Not long after starting this blog I wrote Where do flies go in the winter? which talks about the joys of winter sailing in New Jersey. In April I went to the Rick White Sailing Seminar in the Florida Keys and wrote Run Rabbit Run about one of my typically pathetic attempts to sail well when it really mattered. Then on the way back from Florida I sailed in the Laser US Nationals where I learned something about my Heavy Air Fear.
I don't often write profiles of my fellow sailors but in May a new member showed up at our club and everyone was asking "Who is that guy?" At other times it's the little incidental things that catch my attention which is why I was inspired to write about nipple rings and a sailor's vanity about his hats.
I find it hard to explain why I have such a passion for sailing but I made an attempt in Sailors' High. The thrill of competition is part of the attraction; at our Laser District Championships I really got hyped up about a one on one battle with a French sailor in England Expects. And of course the friendship of other sailors is one reason we all enjoy sailing; I tried to capture the feeling of this community of sailors in Conversations.
Volunteering to work on race committee is all part of the sport. It's not always fun or easy but it is rewarding work as I describe in Perfectionist. As well as participating in racing and race committee I have other roles in the sport. As Laser fleet captain at our club, I occasionally had to deal with sensitive interpersonal and ethical issues affecting the fleet as in The F Word and Bad Taste. And in the summer I worked four days a week as a sailing instructor. One of my young students summed up, better than I ever could, why we love sailing in Spectacular.
I can't help laughing at my own bad luck at racing. Even when I do well something like a Broken Gooseneck will conspire to rob me of victory. But most of the time I only have myself to blame such as in Duck or Dead Squirrel. In spite of my overall clumsiness and stupidity at this sport, once in a blue moon it all comes together and I have a good day as I did at The Regatta.
This is mainly a sailing blog but occasionally I write about my former life of work and my running; both made an appearance in Fruit of the Loom. This time of year (winter) it's all about frostbiting; and New Year's Day will see me back sailing again amidst the snow and ice as excitement mounts for the start of another year of sailing and blogging.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
Friday, December 30, 2005
100 Things About Me
1. I'm always late into any trend. This 100 Things meme started in 2002 or perhaps earlier.
2. I can trace my ancestors back to the 16th century when they were farmers in the English county of Rutland.
3. I used to be Laser fleet captain at Rutland Sailing Club.
4. My grandmother was married in India - but not to my grandfather.
5. Three of my grandparents worked for the London and North-Eastern Railway company.
6. I hate brussel sprouts.
7. One of my uncles was a champion swimmer.
8. I learned to kayak in the Boy Scouts.
9. I went to the same high school as Isaac Newton. They thought he was dumb and I was smart. (They were wrong.)
10. When I was a kid, a friend and I made a pipe bomb and exploded it. (I told you they were wrong.)
11. I also went to the same high school as Margaret Thatcher. It is a school for girls. I am not a girl.
12. At school I taught myself Russian for fun.
13. The college I attended was built 50 years before Columbus sailed to America.
14. At college I taught myself to program for fun.
15. I met my future wife at a fancy dress party.
16. I do believe in love at first sight.
17. In retrospect Russian and programming weren't that much fun.
18. I have only played my guitar in public once, when I won first prize in a classical guitar competition.
19. My 21st birthday present from my parents was a camera which I later dropped of a cliff.
20. I will play for gumbo.
21. I programmed the Y2K bug.
22. I didn't learn to sail until I was in my 30s.
23. I have skied on three continents.
24. I have never broken a bone in my body.
25. I have never broken a bone in anyone else's body.
26. I have broken a Laser mast and a Laser boom.
27. I once gave a speech in Brussels that was simultaneously translated into several languages.
28. I learned to sail on the Spanish island of Menorca.
29. I bought my sons' first Optimist from a man who had won a silver medal for sailing at the Olympics.
30. My wife has won every race in which she has sailed.
31. I sailed in the Sunfish World Championships in the Dominican Republic.
32. During the free rum night at a Sunfish North Americans I was elected to the Sunfish class board of directors without my knowledge.
33. I hate meetings but I like rum.
34. I once tried to test my own IQ but I was off the scale.
35. I always forget to put the toilet seat down.
36. I was once on the race committee at a Laser North American Championship.
37. Briefs. Not boxers.
38. I ran my first marathon at the age of 56.
39. I used to own a house that was over 300 years old and that previously belonged to David Niven's mother-in-law.
40. I am not allowed to donate blood in the United States because they think I might have mad cow disease.
41. I sailed in the Laser Masters Worlds in Cadiz, Spain.
42. I don't feel that my marriage is threatened by Elton John.
43. I started a junior Sunfish series.
44. When I retired after 30 years service with a stuffy, old-fashioned corporation I gave a speech at my retirement party on the theme of "Good times and riches and sonofabitches" while wearing a parrothead hat.
