Zephyr Tabled in 2008

As anyone who has read this blog regularly may have guessed...I am going to table it for the moment as I turn my focus to other writing projects in the New Year. I've had a great run over the past 30 or so months writing about sailing culture and - save for the very end - maintained a firm posting discipline that generated interest and attracted sailing readers from all corners of the globe. It's been my pleasure to be part of your world in this way. Good luck and best wishes for 2008!

WBM

“Men go back to the mountains, as they go back to sailing ships at sea, because in the mountains and on the sea they must face up.” - Henry David Thoreau

Sailing Abroad

We realized during our trip to Spain just how myopic and "blanketed" the generic U.S. media are - reflecting, no doubt, their readers preferences for American-centric claptrap such as the fiasco of OJ Simpson and whether or not Hillary C can best that guy from Law & Order. Sure, you can read about what's happening in the rest of the world but you'll have to really want to.

Sailing demands, in many ways, a more international perspective...particularly as it applies to the racing circuit. That being said - the U.S. Sailing media does cater to the U.S. audience in much the same way. Point being that at any given moment exciting, eventful and well attended sailing occasions are happening all over the world...occasions that most sailors in the U.S. are only dimly aware of. Take the glamorous Voiles de Saint-Tropez. A total of 3,500 sailors, 304 modern and classic yachts took part in last week's 9th edition of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez.
U.S. based veterans of the Rockville Regatta and Block Island Race Week and Key West and...going pretty far afield here...Antigua Race Week. Ever heard of the Voiles de Saint-Tropez? If the answer is "yes" then congrats...you're in a minority!

A Caucus on the Potomac

We all know that marinas are where the action is...the flotsam and jetsam of the boating life mingling with shore side nonsense - and if folks want to call them "floating trailer parks" well that's just fine. A good marina is an appropriate mix of seamy, comforting, exclusive (even if it's not gated), gossipy and glamorous. Some lean heavier on certain aspect of the mix than others but they all are, for the most part, interesting places. And unlike a trailer park, all one has to do is cast off the dock lines to be free of one. Much more appealing.

There's a terrific story in the New York Times today about a Washington DC marina that is, as you might imagine, a political place chock a block with political people and their (well paid) flunkies. It's a good reminder that even in a less than ordinary place like the nations capital, a marina is just a marina after all...with all the accompanying features any experienced marina-dweller would certainly recognize.

A Morning Light Update

I wrote about Roy Disney's Tranpac program Morning Light some time ago - but to recap it's an effort to field "the youngest crew ever to sail the Transpac..." with plans to chronicle the recruitment, training and performance of sailors as young as 18 throughout the 2007 race for the eventual release of a full-length feature documentary film.

The SoCal Boating Log ran an article the other day on the teams practice run at the Hoag Regatta - held at the Balboa Yacht Club in Newport, CA. The Transpac begins shortly (July 9) and the Morning Light crew, coming off many months of hardcore training, are airing race their youthful moves around the buoys.

Morning Light's Transpac crewmembers are: Wilmot; Van Os; Chris Branning, 21, Saratosa, FL; Graham Brant-Zawadzki, 22, Newport Beach, CA; Charlie Enright, 22, Bristol, RI; Jesse Fielding, 20, North Kingston, RI; Robbie Kane, 22, Fairfield, CT; Chris Schubert, 22, Rye, NY; Mark Towill, 18, Kahalu'u, HI; Genny Tulloch, 22, Houston TX; and Chris Welch, 19, Grosse Pointe, MI.

The Star of India

I spent about an hour the other day wandering above and below decks on the Star of India - the world's oldest active ship docked in downtown San Diego at the San Diego Maritime Museum. It was a near religious experience...the weight of her history whispered to me from every corner and I came away deeply gratified that the Museum and its generous benefactors had seen fit to restore and maintain such a seafaring legend.

A bit of her background below...you can find much more here.

She began her life on the stocks at Ramsey Shipyard in the Isle of Man in 1863. Iron ships were experiments of sorts then, with most vessels still being built of wood. Within five months of laying her keel, the ship was launched into her element. She bore the name Euterpe - after the Greek goddess of music - and was renamed the Star of India by her owners int he early 1900's.

Euterpe was a full-rigged ship and would remain so until 1901, when the Alaska Packers Association rigged her down to a barque, her present rig. She began her sailing life with two near-disastrous voyages to India. On her first trip she suffered a collision and a mutiny. On her second trip, a cyclone caught Euterpe in the Bay of Bengal, and with her topmasts cut away, she barely made port. Shortly afterward, her first captain died on board and was buried at sea.

