Author Archives: Carol Cronin

About Carol Cronin

Carol Cronin, managing editor for boats.com, has published several novels about the Olympics, sailing, hurricanes, time travel, and old schooners. She spends as much time on the water as possible, in a variety of boats, though most have sails.

Why SUP? Top 10 Reasons To Go Paddleboarding

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If you live near a body of water deeper than a puddle, you’ve probably seen some crazy coot moving across the horizon, a long paddle sweeping first on one side, then the other. You may even have seen your local yoga studio advertising Stand Up Paddle Yoga.

Kim takes her dog Gilbert along when she explores her local harbor.

In Stand Up and Paddle: 10 Tips for fun and Fitness, I called us 21st century gondoliers, though we are not usually carrying passengers. So why is this awkward-looking sport growing so fast? Here are my top 10 reasons to give it a try.

You can launch from almost anywhere: beach, bulkhead, dock, or ramp.
It’s easy to learn. If you can walk up a set of stairs, you can paddle a standup board.
Wildlife viewing is fantastic; you can see all around you—and down below the surface.
Like walking, it can be a great cardio workout—or just a leisurely water-top stroll.
You can take your pet along.
Exploring a harbor, bay, lake, pond, or stream is easy and fun.
Inflatable SUPs can double as an extra tender or water toy.
It’s a great way to cool off on hot summer days.
Paddleboards are narrower than a rowboat and draw only about six inches, so they’re perfect for narrow or shallow waterways.
It’s the fastest, easiest, cheapest way to get out on the water.

Bonus for fishermen (are you listening, Lenny Rudow?) Watch this video and start fishing from a SUP.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Dx_KkOJTdA[/youtube]

Got a reason to add to my list? Still asking “why SUP”? Please share your thoughts in the comments below.

Talk Talk Talk: Magnus Olsson

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When I read of Magnus Olsson’s death, my first reaction was utter surprise—he seemed so young.

That’s been a pretty universal reaction around the world. The other universal reaction has been to remember his winning smile.

But my strongest memory of Magnus (known to his friends as “Mange”) goes back to a video taken during the 2009-2010 Volvo Ocean Race, aboard Ericsson Racing. Everyone copes with the boredom of long offshore legs a different way, Magnus explains. “Me? I talk, talk, talk.”

The wind had gone light for the final days of this leg from China to Brazil, a leg that the Ericsson Racing Team had started days behind because of hull repairs. After a well-thought-out flyer, the team jetted into the lead, eventually drifting into the finish days after their food supply had run out.

I’m sure this video was intended more to fill in the boredom and take everyone’s minds off their growling stomachs, not to become a “keeper.” But looking back now, as Magnus is remembered around the world, its timelessness still makes me laugh. Somehow this legendary Swede gives us all a sense of the boredom, teamwork, drudgery, thrill, and skill of racing sailboats around the globe—while entertaining us at the same time.

We’ll all miss you—even those of us who only “met” you through video and photos.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVEM-LYGUWY[/youtube]

Read The Passing of a Smiling Legend by our UK editor, Gael Pawson.

Here’s another great tribute to Magnus: It Gets in Your Blood on the Volvo Ocean Race YouTube channel.

Picture This: The Water Rat Boat

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One of my favorite books of all time is The Wind in the Willows, a classic kids’ tale written by Kenneth Grahame and first published back in 1908. Anyone who has a passion for being on the water probably knows its most famous line:

“There is nothing, absolutely nothing, half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.”

But that’s not my favorite quote from the book. It’s just the one that will fit on a T-shirt.

This Irish rowboat could be the Water Rat's craft, pulled up on the bank awaiting the next adventure. .

Last spring, while cruising the Shannon River on a luxurious riverboat, my husband and I spotted a boat that matched my exact vision of the Water Rat’s sturdy craft. Mole describes it as “just the size for the two animals; and the Mole’s heart went out to it at once, even though he did not yet fully understand its uses.” Though this skiff is actually large enough for two or even more people, and I did understand its uses, there was something about it that brought back my favorite conversation between Mole (a complete landlubber) and the Water Rat (who took his watery home completely for granted).

