Catching up with Gary Jobson

Former US Sailing President Gary Jobson was recently elected as a Vice President of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF). Gary touched base with US Sailing this week to provide an update on this new challenge, why he took on this position, and what his roles and responsibilities will be with ISAF.

A New Rule Interpretation by Dave Perry - Keep Clear

Rules authority Dave Perry helps explain some of the significant changes to The Racing Rules of Sailing for 2013-2016. Perry is chairman of the US Sailing Appeals Committee, and has served as Rules Advisor to the US Olympic Sailing Team.

One-Design Symposium Presentation Sneak Peeks

Dave Perry, Greg Fisher and Laura Jeffers are just a few of many presenters at US Sailing's 2013 One-Design Symposium, hosted by Cleveland Yachting Club in Rocky River, Ohio on January 11-13.

Greg Fisher & Laura Jeffers - "Attracting Young Adults and Making the College Connection"
There has always been discussion on the disconnect between college sailors and their future in the sport. Learn and discuss new and proven ideas to reach this generation and introduce them to one-design sailing. Learn what the Lightning Class has done to capture this interest through there highly successful Boat Grant Program.

A Helpful Tip from Laura & Greg:
Many college regattas might have space available to setup a boat (check with regatta organizers) and allow it be staffed by an enthusiastic fleet member. Better yet, have it in the water and allow the sailors to take it for rides to create the buzz.

Dave Perry - "The Racing Rules and Their Tactical Uses, including the Changes for 2013"
I intend to focus on several common race course situations, including starting and finishing line situations, close crossings upwind and down, and crowded mark roundings. I'll take a close look at the rules that apply in each, and some successful tactics based on knowing those rules. I also plan on explaining the changes to the racing rules that go into effect January 1, 2013. This includes the changes to the definition of Finish, Mark-Room and Mark, and the changes to Rule 41 about helping people in the water, Rule 42 about pumping, and the new Appendix T about percentage penalties taken ashore.

A Helpful Tip from Dave:
When racing upwind on port tack with another boat close to leeward, Rule 20 allows that boat to hail you for room to tack if she needs to make a major course change to avoid an approaching starboard-tack boat. Rule 20 requires you to respond by either tacking as soon as you can, or hailing back to her "You tack!" In almost all circumstances, it is better for you to hail, "You tack!" Rule 20 then requires the hailing boat to tack as soon as possible, and you now have the option of tacking close to leeward of the hailing boat (leebowing her), or ducking her and the approaching starboard tacker and continuing on port tack. Remember, if your plan is to duck the hailing boat when she tacks, be sure to create enough separation so that when she tacks, you can bear away and duck her without hitting her!

Learn more and register for the Symposium.

Chalk Talk Episode 8: Match Race Nationals Preview

This week we go way in depth preparing for ICSA Match Race Nationals in Texas this weekend, review a Women's ACC's that ended in a tiebreaker and check in with one of the winningest women's sailors of the season.  On top of that, we give away a Gill lifejacket and tell you what Sperry Top-Sider is giving away this week.  Can you guess?


Enter for a chance to win the weekly giveaway at http://racing.ussailing.org/College.htm
Help us improve this show by taking our survey: http://surveymonkey.com/s/2VYCLKK
Read the scores yourself at http://scores.collegesailing.org

This week:
Weekend Review 1:14
Weekend Ahead (Match Race Nationals) 5:07
Feature: Erika Reineke Interview 10:31

Chalk Talk Episode 7: ACC's Cancellation Explained

Chalk Talk Episode 7: ACC's Cancellation Explained

A strange end to the college dinghy fall season with the cancellation of the most competitive regatta of the fall season: the Coed Atlantic Coast Championship.  On this week's show, ICSA Interconference Regatta Coordinator Danielle Richards explains what happened.  Check out our rundown of Singlehanded Champs and an in-depth preview for Women's ACC's, planned to go ahead as scheduled at Connecticut this weekend.  All that, plus rankings, prizes and terrible microphone problems for Jane Macky.  Another casualty of Frankenstorm Sandy?

Want to win this week's giveaway from US Sailing?  Enter now at http://racing.ussailing.org/College.htm
While you're there, check out the US Sailing College Membership.  It's a great deal!

Links:
See all the scores at http://scores.collegesailing.org
See the Sailing World Rankings at http://bit.ly/Ux7tAJ
Enter the SW photo contest at http://www.sailingworld.com/collegesailingphotocontest
See more photos from Singlehanded Champs at http://gtsphotos.com

This week:
US Sailing Giveaway 0:58
Weekend Review 1:33
Rankings 3:17
The Weekend Ahead 4:57
Interview with Danielle Richards 5:39
Feature Story: Women's ACC's 10:24

Chalk Talk Episode 6: College Sailing and the Storm

This week we review historic Hurrican Sandy's affect on college sailing, from the way she shaped the three district fall championships (and one women's champs, and one freshman champs), to the damaging winds and floodwaters she dumped on so many college sailing venues up and down the east coast.  Finally, we review the upcoming LaserPerformance/ICSA Singlehanded Nationals and explain why even this Long Beach event is not immune from the effects of The Storm.

Sign up to win some great prizes from US Sailing at http://racing.ussailing.org/College.htm.  In college now?  A College Membership from US Sailing gives you all the same benefits of a full adult membership, except it's good for four years and costs a fraction of the full membership.  What are you waiting for?  http://ussailing.org/college

See all the scores from this weekend at http://scores.collegesailing.org

This week:
US Sailing Giveaway 0:37
Weekend Review 1:28
The Weekend Ahead 5:05
Feature Story: Sandy 9:03

Chalk Talk Season 7 Episode 5: Engineering Wins at Season's End

This week the whole cast is in the same state to talk about the week's events and delve into an unpredicted win this weekend from the MIT Engineers at the Hoyt.  This, plus prizes, rankings, and a look ahead at the post season.

Sign up for our weekly giveaways, brought to you by US Sailing: http://racing.ussailing.org/College.htm

While you're there, look at all the benefits of a college membership to US Sailing.

See the results in full at http://scores.collegesailing.org.

This week:
US Sailing Giveaway 0:24
Weekend Review 1:13
Feature Story 3:09
Rankings 8:21
The Weekend Ahead 11:00
The Season Ahead 13:21

College Sailing Recap: The Danmark Trophy

By Samantha Bobo
Recap contributions by Doyle Calhoun

Last weekend’s top ranking collegiate event was the Danmark Trophy, hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Twenty top college teams from all ICSA divisions came together to duke it out on the Thames River for this intersectional title.

Chalk Talk Season 7 Episode 4: Guatemalan Olympian at Navy

This week, Chris and Jane give away a pair of Hobie Polarized sunglasses and announce next week's contest with prizes from Vineyard Vines, all thanks to US Sailing.  Enter at http://racing.ussailing.org/College.htm and show some love by signing up for a college membership while you're at it!

The hosts also look at a weekend of interconference regattas, highlighted by an incredible performance by this week's guest, Juan Maegli.

See the results in full at http://scores.collegesailing.org.
Join the conversation and make your own prediction at http://facebook.com/collegesailingchalktalk

This week:
Weekend Review 0:51
Feature Story 2:46
US Sailing Weekly Giveaway 7:34
The Weekend Ahead 8:24

Daily Lift - Ideas for Teaching the Rules

Ideas for Teaching the Rules by Dave Perry

On the Water
• Practice starts with “live coaching” (vary the favored end)
• Starting line too short for all boats to fit at same time
• Extremely short beat (upwind start) or run (downwind start) – or start upwind, then reverse fleet and have them race to a nearby leeward mark
• Videotape races or sessions and do debrief on shore
• Pull boats aside right after incident and debrief while still fresh (have small dry-erase board in coach boat)
• Race around tiny track, keeping boats compressed
• Have sailors raise hands as they enter the zone; give feedback
• Create drills for ducking / slam dunking / lee-bowing
• Simulate rules situations right off the dock (with good sailors in boats and class on dock watching with an instructor doing “play by play”)

College Sailing Recap - Women’s Navy Fall

By Samantha Bobo and Rachel Perry

The featured women’s college sailing regatta last weekend was the Women’s Navy Fall, hosted by the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. This event is the only three division fall event in women’s collegiate sailing. Doublehanded and singlehanded skills were tested in the FJ, 420 and Laser. Yale, Stanford and Navy filled out the top three in last year’s Navy Fall and considering Yale’s powerhouse performances so far this season they seemed likely to win it again. Teams from Georgetown, College of Charleston, and Old Dominion were also looking to keep this year’s Navy Fall in MAISA. After 16 races total for all divisions, it was St. Mary’s who earned the win with 256 points, a 33 point margin of victory over second place Yale, and a 58 point win over third place Navy.

