Here is an in depth look at the teams and the boats for the 35th AC. Highly recommended!
H2uh0 - Bonehead Moves on the Water from SF Bay and Beyond!
Tuesday, May 30, 2017
Pheado 3 Breaks Another Record
This MOD 70 tri continues to clobber the record books with their latest foray into the Pacific. With a time of 3 days, 16 hours and some change, they broke the Trans-Pacific Course record by a bit over an hour. They pushed themselves and the boat to the limit and came roaring into Hawaii to stand tall.
From the owner:
Many of the crew jetlagged and tired showed their true professionalism in taking the opportunity to eat as much food and drink as much water in between naps while two would stay up willing the wind to arrive while motoring slowly in circles. Finally, around 2:30pm, the wind began to fill and as soon as we could get the boat lined up and coordinate with the official timers, we began our attempt.
It was slow going at first and gnawing at the back of my mind was the constant thought, every extra minute we spent slowly going over Catalina island would raise the average speed needed to break the record. Also, we knew we were going straight into some very testing conditions. Within a few hours, darkness was upon us and we were straight into 3 reefs and our J3 reaching into big seas 30 to 35 knots of breeze. All this in at somewhere around 100 degrees TWA which is absolutely the scariest place to drive a hyper performance trimaran.
Fully into darkness we checked our math or math’s as the mostly English crew would say and found we were going to need to average 27.5 knots from that point on all the way to Hawaii on our routing just to tie the old record. It was at that moment when the boat was slamming so hard it felt as though it might come apart… the enormity of our task began to dawn on me. We were going to have to leave everything on the table. We were entering the rarified air of all or nothing. Not the usual all or nothing but this boat is either going to flip, snap in half, dismast or we might get the record…might.
Continue reading here.
More info on the boat and it's owner here.
From the owner:
Many of the crew jetlagged and tired showed their true professionalism in taking the opportunity to eat as much food and drink as much water in between naps while two would stay up willing the wind to arrive while motoring slowly in circles. Finally, around 2:30pm, the wind began to fill and as soon as we could get the boat lined up and coordinate with the official timers, we began our attempt.
It was slow going at first and gnawing at the back of my mind was the constant thought, every extra minute we spent slowly going over Catalina island would raise the average speed needed to break the record. Also, we knew we were going straight into some very testing conditions. Within a few hours, darkness was upon us and we were straight into 3 reefs and our J3 reaching into big seas 30 to 35 knots of breeze. All this in at somewhere around 100 degrees TWA which is absolutely the scariest place to drive a hyper performance trimaran.
Fully into darkness we checked our math or math’s as the mostly English crew would say and found we were going to need to average 27.5 knots from that point on all the way to Hawaii on our routing just to tie the old record. It was at that moment when the boat was slamming so hard it felt as though it might come apart… the enormity of our task began to dawn on me. We were going to have to leave everything on the table. We were entering the rarified air of all or nothing. Not the usual all or nothing but this boat is either going to flip, snap in half, dismast or we might get the record…might.
Continue reading here.
More info on the boat and it's owner here.
Friday, May 26, 2017
The Wind Gods - A Look Back at AC 33
The 33rd America's Cup was all about the boat. The winds were at 6 knots and the boats were blasting thru the water at over 30 knots. Oracle's boat was 113' long and 90' wide with a mast almost 200 feet high with a rigid wing. Because of all the conflicts on the rules, this was a Deed of Gift Race between two boats, Alinghi and BMW/Oracle. A best out of three for the cup. The boats were very different and BMW/Oracle proved without a doubt that they were the fastest. Alinghi was penalized in both races and had to perform a 360 degree turn at some point during the races. This is a fantastic look back at the boats, the crews and the races. I hope you will watch this film in its entirety. Go USA!
Thursday, May 25, 2017
Wow, Just Wow
Saw this on SA and had to share. If this is the future of cruising with foils, I am all in. Enjoy!
Travis Rice is a pro snowboarder from Jackson Hole. He is also stoked for sailing a fast cat across the Caribbean with a rock star crew. Many publications have named him the top snowboarder of all time!
Just before the snow started to stack this winter I (Travis) had the opportunity to take a 1000 mile sea trial of the new F4 with Shannon Falcone (@racingsf). This trip blew my mind to what the future of offshore sailing has in store and was by far the most intense sailing I have ever done personally. This future craft is a 46 foot carbon performance catamaran built for foiling offshore.
Enter two-time winning America’s Cup sailor Shannon Falcone who invited Rice to sail from Bermuda to Antigua onboard a new, first of it’s kind, foiling offshore catamaran. The boat (a DNA F4) is probably one of the coolest boats on the water at the moment, as not only is the boat sturdy enough to withstand all the elements of sailing for thousands of miles off the coast, but you can foil – aka fly – above the water.
