Note: This Tuesday Piper Dunlap will oversee the servicing of two winches on Mustang Sally, starting ~5:00 p.m. Join in if you can. The plan is to take a short sail afterwards.

"Committee" awaits you.... Forecast is for glorius sun and light winds tomorrow.  Your CMR start time can be found at the link below. CMR2025PursuitStartsfri I would embed the .pdf if I knew how. See you on the water.  First start is at noon.  Sir Isaac is the scratch boat at 12:36:36. Roland

The PTSA Monday Dinghy Program is off to a great and enthusiastic start.  The PTSA Lasers have been out on the water on Mondays in May and this was supplemented by an on shore training evening at the Clubhouse this past Monday.  Paul Denison, co-leader of the dinghy series, fashioned a Laser simulator from his repurposed Timberframe home construction business "scrap-pile."  He lead more than a dozen participants through the intricacies of tacking and jibing a Laser:  proper positioning in the boat, how to transfer weight from one side to the other, how to handle the tiller and sheet. [...]

City Dock Start.... The Race Committee Boat is not available for this Saturday.  Davids Burrows and Wilkinson will start the final Nightcap race [TOMMORROW OCT 28, 13h00] from the City Dock.  Same routine as Friday night racing during the summer. Another great day of sailing in the sun on Port Townsend Bay.  Come one, come all. PTSA

Dun Laoghaire, Co. Dublin, 14th September 2018:Master Standard rig class entries on Day 6 of the Laser Masters World Championships 2018 sponsored by DLR on Dublin Bay.Photograph: David Branigan/Oceansport Let's Make Port Townsend Bay look like this! PTSA (Port Townsend Sailing Association) have recently bought some basic lasers to get people out sailing in dinghies.  This is for YOU! We are having a small gathering on Sunday to launch the lasers, and get people acquainted with rigging them. The goal is that in the future, members will be able to take them out independently. If you're interested [...]

  Patterns like this sometimes appear on Port Townsend Bay.  In this case, off the Fort Townsend mooring buoys.  The wind has recently switched from SE to NW; tide is ebbing.  What's happening in the calm "stream?"  Leave your answer in the comments section and we'll update the post with your observations.  

George and Anna Shaffer and Crew on their Hanse 30' There was an intimate meeting at the Clubhouse yesterday. George and Anna Shaffer regaled us with stories of Ketchikan, of 200 inches of rain a year, 100mph winds, and avoiding cruise ships with spinnaker wraps.  They own the Hanse 30 down at D dock and they made a most generous donation to PTSA.  Morgan Conrad from Andiamo Again, also a generous supporter, was there. John Lynes, Lucas  Hurt and Roland Nikles  joined in. We talked mark-roundings, chinese broaches, the August PTSA campout to Watmough Bay, and marveled at [...]

The Arctic Ocean, a mostly ice covered circular sea, sits atop the world like a skullcap.  Average sea temperature hovers around the freezing point for sea water (28.4 degrees Fahrenheit) and cold water flows along the sea floor southward generating ocean currents that serve as pistons for the planet’s climate engine. Five to ten miles aloft, polar vortex winds circle, periodically breaking out to bring a chill to populated North America, Europe, and Asia. For centuries European explorers and traders longed for and sought a passage through the sea-ice of the Arctic Ocean, looking for a northern passage from the [...]

Last Sunday an enthusiastic contingent of our Port Townsend High School Sailing Team ventured out on the water with PTSA to get an introduction to the Thunderbirds. Ocean, Noah, Holly, Fiona, Panya, Kai, Luca, Lhotse, Grace, and Zia, joined Roland Nikles on Falcon, John Lynes on Kuma San, Mark Blatter on Merlin, and Josh Wheeler on Corvo. It was a great day. Adventures were had, starting with a halyard mishap on Merlin followed by a mid-bay crew transfer. We learned that skills we use all the time in dinghys, but that many of us have never practiced on larger boats, [...]

Do you have a wooden boat?  Come on out for the PTSA Wooden Boat Buoy Run on Sunday, October 16! The schedule is as follows: 10:00am - Skipper’s meeting at the head of A/B dock in Boat Haven Marina. Printed material with the start sequence and course information will be handed out to skippers and there will be time for questions. 12:00pm –Start for 25’ and under boats off city dock. You will have 10 minutes to cross the start line. 12:15pm – Start for larger boats off city dock. 4:00pm –Bring a snack and beverages to share and meet [...]