Chalk Talk Season 7 Episode 3: All About the Boats

This week on Chalk Talk, Chris and Jane delve into a couple of big weekends at Navy, check in with our insider at Sailing World Magazine, and pick the brain of Zach Brown about a series of articles he's written about college sailing for Sail1Design.  You can read Brown's articles at http://www.sail1design.com/airwaves/high-school-college-news.

SPECIAL ONE-TIME DEADLINE EXTENSION:  In addition to offering their amazing US Sailing College Membership deal (http://ussailing.org/college), US Sailing is now going to start giving away sailing goodies to one lucky winner each week.  This week the prize is STILL a pair of Hobie Polarized Segundo glasses!  Go to http://racing.ussailing.org/college and scroll to the bottom.  The deadline for entry is Tuesday, October 16.  Good luck!

Graphics flash by too quickly?  Check out Techscore 3.0 at http://scores.collegesailing.org for full results.

This week:
Contest Details 0:36
Weekend Review 1:13
Rankings: 5:06
The Weekend Ahead: 8:03
Feature Story: All About the Boats with Zach Brown: 11:14

Chalk Talk Prize Entry Form

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Daily Lift - College Sailing Basics

College sailing basics:

A. College Sailing is a Community sailing program for the campus community.
B. Institutionally owned or managed fleets. No cost or low cost usage of the fleet
makes sailing affordable
C. College sailors are not paying directly for the coaching
D. Many college programs offer learn to sail programs for both university
students and the local public for adults and youth.
E. Many college programs utilize facilities for open recreational sailing, beyond
the racing team.

by Mitch Brindley

Daily Lift - College Sailing

College Sailing FAQ:
I’m not a Rockstar Sailor – should I even bother contacting the coach?

YES! Coaches recruit for many reasons; you may be the right size, or live in a town where the team
needs housing, have a great reputation as a team player… anything can set you apart from the crowd!

by Jay Kehoe

Daily Lift - Community Sailing

Questions to consider when identifying the role of "community" in sailing?
1. What makes a facility a “community” sailing center?
2. Why aren't there more community sailing centers?
3. What are the 5+ key ingredients for a successful community sailing program?
4. Why aren't there more parks and recreation professionals advocating more community sailing centers in public parks?
5. How can community sailing attract and retain talented management professionals?
6. Community Sailing Center - how come few, if any, community sailing centers have franchised to support other locations?
7. What can the Community Sailing Council or US Sailing do or what resources can they provide to support community sailing centers?
8. What are most well established “Community Sailing Centers” in the country?
9. What are the best web sites to borrow from?

Daily Lift - Travel Teams

Introduction to Travel Teams – things to keep in mind at all stages of planning and
execution:
• Ultimate goal – provide positive experiences for the sailors by allowing them the
opportunities to go to new places, meet new people, race against better sailors, and
become well-disciplined athletes and responsible people
• Emphasis on travel team – while sailing can be a very individualized sport, it is still
important for the athletes to learn the values of being a part of a team, and that needs
to be encouraged by the coaches and parents alike

Kevin Broome and Martha Pitt

Daily Lift - Strength and Conditioning

Looking to start a strength and conditioning program? Include these fundamental components of physical training:

-Aerobic conditioning and speed endurance
-Muscular strength and endurance
-Flexibility
-Body composition

by Rob Slade

College Sailing Recap: The Danmark Trophy

By Samantha Bobo and Doyle Calhoun

This weekend’s top ranking collegiate event was the Danmark Trophy, hosted by the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Twenty top college teams from all ICSA divisions came together to duke it out on the Thames River for this intersectional title. Last year’s winner, Hobart and Smith was back as well as second place Tufts and third place Yale. Teams from College of Charleston, Boston College and St. Mary’s were also in the mix and looking to assert their fleet racing abilities. After nine races in both A and B divisions, it was ultimately the Brown University Bears who ended up on top of the fleet with a total of 119 points - an eight point margin over second place BC and 13 points ahead of third place MIT.

Chalk Talk Season 7 Episode 2: ICSA Incoming Class

Like Chalk Talk? Enter our weekly Chalk Talk giveaway contest, http://racing.ussailing.org/College.htm.  Winners will be chosen and announced each week on Chalk Talk. 

This week on Chalk Talk, Erik and Jane take the reigns while Chris is on the road. They tackle questions like: Who will be the best women's team this weekend? Who are the best freshmen this season? Why is Jane's camera sometimes out of focus? The hosts are joined by BC's Raul Rios, who called Puerto Rico home before heading to Massachusetts.

Meanwhile, our presenting sponsor has done it again! In addition to offering their amazing US Sailing College Membership deal (http://ussailing.org/college), US Sailing is now going to start giving away sailing goodies to one lucky winner each week. This week the prize is a pair of Hobie Polarized Segundo glasses! Go tohttp://racing.ussailing.org/college and scroll to the bottom. Good luck!

Graphics flash by too quickly? Check out the brand new Techscore 3.0 athttp://scores.collegesailing.org for full results.

This week:
Rankings: 0:44
Weekend Review 1:33
Contest Details 3:38
The Weekend Ahead 2:21
Feature Story: Top Freshmen 6:39
Interview: Raul Rios 12:12

Daily Lift - Adaptive Sailing

Basic starter kit for physically disabled sailing and boat adaptations - Simple additions for any boat could include a camping or yoga mat, some short lengths of rope, a smooth wood plank, possibly a cooler or recycling bin and a roll of duct tape. With these items, one can create:

-A padded, non-slip seat
-Padding around sharp objects in the cockpit
-An additional thwart to assist transfer from side to side during maneuvers
-Extra loops of rope to grip and provide stability in the boat
-Extensions to sheets

Daily Lift - Crisis Managment by Joel Labuzetta

Who contacts the family?
- The primary concern is for the family. Be sympathetic and supportive.
- Insist on having accurate contact numbers and emails, including emergency only numbers.
- Be honest and straightforward when speaking. Only state what you know to be true. Avoid speculating.

Daily Lift - North U. Seminars

With the new Racing Rule Sailing taking effect on January 1, 2013, North U. and US Sailing are preparing for the 2013 Rules & Tactics Seminars. Visit North U. for information on how to host a seminar at your sailing organization.

Daily Lift - US Sailing Store: Bulk Discounts

Did you know that US Sailing member organizations can purchase our publications at a considerable discount in bulk quantity? Log in to access these great member discounts.

Daily Lift - Offseason Planning by Bob Adam

Fleet Maintenance by Bob Adam of Zim Sailing - Ask yourself these questions about your fleet after the season - Do we patch our boats to squeak one more year out of them? Do we clean them up to sell? When is the right time to turn our fleet? What boats are right for us? Waiting until next season can create more work and at a greater expense!

College Sailing Recap: Women’s Regis Bowl

By Samantha Bobo

Boston University hosted last weekend’s Regis Bowl, a women’s collegiate sailing event, on the Charles River in Boston, Mass. Sixteen teams readied themselves for what would prove to be more challenging conditions than any other venue seen this season. Previous winner, Dartmouth, was back and with a decent showing at their home event last weekend. Also looking to contend were the Tufts Jumbos who’s B division pair placed second in the Mrs. Hurst Bowl last weekend. Yale, Brown, URI and Harvard were also looking to show collegiate sailing that their ladies are the best in NEISA.  In spite of the variability in the wind and pressure, the Roger Williams Lady Hawks proved their tenacity in the tricky conditions winning the event by 15 points over second place Tufts. Third place Yale rounded out the top three with an overall score of 130 points.

Chalk Talk Season 7 Episode 1: Season Premiere!

Welcome back to Chalk Talk!  We're also happy to welcome back US Sailing as our presenting sponsor for this 7th season of the show.  Each week we'll tell you about all the movers and shakers in college sailing and point out who to watch in the upcoming weekend.

If you or someone you know is a college sailor, we have an amazing deal: a four-year US Sailing membership just for college sailors, at a fraction of the cost of the full adult membership.  Sound good?  http://ussailing.org/college for details and to sign up now.

This week we look at the regattas past and future and take a hard look at the issues surrounding the current Nationals media contract scandal that has been rocking the ICSA email list.  Is this the first you've heard of it?  See below for resources to get you caught up.

Spread the good word!  Like Chalk Talk on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/collegesailingchalktalk

This week's show:
Weekend Review  1:29
Upcoming Weekend  3:07
Predictions   3:52
Feature Story:   5:04

Resources:
Techscore (All ICSA Results)      http://scores.collegesailing.org
Hood Results        http://goo.gl/SQXXr
St. Mary's Fall Results      http://goo.gl/jMPVs
The "Open Letter" by Fran Charles    http://goo.gl/oa3RB
ICSA Executive Committee Statement to Chalk Talk http://goo.gl/qAj6m
Mitch Brindley Letter to Board of Directors   http://goo.gl/XB9Jp

Daily Lift - Speaker Series

What is the US Sailing Speaker Series? The Speaker Series program was first created in 2005 as a grassroots, educational series delivering high quality seminars to cruising and racing sailors nationwide. Our speakers discuss a wide range of relevant sailing topics, from racing rules and tactics to cruising and sailing around the world. US Sailing will provide a speaker and cocktail party for your club and members. The cocktail party is provided by Old Pulteney and can take place before or after the speaking segment. Want to host? Contact Brian Welsh at brianwelsh@ussailing.org.

