Best Sailing Innovation Ever

"Best Sailing Innovation Ever" is the title of this month's group writing project. Your challenge, if you choose to accept it, is to write a few lines about what innovation, new idea, or invention has been most significant for the sport of sailing or has contributed most to your enjoyment of it. Explain what the innovation is and tell us why you think it is so significant.

You might write about some technical advance such as canting keels or GPS. Or perhaps you think something much more mundane has dramatically contributed to your boating pleasure... such as the class 2 trailer hitch, or Velcro fasteners on sailing gloves. It doesn't have to be a very recent innovation... perhaps you are a fan of Mr Cunningham's contribution to sail control, or of Mr Darby's idea for using a handheld sail mounted on a universal joint to steer a sailing craft.

It doesn't even have to be a technical innovation. If you're into race management maybe you think that the dreaded Black Flag is the best thing that ever happened for the sport. Or if your passion is Racing Rules you might want to write about how Rule 44.1 has revolutionized sailboat racing.

Whatever. Be creative. Be a maverick.

Same rules as usual...


1. Write a post on your blog on the subject of "Best Sailing Innovation Ever".

2. Once you've posted your story, let me know about it by sending an email to tillermeister@gmail.com including a link to your post. If you don't have a blog just email me the story and I will post it here. Please let me know about your post, or send me your story, before Saturday 20 September. Choose a unique title for your story please. We don't want a dozen posts all entitled "Best Sailing Innovation Ever".

3. I will post here two links to your story. Every day or so I will write a post listing any new entries in the project. Then at the end of the project I will provide a summary post with links to all of your articles about innovations, ideas and inventions.

Please participate in this project. Do it for fun. Do it to so that new readers will find your blog. Do it to show off your eruditeness. Do it to educate others. Do it to please me.

Oh for Neptune's sake, just do it.

Surprise me.