I’ve been asking myself this lately: As we emerge from our collective pandemic fog (hopefully sooner rather than later), will we go back to the good old days of regatta sailing? Or will some of us each go off in a new direction, following a path forced upon us by the isolation and caution that came with COVID-19? In my last column (“Rebuilding a Team,” Winter 2022), I suggested that now may be a good time to think about our own sailing teams—they’re makeup and how we can rebuild them to meet new goals. But the second part of this is about defining new goals. For myself, I used this winter to think deeply about my sailing projects and my aspirations. My recent seasons as a professional sailor have been immensely satisfying, competing alongside committed owners and their crews, and doing cool events in amazing places. But over time, I also felt something was missing: I need to do something truly epic. I’ve been doing the checklist regattas, but what about the ol’ bucket list? Wouldn’t now be a good time to fill it? If not now, then when?

I suspect many of us have our favorite sailing events already lined up for this year, which is great. But what about adding in something different, something totally crazy and new? I also suspect we all have fantasies of racing in new events, sailing cool boats and going to exotic locales. Maybe now is the time to do more than dream about it. So, I challenge you to sit and wonder what you’ve always wanted to do with your sailing. Make a list of your secret fantasy events. Racing in the Caribbean is a must. Going to a world ­championship—in any class—is super cool. Sailing on a new foiling boat? Completing a long ocean passage? Taking up wing foiling? Oh, the options available to us sailors—there are so many.

I’m sure we all have these kinds of aspirations percolating in our minds, but it’s so easy to keep doing what’s familiar, sailing in the same class or on the same boat for a long time, telling ourselves that’s how we get better, how we get to the top. Yes, it’s more difficult to try something new, but the rewards of exploring what else is possible can help us improve in ways we never expected. We may have to make compromises to break away and put these desires in motion, like finding a new sailing partner, getting into better shape, sailing a smaller boat, or cutting back on something else.

I am. For 2022, I’ve chosen to reduce my pro sailing commitments to make more time for races on my own. Specifically, I have always wanted to do all of the classic ocean races. While I have done many of the big ones, including the Fastnet, Transpac, Around Britain and Ireland, and the Bermuda Race, this year I am entering the Rolex Middle Sea Race and the Race to Alaska on my own boats (both of them shorthanded). For the Middle Sea Race, I will ­campaign a 33-footer, not the larger, faster yachts I usually sail. The 650-mile course can be quite challenging, especially doublehanded, with periods of very strong wind and no wind. But I’m told the scenery is fantastic, including the volcanoes of Etna and Stromboli, and the competition is always top-shelf. The challenge of preparing a boat from thousands of miles away and somehow delivering it to Malta will be substantial.

And for the adventuresome Race to Alaska, I’ve entered my Riptide 44. The unique rules of this race will require me to remove the engine and figure out a means of human propulsion. The innovative course from Victoria, Canada, to Ketchikan, Alaska, can be completed either east or west of Vancouver Island. My plan is to take the westerly route, which will put Dark Star in the open North Pacific Ocean for more than 500 miles. This, by the way, is one of the roughest patches of ocean around. Why would I willingly do this? Because it is a crazy challenge that I find fascinating. And nobody has ever completed this route on a racing boat before. In 2023, I plan to do at least two more epic events, which means I will be paying the bills rather than getting paid, but it also means I can create the program I want. Bucket list, indeed!

If the last two years has taught me anything, it is a recognition of how much sailing enriches my life, and how grateful I am to have the chance to race as often as I do and be with our sailing friends. I’m excited to take myself beyond my comfort zone, embrace these new sailing adventures, and do something amazing. None of us knows the future, so I say let’s get on with the now.

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I was racing on an owner-driven J/70 at a recent regatta, and we were a little early while approaching the start. We luffed our sails to slow. Then I saw it: a boat coming in from behind with speed. We bore away to accelerate and defend our hole, but we were too slow to match its speed. The other boat, crewed by an experienced match racer, sailed close to leeward and luffed us. We tried to respond but it was so close, there was nothing we could do to keep clear. It sailed into our luffing jib and hailed “Protest.” We argued for a moment and then did our penalty circle, even though we didn’t feel we’d fouled. We felt we had done all we could to keep clear, but our chances would be slim in a protest, and more important, our social hour after ­sailing would be wasted in the protest room.