Soon after he spots this fine vessel, the Mole is seated (much to his “surprise and rapture”) in the stern. “This has been a wonderful day!” he tells his new friend.

A day made wonderful, just by stepping into a boat for the first time.

That’s a basic concept, but it’s so easy to forget for those of us who spend our spring weekends thinking about launch dates and work lists, and talking in a lingo which may even be incomprehensible to other boaters. (Just ask Lenny Rudow what an “asymmetrical spinnaker” looks like.)

Instead we need to communicate our enthusiasm, without boring anyone with the long list of projects and chores that is (for us) so much a part of “messing about in boats.” And the best way to do that is to take a lesson from the Water Rat, who instead of telling his friend about his boat (the bare spots in the varnish, the bottom that needs scrubbing), takes him out to see and smell and hear the river for himself.

I can imagine the two animals (instantly friends, thanks to the special bonding power of boats) pushing this boat off the bank, and I can almost hear Mole admit to the Water Rat: “Do you know, I’ve never been in a boat before in all my life.”

Which brings me, at last, to my favorite quote:

“What?” cried the Rat, open-mouthed: “Never been in a—you never—well, I—what have you been doing, then?”

—Carol Cronin

Photo courtesy Paul Cronin Studios

Preventing Fire, Shock, and That Sinking Feeling

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When we purchase something, anything really, most of us take its safety for granted. There must be laws that govern what we buy and take into account all of the stuff that could happen when we use a product, right?

A catastrophic boat fire can easily be caused by a fuel leak, improper installation of electrical equipment or using non-marine parts and accessories.

Whether it's trying to put two different thread types together or using a standard gate valve instead of a proper UL listed valve, not much in this photo meets ABYC standards.

Boats are a perfect example. So who’s working behind the scenes to make sure the boats we buy not only do what they’re supposed to do but also don’t blow up, shock us, sink, poison our child, or otherwise cause harm?

The answer is: we do. We are the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC), and when it comes to boats, we wrote the book — 73 of them in fact. These standards fill in the areas federal law does not. ABYC is the group watching out for your safety through our members and certified technicians.

The federal laws governing boats and boating safety apply mostly to inboard, gasoline-powered boats, setting minimum safety standards for fuel, electrical, flotation and capacity for any boat less than 20 feet. That’s it! So what laws apply to a sailboat with a diesel auxiliary? Or a 22-foot outboard-powered center console? You guessed it — none. Or almost none. The Hull Identification Number on the transom and the navigation lights are both regulated by the Feds, but that’s another discussion.

Before you run away screaming to buy an RV, understand this thin veneer of federal oversight applies to most manufactured products in the U.S., including the chair you are sitting in, your toaster, your lawn tractor, etc. Hence the need for supplementing regulation, which is where we come in.

When you buy your next boat, we want you to focus on the fun choices: style, color, seating arrangement or engine size. As long as you choose a boat or accessory built to the ABYC Standards, you can leave the safety and reliability to us.

And after you choose a safe boat, you’ll want it repaired that way too. That’s why the ABYC certifies technicians in various disciplines to keep your boat running right. We call it “Boating Safety, Built In.”

So let’s ask again: Who is looking out for your safety? The answer is the 3,000 members and 5,000 certified technicians of the ABYC. You use the boat, we’ll make it safer.

John Adey is the President of the American Boat and Yacht Council and lives in Annapolis, MD.

My Favorite Boat: A Billy Joel Powerboat!

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I’m a sailor. An avid one. When I first started working here at boats.com, I had to be educated by our various columnists about the (apparently) obvious differences between a center console, runabout, and bowrider. (Read If There Weren’t So Many Different Kinds of Boats…) Fortunately there were plenty of experts to learn from, and lots of great photos to study. Best of all, I’ve passed back some sailing info — and hopefully helped bridge the void between “blowboaters” and “stinkpots.”

