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The drama within the management of the US Olympic sailing program has exposed the real flaw within the structure of US Sailing. The Board restructuring about 10 years ago and the clear emphasis on promoting all things training over yacht racing now requires a wholesale change of some sort. Those who say the Sailing Team should be spun off are wrong, primarily because the only reason US Sailing is the congressionally approved NGB for the sport is precisely because of the Olympics. Two things need to happen, first, the entire Training division needs to be spun off into a wholly-owned for-profit subsidiary of US Sailing, and moved to its own facility in a warm weather place where you could actually teach sailing lessons instead of just being a licensing entity. There is precedent for this structure as that is how the US Professional Sailing Association was set up in the mid-80s. The second thing that needs to happen is that given the CEO knows nothing about yacht racing, there needs to be a Director of Yacht Racing who has knowledge, experience, and relationships within the wide spectrum of the sport. What we have now is the equivalent as if the Professional Ski Instructors of America running the US Ski Team. There is an abject lack of leadership and accountability from the President and the CEO. I do not know either of these people, and that’s because they make almost no attempt to become part of the family of racing sailors in the US. That neither of them has come front and center during this time of crisis speaks to their inability to provide the necessary leadership to right the US Sailing ship, Olympic or otherwise. Issuing an unattributed, typical too many words without saying much at all, bland, boring corporate...

On Sunday, the luxury yacht that ran aground and spilled fuel in a scenic protected bay on Maui was refloated and towed off. While salvors initially planned to deliver it to a pier in Honolulu, the vessel foundered and sank during the tow. On February 20, the 94-foot yacht Nakoa grounded on the north side of Maui's Honolua Bay, a state-protected marine sanctuary.The owner told local media that the yacht's mooring line parted overnight in a "freak accident," resulting in the boat drifting ashore. The yacht released diesel into the water when the bilge pumps activated, and the owner notified state and federal authorities that he was unable to pay for defueling.  The U.S. Coast Guard federalized the pollution response effort and hired a remediation contractor. Over the course of the week, the pollution-response team removed nearly 500 gallons of petroleum from the vessel by helicopter. Once this was completed, the Coast Guard turned the responsibility over to the state of Hawaii for wreck removal. More here....

The Environment Japanese authorities are preparing to release treated radioactive wastewater into the Pacific Ocean, nearly 12 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster. This will relieve pressure on more than 1,000 storage tanks, creating much-needed space for other vital remediation works. But the plan has attracted controversy. At first glance, releasing radioactive water into the ocean does sound like a terrible idea. Greenpeace feared the radioactivity released might change human DNA, China and South Korea expressed disquiet, while Pacific Island nations were concerned about further nuclear contamination of the Blue Pacific. One academic publication claimed the total global social welfare cost could exceed US$200 billion. Read on....

Listen, sometimes you just have to be in awe of incredible boats like this...And a shout out to Paul Eldrid and the boys at One Sails. The Spirit Yachts shipyard, a British specialist in high-end yachts, announced on February 27 a change in its management and the structuring of its capital.  30 years after the creation of the shipyard by Sean McMillan in 1993, the founder decided to step back gradually, leaving his role as CEO and becoming a design consultant and brand ambassador. He also sells part of the shares. The majority in the capital is now held by a group of Spirit Yachts boat owners, passionate about the brand. More here....

On March 3, 2023,  we’re one less boat on the starting line with the loss of Gonzalo “Old Man” Diaz. Loved by everyone he met, beloved Snipe sailor and past SCIRA Commodore, left an indelible mark on the Snipe world and Snipe sailors worldwide. Gonzalo “Old Man” Diaz, Sr., was born in Havana, Cuba, in 1930. In 1945, his father bought him his first Snipe (Rosi II, #3686), and three years later he stepped up to El Almirante #4835, which was also built in Cuba. It was 1952 when he first took ownership of Jupiter, #10111, a US-built Snipe, which he later managed to “squeeze out of Cuba” when the family left in 1964. (The story of sailing his family to Florida on this Snipe is just one of many not-quite-true legends about Old Man.) From his new home in Clearwater, Florida, he and the Diaz clan joined the local Snipe fleet and rarely missed a regatta. The family eventually settled in Miami, and all three kids grew up sailing Snipes and crewing for the Old Man. His long-time nickname is much more respectful in its original Spanish, “Viejo,” but that respect carries over to its usage by his many English-speaking friends. Read on....

The ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix 18-19 March will be the platform for launching reZHIKle, a program created by Zhik to recycle all makes of old wetsuits.  Working with UPPAREL, leaders in textile recovery and garment recycling, SailGP’s long-awaited New Zealand debut will act as the pilot for the new reZHIKle scheme, where people can drop off any brand of used wetsuits or skiff suits to be recycled or repurposed and used again.  Anyone who plans to attend ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix is encouraged to dig through your kit bags and bring your old wetsuits for recycling. Visit either of the Zhik booths located in the Race Village at Naval Point, or at the ITM New Zealand Sail Grand Prix Live Site, powered by Enable, situated opposite Te Pae Christchurch Convention Centre in the city center.  Each person who drops off a wetsuit and registers as part of the reZHIKle program will receive a voucher towards their next Zhik wetsuit purchase.  The launch of the scheme comes on the back of Zhik announcing their first equity Crowd Funding Campaign which goes live on 16th March. The campaign aims to raise AUS $4m to enable Zhik to continue investing in more sustainable technical apparel design and manufacturing processes for sailing and water sports. More here....