45. I started a Laser fleet.
46. My favorite animal is a llama.
47. I founded an annual Laser regatta.
48. I don't floss.
49. I have never owned a boat longer than 14 feet.
50. My boomerang won't come back.
51. I spent 3 summers teaching kids to sail Sunfish.
52. I have eaten swan, crocodile, snake and emu.
53. I spent 3 summers teaching kids to sail Optimists.
54. There's a guy in Canada with the same name as me who makes sculptures out of used car parts.
55. I am a US Sailing Level 2 Coach.
56. I have owned orange, white, blue, green and teal boats but never owned a yellow boat.
57. My sister is a Quaker.
58. At one stage I owned 6 boats at the same time.
59. I sailed in the Sunfish Worlds in Colombia.
60. I once tried to learn Spanish but I can't roll my r's.
61. I sailed in the Laser Masters Worlds in Cancun, Mexico.
62. I used to grind my teeth in my sleep. Now I do it when I'm awake.
63. I used to write a sailing column for a local newspaper.
64. I hate broccoli.
65. I drink white wine, red wine, beer, whisky, rum and brandy.
66. I prefer climbing a mountain to walking a city street.
67. My favorite spectator sport is baseball.
68. My Myers Briggs personality type is INTJ.
69. I am bad at small talk.
70. I've always wanted to learn how to spell Connecticut.
71. I don't like the taste of gin.
72. I like fruitcake.
73. I think that the drinking age should be 16 and that the driving age should be 21.
74. I have seen the Great Wall of China.
75. My favorite amendment is the First.
76. The Fourth is cool too.
77. My favorite TV show is West Wing (series 1 to 4).
78. I always eat all the food on my plate.
79. I like my car to be neat but my desk is untidy.
80. I am not obsessive (much).
81. I have the same birthday as George Walker Bush.
82. I have never owned a pet.
83. I've lived in the same house for 16 years and feel like it's time to move.
84. People say I look like my father.
85. I read and eat very fast.
86. I run and sail very slowly.
87. I hate Halloween.
88. I cannot sing.
89. There is a sign over my desk that says "I'd rather be sailing".
90. Don't blame me, I didn't vote for him.
91. Bad things happen to people that are mean to me.
92. I once won an award for rifle shooting.
93. I used to be very shy but I've mostly got over that. Now I'm just antisocial.
94. People think I'm arrogant. I'm not. I'm just smarter than you.
95. My wife says I'm more mellow than I used to be. It's not difficult.
96. I have a very strong sense of direction.
97. I hate asking for directions.
98. I wore a tie on Xmas day for the first time in over a year.
99. I have a bumper sticker on my car that says, "Cheat the Nursing Home. Die on your Laser."
100. I have discovered that one of the greatest joys in life is to see your grandchild's first smile.
2. I can trace my ancestors back to the 16th century when they were farmers in the English county of Rutland.
3. I used to be Laser fleet captain at Rutland Sailing Club.
4. My grandmother was married in India - but not to my grandfather.
5. Three of my grandparents worked for the London and North-Eastern Railway company.
6. I hate brussel sprouts.
7. One of my uncles was a champion swimmer.
8. I learned to kayak in the Boy Scouts.
9. I went to the same high school as Isaac Newton. They thought he was dumb and I was smart. (They were wrong.)
10. When I was a kid, a friend and I made a pipe bomb and exploded it. (I told you they were wrong.)
11. I also went to the same high school as Margaret Thatcher. It is a school for girls. I am not a girl.
12. At school I taught myself Russian for fun.
13. The college I attended was built 50 years before Columbus sailed to America.
14. At college I taught myself to program for fun.
15. I met my future wife at a fancy dress party.
16. I do believe in love at first sight.
17. In retrospect Russian and programming weren't that much fun.
18. I have only played my guitar in public once, when I won first prize in a classical guitar competition.
19. My 21st birthday present from my parents was a camera which I later dropped of a cliff.
20. I will play for gumbo.
21. I programmed the Y2K bug.
22. I didn't learn to sail until I was in my 30s.
23. I have skied on three continents.
24. I have never broken a bone in my body.
25. I have never broken a bone in anyone else's body.
26. I have broken a Laser mast and a Laser boom.
27. I once gave a speech in Brussels that was simultaneously translated into several languages.
28. I learned to sail on the Spanish island of Menorca.
29. I bought my sons' first Optimist from a man who had won a silver medal for sailing at the Olympics.
30. My wife has won every race in which she has sailed.
31. I sailed in the Sunfish World Championships in the Dominican Republic.
32. During the free rum night at a Sunfish North Americans I was elected to the Sunfish class board of directors without my knowledge.