  Kuma San charging to 2022 Bush Point win Four boats showed up to  start the 2022 edition of PTSA's Bush Point race.  The course runs  from City front to the mid-channel marker between Bush Point (on Whidbey Island) and the southern end of Marrowstone Island. It is the shortest of the four "distance races," a mere 14.9 miles. A sprint that would take an AC72 20 minutes to complete, barely affected by 4 knots of current. But for traditional boats--two Thunderbirds, a Robert Perry designed Bystedt 30, and a classic S&S yawl--the course presents old fashioned challenges [...]

Join us, Saturday July 23, for a Mystery Bay overnight excursion.  There will be an informal start off City Dock at 10:00 a.m, heading to I (buoy off Indian Point near Boat Haven entrance), to G (entrance to Kilisut harbor), and a procession  through the channel to Mystery Bay.  EVERYONE WELCOME! The tide will be  flooding all day, so the passage through the channel to Mystery Bay should be easy.  John Piskula reports that all of the channel markers have been reset recently.  CAUTION: there are some tricky turns and shallow banks.  He will await us in his dinghy and [...]

What a day! Sunny and warm with good wind. It was a great way to end the 2021 racing season. There was pizza and beer on the dock afterwards, the first after race party in a long time. Let's hope that next year we can do a lot more. Thanks to Steve Scharf and Roland Nikles for the good grub and drink. The final results are being tallied and will be posted here as soon as available. In the mean time here are some photos from the dock party. [...]

Race 1: 1 CORVO 2 DORADO 3 KOLUS 4 POSSUM 5 OWL 6 FALCON 7 KUMA SAN 8 RAVEN 9 BLEW BIRD RACE 2: 1 OWL 2 DORADO 3 CORVO 4 KOLUS 5 POSSUM 6 FLACON 7 KUMA SAN 8 RAVEN 9 BLEW BIRD Series standings will be updated sometime (hopefully soon).

If you've ever wondered what happens on the committee boat during a race here is a four minute time-lapse video for you. It shows leaving harbor, setting the pin, and up to the start of the second race.

In case you haven't heard, Blackbird Associates is matching all memberships, either new, or renewals, thru the end of December. Sign up now and help refill the PTSA coffers for 2021! Just click on the "Join/renew" menu above. Racing starts January 2nd with a fun race around the bay (weather permitting).

Races will be run from the Committee Boat. There will be two Classes, Thunderbird and PHRF. Thunderbirds will continue their two race, Windward/Leeward courses. PHRF will have a single "Random Leg" Course. A T-bird may choose to race PHRF - notify the RC. If only one PHRF boat checks in they will race with the T-birds. The Course for PHRF will be displayed on the top reader board, the T-bird course will hang below. To avoid interference between the two fleets, wind cooperating, PHRF will start first with the A Class flag and sail to a Windward mark further [...]

To all PT Thunderbird sailors: please come out this Saturday and celebrate the end of summer by joining in this one-day regatta. Racing starts at 12:00pm. There will be as many races as possible with a maximum of five. Weather is looking good. Pandemic rules apply.

By Roland Nikles Thunderbird 1177 "Falcon" More than seven million people live in the Salish Sea basin, which contains two of North America’s most vibrant and growing cities. We spend most of our time in a built world, in comfortable and safely constructed buildings; we travel on well-regulated roads in safe cars, with hospitals, ambulances, and police never far away; we might on occasion be inconvenienced by snow, but mostly we are not affected by adverse weather. We take the reliability of our infrastructure and supply chains for granted and expect a quick remedy when anything goes wrong.  The [...]

Items under the RACING tab have been updated and checked for the 2020 season. 1 Racing Rules of Sailing 2 World Sailing Case Book 2017 – 2020 (Interpretations of the racing rules using real world examples) 3 US Sailing - Safety Equipment Requirements - 2020 (Information about being safe while racing) 4 2020 Sailing Instructions for PTSA Races.  The most interesting part - Schedules and Calendar is re posted below. A paragraph by paragraph review of changes from last year can be found below the actual SI's. which are under the RACING tab.                 [...]

The PTSA wants to do our part to "flatten the curve" of the Coronavirus and so we are canceling the kick-off party scheduled for 3/19. In addition there will be no after-race BBQ's for the duration. We do hope to have a big end of season (and hopefully end of virus) party in November. For now the plan is that racing will continue as scheduled. We will revisit that towards the end of the month before the Whitecap Series begins as the situation warrants.

