Our Thursday evening (7:30) April 15th meeting at the Maritime Museum will feature Dave Miller as our speaker. Dave has recently retired after 36 years at the helm of North Sails Canada. He has been a strong supporter of Tiddly Cove Yacht Club over the years and we are delighted that one of the first things he is doing in his retirement is speaking to us about the latest in sail technology. Dave also has a couple of videos to show us and time permitting, will be able to take some questions related to sail trim. As always, guests and any one interested is welcome to attend.

For our January 21st Meeting at the Maritime Museum we are pleased to announce that the presentation will be by: Dr.Douw Steyn Professor of Atmospheric Science Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences, UBC

Dr. Steyn's topic is "Wind for Sailing" • Scales of atmospheric dynamical phenomena and resultant wind patterns. • Wind patterns associated with synoptic scale weather features (airmasses, fronts, cyclones, anticyclones and ridges; typical BC inner coast conditions). • Local wind patterns encountered along coastlines, and around islands (how to exploit local wind patterns to your advantage.

This is a great way to start off our speaker's series and prepare for the sailing season.

The meeting will commence around 7:30PM with the presentation at 8:00 PM. Guests welcome. Entrance at south side door.

What's John got to grin about in this photo? Well, the other two gentlemen just happen to be Design Coordinator Mike Drummond and Consultant Tom Speer of BMW / Oracle, who were in town on Friday to field test some super-secret, cutting-edge sail performance analysis device, which is being developed by a local group, including our very own Rear Commodore Rob Murray.

In this case "field testing" meant that John, Rob and Niko got to go sailing with the two BMW/O crew, around English Bay! The new electronics were jury-rigged on one of Rob's old jibs on Avant and - I gotta tell you - they worked great!

What can I say? We 're moving up in the world...

The forecast was seas 9 to 10 meters with a storm warning with winds that had at times been recorded at 61 kts at the seaway entrance.

It gets better :-)
Full Story and Photos here >>

Check out what I found on on SailingX.

Glow-in-the-dark draft stripes. The same company, Glowfast, also makes sail tape, rope clutch labels, general purpose tape, safety signs etc etc.

Seems useful both for (a) safety (b) seeing your sail when racing in the dark. Mind you, as Tyler said, glow-in-dark tell-tails would be better :-)

You see it too, Don't you?

This is cool. Fancy Free has entered Round Patos for this weekend and Ian is carrying his SPOT™ tracking device on board, so we can track his progress, live on the web.

This little system seems to have great potential, not only for safety, but also for race tracking purposes. I heard that they may even be able to produce group pages, which track a whole bunch of boats at once. I am going to look into it.

I am a big fan of long distance ocean sailing - by myself - so this race suits my temperament very well. Also it is, quite simply, a great excuse to get in a little 'boat time' over the summer.

In this particular case, "a little boat time" means single-handing a Spencer 35 from Vancouver, to California, to Hawaii and back. Nuts! Think there would be some interesting stories from that trip? How about from his previous two TransPacs, in 2002 and 2004? Or a single-handed circumnavigation?

Meet Jim and Hear his Stories

This Thursday, March 19th, at 7:30.
TCYC's monthly get-together and lecture series at the Maritime Museum.

Profile

• PHRF rating: 201
• Yacht Club: none
• Homeport: Port Roberts, WA
• Occupation: Crane Operator, self-dumping log barge, Seaspan International
• Age: 49 - turning 50 during the race
• Jim singlehanded from his home near Vancouver B.C. to Hawaii and back with his previous boat in 1999. A fun time was had by all; particularly considering that he won every argument and was the hero of every story; life doesn't get any better than that. For this crossing he has a new boat, purchased a little over a year ago, which was promptly hauled out for an 8-month stem-to-stern, top-to-bottom re-fit. For the race Jim has outfitted Haulback with a new full batten main, roller furling headsail, asymetrical kites and twin headsails for heavy air downwind.
  He and Haulback are sponsored for the race by the management and employees of Washington Marine Group . They couldn't spare a towboat for the event so they're sending Jim instead!
• Special thanks: Washington Marine Group; Kyle, Lyle, the whole of the Log Barge Division, the Towboaters and other employees who were all so generous in their support. Thanks to my crew for trading weeks with me so I can have enough time off for the race. Barry, for his ideas and encouragement; Dave Miller at North Sails; Gary at DBC Marine Safety Systems; and everyone else who gave freely of their advice, even when they were wrong. Last but not least, my family, for living with an obsessed boat-nut for the last year or so.