The experience got me thinking about the way we interact with our competitors. Yes, we got too close to the line and had to slow, and I should have seen them coming sooner, so there’s no denying we put ourselves in a vulnerable spot. However, my experience is that typically in this scenario, the leeward boat simply prevents the weather boat from getting a good acceleration rather than forcing them to spin circles. Knowing the tactician of the other boat, I should’ve been aware that a more punishing outcome was likely, but my mind was in the mode of friendly Corinthian sailing, not stick-it-to-them, eliminate-the-competition match racing.

I wondered afterward: What are the social rules of play for quasi-Corinthian classes like the J/70? Is it no-holds-barred, use the rules to punish the other guy racing? Or should the rules be applied to simply prevent boats from hitting each other? I have no problem racing either way, and I enjoy using the rules for tactical advantage myself, but I wonder if the racing would be more fun for everyone if top teams applied a softer approach?

I also wonder whether it’s necessary to do all you can to slow the boats around you at the start, even if it does not improve one’s own start? The situation I experienced is a common one: Two boats are overlapped approaching the line, and the leeward boat dictates when the weather boat can put the bow down and go. They can do this in such a way that the weather boat can still get off the line, albeit compromised, or they can try to crush the weather boat with a late and high-speed build. Why is it necessary or even desirable to do that if it doesn’t improve your own start?

And here’s another one to consider: Do we treat boats differently depending on who is on board? Personally, I tend to be a little more relaxed about rules compliance when the other boat is less skilled, but is that really the right attitude? Every class has an innate competitive spirit. Some classes are cut-throat, others are more casual. These are social rules, however, not racing rules. I believe it’s important to try to embrace the ethos of the class, even it means occasional compromises in competitive possibilities. In a grand-prix class, for example, it might be acceptable to drive another boat back in the fleet to beat them in the regatta, while in a grass-roots class, that might be considered a breach of etiquette.

I am in no way questioning the skills or ethics of the other team in my story. They were marginally within their rights to try to make us do a penalty turn, and they skillfully executed a very aggressive maneuver. But just because you can do something doesn’t make it the right thing to do.

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Vestas 11th Hour departure

Water is our element, our playing field, and we should acknowledge the importance of its purity. Sailing is an activity directly connected to nature. It’s a unique and deep connection. Sailors directly benefit from clean water, but we also have a larger responsibility to protect our right to clean water.

I’ve been lucky enough to race in venues with pristine racecourses. ­Sardinia and Antigua come to mind. But I’ve experienced places with significant water-quality issues, like Corpus Christi, Texas, and Rio de Janeiro. It’s a different experience. Sailing is not as fun in dirty water. The fish and birds aren’t happy about it either.

We know a lot more about where water pollution comes from, its impacts and prevention. Every venue has its challenges.

Preservation requires enforcement of existing laws, including the Clean Water Act. Businesses that profit from polluting the water should be held accountable. Rising ocean temperatures and acidification are ongoing concerns. Even my native Puget Sound is dealing with lost habitat, reduced salmon runs, agricultural runoff, and inconsistent storm-water management.

We are in a unique position to ­advocate for clean-water policies, and for each of us to do our small part. I have a responsibility to leave our bays, lakes and seas better than when I found them. It is a moral imperative for me to at least try.

For sailors, water quality is an expected issue and one that affects us both materially and physically. Think about doing more: Volunteer for a beach cleanup, donate money (or even better, your time) to a local nonprofit, and support commonsense enforcement and legislation. We might be competitors on the racecourse, but we must be on the same team to protect our precious playing fields.