After the first race on 1/4 the wind gods have not looked kindly upon us. The last two Saturdays have provided a bit too much wind and cold for the fleet to venture out (although Falcon did sail on 1/11). Tomorrow's forecast calls for "SE wind 10 to 20 kt becoming S to 10 kt in the afternoon". Perfect! Several boats are planning to race. Please join in. Start time is 1pm. It's just over a month until the Shipwright's Regatta!

The Raven crew, during their trip to Boston for the Internationals, met a documentary filmmaker who is making a film of the T-Bird story. Filming is moving to the west coast this week with visits to Gig Harbor and Port Townsend.  The PT filming will happen during the race this Saturday, so it would be great to get as many T-Birds out as possible. You could be a star. And please remember that these races are for PHRF boats too.  Everybody is welcome and encouraged to race.

Many of you may know of Leo Goolden a boatbuilder, sailor and writer from Bristol, England who is currently living in Sequim and is "on a mission to rebuild a 107-year old English sailing yacht called Tally Ho". If you haven't seen his YouTube videos they are well worth watching.  Leo is sponsoring a casual small boat regatta/picnic this coming Sunday at Cline Spit, Dungeness Bay.  All are welcome.  It should be a blast.

There is an open board meeting on Tuesday July 9th at 6pm at the Northwest Maritime Center.  This meeting will continue the great discussion from the last one, but with the goal of coming away with concrete plans and defined responsabilites. We need your help.  Please consider attending. And don't forget, Racing starts back up on Wednesday!  After two weeks off, the Catspaw Series begins on July 10th at 6pm.  Remember these races are not just for the Thunderbird class.  If other boats come out the race committee will provide a separate start for them as well.

There has been some confusion about when and how many turns to do if you commit a foul on the race course.  Here is a brief synopsis from the Rule Book. If you foul another boat by violating one or more of the rules in Part Two of the racing rules you must do TWO turns.  The rules in Part Two are the basic ones like port/starboard, windward/leeward, hitting another boat, giving room to the inside boat at marks, etc. If while rounding a race mark you hit that mark you only need to do ONE turn. If you [...]

Since the days have gotten longer there have been requests to start the races at 6:00pm instead of 6:15pm, so we are going to give that a try.  See you out there for the first race(s) of the Midsummer Series.  Note that there will be a new committee boat - look for a Boston Whaler flying the race committee flag.

The Port to Port distances races scheduled for this weekend (5/18 and 5/19) have been cancelled.  No crew has reserved moorage at Port Ludlow as of today (5/16).  Other distance races still on the calendar will run as scheduled.  Apologies for the short notice.  If you have questions or comments please send them to webmaster@34.220.204.41.

The 2019 PTSA Racing Calendar is here.  Many thanks to Tulip Morrow for putting it together! 2019 Racing Calendar  

The annual end-of-the-year awards party and dinner will be held at the Pope Marine Building at 6pm on Thursday 11/15 at 6pm.  As in the past it will be a potluck dinner - please bring a main and a side dish to share.  Beer and wine will be available and there will be a slideshow.  This is always a fun event that provides an opportunity for each crew to relive their victories and decry their losses, to retell the stores of crashes and near misses, and to get excited for the new season starting in the spring of 2019. The [...]

The Port Townsend Yacht Club is sponsoring a boat parade and blessing of the fleet to celebrate the start of the boating season.  Everyone is invited to participate.  The parade begins around noon at city dock.  You can find all the details at their web site. And don't forget that leg one of the Port to Port race is this Saturday as well, starting at 2:30 (not 2:00).  So you could join in the parade then race to Port Ludlow!

Don't miss the first race of the season.  It will be a City Dock start at 6:15pm. Last week's kickoff party was a good time with an excellent potluck, some interesting speakers, and about fifty people attending. 2018 Season Kickoff Party

In support of Thursdays kick-off party and eager anticipation of the new season, updated SI's are available under the RACING tab.  Print a copy for the review at the party (someone said something about a quiz).

It's almost time to start racing.  But first it's party time.  All the information you need is on the poster below. We are looking forward to seeing everyone and having a fun start to the racing season.

