Media from D1D

What Mode are you in?

Point mode, or Foot mode? Know when to use it and how! The Thistle is an incredibly forgiving boat. With a few inches of sheet adjustment, you can feel the boat wanting to make its own move! Recognizing this "feel" is very important in allowing the boat to carve its path upwind! To preface, let's establish the terms. "Point Mode" is the upwind point of sail that has you positioning the boat closest to the wind without losing significant speed, also known as pinching. Conversely, "Foot Mode" is the point of upwind sail that is lower than optimum, but not so low that you have your outside telltails stalling. ..more

Game Day Preparation

Game Day Preparation - Highlander Style I try to approach every race day with the same routine. This eliminates confusion and unnecessary anxiety. It doesn't always work out, but at least I give it a go every time. Pre-event I have a solid understanding of the upcoming conditions day-by-day. I get this from a number of resources. I have apps on my iPad and have an annual subscription to a weather service. All the information is viewed as "general" background info as the bigger the events, the more likely you'll find the "its never like this here" syndrome. ..more

Grand Slam Match Racing Series expands internationally

Grand Slam Match Racing Series 2012 qualifying events start this weekend in Chicago and Oyster Bay, New York. After last year's successful debut, organizers from the Chicago Match Race Center (CMRC), Bayview YC (BYC), Manhasset Bay YC (MBYC) and Oakcliff Sailing have expanded their international slate of teams to compete in this year's Grand Slam Match Racing Series. ..more

Red Bull Youth America’s Cup to launch future stars of the sport

For the first time in the history of the America’s Cup, young, talented sailors have a clear pathway towards competing for one of the most prestigious trophies in sport. The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup, launched today with ceremonies in Venice, Italy and San Francisco, USA, opens the door for young sailors to gain the experience they need to contribute to a Cup team...more

From the Atlantic Cup: Day Two

With the zero up and flying, our next waypoint was Cape Hatteras. At some point prior to Hatteras, we would reach the western wall of the Gulf Stream and a reported current of up to 4 knots. The sooner we got that current, the faster we would do to the rest of the fleet what Bodacious Dream did to us. As night fell, the wind slowly started to back and increase, and our Mach 40 Class 40 really came alive. ..more

Kids Learn by Playing - Duh!

Another brilliant post today by The Knitting Sailor - Five Go Sailing - in which she documents the ups and downs of teaching five kids "RYA stage three." According to the RYA website this involves getting the kids to the point where they can "launch and sail a dinghy around a triangle in moderate conditions." Hmmm. This is about the stage I have been stuck at for the last thirty years but, apparently, kids in England master this level after about six days of instruction. No wonder the little bastards are winning so many Olympic medals these days. ..more

ISAF Match Race Rankings - 16 May 2012

After seven months on top of the ISAF Women's Match Racing Rankings Anna Tunnicliffe (USA) has been knocked off the top by Lucy Macgregor (GBR). Making it an all British affair in the ISAF Match Race Rankings is Iain Williams who remains on top in the Open Rankings. Open Rankings Ian Williams (GBR) remains at the top of the Open Rankings, a position he hasn't relinquished in 2012 but there has some light movement below the leader...more

470 World Championship : Washing machine conditions in Barcelona

The Race Committee held the fleets ashore waiting for the wind to stabilize, but the sailors were still faced with very unsettled conditions on the first day of the final series. Described as “washing machine” conditions, the day definitely didn’t suit everybody. Two races were completed for all fleets, except the 470 Men bronze fleet, who completed only race 7. The breeze was around 9 knots from 170 degrees across the two races courses, very shifty and with a confused sea...more

Sail Cape Cod Announces Figawi Support

The new community sailing initiative launched last fall by a group of Hyannis-based sailing enthusiasts has received a coveted boost. Sail Cape Cod announced today that Figawi Charities, Inc. has made a $10,000 pledge to support the fledgling organization whose goal is to bring sailing and other water sports activities to the local community, including the disadvantaged and the disabled...more

Runner up at USA Olympic Trials

We have just finished up the final part of our winner takes all US trials and we finished second. We a very disappointed with how this event turned out, but want to say congratulations and good luck to Anna, Molly, and Debbie for winning the event and getting the opportunity to represent the USA at the Olympic Games this summer...more

Museum Rules

My preparations for the Atlantic Cup had me feeling like this would be just like any other distance race. A week before the event, I pulled out my gear, and started to check the weather forecasts online. I dug out my lifejacket and replaced the CO2 cylinder and strobe after manually inflating it and letting it sit overnight to ensure there were no pinhole leaks. I was ready for this, or so I thought. By Thursday, I had made it to Charleston for media briefings and finally had a chance to meet my sailing team, and from there on, the Atlantic Cup became an event unlike any other...more

First Word from the Atlantic Cup

Having sailed the Centennial Newport-Bermuda with Joe Harris aboard Gryphon Solo, I am naturally tuned in to the man’s prospects in the Atlantic Cup and a first leg now under way from Charleston to New York. Gryphon Solo was an Open 50, the same that Brad Van Liew sailed to win his first solo race around the world. Gryphon Solo 2 is a Class 40, a manifestation of an attempt to bring more European-style competition to this side of the Atlantic. It also represents, as Joe says, “unfinished business.” He never got the sponsorship for his own race around the world (and the Van Liew story proves all over again how hard these things are in the USA), but Joe is a fine seaman and a true competitor. Here is his account of getting out of Charleston:..more

470 Worlds Championships: Australia & Netherlands score hat tricks in Barcelona

Every race counts, but with three races today it was particularly crucial for teams to pump in some good scores and position themselves as solidly as possible before Tuesday’s final two races of the qualification series at the 2012 470 World Championships. Perfect sailing conditions ensured Barcelona lived up to its reputation as a spectacular sailing venue. Racing got underway in 12 knots building to around 15-17 knots as the fleets completed race 4, with fairly wavy conditions...more

2011-12 America’s Cup World Series leaderboard tight ahead of Venice

New ACWS trophy unveiled to be awarded to Series winner in Newport ORACLE TEAM USA skipper Jimmy Spithill carries a narrow one point lead into racing in Venice, with Dean Barker’s Emirates Team New Zealand eager to regain top spot. Venice marks the penultimate event of the 2011-12 AC World Series, with the overall winner to be determined in Newport, Rhode Island, next month...more

The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing :115 Mare wins First Leg

Fleet to dock in NY Harbor until Pro-Am on May 18, followed by Final Leg to Newport, RI on May 19 and In-shore Series, May 26-27 With an unprecedented international fleet of 15 Class 40s competing in The Atlantic Cup presented by 11th Hour Racing #115 Mare, skippered by Jörg Riechers and Ryan Breymaier, crossed the finish line first at 1:20:13 a.m. ET on Tuesday, May 15, with an elapsed time of 78:55:13 to complete the 642 nautical mile first off-shore leg of the Atlantic Cup from Charleston, S.C. to New York Harbor. The race, the first carbon neutral sailing event in the United States, saw Germany’s Mare finish ahead of #101 Campagne de France (79:16:38), followed by two American boats in #Bodacious Dream (79:51:56) and Gryphon Solo 2 (80:48:05), with France’s Eole Generation – GDZ Suez (81:50:45) rounding out the top five. ..more