— Jonathan McKee

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What a perfect day of sailing today! The conditions were absolutely magnificent, 13 to 18 knots, emerald green warm water, nice rolling waves. On the Division 2 course, we had three excellent races and were back at the dock at 3 p.m. The forecast is similar tomorrow, so everyone is excited for another beautiful day.

My biggest take away from today is the importance of finding the right mode to sail the boat downwind. We could keep the bow up and go fast, or we could try to surf the waves low, but as is often the case, the fastest mode was a combination of both. If the puff was on, it was best to keep the boat a little higher and faster and try to plane (assuming you are on a planning boat!).

Focus on maintaining that perfect heel angle of about 5 degrees through smooth steering, keep the weigh out and pretty far back, and trim the sails carefully. Then, when a good wave appears, you have the speed to ride it down, maybe initiated with a pump from both sails.

When it was a little lighter, we could not really plane all the time, so it was better to find a semi-planing mode. This meant the crew weight a little further forward, the rig powered up with backstay ease and a little vang on, and we accept a little lower boatspeed. If we see more wind to windward we could heat up to get to it sooner, but most of the time were were just trying to efficiently get down the run. We can still sometimes catch waves, but not as many because our speed is lower.

The most challenging time comes as the wave we are surfing starts to go past. There is a strong temptation to try to milk the surf as long as possible, keeping the bow down and riding the wave. The problem is that you end up getting too slow. Then you have to spend more VMG heating back to get to a speed where you can catch waves again. So it is much better to start to head up before the end of the wave, while you still have good speed. You miss the last part of the surf, but this is more than compensated for by the higher average speed and the improved ability to catch the next wave.

On a non-sailing topic, today is Martin Luther King Day in the United States. It is the day when we celebrate the values represented by Dr. King, who showed the world the meaning of courage and conviction in the face of overwhelming odds. King advocated for the rights of blacks and other minorities, but he did it in a way that was both forceful and non-violent. He helped to teach us that every human has the same capacity for goodness, and that discrimination in all of its forms has no place in this great country of ours. He fought it with dignity, with passion, and with an intelligence that got everyone’s attention. He is one of my heros, and in this time of uncertainty, I remember what he stood for.

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I’ve said it many times, it’s something you hear a lot around there: Key West Race Week is a long regatta. Five days and 12 races. It seems to go on forever, which is not such a bad thing. But is does cause one to think about how to maintain consistency and excellence for the whole regatta.

Obviously preparation is critical, because any weakness will eventually be punished. But the other thing that comes to mind is the concept of continuous improvement. This is pretty simple in theory: Getting a little bit better each day by careful analysis of the previous day. In practice, it’s a little bit harder, because we have to take the important lessons, but not get sidetracked by random events. Let’s look at what continuous improvement means in each area.

First is starting. You are never going to have a good regatta in a tough fleet unless you can consistently get off the line well. So you need come into the event with some basic skills, but then you need to work on starting each day to gradually improve both boathandling and time and distance. Fortunately, it’s not hard to practice, and I think if you put the time into doing a couple of practice starts before each race you will be well rewarded. As your skills improve, it becomes easier to consistently set up in a way that allows you a front row start.

Second is boatspeed. This is very important here. There is often a relatively steady wind, and more waves than wind, so you don’t want to tack too much. You have to get faster if you expect to get on the podium.

I think the key is to every day make a small step forward in rig tune, steering technique, weight placement, and jib leads. Copy the fast guys and don’t be afraid to make changes. The mistake many sailors make is to make big changes, when often a small change is more appropriate.

Thirdly, boathandling. This is actually the easiest area to make small gains each day. If you talk about each maneuver with your whole crew after the race, there are always ways to do it a little better. One second later on the spinnaker halyard, backing the jib a tiny bit on the tack, a little bow down on the spinnaker drop, it all adds up to seconds on the course, and those seconds can make a difference, especially when it gets really tight. Developing great boathandling does wonders for a team’s confidence.

Let’s hope we can practice what I preach when things get going here on Monday.