Three trophies from last year's Shipwrights Regatta are still unaccounted for. The following boats won the missing trophies: s/v Tarani - Hook s/v Impossible Dream - Directional Helmet s/v Sorcerer’s Apprentice - Whack-o-meter   If you know of the whereabouts of these boats or trophies please contact Robin Mills (robin@nwmaritime.org).

Off Center Harbor has made a nice nine minute video about Thunderbirds and the Port Townsend Thunderbird fleet. Sailing Anarchy is currently featuring it on their site. Click this link to watch the video.   Screenshot of Sailing Anarchy page with Tbird video  

After an hour and a half of bobbing around, last week's race (9/23/2017) was cancelled due to lack of wind. This Saturday's wind prediction looks more favorable.  So let's get out there for the actual first race of the fall series.  Start is at 1pm.

Due to the schedule proximity of the Thunderbird Internationals and conflicting demands on resources the Tour-de-Bay race will not be run this Saturday. An attempt will be made to find a window in the calendar to reschedule it later in the season.

The weather looks like it will be great! There will be a barbecue party in front of Admiral Ship Supply after the race this Friday 5/19/2017 . Hotdogs provided, by donation, to support PTSA. Bring your own drinks. Don't miss the fun.

In case you have ever wondered how your yearly dues for PTSA are spent, here is a list of the major expenses since the beginning of the year. $200 - membership in US Sailing $775  - insurance $182 - web site $700 - race mark maintenance $200 - mailbox rental $200 - NWMC room rental $136 - licenses and taxes If you have already paid your dues for 2017 - thank you. If you haven't, please go to the "Join Us" page and do so now.  It will help to ensure that PTSA stays financially sound and that we can [...]

The Port Townsend opening day boat parade is this Saturday,  May 6th, 2017.   The parade celebrates getting out on the water regardless of size of craft or method of propulsion.  Hosted by the Port Townsend Yacht Club and the Northwest Maritime Center, all boating organizations and boaters are invited to participate. The organizing committee asks that all participants RSVP so that the organizing team can better meet the needs of those participating. You can get all the details at this page on the yacht club web site.  

After the Protection Island race, the Schooner Martha Foundation is going to host an after race BBQ at the Maritime Center for  the "Team MARTHA" race crew and families.  They would  also like to invite any and all PTSA Protection Island race participants to attend as well.  Anyone wanting to enjoy an after race cook out should bring their own BBQ stuff and share in the fun.  Martha will provide some basic condiments, the grill will be available, and the Maritime Center will be a great place to hang out.

Get ready for a great year of racing!

Two boats braved the chilly weather and rain last Sunday to go for the first sail of the new year.  It took a little while to remember which strings to pull, but it all came back in the end.  Everybody had a good time in spite of the weather and we plan to continue sailing on Sundays (unless the wind is too crazy).  We will meet up on "Tbird row" on A dock at Boat Haven at high noon.  All boats are welcome - please join in.   Blew Bird Thatuna  

There is one more race in the Fall Nightcap Series, then it is time for the end of year party.  This year it's a potlock.  Bring a main dish and a side or desert to share.  There will be awards, and a slideshow.  Stories will be told.  We will celebrate a great year of racing on Port Townsend Bay.  Everybody is invited.  Please join in.  Beer and wine will be available by donation.

As you probably know, or you may have suspected, Saturday's race was cancelled.  The storm warning that was in effect should have made it a pretty easy decision for the race committee. However, the RC was greatly embarrassed when the forecast high winds did not materialize in the bay until evening.   Let's hope for better weather next Saturday!

Two races are happening this Saturday. One is the opener of the PTSA Fall Nightcap Series on Port Townsend Bay.  Start time is 1:00PM.  Please note that this series, which was originally scheduled to be run on Sundays, has been changed and all races will be run on Saturdays. The other is the Reach for Hospice Regatta, which is a fundraiser for the Volunteer Hospice of Clallam County.  All of the details and a link to sign up can be found on the regatta web site.  This regatta is sponsored by The Sequim Bay Yacht Club.  

The Wednesday race series is going strong. These casual races are a great low-stress way to spend an evening on the water and practice your racing skills at the same time. Meet at the picnic table across from the yard office at Boat Haven to talk with other racers and help set the course. The start is at 6pm off of Indian Point, just outside the marina entrance.

There will be a gathering at the Northwest Maritime Center for the many people wishing to remember and celebrate the life of Ed Barcott. Date: Sunday, July 24 th.  Starting at 1.00 pm.   Couldn't resist re-running this - so typical.  

