Shut Up and Fish

I’m not sure how many of you are up to date on your Deadliest Catch, but my mom recently informed me that a crew all had shirts that said “Shut Up and Fish” on them!!! I think this is fantastic! I also think they ripped off MY tee shirt!
My father, like many driver/ boat owners used to have a nasty case of HOBS (Head Out of the Boat Syndrome). This is a terrible chronic problem that leads to the driver looking around, talking about what they see and the ideas that they have, without focusing on what they are there to do…DRIVE!
Our old tacticians would constantly say to my dad, “Jay, just shut up and drive the boat” So finally after a summer of hearing this…the whole crew sick and tired of it….I took matters into my own hands and made every one shirts. They all read, “JAY SHUT-UP AND DRIVE” My fathers reads, “I’m Jay, I just drive”. Needless to say, a hit at the event, and at many event since!
That was at least 3 seasons ago…hence I’m pretty positive Deadliest Catch owes me something here…
Jay Shut Up and Drive Shirt Photo coming soon...

Why is it Always Out with the Old?

As of late I’ve been reading a lot about the IMOCA and about their plans to create an even more stable class rule for their 60 footers to ensure that not nearly as many boats break. At the same time I’ve been hearing about the recent rule changes for the Volvo 70’s. The changes in this class are very minimal, in an effort to make this generation of boats competitive with new builds. This seems to me to be a no brainer and a must for the Volvo. In order to draw more sponsors and sailors into the Volvo boats need to be cheaper and easy to acquire, tweak and then sail. The recent surge by Delta Lloyd to the front of the Volvo fleet is proof that it CAN happen, and it certainly something that Volvo is taking note of. But will the big sponsors with the big money and the ability to make new builds always win out in the end?
Quite possibly, however, half the fun of the Vendee was that there were SO MANY boats to begin with, that it was easy to follow the middle of the pack, and there was of course the drama of boats breaking, but despite that, there was a story for everyone to see themselves in, we were able to relate to someone in this fleet on a very personal level, which is a huge part of this edition of the race being such a global success. Although I feel I’ve been able to watch the Volvo, I’m still not sure if I’ve been able to connect with it. Bring on more boats and more sailors, and a personal touch, and I think this problem is solved.

Well, It’s Over.... Leg 5 That Is

After 40 + days, everyone in the Volvo Ocean Race has made it to Rio. There were a lot of things that I’ve wanted to comment on as this leg evolved, but in the end, I though it would be fun to reflect back on the highlights (plus I don’t want this blog to be all VOR all the time…I think they have a website for that and actually pay the person that writes that blog).
Here are my top 3 moments of the leg.

Well Crap
Not even to the first scoring gate and Telefonica Blue breaks it’s forestay. What a total burn! I like these guys and I love Bekking’s determination in the VOR (we all recall Movistar 05-06). This man clearly loves this game, and I give him, and the whole team, major props for finding a solution and making it work all the way to Rio. Impressive and quite admirable.

Ballsy Moves
Sure it was calculated, but we’ve all heard, when in the southern ocean, head south. However, the guys on Ericsson 3 and the young navigator, AKSEL MAGDAHL, challenged this age-old philosophy. They hit the scoring gate off New Zealand and TACKED!!! To put it rather bluntly, this took balls. I dig it. All of us who ever have to make critical choices can take a note or two from this situation. It was a big risk that would yield a big reward. At one point heading to Cape Horn, these guys were 300 MILES ahead of the second place boat! How stoked am I that these guys went on to win the leg. I’ve got to say, I was stoked for them at the first scoring gate, being 2nd after starting 7 hours behind, and then I was thrilled when I checked the VOR site and learned that even with them and E4 going into “stealth mode” in tricky and light conditions off Rio, Ericsson 3 managed to pull out a well deserved victory. I loved it…I would like to say it was the balls-ist move of the leg…but then what would I say about my last favorite moment?!?!?

Naked
Spinlock, listen up! Casey Smith is running around NAKED in the Southern Ocean… but he’s still wearing your deck harness….when you only have ONE equipment choice. I’m heading off to Boston in a few weeks for the in-port race and restart, if I only meet ONE person, I want to meet Casey Smith, Bowman on PUMA. Dude rounded Cape Horn naked!!! AND IT’S ON FILM!!! I’ve got to say, this is the kind of footage we need more of in sailing. People doing fun and crazy things (believe it or not, it is relatable! We’ve all done something crazy!) This move took some serious balls…pun totally intended, and I think everyone loved it! It shows what sailing is all about….Fun crazy shit!

