' path into and through the sailing world may have been unattainable, although extremely realistic, but now I am without a path and without the slightest idea of what to do.

I've thought about so many different scenarios (including quitting sailing all together) and have come up with no solution.

2011 made me realize that I have a strong obsession with the sport of sailing, an obsession that nobody in my family will ever understand or be able to fully support, an obsession that causes me to think poorly of myself as I realize the opportunities lost over the years that could have helped me to realize my goals, an obsession that is becoming increasingly harder to satisfy and is leaving me feeling empty.
I don't know why I'm so overly obsessed with sailing, I was never the top sailor on even a National level, and always a mid-fleeter or worse on the big named international regattas. There's no reason I should be so obsessed with something that I've never come close to being successful at.

I know I'm the only one to blame for putting myself in this situation of feeling hopeless as it comes to my future in the sailing world. Perhaps if I would have tried harder when I was 11 or 12, or maybe if I would have bought my laser the year before and got an earlier start, perhaps I should have sailed that OCR that I thought would be a waste of money (just for the experience). There's tons of things I could have done in the past to better prepare me for College tryouts and the future beyond that. Point is, I didn't accomplish the main thing I set out to do as a sailor, and as a result I am back at the beginning of the path frantically trying to find my way.

It's like I can't make up my mind, I don't even know where to start, I don't know what I want either. I currently am taking offers for both my Hobie 18 and my Laser... Not because I want to sell the boats for cash, but because I'm desperately searching for something new to develop into and develop fast- I just want to get rid of these boats and find that long term boat that I can grow into. I want to be good at sailing, desperately. And the sad part is now that I've realized how much my life sucks without having sailing in it the way it used to be (the way it was when we actually had events to train for), I realized I'd do anything to get up to that level or even just to get back into the sport in a serious way.

In the past, when we were on the 'Nassau Yacht Club International Junior Team'- we used to have events to look forward to, we had coached practice sessions 3x a week, we had workout schedules, classroom sessions, meetings, fundraising, etc. We had boats to take care of, friends to train with, and just the anticipation of representing our Yacht Club and our Country.
Now, I have nothing. I have 2 boats sitting at the Yacht Club that would take a few hours of prep work just to be able to go sailing, I have no events on my list for 2012, the one event I wanted to attend (Snipe Miami Invitational) got shot down almost immediately, I have no idea what boat I want to progress into, no idea if I want to stick with dinghies or get into keelboats. I wouldn't even know what to do if I decided to go to Mids East in 2012- I'm too old to be seriously racing Radials, I'm too small for full rigs, I don't have any way of getting there, all my gear is spread out between the Bahamas and Charleston.
I have nobody to talk to who would understand my situation and give me guidance, not very much resources, and the life of a full time college student to balance with all of this.

I just need a plan, and I need one fast. No body, none of my closest friends, understand how bugged I am by all of this. I literally think about sailing most of my day... But yet I haven't been on the water in over a month. Why is it like this, am I slowly drifting out of the sport? I have no idea whats wrong with me, and I agree this is 100% my fault... The motivation isn't there, but the desire is.
Do I want to focus solely on keelboats? Or get into something new like Multihulls? Is there anyway I can find a new class that would allow me to be able to compete being a full time college student in Charleston? What would be the most plausible Olympic Class for someone like me to look into?

It'll be interesting to see what 2012 brings... Hopefully more than just realization of my silly childhood dreams of an Olympic campaign or racing big boats in Europe getting crushed.

As for now, I look forward to getting back to Charleston and helping out the JI kids with their high school sailing, and I especially look forward to getting back with the CofC Club Team and helping to get that program organized and growing!

And that was my rant....

And as the Blog post draws to a conclusion... Check this sweet video out from our friends in Grand Bahama who make me wish on a daily basis that I was born 10 years later within walking distance of the GBSC.

SailFast, Live Slow.

Happy Holidays

2011-12-21T23:25:00.001-05:00

Well, I'm back in the Bahamas... Until January 8th at least. So far it has been great- I love living here and calling this place home!

Unfortunately, I haven't had the chance to go sailing yet. Although, I have been kiteboarding, and I have been doing a lot of work on the Hobie 18 with hopes of getting her out tomorrow or Friday.

It's been great being able to see everyone and catch up with all my friends and family and I'm looking forward to spending the remainder of my break here... Although, I do miss Charleston haha. Everything about being home has been fantastic- the weather, the beach, the food, etc. I love the Bahamas.

Just to update you on things; as of now we won't be sailing in Miami this January. Unfortunately, it proved to be too much of a hassle and financial burden for us to travel to Miami for a 2 day event the day before classes start. I know this is a big opportunity we are missing, with there being over 20 boats and teams from Universities across the nation.
I still feel like I desperately need to find some sort of events to sail this year, I haven't raced a dinghy event (other than the Wild Oyster) in way too long- and I'm starting to feel that if I don't figure out something soon, my sailing will only go downhill from here. Please send me any possible events that you think would be a good idea for me to compete in and would be easy to do so from Charleston. I need to get my sailing life organized and I need to begin making strong forward progress, now.

Anyhow, I just wanted to tell everyone to have a great and safe Christmas and a Happy New Years. Enjoy the time off with the friends and family. All the best to everyone out there, and may you have great sailing in your future!

Regular blogging will continue in 2012. All the best!

P.S. I thought this tweet was pretty cool- Thanks a lot Ken!

Ken Greig@KenGreig

Following

@ProperCourse I would nominate @SailFast13 , Brent J Burrows II of Nassau Bahamas, for Best Sailing Tweeter of the Year 2011.

SailFast, Live Slow!

Congrats to the Raileys

2011-12-12T18:52:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Paige and Zach Railey for qualifying the U.S.A. for the 2012 Olympic Games in the Laser Radial and Finn classes (respectively).