Daily Lift - Sponsorship Tip

If your looking for a sponsor, keep in mind that most national sponsors require 6 to 8 weeks to evaluate a sponsorship proposal. - Ken Taylor

Daily Lift - Setting up the hull

Setting up the hull: Most of the time, you will probably leave the hull rigged, but it's always a good idea to give it a quick look over before you leave the dock just to make sure it's safe and ready to go. Check over the hiking straps, bailers and airbags.

Daily Lift - Maintenance Tips from Nick Turney

Are you looking for ways to help maintain the integrity of your mast and all its parts? Nick Turney recommends several products.

Harken McLube is a dry teflon based lubricant which can be used on areas you do not want to be penetrated by salt water. T-9 is a grease lubricant which can be used on moving parts such as sheave boxes and spinnaker pole tracks. Harken One Drop is another grease lubricant for use on moving parts. Tefgel can be used on turnbuckles to prevent corrosion and also aid in lubrication.

College Sailing: Mrs. Hurst Bowl Recap

By Samantha Bobo

Teams from all over the country convened on Mascoma Lake in Enfield, NH last Saturday for the Mrs. Hurst Bowl, hosted by Dartmouth College. Twenty-two teams, including powerhouses Old Dominion, Boston College, Yale and Roger Williams, came to duke it out at this women’s intersectional.  Connecticut College, the 2011 winners, were back to try and defend their title. Last year’s second place team and 6th ranked Yale was also in the field of teams. Georgetown and Old Dominion were also vying for a top three finish with the help of new freshman. After two days of windy, shifty conditions the Yale Bulldogs were able to assert their dominance with Claire Dennis and Katherine Gaumond crushing B division with a lead of 45 points over second place Tufts, as well as a solid third place finish by their A division pair - Emily Billing and Amanda Salvesen. This strong finish in both divisions indicates that the Yale ladies could be a force to be reckoned with through the rest of this fall season.
 
Competitors on day one were greeted with chilly weather and a building north-northwest breeze. Considered to be “truly champagne conditions,” the wind was a steady 15 knots with gusts to 20 and the sun was shining brilliantly into the valley as the ladies took to the water. There were steady, whitecapped waves rolling down the lake as the race committee blew the first start at roughly 10:00am that morning.

Mascoma Lake is a challenging venue to sail for even the best sailors, as the surrounding mountains act as barriers creating strange shifts that come across the lake in puffs that could either make or break your race. The key to success in such shifty conditions was to distinguish the difference between a small knock and a massive header. The right and left shifts tended to be huge, lasting 3-5 minutes at a time, allowing boats in phases to come almost close to layline in one tack. It came down to doing one’s prestart homework on which side is favored now? How long do I have till it shifts back? Starting in phase, in pressure, and on the lifted tack was essential to good position in every race. The surrounding geography was hilly and caused the sides of the course to fill before the middle, so if one was stuck on the midline as a shift came through, they could expect to stall and drop back a few places. This feature made playing the sides strategic, in that one had to commit to a side and almost guess at which was going to be the favored side in the end. After sailing four sets in both A and B division, racing was called for the day with the Yale Bulldogs were on top by a solid 38 points, followed by Boston College and Tufts.

On day two, the sun was shining and the wind, while still puffy and shifty had calmed to an easy 6-12 knots. Teams showed up to rig at 9:30 am and took to the water for a 10:15 am first start. The A division sailors took to the water first, showing the spectators and waiting B sailors on land that they could expect the same “inconsistent consistency” they had experienced the day before. The gusts were smaller and at points the wind would die almost entirely, then fill again from the sides, which made being caught in the middle a near “death” sentence. This made catching the correct shifts and being in phase off the line even more important than it had been the day before, because the pressure was just as inconsistent as the wind direction. After numerous general recalls, and one race abandoned, the race committee concluded the day with two more sets for both divisions for 12 races total.

The Mrs. Hurst Bowl is a women’s ICSA event named for the wife of Captain Hurst, a naval officer who came to Dartmouth College to reform the ROTC program and coach the sailing team. Congratulations again to Yale for winning the 2012 Mrs. Hurst Bowl and thank you to Mrs. Hurst for providing the incredibly tasty baked goods for the event. Dartmouth College would also like to thank alums Ed Jude Glackin ('11) and (Bernie Roesler '12) for dedicating their time to their former team and helping run the event.

For more info and full results click on the link below:
http://scores.collegesailing.org/f12/mrs-hurst-bowl/

Daily Lift - Knots to MPH

 Did you know that 1 knot of breeze is equivalent to 1.15078 mph?

Daily Lift, Dave Perry's Racing Tip #6

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:

#6 Only try to win the start at the leeward end when you are 100 percent sure that you’ll win it.

For more tips and advice from Dave Perry see his book Winning in One Designs

Daily Lift - Dave Perry's Starting Tip #5

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:
#5 If you feel like being conservative and hanging back at the start, do it only at the windward end.

Come back next week for more Dave Perry starting tips!

Daily Lift - Dave Perry's Starting Tip #4

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:
#4 Don’t ever go in to leeward of a boat in final seconds before the start unless you are 100 percent sure you’ll make it out into clear air on the other side.

Remember to come back tomorrow for more starting tips from Dave Perry!

Daily Lift - Dave Perry's Starting Tip #3

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:

#3 Start as close as possible to the boat to windward of you, and as far as possible from the boat to leeward of you.

Remember to come back tomorrow for more racing tips from Dave Perry!

Daily Lift: Dave Perry's Starting Tip #2

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:
#2 Start close to or at full speed, regardless of where you choose to start.

Remember to come back tomorrow for more starting tips from Dave Perry!

Dave Perry's Starting Tip #1

Dave Perry points out that all bad starts are a result of a violation of one or more of six basic rules for getting a good start:

1. Don’t get to the line too early and have to stop and wait for the gun.

Come back tomorrow for another starting tip from Dave Perry

Daily Lift - Fundraising Campaigns

There are several examples of different types of fundraising campaigns:

1. General or Broad Base Campaign (Annual Appeal) - smaller contributions
2. Membership
3. Major Gifts
4. Targeted Capital Campaign (bricks and mortar, endowment, scholarship fund)

Daily Lift - Fundraising Process

Successful fundraising requires a long-term commitment and investment.  It is not a short-term effort.

Process:

1. Suspects to prospects
2. Prospects to commitments
3. Commitments to cash
4. Renewal efforts

Daily Lift - Fundraising Basics

Here are a few considerations when setting out to generate funding for a sailing program:

• Understand/Define your target audience - suspects
• Tailor Message - emmotionally
• Priority and Expectations - where your program fits with potential donors

Daily Lift - Rules Quiz

As the powerboat approaches the sailboat from astern, the overtaking powerboat must keep clear. The overtaking boat must keep clear regardless of whether it is a powerboat or another sailboat. The one exception is large barges or vessels that are confined to deep channels of water.

Daily Lift - Rules Quiz

A sailboat is being approached from astern by a powerboat. The powerboat is rapidly gaining on the sailboat and is on course to run over the sailboat. Which boat must keep clear? Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift - Teaching Tough Topics Part II

Love Your Students, Love Your Material

• Be enthusiastic and students will follow your example
• Believe in your students and they will believe in themselves
• Always give feedback to each person
• Learn Names!!!
• Inspire Confidence! BE IN CHARGE!!

Daily Lift - Teaching Tough Topics

Are you teaching skills all at once? Here are some tips on how to break it down into bite-size pieces: 

• Make things parallel to regular life
• Remind students that errors are expected
• Limit jargon until students understand what things to do
• Think outside the Sailing Box for examples!

Daily Lift - US Sailing Race Administration

Did you know that a total of 73 US Sailing Race Administration seminars and workshops were held throughout the country in 2011? Find out more about how you can participate today! http://raceadmin.ussailing.org/

Daily Lift - Penalty Turns Continued...

Boat T’s protest is disallowed. Rules 44.1 and 44.2, Penalties at the Time of an Incident, permit a boat that has touched a mark to take a one-turn penalty by getting "well clear" of other boats as soon as possible before promptly making one turn that includes a tack and a jibe . Boat Q properly complies with rule 44.2, and is exonerated for touching the mark.

