Its been a while since I updated

As you can imagine this time of year is quite busy for us in the sailmaking industry! People wanted their sails that we built or serviced over the winter. Other people that have been driving around all winter with the torn sail in the truck, finally get off the sideline and bring it in. Oh yeah of course they bring it in the day before the boat launches :)

Here in Holland we have already sailed 3 Wednesday night races. I have had the please of sailing with Ted Etheridge on his Melges 32 Drumbeat. We have had a very good start to the season. The racing has been light, cold and very fun.

I am sure that we are giving our fellow races a bit of a hard time and I would expect soon to be hearing the rumblings of rating woes! We currently have a 2-1-1. The two first were by corrected times of 10 mins and 16 mins! The Melges loves light air and flat water and that is what we have had.

In the first race we sailed very well compiling a substantial lead at the first leeward mark, until a Mexican douse went pear shaped and we slided the Runner open quite bad, (see picture), then we find out that our VMG Asail is sitting on the dock! So we ended up having to sail the boat jib and main! Not fast at all I can tell you. So we just managed to hold off the Tripp 40 boat for boat and finished second to them corrected.

Needless to say the bow man got some good ribbing over the next week or so and we have yet to leave a sail on the dock!

I also traveled over to Detroit to do a day of coaching Mother's Day weekend. I was asked by Rod Spearin and his crew on Carerra his Beneteau 36.7. What a great day of sailing and we worked hard on training a couple new crew and a I put them through a ton of tacks and gybes and we got them sailing much better. Hopefully they will be ready to take on the Beneteau fleet for the Detroit NOOD.

I always enjoy sailing with new people and new teams. It gives me a chance to broaden my skills and develop better teaching tools. Each team is different and we need to come up with different solutions to the same issues. Quite fun really.

Coaching is one area that I do not think sailors use enough. For a small amount of money they can hire a good solid coach to help they get the boat up speed, shake off winter dust or help them further develop crew or even just get better at certain maneuvers.

Anyway, I just wanted to touch base real quick. We have a pile of regattas coming up. I am sailing the Detroit NOOD on Merlin the J-120. I just got signed on there. Then I am off to Cleveland for a J 22 regatta, Chicago NOOD on the NM 43 Tyrant, back to Chicago for Cleveland Race Week again on the 22. Then fingers crossed it is off to the Solent and the Swam 45 Worlds!

I will keep you posted. Also hoping that my buddy Paul gets us some more news on the Glory TP 52 Season.
Cheers
Tac