The pics below were taken by Bev Dolezal back at Laser Midwinters East in February of 2010. Wow, I looked young back then. Anyhow, Chris and I both got the chance to chat with these great sailors and even sail against Paige numerous times in the Radial class. I'm very glad these 2 will more than likely be the on the team representing the U.S.A. in the London 2012 games. Good luck guys, do well and SailFast!

p.s. Kiteboarding lessons got cancelled today due to bad weather, will give it another shot tomorrow... I can't wait to get home and go sailing in a few days though- really been missing the Hobie 18 and the Laser!

SailFast Live Slow!

RRS 69 and Ben Ainslie

2011-12-10T21:35:00.002-05:00

UPDATE: 0754, Dec. 11th 2011
I just got a tweet from a reader who claims that this article shows that I think breaking the RRS is okay. NO, that is not what this article is intended to say. A sailor should never knowingly break ANY of the RRS, and if you even think you have broken a rule- you should take the appropriate voluntary penalty right away.

69 ALLEGATIONS OF GROSS MISCONDUCT
69.1 Action by a Protest Committee
(a) When a protest committee, from its own observation or a report received from any source, believes that a competitor may have committed a gross breach of a rule, good manners or sportsmanship, or may have brought the sport into disrepute, it may call a hearing. The protest committee shall promptly inform the
competitor in writing of the alleged misconduct and of the time and place of the hearing. If the competitor provides good reason for being unable to attend the hearing, the protest committee shall reschedule it.

"Though apologies were later offered from both sides, a Rule 69 protest hearing was held and Ainslie was disqualified from both the day's races. This has dropped him out of the medal race." Source: http://perth2011.com/news/2011/12/11/finn-rock-stars-play-to-the-stadium

Interesting day in Perth I gather... Apparently sailing superstar Ben Ainslie of GBR was disqualified from both of the days races which leaves him sitting in 11th overall and out of tomorrow's medal race. Wow, the Jury got serious on this one.

So, Ben Ainslie of GBR, 3x Olympic Gold Medalist and holder of 9 world titles, got a DGM (Disqualification for Gross Misconduct), in 2 races, which takes him from 1st overall to 11th, now knocking him out of the medal race and killing his hopes of obtaining his 10th World Championship title. Wow.

So what caused this and is this punishment really necessary?

Ben got into a heated altercation with one of the Perth 2011 Media Boats after the media boat almost swamped his Finn near the finish of Race 9 at the World Championships. Ainslie felt as if he was 'hindered by a media boat' and that these actions 'seriously impeded his progress in the race.' Wow, so this boat could have possibly been the reason Ainslie finished the race in second position as opposed to in first- I would be pretty pissed off as well if that happened to me.

In fact, I totally respect Ben for the way he handled this situation. After crossing the line he hopped out of his Finn, swam over to and boarded the media boat, and told the guys exactly what was on his mind, He then swam back to his Finn and sailed off. Bravo Ben, Bravo.

Don't get me wrong, I do believe these actions don't reflect good sportsmanship and definitely are not what sailing is all about. It sucks that all the spectators watching from the stands had to experience this outburst, but being a sailor I totally understand and I'm glad Ben did what he did. Maybe now regatta organizers and boat operators will think twice about how to handle a race coure. Especially when it's the world championships prior to the Olympic games.

Seriously though, you all know that I believe strongly in athletes behaving in the proper manner and representing their countries and their sports with pride and good sportsmanship. However, this really is excusable as whoever was operating that media boat seriously crossed the line.

Imagine how frustrating that would be, that's almost like a sports reporter tripping a wide receiver immediately before he catches a game winning touchdown therefore causing his team the game.

I do think media is extremely important to the sport of sailing, and I love being able to watch all the wonderful footage and great views that editors are coming up with to make the sport of sailing visually appealing to watchers. However, as with any other aspect of the sport, it needs to be monitored. In no sport should a media member interfere with a player- that's unfair, and that's breaking Rule #2 of the RRS (sort of).

I remember during one of the last races of Sunfish Worlds 2009, I was sailing on a port tack layline towards the finish in a moderate breeze. Some guy, who I still think was an idiot, cut across my bow doing at least 15kts just so he could get in position to take pictures of the finishing boats. Sure, I wasn't near the front, but I was still fighting for a good finishing position along with 10 or 15 other boats around me. And anyone who has ever sailed a Sunfish knows the affect that choppy waves can have on their speed- it kills it. I hated that man for what he did, it was annoying and ignorant, and it was also the first time I ever cussed someone out (that part I do regret and feel badly about).

But yea, kudos to you Mr. Ainslie, now the sailing world will understand. The jury should have also understood and not penalized you so severely for something that happened post race (especially in knowing that you got a BFD in race 10). Wouldn't your BFD in the next race have been a strict enough punishment? Did they really need to eject you with non-droppables from 2 races, knowing it would take you out of the medal race? Knowing that your arguably the best sailor in the world? Was that jury trying to prove a point, that they are some powerhouse that is obviously the controlling factor in who wins Worlds?

Say no to motorboats on the course... or helicopters.

Also, while reading a few articles regarding this whole matter, I found this quote "And then there was the helicopter. It came a bit close and I saw all the water flying up in the air and PJ was sailing straight towards it. " Interesting...

Media boat trouble AND helicopter trouble? Sounds to me like the Perth organizers need to get their act together to ensure fair racing and happy competitors...

Perhaps the media boat should have been penalized with a fine... Can you put a price tag on a first place finish in the world champs?

SailFast, Live Slow!

p.s. The Volvo Ocean Race starts tomorrow- add me in the game: SailFast13

End of the year, Snipes, Finals, Kiteboarding, Bahamas

2011-12-07T21:06:00.000-05:00

Hey guys,

I know I haven't blogged in a while so here goes a little update on everything...

End of the year-
Today was the last official practice for the JI Highschool team, and with exams and everything else going on in my life right now, I was pumped to get out on the water! Unfortunately the wind was up around 25kts with nasty rain squalls in the area, which would have made for an absolutely amazing session in the 420s- however the sailing center decided to close as they thought it was a bit too windy... Ha, seemed like a perfect day to me for teaching those kids some life long sailing lessons, haha.
Anyhow, I'm already looking forward to sailing with those kids next year! I can't wait for mid-january to roll around so we can be back on the water.

