Equipment is nice,
but it is knowledge and skill that gets
someone to the top.

Browse around the site, and you will find a wealth of information and links, for sailors as well as for event organizers. There are of course some products here that are for sale, they are here to help support the coaching and coaching programs for youth. This is not trying to be a retail store, just a place to come to get information, ideas, and the occasional product that I find that really offers something extra.

2012 is underway...

The calendar flipped over, and suddenly a new year has started. Has it started without you? Do you have a racing and training plan? Is all your gear ready to go?

We have some new things for the new year, starting with our shoe reviews. We've been asked why we don't have shoes, the answer has been that there are too many choices in a water sports shoe, most at discount outlets. Now some old sailing friends have new things, and they may just be so good that you'll want to avoid the discount shoes. We have three that we have reviewed, from Sebago, Sperry, and Zhik, that have left our feet pretty happy. Click to read reviews below;

Sebago SPS Force 8
Sperry SON-R
Zhik ZKG

Sailing Watches are another item we have never carried. Our long-time favorite, the Suunto Yachtsman, has always been tied up with Suunto's overall marketing program, which pretty much prohibits smaller sites and dealers from carrying only one of their products. But in August of 2011, quite by accident, we ran into a new, less expensive alternative, called the Momentum VS-1. After 6 months of up-close, on-the-wrist time, we are really happy with it and have posted a review (click to read). And even better, if you are looking for a new watch, we will be stocking these early this year.

Packs; we all carry one, with our most important sailing and personal gear stuffed inside. And for coaches, its not an option, its needed to take all the tools and toys needed on the water out on the coach boat. We need waterproof, but real waterproof (a dry bag) makes the gear harder to get to... Enter a new pack, from a little company in Georgia call OverBoard. Not waterproof, but at last a pack with a real waterproof bottom, it looks like it can sit in 3 to 4 inches of water (normal in the bottom of the average coach boat) and keep everything dry. It also has a front pocket that looks like it will really protect things that we want to keep dry - wallet etc. We'll give this one a workout, and let you know how it fares.

And look for more Zhik presence, here, at our training camps, and on our sailors. The management team from Australia was there, along with their US importer, and Jim will have some new things to be able to offer his sailors.

International Customers shopping on-line here; Estimated Shipping will be added to all orders from Australia and Canada; for all others, your shopping cart will show $0 shipping, we will calculate the best rate and send you an electronic bill for charges before shipping.

Opti Splashes

Hike out, go fast, have fun!

That's how sailing should be!!

Some of our Training Sessions 2009 Training

June training sessions

On-Line Shopping

If you see something listed on our shopping pages and there is no "Add to Cart" button next to it, that means that we are out of stock. Simply drop us a note and we'll let you know when we expect to be able to ship.

Need to upgrade your youth program? Nothing like a fleet of new boats to get kids - and their parents - more excited about what you are doing. Jim can help, with Optis and C420s from Zim, as well as the right kind of advice and help to make your program better. Contact us.

The 2009-12 Racing Rules of Sailing Are Available On-Line

I Racing Rules for 2009-2012 are available on the ISAF web site. The link below will take you to an annotated version, highlighting the changes from the current Rules to make it easier to work through what is new. Note that additions are in Red and deletions are lined out.

http://www.sailing.org/tools/documents/RRS200920092012SHOWINGCHANGES-[6255].pdf

How Serious are You About Getting Better?

Jan 14, 2007, Rush Creek Yacht Club, Dallas TX, 10-12 mph winds, and 25° F: Some of my Opti training group that got in 4 hours sailing that day, the middle day of a 5 day training camp that totaled over 18 hours of sailing while the rest of Dallas was hiding from from the freezing rain and ice.

What are YOU doing to get better? If your idea of winter is sitting inside and waiting, then these sailors just got farther ahead of you. You can't catch anyone by doing less work. (And these kids will tell you that they all had fun - they all had on the right gear including waterproof socks - and will never be intimidated by any Yankee sailor's stories about frostbiting!)

(The fog in the background of the photo is the typical 'steam' cloud that rises above a lake when the air is much colder than the water, heat and moisture leaving the lake surface. Its common on lakes just before they feeze.)