First Mate Passing

Maneater's crew lost First Mate Kelp yesterday 3/29/11 when bone cancer finally got the best of him.
Kelp was born to be a water dog. While growing up in Florida, he helped rehab countless whales, sea turtles and dolphins. When he came north 11 years ago, he graced our family and countless others with his unconditional love, kisses and fuzz.
He was everyone's best friend and we all miss him more than words can express.

BREAKING NEWS!

I just received a call from the Chicago Match Race Center offering me a PR/Marketing internship this summer!

Just when I gave up hope and started looking for housing in Sister Bay, I missed a call from the CMRC.

Can you say DREAM job???????????

BACARDI Miami Sailing Week

With a sponsor like BACARDI, one can only try to remember exactly what happened this past week. 

The registration party and dinner was overwhelming. There was an array of garnished meats to go along with the free BACARDI, wine and beer that would be served all week. The opening event set the tone for what would be a hell of a week.   

Before heading out on the Melges media boat, I checked Facebook and saw a rather ominous picture posted by Bora Gulari sailing in the 24s. The picture was a radar snapshot showing a red monster swallowing southern Florida. I decided to bring my foulies out just in case.

The first day of racing for the 24s, 20s, Vipers and J24s was called after one race due to the storm that blew through.

The Italian stallions of UKA UKA dominated the 35 boat M24 fleet followed by Alan Field on WTF.

In the 26-strong fleet of M20s, Red Sky with Paul Reilly started off strong with what would be there only bullet for the event.

The Stars didn't even head out on this day, which would be their third day of racing. 

If you're wondering where the coverage is for the Vipers and 24s is, you should just stop reading now. Let's be honest, the only fleets at this event were the Melges and Stars. 

Sailors turned into sprinters as they ran off the dock to the Coconut Grove Sailing Center for cover. As one Alabama sailor so aptly put - it was raining like a “cow pissing on a flat rock.”

"The last thing we want is total carnage on the first day out there," commented, Jack, one of the event organizers over the radio. 

The storm had significantly cooled the air for Friday's racing as well as starting with winds of up to 20 knots, but decreasing throughout the day. This was a day to really see the M20s perform. They shoot off like rockets downwind.
 

 On Saturday, I got to spend some time on the Star course. While they are celebrating their 100th year, 93 of them graced the starting line with their presence. I asked skipper, Don Massey, what was the starts were like when he recalled, "We found a spot that we were going to have to battle the Norwegians for. When they saw what we had planned, their skipper turned to us and just screamed, 'NO!'" It was a lot of foresight and skill that helped others get clean starts across the line.

When awards rolled around, quite the party ensued. The highlight, though, was Mary Anne Ward of M&M Racing winning the M20 class and being what was announced as the first woman to win that particular class*.

All-in-all, it was a well-run event while everyone was out on the water. I made some great friends and had a ton of fun.  So, overall, I'd call the event a win. 

Video coming soon...

*That was announced, but not double-checked

  

"No, really, she's hot"

"Just take off the granny hiking shorts, the ill-fitting tech tee, the big booty bib..."

Somewhere underneath all that crap that sailing outfitters provide for women, is a hot chick. It may not look like a bunch of tight little bods, but they're out there.

Here's a review of the state of women's sailing gear today in one word: non-existent.

The best look we have developed with the gear we have at the moment was found in a pathetic leech of a sailing movie Charlie St. Cloud:

Ladies have this amazing capability of pairing a cozy foul weather jacket with short shorts strategically so it looks like we're not wearing any bottoms. It's quite the attention-grabber if you've got a good set of legs.

Short shorts are most often provided by running companies, though. This brings us to the first and main problem...

1) Shorts

While I understand the logic behind the up-to-the-boobs high-rise waist, I don't like it, won't buy it and definitely don't appreciate it. The high-rise waist logic stems from women bending over to prevent whale-tail. 

whale tail: a woman's thong hanging out of her pants

What scares me is that these companies use the description "women's fit." What kind of women are they fitting? The ones with a little extra something down there? Just sayin'. 

The descriptions are so deceptive. Camet's whole campaign was "new style and cut" for women, but were they really? "Low-rise" is not the term I would use for these belly-button-bordering shorts displayed on my bod. 

We wear shorts like the Henri Lloyd Women's Fast Dri or Gill Navigator because we have no other choice, not because we would pick them off the rack. 

With all the deck wear and tear on our delicious rears, running shorts and boardshorts only last a few wears -a season if you're lucky.

I still hold out hope for the Zhik Women's Boat Shorts because I have not tried them on. The fear is that they will still breach the navel, therefore not my style. Anyone have these and care to voice a comment?  

2) Pants

Pants could have no more problems than shorts because they're just longer, right? Wrong. The tapered ankle... Really? It's bad enough that we have a renewed commitment to our skinny jeans. Don't bring the struggle and uncomfortable fit into our sailing swag. 

Some actual low-rise cargo pants would be nice, but in the meantime I'll stick with a bib instead.