Snipes-
The Snipe King's Cup is coming up back home in the Bahamas, I believe the weekend after I get home for Christmas break. I will be crewing for Chris in an event that we both hope to win. Having come 2nd when crewing the past 2 years in this event, I am very much looking forward to sipping the champagne out of the gold cup this time around. Chris won the event last year, so he definitely will be looking for the repeat performance.

Hopefully, this will be a tune-up regatta for us for the Snipe Miami Invitational which takes place out of Coral Reef Yacht Club January 7th and 8th. Chris and I are keen on sailing this event, as it will be used as the Junior North American Qualifier for the 2012 Western Hemisphere Championships to be sailed in Buenos Aires next year.

I know I told myself Kings Cup would be the last time I crew in a boat as opposed to taking the role as skipper, however I really think Chris and I have potential as a team to do well at this event in Miami. Please wish us luck as we try and figure out the logistics of getting there and getting back to Charleston in time for school the next day.
Looks like winter break will be extremely busy if we do sail Miami... I'll be getting back from vacationing with the family on the 2nd, then Miami on the 6th, then Charleston on the 8th immediately after sailing, then the first day of spring classes is on the 9th. Despite that though, I would love to race Snipes in Miami.

Finals-
3 final exams to go before I head back home to the Bahamas on a week from today. Study, study, study.

Kiteboarding-
So kiteboarding is playing a major role in the future of sailing? Well, I guess it'a about time I get in on it, and what better place to start kiting than in Chucktown... I'll let you all know how lessons went.

Bahamas-
1 week 'till home. Enough said.

SailFast, Live Slow!

Congrats Capt. Adam

2011-11-20T20:56:00.003-05:00

Laser Nationals 2011 were sailed this past weekend. And as expected of the Bahamas in November, the conditions were beautiful (so I heard).
It still is a bit saddening that I had to miss this event this year, and I would have loved to sail it. But major congrats go out to Adam Russell for winning the full rig division! You made Chris and I proud man. I still wish I could have been there to see that win...

Good job to everyone else who sailed this year, looks like it was a great turnout and a fun time was had by all... I'm stoked that the fleet is growing and we are getting more and more youth sailors in the Laser class back home in the Bahamas. Hopefully we can find a suitable sailor to make the ISAF Youth Worlds event next summer considering Chris is too old now. With such a good turnout this year for Nationals, I'm already trying to figure out how I can make this event next year, hmm...

Link to the results: http://www.bahamassailing.org/results/laser_nat_2011.pdf

Well, tomorrow is another Club Team practice, and quite possibly the last one of the year. Should be a good session and a good time on the water, I'll be sure to blog on how it went. Hopefully we will have 10 boats on the water- which would be really cool, and make for some interesting drills. Every week I look forward to Greg coaching us, and every week I come back having learnt a lot more about College style sailing thanks to his help on the water.

I'm headed back home to the Bahamas on Tuesday for Thanksgiving- Can't wait to get back and catch up with everyone! It's not that I'm homesick or anything, it's just that I really need a short break from school and to see all of my friends and family again. Especially my Beetle... and my Mom, haha- love ya mom!

SailFast, Live Slow!

Charleston Yacht Club Big Boat Regatta

2011-11-13T12:45:00.000-05:00

Last race of the season on Buena Vida...

Yesterday we sailed a Keelboat event hosted by ChYC called the 'Big Boat Regatta.' Wind was light, the course was short, and the current was strong. However despite the previous night's frost warning, the weather was beautiful in Charleston Harbor.

We had about 5-10kts of breeze which was enough to make us go, and even make us heel a bit. Since we were a bit shorthanded onboard, I was back in the pit trimming the jib and the guy. To tell you the truth, I like being up on the foredeck the best- But I had a great time in the pit and learned a lot about flying the kite and the trim that Buena Vida likes. I also got a ton of sailing knowledge about Charleston harbor just by being in earshot of our Tactician (Randy). So it was a great day, and I honestly feel like every single time we go out I learn so much more about how a keelboat works and how you sail these things (which are so different than any dinghies that I have sailed). Being in the pit yesterday allowed me to actually watch a spinnaker set and visualize how everything is done from a different angle... Wow I'm looking forward to one day owning and racing my own keelboat.

After a short race (maybe 90 minutes or so) we were first across the line, but only beat our competition (Old School) by a few seconds, and we owed them time. So in the final standings we ended up second overall- in a very close race. Which was good, despite being horribly fouled at the starting line by a boat we ended up beating. Rule 11: When boats are on the same tack and overlapped, a windward boat
shall keep clear of a leeward boat.

I'll be sure to post the results soon, and any pictures if I get them!

Well, I'll miss BuenaVida- and I look forward to sailing on her again in the new year. Looks like our next keelboat event will be in January. I'll keep you updated.

So now that keel boating is done, I guess it's all about dinghy sailing. Starting now I'll be getting more and more time out in the 420's and Lasers. Either in our Club Team practices or by my own, I shall get out there.

Later today I'm having a meeting with the other club sailors to talk about some things we want to get together in the new year and the spring season. I'll probably get back on the water again Tuesday for Club practice and then Wednesday for high school practice.

Keep checking back for more posts!

SailFast, Live Slow!

College Support.

2011-11-12T02:04:00.000-05:00

College kids love blacklights...

... and sailors love getting support!

Just thought I'd post a pic I took a few hours ago here in Chucktown! Gotta love SailFast13.com when it glows... Thanks girls!

Well, I'm in desperate need of some rest! Racing on Buena Vida tomorrow for the ChYC Big Boat regatta- I'll be sure to blog on how it went.

SailFast, Live Slow!

Team Captain.

2011-11-09T13:17:00.004-05:00

Yesterday, Myself (along with Stephanie Sykora and Timmy Crann) were voted by the College of Charleston Club Sailing team to serve as team captains for the remainder of the academic year. For those of you who don't know, the club team is composed of about 30 sailors who are at a pretty high level in terms of skill ability and are looking to get time on the water and improve with coached practice sessions primarily in the 420's.