So, over the course of 1,000 nautical miles, Rice, Falcone, and the rest of the crew unleashed the DNA F4 and experienced all the things that make offshore sailing amazing: sending it in perfect conditions, breathtaking sunsets, star-filled nights, a few squalls for the books, a splash of rum, and flying over the waves.
And throughout the adventure, Rice’s stoke for offshore foiling is clearly hard to contain as he takes the wheel in 15-20 knot winds. “This is unreal,” Rice said. “This is just so fu*king good. We’re just hover-crafting.”
But wait – it gets better. You don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to enjoy the experience because Travis Rice made a daily video diary of the adventure. However, that said, after you watch the above you’ll probably want drop everything to go sailing.
Travis Rice is a pro snowboarder from Jackson Hole. He is also stoked for sailing a fast cat across the Caribbean with a rock star crew. Many publications have named him the top snowboarder of all time!
Just before the snow started to stack this winter I (Travis) had the opportunity to take a 1000 mile sea trial of the new F4 with Shannon Falcone (@racingsf). This trip blew my mind to what the future of offshore sailing has in store and was by far the most intense sailing I have ever done personally. This future craft is a 46 foot carbon performance catamaran built for foiling offshore.
Enter two-time winning America’s Cup sailor Shannon Falcone who invited Rice to sail from Bermuda to Antigua onboard a new, first of it’s kind, foiling offshore catamaran. The boat (a DNA F4) is probably one of the coolest boats on the water at the moment, as not only is the boat sturdy enough to withstand all the elements of sailing for thousands of miles off the coast, but you can foil – aka fly – above the water.
So, over the course of 1,000 nautical miles, Rice, Falcone, and the rest of the crew unleashed the DNA F4 and experienced all the things that make offshore sailing amazing: sending it in perfect conditions, breathtaking sunsets, star-filled nights, a few squalls for the books, a splash of rum, and flying over the waves.
And throughout the adventure, Rice’s stoke for offshore foiling is clearly hard to contain as he takes the wheel in 15-20 knot winds. “This is unreal,” Rice said. “This is just so fu*king good. We’re just hover-crafting.”
But wait – it gets better. You don’t have to leave the comfort of your own home to enjoy the experience because Travis Rice made a daily video diary of the adventure. However, that said, after you watch the above you’ll probably want drop everything to go sailing.
History Lesson: The Very First America's Cup Race
Yachting World takes a look back to the race that started it all back in 1851. On the eve of the 35th America's Cup, I thought it might be fun to look back at the very first race around the Isle of Wight which was won by the yacht America (hence the name of the cup). Click here to read about the very beginings of the oldest trophy in all of sports.
The historic yacht America!
Tuesday, May 23, 2017
License to Chill
My wife and I were down in the Bahamas celebrating our 20th wedding anniversary a few years ago. The resort we were at had a bunch of small Hobie Cats you could take out for a sail on the beautiful waters off the resort. One fine morning, the wind was about perfect so I launched one of the cats off the beach. There are about a half dozen others cats on the water. I was ripping upwind when I realized there was no one around for a good mile or so and I decided this would be a great time to sail au naturale. I was way upwind, when a small skiff came up behind me and motioned that I was too far upwind and I should go back. I knew he also saw my naked ways and I might be in trouble. I sailed back towards the resort with my trunks on and headed for the beach. The manager comes running up the beach and he looks none too happy. As I exit the boat I say to him, "There is a naked sailor out there, what should I tell him?". He replies back, "Tell him to put his clothes on!". Dodged a bullet there. So after that episode, I decided to get a license so I would not have to deal with that anymore. The license just arrived, see below.
Monday, May 22, 2017
The Best Orginized Chaos You Will Ever See
On May 26th 2017, Bermuda will host the 35th America’s Cup. The eyes of the world will turn to the iconic Great Sound where the best sailors on the fastest boats will battle for the oldest trophy in international sport. Racing starts with the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Qualifiers on 26th May and the top Challenger will meet Defending Champions ORACLE TEAM USA in the 35th America’s Cup Match presented by Louis Vuitton beginning on 17th June, 2017.
For over three centuries, the mystique that is Bermuda has been slowly evolving, with each generation adding its own tales to the story. Now there’s an exciting new chapter being written as Bermuda becomes Home of the 2017 America’s Cup.
Bermuda is composed of 181 islands, totalling 21 square miles, and has just over 60,000 residents. As you would expect in a place with so many islands, water activities are the life-blood of Bermuda.
