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 Stormy weather—Sailing news from the U.S. and beyond
Water is a powerful element. Aside from its abilities to keep us hydrated and comfortable, it also commands a powerful sway over our psyches. While the pundits in mainstream media have had a field day with the fact that a few inches of snow successfully shut down Seattle for several days, I'm happy to report that the nasty white stuff is gone, replaced with stormy skies and pregnant, spitting clouds.
Taking advantage of a weather window, my wife and I took a walk to our neighborhood park, which offers a sweeping, panoramic view of Puget Sound and the mighty Olympic Mountains. While the cloud ceiling obscured the Olympics, majestic Puget Sound was perfectly exposed, bathed in the crystalline light that winter consistently delivers. A brisk southerly breeze was kicking up a rolling swell on Puget Sound, and we were presented with that classic Pacific Northwest sight of a pair of trawlers barreling forth through the swell, their voluminous bows plying the salty brine, casting spray towards their wheelhouses.
While no sailboats—let alone race boats—hove into sight, we simply took in the fine view of the water, of the season's 'high-definition light', and of boaters enjoying their time afloat.
Walking back home, I realized that while we can't often race as much as we'd like (admit it: you know the feeling!), sometimes the sight of wind, water and boats is enough to cajole the soul out of winter's lethargy. Especially when you can combine that sight with that of snow melting and returning to where it belongs—the ocean.
 | | John Kilroy, Samba Pa Ti (left) and Vincenzo Onorato's Mascalzone Latino (right) race to the finish of the final race. - Key West 2012 - Melges 32 ©2012 JOY | International Melges 32 Class Association |
While sailors living in other parts of the country might have to wait a while longer to savor the cathartic sight of winter's mess draining into summer's playground, the lucky few had a blast sailing in last week's Key West Race Week—be sure to check out the recap details inside.
 | | A beautiful sunset greets PUMA Ocean Racing powered by BERG during the first offshore night of leg 3 in the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12, from Abu Dhabi, UAE to Sanya, China. (Credit: Amory Ross/PUMA Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race) Amory Ross/Puma Ocean Racing/Volvo Ocean Race© |
Also inside, get the latest information download from the Volvo Ocean Race, where the action has been hot since the fleet restarted Leg Three; at the time of this writing, Kenny Read's Puma Ocean Racing had taken the lead—a refreshing change given the team's struggling showing in this edition of the race.
In Cup circles, be sure to get the latest on the build process of the new AC72 class, which will be used to contest the 34th America's Cup, courtesy of Emirates Team New Zealand's boss, Grant Dalton. Also inside, get the pulse on AC34 from Ian Murray, Ben Ainslie, and Loick Peyron.
The Alinghi online auction of residual equipment in Valencia, Spain closes on February 3rd - we have the details.
And finally, get the latest happenings from the TP52 class, the International 420 Class, the Global Ocean Race and the Clipper Around the World Race. Happy Monday!
May the four winds blow you safely home,
David Schmidt, Sail-World USA Editor
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