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The Rio 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition

I had the honor of coaching our American Nacra 17 team of Bora Gulari and Louisa Chafee at the Rio Olympics. It was a great experience on many levels, but I came away feeling that the coaching aspect of the Olympics is too dominant. Today, at a typical Olympic-class event, you’ll find that each sailor competing has his or her own coach boat, typically a 16-foot RIB with a 60 hp engine.

I’m not against coaching per se, especially if it helps the sailors improve, but I’m not convinced that hands-on coaching at major events such as the Olympics is necessary or warranted. It’s gotten to the point where having so many support boats on the water detracts from the sailors’ experience. Once upon a time, sailors had to get to and from the racecourse themselves and be self-sufficient once on the water. They had to carry their own food and water, have reasonable spares and clothing, and figure out their own tactics and strategy for each race. In other words, sailing should require and reward self-sufficiency, and today some of that is lost.

What are the alternatives to a coach boat for every sailor? I have a few ideas. Water, food and extra gear, for example, could be off-loaded to a neutral boat stationed on the racecourse. Race-committee boats could provide tows to the course if needed. Having fewer motorboats on the course would reduce wakes, distractions and pollution.

Why not put all the coaches on one boat, as was done in some past Olympics? It works in ­college racing. A coaches barge could be comfortable and well equipped but slightly removed from the racing area. Small communication devices, such as phones or two-way radios, could easily allow the sailors and coaches to communicate from the barge between races — or even from shore.

While it’s true that coach boats can serve as safety and support boats during training and regattas, this shouldn’t be the primary reason for their presence. The event organizers should have direct oversight of the safety fleet so they can manage it effectively.

I would support banning coach boats for all but training regattas. Certainly there is a place for coaching during training or practice regattas, to speed up learning, but when it comes to big events, let’s give the water back to the athletes and send a message that sailing is an athlete-driven sport, not a coach-driven sport. — Jonathan McKee

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Pierrick Contin

What a great week of racing it has been. The wind has been 10 to 20 all week, and the ocean off Miami provides a spectacular arena for sailboat racing. The fleet was also really strong. In the end, Embarr, Conor Clarke’s Irish-flagged team put in a dominant performance, scoring top 3 in almost every race. American Olympian Stu McNay did a great job driving fast and getting good starts, and his partner in crime Dave Hughes proved he is one of the top tactician in the world. [Eds. Note: the crew also included Maurice O’Connell and Aoife English.]

After Embarr, a group of six other boats were fighting for the podium. Brian Porter, the 2013 world champion had great races and finished strong to finish third. The Italian team on Meredith sailed super consistently to eventually hold their second place. Bruce Ayers’ talent stacked Monsoon team was always right there and earned a well-deserved fourth. Tim Healy and his team also sailed very to end up sixth.

Our team consisted of Bora Gulari, Charlie Smythe, Norman Berge, young Kyle Nevin, and myself. Despite only sailing together two days before the event, we gelled together well and started to sail pretty well at the end. We won the first race today and we fought back from an average start in the last race to cross the line third, enough to easily secure second place overall — or so we thought.

At the finish, we discovered we were over early at the start, so that dropped us to fifth. We were disappointed to be sure, but we sailed pretty well. I guess it is not our time yet. We have been top five in the last four Melges 24 world championships, but put together the kind of week that brings a victory eventually. We’re already looking forward to next year.

Melges 24 Worlds Top-Five Results: 74 boats, 12 races, 1 discard 1. IRL829 Embarr – Conor Clarke/Stuart McNay 2. ITA822 Maidollis 3 – Gian Luca Perego/Carlo Fracassoli 3. USA849 Throttle – Brian Porter 4. USA851 Monsoon – Bruce Ayres 5. USA820 West Marine Rigging – Bora Gulari

Corinthian Overall Results: 37 boats, 12 races, 1 discard 1. ITA778 – Taki 4 – Marco Zammarchi 2. EST790 – Lenny – Tõnu Tõniste 3. USA805 – Megan Ratliff – Decorum – Megan Ratliff 4. AUS812 – ACCRU – G. Nixon / K. Nixon 5. NED827 . Team Kesbeke/SIKA/Gill – Ronald Veraar

Complete results here: 2016 Melges 24 World Championships, FINAL RESULTS

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Pierrick Contin

It turns out the Melges 24 is quite a physical boat.