The America's Cup Goes Virtual in Second Life

I haven't written about sailing and the virtual world Second Life much lately but I still go on (as avatar Lex Lian) and take the occasional virtual sail in the always perfectly placid waterways of SL. But recent news of the America's Cup being extended into Second Life prompted today's post...the photos above are of the not yet released ACA32 Racer. The dots in the cockpit are "poseballs" that allow the crew to get into position (mast, trim, grinding, bow, etc) and in the first shot you can see me posing up the mast. Needless to say the design and script work (code that makes the boats sail) have been developed by some of Second Life's preeminent sailors and virtual yacht architects. There is a virtual regatta planned using widely available dinghy's (called Takos) and the final eight winners of this regatta will match race the ACA32 Racers.

But that's not all! Alcatel-Lucent, the official new media provider for the 32nd America's Cup, has extended its new media coverage of the event to the virtual world. As part of its America's Cup Anywhere program a "New Media Agency" called 9th.com has been contracted to build a virtual presence named Port AmericasCupAnywhere in order to bring the 32nd America's Cup to Second Life.

I'll venture to say that despite the fact that virtual worlds are far from mainstream, we are seeing history made here...and the advent of a whole new way for fans to learn, experience and even virtually participate in a major international sports event.

Port AmericasCupAnywhere launches in Second Life this Friday, May 25. Some of the highlights available in-world to Second Life residents and sailing fans are listed below.

· 3D animation of live races with audio commentaries
· Video highlights at the end of each race day
· America's Cup Anywhere (ACA) videos presenting the Alcatel-Lucent products developed for the 32nd America's Cup, within the Alcatel-Lucent Executive Briefing Centre
· VIP Parties with renowned DJ
· Aquatic sports and ACA-SL Cup with a lot of prizes to win

The People's Republic Quests for Cup

Great article here in The Australian about China's entry into the America's Cup...a historic first in the competition. The challenge is being backed by the People's Party - nah just kidding - actually a Chinese venture capitalist named Wang Chaoyong is syndicate head of the Chinese team. Ah sweet irony...a Chinese capitalist mounts a challenge for the ultimate prize in a sport that has resounded through the decades as the provenance of wealth, privilege & elitism. Eat your heart out Mao Zedong!

"...the extensive experience required to sail an America's Cup boat means China has only procured five mainland crew for the team -- all cup novices. The rest of the 16 crew are French, Polish and Singaporean."

Rat Haven No More

If you are old enough you'll remember the tune "Big Yellow Taxi" by Joni Mitchell...the refrain goes something like, " They paved paradise...and put up a parking lot."

Give a read here and you'll see it's coming to pass. It seems that the Caribbean is running out of parking space...for yachts! When I first moved to St. Thomas I lived on a derelict sailboat in the harbor of the Ramada Yacht Haven Marina. We boaties may have nicknamed it "rat haven" but dammit, it was home (for a little while). The hotel and marina were destroyed by a hurricane in the late 1990's...but now look what they're doing to the old girl. Lipstick on a pig...she's going upscale.

"Leading the pack is Yacht Haven Grande in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, which is being upgraded at a cost of $200 million in a part of Charlotte Amalie harbor once so blighted that boaters called it ''rat haven.''

Promoted as the largest mega-yacht facility in the Caribbean, the marina has hosted Rising Sun, a 452-foot, five-story behemoth with 82 rooms and a generator capable of powering a small town. The mega-yacht, the world's fifth largest, was built for Oracle Corp. co-founder and CEO Larry Ellison."

Tall Ship "Spirit of South Carolina" Launched

Since a visit - nearly two years ago - to Charleston, SC for a wedding I've been interested in and posted on the lowcountry sailing scene. South Carolina is a sailors mecca, allbeit not as high profile as Newport or Annapolis...and so it's with great pleasure that I point to news of Sunday's launch of South Carolina’s only tall ship - a 142-ton, wooden schooner aptly named "Spirit of South Carolina." The project is sponsored by the South Carolina Maritime Heritage Foundation which is itself the repository of a wealth of SC Maritime history.

According to SCMHF, the Spirit of South Carolina is a pilot schooner reminiscent of the Frances Elizabeth, a vessel that was originally built by the Samuel J. Pregnall & Bros. Shipyard in Charleston in 1879 and served pilots in this city's harbor for 25 years. Plans for the Frances Elizabeth, from which the new ship has been adapted, were found at the Smithsonian Institution within that organization's extensive collection.

In Search of a Good Seagoing Flick

I'm no Kevin Costner fan but I took a chance the other night, fortified by a good bottle of red wine from Washington State (2002 Stella Maris) and slapped "The Guardian" on the tube. For those unfamiliar, the movie - billed as "Top Gun" meets "An Officer and A Gentleman" for the U.S. Coast Guard - is about a long time rescue swimmer Ben Randall and his upstart successor, played by Ashton Kutcher. The ocean rescue scenes were very cool...though I don't recall any that stood out involving a sailboat...but the plot was a real snoozer. Even hotty Melissa Sagemiller struggled but ultimately failed to "rescue" it.