Daily Lift - Penalty Turns

Boat Q touches the windward mark. Instead of bearing away around the mark, Q continues on a close-hauled course for a few boat lengths. When well clear of the other boats, she promptly executes a penalty turn and continues racing. Boat T protests her for not doing a 360 degree turn immeditately after touching the mark. You are on the protest committee; has Q fulfilled her penalty obligation appropriately? Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift - Safety at Sea Seminars

Did you know that more than 1,000 sailors were certified through US Sailing’s Safety at Sea Seminar program in 2011? Go to the offshore page on the US Sailing website to learn more! http://offshore.ussailing.org/SAS/Seminars.htm

Daily Lift - No Wind Idea

Jr. Sailing no wind idea: relay race. Make a list of activities such as, knot tying, boat rigging, rolling sails, chart navigation, and terminology quizzes. Once you have created your list, break your students into teams and begin! You can create as many or as few events as you would like, and vary them depending on the skill level of the students.

Daily Lift - Rules Quiz Answer

No, Boat X does not break a rule. Rule 50, Setting and Sheeting Sails, does not require the tack of the spinnaker be in close proximity to the outboard end of the spinnaker pole when it is in use.

Daily Lift - Rules Quiz Question

Boat X rounds the windward mark to begin the run. She immediately sets her spinnaker but for several minutes the tack of the spinnaker is at least two feet from the outboard end of the pole. Has X broken any rule? Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift - US Sailing Courses

Looking to take a US Sailing course? Visit: http://training.ussailing.org/

Daily Lift - Golden Rule of Safety

The golden rule of boat safety, particularly when in a situation involving a capsized boat, is STAY WITH YOUR BOAT.  The boat will in almost all situations float, is easier to identify than a person swimming in the water, and the shore is typically much further away than it appears to the naked eye.

Sailing Games - Optiball

Optiball:  Set up two gates opposing each other using two anchored buoys per gate as end zones.  Set the gates so that boats sailing between them are on a beam reach.  Organize your sailors into two equal teams, and place a fifth buoy with no line or anchor attachment and put it in the middle of the playing field.  Sailors may take the buoy in their boats for up to 10 seconds at a time before tossing the buoy into open water (hopefully in the direction of a teammate), and the same sailor may not pick up the buoy until another sailor has picked up the buoy first.  Crossing the opposing team’s gate scores a point.  The other team then starts with the buoy, moving it in the opposite direction.  This is a great opportunity to develop teamwork, teach racing rules, and have a lot of fun!

Daily Lift

The race committee’s action to score Boat X OCS is upheld. Rule 28.1, Sailing the Course, requires boats to “start”. The definition of Start states that “A boat starts when, having been entirely on the pre-start side of the starting line at or after her starting signal, and having complied with rule 30.1 if it applies, any part of her hull, crew or equipment crosses the starting line in the direction of the first mark.”No mention is made of “normal position.” Because X did not have her hull, crew and equipment entirely on the pre-start side of the line at or after the starting signal, she failed to start. Under the rule A5, Scores Determined by the Race Committee, the race committee has the authority to score X OCS without giving her a hearing.

Daily Lift

Immediately before the starting signal, the crew on Boat X hikes out and momentarily extends his arms straight out over his head. At the starting signal his hands are on the course side of the starting line but the boat’s hull is behind the line. The race committee signals an individual recall, and subsequently scores X as OCS (On the Course Side) because she did not return to the pre-start side of the line and start thereby breaking the rule 28.1, Sailing the Course. X requests redress under rule 62.1(a), Redress. At the hearing, X claims that the race committee has erred in that her hull was behind the starting line at the starting signal, and her crew’s hands were not in a normal position at the time. You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this?

Daily Lift - Jessica Mohler

"The skipper constantly adjusts to the breeze by looking at the tell tales and trimming the sails, adjusting to the environment so that the course is maintained. Parents need to do this with their child in sport as well, knowing your child's strengths and weaknesses as they grow and change is important as you provide guidance through all of life's headers and lifts." -Jessica Mohler

Daily Lift - US Sailing Race Administration

Did you know that a total of 73 US Sailing Race Administration seminars and workshops were held throughout the country in 2011.

Daily Lift - Dave Perry Racing Tips

Dave Perry on laylines: tack about a minute before the layline. You are far enough under the starboard layline that there is little reason for a crossing port tacker to tack right on you. If a port tacker is just slightly ahead, you can wave them across so they don’t leebow you.

Daily Lift - Dave Perry Racing Tips

Dave Perry highly recommends getting a line sight unless you are 100% certain that you are starting right at the boat.  This is a simple and highly effective tool that is often overlooked by some of the best sailors.

 – Winning in One Designs, Dave Perry, p.88

Daily Lift - US Olympic Trivia

In the 24 modern Olympics that a sailing regatta has taken place, how many times has the United States finished with the largest overall medal count in Sailing?  Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift - 7 Golds in the Star

Did you know that the United States has taken the gold medal seven times in the Star class since 1932? US Sailing Team Members Mark Mendelblatt and Brian Fatih are a part of a great sailing tradition in what could be the Star's last appearance in an Olympic Games.

Daily Lift - Sailing in the Olympics

Did you know that “Sailing” was known as “Yachting” in the Olympics until 1996?

Daily Lift - 10 Years for Amanda Clark

Amanda Clark is competing for the United States in this summer’s Olympic Games as a skipper in the Women’s 470 Class for US Sailing Sperry Top-Sider.  Did you know that she was a member of the US Sailing Team for ten years before getting her first birth to the Olympics?  Clark first made the team in 1998, where she competed in the singlehanded Europe Dinghy class.  In 2001, she switched over to the 470, and qualified to represent the United States in 2008.  She returns to the Olympics again this year with new crew, Sarah Lihan, and is aiming to take a spot on the podium.

Daily Lift - Zach Railey's Start to Sailing

Did you know that Zach Railey first started sailing when he was eight years old at the advice of his dentist?  By the time he was ten years old, he had qualified for his first ever World Championship in the Optimist Class.  Today, Zach has a silver medal at the 2008 Olympic Games, is a member of the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider, and is representing the United States again in the Finn Class for the 2012 Olympics in Weymouth.

Daily Lift - Mark Mendelblatt at Tufts

Did you know that Mark Mendelblatt, of the US Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider, was a three-time Collegiate All-American at Tufts University? During his college career Mendelblatt won the ICSA Singlehanded National Championship in 1993. He was also awarded the Clarence “Pop” Houston Award for Tufts’ Athlete of the Year in 1993 and 1994.

Daily Lift

The United States has held the largest medal count in sailing at five Olympiads (1932, 1948, 1952, 1968, and 1984).  Great Britain is the only other country that boasts this acheivement, taking the largest sailing medal count in 2008 to even the score with the United States.  With both countries tied at the top of the leaderboard of Olympic Sailing history, the 2012 games present an opportunity for each country to assert their sailing dominance over the rest of the world.

Daily Lift

During the modern Olympic era, how many times has the United States finished with the largest overall medal count in Sailing?  Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift

Did you know that the United States has medaled three out of six times that the women's 470 class has been raced in the Olympics?  Allison Jolly, won the gold medal for the United States in 470's inaugural Olympics as a women's class.

Daily Lift

Brazil has won a total of 16 medals in Sailing during the modern Olympic Era.  Nine of these medals are accounted for between Robert Scheidt (4) and Torben Grael (5).  Grael won two gold medals, a silver medal, and two bronze medals between 1984 and 2004 in the Star and Soling classes.  He is currently the only sailor in Olympic history with five total medals.  Scheidt won two gold medals and two silver medals between 1996 and 2008 in the Laser and Star classes.  He is one of the favorites for the upcoming 2012 games, in Weymouth, to take home gold in the Star class.

Daily Lift - Tunnicliffe

Did you know that Olympic Gold Medalist Anna Tunnicliffe has won 3 ICSA Women’s Singlehanded National Championships at Old Dominion University, and is one of the few female sailors in the history of college sailing to receive Co-ed All-American Honors?

Daily Lift - Olympic Trivia

Norway won the most medals (11) in Olympic Sailing history in 1920 in Antwerp, Belgium.  Norway racked up seven gold medals, three silver medals, and a single bronze medal at this Olympiad.  The 1920 games was also the second of four straight Olympiads in which Norway won the most medals in sailing (1912, 1920, 1924, and 1928).

Daily Lift - Olympic Trivia

The most medals a single country has earned in Sailing in a given Olympiad are 11.  Name the country and the year in which that country won 11 medals in Sailing.  Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Daily Lift - Storck and Moore

Erik Storck and Trevor Moore are sailing for the United States this summer’s Olympic Games in the 49er class for U.S. Sailing Sperry Top-Sider.  Did you know that both were finalists for ICSA’s College Sailor of the Year award in 2007?  Moore, sailing for Hobart and William Smith, won the award over Stork, sailing for Dartmouth.  Today, Moore crews for Stork as they set off for Olympic Gold in Weymouth

Daily Lift - Star Class Debut

In 1932, the first Olympic Games since 1904 were held in the U.S.A. The Olympic Regatta was sailed off of Newport Beach, where the Star class made its debut with seven entries. The U.S.A.’s team of Gilbert Gray and Andrew Libano won the gold medal -- the first gold medal in sailing for the nation.

