Pretty good question from our forums on the Golden gate race. I see that the winner of the recent Golden Globe race was sailing a Rustler 36. The second and third place finishers also sailed a Rustler 36, as did some others. My questions: Why this boat? What makes it good for a race like this? Are these the qualities that make for a good cruising boat? Jump in the thread here....
U.S. Coast Guard servicemembers at home and abroad are receiving back pay this week for their January 15 paycheck, which went unpaid due to the 35-day government shutdown. Thanks to an agreement between President Donald Trump and the leaders of the House and Senate, the federal government has been funded temporarily through February 15, giving Coast Guard families two more pay periods to prepare for another possible shutdown. "I know a lot of families are prepping and stocking up as much as they can with these next two paychecks, so it's a relief, but we're still not out of the woods yet," said Britaini Armitage, the wife of a coastguardsman stationed near Mobile, Alabama, speaking to local media. 42,000 active-duty Coast Guard servicemembers worked without pay between January 1 and January 25, marking the first time that members of the military have gone unpaid due to a lapse in appropriations. Unlike other federal employees, they could not quit to seek paying work elsewhere, as they are required to complete the terms of their military service. National and local aid efforts were launched to bridge the gap for Coast Guard families, with assistance ranging from loans and grants to food and diaper drives to community dinners. “It has been challenging, mostly for our younger folks that just joined,” said chief warrant officer John D. Rice, speaking to the local NBC affiliate in Corpus Christi, Texas. The starting pay for an enlisted coastguardsman is about $21,000 per year. Shutdown may resume President Trump has indicated that funding may lapse again if Congress does not provide $5.7 billion for a proposed border wall. The previous shutdown centered on the same demand, but the wall was not funded in the agreement to temporarily reopen the government. That agreement lasts until February 15, and members of Congress from...
The Volvo 70 Wizard rips across the finish line as the first monohull to finish at the Pineapple Cup. They finished a little over a day after Argo, the MOD 70......
The organizers of next year’s Olympic Games in Tokyo have decided to cut the number of spectators for the sailing events by a third so they can be quickly evacuated to higher ground in the event of a tsunami. The 2020 Tokyo Olympics organising committee had initially planned to allow up to 5,000 people to watch the sailing events off Enoshima island, just south of the Japanese capital, according to the public broadcaster NHK. They lowered the number to 3,300, however, after discussing tsunami evacuation measures with local authorities, NHK added. Thanks to the Guardian. Jump in the discussion thread here....
Steel Giraffe LLC is a custom container outfitter, specializing in the marine and yachting industry. We have developed systems and materials that result in the highest quality finish while maximizing interior usable space. Common projects include outfitting for workshops, sail/storage, or laboratory caliber workspaces and the customizable options are endless We are experienced in US and Euro power solutions, including lighting, outlets, and HVAC. We also install glass doors / standard doors, windows, and any other specialty item needed. Our clean and modern look coupled with our own industry experience sets Steel Giraffe containers apart from the competition. We handle all aspects of the build in-house, from purchasing the container, design and CAD renderings, outfit / build, to final delivery. Race trailers too!...
This video is from last year, and yes, we know it isn't a sailboat, but man, what a build!...
Next in Line: If fleet racing is a zen-like endeavor where sailors compete mainly against themselves while the opposition is a secondary consideration, team racing is a one-on-one match where your squad must work together in perfect harmony to take down the opponents. It is match racing multiplied by three. Don’t forget to check our out the S1D ICSA Pre-Season Team Race Rankings, complete with coach panel analysis, presented by Dynamic Dollies. The top team race teams have a star, an elite sailor that has the speed and boat handling to hang with the best and the leadership to boost younger, inexperienced teammates. The final-four teams have two of these stars and a third experienced skipper that has battled along-side the other two drivers at the highest level. The championship caliber teams have the full package. They have a superstar, the have a sneaky speedster, they have a scrappy team racer and 3 or more mechanically sound crews that know where to look and make their drivers omniscient. Read on....
Ice forms along the shore of Lake Michigan before sunrise on January 30, 2019. Kiichiro Sato/AP...
Class 40 #83 salvaged from Atlantic after being abandoned during the Route du Rhum last November, now in Falmouth. Great job by the salvage crew....