3) Bibs

Oh my god, companies have done something right for once! For the most part... I have an hour-glass figure, and, like many women, my waist is much smaller than my hips. When you pull on the adjustable velcro waistband to fit your hips, do you realize how much fabric that adds to get caught on your sexy ass? It makes you look like you've got one helluva big booty and not in a good way either..

photo cred: Meredith Block

Are salopettes the more formidable option? Not for the cutie-patooties. The sizes don't get small enough according to my sister who ended up in the disproportionate kid's sizes.

4) Technical Tees/Polos

I have boobs. This is a factor that many companies overlook maybe because adjusting seams to a bustline is too racy or turns men on too quickly. Regardless, these "women's fit" tech tees have three differences from the men's: 1) they're cropped shorter, 2) the sleeves are shorter and 3) there's are some extra buttons down the front. Back to the tits- when fabric isn't fitted, our boobs create a box-like figure that isn't exactly the most flattering. 

5) Jackets

I'm a sucker for a good foul weather jacket. They are my downfall perhaps because I pull out the short shorts or leggings look with them. I live in my Helly Hansen.

 Shockingly enough, the jackets are where companies get it right!

Any company is safe in the jacket department.

Here's to the women who have to deal with trying to make sailing gear look good. Some of us pull it off quite well, while others are still grasping at straws. 

Preview to Debauchery

BACARDI Miami Sailing Week


With registration closed and my arrival in Miami only 3 days away, let's take a look at what Miami has in store...

photo from event site

It's the second year for BMSW. After great success with their inaugural event, big things are to be expected this year.

And big things are happening.

With 183 boats signed up when registration closed on Feb. 28, the event has 50 more boats than 2010. Nearly 600 participants will be barging the line in the Star, Viper 640, Melges 20, Melges 24 and J/24 classes. This not just a national event either, just under 20 different countries will be represented throughout the classes.

This year marks the 84th running of the BACARDI Cup for the Star class and a cultural recognition of the class's 100th year. The Cup was won last year by returning registrant and US Sailing Team Alphagraphics member, Rick Merriman. The question is will Rick be leading the fleet or will 2009 Cup winner, Peter Bromby, be coming back to reclaim the trophy? Another strong contender could be this year's Rolex Miami OCR silver medalist, Frederik Loof. It's truly anyone's game here with 95 class registrants.
On a separate note, the Star Class's 100th year since inception has added a culture factor to the event with an exhibit amongst the arts in the North Hall of the Convention Center of Coconut Grove. The century celebration will include designs, photos and artifacts from the class.

The Melges 24 class has a lot of big names -Guy Mossman, Bora Gulari, Riccardo Simoneschi, Steve Kopf-  starting amongst 34 boats on the line. This will be an extremely competitive regatta for the 24s as the Italians look to keep up their winning streak in the Road to Corpus series. This event is just one part of the anticipation buildup for the 2011 Melges 24 World Championship in Corpus Christi, TX.

The Audi Melges 20 class has doubled in entries from last year with 27 boats registered. This small sportboat is just too-hot-to-trot in my opinion. I had the brief opportunity to sail one to the harbor at Charleston Race Week last year and haven't found an experience to replace it yet. Predictions call for 2010 Audi Melges 20 US National and USA Sailing Series Champion Michael Kiss on Bacio leading the fleet to the finish. 

This event has the three most important aspects to a popular regatta covered:
1) Easy water access
With the boats being stored and launched all along Coconut Grove, water access doesn't get much better. Also, if you have housing accommodations in The Grove, everything is within walking distance.
2) Good parties
It's fair to say that a good rum sponsor aids the event's party factor. Even better is that the parties start as soon as you're off the water; no waiting around. Another benefit is the hangover factor taken into account with race warnings only starting at 11am.
3) Cheap options
While Miami is an expensive city, there are several ways of doing this regatta on a budget. Hotels can be found for under $150/night, why not pack them with your whole crew? Good food and nightlife can be found at least at the Sandbar; though, there must be other cheap options in the area that I am sure to discover.

photo from event site

The debauchery begins Saturday.

$$$ Saving Tip for Interns

While it's okay to intern for an organization that's never had an intern before, make it a larger organization. That way, at least they're more "organized" and aren't as likely to flake out.

Maintain solid communication (once a week/every other week) with your supervisor from the time you obtain your internship to the time it starts.

Have any agreements on housing, airfare or compensation in writing and confirmed before making travel arrangements.

I was supposed to be heading down south to work for a smaller organization this coming week, but due to problems in the aforementioned areas, there has been a change of plans.

Instead, I have gone $300 in the hole for plane tickets and decided to head back to Miami. Who knew that plane ticket change fees would be substantially more than what I paid for the ticket? You're welcome Standby Ticket Holders.

I'll be down in Miami rigging, launching and covering the events for BACARDI Miami Sailing Week while, luckily, still receiving internship credit.

You Can't Handle This

Rolex Miami OCR


This event was the antithesis of CRW last year. I felt I should be well-rounded, though.

For those who don't know, OCR is "Olympic Class Racing." The event is an Olympic qualifier bringing in about 800 sailors from around the globe in the 10 Olympic + Paralympic classes. (470s, Skuds, RS:X, Stars, Lasers, etc)

What was I expecting? I thought all my previous conceptions would be proved wrong. I was hoping all the rumors and events floating around were isolated incidents.