I'm extremely excited about this role and I look forward to serving the Club team and helping with it's development going forward. Hopefully, we can turn this club team (which is new to CofC) into a well run and legitimate program to help develop all of our sailing skills while at the same time supplying us with great coaching. I'm stoked about having this duty, and having the opportunity to help everyone out and to grow this new program...
I'm really looking forward to next semester, as with the additional fleet of FJ's that CofC will be acquiring, we will be able to get out on the water even more and hopefully have coached practices 3x a week.

I'm really happy about being on this team along with some other great sailors and having this opportunity to improve. This team is made up of a great group of sailors who like to sail hard, learn, and have fun.
I couldn't be happier right now.

I'll write a more detailed post sometime soon! But for now, I just wanted to give you the heads up.

This was posted on the CofC Sailing Facebook page this morning:
--

College of Charleston Sailing

Congratulations to the team on their great success this past weekend in both the SAISA/MAISA intersectional and the ICSA Singlehanded Nationals!

The newly formed Club Sailing Team took a big step forward yesterday in our election of co-captains. We are proud to announce that Stephanie Sykora, Timmy Crann, and Brent Burrows were elected by their teammates to serve as co-captains for the remainder of the academic year. Congrats guys! We are psyched that we’ve had several practices and we are already setting up our schedule for next season!

For more info on the C of C Club Sailing Team contact Brent at burrowsbj@g.cofc.edu.
--

Well, this afternoon I'm off to help coach the high school kids in 420's! And this Saturday is a keelboat race on Buena Vida- which I'm really excited about and I can't wait to get back on foredeck!

SailFast, Live Slow!

Looking towards next Fall... Already.

2011-11-06T01:35:00.000-04:00

This entire post may sound stupid and may not make sense to 99% of you all that read it, but here goes me venting...

This weekend CofC was hosting the SAISA/MAISA intersectional over at the sailing complex in Patriot's Point. Chris was racing, as well as Collin (from Texas A&M) so I decided to head over there and spectate for a bit.

I'm still not sure if this was a good idea or a bad idea...

Sure, I got to watch some action-packed racing which was really cool as it was taking place only a hundred yards or so off of the dock; so it was extremely easy to spectate and stay entertained. I had never seen a college regatta take place before, so it was definitely great to get a feel for how it all works and to watch some good friends of mine go at it on the course in some strong conditions. Also, I got to finally meet Collin and some of his teammates from Texas A&M- This guy is probably the only guy in the world who realizes how I felt after getting cut from the CofC team having gone through a surprisingly similiar situation himself. He was one of the few that helped me get through the whole 'getting cut' process and he also helped me get set up racing Keelboats and helping to coach the high school team- big thanks to him for all his support.

However, I got a first hand view of what I was missing out on by not being on the team- and when one is left alone to think all afternoon about a subject like this, you can't help but build up a lot of emotional feelings.
I've never really been part of an actual team over the course of my life. Sure, Chris and I were on the so called 'NYC Junior Sailing Team,' but that's not the type of team I'm referring to. While watching the racing, and being at the venue, I got a sense of how close everyone is with their teammates regardless of whichever school it was. This is hard to explain, but the whole college regatta vibe I was getting from just being in the area was incredible, and definitely something I could only wish to be a part of. I can only imagine what sailing a collegiate regatta must be like and how cool it must be to travel to events, represent your University, race against some of the top schools in the nation, receive top level coaching, and get to have that feeling of accomplishment and success not only on the water; but off the water as well. That label of being a Sailor and knowing you along with an elite few represent your college on a high level, pushing hard just to make sure your school appears high up on the rankings. Knowing that you get to sail at least 3 times a week in a serious practice environment with the opportunity of travelling all across the country on any given weekend to sail hard and fast. This is something I truly wish I was apart of.

Sure, if I would have made the team I never would have gotten into Keelboat racing, or high school coaching, or the CofC club team- and all of these sailing opportunities have proven to be great fun and incredible experiences and I have learned a ton from them. In fact, at times (like when on Buena Vida's foredeck during a great race) I have even sworn to myself that some of the experiences I've had were well worth it and it was a good thing I didn't make the team, and this may or may not be true... But not knowing what could have been leaves me with the desire to find out.

Hmm- Perhaps I'm just ranting because I'm over thinking too many things... This definitely is a spur of the moment post.

Yea, it's true that there is 10 months to go until tryouts for the sailing team next year at CofC. But, after thinking about whether I will or will not try out again in 2012, I've decided I will.

After talking to many different people about many different topics such as transferring, taking it easy, club team sailing, keelboat racing, etc. I've decided that it would be in my best interest to just keep sailing hard and developing for a year and then try out again in the fall.
In the long run though, this is all about building up the skills necessary to make the cut for the team next year. I already lost out one of my 4 years here of potentially being on the team, and I don't plan to lose out on another one. I will put it all the work necessary to hopefully make it onto the team. And If I don't make it yet again, then oh well- I tried.

So for now, keep my mixed sailing up (Keelboats, Lasers, 420's, etc.) with the main goal of making the team next year. I will definitely take any sailing opportunity that comes my way, especially if it involves 420s or FJS and I will push hard to sail as much as I can. If I don't make the team again next year, then it's full on into Keelboats or maybe sport boats with hopes of getting more serious into this aspect of sailing.

It really is way too late to be thinking about all of this...

Oh well...

There will be no club sailing this week as they are ripping out all the docks at CofC... But we will have a club team meeting to vote for team captains and discuss some other issues we have to sort out as a team. However, I will be on the water Wednesday coaching the highschoolers.

SailFast, Live Slow!

Witches Brew

2011-10-31T00:35:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was the Witches Brew keelboat regatta hosted by CORA.

