Moondust Rising...
March in the mid-Atlantic means the countdown to sailing season is on, and (non-frostbiting) Chesapeake Bay sailors can start to emerge from the long darkness of the soul that is symbolized by boats in storage on jackstands. Moondust, the Beneteau 36.7 I share with a friend, is still under a winter cover at Herrington Harbor North, down in Deale. But plans for the sailing season are percolating, and launch is scheduled for late this month.
For most of the ten years we have owned her, Moondust has mainly been a family cruiser (we like to cruise fast and tweak things). But last winter I came to the sudden realization that I needed a little more challenge, and a little more fear, in my life. So I set Moondust up for shorthanded sailing and racing. To make the most of the Pandemic Summer, I sailed her north to Block Island with my two teenagers, where my wife joined us for a few weeks of family cruising around the Newport/Buzzards Bay area. Then everyone drove home, and I singlehanded Moondust back to Annapolis from eastern Long Island Sound. I couldn’t have been happier, even if had to ride out Tropical Storm Isaias in Bridgewater. I shot this 4 seconds of chaos at the peak of the storm.
I also managed to get in a few doublehanded races on the Bay, and start working my way up the steep shorthanded racing learning curve. The plan this summer is to do a lot more climbing on that curve, and there is plenty of opportunity as shorthanded racing on the Bay (and lots of other places) just keeps growing. Still undecided, though: whether I can pull off the 2021 Annapolis-Newport Race.
One reason that is undecided is that I will be joining my friend Steve on his Swan 44 The Rover, for the Block Island Race, and then the Marion-Bermuda Race. Plus, I have volunteered to deliver his boat back from Bermuda. So that is a lot of sailing. Don’t cry for me.
Stay tuned for the first big race of the 2021 season: the new double-handed race that is now featuring in the Annapolis NOOD series.
Hopefully, COVID will not sink all these plans (again).
AP over COVID Flag? The America’s Cup has been delayed by a COVID lockdown. We’ve waited almost four years; we can wait a few more days. New Zealand, unlike most nations, does what needs to be done to keep COVID at bay. Respect.
Lots of sailors bemoan the ever-changing designs and formats of the America’s Cup, often yearning for some bygone era. I’ve learned to simply take each Cup as it is, and appreciate whatever subtleties of design and tactics it brings. Along with whatever drama (there is always drama). I certainly had a good time reporting on the Cup in 2002.
This cycle, there is no question that the boats, the speeds they reach, and the nuances of sailing them well, keep me engaged. But as with every America’s Cup, there is one key question that determines above all others whether it is great sport, and sailboat racing, or not: are the boats at all evenly matched? If they are, strap in. If there is a meaningful speed delta, it will be pretty boring. And in the America’s Cup you just never know until they line up for the first time. That is a moment of real suspense.
Data To Live By: I like to keep up with what science says about how we should live if we care about the planet, and try to adapt my choices accordingly. Like: An individual’s fair share of greenhouse gas emissions (if we are to avoid climate meltdown) is 2.1 tons by 2030. Here’s how much different income groups need to cut their climate footprint to meet that target. Better get busy:
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Moment Of Zen: