It's that time of the year again: there are several opinions from vendors and manufacturers on what to wear when it comes to sailing in cold weather. Frostbiting is the ultimate test for gear and , unless you try every single suggestion from every manufacturers, it becomes a bit hard to pick up the right set of garments. Here is an article published by Sailing World magazine, than rather technical is more practical from first hand experience from sailors of four different dinghy fleets in the NE:

Bob Oatley’s five-time Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race line honours winner, Wild Oats XI,beat her 2005 record time this morning, in a gentle glide to the finish that kept everyone on the edge of their seats. She finished in one day, 18 hours, 23 minutes and 12 seconds, taking 16 minutes and 58 seconds off her old record.

Get the gear you need...and a present for a fellow sailor with Vela Sailing Supply and Magic Marine!

Just add water!

Our VX One Fall special has been extended for another two weeks: Get the right boat before the year ends and the price kick back up!
The ultimate crossover trailerable: light, strong, fast....really fast and at the best price on its category: $29,950, including a set of North Racing Generation 5 sails, aluminum road trailer and everything else you need to roll. We will even get you a pair of lifejacket with your purchase. Don't miss it!

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Comments and data about your standing rigging:

when a boat owner looks at the standing rigging of his boat it certainly looks like a strong cable holds the rig and can withstand severe weather conditions and rough seas. Truth is that standing rigging is engineered and manufactured to do so, but they certainly need maintenance and replacement periodically. Vela Sailing Supply offers all sort of “of the shelf” rigging components, whether is swaged in terminals or swageless such as Sta-Lok or Norseman, as well as custom made stays and shrouds. We carry the standard 1x19 grade 316 cable, Compacted strand (Dyform) cable, 7 strand cable and even synthetic rigging shall you decide to save weight aloft. Besides the fact of assuring you the best quality and effective solution when it comes to the standing rigging for your sailboat, we would also like to share some knowledge that will help you better understand some of the origins and behavior of the components that work above the deck level: As its name implies, standing rigging stands, that is, it is fixed or semi-fixed, as opposed to running rigging which moves and requires constant adjustment. The function of the standing rigging on a sailboat is to support, stiffen and control the mast and often carry sails as well. Normally made of steel wire or rod, and for the extreme performer synthetic fibers, standing rigging comprises two general components: shrouds and stays. The mast is supported and stiffened in the fore-and-aft direction by stays and in the transverse (port to starboard) by the shrouds. The standing rigging on a sailboat is fastened to the hull with chainplates, or in the case of the forward stay, a stem head fitting.

Occasionally, one hears shrouds called “side stays” and while this is an accurate description, the expression is considered  lubberly by old slats. Shrouds are designated as upper, lower or intermediate, according to the height at which they attach to the mast. The mast that is held by this standing rigging system, includes spreaders that are fastened 90 degrees to the mast profile. The spreaders hold the shrouds out from the mast, reducing the compression loading. On modern sailboats with multiple spreaders, the shrouds are often designated “V”  for vertical or D for diagonal and then numbered according to the height above the deck. Shrouds within the lowest panel, between the deck and lower spreaders, are numbered One; shrouds within the next panel above, between the lower spreaders and the next higher set, are number “two” and so on. On important component among the standing rigging on any sailboat is the capability of adding or removing tension of each stay or shroud. For this purpose, the turnbuckles the link between the hull and the stay or shroud that allows for this. Needless to say how important is to have healthy and low friction turnbuckles installed on the boat. Some sailors like to replace the cables and re-use existing turnbuckles. This may be a risky move, as the replaced stay is, in most cases, as old as the turnbuckle is and this increases the risks of rig failure. The most common brands of turnbuckle and rigging fitting manufacturers  are Gibbs, Navtec, Alexander Roberts,Sta-Lok, Johnson Marine and Hayn Marine. Vela Sailing Supply gives you access to all these parts at unbeatable prices and exceptional customer service. If you have a sailing problem, we have a sailing solution.

After the 2012 Olympic games in London, the ISAF has launched the racing rules of sailing for the 2013- 2016 period starting on January 1st. 2013.

Here is the link to the new rules: 2013 - 2016 Racing Rules of Sailing

Sail fast....sail fair!

When "fresher" winds blow from the East or North in the middle of the North Texas summer, things are not usually good for 10 to 20 minutes. This is proves the point:

This Melges 24 was not tied down to the ground and a microburst from the East made the trailer tongue turn West and headed dead downwind towards Lake Ray Hubbard. After 4 hours and $600 the boat and trailer were safe and sound. We are glad no major losses occurred and nobody got hurt. Certainly a lesson learned.