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SailingSmarter Feature Story
Volvo Ocean Race - Leg 1; Days 1-10 - Abridged Version
The 2008-2009 around the world Volvo Ocean Race began last week off the coast of Alicante, Spain. Eight Open 70's set sail with the first stopover of Cape Town, South African in their sites. They are now about 10 days into their voyage, and are just about to emerge from the dreaded doldrums, cross the Equator, and round the first scoring gate off the coast of Brazil. It has been an exciting start to the race, full of lead changes, boat breakages, sails being destroyed, and even some crew emergencies. Keep reading for the abridged version of the racing so far, but check out http://www.volvooceanrace.org for full updates. I recommend reading the emails sent from the boats, as you'll get the information directly from the sources.
Become a Better Sailor!
Preparation Happens All the Time
Brian Bissell of North Sails One Design puts together this nice article stressing preparation. He emphasizes that preparation isn't only something you do before a regatta, but it is a continuous process that constantly occurs before, during, and after an event or race.
Stay Ahead by Covering
"Why didn't you cover?" is often the first question you hear when you were doing well in a race but got passed by one or more boats from behind.
Mainsail Trim
Use these rules of thumb for mainsail trim as a starting point, then experiment with small changes to see what works best for your boat - from Ullman Sails
Light Air Upwind Gears
George Szabo presents this checklist of how to get the most out of your Star when the wind drops down a few knots. Very useful stuff!
Who's using the new SailingSmarter?
Central New York Lightning District
Lake Ontario Windsurfing
Waterfront in Barcelona, Spain
Recent Posts on SailingSmarter
2009 Sodus Bay Lightning North Americans!!
2009 Lightning North Americans
Here are some helpful links for the Sodus Bay North Americans, I hope to see you all there! You can email me at sarahcostich@gmail.com if you have any questions!! 
- scostich's blog
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- Read more
Luke Lawrence High School singlehanded Champion(who kicked my butt)
Willow Bank Yacht Club
Great video on how to use your laser controls
Volvo Ocean Race - Leg 1 wrap up
2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race
A lot has happened since the last update. A shattered boat for one team, a shattered record for another.
At the close of the last update, the fleet was heading south along the South American coast, waiting for a low pressure system to materialize and take them across the pond to Cape Town, South Africa. That low came, and provided an exciting ride for all. Green Dragon led the fleet south, hoping to find increased pressure as they got closer to the center of the low. Ericcson 4 and Puma cut the corner a bit, and made gains by doing this emerging as the lead two boats. Then it got exciting.
- jib's blog
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2008 Pennsylvania Governors Cup Lightning Regatta
The 2008 Lightning Pennsylvania Governors Cup Regatta was held the weekend of October 24 and 25th in Wrightsville, Pennsylvania. Susquehanna Yacht Club hosted the event, with sailing on the Susquehanna River. The river is dammed up a few miles down, creating a beautiful sailing venue that is more than a mile wide in the primary sailing area. 15 lightnings braved the grim forecast to compete in the event. After some very tight racing, Charlie Wardwell and team emerged as the champions. Charlie and crew may also be the champions of the Saturday night party, though those official results haven't come in yet.
- jib's blog
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- Read more
VOR Game
2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race
I joined the game! Now I just need some tips and want to hear other peoples strategies.. I know many of you are playing so I figured we could duke it out and discuss the game here.
Volvo Ocean Race - Leg 1; Days 1-10 - Abridged Version
The 2008-2009 around the world Volvo Ocean Race began last week off the coast of Alicante, Spain. Eight Open 70's set sail with the first stopover of Cape Town, South African in their sites. They are now about 10 days into their voyage, and are just about to emerge from the dreaded doldrums, cross the Equator, and round the first scoring gate off the coast of Brazil. It has been an exciting start to the race, full of lead changes, boat breakages, sails being destroyed, and even some crew emergencies. Keep reading for the abridged version of the racing so far, but check out http://www.volvooceanrace.org for full updates. I recommend reading the emails sent from the boats, as you'll get the information directly from the sources.
2008 Ithaca Frostbite Lightning Regatta
Central New York Lightning District
10/05/2008 - 13 Boats competed in the 1998 Ithaca Frostbite Lightning Regatta, the final one day regatta of the season for the Central New York Lightning District. The event was held out of Ithaca Yacht Club, on the western shore of picturesque Cayuga Lake. Jack Jones and team continued his fast sailing to take the top spot at the end of the day. It was not an easy win, as Dan Pope and Dick Hallagan were both in contention to win. Dan and team were tied with Jones after the final race but lost a tie breaker to finish in second. Dick Hallagan and team were two points behind to claim third.
Morning Light Movie! Watch the Trailer!
Check out the movie trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9TxerbH4Ek. It looks phenomenal. I know if I was home I would be checking it out. If anyone goes to see the movie or even wants to comment on the trailer please do!
Telefonica Teams Jump Out to Early Lead in Volvo Ocean Race
The first in-port race in the 2008-2009 Volvo Ocean race took place on October 4, marking the start of another edition of this round the world race. Many questions were answered about which teams look competitive, while many more remain. Winds were relatively light, and the two Farr designed Telefonica boats looked quite fast in these conditions. Telefonica Blue took the spot on the day winning both races. Telefonica Black took a 2nd and 3rd to claim 2nd overall on the day. Puma stands in third after posting a 6th and 2nd. Ericsson 4 lost a tie breaker with Puma after posting a 4,4. They claim 4th overall. Green Dragon came in close behind Puma and Ericsson in 5th with a 3rd and 6th. Delta Lloyd sits in 6th, Ericsson 3 in 7th, and Team Russia in 8th.
2008 Volvo Ocean Race Set to Start
2008-2009 Volvo Ocean Race
I am psyched! The 2008(-2009) edition of the Volvo Ocean Race is set to start. The race will be sailed in second generation Open 70's. The first generation of these boats that sailed in the previous edition of the Volvo showed amazing potential, though also experienced some growing pains. I'm expecting some amazing speeds, and hopefully a bit of a safer platform, during this time around. During the last go-around, several boats had engineering and build issues, including one boat (Movistar) that had to be abandoned due to structural failures and is now resting on the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. Nonetheless, this is a great event and is (in my opinion anyways) one of the few "around the world" sailing races that actually engages the public. Stopovers in multiple co