Outside of work, I tend to regard powerboats as (at best) a necessary form of dependable waterborne transportation. At worst, they are a wake-creating, brain-rattling, eardrum-piercing interruption of a quiet Sunday afternoon.

And yet, when I tried to pick my favorite boat, I came up with this photo. Look Ma, No Sails!

Billy Joel has influenced the design of several boats, including this Shelter Island 38.

The caption that accompanied this photo in Lenny Rudow’s recent post about boating celebrities stated, “Reportedly, Joel has been spotted doodling boat pictures on hotel room stationery, while on tour.”

The simple triangles I create on scraps of paper are recognizable only to me as boat doodles; they certainly wouldn’t help anyone create a new design, the way Joel’s did for the Ellis Patriot 36. (Read Express Delivery, part 2) But knowing this famous singer/songwriter kills time in a similar way makes him seem like a real person, almost a friend — another example of how boats and boating bring us together.

Still, I never expected to come up with his boat as my personal favorite.

I tried, really I did, to come up with a canvas-propelled vessel instead. But here’s the problem: that would mean narrowing down my choices to one single solitary vessel. And that would mean choosing between so many favorite experiences: drifting downwind on a Narragansett Bay Sunday afternoon; trimming, surfing, and dodging salt spray on a muscle-burning reach across Biscayne Bay; sipping sunset adult beverages at anchor, behind some remote pine-treed island in Penobscot Bay; squeaking across the finish line just ahead of the local hotshots on Chesapeake Bay.

Choosing a favorite sailboat would mean choosing a favorite experience associated with that boat, which for me is simply impossible. The range of possibility in my chosen sport allows me to sail to relax, sail to be challenged, sail to be with friends and family, sail to be by myself. I couldn’t choose just one favorite out of that long list; it would be like cutting off a limb.

So I took the easy way out, and chose a powerboat instead.

I’ve never been on a boat of Billy Joel’s, but I’m guessing there’s an equally wide range of experiences available, all within this one hull. Blasting across the Bay: check. Light air Sunday afternoon drift: check (though a fishing line might be a required accessory). Sunset with adult beverage: check.

And though the finish line might not be quite so formal, I’m sure my favorite has won its share of casual races as well.

Got a favorite boat to share, even if it’s outside your usual specialty? Tell us about it.

Picture This: The FrankenTrailer

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Behold...the FrankenTrailer.

We call this the FrankenTrailer.

Actually, it’s the top rack of a fairly simple boat trailer, on which we load our Snipe (which sounds like an elusive bird but is actually a 15-foot racing sailboat). The picture shows the second deck of the trailer hanging from a hoist; the four legs fit into the frame of the regular trailer. We have to lift the second level off to unload our boat, so this was the first step toward going sailing this week.

And you may be able to discern that there are two sets of wheels on top of this top rack, which probably requires some explanation.

When I left Rhode Island in January to drive my boat to Florida, I was towing a boat trailer that I’d borrowed from a friend. When I arrived, I realized that its aging frame now also had half-bald tires that would not survive a trip back north.

Thinking out loud with another Snipe friend while standing in his driveway, I asked him if there were any used Snipe trailers for sale nearby. He pointed across his yard to his empty double and replied, “How about that one?”

I only own one boat, so I don’t really need the second rack (which is intended to carry a second Snipe). But we quickly realized that the top level could also hold the old trailer, making it easy to get it back home again to its rightful owner.

After several hours at a local trailer place loading old trailer onto new with a forklift, I stood back to take a look—and laughed. Those small tires with the white fenders would be facing the right direction all the way home, but they would be riding rather than carrying.

You might notice that there’s a second set of black wheels facing backward. That is a dolly, a lightweight cart designed to launch a boat off a beach or ramp. This one is in need of some maintenance, and I had planned to adopt it. I’ve since learned there is a junior team in need of a dolly, so it will stay here in Florida…. making the FrankenTrailer only a little bit less odd for its trip back to Rhode Island.

And that yellow bucket? That’s the chain collector for the hoist, so that will be left behind too.