Renowned for crystal blue water and beautiful pink sand beaches, Bermuda’s Great Sound will form a natural amphitheatre for the race course while the planned America’s Cup Village at the Royal Naval Dockyard, will be the beating heart of the America’s Cup experience.
Sunday, May 21, 2017
Free Diving with Ashleigh
Born and raised in central Florida, Ashleigh spent her childhood years criss-crossing the state with her family in search of beaches, islands and fresh water springs to explore. From these early experiences she developed a deep love for being in and under the water.
Although her love for breath-hold diving was kindled at an early age, it wasn’t until 2009 that she was introduced to the sport of freediving. After taking intermediate and advanced level courses, it became clear she was just scratching the surface in terms of ability and her passion for the sport was solidified. “I was not only blown away by the amount I learned in each course, but also by how much improvement I had made in such a short time. I was hooked.”
Looking for more opportunities to dive deeper in safe and controlled conditions, Ashleigh decided to participate in her first freediving competition in 2011. Since then she has participated in a handful of local and international freediving competitions, including the 2014 Team World Championships in Sardinia, Italy. “Each competition has taught me something new about the sport and my body. I don’t have a strong athletic background, so it has been great to be able to learn from other divers who have so much more experience with different types of training and diving techniques. I’m very excited to be on the US Women’s team this year for the Team World Championships, and I’m really looking forward to making more progress with the help of my friends and mentors.”
Friday, May 19, 2017
America's Cup Preview
The Cup starts next week! CNN's Mainsail looks at the venue as well as the boats and teams. Take a peek here.
Wednesday, May 17, 2017
Gotta Get This!
Went for a sail on my friends new to him Newport 30 on Monday. He liked sailing our N30 so much, he bought one for himself. We headed out shortly after noon out of Sausalito. The gents that owned the boat previously did not know much about the rigging set up and I was determined to make a few adjustments to get her into proper sailing form. Winds were light so we shook out the reefed main in the shadow of the Golden Gate Bridge. One of the reefing lines was not long enough and put a big crease in the sail, we will need to remedy that. The head sail had a big wrinkle at the foot of the sail, we will need to raise the halyard all the way up. We did a few other tweaks throughout the sail and finally got her dialed in towards the end of the 4 hour sail. John is a happy camper! With my knowledge of this boat after owning ours for 16 years, really gave us a leg up in tuning the rig on this fine vessel. Bon voyage, John!
Friday, May 12, 2017
Thursday, May 11, 2017
Pics of the Week
To celebrate our our 25th anniversary, we have invited 12 of our closest friends to enjoy a fine meal at our house. Our chef friend Laura will prepare the dinner and we will feast! Many a persons have said you can never have too much fun...but we have proved them all wrong!
360 Degree Cool
Here is a neat feature, on the top left of the vid is a white circle. Use it to navigate the picture sideways and behind for a 360 view. Enjoy!
Here is a quick tip for you'all: Zippers with metal slides have a bad habit of becoming frozen with corrosion even though the teeth of the zipper are plastic. If you use force, you'll ruin the zipper. Instead, place a small rag soaked with vinegar over the corroded slide, cover the rag with a piece of Saranwrap, and wait an hour or more if you can. The acidic vinegar will dissolve the corrosion and free the slide. If you have zippers in a marine environment, this is a common problem that can be resolved without breaking the zipper. Give it a try!
Here is a quick tip for you'all: Zippers with metal slides have a bad habit of becoming frozen with corrosion even though the teeth of the zipper are plastic. If you use force, you'll ruin the zipper. Instead, place a small rag soaked with vinegar over the corroded slide, cover the rag with a piece of Saranwrap, and wait an hour or more if you can. The acidic vinegar will dissolve the corrosion and free the slide. If you have zippers in a marine environment, this is a common problem that can be resolved without breaking the zipper. Give it a try!
Wednesday, May 10, 2017
Trip Log: Our Caribbean Sailing Adventure
After a lengthy flight from SF, we arrived in St. Martin. We hit the docks and boarded Exodus, our charter boat for the next week. She is a 2 year old Fountaine Pajot Ipanema 58 catamaran. Our captain was there to greet us, as well as our chef for the week. Peet and Kate are as amazing as our new home. The sweetest part of the boat is the open fly bridge. The helm is up here and seating for about 10. It totally opens the boat up with its decadent sofas, fridge and wet bar. We are in heaven! We motor up to a nice cove and set the hook. Dinner is served at 7pm and we are impressed! After some nice conversation and a few bottles of wine, we settle in for some games and reading. We are all a bit tired from the overnight flight, so we call it an early night.