33. I hate meetings but I like rum.
34. I once tried to test my own IQ but I was off the scale.
35. I always forget to put the toilet seat down.
36. I was once on the race committee at a Laser North American Championship.
37. Briefs. Not boxers.
38. I ran my first marathon at the age of 56.
39. I used to own a house that was over 300 years old and that previously belonged to David Niven's mother-in-law.
40. I am not allowed to donate blood in the United States because they think I might have mad cow disease.
41. I sailed in the Laser Masters Worlds in Cadiz, Spain.
42. I don't feel that my marriage is threatened by Elton John.
43. I started a junior Sunfish series.
44. When I retired after 30 years service with a stuffy, old-fashioned corporation I gave a speech at my retirement party on the theme of "Good times and riches and sonofabitches" while wearing a parrothead hat.
45. I started a Laser fleet.
46. My favorite animal is a llama.
47. I founded an annual Laser regatta.
48. I don't floss.
49. I have never owned a boat longer than 14 feet.
50. My boomerang won't come back.
51. I spent 3 summers teaching kids to sail Sunfish.
52. I have eaten swan, crocodile, snake and emu.
53. I spent 3 summers teaching kids to sail Optimists.
54. There's a guy in Canada with the same name as me who makes sculptures out of used car parts.
55. I am a US Sailing Level 2 Coach.
56. I have owned orange, white, blue, green and teal boats but never owned a yellow boat.
57. My sister is a Quaker.
58. At one stage I owned 6 boats at the same time.
59. I sailed in the Sunfish Worlds in Colombia.
60. I once tried to learn Spanish but I can't roll my r's.
61. I sailed in the Laser Masters Worlds in Cancun, Mexico.
62. I used to grind my teeth in my sleep. Now I do it when I'm awake.
63. I used to write a sailing column for a local newspaper.
64. I hate broccoli.
65. I drink white wine, red wine, beer, whisky, rum and brandy.
66. I prefer climbing a mountain to walking a city street.
67. My favorite spectator sport is baseball.
68. My Myers Briggs personality type is INTJ.
69. I am bad at small talk.
70. I've always wanted to learn how to spell Connecticut.
71. I don't like the taste of gin.
72. I like fruitcake.
73. I think that the drinking age should be 16 and that the driving age should be 21.
74. I have seen the Great Wall of China.
75. My favorite amendment is the First.
76. The Fourth is cool too.
77. My favorite TV show is West Wing (series 1 to 4).
78. I always eat all the food on my plate.
79. I like my car to be neat but my desk is untidy.
80. I am not obsessive (much).
81. I have the same birthday as George Walker Bush.
82. I have never owned a pet.
83. I've lived in the same house for 16 years and feel like it's time to move.
84. People say I look like my father.
85. I read and eat very fast.
86. I run and sail very slowly.
87. I hate Halloween.
88. I cannot sing.
89. There is a sign over my desk that says "I'd rather be sailing".
90. Don't blame me, I didn't vote for him.
91. Bad things happen to people that are mean to me.
92. I once won an award for rifle shooting.
93. I used to be very shy but I've mostly got over that. Now I'm just antisocial.
94. People think I'm arrogant. I'm not. I'm just smarter than you.
95. My wife says I'm more mellow than I used to be. It's not difficult.
96. I have a very strong sense of direction.
97. I hate asking for directions.
98. I wore a tie on Xmas day for the first time in over a year.
99. I have a bumper sticker on my car that says, "Cheat the Nursing Home. Die on your Laser."
100. I have discovered that one of the greatest joys in life is to see your grandchild's first smile.
Thursday, December 29, 2005
Boxing Day
Forget the Sydney-Hobart Race.These kids in England were having more fun than the Aussie millionaires on the day after Xmas with their home-made model yachts at the Setley Cup Model Boat Race.
Full details on the Yachts and Yachting website.
Blog Design Mistakes (continued)
Continuing yesterday's post about The Top Ten Blog Design Mistakes and how this blog measures up to these standards ...
Mistake #4 in Jakob Nielsen's view is "Links Don't Say Where They Go" like this one and this and somewhere else. I see his point. As he says, "Life is too short to click on an unknown." I hope I don't do this too often, though I probably am guilty of the occasional obscure link. I promise to do better in 2006. (Hope you liked my very accurate description of my link to yesterday's post in my opening sentence, Dr Nielsen?)
Mistake #5 is "Classic Hits are Buried". Nielsen recommends that the reader of a blog should have some "easy way to navigate to pieces with lasting value for readers outside your fan base". Ha ha. That assumes that the blogger in question has written something of "lasting value" and not just several years worth of self-obsessed drivel. This a highly dubious proposition for many blogs.