This is the BIG one.  Sail fifteen miles and never leave home waters. Start 12:00,  Skipper's meeting, foot of A/B dock, 10:00. It's all over by 18:00.

In order to celebrate a successful end to the spring whitecap series there will be a barbecue after the race on Friday (5/13/2016).  Food will be provided (paid for by donation).  Bring your own drinks.  The festivities will occur at Boat Haven on A dock near “Thunderbird row”. Please spread the word to other racers.

Jillian Crabtree getting ready for the Oregon Offshore. You may have seen Lady Eileen, a Baba 30, out on Port Townsend bay earlier this year.  She sailed in the Shipwright's Regatta, and some of the earlier PTSA races.  She is owned by Jillian and Barret Crabtree. They are currently in Astoria, OR awaiting the start of the 40th annual Oregon Offshore race, which starts on May 12th at the mouth of the Columbia River and ends at the entrance to Victoria Harbor (a distance of 193 miles).  This can be a very challenging stretch of water so I'm sure there [...]

Just in case you haven't read the PTSA Sailing Instructions lately, I will from time-to-time highlight a small section in easily digestible pieces.  Today's excerpt is about the start/finish line and when you can and can't go across it in a race. START/FINISH LINE Except when starting or finishing a race or completing a lap of a multi-lap course (or using “F” as a designated rounding mark)  DO NOT cross the START/FINISH line on ANY other leg of the course. NUMBER OF LAPS All courses are to be sailed once around, except when a numeral, such as “2”, follows the designation [...]

Saturday, May 7 marks the opening day of the 2016 boating season in Port Townsend, and the Port Townsend Yacht Club invites all interested boaters and rowers to participate in the annual Opening Day Boat Parade.  See this article in the Port Townsend Leader for details.

An updated printable schedule of events for 2016 is available for you to download and print (also available on the calendar page).  Don't miss any of the fun events planned for this year.

The first race of the spring Whitecap Series starts at 6pm this evening (4/1/2016)  at city dock.  Don't forget to check in with the race committee.  Please bring a radio and have it tuned to channel 68 so you can hear announcements.  If you haven't read the updated sailing instructions now is a good time :)  See you on the water!

This is the story of a boat that experienced serious structural damage from a very common type of racing accident. Hearing directly from one of the boat owners, this video from raceq.com provides a first hand account of how they turned a potential disaster into nothing more than another day on the water. https://www.youtube.com/embed/4afa0hc0i1U  

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Mike Roth and Nam Sui back at the surface after reinstalling the City Dock race mark. Photo by Satch Yarbrough. 1) A big thanks to Satch, Jon, Mike Roth and Nam Siu who re-installed the City Dock race mark used as the pin to start many recent PTSA races. Satch had the location on his GPS and the diver's were able to locate the anchor almost immediately. Mike once again proved his talent as a diver by attaching the 1"+ three strand rode with a splice and a bowline, all done in 60+ feet of water. Now if [...]

Racing news from Michael Machette, fleet captain of our largest local one-design fleet, the T37’s. Dan Newland’s T37 fresh out of the paint shop. It was a beautiful day to be on the water’s edge. The forecast proved out as advertised: 5-8 knots of steady (±) wind, nearly 70° and lots of sun. We had a small showing; maybe summer vacations are taking their toll. Nevertheless it was a good regatta and fun was had. Plenty of visitors and some expressions of interest, so maybe we’ll continue to see fleet growth (42 fleet members now). Since both fleets [...]

Twist can lower and reduce your sail plan. Vang Sheeting is a term that describes a method, on windier days, of controlling the up and down movement of your boom (mainsail twist) by setting the boom vang and then controlling the in and out movement via the main sheet – big puff = ease the main sheet.  The alternative, traveler sheeting, uses the mainsheet to control twist and the traveler to control in and out motion – big puff = lower the traveler. Which is better?  As with most sail trim questions, the answer is “it depends”.  Here [...]

Not sure if there is a race this day, but there should be....   http://www.bartsbash.co.uk/

From Vermont Sailing Partners Remove sails from boat - Don't leave them on boom/furling system all winter.  Leaving the sails exposed to the elements is a sure way of shortening their life. Inspect the sails for minor damage as you are removing them. Mainsail - Look for broken luff slides and shackles, worn webbing, loose or worn stitching, broken or missing battens, torn batten pockets, luff or reef midpoint grommets that are pulling out.  When checking over the stitching, look closely at the seams, particularly near the head, clew and leech.  Also check the leech tape and leechline for wear [...]