T
The next morning after a delicious breakfast, we set sail for Anguilla. Frank and I had been there in 2014 for a boys week and had a blast. We anchored off the same beach and the memories of that week flooded back. We had some boisterous winds for the sail over and covered the 5 nautical miles quickly. I had time for some hammock (my hammock has traveled with me all over the world since I received one as a engagement gift way back in 1992) and a swim before dinner. The meals have been fabulous and they keep getting better.
The next morning was beautiful, and a swim was in order. We headed back towards St. Martin with the winds in the mid 20's and anchored in a nice cove for lunch. After, we tried to get into a cove but it was too busy so we ended up in the same cove as the first night, Grand Case. We headed out for a snorkel and then some spirited bocce games on the beach. What fun to play patonk on the French side of the island (the other side is Dutch). We had a very nice steak dinner and I did some reading and then off to bed.
Tuesday is a big day…we are heading for St. Barts. Because I am a Latitude 38 reader, I have read about and seen many vids about St. Barts. The editor of L38 spends winter and spring in St Barts and writes many a story on this gem of an island. The wind is about 26 true when we depart and it is a beautiful sail of about 17 miles. Along the way we have some fun and spot a few dolphins off the port side. We arrive at lunch time and set the hook at the far side of the anchorage in Gustavia. We have a fine lunch and then take the tender into town.
Frank and I strolled thru Gustavia with its upscale shops and bars and then headed to the beach. We find the beach bar Shellona and take a seat. What a cool vibe. Lots of boats anchored out, beautiful people sipping Rose an a lovely afternoon, and a nice beach. We hung out for about an hour and a half. Our ladies showed up for a glass of wine too. We headed back to the boat for a glass of Champagne and a green flash to boot! That might be my 10th green flash. Then it was on to Maya’s for a nice fish dinner by the bay.
Fly bridge!
We have been eating well as our chef Kate has prepared some fine meals. This morning it’s Eggs Benedict. We take off about 10am for a jaunt around the corner to a cove named Columbier. About 10 boats are in the cove and we pick up a mooring ball near the beach. We swim, hike and play bocce on the beach with a glass of wine in hand. Good times indeed. Plus, I had a glorious nap in the hammock in the bow. With the gentle swaying from the breeze, it felt like I was in the womb once more. However, this is a womb with a view!
We are celebrating a few birthdays so tonight we start with Champagne, fine wines from Napa and a scrumptious dinner from the galley. We have a great night and the temp is a perfect 78!
Thursday, we take off for Nikki Beach. We anchor off the beautiful Eden Rock Hotel and go for a swim. Whenever I swim in an anchorage, I am very watchful for passing boats and especially jetskis. I was nearly killed back in 88' when a passing jetskier decided to buzz our ski boat. I was retrieving an overboard item and popped to the surface inches from the passing jetski. That would have been a tragic ending. Back to the islands! At 1pm, we head in for lunch at the famous Nikki Beach Restaurant and Beach Chalet. There is a large wedding party and the mood is festive. Its very loud as the DJ is pumping up the jam! As we wait for lunch to arrive, Bridget and I go for a walk on the beach as she is very sensitive to loud music. After lunch, we move down to the beach and continue drinking from a very large bottle of Rose. I go for a swim and enjoy watching the wedding guests frolick in the water. After a short game of bocce on the beach, we return for a nap and another awesome dinner aboard. I could get used to this!
On our last full day aboard Exodus, we snorkel a bit and then head to a beautiful spot on St. Martin. We anchor next to a nearly deserted anchorage and beach. I see a small Hobie go by and head to the beach to see if I can rent one. Soon it becomes apparent that the guy sailing the Hobie is out of his league. He soon capsizes and needs to be rescued. They send out a jetski and bring back the wayward sailor. One of the employees is now attempting to sail the Hobie back but the winds are in the high teens and he is having trouble. The manager asks if I could help. She whisks me away on the jetski and I board the cat. In no time, I am back up wind and enjoying some fine reaches out into the outer waters and much more wind. These boats are fun to sail and a blast to sail fast. I head back to the beach and get a hero's welcome from the staff. Back to the boat for another fine meal and early to bed. The group stayed up late playing Skipo, but I was out cold by 10pm.
On Saturday we say our goodbyes to the crew. What an amazing week it was. I was very surprised how windy it was every single day. In all our sails, the wind was over the mid 20's. The weather was fantastic with a only a shower or two. If you ever charter a large cat, make sure it has a fly bridge. This is a must as it gives you a great view and another place to relax and hang out. We loved the two beach bars on St. Barts as the vibe was as cool as the people. Everything was top notch and we would not hesitate to book this cat and crew again. Bon voyage indeed!