For example, what would be the classic hits in Change is Good which is simply an account of the loose change that the guy picks up off the ground? He's been doing it since 1998 and has been blogging about it since September 2003. Classic Hits? Would it be the post about the day he found a Canadian penny, or one of his fascinating This Day in Change Quest History posts or perhaps the day last week when he was "batting for the cycle with three quarters, four dimes, one nickel and twenty-six pennies."
But seriously folks, maybe our friend Jakob has a point here. From the sitemeter stats I see I do get a fair amount of hits from new readers every day and some of them do stay and poke around a few pages for a while. I think I can find a way to provide them with easy access to a range of posts that will give them a good sample of what I write and allow them to decide whether they ever want to come back.
Sin #6 is "The Calendar is the Only Navigation" in which the dear doctor pleads for sensible use of categories, a feature not supported by Blogger. Not much I can do about that without manually preparing some kind of index to the blog, but that doesn't sound like much fun. Any suggestions?
Indictment #7 is "Irregular Publishing Frequency". Nielsen recommends establishing a regular publishing frequency and sticking to it. On the other hand he says you shouldn't post when you have nothing to say. I know he's right. The blogs I check every day are those where I know I am going to see something new every day. In this blog I am trying to post something of interest every weekday at least. But it's tough. Sometimes I run out of new sailing topics and end up blogging about blogging. (Like now.) Or running. Or my new grandaughter. (Can I show you some pictures?)
And there tucked away at #8 on Dr Nielsen's list is "Mixing Topics". Ahah. The heart of the matter. Whether to write about anything and everything that a blogger finds of interest in his or her daily life. Or stick to some specialized niche such as "coins I found behind the vending machine in the office". Defining the focus of this blog more clearly is something I want to do. And it's a subject for another post on another day ...
Mistake #4 in Jakob Nielsen's view is "Links Don't Say Where They Go" like this one and this and somewhere else. I see his point. As he says, "Life is too short to click on an unknown." I hope I don't do this too often, though I probably am guilty of the occasional obscure link. I promise to do better in 2006. (Hope you liked my very accurate description of my link to yesterday's post in my opening sentence, Dr Nielsen?)
Mistake #5 is "Classic Hits are Buried". Nielsen recommends that the reader of a blog should have some "easy way to navigate to pieces with lasting value for readers outside your fan base". Ha ha. That assumes that the blogger in question has written something of "lasting value" and not just several years worth of self-obsessed drivel. This a highly dubious proposition for many blogs.
For example, what would be the classic hits in Change is Good which is simply an account of the loose change that the guy picks up off the ground? He's been doing it since 1998 and has been blogging about it since September 2003. Classic Hits? Would it be the post about the day he found a Canadian penny, or one of his fascinating This Day in Change Quest History posts or perhaps the day last week when he was "batting for the cycle with three quarters, four dimes, one nickel and twenty-six pennies."
But seriously folks, maybe our friend Jakob has a point here. From the sitemeter stats I see I do get a fair amount of hits from new readers every day and some of them do stay and poke around a few pages for a while. I think I can find a way to provide them with easy access to a range of posts that will give them a good sample of what I write and allow them to decide whether they ever want to come back.
Sin #6 is "The Calendar is the Only Navigation" in which the dear doctor pleads for sensible use of categories, a feature not supported by Blogger. Not much I can do about that without manually preparing some kind of index to the blog, but that doesn't sound like much fun. Any suggestions?
Indictment #7 is "Irregular Publishing Frequency". Nielsen recommends establishing a regular publishing frequency and sticking to it. On the other hand he says you shouldn't post when you have nothing to say. I know he's right. The blogs I check every day are those where I know I am going to see something new every day. In this blog I am trying to post something of interest every weekday at least. But it's tough. Sometimes I run out of new sailing topics and end up blogging about blogging. (Like now.) Or running. Or my new grandaughter. (Can I show you some pictures?)
And there tucked away at #8 on Dr Nielsen's list is "Mixing Topics". Ahah. The heart of the matter. Whether to write about anything and everything that a blogger finds of interest in his or her daily life. Or stick to some specialized niche such as "coins I found behind the vending machine in the office". Defining the focus of this blog more clearly is something I want to do. And it's a subject for another post on another day ...
Wednesday, December 28, 2005
Top Ten Blog Design Mistakes
Almost the end of the year, so time for some reflection and rethinking of my blog. It's almost 11 months since I started the beast so it's a good time to take a step back and examine what I'm doing right, what I'm doing wrong and what needs to change.