When our regatta is over, I will drive this crazy rig up 95 North to Rhode Island. If you happen to pass me, give me a wave.

Remembering Charlie Leighton: Lucky 13

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The first time I remember really talking with Charlie was on a tour of his private gym. My two Olympic teammates and I had been invited up to the sunny, open room that housed several machines I’d never seen before. “Try this one out,” he said, throwing me yet another one of his infectious grins. “See how much of your body weight you can lift.”

I stepped/sat onto the thing, grabbed the handles, and lifted.

“13, wow! I’ve put most of the Sailing Team members on this, and so far that’s a record. Great job!” He pumped my hand, and I walked away feeling like I’d really accomplished something. For an almost-retired Olympic athlete, it was nice to be reminded that I could still compete with the young upstarts.

So it would’ve been a memorable moment, even if he hadn’t greeted me for the next few years as “13! How’re you doing?”

Charlie went to the great regatta in the sky this past weekend, and he will leave behind a gaping hole in many lives. I didn’t know him that well or spend that much time with him, but I was always impressed with his enthusiasm and his vision. Almost single-handedly he created the medalist fundraising program for Olympic sailing that will live on in his absence, because (in the words of former Olympic Sailing Committee Chairman Dean Brenner), he “taught us how to do it.” And while he was raising money, getting to know athletes, and spreading goodwill, he brought many people together as members of the Olympic sailing family. He was uniquely able to bridge the typical gaps between donors and sailors (in age, income, and ability) with a warm smile, a firm handshake, and a goofy opener. (“Let me introduce you to Lucky 13.”)

2011 USSTAG Award winners with Charlie Leighton

The annual USSailing Team awards are lovingly called the "Charlies". Here he is with the 2011 winners.

Charlie was always Charlie, no matter whether he was speaking before a board of directors, riding in a powerboat watching racing, or piloting his own plane up the coast of New England. Friendly, caring, personal, with just enough of a glint in his eye that it was all too easy to discount the wisdom of his words. He’ll leave behind a large gap of warmth in many lives.

And I will really miss being “13.”

For more on Charlie, including quotes about him from people around the sailing world, read USSailing’s Sailor of the Week from September, 2010.

J/Boats Will Launch New J/88 in 2013

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You probably thought that J/Boats had used up every number available already, but they’ve just announced a new one: the J/88. Coming from the same design and build team that launched two recent awards winners, the J/111 in 2010 and the J/70 in 2012, this new model is a a 29-footer designed to be a “mid-size family speedster with stability, style and sailing comfort.”

This graphic of the J/88 model shows classic J/Boats lines and simplicity.

Given the success of the J/70 (hull #200 ships next week, less than a year after the first one went sailing) it’s not surprising that the family-owned company would follow up with another smaller model. But it does beg the question: How many models are too many? So I asked J/Boats President Jeff Johnstone for his thoughts:

“The goal when creating a new model is to sustain its model life for as many years as possible. We’ve been fortunate to have had longer than normal product cycles, so it’s rare (if at all) that we introduce a new model that occupies the same market space as one still in production. The new J/70 is the first boat under 25′ we’ve done in 30 years and the first ever J with lift-keel – so it’s helped create a new market for us. The J/111 was the first boat in the 34′-37′ size range we had done in 11 years. Now the J/88, will be the first boat in the 26-29′ range in 20 years.

“Tooling up a new design is extremely expensive and can take a year or more of steady production to fully cover the start-up cost, so the longer you can build a model the better for everyone. While most well known bigger company brands are bringing 3-4 new model per year, we average about 1. Between 20 and 55 feet there are 20+ distinct market segments broken out by size, price, purpose. Even with a life-cycle of 5 years (which is really long for industry standards) you could have 3-4 models per year and still not repeat something in the same market segment before the life-cycle had expired of the prior model.

“Longer answer than you probably wanted, but as you can tell, this is a something we feel strongly about.”

