Survival sailing

Ed Jones

Secretary/Vice Commodore
Mid-winter is here, but that doesn't stop a lot of people from dinghy sailing. When one new fleet was forming in the Seattle area, they held a sail-off to decide which boat would be used. The sail-off was held in horrible weather in January, with gusts of 15-20 knots. They all wore wet suits, and had a ''wonderful time" blasting around. (The Capri 14.2 was the winner, and they made a group buy of 15 boats.)

Well, I'm way too old to be doing such stuff myself, but I'm sure there's a number of C-14.2 sailors willing to dare the weather gods this time of year. If so, we want to hear from you by replying to this message. Please tell us:

• What kind of winter weather are you willing to sail in?
• How do you prepare for it, via reefing gear, special clothing, etc.?
• Have you had any wild experiences you want to share with us?

Please don't think this message is meant to encourage anyone to do anything crazy. If anything, it's designed as way to share learning experiences, as in: Don't do the same dumb thing I did!
 

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