I'm sure I'm not alone when I wonder aloud...how come nobody can make a modern sailing/seagoing movie (Master and Commander, Captain Ron & Dead Calm excluded) worth a damn? I mean "Wind" was abysmal (1992 w/ Matthew Modine). Is it just that sailing doesn't translate to film? Or maybe it's so niche that good film makers aren't attracted to the topic? Or maybe I'm wrong...it's happened before.

Not for the Masses

Most of us are decidedly not in the market for a Hinckley Yacht but somewhere someone must be...news of the Hinckley empire expansion just crossed the wires. They're extending their reach into Annapolis citing the revelation that A-town is, "...a boating mecca and it's also a wealthy community." Gee. It just might be chock full of the folks who can afford one of these outrageously expensive, finely crafted sailing yachts. Cynicism aside...it's notable that Hinckley is one of the few boating companies that not only builds yachts, but also provides a service component. The new office in Annapolis will focus on the service...you'll still have to travel up to Maine to actually buy one. Bring your childs college fund. And the 401K. And a second mortgage.

Lowcountry College Coach Fields Sailing Champs

The city of Charleston, SC might not come to mind when you are naming off sailing hot spots but the truth is - as this article on the retirement of George Woods, the 31-year director of the College of Charleston's sailing program details - the region has produced a host of competitive solo and team sailors...the proof of this resides in no less than 16 national championships....not to mention the 60 All-Americans and four Collegiate Sailors of the Year (now former) Coach Woods has fielded. I've written about the annual Rockville Regatta which takes place slightly south of Charleston and, though it sounds like great fun for all involved, in the final measure it's just another sailing Bacchanalia. But George Woods' track record of generating champion sailors and champion sailing teams is a true legacy that reflects years of dedication. Good luck in Newport Beach, George!

From the article..."He is proud that what's been built at the College is not just a sailing team, but a sailing program that provides 12 physical education classes per year, 10-12 adult non-credit courses, has hosted countless youth and collegiate sailing events, and has a community sailing program that's open to the public."

Happy New Year!

There is no question that - as Edward, the writer of the excellent EVK4 blog recently discovered -I take this blogging thing seriously. Maybe at times a little too seriously, I freely admit. After all, it's just a blog...and I'm just one voice amongst many at this point focused on sailing. But there are a few reasons for my earnestness that I'd like to touch on as we welcome 2007.

The first is that I very much believe in the medium of blogging…as silly as the word might sound against a more staid outfit like "The New York Times" or "The Nightly News with Jim Lehr" or even "SAIL Magazine." By this I mean that I believe in the power of a group of passionate, dedicated writers using a self-publishing Internet tool called a "weblog" to deliver insight, entertain, create dialog and knit together a community of like-minded people who share a passion for a particular topic. I've said more than once in this space that the proliferation of sailing bloggers and the collective contribution of their perspectives have made for far richer coverage that the "dead tree" sailing publications can hope to provide alone. For proof of this I'll make a prediction for 2007 - look for mainstream sailing pubs to increasingly pop weblogs of their own as publishers recognize they risk being left behind.

The other reason is that I've put an awful lot of damn work into this thing over the last 22 months. And though I've been blessed with a steady stream of readers from all over the world, some of who comment and at times recognize me in their own weblogs...thoughtful directed feedback is rare.

All of which leads me to publicly express gratitude for being, once again, listed in the "Top Ten Sailing Blogs" of the year by the "Granddaddy" of sailing bloggers, ProperCourse. Not only has he captured some of the most exciting new (and re-nominated a few old) voices in the still nascent world of sailing weblogs...he has also paid me a tremendous compliment that is all the more encouraging in so much that it comes from a writer (and sailor) who I respect deeply.

Happy New Year to you all! I have a feeling that 2007 is going to be quite a year.

Soak of a Windward Beat or...Reality Bites

Here's a jump to an article in the Portsmouth Herald written by a "boat carpenter" who trained for the trade expecting, "...hand tools with sharp blades and materials like bronze, leather, canvas, and sweat." As anyone who has spent even a little time in a modern boatyard knows, these days you're most likely to, as the author puts it, spend your time, "staggering around wearing sticky rubber gloves and disposable body-suits with a respirator..." The old expectation vs. reality equation - an equal opportunity cliche but one that dovetails with sailing quite nicely. The newly arrived yacht owner who expected leisurely daysails to quiet, pristine coves for undisturbed picnic lunches. His inaugural cruise turns into a nail biting, soak of a windward beat to a rocky anchorage crowded with obnoxious power boaters. The cooler shipped sea water and they ate soggy sandos and sipped bottled water in a cloud of diesel fuel. The anchor? Stuck on the bottom.

