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Cruisers Can Fly Spinnakers Too!

So are you sick of your jib flogging around when you turn the boat down wind? Do you dread heading down wind because you know the boat’s performance will drastically suffer? Somehow the thought of the spinnaker is always nice, but when it really comes down to it, MAN that’s a lot of work! Not…

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Tides Track and Lazy Jacks!

Can’t afford a Boom Furler? Looking for an easier way to hoist, douse, and stow your main or mizzen sails? Well there are two products that you may want to look at. They are called a Tides Marine Strong Track and our very own T.R.C. Lazy Jacks (pictured left). I do realize that many people cringe…

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Time to Burn

Team Donfeng Racing has made it to Itajaí! Incredibly the mast arrived all the way from Dubai around the same time. Since Ushuaia, most of the race team has been replaced by shore crew for the delivery to Brazil. This allowed the regular crew the opportunity for some much needed rest and the shore crew the opportunity…

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AC and the VOR

Some big news in the two sailing events that will always have my full attention. The Americas Cup has announced the return of the classic (yet modernly equipped) J Class boats for the 35th edition of the Americas cup taking place in 2017, in Bermuda. This will add some class back into the highly modern,…

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Keeping Up with the Cup

The 35th Americas Cup will be taking place in Bermuda in 2017. Here it is March 2015 and things are starting to heat up… Dean Barker, a 15 year veteran at the helm,  was recently devastated with the news that he would be replaced by 24 year old Peter Burling as the skipper of Team New…

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Dongfeng Troubles

With the usual suspects, Team Brunel, Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, Donfeng Racing, atop the leader board; the Chinese team lost a halyard. This snag led to a night time trip aloft (eeeek!) and a position loss. 3rd place is currently being held by Mapfre, but with only 7NM as a buffer, the Spanish entry will need…

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Clear to Tack?

What are the options when considering a boat that tacks its own sails from one point-of-sail to another. Newer boats are being designed a bit more mast forward, with taller masts and bigger mainsails. These newer designs are predominately main driven and implement a smaller self-tending jib (shown below), which helps with pointing when going upwind. If you…

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The Crowhurst Scandal

Here is a really unique story that has surely left an everlasting impression in yachting history… In October 1968 the Sunday Times sponsored the worlds first single handed around the world race, The Sunday Times Golden Globe Race. This is the race that helped make Sir Robin Knox Johnston the sailing legend he is today. This…

Boom Brakes and Preventers
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Boom Brakes and Preventers

When sailing down wind we eventually may find ourselves having to perform the dreaded gybe.  Depending on conditions and wind strengths, this can be relatively painless or really scary. A violent gybe, which causes the boom to crash from one side of the boat to the other, can cause major damage. In some instances the boom…

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Anchors Aweigh

Sometimes in sailboat racing the guy that deploys the anchor first, pulls into the lead. Winds have been light and variable for most of this leg, as expected. However, the teams are nearing the final rounding mark and things may start “heating up”, as the teams begin to turn upwind  ~ see what I did…