Sailing tips and advice?

Anyone have any thoughts on spinnakers...? Looking for some advice on which one to get and where to pick it up...

Good day to everyone. I have been sailing for about a year now on a J/35 [which isn't my 😉]. Since I am not currently in the States, I am unfamiliar with how everything is organized locally... which is why I joined this forum, to learn a bit more. Regarding your terminology—how do you refer to those small boats [say, under 15 feet] that the English call 'dinghies'? Thanks.

To address the other question immediately:

melloworca72 said:Does anyone know anything about spinnakers? I'm wondering which kind to get and where to buy one.

A spinnaker [just Google "spinnaker" 😁] is, as far as I am aware, the largest sail on a boat. You deploy it while running downwind. I am unsure regarding specific retailers, but in my area, they are typically custom-made for each individual vessel [unless you are dealing with smaller boats or strictly regulated classes like a Laser or similar...

We don't even really have a specific name for the small boats.🤷

Jesse Sanchez50 said:Honestly, we don't even have a proper term for small sailboats around here.🤷

In certain circles, you might come across the Italian term "derive" being used to describe specific types of vessels.

casualfox9 said:The term "dinghy" is used interchangeably in some European circles.

"Olympic classes"?

The traditional wooden skiff remains an essential element of maritime heritage. kaže:
We don't really have a specific designation for the smaller classes.🤷

casualfox9 said:The term "derive" is occasionally used in an Italian context.

Thanks... does anyone happen to know how they organize the racing near the river? Are the events strictly divided by class, or do they hold open competitions where boats compete based on their handicap ratings?

Hey everyone,
It’s been a while since I last checked in, so here I am. I see there’s a bit of a debate going on about the term "derivatives." Just wanted to chime in and say that over in Italy, they tend to use that label for pretty much all small sailboats—even those in the Olympic classes. Unless, of course, they just refer to them by their specific names, like calling a boat a "470."

Also, has anyone else noticed the news regarding the ruling against Damir Miloš? No one seems to be talking about it.

Cheers,

Walter Myers6 said:Thanks... does anyone happen to know how the racing is organized near the river? Are they strictly divided by class, or are there "open" races where boats compete based on their handicap rating?

YES, the folks in the local area have actually started up what they call the Yugoslav Cup—essentially a regatta of different sailboats where sail time is corrected using PY numbers. You should reach out to the Galeb Yacht Club for all the specifics!

David Gray44 said:Hey everyone,

Is nobody going to say anything about that condemning verdict against Damir Miloš?

Hi,

What does any of that even have to do with sailing???

casualfox9 said:What does that have to do with sailing???

Fair enough, but thanks for the reply. 🙂

YES, the folks in Cleveland have launched what they call the Yugoslav Cup—essentially a regatta of different sailboats where corrected time is calculated using PY numbers. Reach out to the Galeb Yacht Club if you want the specifics.

Thanks, I'll check in with them. 👍

Does anyone here have expertise regarding the amateur construction of small wooden sailboats, roughly 15 feet in length?
Specifically:

• Where can one source marine-grade lumber?
• Where is a reliable place to purchase epoxy resin?
• Is there anyone willing to manufacture custom sails for a specific boat?

I have additional questions, though they escape me at the moment. 😕

Just go ahead and build your own National 12 or a Merlin Rocket. You can easily pull up the blueprints online, and if you want to save some cash, you can always order used sails from England.

casualfox9 said:Just build a National 12 or a Merlin Rocket. You can find the blueprints online and order used sails from England.

Why though? Is that considered a major class here in the States—lots of racing and all that?

Maybe not, but if they're running with the US Sailing Association—well, I don't know how much that actually matters, but it's not really the point anyway.

Best,

Walter Myers6 said:Why's that? Is that considered a 'major' class here in the States—like, for big regattas and all that?

Unfortunately, you won't find much of a scene for the Merlin Rocket or the National 12 in America.😢

If you're looking to get into competitive racing here, your options are pretty limited. You're mostly looking at Olympic classes like the 470, 49er, or the Star... though even at the national championships, you rarely see more than a handful of boats in those fleets.

As far as the other classes go, people mostly sail the 505, the Snipe, and occasionally the 420 if a local club still keeps it alive. I know one crew out there that runs a Flying Dutchman.

casualfox9 said:Unfortunately, you won't find any Merlin Rocket or National 12 racing here in the States.😢

If your goal is to compete locally, your options are somewhat limited. You could look into Olympic classes like the 470, 49er, or Star, though even at the national championship level, fleet sizes have dwindled significantly.