The young 20-something kid who in 1994 signed aboard to be yacht charter crew expecting huge tips, nonstop sailing, swooning stewardesses and adventure in the Leeward Islands. Remind me to give you the reality check one of these days. I could (should) write a book!

Closing out 2006 - More Voices Than Ever

The end of the year is nigh and possibly Proper Course - the literal "Granddaddy" of sailing bloggers - is readying his list of the 2006 top ten sailing blogs. I was privileged to make the 2005 list but now...almost two years (and 600 plus posts) after I began writing about sailing under the "Sailing Culture for Voyagers, Zealots, Poets and Populists" tagline, new voices are popping up nearly every week. This obviously means that competition for readers is increasingly fierce…though hopefully their numbers are growing as well. But I hardly begrudge the competition. I've no advertising to sell and recieve nothing other than the satisfaction of writing about my passion for sailing, connecting with a like-minded community & having the chance to contribute. So while I hope I make the "Top Ten" cut this year, no hard feelings if I'm crowded out. It's been extremely satisfying to watch the whitespace fill in and to realize that together we make a strong and viable alternative to more traditional sailing media. As we close out 2006 I think that this collective accomplishment is something to recognize. I can't wait to see what happens in 2007!

Tony Boatie Sr.

A while ago I signed up for regular emails from "The Log" which bills itself as, "SoCal's #1 Boating and Fishing Newspaper." No arguments there. On a business trip to Anaheim for an industry conference I took a side trip to Newport Beach one afternoon into the evening and after a swim and fish tacos chased by some Red Nectar lagers I strolled around Newport Harbor and admired the boat...particualrly the sailing ones docked at the Balboa Yacht Club. It was there that I procured a copy of "The Log" which made it home with me and resulted in the aformentioned email newsletter subscription.

All of this is a long winded way to point you towards this article in The Log about liveaboard Tony Cellenti, who's been sleeping on the bottom bunk of his 30-foot boat in Sunset Aquatic Marina for more than 30 years. Tony's story reminded me about the importance the broader liveaboard community to boating. They are in some ways our "canaries in the coal mine" the changes that now impact all boaters...the rising cost of fuel, crowded waterways, pollution, overpriced marinas...hit these folks first and often hardest yet they persist. Tony Boatie Sr. may not be a sailor, but he's all right with me.

S/Y Circe

November 27, 2006
Avatar Lex Lian piloting his new Defender II Sloop "Circe" on the waters of the Nantucket Sim in Second Life.

Second Life & Sailing

This may be pushing the bounds of virtual fun & games but yes, there I am - or rather there's the Avatar "Lex Lian" sitting on the transom of a Tako II in a virtual marina sipping a cup of coffee and getting ready for a romping sail. Cost to purchase the racing dinghy...only $250 Linden (less than $2.00 U.S.) Second Life has been getting a lot of buzz lately and, true to form, there's a lot of monkey business going on but imagine this...somewhere down the line when online 3D worlds get more immersive a virtual community of like-minded sailors might particpate in regattas, offshore delivery simulations, lectures and classes, etc. Maybe 15 years from now we'll sit in our home "entertainment room" surrounded by high def displays and networked into the America's Cup simulation in Second Life...or whatever it spawns.

Thanks Sarge

I've been so focused on my parents offshore saga that I've plumb neglected the larger sailing arena...not sure how "large" this is but here's a link to a "cautionary tale" in the Delmarva Daily news - David Maliniak, of Gilbert, PA cheerfully motored his 36' Hunter Twin Mast up the Indian River Inlet thinking he had a 100-foot clearance in a channel 30-feet wide — it’s actually 30 feet of clearance in a 100-foot channel. As the brief says, by the time he realized his mistake, it was too late. All who have taken their sailboats under bridges with dubious clearance will recognize this as not the feeling you're generally looking for. So the mast struck the Indian River Inlet Bridge. Sgt. Gregory Rhodes of the Fish & Wildlife noted, "Check your navigation charts before entering an inlet that you are unfamiliar with...all the information you need to make a safe entry is on that chart.” Which translates as, "David Maliniak, of Gilbert, PA you publicly humiliated yourself much to the amusment of local fishermen and other assorted on-lookers who are, if they're sailors, are secretly glad it was you and not them."

Valencia Sailing

Here's a jump to America's Cup blog "Valencia Sailing." For those who can't get enough of Cup detail...these guys have it in spades. The latest posting is the first in a series called "Inside an America's Cup team" which is intended to offer a perspective on the various departments that make up an America's Cup team. The initial post discusses the competitive advantage of a good meteorologist...given the vagaries of the local Spanish sea breeze. Not something I would have ever considered in-depth but then, I'm not a member of an America's Cup team. In addition to archives extending back to March 2005, the site has links to sailing video and the home pages of each competing team. Look for these sorts of outlets to proliferate as we reach the home stretch to the Cup.