A compass affixed to a table below deck of the sailboat Ness points south as the steel-hulled boat gently rocks while docked at Mitchell Park Marina in Greenport. Phillip Sax, the lone crew member aboard the boat, positioned the compass at the ideal spot, next to the narrow bench that serves as his sleeping quarters. READ
Looking out into the distance during the overnight hours from the 68-foot yacht Prospector is to see nothing but black. In the middle of the Pacific Ocean, there is no ambient light. Just darkness — until a brilliant bolt of lightning brightens the sky for miles. (more…)
The World’s Longest Sunfish Race Around Shelter Island, NY is an unpredictable event in an unpredictable sport.
A case in point was the 48th edition hosted Saturday by the Southold Yacht Club. The nautical marathon, a 25-mile counterclockwise circumnavigation of Shelter Island, featured one twist and turn after another, a number of lead changes and an eye-opening ending. At one stage, with a lead pack of eight boats within 150 yards of each other, it appeared as if there would be a sprint to the finish, but John Eckart would have none of it. READ
I read with interest the story on Duffy Drum and the Clipper Race. I was born and raised in Southold and graduated 1982. I’ve lived in Australia for the past 30 years, but own a house in Southold and return every year with my wife, Penelope, and our five children. READ
Life aboard the 70-foot racing yacht Visit Seattle is a constant grind. Crew members sleep in stretches of two and a half to three hours. Walking a few feet below deck when the boat heels can be a massive feat. Simply getting dressed can take 20 minutes of hard labor. (more…)
It’s not a strategy Jim Koehler would advise to other sailors, nor is it one he plans to try again. But his unusual start to Saturday’s Race Around Shelter Island in the sunfish regatta proved to be a winning one. READ
Nearly 80 boats competed Saturday in the annual Whitebread regatta, a race that tests the skipper’s knowledge of local winds, tides, currents and bay bottom contours. READ
Maritime history provides several examples of small places that punched above their nautical weight.
Venice, Genoa and Nantucket come to mind. Somehow, the skills and determination of those geographically small maritime powers allowed them to dominate vast oceans and control trade and industries. Their boats sailed far and wide in search of riches and glory. READ
The sailing race they call a nautical marathon ended with a sprint to the finish.
Even in a race like The World’s Longest Sunfish Race, Around Shelter Island, NY, every second counts. That was made clear Saturday.
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Being a good reader is important in sports.
Really?
Just ask a quarterback who reads a defense or a batter who can read the seams on a baseball being pitched to him. But if you’re a sailor like John Condon, it’s a matter of reading the current and the wind.
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