It was a great event, which I believe we won by a pretty good margin. The course we sailed was somewhere around 10nm, and the wind was upwards of 15kts, gusting to as much as 22kts at times. We also saw about 2kts of current in some areas of the course (which was set inside the harbor), so that factor definitely made the race a lot more challenging. The start was also a bit of a challenge as it was a downwind start with the line set between the end of the CYC dock and a orange mark, so the action was definitely very close to the yacht club.

I was on foredeck again, which I loved- and the conditions made it great. I'm Still learning a lot about what happens on foredeck and how to make sure everything flows smoothly as to avoid any possible complications. Nathan, Kirk, and I did pretty well upfront and had a great spinnaker set going into the start of the race which gave us an early lead on the rest of the fleet. We didn't have any major problems, and sailed a clean race from start to finish in conditions that even blew a spinnaker of an A fleet boat to shreds.

Definitely a great time, and good racing. I'm not sure when the next CORA event will be, or if there are anymore before January, but I'm definitely looking forward to getting back out there on Buena Vida. I'll post the results from the Witches Brew as soon as they become available.

Tomorrow is Club Sailing practice, and I think it will be another great session sailing 420's. I will probably Blog tomorrow evening or Tuesday to let you know how it went.

Only 3 weeks until I head home! Looking forward to getting back out in Lasers down there!

p.s. Your not going crazy, I did change around the layout of the Blog. I like how this looks a bit better- it's much cleaner and it's easier to follow the flow of the content. Let me know if you have any suggestions or ideas on how to make the website look even better.

SailFast, Live Slow!

CofC Club Sailing

2011-10-25T19:17:00.001-04:00

Hey everyone,

So yesterday was the first CofC Club sailing practice. It really was great.

We had about 8 boats on the water training under the coaching of Mr. Greg Fisher. Wind was about 10-13kts which made for some great sailing. We did a lot of practice starts, short races, stop and go drills, and tacking/jibing on the whistle. All of this was great in helping to develop 420 boat handling and straight line speed.

I skippered and had Stephanie Schnabel as my crew. I think we sailed alright considering it being the first time we were in the boat together. I was pleased with our performance, however I made a few stupid mistakes that could have been avoided. Particularly in judging the layline and either over compensating or not leaving enough room for the current effect which ultimately resulted in overshooting the line or having to double tack to make the mark. I feel like my tacking really improved throughout the day, and I had some pretty smooth maneuvers by the end of the drill. Jibing still needs to be improved on my behalf though, I think I may be rolling the boat too much which results in loss of control and the boat naturally heading up to windward a bit, so I just need to work on keeping it more under control and minimizing course change throughout the jibe.
Having Greg coaching was also great because being the expert he is (and everyone who sails actively in NA has heard of Greg Fisher at some point) he is able to give extremely good advice regarding rig setup. I learned a lot about the proper rig tension and proper sail shape that make these boats go fast. It's pretty cool to see the difference jib wire tension can make in boat performance. The more tension you crank on really helps to open up the leeches and de-power the boat (a pretty significant amount actually), I was surprised in the difference you can feel. From what I understand, the benefit to tightening the rig in the 420 is really in that it allows you to trim the jib tighter and in turn, point a significant amount higher (in windier conditions).

In the end, I'm content with my performance in regards to the other boats and sailors (some of which have been racing 420's for many years now) and I'm looking forward to building on it this coming Monday. I really need to keep working on this if I want a shot at making the team next year.

I'm really looking forward to getting out on the water Monday for another club team practice! Tomorrow I will be helping out with the JI Highschool team as usual for Wednesdays. This Saturday is the Witches Brew CORA event which I'm really excited to sail in, and also this weekend my dad is coming up for a visit! So it looks like a great week here in Chucktown.

SailFast, Live Slow!

Montague Bay.

2011-10-24T19:19:00.001-04:00

So like previously stated in one of my recent blog entries, I decided I will try and write more 'informative' posts that appeal to a wider spectrum of potential readers. The first of my series of 'informative' posts was on how the sport of sailing is a game of inches. The 3 days after posting this blog saw a great number of hits on the site counter, which led me to think people may actually value my 5 cents and the little advice I have... It's hard for me to critique my own writing, so I would appreciate if you could hit the 'Thumbs Up' or 'Thumbs Down' buttons under each post to let me know what you think.

Today's informative post will be on racing in Montague Bay.

Montague Bay is our local sailing area back home in Nassau, definitely not my favorite spot to sail back home (just because I like playing in the ocean swell, haha), but none the less it's a pretty great place to sail, and I'd rather sail there then anywhere else in America. FYI, Nassau, Bahamas is the absolute BEST place in the world to train and compete; but thats for me to explain in another post...

So why exactly write a post on sailing in Montague Bay (considering I won't be on the water there until I come home for Thanksgiving break)? Hmm, well I'll be honest... Laser Nationals and Junior Nationals 2011 are coming up on November 19th and there are a lot of kids coming from other Bahamian Islands who would like some insight on what this sailing area is all about.

Wow, it hurts to think I won't be home to race Nationals this year- Bahamian Laser Nationals are a great event, an event that Chris and I organized (and grew exponentially) last year. It was a great turn out in 2010, and I'm sure with Mr. Dunkley at the helm with organizing the 2011 event, it will be awesome yet again.

Before I begin... Here are my posts on Nationals from last year:

Day 1, Day 2.

Alright, so last year Nationals was hosted around the same time... November 20th and 21st. Personally, November is my favorite time of the year for sailing back home because we get awesome conditions for most of the month.

What's cool about November is that we typically get an Easterly breeze that has a good kick to it, and is very stable with oscillating shifts. Expect breeze of 15kts or so (possibly hitting 20) and for it to be coming pretty much straight from the east. It's very rare for the wind to be anywhere from the West or North, as we usually get the North Westerly winds in January/ February.