The southern ocean leg and rounding of Cape Horn will forever be my favorite part of the Volvo. Something magical seems to happen down there, signs are made, family photo’s are taken, cigars and drinks are had, and sometimes someone even gets naked. It just seems that regardless of if you are first or last, you are happy to get there, and happy that Neptune can give you safe passage. It seems like the most sentimental part of the race, and I think that’s what makes it so cool. Everyone is just stoked to be where they are and be sharing that moment with their friends. That’s epic…and totally what our sport is all about. If you had to ask me why I want to sail the VOR, rounding Cape Horn would be damn near the top, and not because I want to knock it off the list, but quite the opposite! I want to experience it, with an amazing group of people, and just be in that moment, where nothing else matters, it’s just you, your friends, your boat, and the Cape…

Stoked

Well, it is almost April here in Milwaukee, WI and of course, it is supposed to snow. I received this bleak weather updated on Friday morning, and needless to say, was very disappointed. This is typically the time of the year where I start itching to get back out on the water, and I was actually contemplating taking my laser to Chicago, but alas, Mother Nature is putting a stop to that plan.
Taj Burrow : photo Steve Robertson

I had to do something to get my mind off of the inevitable cold front that was looming a mere 12 hours away, so I threw on “Step into Liquid”. I’ve never surfed before, but believe me, it is high on my list of things to do before I turn 30 (I’m about to be 25, so the big 3 0 seems to be creeping up on me). Anyways, if you haven’t seen “Step into Liquid” I suggest you stop reading this…go to the Blockbuster and get this movie. Epic only begins to describe it. The first time I watched the film I finished it @ 2a.m. and pressed play again. It’s that good. The thing that gets me about this film every time is how stoked people are about surfing. It seems that it is just about them being in the moment, with the energy of the waves looking for that one sweet ride, and the feeling that ride creates just keeps them coming back, looking for that perfect wave. I get stoked just watching this movie, and I can only imagine that was what the director was going for. It makes me wonder if that feeling that I get when I go sailing is the same thing. All the more reason to try surfing and find out!

I think one of the most interesting things about sports in general is that everyone is getting stoked about their own thing. I only hope there are people out there as stoked about something as I am about sailing.

The Simple Pleasures of Sled Racing...Dog Sled Racing That Is

This evening I found myself drawn into the Versus channel. No, I wasn’t watching the Volvo coverage that I missed; I was actually watching the first two episodes of the 2009 Iditarod. I was mesmerized watching the programming, and to be honest, I just finished checking out the website and seeing who won, which was really exciting (mainly because I watched the TV shows and was itching to find out)! Apparently the Iditarod has been coined, “The Last Great Race on Earth”. Needless to say, I was intrigued by this boastful claim; what I’ve come to find is that the Iditarod, is an epic race. (Check it → www.iditarod.com)

The race traverses Alaska, East to West (Anchorage to Nome) and covers 1150 miles. With a 24-hour mandatory rest point, the winner finished in 9 days, 21 hours, 38 minutes and 46 seconds. Second place was a full 8 hours behind! I find this REMARKABLE. I will likely never come close to doing the Iditarod, I’ll be lucky if I get to be pulled on a sled by 16 racing machines (how cool would that be), but I do hope to accomplish something epic like that one day. What I think hooked me in during the two hours of sled racing that I watched, was that I learned about the rivals, about the dogs, the terrain, and about the men and women who compete in the Iditarod every year.There are favorites just like any other sport, and there is strategy, but most of all there is an overwhelming since of pride and accomplishment that comes with competing, and if you’re lucky, winning. At one point I caught a glimpse of a trophy, but it was brief. I don’t even know if these people win money, what I do know is that all the people are passionate about the Iditarod and dog sled racing, they love their sport at it’s core, and I find this so refreshing.

Now, I can’t imagine that being pulled by 16 dogs across Alaska is something that many people can relate to…I certainly don’t relate…but this is prime time television for Versus. I would like to think sailing could take a hint from this, but I like to think that in the end, we are all out there for pride. Maybe instead of our media focusing on the court battles, and the millions of dollars being spent on AC and Volvo programs, we can really get back to why we all race sailboats, for the opportunity to succeed, and the joy of being on the water…for the passion and pride of a sport that we love. So in my media plea…PLEASE tell us the stories of the people sailing these races, don’t sensationalize it…simplify it. When I watch the AC (if it ever happens) tell me all of Dean Barker’s resume, but then actually tell me about HIM, and tell me about the grinder and the bowman on Team Origin, not just about Ben Ainslie and Ian Percy. Make our rock stars relatable people, and don’t worry, the fans of the sport will still put them on a pedestal (I know I will)! And who knows, maybe the people looking in won’t think we are all blazer wearing yachtie’s, maybe they will see the similarities rather than the differences, and this will draw them in. And hopefully they will recognize, that in the end, no matter what we are competing for, we are all in pursuit of the same goal…the joy of participating in something we love, and the pride that comes along with hard earned success.