As for other options, people typically sail the 505, the Snipe, or occasionally a 420 if a specific club still maintains them. There is one crew currently running an FD.

No—I am not looking to compete professionally. I was thinking more along the lines of club racing—finding similar boat models just for the fun of it. Mostly just for recreation.🙂

Many thanks for the information.😁

Is there anyone out there from the Seattle area who gets out on the water for sailing or maybe some paddleboarding? Honestly, I'm open to anything... I'm just trying to figure out which clubs are actually active in the Seattle area and if there's any way to sign up for a proper school. So far, the only thing I've managed to track down are sailing programs specifically for kids, and let's just say I don't exactly fit that demographic🙂

I went ahead and merged this post with the older thread. Just so you know, there's another pretty solid discussion going on about sailing over here, so check out LINK. Mod.

Arthur Fox49 said:Is there anyone out here from the Seattle area who gets into sailing or paddleboarding? Basically anything on the water. I’m trying to figure out what kind of clubs are active in the city and if there are any programs where an adult can actually sign up. All I’ve been able to find so far are sailing lessons geared toward kids, and that definitely isn't my scene.🙂

I'm based out of Seattle. I spent some time online last week hunting for local sailing clubs—specifically looking for places that run small dinghies like the Laser. I have to say, I didn't find much of anything useful.

Here are the links I have on the subject; feel free to look through them for whatever information you need.

www.scor.us

Check out the JK3MAJ site here: http://www.jk3maj.us/

The official website for the maritime training programs at the United States Merchant Marine Academy can be found here: http://www.usmma.edu/

If you happen to come across any additional links, please let me know. 🙂

UPDATE: I just came across this as well:

The official website for the municipality of Kostrena can be found at

Walter Myers6 As requested:
I’m originally from Seattle. Just last week, I spent quite a bit of time scouring the web to see if there were any sailing clubs nearby—specifically looking for groups that focus on smaller boats, like a Laser... I have to tell you, though, I didn't come up with much at all...

Here are the links I’ve managed to gather on the subject... feel free to dig through them and hunt down whatever specific details you're looking for...

Check out the latest updates over at scor.us...

Check out this site... http://www.jk3maj.com/

If you're looking to dive deep into some high-quality maritime history and research, you really need to check out this site... It’s an incredible resource for anyone interested in nautical studies and historical documentation... Truly a gem for researchers and enthusiasts alike... Such a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips...

If you happen to stumble upon any more links, please do let me know... 🙂

Wait, I just stumbled upon something else...

If you find yourself looking for some local insight or perhaps just browsing through the official municipal portals in the states, I always recommend checking out the primary town websites... they can be such a goldmine for community news and local updates. It’s always interesting to see how different cities manage their public information and connect with their residents... quite a fascinating look at local governance...

Thanks so much for those links... really appreciate it... 🙂 Personally, I’ve always been more drawn to the larger sailing vessels... I'm going to spend some time digging through these links to see what catches my eye. I did spot that 3M vessel mentioned earlier, but it looks like they don't offer any formal training programs there, unless you're just looking for something for the kids...

Arthur Fox49 said:Is there anyone from Seattle involved in sailing, or perhaps windsurfing? Generally speaking, which clubs are active in Seattle and is it possible to enroll in a training program? All I have managed to find are sailing schools for children, and I certainly don't fit that demographic.🙂

I have merged this post with an older thread. There is actually another decent discussion regarding sailing, so here is the LINK. Mod.

Regarding windsurfing—I passed a shop today that sells boards, snowboards, and similar gear. I can't recall the name, but I can describe the location: it’s on the street where Goldman Sachs is located [over in the downtown area 😉]. If you head up that street toward the hills following the bus route, you'll see the shop on your left, right before those motorcycle and art supply shops 😁

Arthur Fox49 said:Thanks for the links. 🙂 Personally, I am more interested in larger sailboats; I will look through these links. I saw that one club near the waterfront, but they don't offer classes except for kids.

As for larger vessels, I truly have no idea. 😢 I would personally love to sail on them—I actually did last year, though not here in the US—but my entry point was joining a yacht club where owners were looking for racing crews. From what I gather, you generally need to know someone who owns such a vessel to get on board.🤷

Hey everyone,

So, I was just sitting here thinking—does anyone out there have plans for some offshore sailing soon? I’ve got the boat ready to go, but I'm currently lacking a decent crew to actually make it happen.😁