If the wind does stick with it's typical pattern and comes from the Easterly direction, it is extremely easy to get in groove with the shifts. I'm not 100% sure, but I know that typically, the shifts oscillate every 1.5-3 minutes, and you can figure it out with or without a compass. I always used a compass when racing Lasers just so I can know how much of a lift or header I was on, but in the bay your racing so close to shore that you can use land points if you lack the compass. I also took a pencil on the boat with me and scribbled out my avg headings on my deck- along with 'Tack on +' on the port side, and 'Tack on -' on the starboard side... Just incase I somehow forgot, haha.

So make it a part of your pre-race routine to beat upwind, get your headings, get your shift timing down, and learn to anticipate the shifts before they happen.

In the rare event that the breeze somehow comes from the West- then it's a lot more challenging. You have to keep your head out of the boat, look for windlines, and hit them perfectly. You have to anticipate 40degree shifts, huge velocity swings, and just don't get down on yourself... With a Westerly breeze in Montague bay you can go from being half a leg down to back in the front with a few lucky shifts.

Hopefully it will be East.

Okay, so we established what the wind is like... Let's talk waves. The only time Montague is decent for wave sailing is with a strong Easterly and a half or higher tide (low tides give you more chop than waves). Last year in a 15-20kt breeze we had nice and surfable 2 footers. If I remember correctly, the waves are pretty well stacked and can be hard to hit at times, in fact they can slow you down if you don't play them right. It's hard to explain, but once again just go out early and practice getting in sync with the waves. It's incredible how you can stay surfing the whole leg if you tried, and that's the benefit of having them so close together. Just sail hard by the lee for speed and use the waves to take you back to the rhumb line... Try to stay surfing the entire leg, and you will gain an unreal amount of distance. Definitely try and stick in the deeper water too, as that's where the more consistent and rideable waves are at, there's a point somewhere off the Nassau shore where it goes from being about 12' deep to maybe 6'... Just look for better waves and take that side of the downwind leg- the wind will be consistent over both sides, go for the speed you will gain by surfing.

If the wind is Westerly, there won't be very many waves, but it will be flat instead...

Wind, waves... Current? I still feel as if I never really figured out exactly how the current/tide works around the sailing area. Oh well...

It definitely is important, and you need to make sure and know the tide schedule. When tide is going down, it flows towards downtown and out of the Narrows. When tide is coming up it flows in through the Narrows and East towards the banks (or between Nassau and Athol). Obviously, the tide flow is strongest in the deeper water close to Athol that the mailboats transit through. I doubt you will be racing so close to Athol, but if you are then you want to think about what the tide flow through the Narrows is doing the course and how it can help/hurt you. If your sailing closer to the Nassau side (which I assume you are), then the tide flow will be stronger the closer you get to Athol- once again this is something that can hurt or help you.

So guys, keep your heads out of the boat, read the water, look for shifts and anticipate them. Think about what the wind will be doing- if it's forecasted to clock from the East to the North throughout the day, then you know port tack will more than likely be favored as the wind begins to make it's move. Think about going for the small white clouds you see (if it's a clear day), believe it or not, where there's clouds- there more than likely will be better breeze. However, if it's a cloudy day- go for the clear spots. Also, it isn't uncommon to get squalls run through the corridor between Nassau and Athol- if you see what looks like storm clouds moving in, and let's say it is comeing over Athol island moving East to West (assuming an Easterly breeze), then you can expect the breeze to go left and increase in velocity.

Haha, all of this is so hard to explain... I'm finding it hard to turn thoughts into text.

By the way... Chris says to tell you guys, if the wind has some South in it- you can get some good righties- was this his secret all these years? haha.

Hopefully this helped a little bit guys... that's all I have to offer. Goodluck to everyone racing this year- I wish I was there. I can't wait to hear all about it and see the pics... If you have any more questions, just post them as comments below and I'll be sure to answer them!

P.S. Whoever is borrowing my boat, treat my baby with respect ;)

SailFast, Live Slow!

Wild Oyster Regatta; Day 2. [Final]

2011-10-23T19:36:00.000-04:00

Today was the 2nd and final day of the Wild Oyster Regatta 2011.

The wind was a lot more agreeable today, with sustained winds of 6-10kts throughout the course of the day. Thanks to the consistent breeze, we were able to get in 4 races that consisted of 3 legs each (which made up for the races that we couldn't get in yesterday). In total, this series consisted of 5 races- which was the original plan, so props to the RC for getting it all done.

We had a very up and down day, and managed to pull in 4 finishes between the 15 and 25 range. In 3 of the races today, we were able to round the the top mark in the top 10 (which is exceptionally well for a 50 year old boat that can't point as well or accelerate as well as the newer glass boats), and maintain our positioning down the run until the second and final upwind leg, which is where we encountered most of our problems.

For some reason, we seemed to lose boats on the final beat. As a boat, there were times we made poor tactical decisions that hurt our positioning in the long run, and there were also times where we were extremely unlucky and ended up on the wrong side of a major and unpredictable shift. Today, the fleet was also very tight and close knit, so it was very easy to lose big by making the wrong move.

However, I am extremely happy with our performance in having had some awesome starts and first beats despite it being the first time my Skipper had raced in Charleston and the first time our front man (me) had been on a Lightning. In the end, it was a great experience filled with close racing in which I was able to learn a lot about tactics which helped me to better understand just how to conquer sailing in Charleston harbor. I feel like the only way I can get better sailing in this tricky spot, is to keep sailing more and more- and every time I hit the water, I learn something new.

Despite being consistent, the breeze was still very shifty- and we saw shifts of about 30 degrees at times. This, along with the crazy currents of Charleston Harbor, combine to make sailing in Charleston a very challenging (but exciting task).

Once again, today I was in the front of the boat, which I loved. Being the front man is a very active position and you stay occupied throughout the whole race, there is never a dull moment. Today I was able to learn a lot about trimming the jib through the varying velocities and conditions (i.e. waves), and the jib trim is a lot different than in a Snipe.