As a first step I took a look at Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes by Jakob Nielsen. Yikes. I'm in bad shape. On this scale I'm absolutely positively 100% guilty as charged on four felony indictments and kinda sorta strongly suspected of committing three more crimes; but I can definitely see reasonable doubt on two charges and hope I can be acquitted on a technicality on one count. Where's Mark Geragos when I need him?
OK. First the technicality. Nielsen's mistake #9 is "Forgetting you are writing for your future boss". I see his point. Some of the stuff in blogs would be highly embarrassing if dredged up from the Internet archives in five or ten years by a potential hiring manager. Need to watch out for politically incorrect language etc. Oops. Yesterday I used the B word to describe a female character in a novel. Try explaining that to some corporate human resources feminazi at an interview. Oops. There I go again. The technicality is that I am retired and don't plan to need a future boss. If I do work at all it's likely to be as a temporary sailing instructor or something similar and (a) since when was colorful language a disqualifier for sailing jobs and (b) what chance is there that your average yacht club is going to do that intensive a background search? Not guilty your honor.
Then we have mistake #10: Having a Domain Name Owned by a Weblog Service. OK. I have to plead guilty on this one. But why is this such a big deal? Nielsen appears to have two objections. Firstly he says that using a free weblog service like Blogger means that someone else "owns your destiny on the Internet" and then goes on to paint a scary future of degraded service quality and various "user-repelling advertising techniques" that the weblog service owner might impose on you. OK Jakob, life is full of risks, but I'll live with this one. Nielsen's second reason for disdaining the use of a domain name such as blogspot.com is that it is "the mark of a naive beginner who shouldn't be taken too seriously", the equivalent of having an aol.com email address. Hey Jakob, enough with the cyber snobbery. And by the way, please don't take me seriously, whatever you do. Geeze this is a blog, not the New York Times. (And lately a lot of folk aren't taking the Times all that seriously either.)
Then my lawyer will quickly move for dismissal of the first two charges, No Author Biography and No Author Photo. OK, the bio may me brief and the photo may be fuzzy but they are there. They may not be all that effective in building trust and credibility which is why Nielsen thinks they are important. But I hope that they provide some kind of image of a real person behind the words.
And now the jury must consider charge #3, Nondescript Posting Titles. According to Nielsen, "Users must be able to grasp the gist of an article by reading its headline. Avoid cute or humorous headlines that make no sense out of context." Ohoh. I'm in deep doodoo on this one. From Where do flies go in the winter? to More Dead Squirrels I am the captain of cute, the numero uno of nonsense when it comes to post titles. I thought it added to the humor of the post but apparently it's a no-no. But please note Doctor Nielsen, I have reformed; see the very informative (and boring) title of this post. But can I be relied upon not to backslide into my old ways?
Enough for one day. Court is in recess. Tomorrow the jury considers the most serious charges.
As a first step I took a look at Weblog Usability: The Top Ten Design Mistakes by Jakob Nielsen. Yikes. I'm in bad shape. On this scale I'm absolutely positively 100% guilty as charged on four felony indictments and kinda sorta strongly suspected of committing three more crimes; but I can definitely see reasonable doubt on two charges and hope I can be acquitted on a technicality on one count. Where's Mark Geragos when I need him?
OK. First the technicality. Nielsen's mistake #9 is "Forgetting you are writing for your future boss". I see his point. Some of the stuff in blogs would be highly embarrassing if dredged up from the Internet archives in five or ten years by a potential hiring manager. Need to watch out for politically incorrect language etc. Oops. Yesterday I used the B word to describe a female character in a novel. Try explaining that to some corporate human resources feminazi at an interview. Oops. There I go again. The technicality is that I am retired and don't plan to need a future boss. If I do work at all it's likely to be as a temporary sailing instructor or something similar and (a) since when was colorful language a disqualifier for sailing jobs and (b) what chance is there that your average yacht club is going to do that intensive a background search? Not guilty your honor.
Then we have mistake #10: Having a Domain Name Owned by a Weblog Service. OK. I have to plead guilty on this one. But why is this such a big deal? Nielsen appears to have two objections. Firstly he says that using a free weblog service like Blogger means that someone else "owns your destiny on the Internet" and then goes on to paint a scary future of degraded service quality and various "user-repelling advertising techniques" that the weblog service owner might impose on you. OK Jakob, life is full of risks, but I'll live with this one. Nielsen's second reason for disdaining the use of a domain name such as blogspot.com is that it is "the mark of a naive beginner who shouldn't be taken too seriously", the equivalent of having an aol.com email address. Hey Jakob, enough with the cyber snobbery. And by the way, please don't take me seriously, whatever you do. Geeze this is a blog, not the New York Times. (And lately a lot of folk aren't taking the Times all that seriously either.)