While the J/88 has a fixed keel and therefore will not be ramp-launchable, it will be small enough to be single-point lifted, owner-trailered and stored, which means fewer yard bills than a larger boat. And in contrast to the dinghy-spartan interior of the J/70, this bigger cousin has an inboard diesel, overnight interior, and head.

J/Boats has also kept the rig and sailplan simple. The mast will be carbon fiber, double-spreader, and deck-stepped, which will simplify rigging and also keep the main cabin drier. The sailplan will be classic J/Boats, with non-overlapping jibs on an in-deck jib furler, and a retractable carbon bowsprit for the asymmetrical ride downwind. A T-shaped cockpit with backrests will make it possible to “lounge” in the cockpit, and the optional V-berth could make this a bit more comfortable pocket racer/cruiser.

Another J/Boat model may not be a surprise, but the turnaround time is a bit of a jaw-dropper. In contrast to the “good old days” when new model announcements were a few years old before the first boat was seen, J/88 hull #1 is projected to launch in June 2013. Stay tuned for more details.

Read more about the J/70

J/70: Hitting the High Notes

European Yacht of the Year 2013: The Winners

For more info, visit J/Boats.

Miami International Boat Show: The Place to Be for a Newbie

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“Never been to the Miami Show?” The salesman’s eyebrows shot up, and I was almost expecting Water Rat’s classic follow-up question from the Wind in the Willows: “Well—what have you been doing, then?”

We’d just arrived in Miami, ready for the biggest boat show of the year to begin. This guy was obviously a veteran: he knew where to catch the shuttle, rattled off the address of his favorite breakfast place, and will undoubtedly recognize many of the people he meets on the docks the next few days.

This newbie, on the other hand, will be winging it, attending press conferences, peering at name tags, and trying to absorb everything that’s going on around me—an impossible task at such a huge show.

Workers at the Sea Ray display set up for the start of the 2013 Miami Boat Show.

I’m pretty excited to be here, a member of a 20-plus team from the editorial, sales, and marketing departments of boats.com, YachtWorld, and Boat Trader. And we’ve got plenty of veterans in our group, too: most of our writers have been coming to the show since the mid-80s. Which is hardly surprising, since the Miami Boat Show is the place to be for anyone buying, selling, dreaming of, thinking about, or otherwise interested in boats and boat-related products. New products will be recognized with innovation awards, marine journalists will be recognized by Boating Writers International, and friends and acquaintances from around the world will be reunited, joined together by a common love of boating.

With four locations including the separate Yacht and Brokerage Show, logistics are a challenge and advance planning is a must. Fortunately I’ve been well-coached, so I’m as prepared as I can be for the challenges and excitement of the next few days.

I don’t know exactly what to expect, but I am sure of one thing: a leisurely row across The River (like the one the Water Rat was experiencing) is not in the cards. Even with a busy Intracoastal Waterway to the west and open Atlantic whitecaps to the east, I will be too busy focusing on docks and displays and following my calendar of press events to enjoy any time on the water.

But I do know one thing. No matter what happens, four days from now, I’ll no longer be a Miami Boat Show Newbie.

Don’t miss any aspect of the 2013 Miami International Boat Show — whether you’re at the event or checking in from afar. Join the conversation on Twitter by using #boatsdotcom. If you’re taking pictures at the show, we’d love to share them on our Pinterest boards! Create an MIB board on Pinterest and tag us in your captions.

Building Venus, the Boat that Steve Jobs Would Have Owned

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[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nknMl8N0hw[/youtube]

“You can do better than this.” That’s what Steve Jobs kept telling the workers at Feadship, who constructed Venus for the founder of Apple.

Jobs questioned everything, applying the same minimalist approach and exacting standards to this 262-foot yacht that he applied to his company, and forcing designer Philippe Starck to justify each addition or leave it out.

Starck says he and Jobs spent a day together every six weeks for four years, going over refinements “millimetre by millimetre. Detail by detail.” He claims there is not a single “useless pillow” or other object inside Venus.

The result is a yacht that traditionalists don’t like, perhaps because of a kind of Apple Store sharp cleanliness to the lines.