Are you kidding me? These guys are racing across the pacific, thousand of miles through wide open ocean and they collectively manage to hit Fiji?

At least now I don't feel too bad about getting stuck behind Passage every time..

Well, here is something you don't see every day: a 70-ft ocean racer with storm jib and tripple reef.

Did you read "When the Going gets Tough" a few days ago? Well, it turns out that druing the attrocious storm in the Luzon Straights every single Volvo 70 ended up taking refuge behind the Philippines. A number of boats sustained serious damage actually - three have retired from the leg and even the ones still racing are "limping" with various broken bits - like their booms! or their forestays etc..

One exception: Telefonica Blue. Bouwe Bekking is my new hero. When every other boat was running for cover, these guys reefed down, de-canted their keel and plowed on.. amazing.. two nights of the worst conditions ever, 40+ knots against the Kuro Siwo current, whipping up 10 meter breaking waves.

...   ...   ... [ Read More >> ]

Next time you 're reluctant to reef because Tim is going to be making fun of you afterwards, think of this here picture and take heart.

This is the Volvo Ocean Race fleet, on the beat from Hell, from Singapore to Qingdao (China). VOR 70s. Arguably the toughest and most seaworthy racers in the world, no?

Yet, faced with sustained 40kt winds (gusting to 60) and nasty 30 foot seas, they are collectively running for cover into the lee of the Philippines..

Better yet, look at the fleet a bit closer, the red boat in particular..

Yes, indeed, this is mighty Il Mostro of Puma Ocean Racing turning back! They had problems with the boat on the last leg, almost breaking its back in the rough seas east of Sri Lanka. Perhaps they are a bit gun-shy now.. No official explanation yet. Stay tuned.

What do you think? Post your comments in the Forum

The Maritime Museum and Pacific Yachting Magazine are once again presenting their Ocean Cruising Adventure Lectures. Local sailors share their experiences and practical advice about sailing the world in small boats.

The five lectures will be held in the H R MacMillan Space Centre Auditorium, 1100 Chestnut Street, Vancouver. Single lecture costs $13 or $60 for five-lecture series. Seniors, Museum members and Pacific Yachting Magazine subscribers cost $11 per lecture or $50 for series (prices include GST). Tickets available after December 1. Lectures start at 8 pm on January 30, February 6, 13, 20, and February 27. Tickets may be purchased in advance by phone 604 257-8300, at the Museum, or on the evening of each lecture (doors open at 7 pm).

* January 30 - Glenn Wakefield set off to sail upwind around the world from Victoria and north of the Falkland Islands was picked up by the Argentinean Coast Guard.

* February 6 - Malcolm and Jackie Holt visited 25 countries between Canada and Thailand and share memories of people and land experiences.

* February 13 - Urs Boxler talks about a cruise along the central BC Coast.

* February 20 - Biologists, Barry and Amanda Glickman's trace Darwin's voyage, backwards. Galapagos Islands, Easter Island, Chilean fjords, Straits of Magellan, Cape Horn, Antarctica and more.

* February 27 - Anne Brevig and Martin Vennesland, authors of 9 Years on the 7 Seas, share experiences and favourite destinations on 61,000 NM circumnavigation 81 countries and island nations.

click on the link to download the poster for the series (PDF file)