I really enjoyed sailing the Lightnings and I was glad I got the opportunity- thanks so much to CofC Director of Sailing Mr. Greg Fisher for hooking me up with the spot. Also, thanks to Mr. Bob Astrove for letting me crew on his beautiful classic wooden boat. I had a great time crewing with Bob and Corky- both of which are Lightning gurus. Combined, these two have the knowledge to build the fastest wooden lightning ever, I guarantee it. They know the history of the class in extreme detail, and it was cool hearing about the development over the past half a century. Thanks a lot guys, hope to see you soon.

I'm loving these opportunities I've been getting to sail on boats that I never would have been able to back home, and I'm really enjoying meeting so many new people from different parts of the country. I'm already looking forward to next year's Wild Oyster. Thanks a lot to Carolina Yacht Club for hosting a great event. It's really cool just how the Lightning class is filled with camaraderie between sailors.

There's one thing the Lightning class made me realize this weekend, now that I have a basic understanding of how foredeck operations work on small boats... It would be cool to get some practice on a Melges or something thats a step up... hmmm? ;) haha!

Next Sail- CofC Club team practice, Tomorrow, 1430hrs.

Next event- Witches Brew (Sailing on Buena Vida), Saturday Oct. 29th 1300hrs.

SailFast, Live Slow.

Wild Oyster Regatta; Day 1.

2011-10-23T07:39:00.000-04:00

Today was the first day of the 2011 Wild Oyster Regatta at the Carolina Yacht Club.

Wind was light throughout the day, RC managed to get in 1 race.

I was in the front of the boat, which meant trimming the jib, setting the spinnaker, controlling the pole, hoisting/lowering the jib and jibing the kite. It was the first time I had ever sailed a smaller boat like that which used a kite- so I had a blast learning how everything worked.
The Lightning is a cool boat, it has big boat feel in a small boat form. Definitely not the fastest boat around, but still very fun to sail- and with a fleet of 37, the racing was definitely worthwhile.

When we first headed out at around 1020hrs, the wind was about 6-8kts which was enough to get one race off. However, it was extremely shifty and proved to be challenging. We rounded the top mark in about 6th or 7th- which is extremely good for a wooden boat built in 1960. Unfortunately, the wind dropped out on the second upwind beat and we fell behind due to some unlucky shifts which gave the boats that took the other side a huge advantage. We were able to gain a few boats going downwind, but on the final beat we got caught in an area of the course that had absolutely no wind, the wind filled in from the right, which helped those boats out on that side a lot- and by the time it got to us, the best we could finish was about 25th.

After the first race, we really just drifted around for a bit waiting for a consistent breeze to fill in- which never came. RC told everyone to head back to the dock, and then made the decision to abandon racing for the day.

So yea, a good day of racing! I'm really looking forward to heading out tomorrow and hopefully getting in 2 or 3 races. The wind is supposed to be a little bit stronger, so it should make for a better day on the water. I have to be at the club by 0800hrs- so looks like a long day, haha!

SailFast, Live Slow!

Lightning Strike.

2011-10-21T15:27:00.000-04:00

Yep, I will be sailing Lightnings tomorrow!

And before begin, I should tell you that I'm typing this post on my Blackberry while sitting on the deck at Carolina Yacht Club waiting for my skipper to show up with the boat rom Maryland.

This weekend is the Wild Oyster Regatta at the Carolina Yacht Club. I'm sailing with a really nice guy from MD who I have yet to meet in person, and I'm really looking forward to sailing a Lightning- which I have never sailed before.

So far it looks like there will be 35-40 boats which should make for a great weekend of racing. Winds will be about 5-10kts over the course of the weekend, which I'm hoping is decent enough. 5 races are planned, with the first one starting at 1100hrs tomorrow (I believe).

So far, after watching people arrive, rig up, and launch- these Lightning boats look pretty cool. They remind me a lot of a Snipe and they have the same basic shape. I'm liking the setup as well and I'm really looking forward to getting the kite up! When I spoke to my skipper earlier this afternoon, he told me our boat is wooden and I think he said it was built in the 60's; pretty cool right?

So yea, hoepfully the boat should be pulling up any minute now... I'll be blogging tomorrow and Sunday- so check back often! I'll also try and get some pics!

SailFast, Live Slow!

Upcoming.

2011-10-13T15:07:00.001-04:00

Well before I get to the upcoming... Let me talk about the recent past.

But before we talk about the recent past, let's talk about the most recent post.
For any of you that read SF13 on a regular basis, you noticed I posted a Blog the other day titled, "Sailing is a game of inches." I haven't posted a post like this in quite a while, a post in which I simply give my insight on something. I will admit that lately, all of my blog posts have been extremely boring- and believe me, this is well reflected by my site statistics.
So yea, I'm starting to think that as a sailing blog, it would make sense to not only write about my sailing, but write about sailing in a way that can actually help other people, and I do like helping other people... Basically, I'm going to try and write more informative posts, which in return I'm hoping will generate more readers.

Back to the sailing stuff....

Luckily, I have been out sailing over the past week (not as much as I would like to, but I've still been out there none the less).
This past Saturday we had some decent breeze of about 18kts (gusting to around 23kts), and I was able to blast around in a Laser for a couple hours. Wow, this was fun. I missed that feeling of planing along on a fast reach in a Laser; so fast that the boat sings to you.
Unfortunately, the wind was up around the 30kt range on Monday, causing the first club sailing practice to be cancelled. I'm looking forward to the next one.

Yesterday, I was out helping the JI high school kids (as I do almost every wednesday). As always, it was great fun and great time on the water in the 420's. Wind was nice, maybe 10-12kts. We focused on sailing around a course, and worked a lot on mark rounding and boat handling.

This week, I also got asked to crew in a Lightning for the Wild Oyster Regatta being held by the Carolina Yacht Club. I have never sailed a Lightning before and I am really looking forward to the opportunity- I will keep you guys posted on that.

Next keelboat event aboard Buena Vida is Oct. 29th.

This weekend is our Fall Break here at CofC; I will be heading up to Beaufort with some friends. Hopefully I will be able to sail a bit there.

Look forward to the next 'informative' blog post! Take care guys.

SailFast, Live Slow!

Sailing is a game of inches.