“I think as many people hate it visually as like it,” says Henk de Vries from Feadship, who was in charge of the build. “Everybody who knows a little bit about yachts says, ‘Oh my God, wooh. You finished that, and it works?’”

Steve Jobs' Venus was launched a year after his death. Photo: Ed Oudenaarden AFP/Getty Image

The 262-foot yacht answered those critics with a transatlantic crossing, once a financial dispute with Starck was sorted out. Now that she’s sailing, it will be hard to keep sightings of the distinctive yacht from becoming big news. While under construction, however, all the employees kept quiet about their big project for the well-known client.

“We manage to keep the boats out of the limelight right up until they leave the shipyard,” de Vries explains. “And then it’s in the public domain.”

As for the size of Venus, which many call excessive, de Vries shrugs. “The nice thing about having a boat is you can go to interesting places. The bigger a ship gets, the more difficult it is to get to nice places. But every time someone mentions an upper limit, there is some rich person who says, ‘Ah, why—I can go a little bit bigger than that!’”

Watch the full interview with Henk de Vries

Bernard Stamm Deserves A Jury of His Peers

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Most sailors accept the ruling of other sailors. When a protest committee of our peers tells us we’ve done something wrong, we accept the penalty, even if it’s disqualification. But what if you’re disqualified by the jury and your peers strongly disagree with the verdict?

A few days ago, Bernard Stamm was forced to stop for repairs halfway through the singlehanded non-stop unassisted Vendee Globe Race, because his electrical charging system had failed. He anchored in the Auckland Islands, but the anchor didn’t hold. As he dragged onto another ship, one of the ship’s crew came aboard his boat. This was seen to be in direct violation of the “unassisted” rule, so when Stamm reported it, the jury disqualified him from the race.

This self-portrait accompanied Bernard Stamm's thank you to his fellow Vendée Globe skippers. Photo©Bernard Stamm/Cheminées Poujoulat/Vendée Globe

Bernard has requested a reopening, and if the opinion of his peers carries any weight the jury should have a big rethink. Here are a few sample quotes from Stamm’s competitors. (I’ve corrected spelling and typos for clarity.)

Alex Thompson (currently in 4th overall):
…what a shame it was to hear of Bernard’s disqualification this morning. While I understand the reasons I do feel it was quite harsh. …it sounds as though he did what was necessary for the safety of himself and his boat. I really feel for the guy.

Jean le Cam (currently in 5th overall)
I’m wound up like a clock. For me, Bernard acted as a good sailor, he did everything to save his boat and he is penalized!

It is as if a man finds himself at the edge of the cliff, he may fall, there is someone who extends his hand and he should answer him: “Well, no, because it’s the rules, so please don’t help me” and he falls off the cliff!

I’m desperate. If what happened to Bernard is not a case of force majeure so I do not know what it is. I sent an email to the jury this morning because we cannot make such a decision.

Should we let our boat be wrecked?

Mike Golding (currently in 6th place overall):
The rules are the rules and all that. But I think when you know all the story about Bernard and you know the situation he is in now… it just doesn’t feel right. …unfortunately, based on the information I’ve got, it sounds like the rules were inadvertently, and I think I make that point, inadvertently breached. I am not sure about it at all, it doesn’t feel right to me …… I am very, very sad for Bernard and I hope he can get an appeal together and stay in the race.

Javier Sanso, nicknamed “Bubi” (currently in 8th overall)
Hola Bernard,
I just got the email saying that you are DSQ from the VG…..I am very sorry to hear that after the great race you were doing. I read the statements and I would have done the same to try to save the boat before anything…. You must be very disappointed and I do not agree with the committee in extreme situation you should be able to get help…..The insurance companies are happy that you asked for help if not you could have lost the boat!!!
You made the right choice in Auckland Island…..