Is that a Mt. Gay Rum Hat? Do you sail?

The other day I was staring at the pile of clothes on my floor thinking, "wow, I should clean", then I went home for the weekend with my best friend Meg (clearly not cleaning). While home Meg let my mom in on the fact that my room looked like a bomb went off, so I actually did clean (I promise mom!) when I arrived back home. In cleaning I started to pick up the multitude of hats that I have. Not winter hats (interesting fact: winter hats are call Tuks in Canada...strange) and not girly hats, just normal hats. I suddenly realized; I have a ton of hats! I was even more taken aback to realize I had a bag under my bed.... with more hats! Oh, and dare I mention the pile I have going in my closet at my parents house in Chicago. How did I acquire all of these hats? Ahh yes...I race sail boats.

I mean honestly, how am I supposed to get through all of these?!?! Every event that Mt. Gay sponsors…BAM another hat (not that I’m hating on Mt. Gay…I love Mt. Gay and thank them for supporting a good amount of my summer time drinking), it never ends! Round out my collection with some Rolex hats, Volvo, and my Cubs hat, and I am really set for life. But I can almost guarantee that come June, July, and August, I will manage to collect more hats.
Here is my favorite thing about the red Mt. Gay hat though, it is like a glowing beacon, the red nose on Rudolph, signaling to people far and wide, “YES! LOOK AT ME! I SAIL! Do you sail? YOU DO! We should totally be friends!”
Well, I’ve done some thinking, and I really think there are some Mt. Gay hat “guidelines” we might all want to consider. I don’t want to call these “Rules”, and I swear, I don’t judge people based on the hat they wear (well maybe just a tiny bit ☺). These are just some things I consider. First off, (so you know where I’m coming from) regardless of my plethora of Mt. Gay hats, I really only wear one…that’s right, and quite often I would rather wear at hat from Miami OCR, or my Brazil hat from the 2005 Volvo. So I have my one hat, and it is old. The 1999 Chicago NOOD regatta. Here is the funny part…I never was given this hat for sailing! I was wearing a Navy hat and traded it with a drunk guy who thought I went to the academy (I was going into 9th grade at the time) I won out. This hat has the old logo…that’s how you know it’s good.
1. Logo year (we just discussed this)
2. Is the hat being worn during the regatta in which you are currently attending? –This is a big pet peeve of mine; don’t wear the hat until the event is over! You’ll jinx it! I also take this as a sign of a new sailor
3. How faded is the hat? Be careful here people cheat and put them in the dishwasher! Terrible, I know.
4. What is the event?!?! Some events are run of the mill. You can tell the better sailors from the rest if they are wearing a more exotic hat. Key West Race Week = more exotic than any NOOD. The exception to this rule, really small random events.

Believe me, I’m not hating on Mt. Gay hats. I’m pretty sure I was the coolest 9th grader EVER because I had one. I just think they are funny. Mt. Gay has done an amazing job of creating a symbol for our tribe of sailors. It’s a symbol that we spot from a mile away, on ski hills out West, across city streets, and in the check out line at the grocery store. We may never talk to these people we spot, but we know, we exchange a smile and acknowledge that we are all part of a special group, the same tribe, and a the end of the day...we may even make a friend. They are pretty amazing hats…no wonder I have them stock piled in my closet!

No DVR = No VOR

I discovered something awful this week. My DVR is NOT in working order (Damn you Time Warner Cable)! Not only did I miss The Office (thank goodness for Hulu), I missed the Volvo show! I also found out that we got to actually see Puma’s boom break, which I was not able to locate online. Well, believe you me I will be searching for a copy of the program (I wish I could Hulu it).

I’m not sure how many people out there are watching these monthly installments, but they are kind of…funky. The “story board” starts out in the middle of a leg, shows you the finish, LOTS of In-Port stuff, and then the re-start. You are left with the “cliff-hanger” of what happens. I don’t want to knock this format, because I THINK I see what the VOR is trying to do…hook someone in and make them want to tune in next time. I wonder though, this program is on mid-afternoon, once a month. I get it on Versus, squeezed between 3 hours of bass fishing and 5 hours of Bull riding (fascinating stuff). I’m thinking that the demographic that was watching Bass fishing, or getting ready for Bull riding isn’t going to give a rats ass about guys flying around the world on Volvo Open 70’s (and yes, there is ALWAYS an exception to the rule, but I’m going to ignore that right now). The people that want to watch this show are at work and have selected the season to record on their DVR (grrrr…). So what is the thought here? And if these are the people watching, why are you giving me a cliff hanger?!?!?! I follow the race any way! I just want to see the cool stuff that I don’t get to see online!