Halsey Herreshoff Thursday, Oct 3, 6:15 PM Northwest Maritime Center Distinguished as the most active America’s Cup sailor during the 12 Meter era, for over 25 years Halsey Herreshoff was bowman, crew boss, or navigator in six campaigns and sailed in four America’s Cup matches. The Northwest Maritime Center & Wooden Boat Foundation is pleased to host this special presentation with a veteran worldwide sailor, member of America’s Cup Hall of Fame, and third generation Herreshoff naval architect and engineer. Herreshoff’s presentation will review a brief history of the America’s Cup, this year’s AC competition finals (September 7-21), [...]

More Dorade videos on YouTube. It’s not over yet, but due to this atypical weather pattern the S&S 52-foot wood yawl Dorade will likely win the race overall in corrected time, a repeat of her victory in 1936. Impeccably renovated and maintained, her victory may be aesthetically pleasing for the classic boat crowd but will not be a fluke: with a pro-level crew and weeks of sail testing and training, her achievement is the result of having all the right elements of preparation, execution and luck with weather come together. […]

  The chase boat first made contact with Jeanne about 11pm off of Race Rocks.  She had about 7.5 NM to go to the line.  There were light variable winds of about 3 to 7 knots and the flood was just ending.  It took until about 2:30 am to reach the line at the breakwater.  After crossing the line, we took her in tow to the inner harbor and arrived at about 3:00.  Ian Grant from the Ocean Cruising Club and the Royal Victoria Yacht Club was acting as official timer as Tony Gooch was away sailing to Europe.  The [...]

Jeanne Socrates arrived about 2:30 AM local time July 8 in Victoria.

Full screen is better.

via Anarchy

via Pressure Drop

I look forward to this regatta every year for many reasons.  First of all Stuart Sinclair leaves a legacy of Awesome!  R.I.P. good friend. Mats Elf ordered a new mast to replace his bent one at the beginning of the year, and the delivery was delayed for whatever reason, but the target was to go for this regatta.  It was supposed to arrive FedEx on Wednesday.  On the way to work I heard on the radio that a FedEx truck had capsized on the I-5 and exploded in flames (just our luck).  Fortunately, that was not the truck with our mast [...]

This 47-minute documentary originally aired as part of the "Sea Tales" series on A&E. It tells a little-known story about a band of young yachtsmen and fishermen who were recruited during World War II to help protect the United States' East coast from Hitler's deadly fleet of Nazi U-Boats.  The sailors were sent out to find and confront the U-Boats equipped only with antique machine guns mounted on wooden recreational sailboats that were put into service so quickly the grey paint was still wet when they left the docks. Via the National Sailing Hall of Fame

  26+ knots downwind in a 40 knot breeze, no chute. More at Lectronic Latitude and www.pbyc.org.

Clip La Solitaire du Figaro - Eric Bompard... by lasolitairedufigaro

  Race documents are here.

Capt. Nat's offset machine is even cooler.

Call To Action This is an urgent message from the Recreational Boating Association of Washington (RBAW). Last session, the Legislature raided $3.3M from the boaters’ $9.7M un-refunded gas tax funds (the Recreation Resource Account) that are dedicated to launch ramps and other related water-access projects for boaters around the State. Please email your Legislators now asking them to restore the Recreation Resource Account in the Capital Budget to its dedicated $9.7M level. The process to send emails is easy and just takes a minute. Please click on the link below to log in and send a message to your Legislators. [...]

70 year old, solo circumnavigator Jeanne Socrates passed the halfway mark last week south of Australia. She is on her third attempt at a non-stop, unassisted, engineless rounding. The slides show her leaving Victoria in October. We expect to see her return in late May. Her blog can be found at http://synereida.livejournal.com/ and her position is here.  You may have seen Nerieda refitting at the Boat Haven a couple years ago.

Cajones in the canyons. Full screen please. This day at Teahupoo- Aug 27th 2011 during the Billabong Pro waiting period is what many are calling the biggest and gnarliest Teahupoo ever ridden. Chris Bryan was fortunate enough to be there working for Billabong on a day that will go down in the history of big wave surfing. The French Navy labeled this day a double code red prohibiting and threatening to arrest anyone that entered the water. Kelly Slater described the day by saying "witnessing this was a draining feeling being terrified for other people's lives all day long, it's [...]