And finally, here’s Bernard Stamm’s response to all this support:

“To those who have asked the organizers to take me back in the race, I want to thank you once again because it’s the proof that solidarity exists amongst each other. I don’t know what the final decision will be, but whatever it is, I will continue to fight with all my strength. I wish you all to continue this wonderful fight we have started since we left Les Sables d’Olonne. The Vendée Globe is part of my life for nearly 15 years and I never had the privilege to finish it. It may not be this time, but I will do everything to bring my boat back and to be proud of my adventure. Nobody will be able to take that back from me.”

Sailors who choose to go to sea alone are a special breed, and the only jury that should decide this case is a jury of Bernard’s peers. They have clearly spoken.

10 January 2013: Bernard Stamm has withdrawn from the Vendée Globe, after his power generators failed due to a collision just before Cape Horn. Sending him good thoughts!

—Carol Cronin

J/70: Hitting the High Notes

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Every once in awhile a boat comes along that hits the high notes perfectly, a moment of sweet sound in the raucous symphony we call one design sailing. This time, it’s the J/70 that is showing off its perfect pitch.

The J/70 is a fun to sail, ramp-launchable new offering from J/Boats.

J/Boats has hit many such high notes before: consider the worldwide lasting appeal of the J/24, J/22, J/105, and J/80—never mind all the other numbers they’ve made into memorable models since 1977. But the J/70, which sang its first tune on Narragansett Bay in a chilly spring 2012 float test, has surpassed even the high expectations set by past J/history.

Only a few months after the first two boats appeared, 100 boats were on order. Next came the news that the J/70 would have its first Midwinter Championship in January 2013 at Quantum Key West Race Week.

And then the New York Yacht Club announced that J/70s would be used as part of their qualifying regatta for the Invitational Cup. Sure enough, in September 2012, only a few months after the initial sea trials, twelve J/70s lined up in Narragansett Bay, an impressive display of hitting the right notes on building, sales, marketing, and planning. (Might as well throw in planing, too.)

Since then, J/70 fleets have quickly formed. Eastport Yacht Club in Annapolis held a regatta in November, the Fall Brawl, with twenty-one boats on the line. Key West 2013 already has 36 entries, more than any of the other more established one design classes. According to Jeff Johnstone, President of J/Boats, “there are about 125 boats built, and another 175-plus on order between North American and European builders.”

And that was before the trailerable speedster won Sailing World’s 2013 Boat of the Year award.

All of these high notes are signs that this three person, ramp-launchable boat is as easy to own and manage as it is fun to sail. The trick will be to keep the class growing at a steady rate, which means stable rules that work for a wide range of sailors and sailing abilities.

J/Boats has an excellent track record of class building. And since this design fills a different niche from their previous models, hopefully the J/70’s perfect pitch will only increase the depth and tone of our one design symphony.

For more info, visit J/Boats.

—Carol Cronin

10 Gift Ideas from the Boats.com Gear and Parts Store

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We know Boats.com may not be your first thought for holiday shopping, especially since the Gear and Parts Store launched just a few weeks ago. So we thought we’d select our own top ten picks to spark your imagination. And remember, shipping is free on all orders over $75.

Wakeboards are up to 25 percent off at the Gear and Parts Store.

1. GPS
You’ll find something in every price range in this section, from chartplotters to 12-volt adapter cords and cases. GPS technology has come a long way in the past few years, and prices might be less than you’d expect.

2. Sunglasses
What better way to improve your loved one’s boating experience than by reducing the glare? From Costa del Mar to Dorado and Ocean Wave, there’s something for every shopper and face. There’s even a neoprene strap that might make this pair stick around a little longer.

3. Tackle Storage
With lots of dedicated compartments, these tackle boxes can even be used by non-fishermen.

4. GoPro Hero video camera
These portable video cameras can be mounted or worn, and they’re waterproof to almost 200 feet. Get footage of your next tow session, or just record a lazy boating afternoon to get you through the off-season.

5. Waterproof phone cases
Here’s a collection of cases that will make your smart phone love being on the boat as much as that waterproof GoPro. There’s even a waterproof iPad case, and right now the second is half price.

6. Suitcase dish rack
This foldup dishrack expands to hold plates, flatware, and cups and glasses. It will stow anywhere, even in a small galley.