Daily Lift - Greatest American Sailor Final

The back and forth continues moving into the weekend of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament Final between National Sailing Hall of Famers, #1 Dennis Conner and #1 Buddy Melges.  This is your chance to make a difference!  Cast your votes today!

Daily Lift - Greatest American Sailor Final

#1 Melges takes the lead back from #1 Conner in the Greatest American Sailor Tournament!  There's still time to vote and register to win some great prizes!  Cast your final round votes today!

Improving Yacht Club Safety

with Dan Cooney

As the Associate Executive Director of US Sailing and Rear Commodore of the Beverly Yacht Club (BYC), Dan Cooney sees safety issues through multiple lenses – what more can US Sailing do to help clubs and sailors become more educated about the issues and what practical steps can his club take to leverage US Sailing resources.  This was the case when US Sailing organized an independent review panel to research a tragic accident that occurred on Severn River with a junior sailing program participant in 2011.

Cooney took the US Sailing recommendations to the BYC with the goal of implementing new and revised procedures in safety planning. In this Q&A with US Sailing, Cooney discusses how the Beverly Yacht Club put these safety recommendations in motion. 

US Sailing: What prompted Beverly Yacht Club to form a Safety Committee?

Dan Cooney: Two things were happening at the same time. Last summer, a couple of our more experienced PHRF racers, led by fellow member Barry Steinberg, were becoming increasingly uncomfortable about the lack of a formal process for determining whether our Wednesday and Thursday night racing should take place or not in the face of inclement weather.  First and foremost our members’ safety was at stake, not to mention significant club and member property.  Our PRO’s are volunteers with varying levels of experience and so having the right tools and process available for proper decision-making is key. Although we were initially concerned about our evening races, our club runs over 300 races per year so our work needed to address our entire program.
 
At the same time, I was following the investigations we were doing at US Sailing and the Severn Sailing incident report written in the fall by John Rousmaniere hit me like a ton of bricks. I had also been a PRO on a night where we just missed getting caught out and thought we could do better, for starters, than using my iPhone to track thunderstorms when there were 40 boats and 200 people on the water.  Our club’s board agreed that we ought to have a safety review and our Commodore appointed a committee led by Barry.

US Sailing: What was your goal?

Dan Cooney: We eventually decided we wanted to review our club’s operations on and off the water and evaluate and improve our safety preparedness in each of these areas.  There’s an important cultural piece here as well and we are trying to strike the right balance between organizational mindfulness and attention to safety issues while still embracing the joys of sailing and racing despite their inherent risks.

US Sailing: Did you have comprehensive written safety procedures in place before the committee started?

Dan Cooney: We had a lot of the pieces. We had a comprehensive Storm Preparation Plan and employee handbooks. We had a solid Race Guide, proper Sailing Instructions and we had good Junior Sailing documentation but it was incomplete and not tied up in the bow it deserved.

US Sailing: Who was on the Committee?

Dan Cooney:  We brought together a broad cross-section of our membership – racers, cruisers, race managers and junior sailing volunteers. It turned out to be a good move to include a lawyer and a doctor who happened to represent one or more of these constituencies, and of course our General Manager.

US Sailing:  What did you look at first?

Dan Cooney: The US Sailing investigation of the SSA tragedy put 420 trapeze harnesses at the top of our list. We also were committed to do something to support PRO decision-making on GO/NO-GO calls.
 
US Sailing: How did you end up on the harness issue?

Dan Cooney: Our Junior Sailing representatives on the Committee looked at all the options, but we ended up retrofitting 17 harnesses with a quick release hook system. We are also going to require every 420 sailor to go through drills where, under controlled circumstances, they will capsize to windward with their harnesses on. We will have US Sailing-certified instructors on scene and a rescue diver in the water that happens to be an MD. The idea is to simulate a situation that young sailors may encounter and to help them to understand how to self-rescue if necessary. The thing that got me personally about the SSA incident was that at first people were saying that this was a freak accident and what the investigation found out was that while the tragic consequence was rare, entrapment itself was not uncommon.  I should have known that but I didn’t.

US Sailing: How did you improve the GO/NO-GO process?

Dan Cooney: We struggled with that because in the end we all know that you are relying on good judgment and common sense of the PRO’s to make sound decisions. You could probably find a reason not to race about half of the time for one reason or another but we were not looking to become risk-averse in the extreme. We ended up creating a document with the idea to make explicit some of the things an experienced PRO would think about when judging potential inclement conditions – who the PRO should consult before making the call, what weather resources are available to consider, what are the options for postponement and abandonment, how and when they should communicate decisions to the fleets – simple things all. We’ll refine the document as we go but it’s a start and it pushes us in a better direction.  We also put an iPad on the signal boat which allows us a larger weather radar display and that’s an improvement on a phone’s small screen!

US Sailing: What else did the Committee do?

Dan Cooney: Barry and the committee did a great job of looking broadly at the problem. We’ve taken the excellent US Sailing Burgee Program/Gowrie safety manual templates for both the clubhouse and the Junior Sailing Program and customized them for our club. This moved our documentation level up several notches. We moved our AED to a more visible location and scheduled an OSHA/EPA expert to walk through our club to suggest improvements.
 
We’ve put together an “Emergency Communications Card” and will place laminated copies in every support boat.  The idea of the card is to breakdown very clearly who to call in an emergency with all the numbers immediately available in addition to the 911 call. We have met with our town’s Harbormaster and have included him on regular club emails so he and his staff are better informed about our activities. He met with our instructors during their boat prep week and the officers and our council (Board) have invited his entire staff over for a cook-out just to build relationships. 
 
We ran a CPR/First-Aid training for the general membership and we were fortunate that two of our more experienced sailors were already planning to run one of the excellent CCA-developed “Suddenly Alone” programs.  I believe the Suddenly Alone program was originally conceived by Ron Trossbach, a member of US Sailing’s Safety at Sea Committee. Both educational programs were enthusiastically embraced by the membership.
 
After some discussion, the club committed to invest the resources to add a support boat to our regular racing program.  In the past, a beloved past Commodore voluntarily patrolled our racing fleets and towed in or assisted too many boats to count over the years.  When he retired from that service several years ago we never found another way to continue that coverage.  This year we are staffing the support boat with a paid US Sailing-certified instructor with CPR training and we hope to add a volunteer rotation to the support boat program soon.
 
After the Full Crew Farallones tragedy off San Francisco this spring, there was a local Coast Guard communication reminding sailing organizations in our area to file for Marine Event Permits for all organized sailing activity.  In the past, our club had only filed the permits for special events but this year we filed for our entire regularly scheduled program which includes racing five days a week.  I think some might argue how much the permitting process enhances safety but it’s a regulation and it provides the Coast Guard the right people and cell phones to call if they need to reach us.  We filed the permits so that it bundled multiple classes and racing series so the paperwork wasn’t overwhelming.

US Sailing: What’s next?

Dan Cooney: There’s plenty more to do, I’m confident other clubs have done more.  I’m hopeful this Q&A opens up a dialog and draws out what other clubs are doing on this issue.  One of the best things I think US Sailing does is increases collaboration among clubs and speeds the learning curve for volunteers tackling similar questions.  I looked back at the April 2011 Yacht Club Summit presentation list and while many topics touched on safety, there wasn’t a single specifically focused panel on safety.  Our sailing world has changed since then.  You can bet that won’t be the case the next time around, and until then, I hope we learn a lot from each other.
 
How has your club’s safety planning, procedures and equipment evolved over the years? What have you learned from US Sailing's recent safety reports? Share your stories and ideas on best practices with readers by commenting below.

Daily Lift - Greatest American Sailor Final

#1 Dennis Conner takes a slight lead over #1 Buddy Melges, for yet another day to day lead change in the Greatest American Sailor Tournament.  All signs point to this matchup coming down to the wire, and every vote counts.  You can not only make the difference in who wins, but also register for a chance to win tickets to an America's Cup event, and an opportunity to attend the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Luncheon.  Cast your final round votes today!

Daily Lift - Greatest American Sailor Final

In the final matchup of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament, #1 Dennis Conner took an early lead, only to be narrowly surpassed overnight by #1 Buddy Melges.  This has the look of an entire week of back and forth lead changes between two National Sailing Hall of Famers.  Every vote counts, and you can make a difference in this Championship matchup by casting your final round votes for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament!