Needless to say, I was disappointed in the event. It wasn't that the event wasn't run properly; it was the communications going on inside the event.

Lesson #1 in International Communications:
When someone can't understand you, it doesn't mean they can't hear you. No one was deaf in any of the circumstances I witnessed.

Lesson #2:
Be Patient. Short tempers don't solve problems or answer questions. Enough said.

Lesson #3:
Don't dismiss someone just because they're not on the US Sailing Team Alphagraphics. Give everyone the same treatment and amount of attention.

Lesson #4:
If you welcome a problem with a smile, 9 times out of 10, they'll reciprocate.

Another problem was one that was publicized by a high profile individual. The way the event was being promoted and covered was behind the times. "Cover It Live" is a great platform and it was implemented well. Though, the daily video highlights should have been done differently giving more attention to each individual class and more international sailors. Then, the Facebook photos were only 10-20 per day. That is not near enough to get a good grasp on the event if you're not there. Talking to locals outside the event, they didn't even know anything about the international sailing regatta.

Well, it might be just that train of thought that got me sentenced to the RS:X course. That or they figured that I just wasn't fitting in. I wasn't going to change my ways to fit their "type," so long as I was doing my job well. 

Low and behold, I had a fantastic time with some great people running the social media on the race courses. These were my kind of people out there on the water. They fit my type and my expectations. I thoroughly enjoyed myself outside the office. 

The nightlife wasn't too shabby either after I discovered a fantastic place called The Sandbar. The Sandbar boasts 1/2 price tacos on Mondays and 1/2 off hurricanes on Wednesdays in conjunction with Redneck penny PBR's and pudding wrestling. Needless to say, good food, great portions and cheap prices. It quickly became my second home after I discovered $3.50 drafts. 

Not What I Was Trained For

Charleston Race Week 2010


Sailing media and PR is not what I was trained for in my years of studying at NMU.
Everything I learned is wrong.

My boss wanted to strangle me because I was so eager to help, but I, myself, was helpless. I hated the internship, hated my professors and just wanted to go back to rigging boats the day before. I wanted someone to hold my hand through the process like I've heard from a number of interns. But, no, this was an event internship that lasted a week. When Boss recognized that I was educated in a style very different from what the sport demands, he just told me to forget all my classes.

I didn't go to school for journalism, but that's the style press releases that need to be sent out here in the US. Why? Because no one understands the sport and how broad it really is. Actual journalists have no idea how to interpret sailing lingo and would just nudge it off their desk with all the rest of the crap they sift through.

In my review, he said I was an excellent "schmoozer." A more educated person may take this as a backhanded compliment, but I'll take it for what it is -a compliment. The media -oh, the media. Why not be a little nauti if it fits the event and publics?

photo cred: Meredith Block

If I didn't have who or what I needed, I found a way to get it. This was probably the hardest part. No offense to these big-name professional sailors, but I have no idea what your face looks like. When told to fetch quotes, I was given a list of names of people I had never met before. Not going to lie, the task was a bit intimidating with over a thousand sailors roaming the harbor. Luckily, the party was being hosted at the venue, so the sailors were somewhere between their boats and the bar. Why not walk around with a few beers passing one out to names on the list or those who could point me towards those names?

I was truly spoiled by this internship. It was a crash course in what I want to do with my life and make a career out of. Boss also had no curtains or double-meanings. I was allowed into every aspect of the event and saw it all. I didn't immediately recognize how privileged I was until my next internship.

photo cred: Meredith Block

An Afterthought

I realized that I should have started a blog when I began studying public relations. PR has given me a new insight into sailing and why it is constantly falling apart - specifically in the US.

Before immediately discrediting me, know a few things (I'll keep them brief):
I...
- grew up on the water with a family that has a lot of sailing history. Unfortunately, it is "history" after my sister and I were born
- have taught at three different sailing foundations and will go into more depth on those in a later posting
- am a boat owner with my sister
- have interned with two high profile sailing organizations for events with a third coming next week (more later)
- am finishing up my last semester of college at Northern Michigan University obtaining a bachelor's in PR

If you are like most people I speak with, you have an idea of what PR is, but no... not really. For you, I'll give my blunt definition:
"PR people clean up what you fuck up or do their best to tell you how to not fuck up"
That definition doesn't cover everything, but it takes care of a lot of it.
I'll credit my professor with this definition, though, so I don't get completely torn apart by anyone in PR:
"communicating an accurate image or message to publics"

In this blog, I'll be discussing anything and everything with a focus on sailing. I'll also be posting through the eyes of a soon-to-be college graduate searching for the "dream job."

To be honest, this blog may prevent me from getting a job if a potential employer doesn't like my views, language or whatever, and I am perfectly fine with that. I'm not going to roll over and tell some organization how great of a job they're doing if they're royally fucking it up (like so many in the US are doing). I'm okay with this even if it means I have to revert to teaching sailing or managing boat rentals.

So, here it is...