7. Tow toys
Here’s everything you need for a day of watersports fun: tow ropes, tubes, noodles—even a hot dog! Bonus Tip: you can also find a selection of kayaks and small boats, as well as my personal favorite: Stand Up Paddleboards.

8. Boat Clothing
Whether it’s fair weather or foul, here are some great clothing options, including a range of boat-themed T-shirts. Lenny Rudow, you need one of these “Fish or Die” shirts.

9. Unbreakable wine glasses
These look as nice as glass, but they’re polycarbonate—and the lifetime warranty on breakage makes them perfect for the boat.

10. Boat covers
Here’s a wide range of covers to protect your favorite boat from the weather: exact fit, general fit, and even custom canvas. Exact fit covers are currently 40 percent off.

Even if you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for, check out the fall sale page. While you’re dreaming of summer, you might just find the perfect holiday gift.

—Carol Cronin

Windsurfing Reinstated for Rio 2016

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Sailors have learned over and over again that nothing is final until the ISAF General Council sings. Now that the 2012 Annual Conference has ended, the Windsurfers are going home happy again. And the Kiteboarders must be wondering what happened, with their brand new membership in the Olympic family ended so abruptly after only six months.

The RS:X Windsurfer is back in for Rio 2016. PHOTO: Mick Anderson/SAILINGPIX.DK

A quick summary: In November 2011, ISAF announced it would decide the equipment (classes) to be sailed in the 2016 Games at its mid-year meeting in May, 2012. (Read Planning ahead for 2016.) At the May 2012 meeting, the following slate was announced:

Laser/Laser Radial
Men’s and Women’s 470
Finn
49er
49erFX (women’s double trapeze skiff)
Nacra 17 (coed catamaran)
Kiteboarding (men’s and women’s)

The last three classes were brand new to the Olympic family, which represented a change to forty percent of the roster. (Read Olympic Sailing Circus Continues.) ISAF also eliminated keelboats for the first time in Olympic sailing history—and removed match racing only three short months before its Olympic debut. Sailors around the world wondered if ISAF had gone too far, in their latest push to make sailing more TV friendly.

The keelboat classes (Star, Women’s Match Racing) rallied supporters via social media and talked about options to get their equipment back in for Rio. After all, Brazil’s best chances for a medal in sailing are in the Star. But only the Windsurfers initiated a legal challenge to a decision they claimed was “perverse and unfair.” And now, six months later, Windsurfing and its RS:X board are back in the Games for 2016.

Regardless of whether you think Windsurfing or Kiteboarding is more Olympics-worthy, this marks another ruling that will set athletes, federations, and sponsors reeling—again. Without a stable base of equipment from one quadrennium to the next, it’s hard for countries (especially the smaller ones ISAF is trying to bring into the fold) to invest in boats for training. Just ask Brazil, the host country for 2016; they received delivery of four Elliott 6Ms on the same day (one year ago) that ISAF decided to eliminate them from the Rio event.

Spectators may not be thinking about the next Olympics, but athletes and sponsors and federations began making plans for Rio before the medals were even awarded in Weymouth. Training time, schedules, ordering equipment, and figuring out how to pay for it all requires as much advance planning as possible.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it: We need a more consistent and transparent way of making decisions that affect the livelihood and future of so many at the top of our sport. A sensible roster that balances men’s and women’s medals across a range of platforms (dinghy, keelboat, multihull, boards) would be a great start. But with most of the delegates also involved in the industry, and everyone acutely aware of the medal chances for each country in each class, that seems a distant pipedream.

ISAF did make a small step in the right direction with the announcement of four core events and their equipment for 2020. Hopefully the new ISAF President, Carlo Croce (ITA), will help lead our sport toward even more stability and transparency in future decisions. Because unplanned, frequent changes in Olympic equipment are not good for anyone—and they’re especially hard on athletes in pursuit of the Olympic dream.

For more information and details, visit the ISAF website.

—Carol Cronin

Boats.com Blog

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Windsurfing Reinstated for Rio 2016