Then my lawyer will quickly move for dismissal of the first two charges, No Author Biography and No Author Photo. OK, the bio may me brief and the photo may be fuzzy but they are there. They may not be all that effective in building trust and credibility which is why Nielsen thinks they are important. But I hope that they provide some kind of image of a real person behind the words.
And now the jury must consider charge #3, Nondescript Posting Titles. According to Nielsen, "Users must be able to grasp the gist of an article by reading its headline. Avoid cute or humorous headlines that make no sense out of context." Ohoh. I'm in deep doodoo on this one. From Where do flies go in the winter? to More Dead Squirrels I am the captain of cute, the numero uno of nonsense when it comes to post titles. I thought it added to the humor of the post but apparently it's a no-no. But please note Doctor Nielsen, I have reformed; see the very informative (and boring) title of this post. But can I be relied upon not to backslide into my old ways?
Enough for one day. Court is in recess. Tomorrow the jury considers the most serious charges.
Monday, December 26, 2005
Whisperer?
My younger son gave me the "Boat Whisperer" for Xmas - two DVDs of Laser sailing instruction, although I haven't had a chance to study them in detail yet. (If Grandad sits in the corner staring intently at his laptop computer with headphones on his head, looking like a 1950s radio ham, he is not exactly contributing to the family's enjoyment of the Xmas spirit.) But, on initial examination, they appear to be a pair of excellent training videos presented by someone who is not only a champion sailor but is also an articulate teacher, Steve Cockerill of Rooster Sailing fame.
But Steve, why oh why did you choose that cheesy title? You admit on the video that Boat Whisperer is a reference to horse whisperers, those gifted people who know how to make horses do what they don't want to do. But for me, the title will always remind me of the book and movie of that name.
Prior to this year, I had managed to avoid the "Horse Whisperer". (Always thought novels about horses were for girls.) And as for movies with no action and a past-his-sell-by-date pretty boy like Eastwood or Redford playing some laconic dude who for mysterious reasons totally unrelated to his non-existent personality is incredibly attractive to a lonely middle-aged woman ... Pardon me while I throw up.
But for our long drive to Florida in April to attend the Rick White Sailing Seminar, my wife and I decided to grab some audio books to while away the long hours in the car. So I picked up some tapes from the library and threw in one chick flick tape to balance out the five male oriented spy and action novel tapes that I borrowed for myself. That's the kind of guy I am!
For anyone in the western world who hasn't yet succumbed to the megahype around the Horse Whisperer phenom, the plot is basically about a spoilt teenage New York City little princess who causes terrible injuries to herself and her horse in a riding accident, after which she is dragged to Marlboro country by her tightly wound over ambitious mother who is trying to persuade some cowboy equine Zen master with a talent for dobbin lingo to cure the, by now, totally psychotic horse. The mother is a self-absorbed bitch, the kid is a whining brat and the horse is just asking for a massive dose of sodium pentobarbital. Yee-haw.
OK - I won't reveal the rest of the plot except to say that it fills up six whole cassette tapes and not a hell of a lot actually happens. I-95 never seemed to be quite so long before.
In spite of the title, I do plan to study the DVDs in depth; I am hoping they will help with my ambition in 2006 finally to master sailing in waves. That is if I can ever get the discs back from son #1 who is currently behaving antisocially by ignoring the rest of the family while he stares intently at Boat Whisperer on his laptop, headphones jammed on his head looking like a 50s radio ham ...
Happy Holidays.
But Steve, why oh why did you choose that cheesy title? You admit on the video that Boat Whisperer is a reference to horse whisperers, those gifted people who know how to make horses do what they don't want to do. But for me, the title will always remind me of the book and movie of that name.
Prior to this year, I had managed to avoid the "Horse Whisperer". (Always thought novels about horses were for girls.) And as for movies with no action and a past-his-sell-by-date pretty boy like Eastwood or Redford playing some laconic dude who for mysterious reasons totally unrelated to his non-existent personality is incredibly attractive to a lonely middle-aged woman ... Pardon me while I throw up.
But for our long drive to Florida in April to attend the Rick White Sailing Seminar, my wife and I decided to grab some audio books to while away the long hours in the car. So I picked up some tapes from the library and threw in one chick flick tape to balance out the five male oriented spy and action novel tapes that I borrowed for myself. That's the kind of guy I am!
For anyone in the western world who hasn't yet succumbed to the megahype around the Horse Whisperer phenom, the plot is basically about a spoilt teenage New York City little princess who causes terrible injuries to herself and her horse in a riding accident, after which she is dragged to Marlboro country by her tightly wound over ambitious mother who is trying to persuade some cowboy equine Zen master with a talent for dobbin lingo to cure the, by now, totally psychotic horse. The mother is a self-absorbed bitch, the kid is a whining brat and the horse is just asking for a massive dose of sodium pentobarbital. Yee-haw.
