Sitting, waiting, wishing........

So today is the day that many sailors are driving, flying or sailing your way down to Key West for the 20th Edition of Key West Race Week, oops, I am supposed to call it Acura Key West Race Week.

No worries there as I know that without great sponsors like Acura regattas like Key West would never happen. Anyway, so here I sit in the old sail loft in Holland Michigan trying to find all the info that I can on the events that are about to take place or that have taken place, such as the Lauderdale to Key West Race that went off yesterday.

I am looking forward to seeing the pictures of both new Sjambok and the Yeoman. I also talked to my good buddy Mark Pinney who is now working with the TP 52 Windquest late yesterday and they are ready after their trying exercise in International shipping. Windquest is the ex Warparth the Botin Carkeek TP 52 that was runner up in the Med Cup last summer. Well as they shipped the boat over to the US for some winter sailing the boys at the shipping terminal broke the rig as they off loaded the kit from the ship! Can you believe that? Well it happens more then you can imagine.

I hear that the Samba Pa Ti had the same issue when their new BC TP 52 was shipped from NZ.

Anyway, I am also keen to see the results from the MUMM 30 Class at this event. There are only 10 boats in this class, manly due to, in my opinion the fact that we just sailed our World Championships in late November. I think it is just too much to ask owners and crews to do two major events just a little over a month and a half. But of the 10 that are there we should see a great event with some high talent in the top of the fleet yet again. Routing for Black Seal as the brother, (Brad), is back trimming main and calling tactics.

We also see the North American debut of the masthead kites on the Farr 40's. I am very interested to see the results of that change. I am a bit concerned that the boat will just dig in and carve a big ole' hole in the water much like older IMS boats. But the class is trying new things and the numbers are still there. Go Barking Mad! (I have two friends sailing with Jim, Curtis and Mike Hill)

Oh, well time to get back to the loft floor and try to forget that all my buddies are South sailing and I am North freezing my ass off. Oh well it is not to long before St. Croix where I am supposed to trim jib and kite on the RP 44 Storm.

So I say good by for now, I hope my first blog attempt is worth the read.
Cheers,

Tac


PS, now is a great time to buy a new sail from True Wind Racing! email tac at truewindracing dot com and I will be happy to help you out.