2011-10-12T00:51:00.002-04:00

I just saw this video online, and although it may be about Football, it definitely relates to sailing much better than any other sport out there. Just pretend he is saying 'Sailing' instead of 'football,' then watch it... twice.

Seriously though, for all of you less serious sailors out there or those who may not sail in competitive events, or those that just don't know what sailing is all about... It is a game of inches, and in a game of inches, every inch that can possibly be gained makes a world of difference.

Since coming to college, I have finally learned one of the best ways to begin to describe the sport of sailing to closed minded land lovers. Sailing is a lot like Nascar; anyone can drive a car (or sail a boat), but it takes skill and dedication to professionally race a car (or professionally race a boat).

Inches are crucial regardless of the class you are sailing or the size of your boat. Imagine Orange Bowl with 145 Laser Radials on the starting line (2009). You can time it right and be in the first row, or you can screw it up and be in the second or third row (aka back half of the fleet). That 1 second it takes to second guess yourself about tacking into an open hole, or that half a second extra due to you not being the first to hit the ratchet, or that half a second you lost by starting your watch on the sound signal and not by the flag signal despite being in the middle of the line; all of this poor time management results in inches being lost, and for every inch lost is 2 inches you have to make up. You need to make up the lost inch, plus gain the inch to put you back infront. Or maybe its the opposite, maybe you got going a few seconds early and caused yourself to be OCS- now your screwed, a few seconds to soon probably put you at least 45 seconds behind the fleet; and now we are talking feet instead of inches.

What you need to do when you sail is focus on being successful with your boat management. There are so many different factors that come into play when racing, and it may be true that individually these factors account for very little- but when they are all combined they make a huge difference. Let's give a very basic example (basic enough that anyone can understand), if you lose a few inches every time you fail to make a proper control adjustment in your Laser for a velocity shift and mark rounding, and there are 3-4 major velocity shifts per leg, you end up losing many boat lengths extremely quickly (It's midnight, I can't work out the exact math just now, haha). Everything will make a difference when sailing, and you must not simply let certain things go unnoticed or unchanged: weight placement, sail controls, sail trim, heel, rudder movement, etc.

However, you can be successful and pull every last bit of speed you can get out of your boat by putting every single trick you have learned into play- despite how tired, aggravated, or drained you may feel (only the strong think clearly and precisely). You can put in the 100% effort and do everything the way you know it should be done, the way you see it done in all those boat handling DVD's, the way you see your competition do it, and the way that will make you go fast... Or you can sail the boat only giving it 75% effort and finish a mere 8' behind your good friend on a reaching finish with 15 boats in-between you two. Yes, there are events where you finish on a reach, and yes there are events where 8-10' can mean 15-20 boats (Orange Bowl 2009)... And the worst part about losing 15 boats over just 8' of distance is that you know that 8' of distance could have been gained extremely easy over the course of the race, in fact you know you could have gained 16' extremely easy over the course of the race. Maybe there was a time you lost focus for a few seconds and had a rough tack? That's at least half a boat length lost (7'). Maybe you forgot to pull your board up to that 11'' mark on the run? Wow, you really lost out big there.

Let's look at match racing (just incase you don't quite understand properly), it's no different. Just being half a second too fast or too slow translates into a few inches ahead or behind, and you don't get it- not even close. A half second can mean the difference between fouling someone and just clearing their bow- it can mean those few crucial inches between the protest room and victory. A half second in a close match race can mean qualifying for the finals or going home empty handed and distraught (knowing you could have made a difference). A half second can mean being OCS and having to round the ends or having that perfect start where you shadow your competitor the entire leg.

Inches and seconds translate into mindset. Lose focus and you lose inches, lose inches and you lose confidence, lose confidence and you begin second guessing, begin second guessing and you lose more inches... and lose more focus.

So the next time you round that top mark in your Laser and it's blowing 15-20kts, don't tell yourself you will be fine keeping your outhaul strapped; because you won't. Pop the outhaul off a bit, like you know you should, and gain those inches that you know can make a world of difference in a race.
Sail smart, Sail fast, Sail competitively and give it 100%.

Sure, Football may be about inches... But in the wise words of Mr. Sands, 'With sailing, inches are everything.'

SailFast, Live Slow!

I love Lasers.

2011-10-05T20:06:00.000-04:00

I finally got out in a Laser yesterday!

Such a great feeling to get back in the boat after not sailing a Laser in nearly 2 months. I really missed the single handed sailing, and I'm so glad I was able to get the opportunity to go out and mess around.

The conditions weren't anything spectacular, but they were good enough; 5-10kts and flat water; which made for a great day of getting my feel back in the boat. I can't even begin to describe how good it felt to sail the Laser and to just sail around in the harbor for a bit.
Two club sailors and myself recently had been having an 'urge' to go Laser sailing, and yesterday we finally headed over to Patriots Point and rigged up and hit the water. I sailed a full rig which worked really well, and I honestly had a feeling as soon as I started beating upwind where everything just clicked and I felt good.

Going out in the Lasers did however make me realize how I need to get my lines and control systems up to Charleston, haha! I didn't like the setup of those boats at all, and I actually realized just how important it is to tune the boat to your personal preference and to what works best for you. I miss my Swiftcord and Carbon Fiber tiller set. I tried to explain this to my friends (who are not Laser sailors, but 420 sailors) and they didn't get what the importance of having your own line was...
This is how I look at it, the Vang system is an extremely crucial part of the Laser and it's almost as if it is your connection point to keeping the boat tame. Without a vang that you feel comfortable with, you can't feel comfortable with the boat.

I'm really looking forward to getting back out in a Laser again sometime very soon, hopefully in the next week or so. I'm also hoping the next time I go out it will be blowing a bit more, maybe 15kts haha.
I'm also really looking forward to getting some more time sailing in the Charleston area- it may not be the Bahamas, but it's still a great place to sail!

I also found out that the next Keelboat event I will be sailing is on the 29th- I'm really looking forward to it!

SailFast, Live Slow!