OK - I won't reveal the rest of the plot except to say that it fills up six whole cassette tapes and not a hell of a lot actually happens. I-95 never seemed to be quite so long before.
In spite of the title, I do plan to study the DVDs in depth; I am hoping they will help with my ambition in 2006 finally to master sailing in waves. That is if I can ever get the discs back from son #1 who is currently behaving antisocially by ignoring the rest of the family while he stares intently at Boat Whisperer on his laptop, headphones jammed on his head looking like a 50s radio ham ...
Happy Holidays.
Friday, December 23, 2005
Excitement Mounts
The excitement is mounting. Only nine days to go until the yachting world's premier event, the regatta of the year, the big one ...
No, I'm not talking about the Sydney to Hobart Race, the next leg of the Volvo Ocean circus or whatever "act" is planned next in the endless America's Cup merry-go-round. We are talking about the 24th Annual Hangover Bowl at Cedar Point YC in Westport, Connecticut. Forget about your Melges 24's and your IACC yachts, your professional drivers and your over-coached kiddie sailors. According to the Notice of Race this event is only for "Laser sailors with pale face, haggard eyes, shuffling walk". With the first start at noon on New Year's Day it's pretty certain that I'll qualify.
And don't worry about any of those fancy handicapping rules, IRC, Americap, PHRF or whatever. The Hangover Bowl evens up the chances for everyone by using the WICB system, That is the Winner (of each race) Immediately Chugs a Beverage from the RC boat. It's amazing how quickly the alcohol works through the bloodstream to the brain when exercising in cold weather. I defy anyone to win more than 3 races under these rules.
And the Hangover Bowl doesn't have any of those pretentious European sponsors such as Louis Vuitton, Volvo or Rolex. You know they only sponsor sailing events because their corporate PR departments think it's the best way to persuade us rich American yachties to forget our natural prejudice against Euro-trash trinkets. Who, except an ex-hippie eco-nut, needs some over-priced solid metal box heavy with headlights and crumple zones plastered with stickers saying "Visualize World Peace" and "McGovern for President"? And why pay $3000 for a clunky yellow metal watch even if it is waterproof to 30,000 feet and will tell you the time accurate to a thousandth of a second in 27 timezones when you can buy one that looks just as good for $25 on any street corner in Manhattan?
No, the Hangover Bowl is sponsored, quite appropriately, by Depot Liquor - purveyor of fine products appreciated by every red-blooded American sailor such as Scotch whisky, Caribbean rum and Swedish vodka. As you may have guessed Depot Liquor donate the major prizes for this regatta which is why it is always contested so fiercely.
And forget about your studying your highbrow tactics and strategy books. They won't help you at all in the Hangover Bowl. Gary Jobson has never written on the best approach to starting the "Windward/Leeward or Leeward/Windward Race" where every sailor in the fleet has the choice on whether to cross the (same) start line going upwind or downwind. And you'll never find any advice in Stuart Walker's collected works on strategic options for the infamous "Come within Chug" race where, on the first downwind leg, you have to sail close enough to the committee boat to catch a beverage, drink the beverage, and deposit the empty can back in the committee boat on your way back upwind. (While 30 other hung over Laser sailors are simultaneously attempting the same feat.)
And these are only two of the diabolically ingenious races born from the fertile imaginations of the (equally hung over) race committee in previous years. God only knows what they will dream up this year.
So, all you New England sailors, recover your wetsuit from wherever you dumped it at the end of last season. (Your nose will guide you.) Find someone to lend you a Laser. (Hey, there are over 185,000 of them out there somewhere and at least 184,970 of their owners are too chicken to attempt yachting's ultimate challenge.) And set your alarm clock.
The 2006 sailing season starts in 8 days and 22 hours. Be there.
No, I'm not talking about the Sydney to Hobart Race, the next leg of the Volvo Ocean circus or whatever "act" is planned next in the endless America's Cup merry-go-round. We are talking about the 24th Annual Hangover Bowl at Cedar Point YC in Westport, Connecticut. Forget about your Melges 24's and your IACC yachts, your professional drivers and your over-coached kiddie sailors. According to the Notice of Race this event is only for "Laser sailors with pale face, haggard eyes, shuffling walk". With the first start at noon on New Year's Day it's pretty certain that I'll qualify.
And don't worry about any of those fancy handicapping rules, IRC, Americap, PHRF or whatever. The Hangover Bowl evens up the chances for everyone by using the WICB system, That is the Winner (of each race) Immediately Chugs a Beverage from the RC boat. It's amazing how quickly the alcohol works through the bloodstream to the brain when exercising in cold weather. I defy anyone to win more than 3 races under these rules.