Daily Lift: Dennis Conner vs. Buddy Melges

The final of the Greatest American Sailor tournament is here! Two National Sailing Hall of Famers in #1 Buddy Melges and #1 Dennis Conner compete head to head for the title.  See how these Hall of Fame resumes stack up against one another, and vote for your last chance to win the Grand Prize Package, which includes tickets to an America’s Cup World Series Event!

Daily Lift - Greatest American Sailor

Would you like to steer a boat at the America's Cup? Enter to win a chance to be a guest racer at an America's Cup World Series Event this summer, a guest package for two at the Louis Vuitton Cup, an invitation to the Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year Luncheon, and other great prizes, by registering and voting in the America's Greatest Sailor Tournament!

Daily Lift

In the Semifinal Four of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament, #2 Ed Baird squares off against, National Sailing Hall of Famer, #1 Dennis Conner.  Did you know that Ed Baird is the only sailor in the Semifinal Four without a Star World Championship?  He is also the only sailor in the Semifinal Four with a World Championship in the Laser Class.  Cast your votes for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament today!

Daily Lift - Baird vs. Reynolds

Going into the weekend of the quarterfinal round of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament, #1 Mark Reynolds is neck and neck with #2 Ed Baird.  A few weeks ago, one matchup was decided by a single vote.  Get your votes in before midnight on Sunday for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament, because every vote counts!

Daily Lift - Lowell North vs. Paul Cayard

Two National Sailing Hall of Famers clash in the quarterfinals of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament.  #1 Lowell North takes his work in the Star and Dragon Classes, up against #2 Paul Cayard, his allotment of keelboat World Championships, and a victory at the America's Cup. Pick who moves on to the semi-final matchups by casting your vote for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament today!

Daily Lift - Conner vs. Foerster

National Sailing Hall of Famer #1 Dennis Conner takes on #2 Paul Foerster for a birth into the final four of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament.  Conner and Foerster have two distinct sailing careers, which cover many different types of sailing.  Check out these sailors' resumes, and cast your votes for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament today!

"Greatest American Sailor" Weekly Podcast with Adam Cort

Greatest American Sailor Weekly Podcast with Adam Cort by US SAILING

Daily Lift - Melges vs. Tunnicliffe

#6 Anna Tunnicliffe is the only sailor to make the final eight in the Greatest American Sailor Tournament outside of the top two seeds in each area of the bracket.  This week she goes for a third straight upset against #1 "Buddy" Melges, the most dominating performer in the tournament thus far.  You decide who moves on.  Cast your votes for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament today!

Daily Lift - Mark Reynolds vs. Ed Baird

Two ISAF Rolex World Sailors of the Year go up against against each other to reach the final four of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament.  #1 Mark Reynolds, best known for his accomplishments in the Star Class, won ISAF Rolex World Sailor Honors in 2000.  He puts his career to the test against #2 Ed Baird, ISAF Rolex World Sailor of the Year in 2007.  Baird has won major championships everything from dingies, match racing events, sloops, keelboats, and the America's Cup.  Check out each sailor's complete resume, and cast your votes for who you want in the final four of the America's Greatest Sailor Tournament!

Daily Lift

In the final days of the Round of 16 in the Greatest American Sailor Tournament, National Sailing Hall of Famer, #2 Paul Cayard, is in a close contest with seven time World Champion, #3 Ken Read.  Cayard has had a magnificent career in sailing, ranging from America's Cup Racing to various World Championships in a variety of classes.  However, few sailors have dominated a class like Read, who has won six World Championships in the J-24 Class, including four in a row from 1991-1994. Decide who moves on to the next round of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament by voting today!

Daily Lift

Today's featured matchup in the Greatest American Sailor Tournament are both coming down to the wire.  #6 Anna Tunnicliffe, the deepest seed to make it this far in the tournament, is challenging #2 John Kostecki for her second consecutive upset.  Decide who moves on by casting your Round of 16 votes for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament today!

Preparing for shifts in the breeze: Building confidence and character through sailing

by Jessica M. Mohler, Psy.D., CC-AASP
Clinical and Sport Psychologist
United States Naval Academy

The summer is about to begin. You may have signed up for summer camps back in January or maybe just last week! But soon, school will break for summer, and we will all make the shift to a different schedule. Some of you may have your children in a sailing program all summer while others may choose one evening a week. In many parts of the country, there are several choices for sailing programs, whether it’s an intense racing program or part of a more diverse day camp. I was recently talking to other parents about summer plans for their children. A number of the parents had decided that sailing was an important skill to teach their children as we live in a boating community. The variety of plans for learning how to sail reminded me of the differences in sailing programs, and also how a parent’s own experiences influence those of their children.

Daily Lift

On the bottom left section of the bracket of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament, National Sailing Hall of Famer, #1 Lowell North, goes up against #5 Jonathan McKee.  McKee is among the two deepest seeds to make it this far in the tournament, and has a wealth of World Championships and Olympic Medals across a variety of classes.  Will it be enough to earn his second upset in a row and knock North out of the tournament?
On the top right section of the bracket, #2 Paul Foerster puts a legendary dinghy career to the test against #3 Terry Hutchinson, and his tremendous career in keelboats.  Check out these featured matchups and more, and cast your vote for the Round of 16 in the Greatest American Sailor Tournament!

Daily Lift

Since the start of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament, both #1 Buddy Melges (National Sailing Hall of Famer) and #1 Mark Reynolds both won their matchups with at least 77% of the vote.  Now they go up against National Sailing Hall of Famer, #4 Ted Turner, and #4 Jud Smith in the Round of 16.  Take a look at the diversity and prestige of the resumes of these tremendous athletes, and cast your votes today for the Round of 16 of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament.

Daily Lift

Two sailors with careers built on sailing keel boats are in a dead even matchup in the Greatest American Sailor Tournament.  #3 Terry Hutchinson squares off against #6 Peter Isler, and one of these keelboat masters will move on to the third round of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament.  The best part is that you get to be the deciding factor in who moves on!  Cast your second round votes today for the Greatest American Sailing Tournament before it’s too late!

Greatest American Sailor Podcast with Craig Leweck

Greatest American Sailor Weekly Podcast with Craig Leweck by US SAILING

Daily Lift

We’re almost at the end of Round 2 of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament, and #4 Jud Smith and #5 Tom Whidden have been locked in a stalemate this entire week.  Smith’s four World Championships in three different classes are put to the test against Whidden’s mix America’s Cup experience and World Championship victories in the Maxi Class.  This is your chance to decide who moves on to the third round.  Cast your second round votes for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament today!

Daily Lift

Multiple time Match Racing World Champions face off this week, in Round 2 of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament.  Both #2 Ed Baird and #10 Bill Hardesty bring extraordinarily diverse sailing career resumes to the table encompassing multiple World Championships across a variety of classes, Collegiate Awards, and America’s Cup Victories.  Take a closer look at the achievements of these world class athletes, and cast your second round votes for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament today.

Daily Lift

Gold Medalists #3 Bill Buchan and #6 Anna Tunnicliffe gear up for a weeklong nail-biter in the Greatest American Sailor Tournament.  Tunnicliffe has accomplished a considerable amount in a short period of time, but is it enough to overthrow Buchan and his accomplishments in the Star and the Soling?  Decide the outcome by casting your second round votes today for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament!

Daily Lift

In Round 2 of the Greatest American Sailor Tournament, National Sailing Hall of Famer, #11 Gary Jobson, takes on a seven time World Champion and two-time U.S.  Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, #3 Ken Read, fresh off of a victory over his brother in Round 1.  Check out how Jobson’s Hall of Fame career stacks up against a Ken Read’s slew of World Championships, and cast your second round votes for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament today.

Daily Lift

This week in the Greatest American Sailor Tournament, an America’s Cup winning skipper and National Sailing Hall of Famer, #5 Ted Hood, goes up against a 10 time World Champion spanning four different classes, #4 Dave Curtis.  This matchup brings together two very different sailing careers with sailors from the same time period.  Take a closer look at this matchup and others, and cast your second round votes for the Greatest American Sailor Tournament today!

Chalk Talk Nationals Edition - Final Episode

A sad farewell to the 2011-2012 College Sailing season as Chris and Jane publish their final episode of Chalk Talk, recapping the ICSA / Gill Coed Dinghy Championships and this year's All Americans and College Sailor of the Year.

From Chris and Jane: thanks for watching all season long and thanks to US Sailing for making this season possible!

"Greatest American Sailor" Weekly with Dave Reed

Greatest American Sailor Weekly Podcast Round 1 by US SAILING

Vote for the Greatest American Sailor at http://bit.ly/ussgreatest

Daily Lift

 What has four America’s Cup victories, five World Championships, four US Sailing Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Awards, and an Olympic Bronze medal?  The #1 seed Dennis Conner vs.  #16 seed Bora Gulari matchup in The Greatest American Sailor Tournament of course!  Decide who moves on by casting your vote for the first round of The Greatest American Sailor Tournament today.  Don’t forget that first round voting ends on Sunday at midnight!