The next morning after a delicious breakfast, we set sail for Anguilla. Frank and I had been there in 2014 for a boys week and had a blast. We anchored off the same beach and the memories of that week flooded back. We had some boisterous winds for the sail over and covered the 5 nautical miles quickly. I had time for some hammock (my hammock has traveled with me all over the world since I received one as a engagement gift way back in 1992) and a swim before dinner. The meals have been fabulous and they keep getting better.
The next morning was beautiful, and a swim was in order. We headed back towards St. Martin with the winds in the mid 20's and anchored in a nice cove for lunch. After, we tried to get into a cove but it was too busy so we ended up in the same cove as the first night, Grand Case. We headed out for a snorkel and then some spirited bocce games on the beach. What fun to play patonk on the French side of the island (the other side is Dutch). We had a very nice steak dinner and I did some reading and then off to bed.
Tuesday is a big day…we are heading for St. Barts. Because I am a Latitude 38 reader, I have read about and seen many vids about St. Barts. The editor of L38 spends winter and spring in St Barts and writes many a story on this gem of an island. The wind is about 26 true when we depart and it is a beautiful sail of about 17 miles. Along the way we have some fun and spot a few dolphins off the port side. We arrive at lunch time and set the hook at the far side of the anchorage in Gustavia. We have a fine lunch and then take the tender into town.
Frank and I strolled thru Gustavia with its upscale shops and bars and then headed to the beach. We find the beach bar Shellona and take a seat. What a cool vibe. Lots of boats anchored out, beautiful people sipping Rose an a lovely afternoon, and a nice beach. We hung out for about an hour and a half. Our ladies showed up for a glass of wine too. We headed back to the boat for a glass of Champagne and a green flash to boot! That might be my 10th green flash. Then it was on to Maya’s for a nice fish dinner by the bay.
We are celebrating a few birthdays so tonight we start with Champagne, fine wines from Napa and a scrumptious dinner from the galley. We have a great night and the temp is a perfect 78!
Thursday, we take off for Nikki Beach. We anchor off the beautiful Eden Rock Hotel and go for a swim. Whenever I swim in an anchorage, I am very watchful for passing boats and especially jetskis. I was nearly killed back in 88' when a passing jetskier decided to buzz our ski boat. I was retrieving an overboard item and popped to the surface inches from the passing jetski. That would have been a tragic ending. Back to the islands! At 1pm, we head in for lunch at the famous Nikki Beach Restaurant and Beach Chalet. There is a large wedding party and the mood is festive. Its very loud as the DJ is pumping up the jam! As we wait for lunch to arrive, Bridget and I go for a walk on the beach as she is very sensitive to loud music. After lunch, we move down to the beach and continue drinking from a very large bottle of Rose. I go for a swim and enjoy watching the wedding guests frolick in the water. After a short game of bocce on the beach, we return for a nap and another awesome dinner aboard. I could get used to this!
On our last full day aboard Exodus, we snorkel a bit and then head to a beautiful spot on St. Martin. We anchor next to a nearly deserted anchorage and beach. I see a small Hobie go by and head to the beach to see if I can rent one. Soon it becomes apparent that the guy sailing the Hobie is out of his league. He soon capsizes and needs to be rescued. They send out a jetski and bring back the wayward sailor. One of the employees is now attempting to sail the Hobie back but the winds are in the high teens and he is having trouble. The manager asks if I could help. She whisks me away on the jetski and I board the cat. In no time, I am back up wind and enjoying some fine reaches out into the outer waters and much more wind. These boats are fun to sail and a blast to sail fast. I head back to the beach and get a hero's welcome from the staff. Back to the boat for another fine meal and early to bed. The group stayed up late playing Skipo, but I was out cold by 10pm.
Monday, May 08, 2017
Rogue Spinnakers
Had a battery go bad on our electric engine last week. Hope to get a replacement this week and get out for some more sailing adventures soon.
My buddy John, who has owned about 5 sail boats over the years, recently bought a 1981 Newport 30 because he loved the way ours sailed. High praise indeed.
Sunday, May 07, 2017
Extreme Is My Middle Name
Back from an amazing sailing adventure in the Caribbean! We boarded a 58' cat in St Martin and explored the waters of Anguilla and St Barts. Our crew (captain and chef) were exceptional, as was the boat. I ended up rescuing a rescuer of a small Hobie on the last day. Had a blast sailing the boat back to it's home. All in all, a very memorable trip to the islands. I will have a full report later this week.
In the meantime, enjoy this vid.
In the meantime, enjoy this vid.