And the Hangover Bowl doesn't have any of those pretentious European sponsors such as Louis Vuitton, Volvo or Rolex. You know they only sponsor sailing events because their corporate PR departments think it's the best way to persuade us rich American yachties to forget our natural prejudice against Euro-trash trinkets. Who, except an ex-hippie eco-nut, needs some over-priced solid metal box heavy with headlights and crumple zones plastered with stickers saying "Visualize World Peace" and "McGovern for President"? And why pay $3000 for a clunky yellow metal watch even if it is waterproof to 30,000 feet and will tell you the time accurate to a thousandth of a second in 27 timezones when you can buy one that looks just as good for $25 on any street corner in Manhattan?
No, the Hangover Bowl is sponsored, quite appropriately, by Depot Liquor - purveyor of fine products appreciated by every red-blooded American sailor such as Scotch whisky, Caribbean rum and Swedish vodka. As you may have guessed Depot Liquor donate the major prizes for this regatta which is why it is always contested so fiercely.
And forget about your studying your highbrow tactics and strategy books. They won't help you at all in the Hangover Bowl. Gary Jobson has never written on the best approach to starting the "Windward/Leeward or Leeward/Windward Race" where every sailor in the fleet has the choice on whether to cross the (same) start line going upwind or downwind. And you'll never find any advice in Stuart Walker's collected works on strategic options for the infamous "Come within Chug" race where, on the first downwind leg, you have to sail close enough to the committee boat to catch a beverage, drink the beverage, and deposit the empty can back in the committee boat on your way back upwind. (While 30 other hung over Laser sailors are simultaneously attempting the same feat.)
And these are only two of the diabolically ingenious races born from the fertile imaginations of the (equally hung over) race committee in previous years. God only knows what they will dream up this year.
So, all you New England sailors, recover your wetsuit from wherever you dumped it at the end of last season. (Your nose will guide you.) Find someone to lend you a Laser. (Hey, there are over 185,000 of them out there somewhere and at least 184,970 of their owners are too chicken to attempt yachting's ultimate challenge.) And set your alarm clock.
The 2006 sailing season starts in 8 days and 22 hours. Be there.
Thursday, December 22, 2005
Regatta Images
For those of you without access to Google Earth, here are some screenshots of the regatta on San Francisco Bay that I wrote about yesterday.
First just to orient you to the location, here is a view from about 17,000 ft. Berkeley Yacht Harbor is on the right of the picture and the yachts in question are the little dots sailing just to the north-east of the compass rose, about two and a half miles from the harbor entrance.
Zooming in to 2800 ft, here is a closer view of the race. There seem to be at least two different classes of boat.
From closer in, and a different angle. The boats in the center of the picture appear to be rounding a gybe mark. But where are the boats on the left going?
First just to orient you to the location, here is a view from about 17,000 ft. Berkeley Yacht Harbor is on the right of the picture and the yachts in question are the little dots sailing just to the north-east of the compass rose, about two and a half miles from the harbor entrance.
Zooming in to 2800 ft, here is a closer view of the race. There seem to be at least two different classes of boat.
From closer in, and a different angle. The boats in the center of the picture appear to be rounding a gybe mark. But where are the boats on the left going?
Wednesday, December 21, 2005
Sailing Regatta on Google Earth
Ever since I first discovered Google Earth I've been wondering whether it shows, anywhere in the world, a sailing regatta actually in progress. Last night I found a post on the Google Earth Community with a placemark that is believed to be a regatta on San Francisco Bay. Check it out. If you don't have Google Earth you can download it here.
But can anyone provide any more details as to what we are actually looking at here? Class of boat? Event? What the course is? Is it actually a race in progress? I know at least one of my regular readers sails this area. Comments please.
But can anyone provide any more details as to what we are actually looking at here? Class of boat? Event? What the course is? Is it actually a race in progress? I know at least one of my regular readers sails this area. Comments please.
Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Xmas Day Racing Fix
If you are one of those sailors who are always complaining that our sport doesn't get enough media coverage, then I have a Xmas present for you. Sail-world.com will be providing three hours of live streaming audio coverage on the web of the start of the Sydney Hobart Race. The broadcast will run from 11:30 am to 2:30 pm Eastern Summer Time (Australia) on December 26th. If my calculations at time and date.com are correct, this translates to 7:30pm EDT on December 25th in the Eastern US.
So give the kids their presents on Xmas morning, cook and eat your Xmas dinner in plenty of time, then gather the family around the computer for an evening of sailing entertainment.
So give the kids their presents on Xmas morning, cook and eat your Xmas dinner in plenty of time, then gather the family around the computer for an evening of sailing entertainment.
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