Joe Cooper, WindCheck’s intrepid Contributing Editor, muses on everything from exploring the waters of his native Australia as a young’un to his time as an America’s Cup crewman…and especially his passion for getting young people out sailing.
The fallout from the B’s* victory over Dennis on the AstroSurf off Brenton Reef in Sept 1983 – coming up to forty years ago this September – has been pinging the boundary lines of sailing ever since. The B’s first and only defense, bringing an international roster of challenges, in 1987 leading to DC’s comeback, and the name of his book of the same regatta. DC’s, ahem, description and comments, about the Farr composite glass 12 Metre,…
Jill and I took a round trip road trip last weekend, with Washington DC as the weather mark. The visit included catching up with our son Ned, his girlfriend, Mackenzie, her family and Jill’s sister. And I took the opportunity of catching up Friday evening with one of my former Prout sailors, now a sophomore in DC. On Saturday we did a walkabout of the Capitol and the White House. A memorable encounter was an exchange with…
One of the many great things about sailing is that it is pretty simple, to learn, in the scheme of things. Companies offering sailing lessons abound, in, on or near almost any waterway. One can learn the basics of sailing, the nomenclature, wind directions, how to steer, pick up a mooring, reef and other basics in around 20-24 hours. After which most entities offer some kind of membership, frequent flier arrangement where, if you are “certified” then…
In 2023, there will be two ocean passagemaking races from New England to Bermuda, one from Annapolis to Newport, and one from Marblehead to Halifax. With the exception of the Bermuda 1-2, they all have pretty extensive requirements for the crews to have attended a Safety a Sea seminar. The BDA 1-2 has a comprehensive safety checklist that largely mirrors the Offshore Regs lists, which must be verified by an inspector and a similar sign off by…
If you were to be seen at the yacht club post-race, propping yourself up using the time-honored rigging of placing your elbow on the bar, with half a glass of Dark ‘n Stormy in hand, and in the midst of replaying the afternoon’s race to all and sundry, you were to mutter the phrase, “Humans are a competitive lot” the response may be wide ranging. The most likely would be for the throng to immediately place that…
Our son, Ned, graduated high school in the class of ’14. By my calculations this makes his freshman debut the fall of 2010. In the fall of 2009, we attended the Prout School Open, day go see event. As we entered the campus, at the speed of rush hour traffic upstream of a five-tractor trailer crash behind all the SUVs in front of us, we found a right hand turn down a slight incline. This turned out…
Jill was away last weekend, so I was home alone. Well, with the dog and the Honey Dew list. The Dew I selected was construction (ongoing) of a rack on which to store the small boat fleet. 2 x 4s, construction screws, Miter saw, glue, you know the drill. Actually, I got the drill too. At knockoff I drove to the market down the street. I was fortunate to arrive at that time dedicated to sweaty, smelly,…
Anyone with, or close to, a now 25-year-old son or daughter will remember the phrase “Mischief Managed,” and the tap of the wand, needed to close the Marauder’s Map. Said map of course being a way for Harry to roam the castle and see who was afoot. Kinda like AIS for wizards. Harry’s Mission was of course, well, we’ll let that one slide and revert to the Mission needing Management. This particular mission was (helping) set up…
It is not now, nor will it be likely be anytime in the future, possible to discuss the 2022 Newport Bermuda Race without noting the tragic loss overboard of the owner and master of the Centurion 42 Morgan of Marietta, Colin Golder. With considerable effort in strong winds and related sea state the crew were able to recover Colin’s body. I, the Bermuda Race organizers, and everyone involved with the 2022 Bermuda Race extends to the family,…
Time once was when if you went to a sailboat race the organizers started the race. Unless there was no wind, or serious fog. If there was “too much” wind, great don’t start. Sadly, this is no more. The idea that it’s blowing too hard has had the threshold of what constitutes too hard gradually lowered. If the threshold windspeed, at which the organizers deem it too windy, continues to fall, perhaps we will all end…
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