After sailing for six days in a row (one more to go), I think everyone here is a little dinged up. I can see a lot of bruises similar to mine when I walk down the dock. My crew has been counting down the beats. It started at 24, now down to 4.

The hiking is a little brutal on the Melges 24, requiring you to bend over the lifeline and extend your upper body out. But while I may complain about the physical toll it is taking on my aging body, I also think having an athletic aspect to the game is really good. I think it is healthy that you can work harder, whether hiking upwind or working the boat downwind, and your physicality can make a big difference in the result.

Sailing is thought of as a cerebral sport, and that is true and a good thing, but it is also a real sport, certainly at the Melges 24 Worlds, and I’m happy about that, too, even if I have to go to physical therapy next week. We intend to leave it all on the race course on Saturday, physically and mentally. Maximum effort, here we go.

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Pierrick Contin

I’m not ashamed to admit it: I am getting to be on the older side when it comes to high-level racing. One of the things I love is to sail with younger people (which is pretty much everyone) but especially really younger people. At this regatta we have 14-year-old Kyle Navin sailing with our team. He comes from a sailing family in Wisconsin, but he has become an accomplished sailor himself. But sailing in a world championship with Bora Gulari is something else altogether!

Kyle is pretty chill, though. He does not act intimidated or scared, he’s just himself, and when I ask him about the wind or how we can improve our spinnaker drops, he’s ready with a good answer. Sure, he has a lot to learn. His mentor Buddy Melges, when he learned Kyle was sailing with us, suggested that he start a notebook with the things he learned each day.

But the funny thing is, us old guys learn from Kyle, too, and we feed off his enthusiasm and energy. I really think this is one of the keys to our sport; the cross-generational blending of experience and passion that benefits everyone. How many sports can say that? In what other sport can a top junior compete realistically for the world championship? I can’t think of any.   The first time I won the Melges 24 Worlds, in 2005, I had a similar scenario. We had a good team fronted by James Spithill, but our weights did not quite work out. So we asked the locals in Florida if there was a good junior who weighed about 90 pounds. We got an enthusiastic response that Mac Angese was our boy. And he turned out to be great. He has gone on to be a first class skiff sailor, and I’m sure you will read his name in the future. We also became good friends with his parents. After all, we had to coordinate to get his homework done after racing.   Well, Kyle is getting his homework done, too. He likes math and is very good at it. And I am pretty sure you will eventually be reading about him in this magazine, too. And I think I am a little bit younger by being around him as well.

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Miami 2016 Melges 24 World Championship

It happens to everyone. They say if you are not over early occasionally, you’re not getting close enough! So how do you recover from being behind at the start? Today we had to return to restart about 40 seconds after the start, and in a 74-boat fleet that makes for a tough challenge.

First off, try to maintain some semblance of rationality. If the left has been paying big all day, it is quite unlikely that the right will all of a sudden pay just because you are way behind.

Secondly, unless the wind is very shifty, you need to get to an edge. This is especially true in a big fleet, where the middle of the course can get quite chopped up, with less wind and more waves (and usually more bad air). This is even more true downwind, where the middle rarely pays in a big fleet. This does not mean you have to overstand, and obviously going to the correct corner is better than going to the wrong one.

Thirdly, don’t give up. It does not always happen, but sometimes it’s possible to engineer an amazing comeback and get back into the top group. Maintain hope, even from the depths of despair at the back of the fleet.

Finally, maintain a sense of humor and humility. You will sail around some boats you may not often see, so it’s an opportunity to make new friends! And there is always the next race…

Our comeback today did not go as well it could have. We went too much up the middle on the upwind legs, where the air was bad, the sea state was worse, and the passing lanes were few, but we did make some new friends.

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