Chalk Talk Nationals Edition - Team Race Recap and Coed Nationals

Chris and Jane report from the dock where College of Charleston just won the 2012 ICSA / APS Team Race National Championship. They recap the three-day regatta, complete with highlights and look ahead to the ICSA / Gill Coed Dinghy Championship, sailing June 6-8.

Congratulations to Tufts for having the most sailors sign up for US Sailing College Memberships. The entire team will be rewarded with sailing shoes from Sperry Top-Sider. The contest is over, but the benefits of a US Sailing College Membership are still available! http://ussailing.org/college for details and signup form.

Daily Lift

When siblings compete against one another at a regatta, it often leads to an awkward dinner after racing.  We’ve raised the stakes by putting two brother’s entire sailing careers and accomplishments up against one another.  Check out the first round matchup between #3 Ken Read and #14 Brad Read, and decide which sibling moves on to round two.  Cast your first round vote for The Greatest American Sailor today!

Daily Lift

What do Mark Reynolds and George Szabo have in common?  Each is a World Champion in the Star Class, and they are going up against one another this week in The Greatest American Sailor Tournament.  Which Star sailor has what it takes to move on to round two of the tournament bracket?  The best part is you get to decide who wins this #1 vs. #16 matchup by casting your first round votes for the first round of The Greatest American Sailor today!

Daily Lift

 An intriguing matchup headlines the Greatest American Sailor Tournament, featuring a classic superstar in # 1 seeded “Buddy” Melges against a young, up and coming kite boarder in #16 seeded Johnny Heineken.  Heineken has made quite a name for himself, winning a Kite Coarse Racing World Championship in 2011, but is it enough to upset the overwhelming force that is “Buddy” Melges?  Cast your first round votes for The Greatest American Sailor Tournament!

Chalk Talk Nationals Edition - Women's Wrapup and Team Racing Preview

Chris and Jane report from the 2012 ICSA Spring Nationals in Austin, TX. In this special presentation of Chalk Talk, the hosts look back at the Sperry Top-Sider / ICSA Women's National Semifinals and Finals regattas and interview this year's Quantum Female Sailor of the Year. They also take a peak ahead to the ICSA / APS Team Race National Championship, which sails Sunday through Tuesday.

College Sailors, you have until June 6 to get in the running for team-wide Sperry Top-Siders! Sign up for a US Sailing College Membership at http://ussailing.org/college and the team with most wins shoes for everyone!

Daily Lift

Today’s featured matchup of the first round of The Greatest American Sailor Tournament pits # 6 seed, Anna Tunnicliffe, against #11 seed, Steve Benjamin.  Benjamin has an impressive and diverse resume featuring Olympic medals and multiple World Championship titles.  Tunnicliffe is on pace in her career to possibly be the greatest female sailor of all time, and just might have the star power to win the whole tournament.  Cast your first round votes today for The Greatest American Sailor Tournament today!

Chalk Talk Nationals Edition - Women's Preview

Chris and Jane look at the Sperry Top-Sider / ICSA Women's Semifinals and Finals taking place May 30-June 2 at Austin Yacht Club in Austin, TX. There are 27 teams total: 18 compete today and tomorrow morning to see who will move on top Finals. The top nine from Semifinals will face the nine teams who won automatic Finals berths this spring at their district qualifiers. Also up for discussion: Quantum Female College Sailor of the Year.

It's not too late to win Sperry Top-Siders for your college team! You have until June 6 to get the most US Sailing College memberships: http://ussailing.org/college

Daily Lift

In 18 knots of breeze, Laser X is about 10 seconds early for the start, so her helmsman leans back and drags his upper body in the water for 5 seconds, effectively slowing the boat and permitting a proper start. Having witnessed this, a competitor protests Laser X. You are on the protest committee; how do you decide this? Come back tomorrow for the answer.

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Erik Storck of the U.S. Sailing Team Sperry Top-Sider is competing in the 2012 Olympics in the 49er class.  In 2004 Erik won the U.S. Youth Championship in the Club 420 Class.

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Craig Leweck shares the purpose of an event website: Provides competitors with event information in advance, communicates competition information to others, gives event sponsors a greater amount of exposure, and allows for archiving information.

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Jay Kehoe shares his perspective on Jr. Sailing in that it is essential that an organization's Learn to Sail Program receive the most funding and retain the best coaches. Would you build a house with your least expensive materials on the foundation?

US Sailing Statement on Kiteboarding Decision

Prepared by Dean Brenner, US Sailing Board Member and Chairman, Olympic Sailing Committee

Every four years, difficult decisions are made about Olympic sailing events. The choices made always leave some part of the sailing community frustrated and feeling, at least on some level, disenfranchised. I say this as a former Soling sailor who was quite upset with decisions made in November 2000, and a long-time keelboat sailor who did not agree with the recent decisions to exclude keelboats from the Games entirely. I know, first hand, how it feels to have the part of the sport I care most about excluded.

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In 2011 US Sailing supported and funded disabled sailing programs, including the USOC’s Military Sailing Camp for disabled men and women in the service.

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Learn about Vectran with Steve Maddox. Vectran is one of the newest high-tech lines made from liquid crystal polymer. It is made with very strong fiber with minimal stretch and no propensity to creep. It has excellent abrasion resistance and is not subject to fatigue like Aramids. The material has poor UV resistance so needs to be used inside a cover.

Summer Sailstice Sailing Celebration

By John Arndt

Summer Sailstice - June 23, 2012

What’s the point of a global sailing celebration?  The diversity and factions within sailing often seem to pit sailor against sailor competing for attention for their particular form of participation.  Summer Sailstice, now in its 12th year, is conceived as a way to unite this diverse and widely dispersed sailing culture by bringing visibility, showcasing the varied paths to participation – and having some fun getting all sailors to sail ‘together’ wherever they are.  

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Paige Railey of the US Team Sperry Top-Sider will be competing in the 2012 Olympics. The Laser Radial sailor is a three-time champion at the US Junior Women's Singlehanded Championship.

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Racing tip by Dave Perry - Avoid Denial: In most situations, you know if your start is going to be good or not by the final minute before the gun. The sooner you can realize you aren’t going to break on through to the front row; the sooner you can tack and head for the right, while looking for a better hole or a lane on port tack in clear air. Remember, no one can go anywhere before the gun, so use all the time before the gun to find a better position.

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Team Building - The closer your junior sailing program staff is, the better your program will be and the greater likelihood of your staff returning next. Building a close staff can be done by doing team building exercises during staff orientation, cookouts, staff outings, competitions, etc.

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Gary Jobson gives incite to yacht clubs. In regards to membership, clubs are tribal in nature and the emotional component is important to consider. People like the sense of belonging.

Chalk Talk Episode 10

In this regular season finale, Chris and Jane recap the ICSA Semifinals, qualifying 18 teams to the ICSA/Gill Coed Dinghy Nationals in Austin. Get yourself caught up before the Big Show, beginning May 30 with ICSA/Sperry Top-Sider Women's Semifinals.

College sailors: you have only two weeks to get your team in the running for Sperry Top-Siders! Get your US Sailing College Membership at http://ussailing.org/college. The team with the most members gets outfitted by Sperry Top-Sider.

Don't miss Chris Love Productions' coverage of the 2012 ICSA Nationals, Presented by Maclaren. More details at http://2012nationals.collegesailing.org.

Daily Lift

Nick Turney of North Sails gives you some tips on mast butt placement, before you can step your mast you need to make sure that your mast butt is in the correct positions. Your mast butt controls your rake; the angle of the mast in the boat controls the position of the center of effort over the center of resistance. Too much rake aft, or the shortening the distance between the top of the mast and the back of the boat will generate weather help while too little mast rake, or moving the mast tip forward will generate lee helm.

Sailing After College… What now?

By Caitlin Niemic

A year ago, I was a stressed out college senior who didn’t know what the future held for me after graduation.  I knew I had to enter the “real world” but wasn’t sure how.  Not to mention, this would be the first time in seven years that I wasn’t going to teach sailing.  After applying for what seemed like hundreds of jobs in my field, Communications, I thought wouldn’t it be great if I could just teach sailing year-round?  That’s when I began my search for a career in the field of… Sailing.

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When Anna Tunnicliffe won a gold medal in the women’s singlehanded dinghy (Laser Radial), she was the first American woman to bring home sailing gold in 20 years.

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Rainy day idea: Human Knot. Get a group of kids together, everyone stands in a close huddle and holds the hand of two different people but not of anyone directly next to you. Once everyone has two hands the human knot has been created! You must unchain the knot without letting go of each others hands. Have fun problem solving and team building!

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Dave Perry simpifies starts for us, "Just like buying a new home, the key to getting a good start is location, location, location."