Bernard Stamm had a surprise while back on "swim step". This occurred after the start of the Vendee Globe.

French rigger GreementCourant

Day 6 of the Red Bull Youth America's Cup Trials. Looks like they are off of the Oakland-Alameda Estuary, well away from the Gate and the Slot. Via SA.

The Pacific International Yachting Association has updated their minimum equipment standards.  The document can be found here.  These rules are enforced for PIYA US and Canadian sanctioned races.

via Old Salt Blog

  Some boats don't let a gale warning stop them. Photo PT Leader. Saturday is try again Shipwrights' Regatta. HTFU. This is a February weather race. Watch this space.

More at SeaLaunay.com

After last year's racing tragedies in California at the Farallones and the Coronados,  San Francisco's offshore racing authority has amended its minimum equipment and safety requirements.  The Northern California Offshore Racing Council  (NCORC) document can be found at http://norcalorc.org/safety-draft Notably rule 34 states: The person in charge and at least 30% of the crew (including person in charge) shall attend a US Sailing sanctioned Safety at Sea Seminar within the last 5 years (6.01) (Required by the 2014 season. For 2013 at least one person on board full crew (3+) boats must be certified, single and double handed boats are exempt until 2014) Several Safety at Sea Seminars have been scheduled in the [...]

A local website is offing Salish Sea Pilot Guides for free.  There are two volumes - San Juan Islands and Gulf Islands.  They are offered as PDF documents and can be transferred to almost any device.  You can find them at salishseapilot.com. Via Bitter End Blog.

There is always ocean racing... 2012 Pacific Cup aboard Double Trouble. The Oregon Offshore and Swiftsure are coming up.

  Sailing World has an interesting article outlining the differences between traditional free-flying sail furlers and the new "top down" versions.

Team Tendrisse does Med  events, racing the Longtze sports boat design by Steve Thomson. Really first rate video deserving full screen.   More at tendrisse.com.

Ronnie Simpson has been sailing single handed out of the Bay Area the last 4 or 5 years. He recently went to France to cover the Vendee Globe for Sailing Anarchy. He had been talking about wanting to do the VG since last summer's Single Handed Transpac. Back from France, he has started a fundraising campaign to get a ride in in 2016. More on Sailing Anarchy and at ronniesimpsonracing.com

70 knots of fun.

Some hot racing in Sydney goes awry.    

With Sunday's Kinetic Race race taking place around our usual start line by City Dock, the October 7th PTSA Nightcap race will take place looking more like a Barcott Series race complete with a pre-race meeting by the picnic table,and Rob Marean on the horn and taking finishing times. There will be a skippers meeting at noon at the picnic table to tell everyone the course. There is a weak ebb all afternoon and the wind is supposed to come out of the NW. Rob Marean, long time fixture in the Barcott Series, has agreed to do our start and [...]

Calling all Skippers We are putting together a list of skippers that need crew occasionally for the PTSA races (well, for any races really.) We hope to have an influx of new crew members, both experienced sailors and new ones, and would like to help them connect with skippers who can utilize them. If you are interested in being on this list, please send your name and phone and e-mail to Kathy Grace at bonz@olympus.net (or 301-4938.) The list will be on the ptsail.org website. If you do not wish the information to be on the website, but still are [...]

Attention PTSA Sailors:  the remaining Friday night August   Dog Day Series will be conducted in the following manner: There will be a Skipper's meeting at 5pm at the Boat Haven     picnic table where it will be decided by the participants        what course to sail and who will blow the horn. Enjoy!

This years “Port to Port Race”  will be a Club Race between the Port Ludlow Yacht Club and PTSA and will be one day, one way, only. It is a revival of a race the clubs had in earlier years. In this club race, the sailing association with the three fastest boats wins the perpetual trophy and bragging rights for the next year. The clubs alternate hosting the event, and this year Port Ludlow is the host. The race will start in Port Townsend at 9am from the City Dock, go around Marrowstone Island (not through the “Cut”), and terminate [...]

[singlepic id=463 w=320 h=240 float=right]Calling  ALL  Sailors…This Saturday is the last race and post-series party for the Siren’s Wooden Boat Series.  All wooden boats are encouraged to come out and enjoy a day of light-hearted racing and festivities.  The race will start at noon, with a three-hour time limit, then the party will follow at 4pm at the Cupola House.  Burgers and dogs, beer and wine will be supplied.  Prizes for the top three racers and commemorative bronze medallions will be awarded.  Whether you’ve participated in the Wooden Boat Series or not; whether you’re a new member, old member, or [...]

  SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT:  The Chandlery Cafe is  open for business again.  

Preparations are under way for another fun-filled weekend of sailing and camaraderie. The 28th annual WBF Classic Mariners Regatta is scheduled for June 3-5. The Port Townsend Sailing Association will be organizing the activities and the Northwest Maritime Center will host the event as usual. Other sponsors that have stepped up to help in the effort include: Spear Woodworks, Port Townsend Rigging ,Freyja Boatworks, Port Townsend Brewing, Sunrise Coffee, and Guy Hupy Design. This year’s itinerary will be similar to 2010, with a few additions. The 6-meters and R-Boats are participating this year, in addition to the usual [...]

Represent the Port Townsend Sailing Association on Opening Day on the Port Townsend Bay this year. The boat parade will begin at 12:45 after the ferry leaves the dock and will travel the city shoreline to the Northwest Maritime Center where Rob Sanderson will announce the boats as they pass by. The Port Townsend Yacht Club sponsors the event, which is open to all boats, power, sail, and oar-powered.  The Point Wilson Sail and Power Squadron,  Coast Guard,  and rowing club, as well as the Yacht Club, will all be attending. The P.T.Yacht club needs to know who is planning [...]

Note this useful class on outboard motors being offered by the Wooden Boat Chandlery in a couple of weeks: Only 32 seats available! Wooden Boat Wednesday: Care & Feeding of Your Outboard Motor With Stewart Pugh Stewart maintains the fleet of small outboards used by the Northwest Maritime Center and Schooner Adventuress, among others. This is a class principally for those who own and operate outboard motors and small dingy crash boats. Special attention will be directed to typical problems related to salt water, fuel, corrosion, electrical, and unintentional abuse. Stuart will include discussions of both two- and four-cycle motors. The [...]

This year's seminar is on March 20th from 9-4 at the Seattle Yacht Club. Last year's seminar on Trim and Tuning was excellent. The same instructor, Bruce Hendricks, is back for this class. Cost is $85.00 if you are a  U.S.Sailing member, $115.00 if you aren't. If your skipper signs you up as "crew" it is only $85.00. Included with the course is the North U Tactics Seminar on CD, including the exclusive wind shift simulator for both upwind and downwind wind shifts. You will learn the latest in racing strategy, tactics, and rules, how to protect and extend a lead [...]

SEATTLE BOAT SHOW, JAN. 21-30, 2011 The Seattle Boat Show, Indoors + Afloat, is the West Coast's Largest Boat Show featuring more than 1,000 recreational watercraft, seminars and the latest accessories indoors at Qwest Field Event Center, plus afloat on South Lake Union. A free shuttle runs every day between Qwest Field Event Center and South Lake Union every 30 minutes. For more information head to SeattleBoatShow.Com . HOURS Qwest Field Event Center: Weekdays: 11 a.m. - 8 pm Saturdays: 10 am - 8 pm Sunday: 10 am - 6 pm South Lake Union: Weekdays: 11 a.m. - 5 pm [...]

While we're waiting to see if summer really does arrive on the 5th of July, an interesting post by Charles Doanne on Joshua Slocum before he circumnavigated. Before Joshua Slocum could become the man we remember today--the one who invented bluewater cruising by sailing around the world singlehanded in a rebuilt oyster smack named Spray--his prior life first had to be unmade. Identifying such turning points is sometimes an arbitrary business, but in Slocum’s case there is little doubt about when his world was first turned upside down. The date most certainly was July 25, 1884, when his first wife, [...]

World traveler and photographer, Bud Lebens (Dean Lebens' GOOD brother), is offering prints of his PTSA racing photos.  A portion of the cost will go toward the purchase of new PTSA racing buoys.  Prints will be delivered unmatted and unframed, after receipt of fee. Pricing: 8x10       $40     ($15 to PTSA) 11x14     $95      ($20 to PTSA) 16x20    $175   ($25 to PTSA) To view and select photos for print ordering, please go to the PT Sailing Picasa Web Albums site ( http://picasaweb.google.com/porttownsendsailing ) and click on the gallery with 'Bud Lebens' in the title.  [...]