Happy new year!

It's January, so the sailing season must be just around the corner, eh?!  Here are some news items:

⚓ Speed & Smarts - Dave Dellenbaugh is planning another webinar series.  It's in 3 parts, starting Monday, February 24, 8:00-9:45pm EST, and continuing for the next 2 Monday evenings.  The topic is windshifts, and Dave will cover persistent and oscillating wind shifts and how to use them to advantage upwind and downwind.  Does anyone want to get together for these sessions?  Speed&Smarts

⚓ North U Performance Race Week - There are openings for the North U performance race week February 24-28 in St. Thomas, USVI.  Cost is $2490 per person.  It's an intensive 5-day clinic designed to elevate your competitive sailing skills.  The curriculum covers racing trim, helming, and boat handling, with special attention given to tactical decision-making.  Participants receive on-the-water coaching aboard IC-24s, combined with comprehensive shoreside seminars and detailed video reviews.  Karen attended this last year and had a good experience.  North U Performance Race Week

⚓ ASA racing seminar - Karen and I have signed up for an ASA sailing/racing in-person seminar in Grand Rapids at Grand Rapids Yacht Club on Saturday, March 29, 9:00am-4:00pm EST, conducted by North U.  Cost is $149 per person.  North U. instructors will be one or two of: Bill Gladstone, Andrew Kerr, Dave Perry, and Mark Laura.  They will be covering racing strategy, tactics, and rules in this seminar.  Does anyone want to some along?  ASA seminars  

 

⚓ A1 - A new sail joins the Volant inventory this season.  Yay!  It's an A1 asymmetric spinnaker, designed for light-air close reaching.  It is a somewhat flat sail with a short luff, smaller in volume than some of the other spinnakers but larger than the Code 0.  I think it overlaps in functional windspeed and wind angle with the Code 0, but could be much easier and faster to handle for hoisting, gybing, and dousing.  Looking forward to exploring where this sail is advantageous.  Tradecraft topic post on sails inventory  

Old picture of chart plotter in upper left

⚓ Nav panel - When I remove the old chart plotter from the navigation panel, there will be a vacant space of approximately 7 inches high by 10 inches wide.  I (Chris) need creative ideas for something useful to mount in that space!  Got some ideas?  Let me know!  (Keep it clean, and inexpensive! :) 

⚓ Rendezvous - Let's have a crew party!  We can eat and drink and talk about sailing.  We deserve a mid-winter break!  Watch the Events page for details to come.