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Junior Sailing Staff Selection: A competent staff is the cornerstone to a successful program. Staff is ultimately the benchmark by which the program will be measured. It is the front line, and interacts with users every day. Their effectiveness as leaders, friends, teachers, problem solvers, and role models will determine whether your program is worthwhile and memorable.

Chalk Talk Episode 9

The regular college sailing season is winding to a close, with the last few districts finalizing their Nationals spots.  This weekend we begin the post season with the ICSA Semifinals in Annapolis.  Chris and Jane give an in-depth look at this regatta and point out the teams to watch this weekend for the 18 spots to ICSA / Gill Dinghy Nationals in June.

College sailors, the team that brings in the most college memberships will be outfitted by our partner Sperry Top-Sider.  Tuffts University currently leads this contest, but there is plenty of time to bring your team into the lead.  Find more info about our special $95 four year College Membership.

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"There is no one right way to develop a strong foundation for your children, but by thinking about the values and ideals you want your child to build in the sport of sailing, you can be more confident that you are making the right decisions for YOUR family."- Jessica Mohler

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The U.S.A. is the undisputed leader in Olympic Sailing with a total medal record of 59, with 29 of those medals won over just the last six Olympiads.

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Building Effective class websites with Doug Stumberger: Know your users. There are a variety of people who will visit your site, including those looking to learn more, the casually interested, people on a mission to buy/sell or find crew, those participating in the class and you cannot forget family and friends!

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Dave Perry recommends to duck to escape if you need to. If you are on port tack heading right in search of clear air, avoid the temptation to leebow a starboard tacker! Unless you will be tacking into a clear air lane that you can hold for at least a minute, the tack to starboard is normally more costly than ducking the starboard tacker. Remember, if there is a port tack boat overlapped to leeward of you that is about to duck a starboard tack boat, she has to give you room to duck as well (see rule 19.2(b)).

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SunAWARE explains that UPF 50 (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) means that the material would block 49/50 UV rays.

Chalk Talk Episode 8

The season is already winding down with the final inter conference last weekend and the last of the Nationals qualifiers this weekend. Find out whose season is ending and whose is just beginning--even if you think you know, we've got a few surprises for you. Plus, the last Sailing World national rankings and the last Better Know A District. Don't be the last to know: watch Chalk Talk right now.

College sailors! Win Sperry Top-Siders! Sign up for your US Sailing membership at http://ussailing.org/college

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Dave Elwell emphasizes that every yacht club should host something that is unique and makes the club special, for example New York Yacht Club promotes it’s tradition for hosting signature events.

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At the 1992 Olympic Games of Barcelona, the Sailing venue was included as part of the Olympic Village for the very first time.

Sailing Fitness with Bow Down Training

On the Wire

By Chris Herrera

I had my first experience crewing a 49er in Palma, Spain with Erik Storck. I have previously crewed a 470 with both Stu McNay and Amanda Clark. Sailing on these boats gives me a feel for what the athletes go through. Although I have been building programs for athletes that both skipper and crew both boats for approximately six years, this was my first time actually doing the work on the boat.

In this blog entry, I will take this first-hand experience and incorporate what my body felt into the workouts I build, while giving you tips.

2012 NEISA Team Race Championship

By Kelly Stannard

The 2012 NEISA Team Race Championship was hosted by MIT at the Wood Sailing Pavilion on the Charles River in Cambridge Massachusetts this past weekend. This event determined which three NEISA teams earned berths to the ICSA Team Race Nationals. With twelve talented teams, racing was tight and the fight for the top three spots was intense. This was to be expected with the amount of capable teams sharing the similar goal of being in the top three. After a qualification round, teams were broken into a top eight and a consolation round, two full rounds of top eight were sailed before the final round of six.

At the end of the day Sunday, there was a three-way tie for first with the top teams all finishing with a record of 13-6. Boston College went 2-1 against both Roger Williams and Brown and Brown went 3-0 against Roger Williams. With these tie-breakers Boston College takes first, Brown second, and Roger Williams takes the third berth to the ICSA Team Race Nationals.

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Dodge Morgan was the first American to sail solo nonstop around the world aboard the 60-foot sloop American Promise. Mr. Morgan slipped into the port of St. George, Bermuda, at 1:31 p.m. on April 11, 1986, completing the 27,000-mile circumnavigation in 150 days 1 hour 6 minutes. He had sailed out of Bermuda on Nov. 12, 1985. The voyage — often through roiling seas and occasionally past icebergs — shattered the previous record of 292 days set by a British sailor, Chay Blyth, in 1971.

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No wind idea: Chase the coconut. You can use your normal sailing area and dump many tennis balls into the water. Explain that the goal is to collect as many tennis balls (coconuts) as possible. The boat with the most at the end wins! This helps students to practice their light air boat handling in fun, friendly competition. -Daniel Starsong

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Boat M’s request for redress is denied.  Rule 26, Starting Races, states that “Times shall be taken from the visual signals; the absence of a sound signal shall be disregarded.”

Chalk Talk Episode 7

This week the team recaps a wild weekend of women's qualifiers. We've got nasty weather, districts snatching Nationals berths, and a handful of stupid-fast sailors who trounced their competition this weekend. With only a month before Nationals, you'll also want to know who's left to qualify and make your predictions for this weekend. All that, plus Better Know A District, College Sailor of the Week and some funky tunes to guide you through it all.

Stop procrastinating! http://ussailing.org/college to sign up for membership now!

Results flash by too fast? See them in detail at http://scores.collegesailing.org

Want to see the latest team race rankings? http://sail1design.com

Daily Lift

Five seconds prior to the start, Boat M is reaching along the starting line awaiting the starting gun so she can luff to close-hauled and start the race. Five to eight seconds later, and still no starting gun, some boats luff to close-hauled and start.  Ten seconds later the gun sounds and M starts.  She finishes poorly in the race are requests redress under rule 62.1(a), Redress.  At the hearing the race committee chairman explains that the class flag was lowered precisely at the correct time but the shotgun misfired several times until it finally went off ten seconds late.  You are on the protest committee; how would you decide this? Come back tomorrow for the answer!

Sailing Fitness with Bow Down Training

Developing Functional Hiking Skills
By Chris Herrera


After reading that title you might be saying… what is functional hiking? In terms of fitness, functional hiking is the ability to hike for power and strength, while effectively working the rails and shifting.

When most athletes train their hiking skills they work on leg extensions, lunges, squats, and some plyometric exercises. All of these are good and will help develop leg strength and power translating into stronger legs. But the question still remains, will that help your hiking while sailing?

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Did you know that Betsy Alison has been voted Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year a record five times?

College Sailing Update

This past weekend the college sailing schedule was jam-packed with championships. There were five in-conference championships which determined berths to Women's Semifinals and Finals. These included the NEISA Women's Championship/ Reed Trophy was hosted by Boston College, MAISA Women's Dingy Championship hosted by Old Dominion, PCCSC Women's Championship hosted by Hawaii, SAISA Women's Champs hosted by Clemson, and the SEISA Women's Championship hosted by University of Texas.

Here is a quick breakdown of who qualified for Women's Finals (indicated by *) and Women's Semifinals from each district:

NEISA
1. Boston College*
2. Yale*
3. Brown
4. Connecticut College
5. Dartmouth
6. University of Rhode Island
7. Harvard

MAISA 
1. Georgetown*
2. Navy*
3. St. Mary's College of Maryland
4. Cornell
5. Hobart
6. Old Dominion
7. Washington College
8. Columbia University 

PCCSC
1. Stanford*
2. Hawaii
3. University of Southern California

SAISA
1. University of South Florida*
2. Eckerd

SEISA
1. University of Texas*

Another qualifying event took place at Western Washington, the top two teams earned berths to ICSA Co-ed Semifinals. Congratulations to University of Washington and the Oregon Ducks for earning the the NWISCA berths.

To see full scores of these events visit TechScore. 

Daily Lift

Junior Sailing no-wind idea: chalk boat relay. Divide the group into two or more teams, have teams line up around parking lot/ sidewalk, give the first person in each line a piece of sidewalk chalk, instructors call out a boat part, teams race to draw and label the parts! All you need is chalk and a space to draw on.

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Buddy Melges, who was inducted to the sailing hall of fame in 2011, has become one of the more successful and acclaimed racing skippers in the world. He has two Olympic medals; world championships in Stars (2), 5.5 Meters (3), E-Scows (5), and Skeeter Ice Boats (7); and an America’s Cup win as co-helmsman. He is also a three-time Rolex Yachtsman of the Year.

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Boat P is penalized under rule 10, On Opposite Tacks.  Under rule 21.1, Starting Errors; Taking Penalties; Moving Astern, S does not lose her right of way until she is sailing back towards the pre-start side of the starting line or its extensions.